0:00:35 > 0:00:38Nearly half of the world's land surface
0:00:38 > 0:00:41is covered by desert or grassland.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48These are the most exposed habitats on our planet.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59Nowhere else is the tension between predators and prey more obvious.
0:01:11 > 0:01:17Out here, the element of surprise scarcely exists.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36A cheetah, superbly adapted to hunt in the open.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Only from the air can you truly appreciate
0:01:47 > 0:01:49its incredible agility and speed.
0:02:07 > 0:02:13But even for the fastest animal on land, speed is not enough.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20To be successful out here requires more than physical ability.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23It requires strategy.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31A cheetah's takeoff point is critical.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Her top speed can only be maintained for just a few seconds.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44To be successful, she must get within just 30 metres of her prey...
0:02:46 > 0:02:47..undetected.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Picking the right target is vital.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Something small enough to handle.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23The final stalk begins.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05The mothers block her path.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15But in a flat-out chase, nothing can outrun a cheetah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Too lightweight to jump on top, she must trip her prey.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44Missed!
0:04:53 > 0:04:56But having timed her run to perfection,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58she still has energy to try again.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30This cheetah hunt may have been successful,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34but nearly 60% of hunts end in failure.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Few can hunt by stealth on the open plains.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56But where the grass grows a little longer, there is opportunity.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07One specialist predator is able to use every centimetre of cover
0:06:07 > 0:06:09to get close to its prey.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19CHIRRUPS
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Guinea fowl.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Always on edge.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53PANICKED SCREECHING
0:07:23 > 0:07:25FOWL SCREECHES
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Hunting by stealth in open grassland is a challenge.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40But if anything can do it, a caracal can.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48She is the finest bird hunter on the plains.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Her outsized hind legs can launch her three metres into the air,
0:07:57 > 0:08:02and her magnificent ears can detect the slightest rustle of prey.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Even in the longest grass, there is no hiding from a caracal.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33A solitary bird should be easier to creep up on.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52A caracal's hit rate is just one in ten.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58But the day is not over yet.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06BIRDS TWEET
0:09:44 > 0:09:47If only she could fly.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01Not all predators of the plains must rely on not being seen.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10There is no hiding a honey badger.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Hunting in the open, in broad daylight,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18she's anything but subtle.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25She doesn't need to be.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Most of her prey live out of sight, underground.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36With long claws and powerful front legs, she is a digging machine.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39She can dig 50 holes in a single day.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49It's worth it, to get to highly nutritious rodents.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Following her nose, she can sniff out almost anything.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09Even the most well-armed prey are not safe from a honey badger.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16She's immune to the scorpion's stings,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20but it's not a very enjoyable experience.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23IT SCREECHES IN PAIN
0:11:26 > 0:11:29And all for quite a small reward.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36With an incredibly high metabolism,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39the honey badger needs constant refuelling.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46An ostrich egg would be a rich reward,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48but they're the strongest eggs on the plains,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and very hard to break into.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58This will require all her ingenuity.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18EGG CRACKS
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Finally, she's cracked it.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Honey badgers have over 50 known prey.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36Their success depends on their willingness to take on anything.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49It's not just predators that have strategies
0:12:49 > 0:12:51to cope with life in the open.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Their prey have also risen to the challenge.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04On plains across the world, there is one kind of soft-bodied prey
0:13:04 > 0:13:08that has a dramatic solution for living in the open.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13They build themselves fortresses.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Termites, hard at work.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26It can take five years
0:13:26 > 0:13:31and several generations for a mound to grow to its full size.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It's a triumph of collective engineering.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Safe within their castles of clay,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52they're protected from nature's extremes.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55THUNDER CLAPS
0:13:55 > 0:13:56FLAMES ROAR
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Wildfires can reach temperatures of 800 centigrade.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07But on Brazil's vast Cerrado grasslands,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11the mounds provide such good protection that here,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15termites are the most abundant form of animal life.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Within the thick walls of their fortress,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26they live a complex social life.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31At the centre is the queen.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Over the course of her life, she will produce several million eggs.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45Deep inside, the members of the community are safe and undisturbed.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51But once a year, some are compelled to leave.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04The rainy season triggers a spectacular event.
0:15:09 > 0:15:16A new generation of winged termites - alates - emerge in their millions.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Their mission - to start a new colony.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28But so much abundance doesn't go unnoticed.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Predators lurk in the fabric of the mound's outer walls.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Headlight beetle larvae.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45They've been waiting all year for this moment.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54As night falls, they make their way to the surface of the mound.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18There are hundreds of them.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Their lights are lethally attractive.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Like moths to a flame,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40the termites cannot resist their bioluminescent glow.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43For just two weeks each year,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47the Cerrado is alight with glowing mounds.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04The beetle larvae must stock their larders for the leaner months ahead.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13With food in such infrequent supply,
0:17:13 > 0:17:18it will take two years for each larva to grow into an adult beetle.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31The synchronised emergence of a million alates
0:17:31 > 0:17:34makes these casualties insignificant.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Only a single pair are needed to start a new colony.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47BIRDS CAW
0:17:52 > 0:17:54There is safety in numbers.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02Flocking is a key defence strategy for birds that live in the open.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13Few sights illustrate this better than America's snow geese
0:18:13 > 0:18:14on their annual migration.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38One and a half million birds,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42stopping to refuel in Squaw Creek, Missouri.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46GEESE CAW
0:18:56 > 0:19:01Bald eagles have been gathering, waiting for this opportunity.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07It might look like a lot of food,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10but these are a winter prey of last resort.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Almost as big as an eagle, a goose is a large and difficult prey.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25And the flock takes on a life of its own.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34An impenetrable wall of beating wings.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47In the visual confusion, picking a single target is almost impossible.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08The eagles must wait for conditions to change.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31At this time of year, the lake can freeze overnight.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44This is what the eagles have been waiting for.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49As the open water shrinks,
0:20:49 > 0:20:54the geese are forced closer and closer together.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17The eagles send the flock into the air.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22GEESE SCREECH
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Diving to the bottom causes panic.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Now being in the flock is a liability.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40In the crammed chaos, geese collide.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Some are injured.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Separated from the safety of the flock,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53they're far more easy to catch.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11Despite the vast numbers, the eagles have only managed a few kills.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17For the geese, travelling in a flock has paid off,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and the vast majority continue their migration.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Even the toughest rely on the safety that comes from numbers.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44Herding is an important defence for animals that graze in the open.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Weighing up to 800 kilos,
0:22:56 > 0:23:02massive cape buffalo form super-herds, over 1,000 strong.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20An impenetrable mass of muscle and horn.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Only Africa's largest predator can tackle buffalo.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36And even they know better than to attempt a herd.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Highly aggressive, even unprovoked,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47buffalo will trample lions, given the chance.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57Usually, the relationship is one of mutual respect.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09At the end of Zambia's dry season, grasslands can turn to dust.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14For the buffalo, it's an endless search for new pasture.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28With the temperature rising to over 50 degrees centigrade,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32an adult bull risks leaving the safety of the herd
0:24:32 > 0:24:35to find fresh grazing alone.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Lions will normally avoid hunting in such heat.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09But they're also opportunists.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34The lions will need to bring him down quickly, before they overheat.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06GROWLING
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Even away from the herd, a bull is a formidable opponent.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18It could gore and kill a lion.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Close to overheating,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16they finally succeed in bringing him to the ground.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30BULL BAYS
0:27:30 > 0:27:33But the massive bull is not giving up.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Against the odds, and the full weight of the lions,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50he regains his feet.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00And it is now that the tables turn.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09The lions are exhausted.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11After a 20-minute struggle,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15only the bull has the energy to finish the fight.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41In such exposed and extreme conditions,
0:28:41 > 0:28:46the challenge for predators and their prey is at its most intense.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56On the roof of Africa, one predator has adapted
0:28:56 > 0:29:01its entire hunting strategy to suit its unusual home, and prey.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14HOWLING
0:29:15 > 0:29:18A wolf that looks like a fox.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25The Ethiopian wolf lives an isolated life,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29cut off in a bleak world, 3,000 metres above sea level.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46As with other wolves, the whole pack must work together
0:29:46 > 0:29:49if young are to be reared successfully.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54The alpha female must stay and nurse the pups.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59But every morning, the rest of the pack set out together.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Jointly, they patrol the perimeter of their highland territory.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25But unlike other wolves, they split up when it comes to hunting.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34These wolves face their prey alone.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42A giant mole rat.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44RAT SQUEAKS
0:30:44 > 0:30:47It might look like strange prey for a wolf,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51but it's the best food to be had on these high plains.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Better than the smaller grass rats.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02There are rodents everywhere, but hunting here is no picnic.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07There's no hiding an orange-coloured wolf in this open landscape.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12And the grass rats are hyper-vigilant.
0:31:15 > 0:31:16RAT SQUEAKS
0:31:27 > 0:31:30The mole rats are careful to never fully leave their burrows.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43Every wolf has its own unique strategy to catch these rodents.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48This one plays a waiting game.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55IT BARKS EXCITEDLY
0:32:00 > 0:32:01RAT SQUEAKS
0:32:03 > 0:32:06This one tackles the challenge head-on.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15But they're no honey badgers when it comes to digging.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21IT GROWLS
0:32:32 > 0:32:36This wolf doesn't care if the prey go underground.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46He has a different technique for grass rats.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58He huffs, and puffs.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05HE EXHALES
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Blowing down the holes like this,
0:33:07 > 0:33:09he hopes to flush his prey to the surface.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Genius!
0:33:19 > 0:33:22But it's only a meagre grass rat.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Catching the larger mole rat requires a bit more craftiness.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Their eyesight is poor,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10but the wolf still needs to tread carefully.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16Mole rats are acutely sensitive to vibrations in the ground.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34Grandmother's footsteps seems to be working.
0:34:34 > 0:34:35RAT SQUEAKS
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Oh, dear.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Outwitted by a mole rat.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Luckily for the wolf,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50there's always one that's tempted to go a bit too far.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56At last.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12The more extreme the habitat, the more extreme the challenge.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23The Namib Desert - one of the most exposed places on Earth.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34As the sun climbs high, everybody takes cover from the extreme heat.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Everybody except the hotrod ant.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52As others take refuge, their day is just beginning.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Cleaning out the nest.
0:36:04 > 0:36:10The sand can reach a scorching 70 centigrade.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13The ants' long legs raise their bodies above the surface,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15where it's ten degrees cooler.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22But if they stand still, they will fry.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28They must keep moving or risk the same fate as their quarry -
0:36:28 > 0:36:31the creatures that have collapsed from heat stroke.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Too deeply buried, but a good place to cool off.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Foraging decisions must be fast.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Too big...
0:36:47 > 0:36:48Perfect.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55Back to the nest before they also die.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03But they've strayed into a minefield.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14Each of these strange, cone-shaped pits is a deathtrap...
0:37:19 > 0:37:21..with a brutal predator at its centre.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Here lie antlion larvae -
0:37:27 > 0:37:31tiny ambush predators with venom-filled pincers.
0:37:53 > 0:37:59Some ants manage to escape, but the antlion has other tricks.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Flinging sand into the air, it creates an avalanche.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10In this cone of death,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14the walls are so angled that the sand slips beneath the ant's feet.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23As boulders rain from the sky, escape seems almost impossible.
0:38:40 > 0:38:41Phew!
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Some have been lost, but the hotrods are still going.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52At last, a decent prize.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56But carrying it off is another matter.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03The race is on to dismember the prey
0:39:03 > 0:39:05without getting heatstroke themselves.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36Another trap.
0:39:38 > 0:39:39A silken snare.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49A spoor spider has spun a sticky cloak of sand,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51and hides in the cool beneath.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Vibrations bring it to the surface.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Reeled in, escape is impossible.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22Bound into the sandy web, the ant is cooked in the heat of the sun.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29Unable to move, death comes fast.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44By late afternoon, the troops face one last problem.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51It's now so hot
0:40:51 > 0:40:55that convection winds have sprung up across the dunes.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21Finally, home, and with enough food for the whole colony.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27They have endured the midday sun and reaped the reward.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42One habitat is even more exposed than the Namib.
0:41:47 > 0:41:512,000 square miles - the vast salt pan of Etosha
0:41:51 > 0:41:56in southern Africa. The most extreme open arena.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15It's hard to imagine anywhere with less cover.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32Nonetheless, there are animals here.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15A meagre waterhole brings everyone close together.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Lions can survive alone,
0:43:26 > 0:43:31but in Etosha's dry season, cooperation is vital.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Living here requires teamwork.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52This extreme landscape has forced them to up their game.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08For now, hunting is impossible.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Eyes are everywhere.
0:44:23 > 0:44:29There is absolutely nowhere for these ambush predators to hide.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37The prey know they are safe.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41Lions are not good sprinters.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45The herds stay easily out of range.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53But change is in the air.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20This is the lions' time.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27THUNDER CRACKS
0:45:36 > 0:45:40A vast storm gathers, blowing dust into the air.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Unease spreads amongst the herds.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07Their senses muffled, they're suddenly vulnerable,
0:46:07 > 0:46:10unable to hear or smell their predator.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18Each lioness takes her place, undetected.
0:46:26 > 0:46:27ZEBRA SNORTS
0:46:29 > 0:46:30ZEBRA BRAYS
0:47:06 > 0:47:07With nowhere to hide,
0:47:07 > 0:47:13this pride has learnt to exploit the fleeting cover nature provides.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19All will share the meal.
0:47:26 > 0:47:31Only by working together can they provide for the next generation
0:47:31 > 0:47:37and survive in the most exposed habitat on the planet.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54The Hunt team wanted to film the plain's two fastest predators
0:47:54 > 0:47:56in a totally fresh and immersive way.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01Kenya's Masai Mara is the hunting ground of the cheetah.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Zambia's Liuwa Plain is home to packs of hunting dogs.
0:48:08 > 0:48:13Each animal presented the team with a unique and different challenge.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15Here she comes.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17Cheetah are the fastest predators on land,
0:48:17 > 0:48:20and being in the right place at the right time
0:48:20 > 0:48:24to catch their explosive burst of speed is not easy.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27No, can't get round. Guy was out of space.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29I don't know what I got. In and out.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32Wild dogs rely on extraordinary stamina,
0:48:32 > 0:48:36and keeping up with their marathon hunts is nearly impossible.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44But in Zambia, the wild dog team have a revolutionary solution
0:48:44 > 0:48:47to keep up with a pack running at over 40mph.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53On this shoot, we've got a Cineflex, which lets you get stable shots
0:48:53 > 0:48:54while flying around in a helicopter.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57And we've attached it to a stabilising arm
0:48:57 > 0:48:59and a few other clever bits of kit.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Basically, we've got the camera at dog height.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04We're with the dogs as they're hunting and they're running.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07And we should be able to show a hunt as you've never seen it before.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12This new rig would also be vital in Kenya.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17It's allowed Jamie to track with the cheetah
0:49:17 > 0:49:20as she stalks at the start of a hunt.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25But that is only half the story.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29There's a critical five to ten-second moment during a hunt
0:49:29 > 0:49:32where she, the cheetah, is at absolute top speed.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36And this camera slows everything down 20, 40 times.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38And it'll hopefully just reveal...
0:49:38 > 0:49:41It's almost a hidden world for the viewer.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46Another factor crucial to the success of this shoot
0:49:46 > 0:49:49was choosing the right cheetah to work with.
0:49:51 > 0:49:57I've worked with many cheetahs before, but Malika is fantastic.
0:49:59 > 0:50:07She's a good hunter, good mother, who always keeps her cubs happy.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Sammy and his team of spotters had to put both cameras
0:50:10 > 0:50:14in the best positions to catch all the action.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16Filming cheetah, you don't follow the hunter -
0:50:16 > 0:50:19you have to second-guess which prey they'll target.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25So we've got a group of wildebeest coming up the hill.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29There's two small calves in the group.
0:50:29 > 0:50:30We're in the right place.
0:50:31 > 0:50:36Sophie was in front of the herd, locked onto the wildebeest calves.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40And Jamie was off to the side, ready to film the stalk.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43Yeah, she's about to go. She's going, she's going.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52We got some really nice shots
0:50:52 > 0:50:54of the mayhem of her trying to pick a target.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56She couldn't lock onto a single calf,
0:50:56 > 0:50:57and they all made it up the hill.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01While the team had made a promising start,
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Malika was yet to hunt successfully.
0:51:08 > 0:51:13In Zambia, the wild dog team was focusing on a 13-strong pack.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17Even though a female was fitted with a radio collar,
0:51:17 > 0:51:20the team kept losing the dogs.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27They could have been anywhere within their home range,
0:51:27 > 0:51:28which is the size of Cornwall.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33It's been about eight hours since we've seen them last,
0:51:33 > 0:51:36and this is the point we last had them.
0:51:36 > 0:51:38So now we have to find them again.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48Negative, we are not with the dogs.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50When nothing seems to be going right,
0:51:50 > 0:51:53there's always an old favourite to lift the spirits.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59We can't find the dogs, so we're going to have a cup of tea
0:51:59 > 0:52:01and have a look for them again in a minute.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08With a helicopter arriving in the next few days to capture
0:52:08 > 0:52:12the dogs hunting from the air, they had to find the dogs, and fast.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20It's not meant to rain in February.
0:52:20 > 0:52:21It's meant to be sunny.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27Maybe it'll clear and she'll hunt straight after. That'd be great.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30That's what's going to happen. I know it.
0:52:30 > 0:52:31I'm going to wait.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36When the rains finally passed,
0:52:36 > 0:52:39Sophie was again positioned in a perfect spot.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43There is a couple of calves in the wildebeest herd
0:52:43 > 0:52:45coming just behind us.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48She's really, really far away, but I think if she sees them,
0:52:48 > 0:52:51there's a good chance she's going to come straight at us,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54which is the shot we want, it's the impactful shot.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57- LAUGHING:- Unfortunately, as I look through my viewfinder,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00I see she's walking in the opposite direction.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05You can only do what you can do, hey.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07Come on, cheetah.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10Oh, I suspect she's going to lie down. Yep.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Ach, great. Brilliant.
0:53:13 > 0:53:19When Malika did decide to hunt, she did it when it was too dark to film.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23We've been here for three weeks, and just for the last couple of days,
0:53:23 > 0:53:25she's been hunting before the lights come up.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29And we've only got a limited amount of time left to try
0:53:29 > 0:53:31and really get this, do it justice.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33So it's a little bit frustrating.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37With the pack still missing,
0:53:37 > 0:53:39the wild dog team chartered a spotter plane.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45And before long, they relocated the pack.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51Just in time for the aerial filming.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55'OK, we've got the dogs.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59'OK, they're on the left-hand side of the vehicle.'
0:54:00 > 0:54:02'Oh, got it, yeah.'
0:54:09 > 0:54:12'That's good. That's a great shot.'
0:54:13 > 0:54:15This aerial perspective beautifully revealed
0:54:15 > 0:54:19how the wild dogs work together as pack.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22And although the critical ground shots were still to be filmed,
0:54:22 > 0:54:24this was cause for celebration.
0:54:26 > 0:54:27Fabulous.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37The cheetah didn't hunt this morning before dawn,
0:54:37 > 0:54:38which is always a good thing.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44I always feel a little bit insignificant next to Jamie.
0:54:47 > 0:54:48As the day heated up,
0:54:48 > 0:54:52migrating wildebeest moved into Malika's territory.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57And the team took up their positions.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02OK, she's moving, she's up.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04She's up.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08Just let us know, just shout "run". That's it.
0:55:08 > 0:55:09'OK, copy.'
0:55:13 > 0:55:14Come on, girl.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20'She's going, she's going, she's going, she's going, she going...'
0:55:20 > 0:55:22'She's on the move.'
0:55:23 > 0:55:24She's running.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29Oh, God, that's nice.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41I'm on her.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56I have to say, I love this job.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Your adrenaline is just like... You have to keep it,
0:55:58 > 0:56:00you have to rein it in when everything is happening.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03But when the moment's passed, especially with this camera,
0:56:03 > 0:56:06cos it's a one-take wonder, you're just like...bfff!
0:56:08 > 0:56:09The wild dog team
0:56:09 > 0:56:12had been keeping pace with the pack for over two weeks...
0:56:14 > 0:56:17..waiting to capture a hunt from the ground.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21And when it happened, they were ready.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29To be with the dogs from the moment they start stalking,
0:56:29 > 0:56:32right through to the full-on chase...it's just amazing.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35Just to be alongside them
0:56:35 > 0:56:38as they're trying to work out which animal they're going to go for,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41they were swapping places, different animals taking the lead in the hunt.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44It's an amazing thing to see.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46Yeah, just chuffed to bits.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53Next time, the hunt is on at the coast,
0:56:53 > 0:56:57where predators must go to extraordinary lengths to catch prey.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05Opportunities never last long here,
0:57:05 > 0:57:09so coastal hunters are always in a race against time.