0:00:04 > 0:00:06Burma...
0:00:08 > 0:00:11..closed to the outside world for five decades.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18A mysterious land...
0:00:19 > 0:00:21..a land of secrets.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Nearly half of Burma is covered in forest.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37It's thought to be a sanctuary to some of the rarest and most exotic wildlife on earth.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Yet only 3% of Burma's forests are protected.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47As Burma steps towards democracy,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49it must decide the fate of these forests.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Now an expedition team of scientists and film-makers
0:00:55 > 0:00:57has been granted unprecedented access.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01It is better than I could ever have imagined.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Their mission?
0:01:04 > 0:01:08To prove beyond doubt that these unique forests need to be protected.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11It's a big snake, it's huge!
0:01:11 > 0:01:13They will search for animals
0:01:13 > 0:01:15that elsewhere hover on the edge of extinction.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Yes, yes!
0:01:18 > 0:01:20And present their findings to the Burmese Government.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I happen to know that this is a spectacular find.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28What they discover could change the future of Burma's wilds forever.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34This country is rumoured to be home to a treasure trove of wildlife.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37This is the very first time that any film team
0:01:37 > 0:01:41have been allowed in to find out what's going on down there.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Burma is the largest and least explored country
0:01:59 > 0:02:02in mainland Southeast Asia.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09A region that boasts some of the most diverse forests on the planet.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Today, 95% of Southeast Asia's forests have disappeared.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Burma contains half of what is left.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Its forests cover an area larger than the United Kingdom.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30They may be home to some of Asia's most endangered species.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50Now an expedition will venture deep into Burma's jungle.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Wildlife film-makers Gordon Buchanan and Justine Evans have joined forces
0:02:56 > 0:03:00with biologists Ross Piper and Chris Wemmer.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Alongside them, a team of Burmese wildlife experts.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11They will compile a detailed wildlife survey and capture footage
0:03:11 > 0:03:14to convince the Burmese Government to protect these forests.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24For the last 50 years, Burma has very much been this forbidden land,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and when it comes to the natural habitat, it's a forgotten land.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29In the last few hundred years,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32the lifestyle of the people,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36the habitat in this area is pretty much unchanged.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Burma, also known as Myanmar,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44has suffered half a century of oppressive military rule.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50It became one of the most isolated and impoverished countries in the world.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Today, three-quarters of the population
0:03:57 > 0:03:59make their living from the land.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06You get a real sense, driving through this part of Burma,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08how little has changed here.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13What we might find when it comes to the wildlife is this time capsule,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16other animals that are being lost elsewhere in Southeast Asia
0:04:16 > 0:04:19could be living in good numbers right here.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23The expedition team has two months on the ground.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26They will cover as much of the country as they can.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29They start in western Burma,
0:04:29 > 0:04:34in search of Southeast Asia's largest mammal, the Asian elephant.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37In the last century,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41up to 90% of the world's Asian elephants have disappeared.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Finding healthy populations of elephants
0:04:45 > 0:04:49would make a powerful case for preserving these forests.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56The amazing thing is that it is almost perfect elephant habitat,
0:04:56 > 0:04:57but the fact is
0:04:57 > 0:05:01very, very little is known about the elephants that actually live here.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02We do know that they are here,
0:05:02 > 0:05:06but what we have no idea of is how many there are.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Biologist Ross Piper has never been to this part of Southeast Asia before.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Where we are at the moment, it does look good for elephants,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20but we really have to get into the areas that are away from these roads,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22that are away from human activity,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25and only then will we see signs of elephants
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and hopefully see the animals themselves.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Camerawoman Justine Evans knows filming elephants here
0:05:32 > 0:05:34will be a challenge.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38I've filmed Asian elephants before in other parts of Southeast Asia,
0:05:38 > 0:05:43but they've always been in these tiny pockets of forest within national parks.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Above everything, elephants need space.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52Here, they have that space and that's why it's such an important area.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It just feels like it's got a lot of great potential.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Burma's elephants are under threat.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Throughout Asia, they're hunted and persecuted by humans.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12That's a problem.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Elephants live in close-knit family groups.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17The young learn their survival skills from the old.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22If the older elephants are killed, the whole herd breaks down.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26The team knows the elephants are here,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29but to make the strongest case for their protection
0:06:29 > 0:06:32they must find herds with every generation intact.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37They need to find groups with calves.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Their destination, the Rakine Yoma mountains...
0:06:46 > 0:06:50..a vast swathe of almost impenetrable jungle.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Its isolation protects the elephants from poachers.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00If the team can find intact herds anywhere, it will be here.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13Biologist Chris Wemmer hopes these mountains could be a stronghold for the Asian elephant.
0:07:14 > 0:07:20What we want to do is determine if there's a healthy population,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23a viable population of elephants in this part of the range,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25because if there is,
0:07:25 > 0:07:30there's a very good chance that the forest is healthy north of here
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and that it will also support additional herds of elephant,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36so we could be looking at an extensive range
0:07:36 > 0:07:40that has a large population of elephants along most of its length.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Chris has been working in Burma for decades,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47but this is the first time he's had access to this mountain range.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50It's a unique opportunity.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53It's also a challenge.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56The forest is dense and elephants are shy.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00I've been coming to Burma for 25 years
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and I've never seen a wild elephant.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07So our work is cut out for us.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14To find the elephants, the team must first get to know their habitat.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Chris wants to show Gordon the lie of the land...
0:08:20 > 0:08:21..from the air.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Wow! Look at that.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- That's stunning, isn't it? - Boy, that's something!
0:08:38 > 0:08:41This forest is unbroken for 1,000 miles.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47With the right protection, it could be the world's most important sanctuary for the Asian elephant.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Somewhere like this is incredibly special in Southeast Asia,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56because you've got this massive range that stretches over 1,000 miles.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Absolutely. You know, every time I stare out across
0:08:59 > 0:09:02this kind of landscape, it just stirs my imagination.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05The truth is that so little is known about this range.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08That's just it, there's all kinds of secrets and mysteries in there,
0:09:08 > 0:09:09that's what we want to find out about.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18The foothills of this inaccessible range are already developed
0:09:18 > 0:09:21pushing elephants into evermore remote territory.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27So, on the ground, where do we start looking?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I would say we go up these hollows, up into the hills,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and we're going to look for elephant tracks.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33And I don't mean footprints.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I mean a four-foot wide area,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39which is basically their...their own highway, their own thoroughfare,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41that's what we're going to be looking for,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and we'll follow those to the feeding areas.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44It's not going to be easy.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49It's a daunting task that lies before us.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53In the last century,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Asian elephants have lost 95% of their former range.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11This isn't their only problem.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Farmers kill them to protect their land,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17poachers hunt them for their ivory.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21And those that survive face another threat -
0:10:21 > 0:10:24illegal capture for the tourist trade.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28So, what's this?
0:10:28 > 0:10:33What we're seeing here is an example of the illegal trade in Asian elephants.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38This is an animal which is entering the tourist trade in Thailand.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42It was illegally captured, probably in Burma.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It is being broken of its spirit
0:10:45 > 0:10:48so it can be trained to beg in the streets
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and to give joyrides to tourists, that's what it's all about.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Oh, God, I hate to see that, oh!
0:10:55 > 0:11:00To break a wild-caught elephant, you are...you are breaking its spirit.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01Its spirit, yes.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Vet and Asian elephant expert Khyne U Mar
0:11:05 > 0:11:07has fought for Burma's elephants for decades.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10So how long does this animal have to go through this process?
0:11:10 > 0:11:16Normally, it takes about a month to finish this breaking procedure.
0:11:16 > 0:11:23So the calf's dependency on mother is as long as about five or seven years,
0:11:23 > 0:11:30so if they are, you know, separated from the mother in a very early age,
0:11:30 > 0:11:35it makes a lot of psychological stress and strain and stress for the young calf.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37I suppose it's an enslavement
0:11:37 > 0:11:40because this animal is going to spend its life in chains.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Right, in chains, yes, yes.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48It's estimated that up to a quarter of all the elephants born in Burma
0:11:48 > 0:11:51end up as playthings for tourists.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Without protection,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Burma's elephants could be gone in just 30 years.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23The team begins its first full day with a simple challenge.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27There are elephants out there, but where?
0:12:28 > 0:12:29Here...
0:12:29 > 0:12:31- 1-10.- 1-10.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Aung Kyaw, what is the pattern of movement here?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38The elephant moving in this area using the Aungnyo River,
0:12:38 > 0:12:43and then moving along the Aungnyo River and then to the ridge.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Chris Wemmer and his old friend, park ranger, Aung Kyaw,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51piece together information from recent sightings.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55- So, the feeding areas are both in the valleys?- In the valleys.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57The river valleys and on the ridges.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02On the ridge, yes, there are a lot of bamboo and wild banana.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04That's why they like this area very much.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08They've identified the area they need to search.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Now the team must split up.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Justine will stick to the river valleys,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17where elephants relax in the heat of the day.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Gordon will head for their night-time feeding grounds on the ridge,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24six miles from camp.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27To find the elephants,
0:13:27 > 0:13:32the team will rely on the expertise of the local Chin community.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40If I was to go out here looking for elephants,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44I could walk for days and days and maybe eventually I'd find them.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48The good thing about elephants is they're big, they can be noisy,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50and they do leave a lot of tracks and signs behind them,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54but Moko here has spent the last few days looking for elephants.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05How far are the elephants travelling each day?
0:14:14 > 0:14:17While Gordon heads for the ridge, Justine searches the valleys.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20It's the dry season
0:14:20 > 0:14:22and the elephants will stay close to water.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Hey, look at this, this is really good.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31See this plant here?
0:14:32 > 0:14:35You can see the way it's been knocked over.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37And this is classic elephant.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39And you can see where the trunk's probably come round
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and then the foot has come in to kick this plant,
0:14:42 > 0:14:43and it hasn't been eaten,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46but it's been definitely knocked over by an elephant.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50And then over here a bigger one.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51Yeah, this is definitely elephant,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55and you can actually see footprints in there.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59That's great, first signs of ele.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09The team knows there are elephants here.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15But they need to find out whether these are healthy, breeding herds.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Gordon hopes camera traps will reveal this.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Obviously, when you're siting a camera trap
0:15:22 > 0:15:26you've got to have the animal that you're after in mind,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and that has a huge bearing on where you put it.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Camera traps will capture footage of anything that triggers their movement sensor, day or night.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40So, if I put this camera trap here, for example,
0:15:40 > 0:15:46I could say with absolute certainty if an elephant came down this path, it would see this.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48They're incredibly intelligent animals,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and what it would do, it would stop, it would put out its trunk,
0:15:52 > 0:15:53it would have a sniff,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and very easily it would put that huge powerful trunk against it
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and it would smash this thing to smithereens.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02So what I'm wanting to do is put it up a little bit higher,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and the thinking is that if an elephant's coming down this slope,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07it's going to be concentrating on the path,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and it's not going to see the camera trap up there.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13So, one armed and ready to go.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Down in the valley,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22the trackers have led Justine to a spot the elephants visit regularly.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Great. You can really see a clear ele trail here.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31These local Chin guides have shown me this beautiful elephant trail
0:16:31 > 0:16:34you can see here that's leading up to a salt lick,
0:16:34 > 0:16:39and the idea is that they're going to come here to mine for salt.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44They need it in their diet just as people do, and they just don't get enough from the vegetation.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51It's amazing the lengths that elephants go to to get salt.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And here you can see they've been digging away at the soil.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59You see there where he's been lying down.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Elephants have been here recently so Justine may be too late.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06How often do the eles come to this salt lick?
0:17:08 > 0:17:09- Once a month?- Yeah.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12So is it a dynamic that they're moving around their territory
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and that they may come for a few days and then move on
0:17:15 > 0:17:19and then return in a few weeks' time, that sort of situation?
0:17:22 > 0:17:24So we have a chance, they might come?
0:17:24 > 0:17:25Yeah, yeah.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Camera traps allow Justine to film in several different places at once.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34With luck, they'll tell her how many elephants live here,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36and, crucially, if they have young.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43If the team finds elephants thriving here,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46then they could be thriving throughout the range.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52This gives Chris hope for the elephants' future.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Whoa! There it is, look at that!
0:17:56 > 0:17:59What a spread, magnificent!
0:18:03 > 0:18:07What's encouraging about this setting, this landscape,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09is that it goes on and on and on...
0:18:09 > 0:18:11We're towards the south,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15towards the end of a stretch that goes on for hundreds and hundreds of miles.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20These forests have survived centuries of exploitation.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33In 1824, Britain colonised Burma and ran it as a trading outpost.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40They used wild-caught elephants to plunder forests for their valuable teak...
0:18:41 > 0:18:43..until World War II...
0:18:46 > 0:18:48..when Japan invaded Burma.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Bombs ravaged the same forests the British Empire had plundered.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01After the war, Burma gained its independence.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Then, in 1962, a military coup wrested power from the people
0:19:09 > 0:19:14and plunged Burma into five decades of oppression and isolation.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Since then, these forests have lain largely undisturbed.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27One of the reasons this is still here is because Burma has been closed off,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30it's been sealed to the outside world for so long
0:19:30 > 0:19:32following the Second World War.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36It was just cut off and everything stayed the way it was.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38It existed in a time warp, so to speak.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41All that's starting to change, of course,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44but that time warp has done one important thing -
0:19:44 > 0:19:46it's saved all of this for the future.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51The forest has survived intact.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Now the team hopes to prove that elephant herds have, too.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Ross has travelled eight miles northwest of base camp.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04So far, he hasn't found any elephants.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09But there is evidence that they're here.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Finally, look at this!
0:20:12 > 0:20:14We've been walking for six hours,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and we've managed to find some fresh elephant dung.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18There's...
0:20:18 > 0:20:23This was probably...this was probably deposited only a few hours ago,
0:20:23 > 0:20:24still quite warm, actually.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29You can see how, you know, the food has barely been digested.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Elephants have a very inefficient digestive system.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Probably only about half of what they eat actually gets digested and absorbed.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Flies all over it.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Elephant dung is a rich source of food for other animals.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47You have to remember this is a key process.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49The fact that all these creatures colonise this dung,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52take all the nutrients and energy back into the soil
0:20:52 > 0:20:54where it can be used by the plants again to grow.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57You know, that's a key element to how these forests work.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Without that, you know, all these plants would die,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03if these nutrients aren't recycled continually back from the elephant eating them,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06passing it through its digestive tract out on to the soil,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09and they get back taken back into the soil to nurture yet more plant growth.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13You know, it's those cycles... it's those cycles that keep every ecosystem ticking over.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17This adds to the team's evidence,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19but it's not proof of breeding herds.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39The team is four days in and the pressure is mounting.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42They have proof that elephants are out there.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44But they're no closer to filming them,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47or finding evidence of healthy, breeding herds.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Gordon, you got a minute?
0:21:51 > 0:21:54All they can do is keep going.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57We have your assignment.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- You've got a six-kilometre march before you.- OK.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Based on the best intelligence from the Chin trackers,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06they're probably up on the ridge feeding this evening.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09They're going to come down to the water late this afternoon.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11You need to be set up and ready for them.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15After taking advice from the trackers,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Justine is trying an old Burmese trick.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Elephant cake.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24So what I'm going to do is I'm going to mix up a load of tamarind,
0:22:24 > 0:22:29which is a type of tropical fruit and a big bag of salt,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31and I'm going to take it into the salt lick area.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Hopefully, the elephants will smell it and want to come in.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40Phwoar!
0:22:41 > 0:22:43This is apparently a tried-and-tested recipe...
0:22:46 > 0:22:47Smells rotten, though.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58While Gordon heads for the ridge, Ross follows a different lead.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Elephants have been sighted near the village of Taung Lay.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10If the rumours are true, there could be a second herd in the area.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20Ross heads downriver with elephant expert Khyne U Mar to talk to the locals.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27So, I'm thinking this is the best place to put the elephant cake.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Hopefully, they'll get some sort of scent of the tamarind.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33As Gordon heads up the ridge,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37head ranger Aung Kyaw spots movement across the valley.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Do you see an elephant?
0:23:40 > 0:23:41Look!
0:23:41 > 0:23:43There's moving.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Just directly over the valley here...
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- Do you think there's an elephant in there?- Yeah.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53- TRUMPETING - Yeah, I can hear it, I can hear it.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56According to Aung Kyaw,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59it's possible to get within five metres of an elephant here
0:23:59 > 0:24:01and never actually see it.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Why is such an enormous animal so hard to find?
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Gordon will need a good vantage point
0:24:09 > 0:24:11if he's to catch them on camera.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19Right on top of the ridge, the highest point, and this is my tree.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23This is... I'm going to climb up and spend the night.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Gordon will film from a specially rigged tree platform.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32We know that there are elephants just down in the valley.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35The hope is that they will come back up on to the ridge tonight.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40This could be his best hope of seeing elephants.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47In Taung Lay, Ross quickly discovers the stories of elephants
0:24:47 > 0:24:49are more than just rumours.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51They've been coming into the village itself.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55He talks to Taung Lay's headman, U Kin Toe.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Can we find out why they fear elephants,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03what is it about elephants that makes them scared?
0:25:03 > 0:25:06THEY SPEAK IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Elephants are very big and when they come in with group,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18nobody can do anything. They just have to run away,
0:25:18 > 0:25:24and they have no power to, you know, make them, you know, scared off.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27And how do they drive them out when they do come into the village?
0:25:27 > 0:25:31THEY SPEAK IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Once they enter our compound, we just shout.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38- Shout?- Shout and then kind of...
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Sounds good!
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Shout and then drive them.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46So sometimes they turn away and sometimes they charge us.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48HE SPEAKS IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE
0:25:50 > 0:25:52There is a place called Tandabin
0:25:52 > 0:25:55which is about three miles from here.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58They found elephants that they call...
0:25:58 > 0:26:00THEY SPEAK IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Oh, right, they said in groups, they live in groups.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11It's exactly what Ross was hoping for.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14A large group could well mean a breeding herd.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25On the ridge, Gordon prepares for an uncomfortable night.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30His platform is 30 metres off the ground.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39He hopes he'll see the elephants without them noticing him.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Elephants live in tight family groups.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51They are extremely protective of their young.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54If they smell Gordon, they will stay away.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58So he plans to camp up here for the next 48 hours.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04It won't be easy.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09The platform is barely large enough for him and his camera.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12He must stay constantly alert, and wait.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23It does feel like a very unusual thing to do.
0:27:25 > 0:27:33Being up a tree in the dead of night waiting for a herd of elephants to walk past.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37It's not normal, really.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44The thing that's niggling me is whether I'm giving off any scent,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47whether this whole process of climbing the tree,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50disturbing this area for a period of time,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52maybe that's enough to put the elephants off.
0:27:54 > 0:28:00Despite their huge size elephants can be incredibly nervous,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and if they suspect there's something not quite right,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05they'll avoid an area.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09I just don't know if that's what's happening at the moment.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15The team's 20 camera traps haven't yet recorded any elephants,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19but they have started to reveal how rich this forest is.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38This leopard is a good sign.
0:28:38 > 0:28:39They will only live in areas
0:28:39 > 0:28:42rich enough to support their varied diet.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Local villagers use the same paths as the animals.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02That might explain why the elephants keep a low profile.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Gordon hopes his high vantage point means the elephants
0:29:21 > 0:29:22won't even know he's there.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24He has a long night ahead.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51The expedition still has no evidence of healthy elephant herds.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55They need to find groups of animals and they need to find young.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01After 24 hours on his tree platform, Gordon hadn't seen anything.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08OK. A whole night without a single elephant.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12Could actually hear them off in the distance,
0:30:12 > 0:30:17little bit of trumpeting and breaking, but it seemed like a long way away from here.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21I'm just going to stay up here for the rest of the day,
0:30:21 > 0:30:27and hope that maybe the daylight hours bring more success.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35In Taung Lay, Ross is still searching for a second herd.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39He's found what looks like a recent elephant trail.
0:30:42 > 0:30:43Take a look at this.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49OK, here we've got some... some elephant prints here,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51these look quite small as well.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Small prints could mean calves.
0:30:55 > 0:30:56It's intriguing.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00So, to be sure,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02I need to see the elephants themselves that made these prints.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05It's the only way I'm going to get conclusive evidence.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14Back at camp,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Chris is reviewing the most recent evidence from the camera traps.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Let's have a look at the pictures.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Asiatic wild dog, beautiful.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42This is neat. I mean, this is very, very encouraging
0:31:42 > 0:31:44to see this variety of wildlife,
0:31:44 > 0:31:46all in a very small area.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Wow, look at that!
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Can you believe that?
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Finally, the camera traps have delivered a result,
0:32:04 > 0:32:06concrete proof of elephants.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14That was a very nice sequence of a male passing the camera.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Can't tell much about the animal,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20but it's right in front of the camera,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23it's having a drink of water, filling its trunk.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Spraying itself now and spraying the camera.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31We got a little water on the lens already. That's always fun!
0:32:31 > 0:32:33Water on the lens won't hurt it.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35OK, here comes another one.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Images of elephants in several different locations.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43It's a promising sign.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Uh-oh, this one's going for the cam.
0:32:52 > 0:32:58It's trying to grab the cam with its trunk finger and twist it off,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01they'll throw a coil around a small object like this...
0:33:01 > 0:33:06Oop, there's its nostrils, but it's OK, the camera's safe.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Oh, it's got the strap on the cam.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15Can you believe that?
0:33:15 > 0:33:19What we see here is an excellent example of the elephant's curiosity.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24It's trying to learn, "What is this thing that I didn't see here before?"
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Curiosity of course is an indicator of intelligence.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36In this case, the inquisitive nature means an obliterated camera.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42The camera traps have captured images of two males,
0:33:42 > 0:33:44but it's not enough.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Male elephants are loners.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Only the females and their young live in herds.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59The team needs to find evidence that these female groups are thriving here
0:33:59 > 0:34:02to make a strong case for protecting the forest.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08Their hopes rest on Gordon and his tree platform.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Oh, there's a hornbill over there.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15There's still no sign of elephants,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19but at least he's seeing evidence that the forest is healthy.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26Inside each of those fruits that he's eating is a seed,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29and those seeds will be carried miles from here.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Elephants perform a similar function on the ground.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44They eat fruit and disperse the seeds.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54As elephants move about, they tear down trees and plants
0:34:54 > 0:34:57to make pathways and clearings.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Everywhere they go they deposit dung
0:35:00 > 0:35:03containing the seeds of their favourite food plants.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05By clearing the forest,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08they give new plants the opportunity to grow into the light.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16All these different animals have different roles in the forest,
0:35:16 > 0:35:21and none is more important than the role of the elephant.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24They really are the engineer of this habitat.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29They are the cultivators, the rotovators, the fertilisers,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32the...they do so many things
0:35:32 > 0:35:36and have shaped this forest to look the way that it has,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38and without elephants living here,
0:35:38 > 0:35:40it would be a very, very different place.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Elephants help create the environment
0:35:44 > 0:35:46other animals need to thrive.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50If these forests are protected for elephants,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53all the other creatures in the forest will benefit, too.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Ross is still on the trail of a second herd of elephants.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15OK, look at this. This is good.
0:36:15 > 0:36:16This dung's really, really fresh,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19probably only left here about one or two hours ago.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21This means there are elephants definitely in this area.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23They've flattened all this vegetation
0:36:23 > 0:36:26on this slope and moving obviously up and down here.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28This is really good evidence. I've got to crack on,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31I'm hot on their heels now so I'm going to keep going up here.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42This is the closest the team has been so far.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Then, without warning, the elephants are there.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48TRUMPETING
0:36:53 > 0:36:55There they are.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Get out the way.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Oh, my God, did you see that?
0:37:14 > 0:37:15There.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Here they are.
0:37:30 > 0:37:31That was nerve-racking.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34I'm shaking.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37They were so close.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41As fast as they appeared, the elephants are gone.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44They just appeared out of nowhere.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47And that was... that was nerve-racking.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50They were moving quickly as well, moving so quickly through here,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53probably, I'd say, a good running speed for a human.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55I've just see them moving along these thin trails
0:37:55 > 0:37:57through these forests so quickly,
0:37:57 > 0:37:59and they can just come up on you like that
0:37:59 > 0:38:01and you would not know about it.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03There were several animals, moving at speed.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06This is evidence of at least one group of elephants.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10But there's still no proof they're successfully breeding.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13There's still no sign of calves.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Time is running out.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21While the team keeps searching on the ground,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Chris decides to search from the air.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34I'm hopeful that we're going to see some trails, some elephant trails,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38maybe some disturbed vegetation, thick bamboo breaks,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41places where the elephants have been feeding in the bamboo,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43that should stand out.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Oh, look at this, fresh dung.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Definitely very, very fresh, still very, very damp.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54Good, eh?
0:38:58 > 0:39:05Chris finds several cleared areas where elephants may have fed, but no sign of the animals themselves.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15Even with a balloon, Chris is no closer to knowing where they are.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19There's just 36 hours left.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27It's beginning to look like Ross's encounter may be the best evidence they'll find.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36I actually saw them... saw them with my own eyes.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Five elephants tearing past us through the forest.- Wow!
0:39:39 > 0:39:41I was hiding behind a tree at the time,
0:39:41 > 0:39:43- obviously a bit scared.- Fantastic.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Does this mean that potentially all of this area here,
0:39:46 > 0:39:49is this suitable elephant habitat too?
0:39:49 > 0:39:50It's moving in that direction,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53it's telling us that this is suitable habitat.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55We're not finding just a pocketed population here
0:39:55 > 0:39:57and another one up here so far.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00I mean, we've found two, two populations,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03two groups of individuals, will you, that are, you know,
0:40:03 > 0:40:05ten kilometres apart.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Chris believes there could be two groups of elephants
0:40:09 > 0:40:10within six miles of each other.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19It's a hopeful sign,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22but it's a far cry from the direct sightings of mothers
0:40:22 > 0:40:24with calves that they were hoping for.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29I was thinking, you know, that they must be terrified of people to do that.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31I mean, you know, I was there,
0:40:31 > 0:40:33so it was only me, so what were they...?
0:40:33 > 0:40:36I don't know. You know, it's strange because if they caught wind of you,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39you'd think that they would move in the opposite direction,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42but I have not had encounters of the close kind like this,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44so I don't know what to expect.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47I'm not sure that I'd want more of those close elephant encounters,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50- to be honest.- You don't want to get the larger sample size
0:40:50 > 0:40:54- in that kind of experience, do we? - No, no, no, no, need more trousers.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01The team is learning more about the elephants here.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03But it may be too little, too late.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Gordon is still on his tree platform,
0:41:16 > 0:41:18but he's beginning to give up hope.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24It's just past three o'clock in the morning
0:41:24 > 0:41:26and there's no sign of any elephant.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29I'm really struggling to stay awake now.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Not feeling that hopeful.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36I think they've probably moved out of this area.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44The night wears on.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46He sees nothing.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50It looks like sitting it out was the wrong call.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04It's the final day.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08The team has just 12 hours of daylight left.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16The Chin trackers have found fresh signs north of Gordon's tree.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21The whole team heads out in a last-ditch attempt to find them.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Should keep quite quiet now.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29This looks like a very heavily used area. You can see it's quite cleared,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33there's bent-over bamboo all over the place.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Looks like there's been a herd through here.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37There's lots of signs everywhere.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40You can see footprints.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Dusting, dust bowl, so to dust themselves,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46and we're on a major elephant highway here.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Chris has also picked up a fresh trail.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03This...this is an elephant track.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Let's stop and listen here.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17We're going to stop here and just listen.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24RUSTLING
0:43:24 > 0:43:26I can hear them.
0:43:27 > 0:43:32They're about...maybe 350 yards away.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34TRUMPETING
0:43:38 > 0:43:40Hey! Come, come.
0:43:43 > 0:43:44You can see a big cow standing.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51That is quite something.
0:43:52 > 0:43:53There they are.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00In 25 years, this is the first time I've seen wild elephants in Burma.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05Gordon?
0:44:05 > 0:44:08Gordon, this is Chris. Are you there?
0:44:08 > 0:44:09Go ahead, Chris.
0:44:10 > 0:44:15Gordon, we've spotted elephants just below us on the ridge.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Yeah, I've got them.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19There's three of them that I can see,
0:44:19 > 0:44:21they're quite far away from me.
0:44:21 > 0:44:22That's fantastic.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26Right.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28I'm going to see if I can go a bit closer.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37After two days stuck up this platform,
0:44:37 > 0:44:41just when I thought all hope was lost,
0:44:41 > 0:44:45we spot some elephants off in the distance.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Great!
0:44:51 > 0:44:53This is exactly what I've been waiting for,
0:44:53 > 0:44:57to see this whole herd together.
0:44:57 > 0:45:02And do you know what? It is better than I could ever have imagined.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04It's great,
0:45:04 > 0:45:07despite the fact that they're a long, long way away,
0:45:07 > 0:45:10it's just incredible to see these animals.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Such a tightly knit family group like elephants,
0:45:15 > 0:45:19they spend a lot of time just hanging out together.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25It's 10am, and it's already 35 degrees centigrade.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29The elephants are moving from their feeding grounds on the ridge
0:45:29 > 0:45:31down into the cool of the valley.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35But even with a high-powered lens,
0:45:35 > 0:45:38Gordon still can't see if the herd has young.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41'Are you able to see any calves at all?'
0:45:44 > 0:45:48No, there's...there's kind of an assortment of different sizes,
0:45:48 > 0:45:53but the bamboo's coming right up to their, kind of, eye level,
0:45:53 > 0:45:57so I just see the tops of their ears, their heads and their backs,
0:45:57 > 0:45:59so there could be calves in amongst the bamboo.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03The team has found two herds in the area,
0:46:03 > 0:46:06one in Taung Lay and now this one.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12But unless there are young, this herd won't survive for long.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16To find out, the team must get closer.
0:46:18 > 0:46:19Their only hope is Justine.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22She's just southwest of the elephants.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25She may be able to pick up their trail.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29She needs to work out which valley they're in
0:46:29 > 0:46:30and get as close as possible.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38There's clearly lots of signs of elephants through here.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41The danger is I don't want to get too close.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43I don't want to stumble into them,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45it's really hard to stay quiet around here.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I'm just going to have a quick look up this tree,
0:46:48 > 0:46:51see if I can get a viewpoint, from up here.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00Yeah, I can see down into the valley quite well now.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04You can see loads of cleared areas
0:47:04 > 0:47:06where elephants have been gathering and feeding.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09That far bank over there, there's a really big patch,
0:47:09 > 0:47:11You can see all the bamboo's been flattened.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Well, from the signs, it looks like
0:47:13 > 0:47:16there's quite substantial herds moving through.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21Until we actually clap our eyes on them, it's very hard to speculate.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24But it does...it does look like there's a number of them,
0:47:24 > 0:47:26certainly not just a couple of individuals.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35There's a herd here somewhere.
0:47:35 > 0:47:40But in thick forest, her chances of finding them are slim.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46It's about four o'clock now,
0:47:46 > 0:47:48it's getting cooler, so there's a chance
0:47:48 > 0:47:51they might start coming back up on to the ridge line.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54They actually have to come up and cross this ridge line
0:47:54 > 0:47:56if they want to get into the other valley behind me.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07We're heading off the ridge now,
0:48:07 > 0:48:09and down into the valley below
0:48:09 > 0:48:12in the hope that the elephants have descended.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15It's a bit of a cat-and-mouse at the moment,
0:48:15 > 0:48:17and I've no idea what to expect,
0:48:17 > 0:48:20and it feels like we're just sort of chasing them,
0:48:20 > 0:48:22but not ever getting close enough.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25Possibly they've gone down,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28or they may be going back up and we're going down.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32It's like, it's hard to know where to go, where to be.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Well, let's see.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40If Justine is right about their location,
0:48:40 > 0:48:43she's now walking straight into their path.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54This, we're getting into thicker bamboo,
0:48:54 > 0:48:58and this is exactly the place where you don't want to meet an elephant.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01It's utterly terrifying, having gone through that experience before.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05You can't see anything, I can't even see a few feet ahead of me.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07It's very thick and bushy,
0:49:07 > 0:49:10and this sort of bamboo is really where you don't want to meet an elephant.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13So we have to be very cautious.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Wild elephants kill hundreds of people each year,
0:49:24 > 0:49:28often in self-defence after being surprised in thick cover.
0:50:02 > 0:50:03Sh!
0:50:03 > 0:50:05Sh.
0:50:05 > 0:50:06Sh-sh!
0:50:07 > 0:50:09RUSTLING
0:50:11 > 0:50:12(Stop moving.)
0:50:27 > 0:50:28Did you hear?
0:50:40 > 0:50:42TRUMPETING
0:50:43 > 0:50:46Justine needs to find a better position.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49If they detect her, they will either flee or attack.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51OK. We should go up, get some height,
0:50:51 > 0:50:55be safer as well, and we might be able to look over the top there.
0:50:55 > 0:50:56Let's do that.
0:51:02 > 0:51:08From the sound of it, oh, they're about 30, 40 metres.
0:51:08 > 0:51:09Right.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11Go up.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14She needs a clear line of sight to get her shot.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17Even then, any calves will be hard to see.
0:51:24 > 0:51:25Yes, yes!
0:52:05 > 0:52:08I feel very, very, very, very lucky
0:52:08 > 0:52:16to actually see them relaxed, at ease, it's just magical.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25A herd like this is a very close-knit family...
0:52:26 > 0:52:30..consisting of a big boss lady, the matriarch,
0:52:30 > 0:52:33her daughters and her grandkids.
0:52:33 > 0:52:39The males, once they get older, get kicked out,
0:52:39 > 0:52:42they're told to go away and become lone bulls,
0:52:42 > 0:52:45so the only males that will be in this group will be youngsters.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54She's high above them, out of sight and reach,
0:52:54 > 0:52:56and they have no idea she is there.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00BUBBLING
0:53:01 > 0:53:02Can you hear that sound?
0:53:02 > 0:53:04Fantastic! It's a baby, I think.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11If there ARE young, the herd is keeping them hidden.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20Ah, the whole herd are climbing, climbing up the ridge.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26They're in travelling mode.
0:53:26 > 0:53:31They've had their bath, dusted themselves off,
0:53:31 > 0:53:35and now they're ready for an evening, a night's feeding.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41Then, at long last, the moment they've been waiting for.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Two very small calves.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57It's a really, really tiny calf,
0:53:57 > 0:54:01and it's trying to get on the back of one of the younger elephants.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07They're so unbelievably cute, aren't they?
0:54:09 > 0:54:14The team has their proof, a healthy, breeding herd, with young.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17There's a calf that's trying to suckle.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24What a lovely end to our stay here, we're really lucky,
0:54:24 > 0:54:26but, you know, I think we've earned our luck.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29We've had a few pretty hard days with no reward.
0:54:29 > 0:54:34But it was well worth it, that was just magical.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48It's a moment Chris has waited 25 years for,
0:54:48 > 0:54:50a first-hand encounter
0:54:50 > 0:54:53with the animals he's studied from afar for so long.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58I'm going to land on a snake!
0:54:58 > 0:55:00Hey, partner!
0:55:01 > 0:55:03Congratulations, man.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06As we say in old Virginia "You done good, you done good!"
0:55:06 > 0:55:10Never before have I been so relieved to see an animal.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12- It's great.- It's fantastic.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15The more time you spend up there,
0:55:15 > 0:55:19the less, sort of, likely it feels that you're actually going to see them.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23You're talking about an animal that spends the majority of its time in thick cover
0:55:23 > 0:55:25in these tall trees, in the bamboo,
0:55:25 > 0:55:29so I was thinking, "Well, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised
0:55:29 > 0:55:30"that I'm not seeing them."
0:55:30 > 0:55:33And then seeing at least ten right out in the open.
0:55:34 > 0:55:35Well worth the wait.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42Chris has been coming to Burma for decades
0:55:42 > 0:55:45in the hope that he can help give the elephants here a secure future.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50Now he has concrete evidence that they're thriving,
0:55:50 > 0:55:52he is one step closer to his goal.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58This is definitely a stronghold for wild elephants in Southeast Asia,
0:55:58 > 0:55:59no question about that.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02But Burma is also poised at a crossroads,
0:56:02 > 0:56:06and there will be a development blitz here in the future,
0:56:06 > 0:56:09we know that, and so it's going to be extremely, extremely important
0:56:09 > 0:56:12for the leaders of this country to be vigilant
0:56:12 > 0:56:15about the kinds of changes that accompany development,
0:56:15 > 0:56:17because these forests
0:56:17 > 0:56:21will be under threat unless their protection is guaranteed.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28The team's challenge was to prove that elephants
0:56:28 > 0:56:29are breeding successfully here.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33They have accomplished their first mission.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40They hope that their hard-won proof will encourage Burma
0:56:40 > 0:56:43to protect these elephants and the forests they live in.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47The alternative is to lose them forever.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07It's more than I ever dreamed would happen.
0:57:09 > 0:57:14Being able to see them bathing, grazing so clearly,
0:57:14 > 0:57:16and yet feel safe myself.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21It's just the best,
0:57:21 > 0:57:25and to be here in Burma with a herd of elephants
0:57:25 > 0:57:27which are probably forming
0:57:27 > 0:57:33the last great population of Southeast Asian elephants in the world...
0:57:34 > 0:57:36..it's very special.
0:57:47 > 0:57:52Next time, the team ventures deeper into Burma's unexplored forests.
0:57:53 > 0:57:57It's just a great unknown, I don't know what to expect, but I've got high hopes.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00It's a quest fraught with hardship and danger...
0:58:00 > 0:58:04We've got fire in front of us, and then fire here and then fire behind us.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07BLEEP
0:58:07 > 0:58:11..on a mission to discover creatures seldom caught on camera.
0:58:11 > 0:58:12Look.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16Oh, look, golden cat.
0:58:17 > 0:58:21They will attempt to reveal just how rich Burma's forests are...
0:58:22 > 0:58:23Oh!
0:58:23 > 0:58:25This is a burying beetle.
0:58:25 > 0:58:29These really stink, they stink like a decomposing corpse.
0:58:29 > 0:58:31..and find out how much is at stake.
0:58:32 > 0:58:35Burma's forests are not just important to Burma.
0:58:35 > 0:58:38Burma's forests are important for the world.
0:58:43 > 0:58:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd