0:00:16 > 0:00:17Africa.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22In the four years of making this series,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25we've been to some astonishing places
0:00:25 > 0:00:29and seen animals behaving in ways that have never been filmed before.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36ELEPHANT MOANS
0:00:36 > 0:00:39But Africa has another story to tell.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42The wildlife of this continent
0:00:42 > 0:00:45has seen more changes in the last 50 years
0:00:45 > 0:00:49than it has in the last two million.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Changing landscapes and changing climate.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Today's animals are facing unprecedented challenges.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Whilst around them, Africa's human population
0:01:02 > 0:01:06is growing at nearly double the global rate.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08HIPPO ROARS
0:01:08 > 0:01:11There is an increasing urgency to understand
0:01:11 > 0:01:16and, crucially, to conserve the wildlife of this great continent.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18THEY WHISTLE
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Today, there is a new generation of naturalists and scientists
0:01:22 > 0:01:25who are fighting to save the wild places
0:01:25 > 0:01:27and the animals that live in them.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29One, two, three!
0:01:29 > 0:01:32This is the greatest wildlife continent on the planet
0:01:32 > 0:01:36and what happens here is relevant to us all.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41So what is the future of wild Africa?
0:01:57 > 0:02:02This animal has become the world's number-one target for poachers.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Its kind has been hunted almost to the point of extinction.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09It's now so rare that this individual is watched over
0:02:09 > 0:02:12day and night.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16This is the black rhinoceros.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20And black rhinoceros are notorious for being rather grumpy
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and suddenly charging.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27But he is in great danger,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30because he has on his nose...
0:02:31 > 0:02:33..that horn...
0:02:38 > 0:02:40..which is worth its weight in gold.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46RHINO SNORTS
0:02:46 > 0:02:49The demand for rhino horn has rocketed.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53There has been a 3,000% increase in poaching
0:02:53 > 0:02:55just in the last five years.
0:02:56 > 0:03:02Today, powdered rhino horn can fetch up to 65,000 a kilo.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Rhinos are a lucrative target for organised crime.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13In Chinese medicine, it's believed that rhino horn can reduce fever
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and some Vietnamese sell it as a cure for everything,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17from cancer to hangovers.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It's made of keratin, the same substance as hair and nail,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and it has no clinically proven medicinal value.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26RHINO SNORTS
0:03:29 > 0:03:33But it has made every black rhino in Africa a target.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39They've all been killed in Uganda and Rwanda,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42and there are only around 600 left here in Kenya.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48But these are not poachers.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50These are protectors.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51GUN CLICKS
0:03:51 > 0:03:53GUNSHOT
0:03:53 > 0:03:55RHINOS GROAN
0:03:59 > 0:04:04And that protection is overseen by rhino expert Dr Matthew Mutinda,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08one of the Kenya Wildlife Services' top vets.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13'Black rhinos are critically endangered.'
0:04:13 > 0:04:17That is what here, at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, we're trying to do -
0:04:17 > 0:04:19save the animal,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22provide a safe and secure sanctuary
0:04:22 > 0:04:26where the animal can breed and live freely.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30There aren't many true wild rhinos left in Africa.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Most, like these, in Lewa Wildlife Conservancy,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36are under armed guard.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39This young female has reached the age
0:04:39 > 0:04:41when Matthew must do some health checks,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44including taking blood samples.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47This will help deter poachers and traffickers,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50as DNA in illegally traded rhino horn
0:04:50 > 0:04:53can be tracked back to its origin.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58If you have to do anaesthesia in the wild,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01you will expect some degree of risk.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05This female has reacted badly to the anaesthetic.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08HE SPEAKS SWAHILI
0:05:08 > 0:05:10She's not breathing.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13It's a rare and extremely serious situation.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17He knows that the next few minutes are crucial.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22And when an animal is this big,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24there's only one way to get the heart going again
0:05:24 > 0:05:26when you're out in the bush.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Thanks to Matthew's quick thinking,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37they can hear that she is breathing again.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43They've got to get her back on her feet.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Not surprisingly, she is disorientated.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06BANGING
0:06:06 > 0:06:07RHINO GROANS
0:06:13 > 0:06:16RHINO GROANS
0:06:16 > 0:06:17Mission accomplished.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21It's been an ordeal,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23but now, this rhino can be tracked and protected
0:06:23 > 0:06:25for the rest of her life.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Within minutes, she's grazing peacefully again with her mother.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34It may seem heartless to treat an animal like that,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37but we have to keep tabs on them and be able to identify individuals.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39They're in great danger.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Even now, on average,
0:06:41 > 0:06:46one rhino is killed by poachers every day in Africa.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52There are so few black rhino left in Kenya
0:06:52 > 0:06:55that we're getting to know each individual.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03But this is still a creature that can surprise us.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Previously, it was widely believed
0:07:09 > 0:07:13that black rhinos were largely solitary creatures.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Here, in the Kalahari, a starlight camera reveals
0:07:20 > 0:07:23that they may be much more sociable than many thought.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25RHINOS SNORT
0:07:27 > 0:07:29THEY BELLOW
0:07:29 > 0:07:34This water-hole gathering is an enchanting window into the past.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Early explorers reported seeing a rhino behind every bush.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Before the invention of the gun,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50there were probably hundreds of thousands of rhinos
0:07:50 > 0:07:52across the continent.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57The people protecting rhinos in Africa are striving to ensure
0:07:57 > 0:08:02that we'll still be able to witness wonderful scenes like this
0:08:02 > 0:08:04in 50 years' time.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Right across Africa, conservationists have realised
0:08:14 > 0:08:19that if we want to save our big animals, then now is the time.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21The human population of the continent
0:08:21 > 0:08:24has just exceeded one billion
0:08:24 > 0:08:28and many wild animals are being hunted commercially for food.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Some, legally,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32but many, illegally.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34THEY BELLOW
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Wildlife meat is often sold as goat or beef.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41The amount is astonishing.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Millions of tonnes are eaten across Africa every year.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46At this rate, some species
0:08:46 > 0:08:49are almost certainly heading for extinction.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57But commercial hunting is not just affecting the grazers.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01As the prey decreases, it's affecting the predators too.
0:09:02 > 0:09:0450 years ago,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08there were about half a million lions in Africa.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Today, there are less than 30,000.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14But in one particular part of Africa,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17things are improving in a quite extraordinary way.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30These hunters have become part of a new and unlikely alliance.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36In recent years, hungry lions have increasingly been killing livestock.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44One group of traditional Maasai have reacted in a very untraditional way.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50The Maasai are cattle herders who don't eat wild animals.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55But when lions attack their herds, they've always retaliated.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Maasai and lions are ancient adversaries.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06A lion hunt is still a rite of passage for young Maasai warriors
0:10:06 > 0:10:07like Olubi Lairumbe.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- TRANSLATOR:- For me and any Maasai,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16killing a lion is the ultimate fulfilment
0:10:16 > 0:10:20of a truly accomplished Maasai.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25Nothing compares to that.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29There is nobody who knows more about living alongside lions
0:10:29 > 0:10:31than the Maasai themselves.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35I met Olubi and some of the other warriors in his village
0:10:35 > 0:10:39to find out about their relationship with the local pride.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42How many lions are there around here?
0:10:45 > 0:10:47- TRANSLATOR:- Around here, there are about 100.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50So they all have names?
0:10:54 > 0:10:59- TRANSLATOR:- Every single lion has a name. A Maasai name.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01And when you see a lion,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04do you know how it's going to behave?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- TRANSLATOR:- It depends on the lion.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14For a Maasai warrior, lions are nothing to be scared of.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19But if I saw a lion, a lion would be likely to attack me.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- TRANSLATOR:- Only if you threaten it.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Mmm, well, I hope the next lion knows that.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27THEY LAUGH
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Olubi killed his first lion when he was just 17,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34after it attacked his cattle.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Unfortunately, the lion turned out to be pregnant.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42And that led to a remarkable turnaround.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47HE SPEAKS MAASAI
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- TRANSLATOR:- The Maasai respect all living things.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54And I began to feel guilty about the lion that I had killed.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01In the end, I came to admire the lions.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Olubi had a dramatic change of heart.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13He turned his back on hundreds of years of Maasai tradition.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19Along with some other warriors, Olubi became a lion guardian.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Instead of hunting lions, Olubi will be protecting them.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31He teamed up with Stephanie Dolrenry,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34who helped pioneer the project.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35THEY SPEAK MAASAI
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Just by respecting their traditions
0:12:38 > 0:12:40and also bringing in their ecological knowledge,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42it's been hugely successful.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44They know their areas, they know how to track lions,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47they've been doing it for generation after generation.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48They know how to track them,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50they know how to hunt them, they know how to find them.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57This is only a small-scale project.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00But with lion numbers as low as they are,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02they need all the help they can get.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Olubi is tracking radio-collared lions.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09He's able to warn villages to move their cattle
0:13:09 > 0:13:11when the pride is in the area.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14And so, they're avoiding conflict.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21No lions have been killed in the immediate area
0:13:21 > 0:13:23since the project began.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26By combining the science, both ancient and contemporary,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30they're beginning to make a real difference.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32There's so much to be learned.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37I feel I bring in modern technology, modern knowledge.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40And, in return, they teach us about the environment
0:13:40 > 0:13:42and how things have changed in their environment.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45And it's a really neat exchange.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48You can't say we're the biologists or the teachers.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Or the guardians or the teachers.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53We're both teachers and we're both students
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and I think that's... That blend is amazing.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Critically, at the heart of this project is a huge attitude change
0:14:01 > 0:14:04by these Maasai warriors.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08An animal that was once their sworn enemy, they now protect.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11'And their willingness to share knowledge with other communities
0:14:11 > 0:14:15'means that projects like this could be repeated
0:14:15 > 0:14:17'in other parts of Africa.'
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Traditionally, when a warrior killed a lion,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22HE took the name of the lion.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Now, it's the other way round.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30Now, the lion takes the name of the warrior who protects it.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32The scheme is a huge success.
0:14:32 > 0:14:38There are about 100 lions involved in the scheme in this neighbourhood.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42This is 21st-century conservation in action.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Perhaps the biggest threat to wildlife
0:14:54 > 0:14:56is the competition for space
0:14:56 > 0:14:59with the rapidly-growing human population.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09The Virunga volcanoes straddle the borders
0:15:09 > 0:15:13of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18The rich volcanic soils are extremely fertile.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22It's one of the most intensively cultivated areas in Africa.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29But the farmers also share this region
0:15:29 > 0:15:31with one of our closest relatives.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34This is home
0:15:34 > 0:15:39to the last 800-or-so wild mountain gorillas left on Earth.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43We know a great deal about these animals,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46they've been closely studied for 50 years.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53One strong silverback male keeps everyone in order.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01And gorilla family life is mostly peaceful.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Until a few generations ago,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09mountain gorillas, hidden in the seclusion of their forests
0:16:09 > 0:16:11were seldom seen by human beings.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16But their habitat was steadily being carved away,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and now these gorillas are marooned on the volcanic slopes
0:16:19 > 0:16:21in a sea of farmland.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23ROOSTER CROWS
0:16:26 > 0:16:30The fact that gorillas now regularly come into contact with people
0:16:30 > 0:16:34not only means an increased threat of poaching,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36but also of disease.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Gorillas have little or no resistance
0:16:40 > 0:16:42to the bugs that we carry.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Numbers here once dropped to around 250.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00They were facing extinction.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01ROOSTER CROWS
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Action had to be taken.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11The boundaries of the National Park were strictly enforced,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14halting the encroachment of farmland.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17And it was decided that the only solution
0:17:17 > 0:17:20was to intensively manage the remaining gorillas.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Teams of scientists constantly monitor them.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Their forests are patrolled to cut poachers' snares.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33CORD WHIPPING
0:17:33 > 0:17:36And vets watch their health closely.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39No, don't take it...
0:17:39 > 0:17:42This is funded mostly through eco-tourism
0:17:42 > 0:17:44and donations from all over the world.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Mountain gorillas are now back from the brink.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02This level of human intervention might not be ideal,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04but it's working.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Every year, there are a few more mountain gorillas
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and, possibly, just a little more optimism.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Intensive management within a protected area
0:18:18 > 0:18:22may represent the only future for many African species.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29But for some animals, that is simply not possible.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35What happens if the animal you're trying to protect
0:18:35 > 0:18:38is not suited to park life?
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Elephants require vast amounts of space to roam.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55They have a range of up to 1,300 square miles.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Given the chance, they will even move between countries
0:18:59 > 0:19:01in search of the best food.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Particularly, if conditions get rough.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15This was the scene in Amboseli National Park in 2009.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23The park is home to nearly 1,500 elephants.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27And this was the worst drought for half a century.
0:19:29 > 0:19:3560% of zebras and 95% of wildebeests were wiped out.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43The seasonal rains had failed for the last two years.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45And the elephants that lived here were slowly starving.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51The park created to protect them is now surrounded by farmland.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55The elephants had little choice of where else to go.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Caught up in this catastrophe, were three sisters.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07They are the front line for elephant protection in the park.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11And they know these animals better than anyone else.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Nora Njiraini and Katito and Soila Sayialel.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20You know, all the elephants have been given names.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22They are family to us.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23Hello, Anastasia!
0:20:26 > 0:20:30The sisters have been following these elephants for over 25 years,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32trying to ensure their safety,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36particularly at times when life is tough for these animals.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39It really was terrible.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41There was nothing actually to feed on.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45I even went and asked the old Maasai men
0:20:45 > 0:20:48whether they have ever experienced such a drought.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52The only time it was close to what it was then, was in 1961.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56In 2009...
0:20:57 > 0:20:59..we lost quite a number of elephants.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02I think we lost about 400 elephants.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05And it started with the young ones.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Elephants usually escape drought
0:21:13 > 0:21:17by moving into other less affected areas.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21But Africa's human population is growing at double the global rate.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25And traditional migration routes have been cut
0:21:25 > 0:21:29by the development of towns, cities, farmland and roads,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31leaving these elephants stuck.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37This young calf is starving...
0:21:39 > 0:21:42..and there is nothing they can do to help.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51ELEPHANT MOANS
0:22:01 > 0:22:04For the sisters, who know each elephant personally,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06this is a terrible moment.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10It is something that we feel in our hearts.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14You can imagine the kind of feelings that we get.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16You know, knowing those elephants
0:22:16 > 0:22:20and seeing something like that happen. It really touches us.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26It was a tough year for all the young elephants in the region.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29We lost all the calves that were born that year.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31All of them, we lost them.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38ELEPHANT MOANS
0:22:38 > 0:22:41There was nothing the sisters could do to save the baby.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47But they were determined to save any elephants they could,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50especially mothers who could breed again.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58They found this female stuck in the mud,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00exhausted in a dried-up lake bed.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04ELEPHANT MOANS
0:23:08 > 0:23:12The elephant that got stuck in the mud was Kolida.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Poor thing, you know.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19She was there for quite a long time.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24A Maasai reported it to us
0:23:24 > 0:23:28and we had to combine efforts with the Kenya Wildlife Services people.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32ALL SHOUT
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Weighing about three tonnes,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Kolida is just too heavy to shift by hand.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43She is weakening fast.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50So the next morning, heavy machinery is brought in.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03THEY SHOUT
0:24:10 > 0:24:12THEY WHISTLE
0:24:16 > 0:24:18KOLIDA SNORTS
0:24:18 > 0:24:21THEY SHOUT
0:24:22 > 0:24:26After two days stuck in the mud, Kolida is exhausted,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28but she's up on her feet again.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49The rains did return to Amboseli.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52And thanks in part to the work of those dedicated three women,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56elephant numbers are now beginning to rise again.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03There's no doubt that this was an extremely severe event.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09But is it an isolated incident or a developing pattern?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12They say that with global warming,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15we actually don't know what's going to happen.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19But we just have to cross fingers and hope for a better future.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22ELEPHANT SNORTS
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Given the opportunity,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28the numbers of elephants in East Africa will recover.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Especially, if they're given the freedom to range widely
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and so avoid the harshest conditions.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39One solution to help elephants find the space they need
0:25:39 > 0:25:41is to link parks together
0:25:41 > 0:25:43and provide safe routes between them.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Elephants are great travellers
0:25:48 > 0:25:50and here, in this part of Kenya,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52they regularly moved from the lowlands
0:25:52 > 0:25:56up the side of the mountains to feed in the forests up there.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59But then, the human population of Kenya grew
0:25:59 > 0:26:02and roads like this one were constructed,
0:26:02 > 0:26:06penning the elephants down in the lowland,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09where they created havoc amongst the farms.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14Not only that, there were danger of collisions on the road.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17And then someone suggested building an underpass.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Within 24 hours of it being completed,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23one elephant had passed through.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26And now, all the elephants use that route
0:26:26 > 0:26:29to go up the mountain, often at night, to feed.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Simple ideas like this underpass are a lifeline for these elephants,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44especially in times of drought.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Africa's climate is certainly changing.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00At the summit of Africa's most famous mountain, Kilimanjaro,
0:27:00 > 0:27:0480% of its permanent ice fields have disappeared.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Soon, it will be free of ice altogether.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20All over Africa, the mountainous regions are often
0:27:20 > 0:27:23the first indicators of climate change.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37Here, in the Ethiopian Highlands live very unusual-looking creatures.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Gelada baboons.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Climate change refugees.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Although this region of Ethiopia lies in the tropics,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58up at 4,000 metres, it doesn't feel like it.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Unlike most African animals,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05geladas are adapted to life in the cold.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12They used to be one of Africa's most successful primates,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14found all over the continent.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18At one stage, there were six different species.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Now, there is only one.
0:28:27 > 0:28:28With the warming climate,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31their grazing is becoming more and more scarce,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33restricted to cooler and higher places.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48These geladas are being forced higher into the mountains.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53Soon, there will be nowhere left to go.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58This is a species living on the edge.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Even though they're isolated on the mountain tops,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06they're not immune to our influence.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08As a result of changing climate,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11these gelada baboons may soon be gone from our planet.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Africa is the world's hottest continent.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28And there is no doubt it's getting warmer.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39Very little can survive in these harsh conditions.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Along the desert edge,
0:29:51 > 0:29:56life clings on in the face of encroaching sands.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58But for how long?
0:30:00 > 0:30:02Alongside the wildlife,
0:30:02 > 0:30:0622 million people struggle to make a living on these desert margins.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14Can anything be done to stop the sand overwhelming this fragile land?
0:30:15 > 0:30:21One idea is to build a green wall of trees across 11 countries.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24The project has already started in Senegal.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28But like all big ideas, it has big problems.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Getting 11 countries to work together is not easy
0:30:33 > 0:30:37and simply irrigating a 5,000-mile long belt of trees
0:30:37 > 0:30:40is an ambitious task.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49But all over Africa, people are recognising how important it is
0:30:49 > 0:30:52to have trees as part of their local landscape.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59This group of volunteers has planted nearly 100 million saplings.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04They are just one of countless similar groups and individuals
0:31:04 > 0:31:08taking it upon themselves to reforest their own part
0:31:08 > 0:31:10of this great continent.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Trees are essential for the future of the continent and indeed,
0:31:18 > 0:31:19to the rest of the planet.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28This is the Congo Basin.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35It's one of the most biologically important forests on Earth
0:31:35 > 0:31:38and it's not just because of the concentration
0:31:38 > 0:31:40of plants and animals that live here.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45It's because it's also one of the powerhouses
0:31:45 > 0:31:47behind the planet's wind and rain.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Each hectare of trees releases, as vapour,
0:31:55 > 0:31:59almost 190,000 litres of water a year.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04This water passes into the atmosphere to be transported
0:32:04 > 0:32:06around the entire globe.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14That means the heart of the world's weather lies in tropical forests.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24Unfortunately, there's an almost insatiable demand
0:32:24 > 0:32:28in Europe and China for hardwood from these very forests.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31And that is having an enormous impact.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38As more tropical forest is felled, some scientists are seeing
0:32:38 > 0:32:44a correlation with changing storm patterns across Europe and America.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47And it's likely to become more extreme.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Staggeringly, 50% of the Congo Basin forest
0:32:50 > 0:32:53has been allocated for logging.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59The future of Africa's forest has never been more critical for us all.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07But the consequences of global warming aren't limited to the land.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Africa is almost completely surrounded by oceans.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Here on the east coast, there are animals feeling
0:33:24 > 0:33:27the changing climate in a most surprising way.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38This is a young female green turtle.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41During her lifetime, she will travel thousands of miles
0:33:41 > 0:33:43through the ocean looking for food.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Turtles return to the same beach from which they hatched
0:33:48 > 0:33:50to lay their own eggs.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53The eggs are buried in the sand
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and the hatchlings will emerge after about two months.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01But there's a strange thing about turtle eggs.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05And that is the temperature at which the eggs are kept
0:34:05 > 0:34:09will determine the sex of most of the hatchlings.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13If the sand temperature is high, they will be female,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16if it's low, they will be male.
0:34:17 > 0:34:23Global warming could have a crucial effect on turtle populations.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28And this young female may find it very difficult in years to come
0:34:28 > 0:34:31to find a male with which to mate.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44But a local conservation group recognised that the odds
0:34:44 > 0:34:47are stacking up against these little turtles.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54There's not much they can do about climate change,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57but they have got together with the local fishermen
0:34:57 > 0:35:00to try and improve the turtles' chances of survival.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Every turtle counts.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07So, each time one is found injured or accidentally caught in the nets,
0:35:07 > 0:35:11it's brought to Kahindi Changawa and his team.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14So we began with only 16 fishermen
0:35:14 > 0:35:16altogether in 1998.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Now we have hundreds of fishermen working with us.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28Grazing by turtles is essential for the health of the beds of seagrass
0:35:28 > 0:35:31and these are the home of shrimps and lobsters
0:35:31 > 0:35:34and that, of course, helps fishermen too.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38The project has a turtle rehabilitation centre
0:35:38 > 0:35:42and for the last two years, it's become home to Shella.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50She had an accident with a boat. It was a hit from behind.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54She lost three ribs and her spine was damaged.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57It's now in the process of healing back together.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Shella's injuries have affected her buoyancy.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06She's healed well and to encourage her
0:36:06 > 0:36:09to exercise her flippers properly, she has, every day,
0:36:09 > 0:36:11a little trip to the seaside.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20We usually take Shella for a sea bath on a daily basis,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23and the reason for doing that
0:36:23 > 0:36:26is to give her enough room to get exercises.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34She gets an opportunity to eat her natural food.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39We believe it keeps her fit and the other thing is,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42she gets to use her rear flippers quite often.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49For Kahindi, it's one of the rewards for all his hard work.
0:36:50 > 0:36:56It's really enjoyable. Very few people have the privilege like I do
0:36:56 > 0:36:59of swimming with the turtles and having that fun.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05I do enjoy what I'm doing. HE CHUCKLES
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Shella certainly did get stronger, but the hope that some day
0:37:20 > 0:37:24she might swim out in the open was not to be fulfilled.
0:37:24 > 0:37:29Unaccountably, she become weaker and eventually died.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38This kind of work will inevitably have setbacks.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41But there are always new turtles to be cared for.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46- Is she healthy? - Yeah, this one is healthy.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50She has a few bruises, could be from the fishing gear.
0:37:51 > 0:37:52Like these ones here.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57- Oh, yeah, but otherwise healthy. - Otherwise the turtle's healthy.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Shall we have a go?
0:38:02 > 0:38:10Since 1998 till now, we've released over 8,200 turtles.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14It makes me feel proud and privileged, we've done lots of work
0:38:14 > 0:38:20with the community and changing the attitudes and their behaviours.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24I guess our job as an organisation was really successful.
0:38:28 > 0:38:34A young turtle like that could lay 6,000-7,000 eggs
0:38:34 > 0:38:35in her lifetime.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40So, the survival of just one could have huge consequences.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Saving just one individual requires huge effort
0:38:46 > 0:38:50and of course, saving a species requires even more.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54But these heroic efforts are only ever going to be a partial solution.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Every individual animal is part of a much bigger story,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05part of an interconnected web of plants, animals
0:39:05 > 0:39:10and the landscape itself that make up an entire ecosystem.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18Saving ecosystems is the key to Africa's wild future.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Gorongosa in Mozambique is a modern day Jurassic Park.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33It's ruled by some of the world's biggest crocodiles.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Some of these monsters are six metres long
0:39:41 > 0:39:43and close to 50 years old.
0:39:47 > 0:39:52Somehow they managed to escape a civil war lasting nearly 20 years,
0:39:52 > 0:39:54which swept through Gorongosa.
0:39:56 > 0:39:5995% of all the other large animals were wiped out.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06But 50 years ago, the scene was very different.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10This was a thriving tourist attraction.
0:40:10 > 0:40:15A wild paradise. Visitors flocked from around the world,
0:40:15 > 0:40:19drawn by the vast range and abundance of the wildlife.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26The most popular spot for tourists was an old restaurant,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29a look-out post for the local lions.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40The restaurant has long gone.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Along with the lions.
0:40:43 > 0:40:48Gorongosa looked empty and beyond rescue.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51But not to everyone.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55A brave and ambitious project began to try and restore the park
0:40:55 > 0:40:57to its former richness and splendour.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01The first stage is to find out which animals as well as crocodiles
0:41:01 > 0:41:03are still here.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05So the team is mapping and counting
0:41:05 > 0:41:08all the big animals they see in the park.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33But it soon became clear that these big animals
0:41:33 > 0:41:36were only part of the story.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Perhaps even more important might be the little ones hidden underfoot.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46It's understanding these creatures that is attracting
0:41:46 > 0:41:49some of the best minds in the scientific world.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54- You were going to show me something? - Yep, something new.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59Professor Ed Wilson is a world expert on biodiversity
0:41:59 > 0:42:04and at a mere 83, he's still pursuing his passion - ants.
0:42:04 > 0:42:10- You see there's a big nest... - Wow. Let me just get one specimen.
0:42:10 > 0:42:15If you look down at your feet, you may see them.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Walking by here and there, an ant, a little beetle...
0:42:19 > 0:42:23They're what I like to call the little things that run the Earth.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30It's the rich diversity of insect life here
0:42:30 > 0:42:34that gives Gorongosa the prospect of a future.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38These creatures form the basis of life in the park.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45This is so much fun. These little invertebrate creatures.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49The creatures that do most of the work, turn most of the energy,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52save most of the material
0:42:52 > 0:42:57and allow us to reinsert big animals with some confidence.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01- Have you got it in the vial yet? - I've got three of them.- Oh, good!
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Professor Wilson was one of the first scientists
0:43:04 > 0:43:06to explore this area
0:43:06 > 0:43:09together with local wildlife biologist Tonga Tortuda.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13If you could gather them all up,
0:43:13 > 0:43:17all these little invertebrate creatures, and weigh them,
0:43:17 > 0:43:23they would weigh far more than all of the big animals put together,
0:43:23 > 0:43:26even in a fully restored park.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30It's these little creatures, together with the plants and trees,
0:43:30 > 0:43:34that still make this place a viable option
0:43:34 > 0:43:36for reintroducing bigger animals.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38I can't be sure that's a new species,
0:43:38 > 0:43:41but this is the kind of thing that might be.
0:43:41 > 0:43:46This park came that close to vanishing...
0:43:48 > 0:43:52..And I'm happy to report it is coming back.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55And this is one of the great stories.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57It's inspirational, I think.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01It's a fine, shining example of what to do with all our parks,
0:44:01 > 0:44:06even those that have been damaged by human activity.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09But there's another reason why Gorongosa is important
0:44:09 > 0:44:12for the future of Africa and perhaps for us all.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19It is here, in this park, that people come to see, not just the big animals
0:44:19 > 0:44:24that thrill us, but they will see Earth as it looked and felt
0:44:24 > 0:44:27before the coming of humanity.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32Saving big animals is important,
0:44:32 > 0:44:35but to do that with any real success,
0:44:35 > 0:44:38we have to start understanding and preserving the plants
0:44:38 > 0:44:41and insects that support an ecosystem.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47It's this that will allow the larger animals to thrive.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51Gorongosa is a real success story.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55The government and the management team have pledged themselves
0:44:55 > 0:45:00to a plan to restore the land to what it was.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04While it can never be exactly the same as it was before the war,
0:45:04 > 0:45:08it can still become a rich and thriving ecosystem.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26The scale of the challenge across Africa is enormous.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33After all, it's a huge continent.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38The United Kingdom, China,
0:45:38 > 0:45:41the United States of America, India,
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Japan and most of the rest of Europe
0:45:44 > 0:45:47would all fit within its borders.
0:45:50 > 0:45:55Africa still retains 45% of the Earth's uncultivated land.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01It's still the greatest wilderness on Earth
0:46:01 > 0:46:04and that is why it's important.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09Human beings have lived alongside wildlife here
0:46:09 > 0:46:12longer than anywhere else.
0:46:12 > 0:46:17But now in the 21st century, animal numbers are at a critical level.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Like it or not, this generation is responsible
0:46:22 > 0:46:25for handing on the world's wildlife to the next.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32That means taking care of the animals and lands where they live,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35so there is still space for us all to coexist.
0:46:39 > 0:46:46Nobody knows what the future has in store for this little calf.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50Or indeed, how the changes that inevitably are going to take place
0:46:50 > 0:46:56in Africa will affect the rest of the world and this little animal.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58But one thing is certain.
0:46:58 > 0:47:04What happens here is more important than it has ever been
0:47:04 > 0:47:07and that the relationship of the rest of the world
0:47:07 > 0:47:11to this great continent and the creatures that live in it
0:47:11 > 0:47:14is more important than ever before.
0:47:25 > 0:47:31On whichever part of the planet we live, we all have a part to play
0:47:31 > 0:47:36in what sort of future this wild continent has.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Africa, the final shoot.
0:48:02 > 0:48:07It's one of our most ambitious trips with lots of locations to visit
0:48:07 > 0:48:11- and many technical hurdles to overcome.- Five, take one.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15To the west are vast rainforests the size of India.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22Helicopters enable us to go to extraordinary landscapes...
0:48:22 > 0:48:25We're heading off to do the very first visit,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28the opening of the whole Africa series with David.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31How do you like the view from my office?
0:48:31 > 0:48:33HE CHUCKLES
0:48:33 > 0:48:35..And attempt air-to-air filming.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37'Stand by, David, and action!'
0:48:37 > 0:48:42I'm flying over the Great Rift Valley in East Africa.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00But perhaps the most ambitious task for this shoot
0:49:00 > 0:49:03is the filming with black rhinoceros.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08They have a reputation for being aggressive and with poor eyesight,
0:49:08 > 0:49:13they're likely to charge objects or people they don't recognise.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15RHINO SNORTS, MAN YELPS
0:49:15 > 0:49:18CRASHING, RHINO GRUNTS
0:49:18 > 0:49:22But the plight of the rhino is such an important story
0:49:22 > 0:49:25that we want to get as close to them as possible.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28We also want to meet the people who are working to protect them.
0:49:31 > 0:49:36So our team have come to assess the viability of filming up close
0:49:36 > 0:49:41with a rhino called Elvis who's been reared by humans.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44He should be safer than a wild rhino, but there's still a risk
0:49:44 > 0:49:47he could be unpredictable with strangers.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53Wildlife ranger, Tonga Kaseyo has brought up Elvis by hand
0:49:53 > 0:49:57and knows that tickling him gently with a stick keeps him calm.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01But if anything were to go seriously wrong,
0:50:01 > 0:50:04there would be little he could do against a one-tonne Elvis.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08And this fact hasn't escaped cameraman Mike Fox.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12He knows we're here. We're here on his terms.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16If he decided to bat us all into the next world...
0:50:16 > 0:50:18he would do.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23Director Kate Broome checks with Tonga that it's safe
0:50:23 > 0:50:25for the crew to get closer.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29(Normally, we have to stay in the Land Rovers.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32(They're saying it's OK to go in.)
0:50:33 > 0:50:36(This is such an extraordinary opportunity,
0:50:36 > 0:50:39(to be this close to...
0:50:39 > 0:50:40(a black rhino.)
0:50:42 > 0:50:47The trial goes well with Elvis and the stage is set for future filming.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Several weeks later, the team are back and this time I've joined them.
0:50:54 > 0:50:59But Elvis's mood has changed. He seems more wilful.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03'Now, I've stood by many wild animals in my time,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06'but I'm not as fast on my pins as I used to be.'
0:51:09 > 0:51:11'We don't want to test Elvis's patience,
0:51:11 > 0:51:14so we get on with filming.'
0:51:14 > 0:51:17A horn that is worth its weight in gold.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25And one way...
0:51:26 > 0:51:27..of protecting him...
0:51:29 > 0:51:31..would be...
0:51:31 > 0:51:34to cut that horn off the nose.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- How is it?- It looks great.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46'The team check that they have what they need
0:51:46 > 0:51:48'and Elvis lets us know that he's had enough.'
0:51:48 > 0:51:54- Just watch out, everybody. Yeah. - I'll get out of the way.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57'But actually, it's a positive sign
0:51:57 > 0:52:00'that Elvis is not as friendly this time.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03'Tonga and his colleagues want Elvis to live more like a wild rhino
0:52:03 > 0:52:06'and develop a wariness of humans
0:52:06 > 0:52:09'that may offer him some protection from poachers.'
0:52:11 > 0:52:13Good luck to you, Elvis.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22Whilst filming, we're lucky enough to have a very well equipped camp.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25It's in the bush and there's no escaping the wild animals.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33One of the great, wonderful things about
0:52:33 > 0:52:37camping out in the middle of the open is the animals.
0:52:37 > 0:52:42But it can also be one of the dangerous/annoying things.
0:52:42 > 0:52:43Absolutely.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49In the annoying category,
0:52:49 > 0:52:50vervet monkeys.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57Vervet monkeys have stolen my Ferrero Rocher
0:52:57 > 0:53:01and one of my glow sticks from our medical supplies.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04So, if we see a luminous-faced monkey in the night,
0:53:04 > 0:53:07I'll identify the naughty one that's been stealing our stuff.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09And they leave little presents for us
0:53:09 > 0:53:12when they've been in, just as a calling card.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21But camp manager Andres finds more worrying animal signs.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26Well, the lions were quite close, just behind the tents.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30Some must have come in
0:53:30 > 0:53:32and I don't know...
0:53:32 > 0:53:35You can see a few scratches.
0:53:35 > 0:53:41I think maybe he was wanting to look at himself in the mirror.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45'Lions in camp are worrying enough,
0:53:45 > 0:53:47'but there I was reading my book when...'
0:53:47 > 0:53:50- Uh-oh.- Whoa!
0:53:50 > 0:53:52'..a Cape buffalo arrives.'
0:53:54 > 0:53:58'The most grumpy and dangerous of the big five African animals.'
0:54:00 > 0:54:03- KATE:- Mike! Stay in your tent.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07Shall we get David to get in the tent?
0:54:24 > 0:54:28Buffalo usually move in herds, so there's something odd about him.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32It may be that it was brought up as a calf and is humanised.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35Or it may be that he's an outcast from the herd in some way
0:54:35 > 0:54:38and that he's rather grumpy and fed up with life.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41But I think it's just hot and he's just plodding around
0:54:41 > 0:54:45and wondering where he might get a drink and a decent sandwich.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48I feel the same way myself, actually.
0:54:51 > 0:54:56The team's filming has coincided with the newest arrival at Lewa,
0:54:56 > 0:54:59a baby rhino in need of 24-hour care.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04This little chap was born blind
0:55:04 > 0:55:06and is guided everywhere by his keepers.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11They took him away from his mother a few weeks ago,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14because she couldn't protect him any more.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18He's very vulnerable so he would have been killed by predators.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23It's like filling up a petrol tank.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25'Every rhino is precious
0:55:25 > 0:55:29'and so it seems a fitting end for the final scene of the series.'
0:55:31 > 0:55:37No-one knows what the future holds for this little creature,
0:55:37 > 0:55:42nor indeed what changes will take place
0:55:42 > 0:55:46on the great continent on which he lives.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04David, I found that...
0:56:04 > 0:56:07- Oh, gosh. There's ants...everywhere. - That's what it is.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Yeah, hang on. Ants. Ant attack!
0:56:12 > 0:56:16I just found that extraordinarily moving, actually.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19- What I said was all right? - Yes.- Are you sure?
0:56:19 > 0:56:23And how you did it, it made me cry, I'm afraid, so...
0:56:24 > 0:56:26David Attenborough's made me cry.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33But just as we think we're finishing, someone won't let us go.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38Hello, little fellow.
0:56:39 > 0:56:44'He starts to squeak and we're able to have a little chat.'
0:56:44 > 0:56:47- THE RHINO SQUEAKS - Oh!
0:56:47 > 0:56:50Oh!
0:56:50 > 0:56:52Oh!
0:56:52 > 0:56:54Oh.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57Oh. Mm.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Oh!
0:57:00 > 0:57:03'Think about it, he's got a black world, hasn't he?
0:57:03 > 0:57:07'And he's got smell and he's got sound, so...'
0:57:07 > 0:57:12He's more likely to be responding to sound if he hasn't got the vision.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14'He's just inquisitive, I suppose.'
0:57:14 > 0:57:15Are you coming back?
0:57:19 > 0:57:20Oh!
0:57:20 > 0:57:22THE RHINO SQUEAKS
0:57:24 > 0:57:27'There is hope for this little fellow.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31'He's due to have an operation on his eyes which may mean
0:57:31 > 0:57:35'that as an adult he can be returned to the wild
0:57:35 > 0:57:37'just like Elvis.'
0:57:39 > 0:57:42I do hope he gets a cataract operation.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44It would be marvellous if he did.
0:57:45 > 0:57:47Enchanting creature.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd