1 00:00:18,043 --> 00:00:20,043 [quiet tranquil music plays] 2 00:00:23,523 --> 00:00:27,483 {\an8}[President Obama] Hanauma Bay is one of my favorite spots in the world. 3 00:00:29,123 --> 00:00:30,723 I grew up in Hawaii. 4 00:00:31,403 --> 00:00:32,683 This was my backyard. 5 00:00:35,883 --> 00:00:38,283 My love of the natural world began here. 6 00:00:40,483 --> 00:00:44,283 When I was growing up, wild spaces and everyday spaces, 7 00:00:44,363 --> 00:00:45,643 they were one and the same. 8 00:00:46,163 --> 00:00:48,163 An essential part of our lives. 9 00:00:50,403 --> 00:00:53,563 I wanna make sure that the world's wild spaces 10 00:00:53,643 --> 00:00:56,363 are there for my kids and my grandkids. 11 00:00:57,563 --> 00:00:58,923 Join me in this celebration 12 00:00:59,003 --> 00:01:02,203 of our planet's greatest national parks and wilderness. 13 00:01:02,723 --> 00:01:06,523 A journey through the natural wonders of our shared birthright. 14 00:01:07,403 --> 00:01:09,403 [dramatic music plays] 15 00:01:19,283 --> 00:01:21,843 My mom used to tell me that when she was pregnant, 16 00:01:21,923 --> 00:01:25,803 she'd come and sit and listen to the ocean 17 00:01:25,883 --> 00:01:28,883 and look at the waves lapping over the coral reefs. 18 00:01:30,283 --> 00:01:33,043 She used to joke that that was the reason I was so calm. 19 00:01:34,283 --> 00:01:37,563 I had spent a lot of time here even before I arrived in the world. 20 00:01:41,563 --> 00:01:42,523 When I was six, 21 00:01:42,603 --> 00:01:46,883 Hanauma Bay joined the growing number of protected wild spaces. 22 00:01:47,763 --> 00:01:51,603 What began as a common desire to secure wilderness for people to enjoy 23 00:01:52,203 --> 00:01:54,243 has become a worldwide movement 24 00:01:54,323 --> 00:01:57,523 to preserve these areas for future generations. 25 00:01:58,083 --> 00:02:00,163 [tranquil music plays] 26 00:02:10,643 --> 00:02:13,803 They're a place to escape the burdens of everyday life 27 00:02:15,043 --> 00:02:17,603 and an inspiration for our children. 28 00:02:19,283 --> 00:02:21,483 They're a haven for endangered species… 29 00:02:23,603 --> 00:02:25,923 and a hotbed for scientific research. 30 00:02:29,283 --> 00:02:32,403 Not only do they nurture the greatest array of life on Earth… 31 00:02:32,483 --> 00:02:33,363 [elephant trumpets] 32 00:02:33,443 --> 00:02:34,883 …they regulate our climate, 33 00:02:35,683 --> 00:02:36,603 clean our air, 34 00:02:37,803 --> 00:02:40,083 purify our water. 35 00:02:42,163 --> 00:02:45,363 When humanity started to protect these wild places, 36 00:02:45,443 --> 00:02:48,763 we did not realize how important they would become. 37 00:02:50,923 --> 00:02:54,563 Today, they are some of the last strongholds 38 00:02:54,643 --> 00:02:56,803 of wilderness and wildlife. 39 00:03:01,523 --> 00:03:03,803 Some remain so remote 40 00:03:04,563 --> 00:03:08,203 that we're only just starting to unravel their secrets. 41 00:03:11,723 --> 00:03:16,083 Take Loango National Park in Gabon on the west coast of Africa. 42 00:03:21,843 --> 00:03:25,003 It's a haven for tropical forest animals. 43 00:03:29,323 --> 00:03:34,083 Yet many of the creatures here are all drawn to the very same place. 44 00:03:35,123 --> 00:03:37,123 [tranquil music plays] 45 00:03:41,643 --> 00:03:42,523 The beach. 46 00:03:43,763 --> 00:03:45,763 [birds squawking] 47 00:03:49,923 --> 00:03:54,203 One of the last places where the vast Congo rain forest 48 00:03:54,283 --> 00:03:56,683 meets the Atlantic Ocean. 49 00:03:56,763 --> 00:03:58,763 [tranquil music continues] 50 00:04:02,203 --> 00:04:04,283 Buffalo graze vegetation 51 00:04:04,363 --> 00:04:06,083 coated with sea salt… 52 00:04:09,923 --> 00:04:12,683 a mineral that's hard to find in the rain forest. 53 00:04:12,763 --> 00:04:14,243 [buffalo snorts] 54 00:04:16,803 --> 00:04:18,803 [tranquil music continues] 55 00:04:27,843 --> 00:04:29,123 A red river hog… 56 00:04:32,323 --> 00:04:34,523 with a craving for fresh seafood. 57 00:04:35,483 --> 00:04:37,483 [tranquil music continues] 58 00:04:42,363 --> 00:04:47,043 African forest elephants come to the beach and mingle with marine giants. 59 00:04:50,363 --> 00:04:53,043 Like this one-ton leatherback turtle. 60 00:05:00,603 --> 00:05:02,363 And there's one creature here 61 00:05:02,443 --> 00:05:07,523 who's figured out how to make the most of all the seaside amenities. 62 00:05:13,323 --> 00:05:16,363 By day, hippos stick to freshwater lagoons. 63 00:05:17,643 --> 00:05:19,283 [water gurgles] 64 00:05:19,363 --> 00:05:20,603 Sheltering from the sun. 65 00:05:24,643 --> 00:05:25,883 As evening approaches, 66 00:05:26,563 --> 00:05:29,843 they usually trek inland to favorite grazing grounds. 67 00:05:29,923 --> 00:05:31,923 [hippo snorts] 68 00:05:33,763 --> 00:05:35,043 But not this guy. 69 00:05:36,803 --> 00:05:40,363 [hippo growls] 70 00:05:43,283 --> 00:05:45,283 [suspenseful music plays] 71 00:05:46,483 --> 00:05:47,443 [hippo snorts] 72 00:05:49,323 --> 00:05:50,763 He has other ideas. 73 00:05:55,363 --> 00:05:59,123 [hippo growls] 74 00:06:07,123 --> 00:06:08,043 He heads 75 00:06:08,843 --> 00:06:10,883 straight for the surf! 76 00:06:14,323 --> 00:06:16,323 [dramatic music plays] 77 00:06:24,043 --> 00:06:27,923 [hippo snorts] 78 00:06:31,763 --> 00:06:33,803 [dramatic music continues] 79 00:06:46,883 --> 00:06:49,803 His three-ton frame feels lighter in salt water. 80 00:06:52,283 --> 00:06:54,283 The waves wash away parasites 81 00:06:54,363 --> 00:06:56,683 and soothe the scrapes and bruises of the day. 82 00:07:05,483 --> 00:07:07,643 There's nowhere else you'll see a hippo 83 00:07:08,283 --> 00:07:09,563 in the Atlantic Ocean. 84 00:07:11,563 --> 00:07:12,483 [hippo snorts] 85 00:07:17,643 --> 00:07:19,523 But he's not here just to take a dip. 86 00:07:26,803 --> 00:07:29,163 He wants to catch the waves. 87 00:07:31,843 --> 00:07:33,843 [tranquil music plays] 88 00:07:38,523 --> 00:07:40,243 He rides the ocean swell north, 89 00:07:40,323 --> 00:07:41,323 up the coast. 90 00:07:47,283 --> 00:07:49,283 [tranquil music continues] 91 00:07:57,803 --> 00:08:00,083 Until he reaches his favorite spot for dinner. 92 00:08:14,203 --> 00:08:17,843 Now that he's worked up an appetite, he'll spend the whole night grazing. 93 00:08:26,563 --> 00:08:29,443 As the sun sets all along this coastline, 94 00:08:29,963 --> 00:08:31,883 other hippos follow suit. 95 00:08:35,923 --> 00:08:38,403 Leaving their lagoons to hang ten. 96 00:08:39,723 --> 00:08:41,723 [dramatic music plays] 97 00:08:46,843 --> 00:08:49,363 The surfing hippos of Loango. 98 00:08:53,163 --> 00:08:54,283 It just goes to show, 99 00:08:55,083 --> 00:08:58,523 the natural world can continue to surprise us 100 00:08:59,363 --> 00:09:01,883 as long as we give it space to thrive. 101 00:09:03,683 --> 00:09:05,683 [tranquil music plays] 102 00:09:11,723 --> 00:09:13,723 Nature's remaining strongholds 103 00:09:13,803 --> 00:09:16,523 are often in areas that are difficult to reach, 104 00:09:18,363 --> 00:09:21,883 making national parks important and valuable sanctuaries 105 00:09:23,523 --> 00:09:24,803 for iconic animals, 106 00:09:26,443 --> 00:09:28,963 as well as rare and extraordinary creatures. 107 00:09:35,443 --> 00:09:39,283 On the other side of Africa, on the island of Madagascar, 108 00:09:39,883 --> 00:09:43,963 the remote Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. 109 00:09:44,563 --> 00:09:46,563 [tranquil music plays] 110 00:09:50,043 --> 00:09:52,683 This inaccessible stone fortress 111 00:09:52,763 --> 00:09:57,163 has given rise to species found nowhere else on Earth. 112 00:10:00,443 --> 00:10:01,483 A rock iguana, 113 00:10:02,203 --> 00:10:05,323 recently discovered and never filmed before. 114 00:10:09,043 --> 00:10:12,683 His long digits and claws help him grip the sheer rock face. 115 00:10:14,883 --> 00:10:16,883 [tranquil music continues] 116 00:10:20,643 --> 00:10:23,523 The forest surrounding the peaks shelters rare creatures 117 00:10:24,883 --> 00:10:26,883 native only to the Tsingy. 118 00:10:34,483 --> 00:10:37,483 Including one of the park's most elusive residents. 119 00:10:41,123 --> 00:10:42,963 The Decken's sifaka. 120 00:10:49,523 --> 00:10:52,683 Many of these endangered lemurs call this park home. 121 00:10:58,443 --> 00:11:02,803 Like most primates, they spend much of their time in the safety of the trees. 122 00:11:11,803 --> 00:11:14,883 This small group has a new responsibility. 123 00:11:21,803 --> 00:11:23,803 [tranquil music plays] 124 00:11:29,963 --> 00:11:34,563 At just eight weeks old, his strength will soon be put to the test. 125 00:11:40,483 --> 00:11:42,963 So Mom gives him lots of encouragement. 126 00:11:43,043 --> 00:11:45,043 [tranquil music continues] 127 00:11:48,643 --> 00:11:50,763 Building his confidence to leave her side… 128 00:11:53,483 --> 00:11:55,403 and explore his new world. 129 00:11:59,643 --> 00:12:01,643 [tranquil music continues] 130 00:12:08,443 --> 00:12:09,483 Climbing and jumping 131 00:12:10,043 --> 00:12:12,723 is the best training for life in this park. 132 00:12:24,563 --> 00:12:25,763 In time, 133 00:12:26,563 --> 00:12:29,563 he'll cover 30 feet in a single leap. 134 00:12:29,643 --> 00:12:31,643 [tranquil music continues] 135 00:12:34,843 --> 00:12:37,963 Until then, it's baby steps. 136 00:12:50,163 --> 00:12:52,723 He may be undeterred by the oppressive heat, 137 00:12:53,443 --> 00:12:55,043 but the others save their energy 138 00:12:55,603 --> 00:12:57,243 by resting in the shade. 139 00:13:09,043 --> 00:13:11,123 It's the height of the dry season. 140 00:13:13,243 --> 00:13:17,443 Sifakas mostly rely on leaves for food and water. 141 00:13:19,643 --> 00:13:23,243 But resources in their patch of forest are running out. 142 00:13:32,483 --> 00:13:36,683 The only fresh food lies in small, shaded sanctuaries 143 00:13:36,763 --> 00:13:38,603 scattered between the peaks. 144 00:13:39,923 --> 00:13:41,923 [tense music plays] 145 00:13:45,843 --> 00:13:49,563 The females decide it's time to make a move. 146 00:13:51,643 --> 00:13:53,643 [tense music continues] 147 00:13:57,083 --> 00:13:59,243 [tense music intensifies] 148 00:14:00,163 --> 00:14:03,283 A maze of craggy, razor-sharp spires 149 00:14:03,363 --> 00:14:05,283 lie between them and survival. 150 00:14:08,603 --> 00:14:11,243 Below, gaping chasms. 151 00:14:12,763 --> 00:14:14,763 [tense music continues] 152 00:14:19,923 --> 00:14:23,723 Baby must use all his strength to cling on to Mom. 153 00:14:33,483 --> 00:14:39,363 His added weight means her every move requires pinpoint precision. 154 00:14:40,643 --> 00:14:42,643 [tense music continues] 155 00:14:51,723 --> 00:14:53,083 A single misstep 156 00:14:53,803 --> 00:14:55,123 could prove fatal. 157 00:14:58,403 --> 00:15:00,403 [tense music continues] 158 00:15:08,403 --> 00:15:09,683 It's a labyrinth, 159 00:15:10,283 --> 00:15:12,043 but they know a secret route. 160 00:15:13,723 --> 00:15:15,083 [tense music continues] 161 00:15:29,323 --> 00:15:31,563 One day, he'll learn it too, 162 00:15:32,683 --> 00:15:35,323 but, for now, he just needs to hold on 163 00:15:36,763 --> 00:15:37,603 tightly. 164 00:15:43,443 --> 00:15:46,803 Expert hunters patrol the exposed rock. 165 00:15:49,763 --> 00:15:52,643 They shouldn't stay out here any longer. 166 00:16:00,203 --> 00:16:02,203 Mom makes one last push… 167 00:16:02,723 --> 00:16:04,763 [dramatic music plays] 168 00:16:09,003 --> 00:16:10,323 …closing in on safety… 169 00:16:15,003 --> 00:16:16,123 until finally… 170 00:16:18,123 --> 00:16:21,443 they reach a sanctuary hidden between the rocks… 171 00:16:24,043 --> 00:16:25,883 full of juicy leaves. 172 00:16:27,483 --> 00:16:29,723 [tranquil music plays] 173 00:16:35,963 --> 00:16:38,803 An epic and exhausting journey. 174 00:16:45,163 --> 00:16:47,803 One he'll repeat many times 175 00:16:48,403 --> 00:16:49,763 in the years to come. 176 00:16:53,003 --> 00:16:55,003 [tranquil music plays] 177 00:16:58,243 --> 00:17:00,283 The more isolated the national park, 178 00:17:01,283 --> 00:17:03,523 the more unusual its creatures 179 00:17:04,523 --> 00:17:07,323 and the more extraordinary their behaviors. 180 00:17:09,243 --> 00:17:12,763 Which makes islands especially important to protect. 181 00:17:14,883 --> 00:17:17,603 Like this one in southern Japan. 182 00:17:19,523 --> 00:17:24,283 Home to Yakushima National Park and an ancient forest. 183 00:17:24,363 --> 00:17:26,363 [tranquil music plays] 184 00:17:30,203 --> 00:17:31,923 Moss carpets the ground. 185 00:17:34,563 --> 00:17:35,923 Fig and banyan trees 186 00:17:36,883 --> 00:17:39,123 knit their roots through the landscape. 187 00:17:42,443 --> 00:17:44,283 Giant Japanese cedars, 188 00:17:44,963 --> 00:17:49,563 some over a thousand years old, tower high overhead. 189 00:17:49,643 --> 00:17:51,643 [tranquil music continues] 190 00:17:56,443 --> 00:17:59,003 Isolation has shaped the creatures that live here. 191 00:18:00,403 --> 00:18:04,523 Many that live on islands are smaller than their mainland cousins. 192 00:18:08,283 --> 00:18:11,523 This sika deer is just three feet tall. 193 00:18:20,523 --> 00:18:23,203 His diet of dead leaves is filling, 194 00:18:23,843 --> 00:18:25,723 but it's not the tastiest. 195 00:18:25,803 --> 00:18:27,803 [jaunty music plays] 196 00:18:29,923 --> 00:18:32,883 And it doesn't satisfy his sweet tooth. 197 00:18:37,963 --> 00:18:41,603 If only he could reach the fruits and berries high above. 198 00:18:50,283 --> 00:18:52,883 But there are windfalls in Yakushima. 199 00:18:53,563 --> 00:18:55,483 If you know where to find them. 200 00:19:01,003 --> 00:19:02,603 Japanese macaques. 201 00:19:03,323 --> 00:19:05,323 [quiet jaunty music plays] 202 00:19:16,603 --> 00:19:19,083 This is the gang he was hoping to find. 203 00:19:19,883 --> 00:19:21,883 [jaunty music continues] 204 00:19:29,843 --> 00:19:32,723 Now, he just has to be patient. 205 00:19:40,443 --> 00:19:42,243 [macaques squeal] 206 00:19:43,403 --> 00:19:45,803 And the macaques are the key 207 00:19:45,883 --> 00:19:47,923 to the sweetest food in the forest. 208 00:19:48,003 --> 00:19:50,283 [macaques squeal] 209 00:19:52,123 --> 00:19:54,643 [suspenseful music plays] 210 00:20:09,763 --> 00:20:12,683 They say good things come to those who wait. 211 00:20:22,203 --> 00:20:24,563 All the deer know that these monkeys 212 00:20:25,523 --> 00:20:26,763 are messy eaters. 213 00:20:27,803 --> 00:20:29,603 [suspenseful music plays] 214 00:20:33,963 --> 00:20:36,003 [jaunty music plays] 215 00:20:39,963 --> 00:20:42,923 The food they drop is packed with sugars. 216 00:20:45,563 --> 00:20:47,763 [jaunty music continues] 217 00:21:03,203 --> 00:21:04,923 But there's only so much to go around. 218 00:21:16,883 --> 00:21:18,923 [squealing] 219 00:21:21,323 --> 00:21:24,123 The deer make the most of the feast while it lasts. 220 00:21:24,203 --> 00:21:25,283 [macaque chatters] 221 00:21:26,083 --> 00:21:28,083 [suspenseful music plays] 222 00:21:36,243 --> 00:21:38,723 But a distracted stag becomes 223 00:21:39,563 --> 00:21:40,723 the perfect plaything. 224 00:21:40,803 --> 00:21:42,803 [suspenseful music continues] 225 00:21:49,323 --> 00:21:52,843 And it turns out, there's no such thing as a free lunch. 226 00:21:52,923 --> 00:21:54,923 [jaunty music plays] 227 00:21:58,123 --> 00:22:00,043 In return for eating his fill, 228 00:22:00,123 --> 00:22:03,803 the deer is taken for a joyride. 229 00:22:03,883 --> 00:22:05,723 [jaunty music continues] 230 00:22:12,803 --> 00:22:14,923 It's good to keep your allies on your side. 231 00:22:19,203 --> 00:22:21,843 But this is definitely the last stop. 232 00:22:23,363 --> 00:22:26,003 [macaque squeals] 233 00:22:31,043 --> 00:22:36,083 Our national parks do much more than provide wildlife with food and sanctuary. 234 00:22:40,283 --> 00:22:44,003 And we're still learning the true benefits of protecting wilderness. 235 00:22:44,803 --> 00:22:46,803 [tranquil music plays] 236 00:22:49,243 --> 00:22:50,643 In 1872, 237 00:22:51,363 --> 00:22:54,363 Yellowstone, in the western United States, 238 00:22:55,323 --> 00:22:58,363 became the first national park in the world. 239 00:23:00,603 --> 00:23:04,123 Two million acres of wild space in the Rocky Mountains. 240 00:23:05,083 --> 00:23:07,083 [tranquil music continues] 241 00:23:19,123 --> 00:23:20,643 Geologically active 242 00:23:22,123 --> 00:23:23,563 and spectacular. 243 00:23:23,643 --> 00:23:27,643 [geysers roar] 244 00:23:27,723 --> 00:23:29,723 [tranquil music continues] 245 00:23:32,603 --> 00:23:35,603 Home to the largest concentration of wildlife 246 00:23:36,243 --> 00:23:38,403 in the lower 48 states. 247 00:23:43,163 --> 00:23:45,163 [tranquil music continues] 248 00:23:50,883 --> 00:23:53,283 One of America's greatest ideas. 249 00:23:55,123 --> 00:23:59,443 Established for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. 250 00:24:02,323 --> 00:24:06,043 And it caught on, sparking a global movement. 251 00:24:10,363 --> 00:24:12,803 Today, around 15% of land 252 00:24:12,883 --> 00:24:16,603 and nearly 8% of our oceans have been protected. 253 00:24:17,603 --> 00:24:19,563 Most of it in my lifetime. 254 00:24:25,443 --> 00:24:29,843 We've come to understand the true value of these last wild places 255 00:24:30,883 --> 00:24:35,283 and that what happens inside our parks affects us all. 256 00:24:45,403 --> 00:24:46,763 Take rain forests. 257 00:24:49,243 --> 00:24:53,243 They're home to more than half of all life on land. 258 00:24:58,843 --> 00:25:03,083 If you're not sure why this biodiversity is so important to protect, 259 00:25:03,163 --> 00:25:04,203 consider this. 260 00:25:04,843 --> 00:25:07,203 A quarter of all our medicines 261 00:25:07,923 --> 00:25:10,243 originated in rain forests. 262 00:25:14,963 --> 00:25:17,563 We're still discovering new medical advances 263 00:25:18,283 --> 00:25:20,123 hiding in plain sight. 264 00:25:23,963 --> 00:25:27,243 In Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio National Park, 265 00:25:27,763 --> 00:25:30,723 even familiar faces can surprise us. 266 00:25:32,523 --> 00:25:34,243 A three-fingered sloth 267 00:25:34,323 --> 00:25:35,643 enjoys the sun. 268 00:25:41,443 --> 00:25:44,043 With the slowest metabolism of any mammal, 269 00:25:44,643 --> 00:25:46,243 he can't afford to waste energy. 270 00:25:48,523 --> 00:25:49,363 But he's hungry. 271 00:25:53,763 --> 00:25:56,323 Fortunately, he doesn't have far to go. 272 00:25:57,243 --> 00:25:59,243 [jaunty music plays] 273 00:26:06,323 --> 00:26:09,923 When it can take a month to digest a single leaf, 274 00:26:10,003 --> 00:26:12,963 you may as well look for just the right one. 275 00:26:14,003 --> 00:26:16,003 [jaunty music continues] 276 00:26:19,803 --> 00:26:22,603 Like all sloths, he struggles to see. 277 00:26:23,403 --> 00:26:25,403 So he sniffs for the best leaves. 278 00:26:33,403 --> 00:26:34,883 Passing on the old ones. 279 00:26:46,043 --> 00:26:47,403 Until he finds 280 00:26:48,643 --> 00:26:49,603 perfection. 281 00:26:59,243 --> 00:27:02,163 [thunder rumbles] 282 00:27:02,243 --> 00:27:04,483 But dinner is going to have to wait. 283 00:27:06,083 --> 00:27:08,563 [rain splashes] 284 00:27:14,163 --> 00:27:15,283 The rain chills him. 285 00:27:19,643 --> 00:27:20,763 [splash] 286 00:27:21,923 --> 00:27:23,803 [growling] 287 00:27:26,323 --> 00:27:27,683 [growling] 288 00:27:38,123 --> 00:27:40,123 [tranquil music plays] 289 00:27:54,083 --> 00:27:55,603 Unlike the monkeys, 290 00:27:55,683 --> 00:27:57,963 he can't warm up by moving quickly. 291 00:28:02,923 --> 00:28:06,403 But the rain forest provides the ideal sun chair, 292 00:28:06,483 --> 00:28:09,883 from which to perform a neat trick. 293 00:28:11,083 --> 00:28:12,323 He changes color, 294 00:28:13,003 --> 00:28:14,523 turning vivid green. 295 00:28:22,723 --> 00:28:26,483 It's algae so far found only on sloths 296 00:28:26,563 --> 00:28:28,643 that gives him his unique tinge. 297 00:28:32,403 --> 00:28:33,363 And that's not all. 298 00:28:35,403 --> 00:28:39,963 There's an entire micro kingdom living in his fur. 299 00:28:40,683 --> 00:28:43,923 At least 80 species call this place home… 300 00:28:48,603 --> 00:28:50,083 including sloth moths, 301 00:28:50,163 --> 00:28:54,083 who spend their adult lives on their gentle host. 302 00:28:58,483 --> 00:29:03,403 His perfect mix of thick, damp fur, warmed by the sun, 303 00:29:03,483 --> 00:29:07,123 ensures the little world inside his coat thrives. 304 00:29:09,843 --> 00:29:12,563 That's why scientists believe that this sloth 305 00:29:12,643 --> 00:29:14,963 could now benefit all of us. 306 00:29:15,043 --> 00:29:17,043 [tranquil music plays] 307 00:29:17,843 --> 00:29:20,203 He's like a tiny pharmaceutical factory. 308 00:29:20,963 --> 00:29:23,523 Fungus in his fur produces chemicals 309 00:29:23,603 --> 00:29:27,043 that have the potential to fight cancer, malaria, 310 00:29:27,123 --> 00:29:29,723 and antibiotic-resistant superbugs. 311 00:29:29,803 --> 00:29:31,803 [tranquil music continues] 312 00:29:37,163 --> 00:29:40,123 If we can protect him and his rain forest, 313 00:29:41,803 --> 00:29:45,083 this sleepy sloth might just save us all. 314 00:29:55,763 --> 00:29:59,003 To safeguard our parks and all their inhabitants, 315 00:29:59,683 --> 00:30:04,443 we must also protect the health of lands and waters beyond their borders. 316 00:30:07,243 --> 00:30:09,043 [exciting music plays] 317 00:30:09,123 --> 00:30:12,603 Because every protected wilderness, no matter how remote, 318 00:30:13,123 --> 00:30:15,083 is connected to the outside world… 319 00:30:17,283 --> 00:30:18,843 through the movements of wind, 320 00:30:20,563 --> 00:30:21,403 water, 321 00:30:22,403 --> 00:30:23,723 and wildlife. 322 00:30:31,323 --> 00:30:33,603 Over Australia's north coast, 323 00:30:33,683 --> 00:30:38,003 a quarter of a million magpie geese flock together… 324 00:30:40,043 --> 00:30:42,883 heading for Kakadu National Park. 325 00:30:42,963 --> 00:30:44,963 [geese squawk] 326 00:30:51,123 --> 00:30:55,683 A landscape dominated by wetlands, rivers, and billabongs, 327 00:30:57,003 --> 00:30:59,923 where shifting waters shape the fortunes of all. 328 00:31:00,003 --> 00:31:02,043 [birds squawking] 329 00:31:05,403 --> 00:31:09,043 In the dry season, the geese gorge on water chestnuts 330 00:31:09,123 --> 00:31:11,043 revealed in muddy shallows. 331 00:31:15,163 --> 00:31:19,043 But one animal's good fortune can be another's peril. 332 00:31:23,763 --> 00:31:25,483 Saltwater crocodiles, 333 00:31:26,043 --> 00:31:28,643 the world's largest reptiles. 334 00:31:28,723 --> 00:31:30,723 [birds squawking] 335 00:31:33,243 --> 00:31:36,323 The dry season is a dangerous time for these predators. 336 00:31:40,923 --> 00:31:44,843 A 15-foot male trying to make his way to deeper water 337 00:31:44,923 --> 00:31:46,963 must cross a rival's patch. 338 00:31:54,203 --> 00:31:55,883 But it's worth taking the gamble. 339 00:32:03,243 --> 00:32:06,443 Crocs that don't move in time risk being entombed 340 00:32:06,523 --> 00:32:07,843 in the drying mud. 341 00:32:07,923 --> 00:32:09,923 [dramatic music swells] 342 00:32:12,523 --> 00:32:16,803 But he makes it to the river system that connects Kakadu to the sea. 343 00:32:20,403 --> 00:32:22,843 Now, his mission picks up pace. 344 00:32:25,443 --> 00:32:27,443 [tense music plays] 345 00:32:50,723 --> 00:32:52,803 He passes on his usual prey. 346 00:32:55,443 --> 00:32:57,443 [tense music continues] 347 00:32:58,923 --> 00:33:01,083 There are better options where he's heading. 348 00:33:02,483 --> 00:33:04,123 [tense music continues] 349 00:33:07,163 --> 00:33:08,963 [water splashes gently] 350 00:33:15,123 --> 00:33:17,123 [tense music plays] 351 00:33:20,723 --> 00:33:21,883 Cahills Crossing. 352 00:33:22,763 --> 00:33:27,163 A road that only floods at the highest tides of the year. 353 00:33:29,403 --> 00:33:31,403 He's timed it perfectly. 354 00:33:33,403 --> 00:33:35,403 [tense music continues] 355 00:33:41,923 --> 00:33:42,963 As the river rises, 356 00:33:44,003 --> 00:33:46,043 mullet traveling from the sea 357 00:33:46,563 --> 00:33:48,883 take their only chance to run the crossing 358 00:33:49,643 --> 00:33:53,603 and continue their journey upstream to their spawning grounds. 359 00:33:54,843 --> 00:33:56,683 And the crocs know it… 360 00:33:59,123 --> 00:34:01,363 making this possibly the greatest gathering 361 00:34:01,443 --> 00:34:03,963 of saltwater crocodiles on Earth. 362 00:34:07,523 --> 00:34:11,243 But the water's so churned up, he can't see the fish. 363 00:34:11,963 --> 00:34:14,523 So he splays his limbs 364 00:34:14,603 --> 00:34:16,043 and points his digits. 365 00:34:19,283 --> 00:34:22,363 His scales are covered in pressure sensors. 366 00:34:22,443 --> 00:34:24,443 [tense music plays] 367 00:34:25,643 --> 00:34:30,723 By spreading out, he can more accurately detect the movement of his prey. 368 00:34:48,363 --> 00:34:51,323 Driven by instinct, the mullet won't turn back. 369 00:34:52,763 --> 00:34:54,763 [dramatic music plays] 370 00:35:20,043 --> 00:35:24,883 These ancient predators have the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom. 371 00:35:27,323 --> 00:35:29,323 [dramatic music continues] 372 00:35:48,403 --> 00:35:51,323 Then, just an hour after high tide… 373 00:35:53,883 --> 00:35:54,843 it's all over. 374 00:35:59,603 --> 00:36:01,723 He returns to his solitary life, 375 00:36:03,443 --> 00:36:06,043 the beneficiary of the park's protection 376 00:36:07,603 --> 00:36:11,683 and the rich bounty that comes from the seas beyond Kakadu. 377 00:36:16,763 --> 00:36:19,283 Australia's Great Barrier Reef. 378 00:36:20,683 --> 00:36:25,603 One and a half thousand miles of reef, atolls, and islands. 379 00:36:28,043 --> 00:36:30,403 The largest coral reef system in the world. 380 00:36:31,043 --> 00:36:33,563 Most of it protected as a marine park. 381 00:36:34,963 --> 00:36:36,963 [tranquil music plays] 382 00:36:37,843 --> 00:36:39,363 Beneath the surface, 383 00:36:39,443 --> 00:36:42,763 an explosion of life and diversity. 384 00:36:43,643 --> 00:36:45,643 [tranquil music continues] 385 00:36:50,483 --> 00:36:53,283 It's a busy underwater metropolis. 386 00:36:58,163 --> 00:37:01,243 Corals represent just 1% of the ocean, 387 00:37:01,323 --> 00:37:05,083 yet support nearly a quarter of all marine life. 388 00:37:05,163 --> 00:37:07,163 [tranquil music continues] 389 00:37:24,883 --> 00:37:27,203 The Great Barrier Reef is so extraordinary… 390 00:37:29,323 --> 00:37:33,723 that even the smallest of places here has a huge role to play. 391 00:37:33,803 --> 00:37:35,803 [tranquil music continues] 392 00:37:38,203 --> 00:37:41,003 Raine Island is just half a mile long. 393 00:37:41,603 --> 00:37:44,563 A tiny strip of sand in a vast ocean. 394 00:37:49,243 --> 00:37:51,203 The park is a lifeline 395 00:37:51,283 --> 00:37:55,403 for 90% of the region's endangered green sea turtles. 396 00:37:58,643 --> 00:38:03,843 Each summer, thousands of them travel huge distances across the Pacific 397 00:38:03,923 --> 00:38:05,883 to reach this tiny island… 398 00:38:09,323 --> 00:38:12,723 the largest green turtle nesting site in the world. 399 00:38:12,803 --> 00:38:14,803 [tranquil music continues] 400 00:38:18,723 --> 00:38:23,043 Up to one million eggs are laid in the sand here every season. 401 00:38:26,123 --> 00:38:28,803 As they have been for a thousand years. 402 00:38:28,883 --> 00:38:30,883 [tranquil music continues] 403 00:38:35,043 --> 00:38:37,643 But our world is changing fast. 404 00:38:37,723 --> 00:38:40,643 Today, the accelerating pace of climate change 405 00:38:40,723 --> 00:38:42,843 is having a devastating impact. 406 00:38:46,363 --> 00:38:50,643 The hatchling's sex is determined by the temperature inside its nest. 407 00:38:53,203 --> 00:38:57,563 Hotter sands now mean that up to 99% of eggs that hatch here 408 00:38:57,643 --> 00:38:58,843 are female. 409 00:39:08,323 --> 00:39:09,203 And there's more. 410 00:39:11,563 --> 00:39:13,763 As the planet warms and waters rise, 411 00:39:15,243 --> 00:39:18,243 nest sites can flood, drowning the eggs. 412 00:39:23,923 --> 00:39:26,723 With much of the beach just inches above sea level, 413 00:39:27,843 --> 00:39:30,763 Raine Island is at serious risk. 414 00:39:39,443 --> 00:39:41,763 It's been said that we're the first generation 415 00:39:41,843 --> 00:39:44,363 to feel the impact of global warming. 416 00:39:46,003 --> 00:39:48,483 And the last that can do something about it. 417 00:39:50,963 --> 00:39:53,883 Our parks, like the rest of the planet, 418 00:39:53,963 --> 00:39:56,203 are now threatened by extreme weather, 419 00:39:57,283 --> 00:39:58,923 escalating pollution, 420 00:40:00,083 --> 00:40:02,523 and biodiversity and habitat loss. 421 00:40:03,243 --> 00:40:04,683 [tree thuds] 422 00:40:07,443 --> 00:40:12,203 Some of it, the result of the choices we all make in our daily lives. 423 00:40:15,363 --> 00:40:17,043 We risk our own well-being… 424 00:40:20,123 --> 00:40:22,363 and that of future generations. 425 00:40:24,323 --> 00:40:25,723 But we're not powerless. 426 00:40:27,643 --> 00:40:29,443 We can turn things around. 427 00:40:30,283 --> 00:40:32,243 If we act now. 428 00:40:36,243 --> 00:40:39,483 In some protected places, we already have. 429 00:40:39,563 --> 00:40:41,563 [tranquil music plays] 430 00:40:43,683 --> 00:40:47,763 In the heart of Africa, Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. 431 00:40:50,803 --> 00:40:53,203 After genocide tore the country apart, 432 00:40:53,763 --> 00:40:55,963 this tiny nation rebuilt. 433 00:40:56,043 --> 00:40:58,003 [tranquil music continues] 434 00:40:59,243 --> 00:41:00,563 And as Rwanda healed, 435 00:41:01,283 --> 00:41:03,563 it prioritized conservation. 436 00:41:07,523 --> 00:41:12,003 The rich volcanic soil is farmed right up to a discreet stone wall. 437 00:41:17,123 --> 00:41:18,163 Beyond the boundary, 438 00:41:18,683 --> 00:41:23,643 one of the last two populations of endangered mountain gorillas. 439 00:41:25,003 --> 00:41:27,003 [tranquil music continues] 440 00:41:34,683 --> 00:41:37,083 The family is making the most of the bamboo. 441 00:41:46,803 --> 00:41:49,243 There are nine females in this troop, 442 00:41:49,323 --> 00:41:51,843 including this mother with her newborn, 443 00:41:52,683 --> 00:41:55,283 the youngest gorilla in the whole park. 444 00:42:00,123 --> 00:42:04,403 Just three weeks old, she's barely able to raise her head. 445 00:42:11,083 --> 00:42:13,803 In a few months, she'll be given a name 446 00:42:13,883 --> 00:42:15,283 by the Rwandan government 447 00:42:15,363 --> 00:42:19,363 in a ceremony that celebrates the arrival of each new gorilla. 448 00:42:25,403 --> 00:42:28,643 She and her seven siblings are part of a baby boom 449 00:42:29,603 --> 00:42:32,603 which has seen mountain gorilla numbers double. 450 00:42:37,723 --> 00:42:39,923 While their father, Mirambo, 451 00:42:40,563 --> 00:42:41,843 grabs a little shut-eye, 452 00:42:42,963 --> 00:42:45,723 his three-year-old son, Paradiso, 453 00:42:45,803 --> 00:42:48,003 keeps a watchful eye over the family. 454 00:42:50,083 --> 00:42:52,003 [tranquil music plays] 455 00:42:59,443 --> 00:43:01,323 He seems keen to impress Dad… 456 00:43:02,563 --> 00:43:04,963 [tranquil music continues] 457 00:43:12,123 --> 00:43:14,803 …and has all the makings of a future leader. 458 00:43:20,403 --> 00:43:22,283 But he's gonna need some shaping. 459 00:43:22,363 --> 00:43:23,363 [gorilla snorts] 460 00:43:26,003 --> 00:43:29,483 Volcanoes National Park is a gorilla's paradise, 461 00:43:30,083 --> 00:43:31,603 but it wasn't always this way. 462 00:43:34,003 --> 00:43:38,563 Just 40 years ago, poaching and habitat destruction were rife. 463 00:43:43,603 --> 00:43:44,603 [gorilla snorts] 464 00:43:45,243 --> 00:43:48,963 But efforts to protect the gorillas mean that, today, 465 00:43:49,043 --> 00:43:51,523 Mirambo and his family are safe. 466 00:43:53,323 --> 00:43:56,083 Even when they do leave the sanctuary of their forest. 467 00:44:01,923 --> 00:44:04,283 They carefully cross the park wall. 468 00:44:05,283 --> 00:44:07,283 [cheerful music plays] 469 00:44:22,443 --> 00:44:24,443 [cheerful music swells] 470 00:44:42,963 --> 00:44:46,923 Others, too, leave the park in search of delicacies. 471 00:44:48,523 --> 00:44:51,763 Rare golden monkeys that live only in these mountains 472 00:44:51,843 --> 00:44:53,403 come to pocket potatoes. 473 00:44:54,683 --> 00:44:56,323 But wildlife isn't harmed. 474 00:44:57,123 --> 00:44:59,243 And neither do farmers lose out. 475 00:45:02,323 --> 00:45:03,923 Damaged crops are paid for, 476 00:45:04,003 --> 00:45:08,923 and revenue from wildlife tourism is reinvested in local communities. 477 00:45:11,043 --> 00:45:13,043 [cheerful music continues] 478 00:45:14,123 --> 00:45:17,923 Meaning people can live sustainably with nature. 479 00:45:19,563 --> 00:45:20,843 [gorilla snorts] 480 00:45:21,603 --> 00:45:23,603 [cheerful music continues] 481 00:45:34,283 --> 00:45:37,163 And there are plans to increase the size of the park. 482 00:45:41,563 --> 00:45:44,843 Ensuring that by the time Paradiso reigns here, 483 00:45:45,643 --> 00:45:49,963 his future, and that of his species, is secure. 484 00:45:56,083 --> 00:45:59,083 Active conservation is responsible for protecting 485 00:45:59,163 --> 00:46:02,443 so many of the world's national parks and their inhabitants. 486 00:46:06,323 --> 00:46:09,443 In Yellowstone, that's included species 487 00:46:09,523 --> 00:46:11,963 that are fundamental to a nation's identity. 488 00:46:12,043 --> 00:46:16,723 [water splashing] 489 00:46:16,803 --> 00:46:18,803 [tranquil music plays] 490 00:46:27,643 --> 00:46:29,683 Just over 100 years ago, 491 00:46:30,203 --> 00:46:33,563 American bison were facing extinction. 492 00:46:34,603 --> 00:46:36,603 [tranquil music continues] 493 00:46:39,963 --> 00:46:43,003 Today, in the safety of the trees, 494 00:46:43,083 --> 00:46:46,243 a bison calf, just minutes old. 495 00:46:46,323 --> 00:46:48,323 [tranquil music continues] 496 00:46:57,123 --> 00:47:00,723 Soon, she'll be strong enough to explore her world 497 00:47:01,483 --> 00:47:02,723 and meet her playmates. 498 00:47:14,123 --> 00:47:17,563 Some 5,000 bison now roam Yellowstone. 499 00:47:18,283 --> 00:47:21,203 A key attraction for the millions of visitors 500 00:47:21,283 --> 00:47:23,083 who come to the park each year. 501 00:47:24,603 --> 00:47:26,603 [tranquil music continues] 502 00:47:30,843 --> 00:47:34,003 The feeling of seeing a bison for the first time 503 00:47:34,603 --> 00:47:36,403 is something I will never forget. 504 00:47:37,523 --> 00:47:38,643 [bison growls] 505 00:47:40,643 --> 00:47:42,043 It's here that, as a kid, 506 00:47:42,843 --> 00:47:48,443 I started to truly appreciate for the first time my place in nature. 507 00:47:49,803 --> 00:47:53,483 That I was part of something much bigger than myself. 508 00:47:57,083 --> 00:48:00,443 I wish everybody had the chance to visit a national park. 509 00:48:01,123 --> 00:48:04,363 To experience the sheer joy and wonder of nature. 510 00:48:05,403 --> 00:48:09,163 To understand that each one of us is part of this precious natural world. 511 00:48:11,683 --> 00:48:12,723 Each breath we take. 512 00:48:15,163 --> 00:48:16,803 Each glass of water we drink. 513 00:48:18,443 --> 00:48:21,843 So many of the medical and scientific discoveries we make. 514 00:48:23,083 --> 00:48:27,523 The fabric of wild space connects to our lives in so many ways. 515 00:48:29,123 --> 00:48:30,763 It's up to us to protect it, 516 00:48:31,883 --> 00:48:32,803 to care for it, 517 00:48:33,723 --> 00:48:37,883 and to pass on these wild spaces to the next generation. 518 00:48:38,883 --> 00:48:43,283 Join me as we explore the wonders and secrets 519 00:48:43,363 --> 00:48:47,083 of some of the most extraordinary national parks on the planet. 520 00:48:48,123 --> 00:48:50,123 [tranquil music plays]