0:00:37 > 0:00:43100 years ago, there were 1.5 billion people on Earth.
0:00:44 > 0:00:51Now, over six billion crowd our fragile planet.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56But even so, there are still places barely touched by humanity.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05This series will take you to the last wildernesses,
0:01:05 > 0:01:11and show you the planet and its wildlife as you have never seen them before.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53WIND HOWLS
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Imagine our world without sun.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10Male emperor penguins are facing the nearest that exists on planet Earth -
0:02:10 > 0:02:12winter in Antarctica.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18It is continuously dark and temperatures drop
0:02:18 > 0:02:21to minus 70 degrees centigrade.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35The penguins stay when all other creatures have fled
0:02:35 > 0:02:41because each guards a treasure - a single egg resting on the top of its feet,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45and kept warm beneath the downy bulge of its stomach.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52There is no food and no water for them,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56and they will not see the sun again for four months.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Surely no greater ordeal is faced by any animal.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13As the sun departs from the Antarctic,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17it lightens the skies in the far north.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29It's March and light returns to the high Arctic,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33sweeping away four months of darkness.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48A polar bear stirs.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52She has been in her den the whole winter.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56Her emergence marks the beginning of spring.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04After months of confinement underground, she toboggans down the slope,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08perhaps to clean her fur, perhaps for sheer joy.
0:04:22 > 0:04:28Her cubs gaze out at their bright new world for the very first time.
0:04:30 > 0:04:36The female calls them, but this steep slope is not the easiest place
0:04:36 > 0:04:38to take your first steps.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55But they are hungry and eager to reach their mother,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58who has delayed feeding them on this special day.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Now she lures them with the promise of milk -
0:05:01 > 0:05:03the only food the cubs have known
0:05:03 > 0:05:08since they were born, deaf and blind beneath the snow, some two months ago.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Their mother has not eaten for five months
0:05:28 > 0:05:30and has lost half her body weight.
0:05:30 > 0:05:36Now she converts the last of her fat reserves into milk for her cubs.
0:05:54 > 0:06:00The spring sun brings warmth, but also a problem for the mother.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03It starts to melt the sea ice.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07That is where she hunts for the seals she needs to feed her cubs,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11and she must get there before the ice breaks up.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18For now though, it's still minus 30 degrees
0:06:18 > 0:06:21and the cubs must have the shelter of the den.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38It's six days since the bears emerged
0:06:38 > 0:06:40and spring is advancing rapidly.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44But even now, blizzards can strike without warning.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Being so small, the cubs are easily chilled and they would be
0:06:51 > 0:06:54more comfortable resting in the den,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57but their mother must keep them out and active.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00She's becoming weak from hunger
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and there is no food on these nursery slopes.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13The sea ice still holds firm, but it won't last much longer.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22Day ten, and the mother has led her cubs a mile from the den.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24It's time to put them to the test.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29They have grown enormously in confidence,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33but they don't have their mother's sense of urgency.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52At last, it seems they are ready for their journey,
0:07:52 > 0:07:56and only just in time, for a few miles from the coast,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58the ice is already splitting.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08Now the mother can start hunting for the seals they must have,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12but she is leading her cubs into a dangerous new world.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18Nearly half of all cubs die in their first year out on the ice.
0:08:27 > 0:08:34Summer brings 24 hours of sunlight and a thawing, shifting landscape.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Further south,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42the winter snows have almost cleared from the Arctic tundra.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Northern Canada's wild frontier.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58Here, nature stages one of her greatest dramas.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11Every year, three million caribou migrate across the Arctic tundra.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26The immensity of the herd
0:09:26 > 0:09:30can only be properly appreciated from the air.
0:09:37 > 0:09:43Some herds travel over 2,000 miles a year in search of fresh pastures.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48This is the longest overland migration made by any animal.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02They're constantly on the move.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Newborn calves have to be up and running the day they're born.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31But the vast herds do not travel alone.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34Wolves.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41Packs of them, eight to ten strong, shadow the migration.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45And they're hungry.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54It's the newly born calves that they are after.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Running directly at the herd is a ploy to generate panic.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20The herd breaks up, and now it's easier to target an individual.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35In the chaos, a calf is separated from its mother.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43The calf is young,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47but it can outrun the wolf, if only it manages to keep its footing.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02At this stage, the odds are even.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Either the caribou will make a mistake
0:12:05 > 0:12:08or, after a mile, the wolf will give up.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00Midsummer on the tundra, and the sun does not set.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06At these latitudes, the sun's rays are glancing
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and not enough of their energy reaches the ground
0:13:10 > 0:13:12to enable trees to grow.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19You need to travel 500 miles south from here before that is possible.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29These stunted shrubs mark the tree-line,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31the beginning of the boreal forest -
0:13:31 > 0:13:33the taiga.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46The needle-shaped leaves of the conifers are virtually inedible,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50so this forest supports very little animal life.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02It's a silent place, where the snow is unmarked by footprints.
0:14:10 > 0:14:16In the Arctic winter, snow forms a continuous blanket across the land.
0:14:16 > 0:14:22But, as spring creeps up from the south, the taiga is unveiled.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30This vast forest, circling the globe,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34contains a third of all the trees on Earth
0:14:34 > 0:14:40and produces so much oxygen it changes the composition of the atmosphere.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47As we travel south, so the sun's influence grows stronger,
0:14:47 > 0:14:52and at 50 degrees of latitude, a radical transformation begins.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55BIRDS SING
0:15:03 > 0:15:05The summers here are long enough
0:15:05 > 0:15:09for broad-leaved trees to replace conifers.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Broad leaves are much easier to eat and digest,
0:15:12 > 0:15:17so now animals can collect their share of the energy
0:15:17 > 0:15:19that has come from the sun.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24It's summer and these forests are bustling with life.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52But the good times will not last.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Broad leaves must be shed in winter for they are damaged by frost.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00As they disappear,
0:16:00 > 0:16:05so the land becomes barren, with little for animals to eat.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09SHRILL HOWLS
0:16:13 > 0:16:16The inhabitants must migrate, hibernate
0:16:16 > 0:16:20or face months of near-starvation.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27CAWING
0:16:37 > 0:16:41The Amur leopard - the rarest cat in the world.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Here in the deciduous forests of eastern Russia
0:16:48 > 0:16:51the winter makes hunting very difficult.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Prey animals are scarce and there's no concealing vegetation.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03The cub is a year old and still dependent on its mother.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Deer are frequent casualties of the harsh winter
0:17:14 > 0:17:18and these leopards are not above scavenging from a corpse.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22African leopards could never survive here.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27But the Russian cats have thick fur to shield them from the cold.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36There are only 40 Amur leopards left in the wild
0:17:36 > 0:17:38and that number is falling.
0:17:40 > 0:17:46Like so many creatures, the cats have been pushed to the very edge of extinction by hunting
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and the destruction of their habitat.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56The Amur leopard symbolises the fragility of our natural heritage.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59The future of an entire species
0:17:59 > 0:18:04hangs on the survival of a tiny number of mothers like this one.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14All animals, rare or common, ultimately depend for their energy
0:18:14 > 0:18:16on the sun.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26In Japan, the arrival of the cherry blossom
0:18:26 > 0:18:29announces the beginning of spring.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53The sun's energy brings colour to the landscape.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07The earth, as it makes its annual journey around the sun,
0:19:07 > 0:19:13spins on a tilted axis, and it's this tilt that creates the seasons.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42The advance of the seasons brings constant change.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47As the sun's influence diminishes in the north, so the deciduous forests
0:19:47 > 0:19:53of America begin to shut down, losing their leaves in preparation
0:19:53 > 0:19:55for the dark, cold months ahead.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12One season hands over to another.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Some organisms thrive on decay,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19but most must make special preparations for winter
0:20:19 > 0:20:21and a life with little sun.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41Whole populations of animals are now forced to travel great distances
0:20:41 > 0:20:44in pursuit of food and warmth.
0:20:49 > 0:20:55300,000 Baikal teal gather to escape from the Siberian winter
0:20:55 > 0:20:58by migrating south to Korea.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05The world's entire population in a single flock.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13But there are parts of the world that have no seasons.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21In the tropics, the sun's rays strike the earth head on
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and their strength is more or less constant all year round.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31That is why the jungle grows so vigorously
0:21:31 > 0:21:33and supports so much life.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39This forest covers only 3% of the planet's surface,
0:21:39 > 0:21:44but it contains more than 50% of all its plants and animals.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50The canopy is particularly rich.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53There are monkeys, birds
0:21:53 > 0:21:58and millions of species of insects - exactly how many we have no idea.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05The character of the forest changes as you descend, becoming ever darker
0:22:05 > 0:22:10and damper, favouring different kinds of animals and plants.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Less than 2% of the sunlight reaches the floor.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22But even here there is extraordinary variety.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33In the great island of New Guinea
0:22:33 > 0:22:37there are 42 different species of birds of paradise,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39each more bizarre than the last.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50SHRILL SQUAWKS
0:23:05 > 0:23:07This forest is so rich
0:23:07 > 0:23:11that nourishing food can be gathered very quickly.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14That leaves the male six-plumed bird of paradise with time
0:23:14 > 0:23:19to concentrate on other matters, like tidying up his display area.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Everything must be spick and span.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41All is ready.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Very impressive.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05But no-one is watching.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11The superb bird of paradise calls to attract a female.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16And he has more luck.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21But what does he have to do to really impress her?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23CLICKING
0:24:46 > 0:24:49She retires to consider her verdict.
0:24:55 > 0:25:01It's hard not to feel deflated when even your best isn't good enough.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25The sun influences life in the oceans just as it does on land.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16Its richest parts are those where waves and currents bring fertilising nutrients
0:26:16 > 0:26:20to surface waters that are bathed in sunlight.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24The seas off the Cape in South Africa have this magic recipe
0:26:24 > 0:26:27and are hugely productive.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36Summer is a time of plenty and it is now that the seals start to breed.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04The strike of a great white shark lasts a mere second.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Slowing it down 40 times
0:27:07 > 0:27:12reveals the technique and immense strength of this massive predator.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53If surprise fails, there will be a chase.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06The shark is faster on a straight course,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09but it can't turn as sharply as the seal.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It's agility versus power.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Once the seals have finished breeding,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12the giant sharks will move on.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16It's now becoming clear
0:29:16 > 0:29:21that Great Whites migrate thousands of miles across the oceans
0:29:21 > 0:29:24to harvest seasonal abundances in different seas.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54The sun, beating down on tropical waters,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57powers the weather systems of the globe.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Moisture evaporates from the warming ocean
0:30:00 > 0:30:02and rises to create great storms.
0:30:23 > 0:30:28The winds generated out at sea sweep inland across the continents.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43As they travel across the Sahara,
0:30:43 > 0:30:46they create the biggest of all sand storms,
0:30:46 > 0:30:52blowing sand halfway round the world to fertilise the Amazon jungle.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01Winds blowing across the Indian Ocean collect moisture
0:31:01 > 0:31:05and sweep northwards towards the Himalayas.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08As the air rises, so it cools.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16The water it carries condenses into clouds
0:31:16 > 0:31:21and then falls as the life-giving rains of the monsoon.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29So air currents, powered by the sun,
0:31:29 > 0:31:33carry wet air to the middle of continents.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54Without water, there can be no life.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59But its distribution over the land is far from even.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Deserts cover one-third of the land's surface
0:32:09 > 0:32:11and they are growing bigger every year.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26This is the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28It's the dry season,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and thousands of elephants have started to travel
0:32:32 > 0:32:34in a desperate search for water.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49All across southern Africa, animals are journeying for the same reason.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Buffalo join the great trek.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Nowhere else on earth are so many animals on the move
0:32:57 > 0:33:00with the same urgent purpose.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09They're all heading for the swamps of the Okavango -
0:33:09 > 0:33:11a vast inland delta.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15At the moment, it is dry.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17But water is coming.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24The travellers are hampered by dangerous dust storms.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Females and calves can easily get separated from the main herd.
0:33:48 > 0:33:53For this pair, sanctuary lies in a patch of woodland a few miles ahead.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55They can't rest until they reach it.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15The main herd has already got there safely.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Finally, the stragglers emerge from the dust.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32The exhausted calf is still blinded by sand.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Its mother does everything possible to help it.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53The storm is now subsiding.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57But not all the elephants have been so lucky.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00One youngster has got lost.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06Thirsty and exhausted, it follows the tracks of its mother,
0:35:06 > 0:35:10but, sadly, in the wrong direction.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36At the peak of the dry season in the Kalahari,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39water arrives in the Okavango.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43It fell as rain 1,000 miles away in the highlands of Angola
0:35:43 > 0:35:46and has taken nearly five months to reach here.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57The water drives out insects from the parched ground,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59which are snapped up by plovers.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Catfish, travelling with the flood,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08collect any drowning creatures the birds have missed.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23It's a seasonal feast for animals of all kinds.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Birds are the first to arrive in any numbers.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Wattled cranes.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Then black storks.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Behind the birds come buffalo.
0:36:47 > 0:36:52After weeks of marching, their trek is coming to an end.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14As the water sweeps into the Okavango,
0:37:14 > 0:37:20a vast area of the Kalahari is transformed into a fertile paradise.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Nowhere on our planet is the life-bringing power of water
0:37:27 > 0:37:29so clearly demonstrated.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36The Okavango becomes criss-crossed with trails
0:37:36 > 0:37:39as animals move into its heart.
0:37:39 > 0:37:44The new arrivals open up paths like arteries along which water flows,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46extending the reach of the flood.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09This is an Africa rarely seen -
0:38:09 > 0:38:11a lush water-world.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Some creatures are completely at home here.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36These are lechwe - antelope with hooves that splay widely,
0:38:36 > 0:38:40enabling them to move at speed through the water.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45For others, the change is far less welcome.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Baboons are somewhat apprehensive bathers.
0:39:25 > 0:39:31The water brings a season of plenty for all animals.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Hunting dogs.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09These are now among the rarest of Africa's mammals,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13but they are nonetheless the continent's most efficient predators.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18Their secret is teamwork.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Impala are their favourite prey.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30They start to hunt and the pack splits up.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35An aerial view-point gives a new insight into their strategy.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38As the dogs approach their prey, they peel off
0:40:38 > 0:40:41to take up separate positions around their target.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57They seem to form a cordon around the impala.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10Moving in total silence, they take up their positions.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Those ears can detect the slightest rustle.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40The hunt is on.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Three dogs close in on one impala.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57Missed!
0:42:00 > 0:42:05The lead dog drives the impala towards the hidden flankers.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Anticipating their line, the leader cuts the corner
0:42:19 > 0:42:22and joins a flanker for the final assault.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26It's all or nothing. One on one.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34The dog has stamina, the impala has speed.
0:42:48 > 0:42:53Leaping into the lake is an act of desperation. Impala can barely swim.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00The dogs know their prey must come out or drown.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Now it's a waiting game.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14The rest of the pack are calling.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16They've made a kill in the forest
0:43:16 > 0:43:20and this is an invitation to join in the meal.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25The impala is in luck.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38A pack this size kills once a day and everything is shared.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50And this impala is reprieved.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03The elephants are nearing the end of their long journey.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09After weeks of marching, they're desperately tired.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19The matriarch can smell water
0:44:19 > 0:44:22and encourages the herd to make one last effort.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34The youngsters are exhausted,
0:44:34 > 0:44:37but their mothers have made this journey before
0:44:37 > 0:44:40and they know they are close to the water.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59After many hundreds of miles, they've arrived.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11The lives of these elephants are dominated
0:46:11 > 0:46:15by the annual rhythm of wet and dry,
0:46:15 > 0:46:17a seasonal cycle created by the sun.
0:46:47 > 0:46:51At the southern end of the Earth, after four months of total darkness,
0:46:51 > 0:46:55the sun, once more, rises over Antarctica.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Now, at last, the emperor penguins abandon their huddle.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17The males are still carrying the precious eggs that they've cherished
0:47:17 > 0:47:20throughout the Antarctic winter.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31With the returning sun, the eggs hatch.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35Other birds have not even arrived.
0:47:35 > 0:47:40But the emperors, by enduring the long black winter,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43have given their chicks a head start.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55These youngsters are now ready and eager
0:47:55 > 0:47:58to make the most of the brief Antarctic summer.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30An aerial view gives a unique perspective on a vast landscape
0:48:30 > 0:48:32such as the Okavango delta.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35To achieve extraordinary top shots,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39planet Earth pioneered the latest in hi-tech filming.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43Meet the chopper squad.
0:48:44 > 0:48:50Producer, Mark Linfield, teamed up with helicopter pilot Peter Perlstein
0:48:50 > 0:48:53and Hollywood aerial cameraman Michael Kelem.
0:49:00 > 0:49:05This helicopter is fitted with a new high-definition camera system -
0:49:05 > 0:49:08the heli-gimble. Originally invented for the military,
0:49:08 > 0:49:13it's only been used so far in Hollywood movies and glossy adverts.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16Filming for Planet Earth will be the first time
0:49:16 > 0:49:20that a hi-tech system like this has been taken into the wild.
0:49:27 > 0:49:32The chopper squad fly the heli-gimble into the swampy heart of the delta,
0:49:32 > 0:49:36an area inaccessible to ground film crews.
0:49:39 > 0:49:44With a 360-degree view and an extremely powerful lens,
0:49:44 > 0:49:48the camera can zoom in from a kilometre away.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53The animal remains totally undisturbed,
0:49:53 > 0:49:57oblivious to the film crew hovering high above.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02The gyro-stabilised camera produces rock solid images,
0:50:02 > 0:50:05both in wide shots and in close-up.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10For the first time, wildlife can be put in context
0:50:10 > 0:50:13of the epic landscape in which it lives.
0:50:15 > 0:50:20This aerial system is key to the team's most challenging mission,
0:50:20 > 0:50:22filming African wild dogs hunting.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26Impossible to follow and film from the ground alone.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36A highly experienced ground crew joins forces with the chopper squad.
0:50:46 > 0:50:51Mike Holding has been filming hunting dogs for over 10 years,
0:50:51 > 0:50:54but even he has never successfully filmed
0:50:54 > 0:50:56a complete hunt from the ground.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03In such rough terrain, even keeping up with the dogs is a struggle,
0:51:03 > 0:51:07and filming anything more than glimpses is impossible.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10Today, the challenge is to track the dogs
0:51:10 > 0:51:14so that Mike can guide in the helicopter.
0:51:14 > 0:51:19We just saw an impala fly past us, which means the dogs are hunting in this area.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21So all hell will break loose.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23Whoah!
0:51:25 > 0:51:30Time to call in the chopper squad. The dogs are now racing ahead.
0:51:30 > 0:51:37You'd better get in here. They're moving towards the impala, 2,000 feet behind me.
0:51:37 > 0:51:38They've stopped.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40It's chaos for the ground crew,
0:51:40 > 0:51:42making it impossible to film anything.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46- There they are below, 9 o'clock. - Well done.- Straight beneath us.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48OK, left, left, left, turn left.
0:51:48 > 0:51:54From a great height, the camera locks onto the target, and Michael zooms in for a closer shot.
0:51:54 > 0:52:01You can see the dogs on the monitor. They're a reasonable size, but are way off in the distance,
0:52:01 > 0:52:03probably at least 1.5 kilometres away.
0:52:03 > 0:52:08The ground crew finally catch up but face a new hitch.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11- What's the right of way in a situation like this? - HE LAUGHS
0:52:11 > 0:52:16It looks like...I don't know, stalemate at the crossroads.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19The dog's interest in the car is short-lived.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24They've already given up hunting and are on their way back to their den.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27Yay! Hup, hup, hup, hup!
0:52:27 > 0:52:29It's home time for everyone.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31He's a maniac!
0:52:32 > 0:52:36The ground crew's day starts well before sunrise.
0:52:36 > 0:52:41They must reach the den before the dogs wake up or they will lose them.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Yesterday, they caught us napping.
0:52:43 > 0:52:48They went out earlier than we expected and we spent three hours trying to catch up with them.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50So we'll try not to do that today.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Sure enough, the dogs are already up and about.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58The ground crew must keep on their tails until it's light enough
0:52:58 > 0:53:00for the chopper squad to take off.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16The dogs seem oblivious to the filming vehicle
0:53:16 > 0:53:19and to the helicopter flying high above them.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25DIALOGUE INDISTINCT
0:53:25 > 0:53:28The dogs are starting to hunt.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32'Pull back slightly... Hang on, they might be on to something.'
0:53:32 > 0:53:34Don't do anything, Michael.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38- Nothing rash.- 'There's two stalking.'- Just hold still.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41'Hopefully, they'll dart out of these trees, so get ready.'
0:53:41 > 0:53:44This could be Martin's only chance.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47'I reckon it's 10 seconds they'll go.'
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Going, going, going.
0:53:54 > 0:53:55'And they're off.'
0:54:00 > 0:54:03That's nice. Just keep that going. That's a nice shot.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09This is a unique perspective on the dog hunt -
0:54:09 > 0:54:12a revelation even to local experts.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15He's fled out on the path after that impala.
0:54:19 > 0:54:20Oh, no!
0:54:20 > 0:54:23I can't believe it.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26That was so close. Oh!
0:54:28 > 0:54:33For the chopper crew, it's a short ride back to their landing pad in the bush.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39The ground crew still have a two-hour journey.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42Back at camp, there's a worrying turn of events.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48There has been an accident, and a tent has caught fire.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53The camp staff are on to it straight away.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59Put sand on, put sand on. OK. All right.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02If that had gone near the fuel and the chopper,
0:55:02 > 0:55:05we would have had an explosion
0:55:05 > 0:55:07that is just not even worth imagining.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11And it's got the heli-gimble attached to it as well.
0:55:11 > 0:55:16- SHE LAUGHS - I don't want to think about it, I really don't want to think about it.
0:55:19 > 0:55:24With chopper and heli-gimble still intact, the aerial team embark on
0:55:24 > 0:55:28a gruelling 10-day stint.
0:55:28 > 0:55:33They set off every morning and evening, but after 50 hours of flying,
0:55:33 > 0:55:35they're making little headway with filming a hunt.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43We've still got tomorrow. We've still got tomorrow morning.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45We will get it tomorrow morning.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47We will.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54There we have it. Sunrise over the Okavango Delta.
0:55:54 > 0:55:567 o'clock dead.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02It's looking promising. The dogs are already onto something.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04'Hold that.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07'That's nice, just keep that going.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09'All moving as a group. That's a nice shot.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11'Yeah, feels like a real pack hunt.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15'Nice shot. If I could see them from the chopper...
0:56:15 > 0:56:19'There they go. They're racing. They're racing.
0:56:19 > 0:56:24'They're at 3 o'clock. There they go. Three or four dogs, they've all spread out.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28'Tighten up, tighten up as much as you can.
0:56:28 > 0:56:33'That's good. Stay with him, stay with him, he's almost got him.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36'Stay with him, stay with him.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38'He's heading towards the water.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41'Now the guy's prompting away.
0:56:41 > 0:56:43'Still a nice shot, though.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47'Ah, he's given... Oh! He's in the water.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49'The croc's going to get that impala.'
0:56:49 > 0:56:51- Go for the impala.- 'The croc's going to get that impala.'
0:56:51 > 0:56:54'The dogs are all surrounding this impala.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57'You'll see these dogs grab him when he comes out.'
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Let's get close to the impala, so when he comes out...
0:57:00 > 0:57:06With lunch seemingly in the bag, the dogs frustrate the chopper crew with a mysterious exit.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10- 'These dogs...' - I can't believe these dogs!
0:57:10 > 0:57:12That was close. He was so close to that guy.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15- The closest I have ever... - 'So determined.'
0:57:15 > 0:57:20- I thought it was in the bank. - 'He was closing in on him so well.'
0:57:20 > 0:57:21I know, he was.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27The air crew think they've failed again,
0:57:27 > 0:57:31but soon catch up with the dogs and call in the ground crew.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34They're on a kill somewhere in front of us.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36The helicopter's above us, filming.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39We're trying to get through the thick stuff. Duck!
0:57:39 > 0:57:43We're trying to get the thick stuff to get some ground shots.
0:57:43 > 0:57:49At last, after two weeks of near misses, the whole sequence has come together
0:57:49 > 0:57:53in the final hour, both from the ground and the air.
0:57:53 > 0:57:57A complete wild dog hunt, as it's never been seen before.
0:57:59 > 0:58:03That's amazing. That is absolutely amazing.
0:58:28 > 0:58:32Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd, 2006
0:58:32 > 0:58:35E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk