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(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
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(BIRDS CHIRPING)
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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
One quarter of all the land on Earth
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is covered by a single,
remarkable type of plant.
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Almost indestructible,
it can grow two feet in a day...
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And be tall enough to hide a giant.
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(GRUNTING)
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That plant is grass,
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and the world it creates
is truly unique.
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The grass in northern India
is the tallest on the planet,
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home to some of the most
impressive creatures to tread the Earth.
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(GRUNTS)
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(TRUMPETS)
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These are the good times,
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but in just a few months,
all this fresh growth will be gone,
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and the animals
will be forced to move on.
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That is the way things are
on grasslands across the planet.
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A cycle of abundance,
destruction and rebirth
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that affects every creature
that lives here.
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(ELEPHANTS GRUNTING)
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The largest grassland on Earth,
the vast Eurasian Steppe,
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stretches one third of the way
around our planet.
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Spring rain has brought fresh grass,
and with it, new life.
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A relic from the Ice Age,
a baby Saiga antelope,
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just three hours old.
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His only company, his twin.
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Until they can stand, their mother
has left them hidden in the grass.
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They should be safe,
as long as they remain quiet.
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(CALLS)
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For these calves,
the clock is already ticking.
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Their herd will soon be moving on,
seeking the freshest new grass.
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(CALLS)
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Their lanky legs are a sure sign that
they're built for a life on the move.
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Saiga always give birth to twins,
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so their numbers grow rapidly
just when grass is plentiful.
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Their bizarrely shaped nose
can detect fresh growth
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from hundreds of miles away.
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(SAIGAS BAWLING)
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The young twins will now
begin the nomadic life
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they share with most animals
on the world's open plains.
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(THUNDER RUMBLING)
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Grasslands occur where rain is
too sporadic for forests to exist.
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The rain that a grassland
needs to survive for a year
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might arrive all at once.
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(LIGHTNING CRACKS)
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Storms like these can release
12 inches of rain in 24 hours.
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(HEAVY RAINFALL)
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Not much fun if you're out in it.
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Eventually the earth
can't soak up any more,
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(THUNDER CRACKING)
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and the grassland undergoes
a radical change.
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(WATER FLOWING)
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Many plants would drown here,
but grasses thrive.
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They grow so fast,
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their leaves quickly rise above
the water and into the sunlight.
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Here in southern Africa,
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water transforms one of the most
remarkable grasslands on Earth,
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the Okavango.
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Every year, 5, 000 square miles
of grassland are flooded.
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For one pride of lions,
this poses a major problem.
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There may be plenty of prey around,
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but lions struggle
to run it down in water.
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The pride has three-month-old cubs.
They've never seen water before.
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(CUBS MEOWING)
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If their mothers
don't make a kill soon,
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the cubs might not survive the week.
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(YOWLS)
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But fuelled by the flood, the eruption
of grass attracts new possible prey.
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Buffalo arrive in herds 2, 000 strong.
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(GRUNTS)
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Powerful, aggressive and united,
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they're the most dangerous animal
a lion can face.
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(BUFFALO GRUNTS)
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The biggest bulls don't run.
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They're simply too huge
to be scared of lions.
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At 900 kilos, he weighs more
than all five lionesses combined.
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The pride do have numbers on their side,
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but one sweep of his horns
could be deadly.
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One distracts the bull up front,
while her sisters attack from behind.
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The cats must somehow
topple the buffalo,
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but with swamp under foot,
they can't get any traction.
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The bull is weakening,
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but the lions are tiring, too.
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It's now a battle of will
as much as strength.
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To live, the bull must somehow
shake off the lioness.
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(DRAMATIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
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The bull is wounded,
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but thanks to his two-inch-thick hide,
he will recover.
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For the pride, these are hungry times.
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(CUB WHIMPERS)
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But, ultimately, once the water recedes,
there will be new life,
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and new food to benefit all.
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In the right conditions,
grasses have the extraordinary ability
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to grow from first shoots to flower
in a matter of only days.
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Grasses become the miniature equivalents
of fruiting trees.
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(CRICKET CHIRPS)
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And for creatures living
within the grass,
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this is a landscape as vast
and towering as any rainforest.
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And excellent place
to build a tiny tree house
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for a harvest mouse.
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(SQUEAKS)
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During summer,
European meadowlands are full of food,
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but only for those that can reach it.
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(STEM CRACKS)
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Climbing grass is harder
than climbing trees,
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not least because their stems
just won't stay still.
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Her prehensile tail
acts like a fifth limb,
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so she's as agile as a monkey
clambering around in a tree.
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(STEM CREAKS)
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And just as well,
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for the best food in this tiny forest
is at the very top of its canopy.
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Feeding up here, she's exposed.
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A barn owl.
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Not her finest move...
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But it did the trick.
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Harvest mice seldom go
all the way down to the ground.
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It's a tangled and
dangerous world down here.
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(INSECTS CHITTERING)
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But she can read the pattern
of the stems overhead like a map,
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and so find her way home.
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And not a minute too soon.
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There are mouths to feed.
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(SNIFFS)
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Her babies must fatten up quickly.
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They need to harvest the summer grasses
while they're still rich with food.
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On the African savannah, too,
seasonal grasses are filled with life,
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but it won't last long.
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Carmine bee-eaters
are superb aerial hunters,
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experts at catching insects in midair.
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But they have no way of
flushing their prey out of the grass.
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(INSECTS CHITTERING)
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Once alarmed, most insects stay put.
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The bee-eaters need someone
to stir things up a bit.
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(CALLS)
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A kori bustard.
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It's the world's heaviest flying bird,
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so it should be bulky enough
to kick up some insects.
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(INSECT BUZZING)
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Bingo!
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Until someone else comes along
and cramps your style.
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(CHIRPS)
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Never mind, perhaps there are
bigger opportunities ahead.
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What about an ostrich?
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The heaviest bird of all.
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This time there's more than enough
transport to go around.
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(SQUAWKING)
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Soon, almost every ostrich
has its own passenger.
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But free riders are only
tolerated for so long.
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What the bee-eaters really need
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is a creature so big
it won't even notice them.
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(GRUNTING)
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Nothing cuts a swathe through grass
like an African bull elephant.
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The trick is to fly as close to
the front of the giant as possible.
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They only have a split second
to grab the prize.
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As more insects are stirred up,
the competition intensifies.
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(FRENZIED CHIRPING)
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With summer drawing to a close,
the race to stock up is on.
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Soon, the grass will wither,
and this opportunity will have gone.
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As the dry season takes hold,
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food becomes increasingly thin
on the ground.
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Now, only the most specialised predators
on the plains can make a living.
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She may be spotted like a cheetah,
but this cat is no sprinter.
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Instead, she has extra-long legs
which give her a high vantage point.
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But a serval cat's main weapon
are enormous radar ears.
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(GRASS RUSTLING)
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They help her pinpoint prey
hiding in the grass.
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But the prey she seeks are canny.
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Southern vlei rats.
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They know that any sustained movement
can give them away.
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So they move in short bursts.
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(RUSTLING)
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But even the slightest rustle
will give her a clue.
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(RUSTLING)
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Warm.
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(RUSTLING)
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(RUSTLES)
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Warmer.
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Missed.
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(RUSTLING)
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(ANIMAL CALLS)
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(RUSTLING)
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(SQUEAKS)
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In better times,
she could catch 10 a day,
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but now, with so few rodents around,
she will have to go hungry.
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As drought intensifies,
life gets tougher for all.
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Predators with permanent territories
must tough it out,
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while most of their prey
disappear over the horizon.
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(GRUNTING)
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To avoid starvation, many grassland
animals follow a nomadic way of life.
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Over 2, 000, 000 wildebeests wander
the East African savannahs
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chasing the rains.
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And they are not alone.
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Arriving on the wing,
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Jackson's Widowbirds
also seek fresh grass.
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(CHIRPING)
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Although, it's not just
food that they're after.
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(CHIRPS)
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This male wants a mate.
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He's grown elaborate breeding plumage
for this moment,
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00:26:38,844 --> 00:26:41,724
but he needs a stage
on which to show it off.
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By carefully selecting grass blades,
each trimmed to the correct length,
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he's creating something very special.
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He needs an even surface,
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and a centre-piece.
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The stage is set.
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His bachelor pad is sufficiently
neat and tidy to attract a female.
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The problem is,
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can she see it?
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(CHIRPS)
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He has competition.
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00:27:33,924 --> 00:27:35,284
(CHIRPING LOUDER)
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It might take more than a little
gardening to impress the ladies.
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00:27:50,804 --> 00:27:52,644
Jumping is the right idea,
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00:27:54,004 --> 00:27:56,364
but he's misjudged
the height of the grass.
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His rival makes it look easy.
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Time to raise his game.
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00:28:38,484 --> 00:28:40,764
(BOTH CHIRPING)
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00:29:09,124 --> 00:29:13,844
It's not only who jumps the highest,
but who can keep doing so the longest.
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00:29:22,924 --> 00:29:27,684
Unable to go the distance,
his rivals drop out one by one.
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Stamina has won him admirers,
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now he can show off
his courtship arena...
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And engage in a little
romantic hide-and-seek.
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Finally, he's done enough.
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The East African savannahs
support millions of grazers.
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(GRUNTING)
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Each year they devour
millions of tons of grass,
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and yet there's one creature here
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whose impact is far greater
than all these animals combined.
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They're found wherever
grass grows on the planet,
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yet their labours go
almost entirely unnoticed.
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One of the most remarkable is found here
on the grasslands of South America.
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These blades are so tough that virtually
no large grass eaters can stomach them.
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Yet they're harvested
on an industrial scale...
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00:31:13,044 --> 00:31:14,044
(CRACKING)
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...by tiny grass cutter ants.
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00:31:25,964 --> 00:31:28,724
But they themselves
can't digest one bit of it.
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So, why bother?
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The answer is underground,
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and it's very ingenious.
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Each blade is cut to length
and placed into a garden of fungus.
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The rotting grass feeds the fungus,
and in turn the fungus feeds the ants.
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00:32:09,164 --> 00:32:13,484
But feeding 5, 000, 000 workers
requires intensive agriculture.
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00:32:16,084 --> 00:32:19,324
Luckily, they are an industrious lot.
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00:32:23,804 --> 00:32:28,724
This colony alone will collect
over half a ton of grass every year.
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With billions of ant colonies
across the world's grasslands
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all doing exactly the same thing,
that's a mind-boggling amount of grass.
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It's estimated that over one third
of the grass that grows on Earth
248
00:33:14,484 --> 00:33:17,124
will be harvested by an insect.
249
00:33:23,204 --> 00:33:29,044
In northern Australia, termites
memorialise their industry in sculpture.
250
00:33:37,004 --> 00:33:40,044
These astonishing mounds
are 10 feet tall.
251
00:33:40,804 --> 00:33:43,724
They're always built
on a north-south axis,
252
00:33:43,804 --> 00:33:47,084
which is why their builders
are called compass termites.
253
00:34:00,644 --> 00:34:02,364
These castles of clay
254
00:34:02,444 --> 00:34:05,164
protect their builders
from extremes of heat
255
00:34:05,244 --> 00:34:09,084
and seasonal floods
experienced on many grasslands.
256
00:34:20,604 --> 00:34:24,884
Termites manage to do
what most grass eaters can't,
257
00:34:25,964 --> 00:34:29,284
break down dead grass
and extract the nutrients.
258
00:34:30,644 --> 00:34:34,524
But they themselves can be food
for those that can reach them.
259
00:34:35,284 --> 00:34:36,604
(SUCKING NOISE)
260
00:34:40,204 --> 00:34:41,964
A two-foot-long tongue
261
00:34:43,284 --> 00:34:45,404
covered in microscopic hooks,
262
00:34:48,804 --> 00:34:53,164
followed by claws longer
than those of a velociraptor.
263
00:34:55,764 --> 00:34:56,764
(SNIFFING)
264
00:34:59,364 --> 00:35:02,804
A giant anteater
on the plains of South America.
265
00:35:04,084 --> 00:35:05,084
(SLURPING)
266
00:35:07,764 --> 00:35:10,844
It can devour 20, 000 insects a day.
267
00:35:16,124 --> 00:35:21,364
Powerful forelegs enable it to rip apart
a termite hill with ease.
268
00:35:31,364 --> 00:35:36,484
And as the sun bakes the grass,
the termites face new danger.
269
00:35:45,044 --> 00:35:46,564
(FIRE CRACKLES)
270
00:35:58,564 --> 00:36:02,644
In minutes, fire turns grassland to ash.
271
00:36:16,524 --> 00:36:22,044
But the grasses are not dead.
Their underground stems are unharmed.
272
00:36:25,324 --> 00:36:27,684
Weeks, months may pass,
273
00:36:28,124 --> 00:36:32,844
but eventually the rains will return
and the grass will sprout again.
274
00:36:39,964 --> 00:36:45,164
Some grasslands must endure
not only fire, but ice.
275
00:36:50,484 --> 00:36:55,164
As winter approaches, the prairies
of North America begin to freeze.
276
00:36:56,444 --> 00:36:57,444
(CRACKING)
277
00:37:05,564 --> 00:37:07,124
(LOW GROWLING)
278
00:37:11,164 --> 00:37:13,684
In summer, bison roamed freely,
279
00:37:13,764 --> 00:37:17,244
almost continuously cropping
the abundant green grass.
280
00:37:19,164 --> 00:37:24,364
Now, that grass is not only withered
and frozen, it's about to be buried.
281
00:37:45,924 --> 00:37:50,604
Sixty million tons of snow
now blanket this herd's territory.
282
00:37:52,564 --> 00:37:53,724
(SNORTING)
283
00:37:54,644 --> 00:37:57,884
Pushing through deep snow
is exhausting work,
284
00:37:57,964 --> 00:38:00,564
and the bison are now slowly starving.
285
00:38:07,564 --> 00:38:10,844
Just keeping warm
saps huge amounts of energy.
286
00:38:11,844 --> 00:38:13,764
(GROWLS)
287
00:38:17,364 --> 00:38:21,484
Their thick coats can insulate them
down to minus 20 Fahrenheit.
288
00:38:22,404 --> 00:38:24,324
It's now minus 40.
289
00:38:27,324 --> 00:38:32,964
The only thing that will keep them alive
is buried beneath three feet of snow.
290
00:38:37,604 --> 00:38:41,084
And that's a problem shared
with a surprising neighbour.
291
00:38:58,964 --> 00:39:02,604
The food the fox seeks
is also deep beneath the snow.
292
00:39:10,284 --> 00:39:11,724
(GRUNTING)
293
00:39:14,964 --> 00:39:19,604
The survival of both creatures depends
on getting through to the ground.
294
00:39:25,084 --> 00:39:28,684
For the bison, it will be
a matter of brute strength.
295
00:39:33,444 --> 00:39:38,124
Massive neck muscles enable them
to shovel five tonnes of snow a day.
296
00:39:44,604 --> 00:39:47,524
Their light-weight neighbour
needs more precision.
297
00:40:07,964 --> 00:40:08,964
(CHEWING)
298
00:40:15,124 --> 00:40:17,084
The bison have reached their goal,
299
00:40:17,884 --> 00:40:20,244
a mouthful of withered grass.
300
00:40:24,004 --> 00:40:28,604
And where the bison have dug,
the fox now spots an opportunity.
301
00:40:37,564 --> 00:40:39,644
Every footstep counts,
302
00:40:42,604 --> 00:40:44,244
but he mustn't break through...
303
00:40:45,244 --> 00:40:46,244
Yet.
304
00:40:49,524 --> 00:40:52,924
He listens carefully
to pinpoint his target.
305
00:40:57,524 --> 00:40:58,564
(PATTERING)
306
00:40:58,644 --> 00:40:59,644
It's moving.
307
00:41:17,804 --> 00:41:18,804
(SQUEAKS)
308
00:41:21,324 --> 00:41:22,324
A vole.
309
00:41:24,884 --> 00:41:30,244
Small, but 100 times more nutritious
than a mouthful of dried grass.
310
00:41:36,964 --> 00:41:42,924
To get through the winter on these
prairies, sometimes brain beats brawn.
311
00:41:49,644 --> 00:41:55,124
Ultimately, life on all grasslands
depends on the turn of the seasons.
312
00:42:07,924 --> 00:42:08,924
(CRACKING)
313
00:42:20,764 --> 00:42:24,244
Five hundred miles further north
than any tree can survive,
314
00:42:24,324 --> 00:42:26,924
grass returns to life.
315
00:42:35,724 --> 00:42:36,724
(CALLS)
316
00:42:37,724 --> 00:42:40,924
Caribou females have
journeyed to the far north
317
00:42:41,684 --> 00:42:42,804
to calve.
318
00:42:43,284 --> 00:42:44,364
(CALLS)
319
00:42:46,644 --> 00:42:51,444
Over 70, 000 caribou babies
will be born in the next few days.
320
00:42:56,284 --> 00:43:01,124
As the calves appear, so too do the
leaves of the newly sprouting grass.
321
00:43:04,644 --> 00:43:06,644
And the calves must strengthen quickly.
322
00:43:07,044 --> 00:43:10,284
Within days they will have to
keep up with their parents
323
00:43:10,404 --> 00:43:12,364
on a never-ending march.
324
00:43:17,364 --> 00:43:22,404
At one day old, they're already faster
than an Olympic sprinter.
325
00:43:23,524 --> 00:43:27,524
They're testing the legs that will
carry them thousands of miles,
326
00:43:29,044 --> 00:43:31,324
better to learn their limitations now.
327
00:43:39,444 --> 00:43:40,564
(CALLS)
328
00:43:45,724 --> 00:43:47,844
(CARIBOU GRUNTING)
329
00:43:51,244 --> 00:43:55,364
It may look playful, but there's
no harder life on the grasslands
330
00:43:55,444 --> 00:43:58,084
than that facing these infants.
331
00:44:01,484 --> 00:44:03,724
The caribou mothers now join together,
332
00:44:03,804 --> 00:44:06,884
each with an infant
exactly the same age.
333
00:44:15,444 --> 00:44:20,564
They're setting off on the greatest
overland trek made by any animal.
334
00:44:43,724 --> 00:44:48,884
But wherever grass eaters travel,
predators lie in wait.
335
00:44:50,604 --> 00:44:51,644
(CARIBOU CALLING)
336
00:44:55,684 --> 00:44:59,564
Here they are, Arctic wolves.
337
00:45:06,684 --> 00:45:08,284
They must seize their chance
338
00:45:08,364 --> 00:45:10,844
while the caribou
pass through their territory.
339
00:45:43,964 --> 00:45:45,164
(PANTING)
340
00:45:46,964 --> 00:45:51,564
The wolf runs at the herd, trying to
flush out the weak or the slow.
341
00:46:00,964 --> 00:46:02,644
A calf is separated.
342
00:46:11,004 --> 00:46:15,724
At full tilt, 40 miles an hour,
the wolf is just faster.
343
00:46:24,044 --> 00:46:26,524
But the calf has stamina.
344
00:46:56,124 --> 00:47:01,524
Only a few weeks old, and this
calf's will to survive is remarkable.
345
00:47:06,844 --> 00:47:08,684
And it needs to be,
346
00:47:09,124 --> 00:47:12,084
for these young caribou
have now started a journey
347
00:47:12,364 --> 00:47:14,204
that will last a lifetime.
348
00:47:17,524 --> 00:47:22,324
Forever chasing the seasonal growth
of the grass on which they depend.
349
00:47:31,404 --> 00:47:34,604
Like all grassland creatures,
they are at the mercy
350
00:47:34,684 --> 00:47:39,124
of these unpredictable
but ultimately bountiful lands.
351
00:47:45,244 --> 00:47:49,204
Grass can survive some of
the harshest conditions on Earth,
352
00:47:49,284 --> 00:47:53,564
flood, fire and frost,
and still flourish.
353
00:48:03,804 --> 00:48:07,204
So it is that grasslands
provide a stage
354
00:48:07,484 --> 00:48:11,164
for the greatest gatherings of wildlife
on planet Earth.
355
00:48:25,804 --> 00:48:29,524
For the grasslands team,
no location would prove as challenging
356
00:48:29,644 --> 00:48:33,284
as that dominated by elephant grass
in northeast India.
357
00:48:34,684 --> 00:48:39,724
The aim, to capture intimate images of
some the world's most elusive creatures
358
00:48:40,164 --> 00:48:42,364
using the latest technology.
359
00:48:49,524 --> 00:48:51,444
But they will need to be careful.
360
00:48:53,884 --> 00:48:54,884
(COCKS GUN)
361
00:48:55,804 --> 00:48:56,804
(ELEPHANT TRUMPETS)
362
00:48:56,924 --> 00:49:00,124
More people are killed by wildlife
here in Kaziranga
363
00:49:02,564 --> 00:49:05,524
than in any other
national park on the planet.
364
00:49:07,604 --> 00:49:09,404
Every time we go into these tunnels,
365
00:49:10,084 --> 00:49:11,764
we have to take an armed guard,
366
00:49:12,404 --> 00:49:14,924
'cause there are so many animals
in here that are dangerous.
367
00:49:15,004 --> 00:49:17,164
Tigers are probably
the least of our worries,
368
00:49:17,484 --> 00:49:19,204
but rhinos and buffalo,
369
00:49:19,604 --> 00:49:22,004
elephants, sloth bear,
all of them can injure you.
370
00:49:22,204 --> 00:49:24,284
And we gotta keep up
with our armed guard.
371
00:49:30,284 --> 00:49:32,604
ATTENBOROUGH: The team have bumped
into their first obstacle.
372
00:49:34,324 --> 00:49:35,804
SANDESH: There's a rhino right there.
373
00:49:39,004 --> 00:49:43,284
Let's go back because it's too risky
going through this heavy grass.
374
00:49:45,684 --> 00:49:47,004
Let's get in the open.
375
00:49:48,404 --> 00:49:50,244
- (SPEAKING LOCAL LANGUAGE)
- There's another rhino.
376
00:49:52,044 --> 00:49:54,244
- Now we have two rhinos.
- Let's get in here.
377
00:49:56,604 --> 00:49:57,604
Okay.
378
00:49:58,324 --> 00:50:01,564
ATTENBOROUGH: The guard throws
a ball of mud to one side of the rhinos,
379
00:50:01,804 --> 00:50:04,364
moving the animals on
without harming them.
380
00:50:05,364 --> 00:50:06,684
(SHOUTS)
381
00:50:12,444 --> 00:50:14,444
- We're okay. It's gone.
- Okay.
382
00:50:14,804 --> 00:50:16,124
What about the other one?
383
00:50:16,364 --> 00:50:17,524
Let's go, quick.
384
00:50:22,044 --> 00:50:24,604
ATTENBOROUGH: With the rhinos
now a safe distance away,
385
00:50:24,684 --> 00:50:28,604
the crew focus on the best spots
to position their camera traps.
386
00:50:29,124 --> 00:50:30,844
I love that tunnel, the effect.
387
00:50:34,964 --> 00:50:38,364
ATTENBOROUGH: Over 100 scaffold poles
provide the anchor points
388
00:50:38,444 --> 00:50:40,324
for these secret cameras.
389
00:50:41,324 --> 00:50:43,684
When an animal triggers
an infrared beam,
390
00:50:43,764 --> 00:50:47,004
the cameras will switch on automatically
and start recording.
391
00:50:48,284 --> 00:50:52,844
If it works, the remote-control cameras
should capture close-up footage
392
00:50:53,004 --> 00:50:56,324
without disturbing the animals
or putting the crew at risk.
393
00:50:57,724 --> 00:51:00,804
Basically, that's about as much
like grass as we can make it look.
394
00:51:00,884 --> 00:51:01,884
(CRICKETS CHIRP)
395
00:51:02,724 --> 00:51:06,124
ATTENBOROUGH: As night falls,
the crew head back to base for safety.
396
00:51:08,244 --> 00:51:11,964
It's time for the new technology
to prove its worth.
397
00:51:17,884 --> 00:51:22,484
At dawn, the crew have
a whodunnit mystery on their hands.
398
00:51:22,684 --> 00:51:24,324
CHADDEN: Oh, wow.
399
00:51:25,124 --> 00:51:26,324
That's carnage!
400
00:51:27,724 --> 00:51:29,484
This looks like elephant, we think?
401
00:51:30,884 --> 00:51:32,724
This is scaffold pole
402
00:51:34,124 --> 00:51:36,604
they have bent.
Look at that. (CHUCKLES)
403
00:51:39,964 --> 00:51:42,644
It's a sad day.
You win some, you lose some.
404
00:51:43,204 --> 00:51:45,644
And this time,
the animals have outsmarted us.
405
00:51:46,684 --> 00:51:48,804
In fact, check this out.
(CHUCKLES)
406
00:51:49,324 --> 00:51:50,364
Whoo-hoo.
407
00:51:50,444 --> 00:51:55,084
So this is our little army of guards,
protecting our trigger box.
408
00:51:55,684 --> 00:51:58,484
Do they bite? These ones, they bite?
409
00:51:59,044 --> 00:52:00,084
Sting?
410
00:52:00,164 --> 00:52:02,004
Whoa! Argh! Ow!
411
00:52:02,684 --> 00:52:04,804
The little (BLEEP).
412
00:52:08,404 --> 00:52:10,564
ATTENBOROUGH: While Chadden
irons out the bugs,
413
00:52:11,524 --> 00:52:14,364
Sandesh has met some grumpy locals.
414
00:52:18,124 --> 00:52:21,684
Wild Asian water buffalo
have extraordinary senses.
415
00:52:24,204 --> 00:52:26,724
Mothers will charge
if they feel threatened.
416
00:52:29,604 --> 00:52:33,084
The guard carries a gun,
in case a warning shot is needed,
417
00:52:33,244 --> 00:52:34,644
and with good reason.
418
00:52:37,404 --> 00:52:42,724
More people are killed by buffalo
than by any other animal in Kaziranga.
419
00:52:44,364 --> 00:52:45,444
(GRUNTS)
420
00:52:48,204 --> 00:52:49,724
(SHOUTS)
421
00:52:49,804 --> 00:52:51,524
That'll wake you up in the morning.
422
00:52:52,244 --> 00:52:55,724
ATTENBOROUGH: Many of the park staff
have cautionary tales about buffalo.
423
00:52:56,204 --> 00:52:59,124
(SPEAKING HINDI)
424
00:53:00,124 --> 00:53:03,684
The buffalo caught him here,
through his throat
425
00:53:04,364 --> 00:53:07,244
and the horn came out through his mouth
426
00:53:07,764 --> 00:53:10,284
and flung him before running away.
427
00:53:10,364 --> 00:53:12,844
It's a miracle that he's still alive.
428
00:53:15,044 --> 00:53:17,564
ATTENBOROUGH: If the wildlife
is unfriendly to humans,
429
00:53:18,804 --> 00:53:21,764
it's proving downright hostile
to camera traps.
430
00:53:22,164 --> 00:53:25,484
CHADDEN: Completely ripped out
the scaffold poles,
431
00:53:26,284 --> 00:53:29,284
they've torn the triggers.
432
00:53:30,484 --> 00:53:32,644
ATTENBOROUGH: While Chadden
is convinced it's elephants,
433
00:53:32,724 --> 00:53:34,564
the rest of the crew are not so sure.
434
00:53:34,644 --> 00:53:36,044
SANDESH: This is huge!
435
00:53:36,684 --> 00:53:38,404
It's almost like a human footprint.
436
00:53:38,844 --> 00:53:41,844
You can see the front paw, the rear paw.
437
00:53:42,004 --> 00:53:46,364
CHADDEN: We are now two weeks in
and it's very frustrating.
438
00:53:46,604 --> 00:53:49,204
I've never actually been anywhere
where the animals
439
00:53:49,924 --> 00:53:52,604
go after your equipment and destroy it,
more than here.
440
00:53:53,724 --> 00:53:56,884
ATTENBOROUGH: It's time for the team
to do some detective work.
441
00:53:58,844 --> 00:54:01,684
Here is our little security camera.
442
00:54:01,764 --> 00:54:04,964
If any animals are coming through
and vandalising our main cameras,
443
00:54:05,684 --> 00:54:09,124
we hope that they're being caught
on these little things.
444
00:54:12,164 --> 00:54:14,604
ATTENBOROUGH: As the crew
up their spying efforts,
445
00:54:14,684 --> 00:54:17,084
the guards take them
to a promising lead.
446
00:54:18,124 --> 00:54:21,324
Nothing attracts tigers
like a rhino carcass.
447
00:54:22,004 --> 00:54:24,924
It's very fresh.
It's like from the morning.
448
00:54:25,284 --> 00:54:27,164
And it looks like there's a tiger cub,
449
00:54:28,164 --> 00:54:33,004
so it should be a tigress with cubs,
coming to feed on this rhino carcass.
450
00:54:33,284 --> 00:54:34,364
It's pretty cool.
451
00:54:35,804 --> 00:54:39,444
ATTENBOROUGH: Chadden decides to give
the camera traps one last chance.
452
00:54:40,124 --> 00:54:44,884
If there are tigers around, they might
scare away the mystery vandals.
453
00:54:46,404 --> 00:54:47,684
Elsewhere in the park,
454
00:54:47,764 --> 00:54:51,404
the security cameras are
turning up some unexpected results.
455
00:54:51,884 --> 00:54:55,444
At nighttime, survived another... Ooh!
456
00:54:56,124 --> 00:54:57,244
It's a bear.
457
00:54:58,244 --> 00:54:59,964
Wow, that's a very rare sighting.
458
00:55:00,124 --> 00:55:01,804
SANDESH: I've never seen a bear
in Kaziranga.
459
00:55:01,884 --> 00:55:03,444
In all my years, never.
460
00:55:04,844 --> 00:55:08,684
- Oh, his fingernails...
- Look at his claws, right on the lens.
461
00:55:09,684 --> 00:55:11,844
CHADDEN: So I thought
this was elephant damage.
462
00:55:12,844 --> 00:55:15,924
I never thought we'd see
a sloth bear doing that.
463
00:55:16,764 --> 00:55:17,804
That's amazing.
464
00:55:21,884 --> 00:55:26,124
ATTENBOROUGH: A return to
the rhino carcass and the plot thickens.
465
00:55:27,484 --> 00:55:28,804
SANDESH: Our transmitter's gone.
466
00:55:29,684 --> 00:55:31,044
CHADDEN: That's what tigers
think of camera traps.
467
00:55:31,124 --> 00:55:33,044
CREW MEMBER: Do you think
there's a bit over there?
468
00:55:33,204 --> 00:55:34,204
Pieces.
469
00:55:34,644 --> 00:55:38,164
ATTENBOROUGH: The security cameras
have caught a new culprit.
470
00:55:38,284 --> 00:55:40,164
CHADDEN: Oh, my goodness,
there they are.
471
00:55:40,244 --> 00:55:41,244
SANDESH: Ooh!
472
00:55:41,364 --> 00:55:43,644
There it's a tigress, see that.
It's a tigress.
473
00:55:43,724 --> 00:55:45,924
It snarled at the camera trap,
look at that.
474
00:55:46,004 --> 00:55:47,524
Sure don't like camera traps.
475
00:55:48,284 --> 00:55:49,284
Okay.
476
00:55:50,684 --> 00:55:52,804
ATTENBOROUGH:
With the technology struggling,
477
00:55:52,884 --> 00:55:56,484
Sandesh decides
to put himself on the frontline.
478
00:55:56,564 --> 00:55:58,324
CHADDEN: It's on.
SANDESH: And now we're ready.
479
00:55:59,204 --> 00:56:00,524
Time to get the tiger.
480
00:56:02,164 --> 00:56:05,684
ATTENBOROUGH: He'll have no protection
apart from a thin wall of grass,
481
00:56:06,004 --> 00:56:09,684
and must hope he's as well-hidden
as the local wildlife.
482
00:56:11,884 --> 00:56:15,124
Over the next five days,
Sandesh plays the role
483
00:56:15,204 --> 00:56:16,844
of human camera trap.
484
00:56:18,724 --> 00:56:19,844
(BIRDS CAWING)
485
00:56:19,924 --> 00:56:23,804
Eventually, the more
hands-on approach pays off.
486
00:56:50,164 --> 00:56:53,364
Traditional filming methods
and a little bit of patience,
487
00:56:53,564 --> 00:56:57,364
have helped reveal the
hidden creatures of Kaziranga.
488
00:57:02,284 --> 00:57:03,284
(GRUNTS)
489
00:57:03,404 --> 00:57:06,364
But it's good to know
there are still wild places
490
00:57:06,484 --> 00:57:09,524
where animals like to keep
their secrets.
491
00:57:13,204 --> 00:57:14,484
(CREAKING)
492
00:57:15,804 --> 00:57:17,164
CHADDEN: I knew it was elephants.
493
00:57:20,204 --> 00:57:21,324
ATTENBOROUGH: Next time,
494
00:57:22,684 --> 00:57:25,404
we venture to
the newest habitat on Earth,
495
00:57:26,084 --> 00:57:27,604
our cities.
496
00:57:28,404 --> 00:57:31,284
To reveal the extraordinary ways
497
00:57:32,004 --> 00:57:35,324
that animals survive
in this man-made world.
498
00:57:40,204 --> 00:57:42,204
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)