0:00:03 > 0:00:05My name is Gordon Buchanan.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07I'm a wildlife cameraman.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10I've filmed some of the most dangerous
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and misunderstood animals on the planet.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Oh, my God!
0:00:15 > 0:00:19But what's it like to actually live alongside terrifying predators?
0:00:23 > 0:00:27And raise your children with neighbours that might just eat you?
0:00:30 > 0:00:34To find out, I'm going to live with three extraordinary tribal families.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38They'll teach me to see these creatures
0:00:38 > 0:00:40from a totally new perspective.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Whoa, look, look, look, look!
0:00:45 > 0:00:50In the Amazon, I was shown the secrets of the giant anaconda.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51It is just, simply, a monster!
0:00:52 > 0:00:56In Africa, I'll learn to stand up to wild lions.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58My heart is in my mouth!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03And in Papua New Guinea I'll enter the mysterious world
0:01:03 > 0:01:04of the crocodile.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Whoa! I didn't realise it was that big.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12Spending time with these tribes will be a life-changing experience,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15one that will transform my understanding
0:01:15 > 0:01:18of the animals we fear the most.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33I've come to Africa's brutal Kalahari Desert.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37I'm going to spend two weeks with a family of bushmen.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42This tribe have lived with lions for thousands of years
0:01:42 > 0:01:45and have an extraordinary relationship with them.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49I've heard that these fearless people approach lions on foot
0:01:49 > 0:01:51to share their kill.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56It sounds like madness and I'm hoping to learn exactly how
0:01:56 > 0:01:58and why they do it.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17I've filmed lions many times before, in different parts of Africa
0:02:17 > 0:02:20and always, always, always it's been from the safety
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and security of a vehicle.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28And it is my dream to learn enough from the bushmen,
0:02:28 > 0:02:32learn enough about lions, to actually meet them
0:02:32 > 0:02:36face to face out there in the bush
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and, to be perfectly honest with you,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42the thought of that absolutely terrifies me.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47In lion country you aren't normally allowed out of the car...
0:02:48 > 0:02:49..and I'm quickly reminded why.
0:02:51 > 0:02:52Oh, there we go.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55The remains of an oryx.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58I'll switch off.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00I'm just going to have a little peak.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02I'm not going to get out.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07I'm only, what, two metres away from a place where lions
0:03:07 > 0:03:09have recently been,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12a place that without a doubt they'll be back here within a few hours.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16I think, really, to fully understand any animal,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19you can't do that from inside a big machine.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24You can only do that by sharing their world with them.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Bushmen once lived right across the Kalahari,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30southern Africa's largest desert.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I'm meeting one of the last remaining groups in Botswana.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41They live in an incredibly challenging wilderness.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I'm going to be putting my life in their hands.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53I'm excited,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57but it's kind of a worse feeling
0:03:57 > 0:03:59than meeting your in-laws for the first time.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Hello, hello!
0:04:08 > 0:04:10THEY GREET HIM IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
0:04:10 > 0:04:12I'm Gordon. HE REPLIES IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I'll have to write that down and remember.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16- Gordon.- Gordon!
0:04:16 > 0:04:17HE INTRODUCES HIMSELF
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Gordon.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Gordon. Gordon.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24CLICKING VOCALISATION
0:04:24 > 0:04:26That is a tricky one. Again?
0:04:30 > 0:04:34I wasn't quite, kind of, expecting the names to be
0:04:34 > 0:04:38quite as difficult for me to get my tongue round it.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40The bushmen speak in a click language,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44so there's lots of noises - maybe noises that I can make - clicks -
0:04:44 > 0:04:48but trying to kind of incorporate that click into a word, or a name,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52and try and remember who everyone is, is going to take a little while.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02So what's... My name is now?
0:05:04 > 0:05:07They've given me the same name as 35-year-old Qamme.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12And, for the bushmen, sharing a name is like being
0:05:12 > 0:05:14welcomed into their family.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Thank you, thank you!
0:05:25 > 0:05:29That's the nicest welcome I've ever had - being anointed by a fox fur.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31Do you know why I'm here?
0:05:36 > 0:05:40If you can turn me into a bushman in two weeks, I'd be very happy.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52If I can't survive out here with lions,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54at least they'll get a good meal!
0:06:02 > 0:06:05There are 23 people in this extended family group -
0:06:05 > 0:06:09ten women, seven men, and six kids.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14I've joined them at a temporary hunting camp.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Where they normally live, Qamme's family can no longer hunt
0:06:18 > 0:06:20because of recent government rules.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21So we've travelled to a place
0:06:21 > 0:06:25where they have permission to hunt in their traditional way.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28A place with lots of game and many lions.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Qamme is incredibly hospitable and keen to show me
0:06:33 > 0:06:35where I'll be sleeping.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52OK, I know what he's saying. He is saying we're flatmates.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Cosy!
0:06:55 > 0:06:58And inside here you feel completely safe?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Perfect answer is, "Yes, of course, because we have a door."
0:07:03 > 0:07:05A lion might come along and huff and puff
0:07:05 > 0:07:08and blow the whole house down, but we're safe.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31So how close could you get me to a lion
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and be safe?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43This chap's in his 80s.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46He's saying that, actually, if I stick with him,
0:07:46 > 0:07:51do everything that they say, I can approach lions on foot.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I might be able to be safe, but I don't think I'm ever going to
0:07:53 > 0:07:55not be scared of meeting lions on foot.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Xiqae and the other Bushmen have a long history of living
0:08:01 > 0:08:03together with lions.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07And, unlike other tribal groups, they don't kill them.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12They have an intimate knowledge of lion behaviour
0:08:12 > 0:08:14and can even move these cats off a kill
0:08:14 > 0:08:16long enough to share the meat.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Definitely not an easy option,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22and one that terrifies me.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26So to do that, what do I have to learn?
0:08:26 > 0:08:28What are the important things?
0:08:35 > 0:08:37OK. Let's go.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40I've got just two weeks to learn enough about lions
0:08:40 > 0:08:44to get close to them on foot, and maybe even share their kill.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Aye-aye-aye. Hot, hot, hot!
0:08:53 > 0:08:54Kwui.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57That means "thank you"? Thank you.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01I just want to get out and see lions
0:09:01 > 0:09:04but Qamme's family are setting the schedule.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05Thank you.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19We're going hunting.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23THE BUSHMEN CONVERSE IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Do I blend in?
0:09:25 > 0:09:26Not quite.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31This is going to be a gradual process,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34building up to being on foot with lions.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37I suspect that, at this stage,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40the bushmen are trying to get the measure of me.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45I've realised I'm wandering along with a big smile on my face
0:09:45 > 0:09:48because already I'm doing something that I have always wanted to do,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52which is just head out on foot into lion country.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Around 40 people are killed by lions each year in Africa.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02So the danger is real.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I'd be incredibly vulnerable alone.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Lions are less likely to attack if we stick together.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Got a bees' nest here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29OK, so the bees' nest is inside this tree.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30It doesn't seem hollow.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Ooh!
0:10:32 > 0:10:36And the best way to get the honey is to smoke them out.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40To do this we need to test the wind direction.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56The traditional way of making fire round here
0:10:56 > 0:10:58doesn't involve a box of matches.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Way more exciting than matches or a lighter.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28The smoke subdues the bees and after ten minutes
0:11:28 > 0:11:31we hope they've calmed down enough not to sting us.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Oh, my God! Oh, my goodness.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48That's the bad thing about having curly hair.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59A lot of effort lighting the fire, that takes energy.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02A couple of people taking turns at chopping into this tree.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05but what you get as a reward are calories.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Honey - it's, kind of, probably, the biggest calorie hit
0:12:09 > 0:12:11that you can get.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13After 25 minutes of chopping,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15we hit the jackpot.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21Mmmm, delicious!
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Not the most relaxed setting to eat the honey,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27but well worth all the effort.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Everyone's having a bit of a sugar rush,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37so they're not thinking about the fact it's getting dark,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and what I know about lions is that they like to hunt most at dark.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47That was absolutely brilliant.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53The best part about it is there's a real sense of togetherness
0:12:53 > 0:12:55and actually doing something as a community.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Doing something as an extended family
0:12:58 > 0:13:00and to feel part of that
0:13:00 > 0:13:03is really wonderful.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Qamme tells me there could be up to 11 lions in this area.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Desert lions live in small groups,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18not large prides like in East Africa.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Prey is less plentiful here in the Kalahari,
0:13:23 > 0:13:24so can't support many predators.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36As the sun sets, the animals are settling down
0:13:36 > 0:13:38for the long, cold night.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43But this is when lions are most active.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51And Qamme's family don't seem to be ready for bed, either.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06My big worry was that I would kind of feel like an intruder,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09that I'd feel like an outsider, but, actually,
0:14:09 > 0:14:10I just feel like part of the scenery.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15And it is quite exciting to find out what's going to happen next.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29RHYTHMIC CLAPPING AND SINGING
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Everyone seems content, everyone seems happy.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Everyone's really super keen just to kind of show me
0:14:43 > 0:14:47everything they can about their lives.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Just learning to go with the flow.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Dances like this are a key part of bushman culture.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55They're important for telling stories
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and contacting animal spirits.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04The bushmen often sing about lions, as they both fear and respect them.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14By the time it all ends and we head to our communal hut,
0:15:14 > 0:15:15I am absolutely shattered.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18Is there room?
0:15:21 > 0:15:22OK. Good idea.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27This is, er, this is very cosy.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28It would be cosy for one.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31I think there's going to be four of us in here.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34I'm definitely not going to get lonely.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38HE MIMICS SNORING
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Get used to it, get used to it.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54All night long, they stoke the fires to keep lions away from camp.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01A lion's night vision is eight times better than mine.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04The dark belongs to them.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12When the sun rises, our search for lions will begin.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Despite the late finish, the camp is already awake.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39I'm not quite operating on bushman time yet.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It drops to below zero at night-time out here
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and, in this chill, my new friends have swapped their
0:16:57 > 0:17:00traditional welcome attire for more practical clothing.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05Oh, my goodness.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08That was nice.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Slept like a baby.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Were you cold - cold - last night? Cold?
0:17:26 > 0:17:29THEY LAUGH
0:17:39 > 0:17:46So it's going to be me, !Xao Qam, Xaashe, Qamme so we all go together.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Mild-mannered !Xao Qam is the best hunter of the village
0:17:51 > 0:17:55and he's going to be my main teacher for the next two weeks,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58along with my namesake, Qamme, and Xaashe.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04They feel that a group of four is enough people to be
0:18:04 > 0:18:06safe from lion attack.
0:18:14 > 0:18:15OK.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18'The bushmen believe that pointing at a lion with your finger
0:18:18 > 0:18:21'is disrespectful.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23'They hold lions in high regard,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26'so only point at them with a stick or their thumb.'
0:18:29 > 0:18:31No. Why not?
0:18:34 > 0:18:36It's not allowed?
0:18:36 > 0:18:37'It's all good natured,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41'but !Xao Qam knows the dangers and quickly gives me a warning.'
0:19:05 > 0:19:09The Kalahari is home to many animals, including kudu
0:19:09 > 0:19:13and other antelope, like hartebeest and oryx...
0:19:15 > 0:19:18..which are prey for both lions and people.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Lions are the top predator here,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24so going out on foot to track them feels crazy.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30But !Xao Qam and Qamme want to teach me an important lesson -
0:19:30 > 0:19:34if you live here, you have to keep tabs on your neighbours.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38It's not something that I at all feel happy with.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40We're heading to an area where there's a strong
0:19:40 > 0:19:42chance that there are lions.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45I don't feel ready at all.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49They've said that we'll just see them from a distance
0:19:49 > 0:19:51and that'll be enough for now.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54It feels like a baptism of fire.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58From the tracks,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02the men can build up a picture of which lions are in the area.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04OK, right here.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Got a nice, clear track there.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10These large tracks are of a male lion.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Males can be three times my weight and could kill me
0:20:13 > 0:20:15with a single bite.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Remembering not to point with my finger,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21but to point with my stick or point with my thumb.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28!Xao Qam, Qamme and Xaashe are incredible trackers,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30and wind direction is key.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34We must stay downwind so the lion doesn't smell us.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37You see the toes, the pad.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40So it's heading in this direction.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46It does make me very nervous walking along, looking at lion tracks
0:20:46 > 0:20:48that are incredibly fresh.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55I know that the lion is not far away.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57It can hear me,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59it can probably smell me
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and yet I'm continuing to follow it.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I just have to have complete confidence and put
0:21:07 > 0:21:11all my trust in the bushmen, trust that they know what they're doing.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I also need to prove myself so that they trust me
0:21:16 > 0:21:18not to do anything stupid.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25If the men find a lion on a kill over the next two weeks,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28I want to help them get some meat for their families.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32You know, I don't want to be a liability,
0:21:32 > 0:21:37I kind of don't want to show them that I'm not willing to learn.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41I don't really want to show them that I'm scared.
0:21:41 > 0:21:42I have a stick
0:21:42 > 0:21:46that might be suitable for leading a pipe band, but it doesn't
0:21:46 > 0:21:50really feel that substantial for meeting a lion face-to-face.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56I'm beginning to wish I had gone to the toilet before leaving the track.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04There's also sign of a mother and cubs.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Lionesses can be particularly dangerous
0:22:06 > 0:22:08when protecting their young.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10OK, yeah.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Xaashe seems to think that the male lion
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and the female with cubs have gone in different directions.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20It looks like, here, all the tracks are all pretty messed up.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25!Xao Qam is saying that the cubs have played here.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28They got to this point, maybe stood on this little rise
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and had a little tussle around.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37I'm beginning to realise just how much knowledge of the Kalahari
0:22:37 > 0:22:38these people have.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Every now and again I see a definite lion track,
0:22:42 > 0:22:47but the bushmen are able to read even the most subtle signs
0:22:47 > 0:22:48and with very little to go on.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06The men are saying that there's a lion there, but I can't see it.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12I'm sure he knows what he saw, but I can't see anything.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19It's a little worrying to be out here
0:23:19 > 0:23:21and unable to see the lions that they spot.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Especially as !Xao Qam notices something in the trees that
0:23:27 > 0:23:29indicates real danger.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37You don't just get vultures hanging around like this.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40There was an eagle flying overhead, as well.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43So I'd say there's a carcass of something in there.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51Go, go.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57As soon as we spot these signs, the mood completely changes.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Everyone becomes even more vigilant.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05They need to know exactly where these lions are.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Gosh.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12I'm in for a shock.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16The lions have killed, but not what I'd expected.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It looks like the remains of a cheetah.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25Lions are completely intolerant of any other cats
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and if they can kill them, they will.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35The lions are like this kind of hidden danger.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37You see all these signs of them
0:24:37 > 0:24:41but you never actually see them themselves.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43It's like the monster in any horror movie.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47You see what they can do, but you never actually see them.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Like a real brooding presence.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55The hunters believe a lion ambushed the cheetah while it was eating.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00The lion wasn't after food. It was just getting rid of competition.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15The cheetah was probably lying in the short grass, did a really quick
0:25:15 > 0:25:18dash, so the cheetah wouldn't have even known that the lion was here.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32This obviously hasn't been killed for food.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36The bushmen don't eat this, the lions don't eat much of it,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39so it's left for the vultures.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42It kind of sends shivers down my spine.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47You think, if the world's fastest land mammal can't
0:25:47 > 0:25:49get away from lions, you know, what chance would I stand?
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Maybe, for me, this is quite a valuable lesson. Like, actually,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59if I do come face-to-face with lions and they start coming at me,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02it's just stand my ground,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04because there's no getting away from them.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11The more I learn about lions from !Xao Qam and the others,
0:26:11 > 0:26:12the more scared I am...
0:26:14 > 0:26:17..and the more in awe I become at how they can live alongside
0:26:17 > 0:26:18these dangerous cats.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34For lunch, we're having maize meal and the little remaining meat.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37They've brought some food with them, but not enough for two weeks.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41We'll need to supplement what we've got.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47So after we've eaten, Qamme's wife, Kgadu,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and the other women want to take me foraging.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59As it turns out, I'm a natural forager.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02Have you been hunting?
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Ah!
0:27:11 > 0:27:15This rat may be full of protein, but I hope we don't get that desperate.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32At first glance, there doesn't seem to be much here, but I guess,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35after thousands of years, you learn what to look for.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57The Kalahari desert has little standing water...
0:27:58 > 0:28:02..but the bushmen have developed a unique way to survive in this
0:28:02 > 0:28:03inhospitable place.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08To find water, you've really got to know what you're doing.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13And I'm at a complete loss. I just don't know how it's done.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18The ladies have told me there's a plant here that hold lots of water.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20And they've challenged me to find it.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Can I borrow your stick?
0:28:24 > 0:28:25Teja.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30I'm just going to... This is guess...guess work. Guess work.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Is it this one? OK, not this one.
0:28:38 > 0:28:39OK. THEY SNIGGER
0:28:41 > 0:28:43"You're going to die if you drink that one."
0:28:43 > 0:28:44Not that one.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Not that one, that's the same.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Here, this sort of area? Hang on.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Goodness, that...
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02I didn't even recognise it as a plant at all,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05it looked like a...a dead stick.
0:29:09 > 0:29:14How did people originally find out that this plant held enough
0:29:14 > 0:29:17moisture that you could get water from it?
0:29:19 > 0:29:22It must just be trial and error.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Thousands and thousands and thousands of years ago,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29the kind of knowledge that really means a difference
0:29:29 > 0:29:30between life and death.
0:29:32 > 0:29:37Holy mackerel! That is unbelievable. I was not expecting that.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40This is like finding treasure.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Actually, this is way more valuable out here in the Kalahari
0:29:44 > 0:29:46than a box of gold.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Oh, here she comes.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56Never, ever would I have imagined that, above ground,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59this little kind of stem of dry twigs,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02without a single leaf on it,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04without a single bud,
0:30:04 > 0:30:09beneath the surface six inches, is...
0:30:09 > 0:30:10a water reserve.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21What's being shaved away, it doesn't look that succulent,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25but there's moisture there. So dry shirt...
0:30:28 > 0:30:30..squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze...
0:30:32 > 0:30:33..water.
0:30:36 > 0:30:37Ahh.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Gotcha.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49The water is cold,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52it's tasty in its own way
0:30:52 > 0:30:58and it's locked up in this massive big tuber.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59Hee-hee!
0:31:05 > 0:31:06Do you not like it?
0:31:08 > 0:31:11It's not about kind of going in to the fridge
0:31:11 > 0:31:13and taking out your kind of favourite, you know,
0:31:13 > 0:31:14favourite juice.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17It's about the moisture. It's about the water.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20No?
0:31:20 > 0:31:23I think, for me, one of the most important things that I've learned,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26because I know that, without water out here,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28they wouldn't stand a chance.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Despite the foraging, our food supplies are running out.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39We need to find meat.
0:31:41 > 0:31:46The lions could lead us to a kill or we could get lucky hunting.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Bushmen are traditionally hunter-gatherers, you know, they can
0:31:49 > 0:31:51dig up some foodstuffs -
0:31:51 > 0:31:55berries and tubers - but, without hunting, without
0:31:55 > 0:32:00being able to kill big game, they wouldn't have been able to survive.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05This really is the foundation of bushman culture.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Hunting is now illegal where they normally live, but here,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30!Xao Qam and the other bushmen
0:32:30 > 0:32:33are allowed to practise their traditional hunting skills.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Skills that define them as a people.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24If you hear lions tonight, you hear lions, you wake me.
0:33:54 > 0:33:55Yeah?
0:33:57 > 0:33:58What's that?
0:34:02 > 0:34:03Just here?
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Slightly worrying discovery.
0:34:09 > 0:34:15This is my little hut here, so one, two, three, four, five, six,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19seven, eight, nine, ten paces -
0:34:19 > 0:34:21that's less than ten metres -
0:34:21 > 0:34:26there are lion tracks around our little encampment here.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29At some point in the night, a lion or some lions
0:34:29 > 0:34:32have walked around where we were sleeping
0:34:32 > 0:34:35and the fact that there have been lions right here,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38practically in our settlement,
0:34:38 > 0:34:39is very worrying.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59That's me told off in a gentle bushman way.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02It's clear that I need to be more aware to stay safe around here.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14First criticism that if you're a man, you have to stay aware
0:35:14 > 0:35:16and listen out, listen out for danger.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19So we had lions walking round our camp and I was oblivious.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27In order for me to really understand lions, the bushmen say
0:35:27 > 0:35:29I need to understand their prey.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35After sleeping through the lion's visit, I hope to win back
0:35:35 > 0:35:39some respect from !Xao Qam and the others as we go hunting
0:35:39 > 0:35:43and show them that I can help bring back food for everyone.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Xaashe may be in a rush to get going,
0:35:48 > 0:35:52but there's an important job to do first.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Xiqae, the healer of the group,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58wants to throw bones to forecast the outcome of today's venture.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20With the bone reading being unclear whether we'll get anything, there
0:36:20 > 0:36:24seems to be a problem - the women don't want me to join the hunt.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Definitely the first sort of bit of unrest
0:36:43 > 0:36:47and the first kind of heated discussion or argument that's
0:36:47 > 0:36:51going on and that's just come from the fact that we've run out of meat.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55So, yeah, everything's kind of got a lot more serious now
0:36:55 > 0:36:59because we realise if we're not successful today,
0:36:59 > 0:37:01we don't have enough food for everyone.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12As the four of us head out,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15the villagers' warnings are ringing in our ears.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22But it's not long before we spot a good sign.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27(We've found some very fresh kudu dung.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32(It's still warm, so these animals aren't far up ahead.)
0:37:38 > 0:37:42(OK, we've spotted a young male kudu.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47(It must be about 200 metres from where we are right now.
0:37:48 > 0:37:53(So we're just moving in as quietly as possible.)
0:37:56 > 0:37:59(Hunting, in itself, is a serious business
0:37:59 > 0:38:03(but I think the kind of discontent back at camp...
0:38:05 > 0:38:10(..has kind of made all of this feel very critical.)
0:38:12 > 0:38:20(Trying, trying to move as carefully and quietly as possible
0:38:20 > 0:38:23(because I don't want to be the one that's going to mess this up.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25(Bugger, I think it's gone.)
0:38:30 > 0:38:31(This is tough work.)
0:38:47 > 0:38:51(!Xao Qam let off two arrows, but I don't think he hit his mark.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54(Oh, this is so tricky. I think it's gone.)
0:38:57 > 0:38:58(Bugger, yeah, it ran.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02(Just not close enough.)
0:39:07 > 0:39:12It's disappointing for us all, but !Xao Qam is not giving up yet.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Whilst we look for more antelope, I almost make a fatal mistake.
0:39:18 > 0:39:19Careful, careful.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23What I nearly stepped on kills thousands of people in Africa
0:39:23 > 0:39:27every year, more than any other snake.
0:39:27 > 0:39:34I put my foot down and four inches away was a puff adder.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36If you stand on that, it'll be the last thing you stood on.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40You're so focused looking for the animals that we want to hunt,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43you forget there's other dangers out there.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48The men believe seeing a venomous snake while hunting
0:39:48 > 0:39:50means they'll have success.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55But we've been out in the bush for several hours
0:39:55 > 0:40:00and stalking clearly isn't working, so we decide to try a different
0:40:00 > 0:40:04tactic and build a hide to wait for the animals to come to us.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Despite the fact that we're in the middle of the bush,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11we're still too visible.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15So I'm just using this grass to kind of break up our outline.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20This feels good.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24All that remains is to wait and see what might come close.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32(That was very close - very close indeed.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39(One of the kudu barked and made an alarm call.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44(Looks like !Xao Qam is going to load up an arrow.)
0:40:49 > 0:40:54(One false move, one snapping twig...)
0:40:56 > 0:40:58(!Xao Qam is about to take a shot.)
0:41:09 > 0:41:10(!Xao Qam?)
0:41:14 > 0:41:15(Yeah, yeah, yeah.)
0:41:17 > 0:41:20!Xao Qam knows how much this means for all of us.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25He's certain, he says 100% he got the arrow in.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32I don't know, it's all very confusing. It happened very quick.
0:41:46 > 0:41:51Bushmen hunt with poisoned arrows, so they need to hit an animal
0:41:51 > 0:41:53and then follow it as the toxin takes effect.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01But with so many prints around, it's hard to tell which way
0:42:01 > 0:42:02the kudu has run.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07We search for hours, but, as night falls,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10it's becoming too dangerous for us to track any more.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16Lions usually hunt after dark and target vulnerable animals.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22If we can't find the kudu, it's possible that the lions will.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30I feel embarrassed as we return to camp empty-handed.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Nothing.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Sorry.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Nothing. We tried, we tried. Very close.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02These people don't hold a grudge.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06There isn't any shame here, but there is hunger and disappointment.
0:43:17 > 0:43:22Because we weren't successful today, we're going to do a worshiping
0:43:22 > 0:43:27dance that's hopefully going to bring us luck in tomorrow's hunt.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30So, as I'm part of the hunt,
0:43:30 > 0:43:32I have to be part of the dance.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37CHANTING AND CLAPPING
0:43:47 > 0:43:49Being invited to dance this time makes me
0:43:49 > 0:43:52feel like I'm becoming part of the family.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55It's a bit like hunting -
0:43:55 > 0:43:58you just follow the man in front of you, keep an eye on him.
0:43:58 > 0:43:59Do what he does.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18!Xao Qam takes me aside to give me a gift.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Teja, teja.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Teja, teja.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41I'm very touched and honoured by this.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45It's a little bit of a pity that I don't know how to use it,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48but it's going to make me feel much more comfortable.
0:44:49 > 0:44:50Thank you.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58I'm proud to have been accepted by the group.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04They've taught me so much about lions and themselves,
0:45:04 > 0:45:06but the hardest lesson is still to come.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18One of the men in my hut is snoring.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21Someone else snoring over there.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24SNORING
0:45:24 > 0:45:27These are kind of reassuring noises.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31It does worry me that there
0:45:31 > 0:45:34could be lions right outside.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36I want to see them.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39It's very unsettling to constantly
0:45:39 > 0:45:44see sign of these huge predators
0:45:44 > 0:45:47very close to where I am
0:45:47 > 0:45:50and never actually see them with my own eyes.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15The next morning, someone's spotted a lion on a carcass nearby.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19It could be the kudu we were tracking yesterday.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23After two weeks, I have learned a lot,
0:46:23 > 0:46:28but now is my chance to see just how special the bushmen really are.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37(I am doing something that I could have never imagined...
0:46:41 > 0:46:45(..on the ground, without a vehicle...
0:46:46 > 0:46:49(..metres from a huge lion.)
0:46:56 > 0:46:58HOWLING
0:47:00 > 0:47:03This could be our opportunity to get meat for the group,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06if we can be brave enough to face this big cat.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10(Crikey, I can't believe they want to go closer.)
0:47:13 > 0:47:17(The lion is on the kill, female with cubs
0:47:17 > 0:47:21(and, instead of sneaking off in the opposite direction, we are
0:47:21 > 0:47:27(going to stand up and walk straight towards her,
0:47:27 > 0:47:28(try and push her away.)
0:47:30 > 0:47:32(Is this a kind of a rite of passage?
0:47:32 > 0:47:34(Is it a kind of show of strength?
0:47:34 > 0:47:36(A demonstration of bravery?
0:47:38 > 0:47:43(To show each other, to show the lions, that they're not scared,
0:47:43 > 0:47:45(that this is their world?)
0:47:48 > 0:47:51When facing such a powerful predator,
0:47:51 > 0:47:55the only thing we have going for us is that we are four.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59United, we approach the lion.
0:48:06 > 0:48:11It's not about what one man can do, it's about working together.
0:48:11 > 0:48:16And only together can we attempt to get some meat for us all.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38The one big difference with this lion from any other lion that
0:48:38 > 0:48:45I've seen feeding on a kill is that I'm not here to film her.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49I'm here to try and steal her dinner...or part of her dinner.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54And that is a very scary prospect.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59To try and get closer, closer and see what we can do,
0:48:59 > 0:49:01see if we can get something to eat.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29As we move closer, I'm aware that the lioness could cover this
0:49:29 > 0:49:31distance between us in just a few seconds.
0:49:34 > 0:49:39(I am doing something that I could have never imagined.)
0:49:41 > 0:49:44(My heart is in my mouth.)
0:49:49 > 0:49:54(These people have learnt enough about these animals to be able
0:49:54 > 0:49:58(to do this, to be able to approach a lion that is covered in blood.)
0:50:00 > 0:50:04(I have been paying attention, I have been listening,
0:50:04 > 0:50:08(I have been learning and, most importantly,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10(that I trust these men enough and they trust me
0:50:10 > 0:50:12(enough that we can do this.)
0:50:15 > 0:50:16(OK, we're going.)
0:50:18 > 0:50:20!Xao Qam and the others are some of the few
0:50:20 > 0:50:22people in the world who can do this.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28Who can take on Africa's most formidable predator.
0:50:30 > 0:50:35As we approach, I remember the old man Xiqae's words...
0:50:38 > 0:50:41"Don't show fear and don't give in to the temptation to run."
0:50:46 > 0:50:50The lions won't go far, but we've done it.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56These men have taught me that if you know lions as they do,
0:50:56 > 0:50:59then it's possible to confront them on foot,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03transforming my view of an animal I've always feared.
0:51:09 > 0:51:14Never have I been more inclined in my life to look over my shoulder.
0:51:15 > 0:51:20There's something incredibly intense about this.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24And I don't feel bad, I don't feel bad for the lion -
0:51:24 > 0:51:26we're leaving plenty.
0:51:26 > 0:51:31I give thanks to the lion for doing the hard work.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35Nearly there, boys, nearly there. Thank you, lion, thank you.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51!Xao Qam, Qamme and Xaashe's incredible
0:51:51 > 0:51:56understanding of lions means that we can share this meat with everyone.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59THEY CHEER
0:51:59 > 0:52:00We have returned!
0:52:05 > 0:52:09If only this happened every time I came back from the supermarket.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Thank you.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15We've only taken what we need.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18The lioness has returned to feed her cubs.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23I now understand the lions are not dangerous in all situations.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26And that, with enough knowledge of their behaviour,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29we too can live alongside them in harmony.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34I've also understood that, for the bushmen,
0:52:34 > 0:52:37it's not about the individual.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Life is about the power of family bonds.
0:52:42 > 0:52:48It is a very, very funny, charming, heart-warming way to look at things.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52It's to NOT say...
0:52:52 > 0:52:55"Let me prove myself, let me show you what I can do, let me
0:52:55 > 0:52:59"contribute, let me be the kind of conquering hero,
0:52:59 > 0:53:01"the triumphant one."
0:53:01 > 0:53:02These guys are like,
0:53:02 > 0:53:07"Nah, let's just do it the best way we know how, which is together."
0:53:09 > 0:53:15Together we can share that success, together we can be triumphant.
0:53:20 > 0:53:25And, because of the lion, everyone goes to bed with a full stomach.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27The kudu was delicious.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29Very nice.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35A little bit too much sand for my liking, but it was good.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47We have to thank the lion for that.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07As the sun rises on my last morning,
0:54:07 > 0:54:09it's time to say goodbye.
0:54:10 > 0:54:15But, before I go, I want to visit my namesake, Qamme, and his family.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20I absolutely love the resourcefulness of people.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Every now and again I'm just reminded of
0:54:23 > 0:54:28all the stuff that I've got in my house that is pointless and,
0:54:28 > 0:54:34actually, if what we want is happiness and harmony,
0:54:34 > 0:54:37you're never going to get it from any of these things.
0:54:37 > 0:54:42So it is nice to go back and actually try
0:54:42 > 0:54:46and return to that kind of essence of what it is to be a human being.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50And I think this is the closest you could actually get...
0:54:50 > 0:54:51you can get to that.
0:54:51 > 0:54:56What do you hope for the future of your son?
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Where would you like to see him go in life?
0:55:04 > 0:55:07And will you teach him how to hunt?
0:55:28 > 0:55:30THEY LAUGH
0:55:31 > 0:55:33I hope that Qamme, !Xao Qam
0:55:33 > 0:55:37and their families will be able to find a way to be
0:55:37 > 0:55:39in this changing world
0:55:39 > 0:55:43that enables them to keep their spirit and their identity.
0:55:45 > 0:55:46It's time to go.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53Qamme!
0:55:53 > 0:55:54Teja.
0:56:00 > 0:56:01Teja, teja.
0:56:03 > 0:56:04OK. Goodbye.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08IT RATTLES
0:56:11 > 0:56:13What else do you need in life?
0:56:14 > 0:56:16Bow and arrow...
0:56:16 > 0:56:18something for parties...
0:56:18 > 0:56:21loincloth.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Teja. OK.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25Teja, teja.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55I think that my biggest worry is that this whole experience
0:56:55 > 0:56:59will fade with time, but I really don't think it will.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02I think I kind of sense real change,
0:57:02 > 0:57:05I do feel like a different man after this.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09And I think it's about kind of dividing worlds.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12It's not about me living in the modern world
0:57:12 > 0:57:15and the bushmen living in a different world.
0:57:15 > 0:57:16We all live...
0:57:18 > 0:57:21..in today's planet, all together, whether you're me,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24whether you're a bushman, whether you're a lion.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30Over the past two weeks,
0:57:30 > 0:57:34I've learned that it's possible to raise your family
0:57:34 > 0:57:35alongside wild lions.
0:57:38 > 0:57:42The future of both the bushmen and lions is uncertain.
0:57:43 > 0:57:44Each is gravely threatened.
0:57:46 > 0:57:50And yet, to me, it seems that they need each other
0:57:50 > 0:57:53and that they need places to roam free.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59If only so that we can be reminded how to share our world.