0:00:04 > 0:00:08Brazil - the beating heart of South America.
0:00:12 > 0:00:18Vast landscapes, carved by the irresistible forces of nature.
0:00:29 > 0:00:35More animals live here than in any other nation on Earth.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48This is their story.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50SQUEAKING
0:00:55 > 0:00:57As the seasons change,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01animal families face extreme challenges.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03THUNDER
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Immense floods.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Brutal drought.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Surviving and raising young.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22LOUD SQUEALS
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Through the good times and the bad.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28SCREECHING
0:01:30 > 0:01:32This is an intimate journey
0:01:32 > 0:01:36to the heart of a spectacular country.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50The rains are on their way.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Across Brazil, the young of three animal families
0:01:53 > 0:01:57have successfully weathered the first few weeks of life.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59The newest of a clan of capuchins
0:01:59 > 0:02:04has begun to learn the many tricks his family use to survive.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09A young brood of coatis have taken their first dangerous steps
0:02:09 > 0:02:11out into the grasslands.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18And a family of giant otters survived an encounter with
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Brazil's supreme predator - the jaguar.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Now these young animals face
0:02:26 > 0:02:29the greatest challenge of their lives so far -
0:02:29 > 0:02:33the immense power of Brazil's monsoon rains.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51In the heart of Brazil
0:02:51 > 0:02:55lies the largest freshwater wetland in the world.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02The Pantanal.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09But now it's dry.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11The land is thirsty.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15The predators...
0:03:15 > 0:03:17hungry.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33There are more jaguars along Pantanal's rivers
0:03:33 > 0:03:36than anywhere else in South America.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39LOUD GRUNT
0:03:41 > 0:03:45This is the perfect time of year for hunting.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Life is concentrated along the riverbanks.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02When the rains come, other animals will have their day.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10A young giant otter.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Just three months old.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29It's time for her to learn a bit of independence.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34She doesn't seem keen.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40The parents give a bit of gentle encouragement.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44LOUD SQUEALS
0:04:48 > 0:04:50She's not alone.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Her brother and sister soon join in.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00The kits still have a lot to learn about the water.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It'll be their hunting ground.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10And their playground.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16But it's a dangerous place.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18LOUD SQUEALS
0:05:25 > 0:05:30Over the next two months, this river will swell with the rains.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35The kits face a real risk of drowning.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39And in the Pantanal,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43predators are never far away.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Nearly half of all kits that die in their first year
0:05:56 > 0:05:59are killed by caiman.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17The mother decides enough is enough.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19The danger's too close.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26For now, it's time to retreat
0:06:26 > 0:06:28to the safety of the holt.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38In the coming months, as these rivers swell,
0:06:38 > 0:06:43they will burst their banks and change this landscape completely.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50The driving force of this transformation
0:06:50 > 0:06:52is the Brazilian monsoon.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00The rains it brings will change the lives of creatures
0:07:00 > 0:07:02all across the country.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08But the strength of the monsoon varies from year to year
0:07:08 > 0:07:10and place to place.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Thousands of miles away in Brazil's dry interior,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22rain falls for just a few days every year.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Yet it changes animals' lives completely.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Despite the harshness of this place,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49this young tufted capuchin appears to be having an easy time of it.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Until now, he's been cared for by his mother.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01It's time for him to grow up.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09The wet season may only bring a few days' rain here,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13but for capuchins that means boon time.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18He must learn to look after himself and earn his place in the group.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24And life in this group is complex.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28He's one of the youngest of over 50 monkeys.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31There are 18 mothers with babies,
0:08:31 > 0:08:3215 adolescents...
0:08:35 > 0:08:38..and six dominant males.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42He must persuade all of them to accept him.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47He has to become part of the clan
0:08:47 > 0:08:50because survival in these unforgiving canyon lands
0:08:50 > 0:08:52takes teamwork.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59It's only these capuchins' extraordinary resourcefulness
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and their ability to learn from one another
0:09:02 > 0:09:05that allows them to cling onto life here.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14The youngster has a lot to learn.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16CAPUCHINS WHISTLE
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Challenge number one.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Work out who your friends are.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38And who to avoid.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Next, learn how to forage...
0:09:51 > 0:09:54..but don't get in the way.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55SCREECHING
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Finally, always watch where you walk.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15He's discovering that being so low on the pecking order
0:10:15 > 0:10:17isn't going to be easy.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36Until the rains arrive, it's going to be very tough here.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38LOUD SQUEALS
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Even getting a drink takes ingenuity
0:10:58 > 0:11:01and a rather unusual sponge.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24This female isn't about to share.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37At least now he knows where the water is.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42But he's not big enough yet to reach it himself.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47He needs to grow up and learn...fast.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55The monsoon will only bring a few days' rain here.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00The capuchins must be ready to make the most of it.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Other parts of Brazil will be inundated.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17In the centre of the country, the rains will transform the landscape.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24This is the vazante...
0:12:25 > 0:12:29..a unique mosaic of grasslands and flood meadows
0:12:29 > 0:12:31surrounded by forests.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41When Brazil's monsoon starts
0:12:41 > 0:12:45the prevailing winds will blow south for five months
0:12:45 > 0:12:47and bring the rains.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58These fertile grasslands will disappear.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09For these coatis, this presents a serious challenge.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13The family live in the forest
0:13:13 > 0:13:17but feed mostly out in the surrounding meadows.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23But soon these vital feeding grounds will have vanished.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31SCREECHING
0:13:32 > 0:13:37It's an especially crucial time for the juveniles in the family.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42They must learn to forage and fatten up
0:13:42 > 0:13:46before their larder literally disappears from under their feet.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51But right now, they seem to be more interested in play fighting
0:13:51 > 0:13:52than in feeding.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15The mother and her newest babies get down to the serious business
0:14:15 > 0:14:18of finding a meal out in the grasslands.
0:14:53 > 0:14:59The adults set an example and the youngsters must watch and learn.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06But picking on the tiniest in the family seems much more tempting.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Finally, the mother's had enough.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16LOUD SCREECHING
0:15:34 > 0:15:39At last, the youngsters get down to learning the art of foraging.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49A snake this big is definitely not on the menu.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07For the coatis, time is fast running out.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11They have a lot of growing up to do
0:16:11 > 0:16:16and not much time before the world they know completely disappears.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19THUNDER RUMBLES
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Thousands of miles away above the Amazonian rainforest,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32elemental forces have begun to stir.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Brazil's prevailing winds have at last turned south.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55They're starting to spread moisture from the Amazon rainforest
0:16:55 > 0:16:57right across the country.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29The monsoon rains have finally begun.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Brazil bursts into life.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08For many, this means a time of plenty.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20In the Cerrado grasslands,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24these first rains trigger a remarkable spectacle.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Termite mounds up to 2m tall
0:18:33 > 0:18:35pepper the landscape.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06When the rains arrive, the termites take to the wing to breed.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13But this is just the beginning of an extraordinary event.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20As night descends,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22the mounds are transformed.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39THUNDERCLAPS
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Luminescent beetle grubs that live in the mounds
0:19:43 > 0:19:45have now burrowed to the surface.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51But these lights are lethal.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59The beetle grubs are hunting the termites.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05The light lures them in.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18They'll feed on this stockpile of bodies
0:20:18 > 0:20:21throughout the wet season.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Now the rains have begun, the Pantanal's rivers begin to rise.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58This poses a unique challenge for the giant otters.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05At 2m long, the adult otters are certainly formidable,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08but they're not the only hunters.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Until the rivers reach peak flood, the otters still regularly come into
0:21:13 > 0:21:17contact with the Pantanal's other top two predators.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Caiman are a threat to weak or young otters.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Jaguars are a threat to them all.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51OTTER SQUEALS
0:22:18 > 0:22:20GROWLING
0:22:30 > 0:22:34The Pantanal's jaguars are specialist caiman killers.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Their jaws are so powerful they've pierced the adult caiman's skull.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58The otters will be at risk whenever they venture onto the land.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00LOUD SQUEAL
0:23:08 > 0:23:12That poses a particular problem back at the family holt.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31The kits are confident in the water now
0:23:31 > 0:23:34but today's lesson is on dry land.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46This is toilet training, otter-style.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52But with so many jaguars around,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54it pays to be cautious.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00This is how otters mark their territory -
0:24:00 > 0:24:02a vital part of otter life.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07The little ones aren't so sure.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12They just need a little encouragement.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Rubbing the scent in will make it last longer into the wet season.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39The kits need to learn this new skill
0:24:39 > 0:24:42to start contributing to family life.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48But for the young, it's a daunting prospect.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Not quite to the top...
0:25:09 > 0:25:11LOUD SQUEAL
0:25:11 > 0:25:13..but it's a good start.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24The mother shows her how to finish the job.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29As the river rises higher,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33the kits will have to rely even more on their family
0:25:33 > 0:25:35to get through their first wet season.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Back in the canyon lands,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50the rains have finally made life easier for the capuchins.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58There are insects and fresh leaves aplenty.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03But the rains are short-lived here.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08The family must make the most of every morsel they can find.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13It's time for the youngster to pick up
0:26:13 > 0:26:15an essential tufted capuchin skill.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Tool use.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31It's the only way to find little treats hidden in the branches.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41He'll have to use his head, not just his hands.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54First, find and fashion a stick.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07The older capuchins make it look easy.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20But then, they chose a longer stick.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33This one's better...
0:27:35 > 0:27:39..provided you keep the right piece.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Success at last.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04His technique's not perfect
0:28:04 > 0:28:08but he's definitely a step closer to looking after himself.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23While the youngest monkeys practice,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26the adolescents of the group take a break.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34SCREECHING
0:28:35 > 0:28:38These play fights are a way of testing each other...
0:28:41 > 0:28:44..wrangling over their status in capuchin society.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09This youngster has that challenge to come.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13He still must find his place in the group
0:29:13 > 0:29:18and that means being accepted by the ruling, dominant males.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26All across Brazil, the rainy season gathers strength.
0:29:26 > 0:29:32From the Amazon in the north to the Atlantic rainforests in the south,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35the monsoon engulfs the country.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02The Brazilian monsoon has reached the peak of its power.
0:30:27 > 0:30:32Now there is more moisture flowing in this vast river in the sky
0:30:32 > 0:30:34than in the mighty Amazon River itself.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00The Pantanal's rivers will rise by up to 4m.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40In the vazante, the grasslands have begun to flood
0:31:40 > 0:31:43and the coatis' feeding grounds are disappearing.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53The water rises more with each passing day.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02Now, more than ever, the race is on to feed on whatever they can.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07And the rising waters have brought a new delicacy.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11One that will help them through the leaner times ahead.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15Lungfish.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22They stay buried underground during the dry season.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26Now the rain brings them closer to the surface...
0:32:28 > 0:32:31..and that coati nose comes into its own.
0:32:34 > 0:32:39Ever more animals get squeezed into what grassland remains.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44It's as good a time as any to meet the neighbours.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54But some neighbours are more of a problem.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00A southern caracara has been sizing up the group.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03CARACARA SQUAWKS
0:33:07 > 0:33:10He's one of Brazil's top scavengers
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and he, too, is after lungfish.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19He targets the young coatis.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Maybe he can scare them into dropping their food.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44The youngsters' inexperience shows.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47It's almost too easy.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00This one's a little smarter.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09He makes for the protection of the forest.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27But he's underestimated how bold a hungry caracara can be.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30SQUAWKING
0:34:39 > 0:34:45Round one to the caracara, but the coati can't afford to give up now.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52The waters are still rising.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Each lungfish he loses is a crucial meal missed.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03The juveniles are getting more efficient
0:35:03 > 0:35:05at finding the lungfish now.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09They've also figured out what size snakes to catch.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18And they've realised that the best way to deal with the caracara
0:35:18 > 0:35:21is to give as good as they get.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25COATI GRUNTS
0:35:31 > 0:35:35It's a sign of the young coatis' growing independence.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46And just in time, because soon their world will be under water.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48RUMBLE OF THUNDER
0:35:56 > 0:36:00The giant otters' river is rising fast.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09The flow of water around the holt gets stronger each day.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17It's getting harder going for the kits to swim.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22And the mother must still keep them close to the holt.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Caiman are a constant danger.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39This young otter must put in as much practice as she can.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Strong swimming could save her life.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55The family latrine is still just above the water.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03Its fishy fragrance is irresistible to some
0:37:03 > 0:37:08but to other otters, it's a warning sign that this territory is taken.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10LOUD SQUEAL
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Scent-marking is now a risky routine.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20As the water rises, all the jaguars in the area
0:37:20 > 0:37:23will be concentrated on what land remains.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Right now, the coast is clear.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Time for the young to have another go.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Under the watchful eye of her parents,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56she finally makes it to the top
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and leaves her mark.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Though she's still too nervous to stick around and rub it in.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25She's making progress,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28but there's still more to learn
0:38:28 > 0:38:31and not long to learn it.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42In the canyon lands of Capivara,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45the wet season has already reached its peak.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51The few days of rain that fell have transformed
0:38:51 > 0:38:54normally dry, harsh forests.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06But these days of plenty for the capuchin youngster
0:39:06 > 0:39:08are also days of danger.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Tempers in the clan are beginning to fray.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20The males are getting aggressive
0:39:20 > 0:39:23as they battle for the family's top slot.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27SCREECHING
0:39:41 > 0:39:46This youngster must be careful to stay out of the firing line.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07The dominant male fights to prove he's boss.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11CAPUCHINS SCREECH
0:40:21 > 0:40:25The loser's broken fingers are a big price to pay
0:40:25 > 0:40:27for a tool-using monkey.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30CAPUCHINS WHISTLES
0:40:38 > 0:40:41The young capuchin watches and learns.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49Touching tails is a way to strengthen allegiances
0:40:49 > 0:40:52and defuse the rising tension.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00An important skill for a youngster to learn.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05But if he wants to be accepted by the ruling male,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07he first needs to get close to him.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20It's his mother who teaches him this final, crucial lesson.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Grooming.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48He makes his approach with care.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02The top male accepts him.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11Being accepted now is vital.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16These times of feeding and socialising will soon be over.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21The youngster has now learned how to look after himself.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27But, more importantly, he's now part of the team.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39When the hard times come, the family will get through it together.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59He may only be low on the pecking order...
0:43:00 > 0:43:02..but at least he's on it.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09After four months, the southern winds that have drawn moisture
0:43:09 > 0:43:12down from the Amazon die away.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17The river in the sky stops flowing.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24But the rivers on land keep rising.
0:43:39 > 0:43:44Rainwater that fell for months over Brazil's vast high plains
0:43:44 > 0:43:47continues to drain into its great rivers
0:43:47 > 0:43:51and gives rise to one of the world's natural wonders.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02The Iguazu Falls
0:44:02 > 0:44:04in full flow.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33Taller than Niagara and nearly twice as wide,
0:44:33 > 0:44:38these are the greatest falls on the American continent.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53But the greatest spectacle of Brazil's monsoon
0:44:53 > 0:44:56is in the wetlands in the centre of the country.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01The rains may be over
0:45:01 > 0:45:05but the transformation of the Pantanal is only just beginning.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Huge amounts of rainwater, now full of rich sediments,
0:45:15 > 0:45:18drain into an immense lowland basin.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27Caiman lie in wait for fish to be swept into their mouths.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41The rivers burst their banks.
0:45:43 > 0:45:48Fish hurry to spawn in what were once dry grasslands.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05The coatis' rich feeding grounds are gone.
0:46:08 > 0:46:13They're forced into the higher forests that remain above the flood.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27As the waters slow and the silt settles,
0:46:27 > 0:46:31Brazil's monsoon offers one final spectacle.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Fed by the nutrients carried in the water
0:46:39 > 0:46:41and powered by the tropical sun,
0:46:41 > 0:46:46the vazante's meadows are transformed into lakes of flowers.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55Soon, the waters will subside.
0:46:57 > 0:47:02But the nutrients the floods leave behind will feed the Pantanal
0:47:02 > 0:47:05and all its residents for a whole year.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19The otters' river is now in full flow.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29It's time for the kits to face the flood.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39Their most immediate challenge is the strength of the current.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51The adults surround the three youngsters
0:47:51 > 0:47:53as the current takes them.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55OTTERS SQUEAL
0:48:00 > 0:48:02But one kit begins to tire.
0:48:02 > 0:48:07LOUD SQUEALS AND GRUNTS
0:48:14 > 0:48:17They're now fighting the current.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22It's just what the caiman has been waiting for.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28OTTER GRUNTS
0:48:33 > 0:48:37The family rush in to force the caiman out of the water.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39LOUD SQUEALS
0:49:00 > 0:49:02The kit can't swim,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05either terrified or just exhausted.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11Her mother helps her home.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19Safe at last.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35The kits have survived growing up on the flooded river...
0:49:36 > 0:49:39..but only through the care and courage of their family.
0:49:46 > 0:49:51Brazil's monsoon season has forced young animals to grow up fast.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03The coatis have endured the flood
0:50:03 > 0:50:07and feasted on the brief riches the wet season brings.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15The young capuchin has learned to use tools
0:50:15 > 0:50:18and has earned his place in the clan.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28And the otter kits, like all the young animals,
0:50:28 > 0:50:31have done more than survive Brazil's monsoon.
0:50:31 > 0:50:36They're now better prepared for whatever the future holds.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41But life is about to get tougher.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45The young will soon face
0:50:45 > 0:50:47their harshest season yet.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49COATIS SCREECH
0:50:53 > 0:50:58The country will swing from rain and flood to drought
0:50:58 > 0:50:59and fire.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05As the youngsters take their last steps towards adulthood,
0:51:05 > 0:51:08the adults themselves must find a mate
0:51:08 > 0:51:11and ensure their family's future
0:51:11 > 0:51:13in wild Brazil.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30To tell the story of Brazil's seasons and convey their power
0:51:30 > 0:51:34and beauty, the crew wanted to show how Brazil is transformed
0:51:34 > 0:51:36by its annual monsoon.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43They needed to get into the heart of the Pantanal wetlands
0:51:43 > 0:51:45during the peak of the wet season...
0:51:47 > 0:51:51..and film from both above and below the water.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58It would take a mix of rustic engineering
0:51:58 > 0:52:03and modern technology to get cameras in just the right place.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11To get a unique aerial view, they wanted to fly
0:52:11 > 0:52:14a specialist filming helicopter into the heart of the flood.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18But launching it from their makeshift helipad would require
0:52:18 > 0:52:20some very careful flying.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23So we've brought this system all over the world
0:52:23 > 0:52:27and this is by far the smallest boat we've ever been on
0:52:27 > 0:52:31and it's really important that, at 7½ minutes,
0:52:31 > 0:52:35we bring the system back and land it on this little pink platform.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39If the battery goes down to zero, it drops.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42The weight of the super high-definition camera
0:52:42 > 0:52:45meant the helicopter could only fly for minutes at a time.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47OK. Taking off.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57While Chuck piloted the aircraft,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00camerawoman Gabrielle Nadeau framed the shots.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04But a safe landing relied on the boat keeping up with the helicopter.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08The system was giving a unique perspective.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11But there was absolutely no room for error
0:53:11 > 0:53:15and the seven minutes' flight time tested the team to the limit.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Zero seconds.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21So we're going a little bit over time.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26Got to land it before the battery dies or else it could drop.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34So we went 20 seconds over
0:53:34 > 0:53:37but that's why we keep reserve in the battery, right?
0:53:38 > 0:53:42To take a more intimate look at how the usually dry grasslands
0:53:42 > 0:53:44are transformed by the floodwaters,
0:53:44 > 0:53:48others on the team took cameras into the flood itself.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56It soon turned out there were places even a boat couldn't reach.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03This is just a surreal landscape.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07A few weeks ago this was dry land, coatis running across it.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Now it's covered in water
0:54:10 > 0:54:11as far as the eye can see.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18Most animals had left the area with the rising water,
0:54:18 > 0:54:22but caiman had been drawn into the flood meadows.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25The crew had to keep a careful look out.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28There's light that's being reflected. Is that the same as...?
0:54:38 > 0:54:42Only by filming underwater could they show the migration of fish
0:54:42 > 0:54:45into the grasslands to spawn.
0:54:46 > 0:54:47Beautiful.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51They were getting a new and intimate view of the flood.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53But then Brazil revealed a beauty
0:54:53 > 0:54:56that not even the crew had expected to find.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59I imagined the flood might be dramatic.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02I imagined that the flood might be challenging to film.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06I'd never... I'd never imagined it would be this beautiful.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12Over just two days, the grasslands bloomed.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20This is a nursery.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22Flowers flowering to get pollinated,
0:55:22 > 0:55:24small fish growing.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26This is where the Pantanal starts.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33They were now so engrossed in filming
0:55:33 > 0:55:35that even the caiman weren't stopping them.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37So what happened, Mauricio?
0:55:37 > 0:55:41No, I was walking here and then I felt something...
0:55:41 > 0:55:43the ground had moved very quickly
0:55:43 > 0:55:46and then I saw the caiman going away.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48Very scary...
0:55:48 > 0:55:50with a bare foot.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52Ooh.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55Oh, he's moving there, look at that, he's moving, moving.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Look at that, look at that. Ooh, going somewhere there.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06In the rivers, the rising flood waters were now carrying
0:56:06 > 0:56:08huge mats of vegetation.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10Tough going for the heli-crew.
0:56:17 > 0:56:23We have to fight to clear this in order to put the propeller inside
0:56:23 > 0:56:26and then we can... use it as a blender.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39You can back up the boat a bit towards it.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46The further they were getting into the flooded wetlands,
0:56:46 > 0:56:49the more revealing the landscape was becoming,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52even to those who see the flood each year.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57I've been living in the Pantanal for 13 years already
0:56:57 > 0:56:59and I've never seen...
0:57:01 > 0:57:04..from this sort of perspective.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06It's...it's...
0:57:06 > 0:57:07very, very beautiful.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21To capture these incredible views,
0:57:21 > 0:57:25the team had to push the helicopter flight time right to the limit.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36Aaah!
0:57:36 > 0:57:38My God, they're crazy.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41That was, erm... That was something.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44It was quite a way out there. That's probably the furthest
0:57:44 > 0:57:47we've had it on this particular shoot.
0:57:47 > 0:57:49Apparently it looked great.
0:57:50 > 0:57:54In the flood meadows, the blooms lasted just a few days.
0:57:54 > 0:57:58But the crew had managed to film a side to Brazil's floods
0:57:58 > 0:58:00that few ever witness.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02I'm hot and sweaty, tired,
0:58:02 > 0:58:04but really pleased
0:58:04 > 0:58:08and the place has completely changed - the flowers have gone.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11So we were, quite frankly, amazed
0:58:11 > 0:58:14that we were in the right place at the right time.
0:58:14 > 0:58:15Very lucky.
0:58:21 > 0:58:25The crew had been able to get into the heart of the Pantanal
0:58:25 > 0:58:29and capture the magic and beauty of Brazil's monsoon floods.
0:58:34 > 0:58:38The next challenge for the team would be to follow Brazil's
0:58:38 > 0:58:42wild animal families through the end of the rains and floods...
0:58:47 > 0:58:51..and on into the harshness of extreme drought...
0:58:54 > 0:58:56..and fire.