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(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
Imagine a world
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where temperatures rise
to 120 degrees Fahrenheit,
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where there's no escape
from sun, wind and dust.
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Imagine a world
with almost no food or water.
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These are the conditions
in one-third of the lands of our planet.
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To live here
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demands the most extraordinary
survival strategies.
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This is the oldest desert in the world.
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The Namib in southwest Africa.
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It's been dry for 55 million years.
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Life here for a hunter
is as hard as it gets.
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A pride of lions,
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one of the very few
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that endures
this desert's scorching temperatures
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and lack of water.
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Hunting here presents special problems.
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A herd of oryx,
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the only prey within 20 miles.
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(BIRDS SQUAWKING)
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Out here,
there is no cover for an ambush.
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It will have to be a straight chase.
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They have failed,
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and each failed hunt
brings the lions closer to starvation.
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To find enough to eat,
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the pride continually searches
an area the size of Switzerland.
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Three days and 100 miles later,
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and still, no kill.
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(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
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These are desperate times.
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(CROW CAWING)
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A dry riverbed
on the edge of their territory.
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The only animals here are giraffe.
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But these one-tonne giants
could kill a lion
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with a single kick.
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Lions seldom tackle
such formidable prey.
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But this pride can't go on much longer
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- without food.
- (PANTING)
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(BIRD SQUAWKING)
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The whole pride
must work together as a team,
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if they're to succeed.
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Two lionesses lead the chase.
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Others race to cut off
possible escape routes.
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The giraffe has the speed and stamina
to outrun the pride.
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But it's being chased into a trap.
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Up ahead, the lead female waits.
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It's now up to her.
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(LIONESS GROWLS)
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Most lion hunts end in failure.
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But no lions fail more often
than those that live in the desert.
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Once again,
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the pride must continue their search.
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(THUNDER RUMBLING)
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It does sometimes rain in the desert.
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Here in the American West,
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storms can strike
with devastating force.
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After 10 months of drought,
millions of tons of water
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are dumped on the land in under an hour.
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(WIND WHISTLING)
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Over millions of years,
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sand and gravel
carried by the rampaging floods
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have carved channels
through the solid rock.
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Salt canyons, 150 feet deep.
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In some places,
these canyons have widened
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until the land between them is sculpted
into table lands and isolated pinnacles,
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some of the most
dramatic landscapes on the planet.
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The rain may be long gone,
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but there is water here,
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- (BIRD SQUAWKING)
- (CRICKETS CHIRPING)
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locked away within the tissues
of specialist desert plants.
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Cacti are unique to American deserts.
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They all hoard water,
storing it in swollen stems,
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and protecting it
behind a barricade of spines.
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They're so successful
that they dominate these deserts.
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But this forest of spikes
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can cause problems
for the animals that live here.
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A Harris's hawk.
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It has developed special techniques
for hunting amongst the cacti.
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Ground squirrels.
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Prey.
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(SQUIRRELS SQUEAKING)
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At the first sign of danger,
they bolt for the safety of the thorns.
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But the hawks have a tactic
to flush them out.
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These are the only birds of prey
that hunt in packs.
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Flying in formation,
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they try to drive their quarry
into the open.
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But this squirrel is staying put.
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So now the hawks continue the hunt
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on foot.
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They're closing in from all sides.
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Soon, all escape routes are cut off.
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The squirrel is trapped.
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(SCREECHING)
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The spines that cover
almost every plant in this desert
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can provide protection and shelter
for many animals.
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So, why should these spikes
be hung with corpses?
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What kind of creature
could be responsible
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for creating such a gruesome scene?
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There's a mysterious killer
at work in this desert.
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It's a butcher bird.
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This little song bird uses the spines
as a butcher uses his hook,
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to hold its prey as it dismembers it.
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(SQUAWKING)
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(CHEEPING)
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And with chicks to feed,
he also uses the spines as a larder.
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He's been stocking it for weeks.
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Hanging his prey out of the reach
of scavengers on the ground
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ensures that his newly-hatched young
will never go hungry.
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An ingenious solution
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to making the good times
last in the desert,
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if a little macabre.
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(CHEEPING)
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(BUTCHER BIRD SQUAWKS)
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Some deserts are so arid,
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they appear totally devoid
of all vegetation.
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Yet even these landscapes
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can be transformed
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in a matter of days.
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The deserts of Peru
are amongst the driest in the world.
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But just add a little water,
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and plants
that have lain dormant for months
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will burst into life.
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(BIRDS SINGING)
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(BEES BUZZING)
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And when a desert suddenly turns green,
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even the most seemingly desolate
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can become a land of opportunity.
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No creature exploits
the greening of a desert more quickly,
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or more dramatically,
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than a locust.
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Madagascar's arid southwest
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has received
its highest rainfall in years.
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Now, an army is on the march,
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attracted by the smell
of newly-sprouting grass.
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Locusts are normally solitary creatures,
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but when food becomes
suddenly plentiful,
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they come together
into an unstoppable force
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that devours everything in its path.
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But this devastation
is about to get a lot worse.
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The locusts now transform
into winged adults.
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And with conditions as good as this,
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they do so three times
faster than normal.
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Now, they are at their most voracious.
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And with wings,
they can take to the skies.
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Once airborne, the locusts can travel
over 60 miles a day
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in their search for new feeding grounds.
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A super-swarm of this scale
may only appear once in a decade.
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This one extends
over 200 square miles
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and contains
several billion individuals.
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Between them, they will devour
40, 000 tonnes of food in a day.
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(LOCUSTS BUZZING)
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Nothing can strip a land
of its vegetation with such speed
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and thoroughness as a plague of locusts.
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When the food eventually runs out,
the whole army will die.
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But not before it's devastated the land.
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With no plants to bind them,
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thin soils soon turn to dust
and blow away.
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Now, these barren lands
are left to the mercy of the elements.
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Scorched by the sun
and scoured by windblown sand,
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desert rock is shaped into strange,
otherworldly landscapes.
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These rocky deserts
may have a beguiling beauty,
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but when they become this barren,
very little life can endure.
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For many animals,
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the only way to survive
the most hostile times
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is to keep moving.
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In the Kalahari,
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brief rains have given way
to the dry season.
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Food and water
are becoming increasingly scarce.
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For these zebra, it's time to leave.
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(HUFFING)
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They are setting off
on the longest over-land migration
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made by any mammal in Africa,
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marching towards the scent
of distant rains.
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As drought intensifies,
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desert-living elephants
must also undertake long journeys
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in search of water.
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(GRUNTING)
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(ELEPHANT TRUMPETING)
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The older females can remember where,
even in times of extreme drought,
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there may still be water,
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and sometimes lead the herd
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to a waterhole they may not
have visited for decades.
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(BIRDS SQUAWKING)
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(ZEBRAS GRUNTING)
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These zebra are almost
at the end of their journey.
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This is what they've been heading for.
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A rare waterhole.
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In deserts,
most waterholes are short-lived.
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They appear after rains,
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but then vanish
almost as quickly as they came.
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(ELEPHANT RUMBLING)
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(ELEPHANT SNORTS)
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Animals have come here
from many miles around.
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(ZEBRAS WHINNYING)
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Yet, this can be a dangerous place
in which to linger.
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Sixty miles away,
in the heart of the desert,
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sandgrouse chicks are hatching.
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It's safer for them to be here.
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(CHICK CHEEPING)
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But being so distant
from water is a gamble.
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With only their mother
to shield them from the sun,
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if they get nothing to drink,
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they will be dead within hours.
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Their only hope is their father.
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(SQUAWKING)
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Every morning,
he makes the 120-mile round trip
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to get water for the family.
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(SQUAWKS)
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Grouse from all over the desert
visit this oasis,
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arriving together in large flocks.
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And that is important.
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There's safety in numbers.
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(CHIRPING)
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(ZEBRA GRUNTS)
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The male snatches a drink,
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but he also needs to collect
water for his chicks.
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Using specially-adapted breast feathers,
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he can soak up water like a sponge.
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But it takes time,
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and he is in danger.
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(CHIRPING)
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Goshawk.
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(CHIRPING)
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Sandgrouse here are their main prey.
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Again and again,
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the male sandgrouse risk their lives
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in order to collect water
for their chicks.
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This is why sandgrouse
nest so far from waterholes.
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At last,
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he's soaked up as much as he can.
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Carrying a quarter
of his bodyweight in water,
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he can now set off
on the long journey home.
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(CHEEPING)
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He's back, and just in time.
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He can give the chicks
their first-ever drink.
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But he will have to undertake
this perilous journey
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every day for the next two months,
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until his chicks
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can finally make the flight
to the waterhole for themselves.
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It's July in the deserts of Nevada
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in the western United States.
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The hottest time of the year.
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(SNORTS)
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Bands of wild horses, mustang,
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are converging on one of the last
remaining waterholes for miles.
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(SNORTS)
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Now, water not only offers them
the chance to drink.
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It can also bring power.
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If a stallion can control
access to water,
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he will have secured mating rights
to the entire herd.
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(NEIGHS)
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So stallions
try to dominate these pools,
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fighting off rivals
who venture too close.
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(STALLIONS NEIGHING)
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A stranger.
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He's travelled 10 miles to be here
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because the pools where he's come from
have already dried up.
258
00:30:53,764 --> 00:30:55,844
With him come his females.
259
00:30:58,364 --> 00:31:00,124
If he can't provide them with water,
260
00:31:00,204 --> 00:31:02,564
they will leave him
for the white stallion
261
00:31:02,644 --> 00:31:05,404
who already dominates this pool.
262
00:31:15,804 --> 00:31:18,004
So he will have to fight.
263
00:31:31,964 --> 00:31:33,724
(STALLIONS GRUNTING)
264
00:31:37,644 --> 00:31:39,204
(STALLIONS NEIGHING)
265
00:32:18,404 --> 00:32:20,284
There is everything to lose.
266
00:32:21,684 --> 00:32:26,884
A broken leg or a shattered jaw
would mean a slow and painful death.
267
00:32:27,324 --> 00:32:28,964
(STALLIONS NEIGHING)
268
00:32:47,324 --> 00:32:49,204
A missed kick,
269
00:32:49,284 --> 00:32:50,524
and it's all over.
270
00:32:52,884 --> 00:32:55,444
The new arrival has won.
271
00:32:57,164 --> 00:33:00,804
And his prize
is more than just a chance to drink.
272
00:33:01,444 --> 00:33:04,564
He has provided for his herd,
and in the process,
273
00:33:04,644 --> 00:33:06,484
stolen his rival's females.
274
00:33:08,764 --> 00:33:11,484
The white stallion's rule is over.
275
00:33:12,244 --> 00:33:13,604
(SNORTS)
276
00:33:18,924 --> 00:33:23,484
Desert life is not only shaped
by the scarcity of water,
277
00:33:23,564 --> 00:33:26,444
but also by the relentless power
278
00:33:27,284 --> 00:33:28,804
of the sun.
279
00:33:34,724 --> 00:33:39,844
The highest temperatures on Earth
have all been recorded in its deserts.
280
00:33:51,324 --> 00:33:52,804
Changes in the climate
281
00:33:52,884 --> 00:33:56,964
mean temperatures here
are rising more than the global average.
282
00:33:57,044 --> 00:33:58,804
And as deserts heat up,
283
00:33:58,884 --> 00:34:00,804
they are also expanding.
284
00:34:02,884 --> 00:34:03,884
Every year,
285
00:34:03,964 --> 00:34:07,764
a further 50, 000 square miles
of grass and farmland
286
00:34:07,844 --> 00:34:12,284
are turning into barren stretches
of dust and rock.
287
00:34:17,444 --> 00:34:18,644
In the heat of the day,
288
00:34:18,724 --> 00:34:22,324
surface temperatures
can reach 160 degrees,
289
00:34:22,764 --> 00:34:25,444
far too hot to handle for most.
290
00:34:27,804 --> 00:34:31,564
But not for this shovel-snouted lizard.
291
00:34:35,764 --> 00:34:38,204
Raising its feet off the ground in turn
292
00:34:41,724 --> 00:34:44,164
enables each to briefly cool.
293
00:34:50,244 --> 00:34:53,084
But even this dancing desert specialist
294
00:34:53,164 --> 00:34:55,164
can't stand the heat for long.
295
00:35:04,004 --> 00:35:06,764
One option is to find shade.
296
00:35:11,084 --> 00:35:15,404
Dune grass, the only vegetation here,
provides virtually none.
297
00:35:16,604 --> 00:35:19,124
But just an inch beneath
the surface of the sand,
298
00:35:19,204 --> 00:35:21,364
it is several degrees cooler.
299
00:35:29,244 --> 00:35:34,244
A voiding the extreme heat
imposes a rhythm on desert life.
300
00:35:36,844 --> 00:35:40,684
And many animals here
choose the simplest option of all,
301
00:35:43,524 --> 00:35:45,204
staying hidden all day
302
00:35:45,284 --> 00:35:48,204
and only venturing out
in the cool of the night.
303
00:35:57,004 --> 00:35:58,924
As darkness falls,
304
00:35:59,004 --> 00:36:02,044
animals appear from seemingly nowhere.
305
00:36:08,924 --> 00:36:11,444
And among them, inevitably,
306
00:36:12,724 --> 00:36:13,964
are hunters.
307
00:36:16,444 --> 00:36:17,724
(SNIFFING)
308
00:36:28,844 --> 00:36:32,004
One of the most voracious
nocturnal predators
309
00:36:32,084 --> 00:36:35,284
is also one of the hardest to see.
310
00:36:38,004 --> 00:36:39,724
This mysterious creature
311
00:36:39,804 --> 00:36:42,964
hardly ever appears
on the surface of the dunes.
312
00:36:49,524 --> 00:36:53,324
But there are signs on the sand
that can give it away.
313
00:37:07,004 --> 00:37:08,204
It lives only here,
314
00:37:08,284 --> 00:37:11,644
where the sand grains
are so perfectly dry and polished
315
00:37:11,724 --> 00:37:14,164
that they flow almost like water.
316
00:37:17,404 --> 00:37:19,924
It's no bigger than a Ping-Pong ball.
317
00:37:24,364 --> 00:37:25,684
A golden mole.
318
00:37:26,884 --> 00:37:28,444
It's totally blind,
319
00:37:29,444 --> 00:37:32,204
but there's nothing
to see underground anyway.
320
00:37:38,444 --> 00:37:41,204
Instead, it has superb hearing.
321
00:37:43,644 --> 00:37:46,364
Its entire head acts as an amplifier
322
00:37:46,444 --> 00:37:49,044
that picks up vibrations
through the sand.
323
00:37:49,124 --> 00:37:52,324
So, to locate prey
on the surface of the dune,
324
00:37:52,404 --> 00:37:56,844
it has, paradoxically,
to thrust its face into the dune.
325
00:37:59,404 --> 00:38:00,964
(SNIFFING)
326
00:38:05,364 --> 00:38:07,044
Termites.
327
00:38:07,484 --> 00:38:09,724
Not easy to catch when you're blind.
328
00:38:13,764 --> 00:38:16,604
Far better to go into stealth mode.
329
00:38:18,284 --> 00:38:19,564
Once below the sand,
330
00:38:19,644 --> 00:38:22,284
it can detect the slightest movement,
331
00:38:25,844 --> 00:38:29,204
allowing it to strike
with pinpoint accuracy.
332
00:38:38,484 --> 00:38:40,844
Well, most of the time.
333
00:38:53,124 --> 00:38:57,164
It can travel two-thirds of a mile
a night in search of its dinner.
334
00:38:59,724 --> 00:39:04,084
And right now,
it has just detected its main course.
335
00:39:05,524 --> 00:39:09,724
Little wonder it's sometimes called
"the shark of the dunes".
336
00:39:17,804 --> 00:39:20,724
Food can be so scarce in the desert
337
00:39:20,804 --> 00:39:24,684
that even at night,
animals can't afford to be choosy
338
00:39:24,764 --> 00:39:26,084
about what they eat.
339
00:39:32,204 --> 00:39:34,204
Israel's Negev Desert.
340
00:39:43,764 --> 00:39:46,484
Otonycteris, the desert long-eared bat,
341
00:39:47,244 --> 00:39:48,404
is on the hunt.
342
00:39:52,644 --> 00:39:55,204
Most bats
catch flying insects on the wing.
343
00:39:56,044 --> 00:39:58,124
But there are so few of these
in the desert
344
00:39:58,204 --> 00:40:00,724
that this bat
must do things differently.
345
00:40:04,804 --> 00:40:07,084
It has to hunt on the ground.
346
00:40:07,564 --> 00:40:09,324
(BAT SCREECHING)
347
00:40:14,324 --> 00:40:16,804
But what really sets it apart
348
00:40:16,884 --> 00:40:18,444
is what it's hunting.
349
00:40:26,124 --> 00:40:27,924
A deathstalker scorpion.
350
00:40:29,684 --> 00:40:34,044
The venom of this species
is potent enough to kill a human.
351
00:40:35,724 --> 00:40:40,764
Tackling it seems madness
for a bat weighing just half an ounce.
352
00:40:44,444 --> 00:40:45,484
In the pitch black,
353
00:40:45,564 --> 00:40:48,804
both predator and prey
are effectively blind.
354
00:40:49,604 --> 00:40:51,924
But the scorpion has one advantage,
355
00:40:52,004 --> 00:40:56,524
he can sense the approach of the bat
through vibrations in the sand.
356
00:41:00,084 --> 00:41:04,204
Otonycteris must rely
entirely on its hearing.
357
00:41:05,404 --> 00:41:08,884
If the scorpion doesn't move,
it won't know it's there.
358
00:41:23,564 --> 00:41:24,924
The battle is on.
359
00:41:27,684 --> 00:41:31,604
Armed with crushing pincers
and a sting loaded with venom,
360
00:41:31,684 --> 00:41:34,244
this scorpion is a dangerous opponent.
361
00:41:47,444 --> 00:41:49,644
A direct strike on the head.
362
00:41:52,404 --> 00:41:53,644
Is it all over?
363
00:41:57,564 --> 00:41:59,444
Not for this bat.
364
00:42:14,564 --> 00:42:18,724
Otonycteris clearly has some immunity
to the venom,
365
00:42:18,804 --> 00:42:23,244
but repeated stings
must still be extraordinarily painful.
366
00:42:30,804 --> 00:42:32,724
And if the bat is not to go hungry,
367
00:42:32,804 --> 00:42:36,604
it must catch another three scorpions
before sunrise.
368
00:43:04,724 --> 00:43:08,124
Desert animals
have developed remarkable strategies
369
00:43:08,204 --> 00:43:10,644
to make the most
of the rare opportunities
370
00:43:10,724 --> 00:43:12,164
that come their way.
371
00:43:13,884 --> 00:43:17,484
Although some deserts
may not see rain for several years,
372
00:43:17,564 --> 00:43:21,404
most will hold a little water
in one form or another.
373
00:43:22,204 --> 00:43:26,004
The trick
is simply knowing how to reach it.
374
00:43:34,044 --> 00:43:37,244
Dawn in the dunes of the Namib,
375
00:43:37,324 --> 00:43:40,244
and something magical is happening.
376
00:43:58,284 --> 00:44:01,604
Moist air
lying over the neighbouring Atlantic
377
00:44:01,684 --> 00:44:04,244
is cooled and blown inland,
378
00:44:04,324 --> 00:44:08,324
forming fog banks
that shroud the desert in mist.
379
00:44:15,364 --> 00:44:17,084
This precious moisture
380
00:44:17,164 --> 00:44:21,364
lies tantalisingly out of reach
at the top of the dunes,
381
00:44:21,444 --> 00:44:23,244
and it won't last long.
382
00:44:23,884 --> 00:44:27,964
It will be burnt off by the sun
just hours after it rises.
383
00:44:43,444 --> 00:44:46,684
Darkling beetles
race to the top of the dunes
384
00:44:46,764 --> 00:44:49,324
to reach the fog before it vanishes.
385
00:44:58,684 --> 00:45:02,724
Some of the Namib's dunes
are a thousand feet high,
386
00:45:02,804 --> 00:45:04,244
the tallest in the world.
387
00:45:06,084 --> 00:45:08,364
For a beetle no larger than a thumbnail,
388
00:45:08,444 --> 00:45:11,484
this is the equivalent
of us climbing a dune
389
00:45:11,564 --> 00:45:13,124
twice the height of Everest.
390
00:45:17,844 --> 00:45:19,844
But even more impressive
391
00:45:19,924 --> 00:45:21,484
is what it does next.
392
00:45:26,524 --> 00:45:29,764
Standing perfectly still,
facing into the wind,
393
00:45:29,844 --> 00:45:32,164
the beetle does a headstand.
394
00:45:35,564 --> 00:45:38,244
Fog begins to condense on its body.
395
00:45:41,684 --> 00:45:44,084
Microscopic bumps on its wing cases
396
00:45:44,164 --> 00:45:47,804
direct the water to grooves
that channel it towards the mouth.
397
00:45:53,484 --> 00:45:55,844
Before returning down the slip face,
398
00:45:55,924 --> 00:45:58,444
it will drink 40% of its body weight.
399
00:46:03,804 --> 00:46:04,924
This little beetle
400
00:46:05,004 --> 00:46:08,364
has learned how to conjure water
out of the air
401
00:46:09,084 --> 00:46:11,684
in one of the driest places on Earth.
402
00:46:15,524 --> 00:46:18,724
And it's not alone
on the top of the dunes.
403
00:46:25,204 --> 00:46:27,924
Web-footed geckos use a similar trick.
404
00:46:38,084 --> 00:46:41,964
Surely, few animals
go to greater lengths to get a drink.
405
00:47:00,404 --> 00:47:04,444
Unfortunately, Namaqua chameleons
know that on foggy mornings,
406
00:47:04,524 --> 00:47:09,204
the beetles coming down the dunes
are juicier than those going up.
407
00:47:20,964 --> 00:47:22,524
The diversity of life
408
00:47:22,604 --> 00:47:25,804
that thrives in a world
almost totally devoid of water
409
00:47:25,884 --> 00:47:28,044
is truly remarkable.
410
00:47:30,564 --> 00:47:31,964
Success in the desert
411
00:47:32,044 --> 00:47:36,084
depends on an extraordinary variety
of survival strategies
412
00:47:36,164 --> 00:47:38,724
that have evolved
over millions of years.
413
00:47:40,884 --> 00:47:43,244
But our planet is changing.
414
00:47:46,244 --> 00:47:50,244
The world's deserts
are growing bigger, hotter and drier,
415
00:47:50,324 --> 00:47:53,164
and they're doing so
faster than ever before.
416
00:47:54,724 --> 00:47:58,004
How life will cope here in the future
417
00:47:58,084 --> 00:48:00,004
remains to be seen.
418
00:48:16,524 --> 00:48:19,564
Finding animals in these vast,
empty landscapes
419
00:48:19,644 --> 00:48:22,484
was a persistent problem
for the desert team.
420
00:48:22,564 --> 00:48:25,764
But surely, this wouldn't be the case
when they set out to film
421
00:48:25,844 --> 00:48:28,884
one of the greatest concentrations
of wildlife on Earth.
422
00:48:31,964 --> 00:48:34,884
It can't be hard
to find a billion locusts,
423
00:48:35,524 --> 00:48:36,764
can it?
424
00:48:39,644 --> 00:48:40,964
Okay.
425
00:48:41,964 --> 00:48:44,004
ATTENBOROUGH: With news
that freak rains have triggered
426
00:48:44,084 --> 00:48:47,804
a mass emergence of locusts
in a remote part of Madagascar,
427
00:48:47,884 --> 00:48:50,004
the team sets off in pursuit.
428
00:48:54,044 --> 00:48:55,284
NOWLAN: Over here.
429
00:48:57,324 --> 00:48:58,804
We've got some young hopper locusts
430
00:48:58,884 --> 00:49:00,524
just crossing the road
in front of us here.
431
00:49:00,604 --> 00:49:02,884
Just had to stop the cars.
Here they are, here.
432
00:49:02,964 --> 00:49:04,204
On the side of the road, look.
433
00:49:04,924 --> 00:49:06,284
ATTENBOROUGH: Looks promising,
434
00:49:06,964 --> 00:49:09,164
but though finding hoppers is easy,
435
00:49:09,324 --> 00:49:11,484
filming them proves more of a challenge.
436
00:49:11,804 --> 00:49:14,604
CHARLES: Can we rethink this?
'Cause it's not really working.
437
00:49:14,924 --> 00:49:16,604
The locust are rarely skipping.
438
00:49:16,684 --> 00:49:19,204
Any kind of movement,
they just freak out.
439
00:49:19,284 --> 00:49:21,004
So we're now doing
our best locust-herding techniques
440
00:49:21,084 --> 00:49:23,124
to try and get them to go
in front of the lens,
441
00:49:23,204 --> 00:49:25,884
which is, uh,
proving harder than anticipated.
442
00:49:34,884 --> 00:49:38,644
This is my Monday morning
locust-herding jazz hands.
443
00:49:55,884 --> 00:49:57,684
Ah, what's that?
444
00:49:57,764 --> 00:49:59,164
It's a wasp nest.
445
00:50:03,444 --> 00:50:06,764
ATTENBOROUGH: Soon, the crew
find themselves surrounded by locusts.
446
00:50:06,844 --> 00:50:09,644
No need for jazz hands now.
447
00:50:13,364 --> 00:50:14,644
It's a good start,
448
00:50:14,724 --> 00:50:17,404
but the team still need
to film the winged swarms
449
00:50:17,484 --> 00:50:19,244
that complete the story.
450
00:50:23,244 --> 00:50:26,884
But, once airborne,
they can travel 60 miles a day,
451
00:50:26,964 --> 00:50:29,204
so finding a swarm won't be easy.
452
00:50:32,724 --> 00:50:36,324
Fortunately, the UN's
Food and Agricultural Organisation
453
00:50:36,404 --> 00:50:38,164
are here, too, to help.
454
00:50:39,484 --> 00:50:40,884
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)
455
00:50:42,284 --> 00:50:45,604
The FAO are on a mission
to eradicate the plagues
456
00:50:45,684 --> 00:50:48,044
decimating crops across Madagascar.
457
00:50:49,524 --> 00:50:51,964
And if anyone knows
where the locusts are,
458
00:50:53,284 --> 00:50:56,164
it's the local expert, Hasibelo.
459
00:50:56,764 --> 00:50:59,564
WOMAN: He thinks
that they are moving in this way.
460
00:51:01,964 --> 00:51:04,404
ATTENBOROUGH: Time to go swarm-chasing.
461
00:51:07,244 --> 00:51:09,844
But "chasing" is the operative word.
462
00:51:10,684 --> 00:51:13,844
The locusts always seem one step ahead.
463
00:51:15,564 --> 00:51:16,884
CHARLES: It's amazing, really,
464
00:51:16,964 --> 00:51:19,884
'cause this plan is just completely
radically changing hour by hour.
465
00:51:20,284 --> 00:51:24,164
We now have to travel several
hours further north, which is, uh,
466
00:51:24,244 --> 00:51:25,484
- a bit of a pain.
- It's a bit of a pain.
467
00:51:29,724 --> 00:51:31,804
ATTENBOROUGH:
As they venture into the unknown,
468
00:51:31,884 --> 00:51:34,684
it's clear it's been
a very wet year, indeed.
469
00:51:41,444 --> 00:51:43,044
Traffic is one thing,
470
00:51:43,124 --> 00:51:45,764
but boats on the road?
471
00:51:45,844 --> 00:51:47,684
CHARLES: It's, uh,
unconventional traffic.
472
00:51:47,764 --> 00:51:49,044
NOWLAN: Yeah, it is.
473
00:51:52,204 --> 00:51:55,644
ATTENBOROUGH: Progress is slow,
and soon stops altogether.
474
00:51:57,484 --> 00:51:59,524
(PEOPLE MUTTERING)
475
00:52:01,484 --> 00:52:03,884
The locusts are just across the water,
476
00:52:03,964 --> 00:52:06,084
so the team must follow,
477
00:52:08,204 --> 00:52:09,364
on this.
478
00:52:11,804 --> 00:52:13,724
What could possibly go wrong?
479
00:52:19,244 --> 00:52:21,124
We're now stuck on, uh,
480
00:52:21,204 --> 00:52:23,204
possibly the world's
most antiquated raft,
481
00:52:23,284 --> 00:52:25,404
trying to cross
a very fast-flowing river.
482
00:52:26,124 --> 00:52:28,644
But, onwards and upwards.
483
00:52:28,724 --> 00:52:31,684
Um, we've now got an hour-long
river-crossing and, uh,
484
00:52:31,764 --> 00:52:33,404
we'll just have to see
what's on the other side.
485
00:52:50,764 --> 00:52:52,324
ATTENBOROUGH:
With the river behind them,
486
00:52:52,404 --> 00:52:54,524
it should be plain sailing.
487
00:52:56,164 --> 00:52:57,644
(CHEERING)
488
00:52:58,084 --> 00:53:01,844
But once across,
the team discovers that, yet again,
489
00:53:01,924 --> 00:53:04,044
the locusts are nowhere to be seen.
490
00:53:11,204 --> 00:53:13,044
And after two weeks on the road,
491
00:53:13,124 --> 00:53:16,364
the local street food
is beginning to take its toll.
492
00:53:17,244 --> 00:53:18,724
Got it under control.
493
00:53:20,524 --> 00:53:23,124
DREWETT: So, Ed's not very well.
494
00:53:23,644 --> 00:53:25,684
Been yakking up and...
495
00:53:25,764 --> 00:53:27,804
And not very nice stomach.
496
00:53:28,604 --> 00:53:32,084
We just need to do whatever it takes now
to get us to where the swarms are.
497
00:53:33,524 --> 00:53:36,124
ATTENBOROUGH: The next day,
the team forges on.
498
00:53:37,844 --> 00:53:39,084
Briefly.
499
00:53:40,244 --> 00:53:42,844
(MAN SPEAKING LOCAL LANGUAGE)
500
00:53:43,444 --> 00:53:44,644
Here's Joel.
501
00:53:45,724 --> 00:53:47,484
- I'm tired.
- What do we think? Yeah?
502
00:53:48,604 --> 00:53:49,684
No?
503
00:53:50,284 --> 00:53:53,364
ATTENBOROUGH:
The road has turned into a bog.
504
00:53:53,444 --> 00:53:55,484
The cars can go no further.
505
00:53:55,924 --> 00:53:57,644
NOWLAN: We need to cross
this area of water
506
00:53:58,284 --> 00:54:01,804
to get to the savannah
and find our locust swarms.
507
00:54:01,884 --> 00:54:04,044
Um, and it's amazing to think
508
00:54:04,124 --> 00:54:07,724
that with the combined might
of the United Nations and the BBC,
509
00:54:07,804 --> 00:54:11,364
we are eventually defeated by a puddle.
510
00:54:12,684 --> 00:54:14,284
ATTENBOROUGH: Back to the drawing board.
511
00:54:16,364 --> 00:54:19,124
(SPEAKING LOCAL LANGUAGE)
512
00:54:19,204 --> 00:54:22,004
ATTENBOROUGH: Once again,
it's Hasibelo to the rescue.
513
00:54:23,884 --> 00:54:25,204
Well, we have a plan.
514
00:54:28,724 --> 00:54:30,724
ATTENBOROUGH: Taking to the air
was never on the cards,
515
00:54:30,804 --> 00:54:33,644
but thanks to the FAO's helicopter,
516
00:54:33,724 --> 00:54:37,044
the team can now play
the locusts at their own game.
517
00:54:46,084 --> 00:54:48,684
(PILOT SPEAKING OVER RADIO)
518
00:54:52,604 --> 00:54:54,884
(CHARLES AND PILOT SPEAKING OVER RADIO)
519
00:55:01,044 --> 00:55:02,524
ATTENBOROUGH: More smoke?
520
00:55:05,884 --> 00:55:09,204
ATTENBOROUGH: This time,
it's a billion locusts.
521
00:55:09,644 --> 00:55:11,244
(CHARLES SPEAKING OVER RADIO)
522
00:55:17,324 --> 00:55:20,484
And one very relieved producer.
523
00:55:26,684 --> 00:55:28,284
(CHARLES SPEAKING OVER RADIO)
524
00:55:29,884 --> 00:55:33,244
(CHARLES AND PILOT SPEAKING OVER RADIO)
525
00:55:33,604 --> 00:55:35,324
(LAUGHING AND CHEERING)
526
00:55:36,764 --> 00:55:40,564
ATTENBOROUGH: Against the odds,
the team has located a super-swarm.
527
00:55:58,524 --> 00:56:00,284
CHARLES: This is exactly
what we've been looking for.
528
00:56:00,364 --> 00:56:03,084
We've driven halfway across Madagascar
529
00:56:03,164 --> 00:56:04,804
to one of the most remote
parts there is.
530
00:56:04,884 --> 00:56:08,364
Oh, it's just been a nightmare,
but finally, we're here.
531
00:56:08,444 --> 00:56:11,284
I mean, this is the biggest swarm
we could have even hoped for.
532
00:56:11,364 --> 00:56:14,244
- It's just amazing.
- Look here. I'm gonna film here.
533
00:56:16,484 --> 00:56:19,684
CHARLES: It's incredibly exhilarating
and yet totally shocking
534
00:56:19,764 --> 00:56:22,724
to think the devastation
that swarms like this are causing.
535
00:56:23,044 --> 00:56:25,964
It just makes you realise
how important the FAO are
536
00:56:26,044 --> 00:56:27,684
in getting this under control.
537
00:56:32,204 --> 00:56:33,644
Just gonna run through it.
538
00:56:33,724 --> 00:56:35,404
I should be naked for this, but...
539
00:56:50,604 --> 00:56:53,124
ATTENBOROUGH: Thankfully,
Rob kept his clothes on,
540
00:56:53,204 --> 00:56:57,204
and more importantly,
this plague has now been halted.
541
00:56:57,284 --> 00:56:59,284
But not before the team had witnessed
542
00:56:59,364 --> 00:57:02,644
one of the biggest swarms
ever recorded on film.
543
00:57:15,644 --> 00:57:18,804
Next time,
we journey to the world's Great Plains.
544
00:57:19,884 --> 00:57:22,804
Where spectacular gatherings of wildlife
545
00:57:22,884 --> 00:57:25,004
cope with extreme change.
546
00:57:28,044 --> 00:57:30,124
And surprising creatures survive
547
00:57:30,204 --> 00:57:31,964
in unexpected ways.
548
00:57:36,484 --> 00:57:38,484
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)