1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,960 'Filmed over three years... 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:09,960 '..in more than 60 locations... 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,960 '..making a series like A Year On Planet Earth 4 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,960 'would be impossible without the collaboration of scientists, 5 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,960 'conservationists and local people. 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:29,480 'They work in the world's most incredible locations.' 7 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,960 I get to see the mantas every day. 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:34,960 I am living the dream. 9 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:39,960 It's completely wild. It looks like something out of Jurassic Park. 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,960 'Using pioneering technology, 11 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,960 'they uncover behaviour never seen before.' 12 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,960 It's most surreal. I could see through the eyes of a penguin. 13 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,320 Oh, there's a hammer! Look at that. 14 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,960 The big hammerhead is trying to feed on these blacktips. 15 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:58,960 Every time I go up, I still love it. 16 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,960 'They use unconventional methods.' 17 00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:14,640 'But they also bear witness 18 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,960 'to the pressures of human activity on the natural world.' 19 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:19,960 If the oceans carry on warming, 20 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:23,000 we might not have king penguins by the end of the century. 21 00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:28,960 'Even putting their lives on the line...' 22 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:30,960 You have to pretend as if you are a criminal. 23 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:33,960 '..for future generations.' 24 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:35,960 I hope to pass on whatever knowledge I have 25 00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:37,960 to generations that come 26 00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:39,960 because they are wonderful creatures. 27 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:42,960 We should really care about them. 28 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:45,960 'Through their work, they experience first-hand 29 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:48,960 'the challenges of the changing seasons, 30 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,480 'the highs and lows of a year on planet Earth. 31 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,960 'These are their stories. 32 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,960 'Halfway between South Africa and the Antarctic, 33 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:24,640 'deep in the Southern Ocean, 34 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:27,960 'lies one of the most remote islands on the planet. 35 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:37,960 'Marion Island is one of the last true untouched havens for wildlife. 36 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,960 'And home to more than a million penguins.' 37 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,960 It really is absolutely breath-taking. 38 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,960 It's covered with the most incredible wildlife. 39 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,320 You can't not be amazed by this place. 40 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:00,160 The landscape is very beautiful. 41 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,960 It's an isolated place 42 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:03,960 where there's nobody 43 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,960 except the scientists that come to work here. 44 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,960 'The South African National Antarctic Programme 45 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,960 'runs a base with a small field team 46 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,800 'that studies the impacts of climate change.' 47 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,960 Besides the base, 48 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,320 there's no real structural development, 49 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,160 there's no fences, there's no walkways. 50 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:27,960 It's completely wild. 51 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,960 'The base has been manned 365 days a year 52 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,960 'for nearly 40 years. 53 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,960 'Enabling a study unmatched anywhere else in the world. 54 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,960 'But 2020 posed a problem. 55 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,960 'The global pandemic meant that, for the first time in decades, 56 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,960 'fieldwork ground to an abrupt halt. 57 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,960 'Until hope arrived from an unexpected direction. 58 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:08,640 'Marion Island caught the eye of the A Year On Planet Earth team. 59 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,960 'Because of the unique habitat, the island is protected... 60 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,960 '..and filming hadn't been allowed there for 20 years. 61 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,960 'But the pandemic presented an opportunity 62 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:28,960 'for the perfect partnership. 63 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,000 'The film crew chartered an Antarctic vessel, 64 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,960 'and by offering passage to key scientists, 65 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,960 'they were granted unprecedented filming access 66 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:43,960 'to one of the world's last true wildernesses. 67 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,960 'Following a gruelling eight days... 68 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,960 '..through the unforgiving Southern Ocean... 69 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:02,960 '..the team arrives and gets straight to work.' 70 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:05,000 I'm Danielle Keys. 71 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,960 I am a PhD student at the Nelson Mandela University. 72 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,960 I monitor and observe seabirds. 73 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,480 I absolutely love being hands-on with animals 74 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,960 that don't have this internal fear of humans. 75 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,960 You can get really close to them without scaring them off, 76 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:32,960 which is incredible. 77 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,480 'This allows the scientists 78 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,960 'to take regular health checks and measurements of the animals 79 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:45,960 'on the island.' 80 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,960 'To assess the impact of climate change, 81 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,960 'the team needs to monitor what the animals are eating, 82 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,960 'and whether this is changing over time.' 83 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:09,960 My name is Frikkie van der Vyver, and I'm a field biologist 84 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:12,960 with Pretoria University's marine mammal research programme. 85 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,960 'Analysing the diet of a marine mammal 86 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:19,960 'used to be daunting task. 87 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,960 'But these days, there's a clever solution. 88 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:25,960 'For the fur seals of Marion, 89 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,960 'the answer is hiding in their whiskers.' 90 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:34,960 The whole whisker is a timeline 91 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:36,160 of the animal's diet. 92 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,960 If you think about it, we are what we eat, 93 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:40,960 so everything that a seal, for example, eats 94 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:42,480 gets laid down in its whiskers, 95 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,960 and scientists can study a number of years back 96 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:48,960 what the seal has been eating 97 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:50,960 through doing analysis on its whisker. 98 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,960 'Monitoring the diet of Marion's vast penguin population 99 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:03,960 'is done very differently. 100 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:09,960 'Penguins spend up to 75% of their time in the ocean, 101 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,480 'so, until recently, much of their lives 102 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:13,960 'remained a mystery. 103 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,960 'But thanks to a pioneering new project, 104 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:21,960 'the team has developed a way 105 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,960 'to follow Marion's four different penguin species 106 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:26,960 'far out at sea.' 107 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,800 By putting cameras on their backs, 108 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,960 we can see what they do out in the open ocean. 109 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:43,960 We will put more than one device on them. 110 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:48,800 We will put a camera on their backs, as well as a GPS device. 111 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:51,640 It doesn't hurt their feathers, 112 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,960 and the devices are small enough to not impact how they swim. 113 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:57,960 We get a bird's-eye view 114 00:07:57,960 --> 00:07:59,960 of what they actually see in the ocean. 115 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:02,960 'The footage reveals behaviour 116 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:04,960 'never seen before. 117 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:12,960 'Gentoo penguins wrestle over the largest squid 118 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:14,960 'every observed in their diet. 119 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,960 'While the cameras give us an intimate view, 120 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:34,960 'GPS data shows exactly where the penguins go on feeding trips. 121 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:37,960 'King penguin parents 122 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,960 'sometimes leave their chicks for months to find food. 123 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:44,960 'And the data reveals 124 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,960 'they are undertaking a journey of epic proportions.' 125 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:52,320 We found that these birds 126 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,960 are travelling hundreds of kilometres south, 127 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,960 all the way to the South Antarctic polar front, 128 00:08:57,960 --> 00:08:58,960 and they're foraging there 129 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,960 in this incredibly nutrient-rich environment. 130 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:06,960 'But the studies are also revealing 131 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:08,960 'an accelerating crisis.' 132 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:10,960 As our oceans are warming, 133 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,960 this current is moving further south, 134 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,800 which means that these penguins need to forage a whole lot further 135 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:18,960 in order to catch their prey. 136 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,960 So their chicks are left on the beaches a lot longer, 137 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:25,960 and often their parents don't come back 138 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:27,640 with enough food for them. 139 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:29,960 If this carries on, 140 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,800 if the oceans carry on warming the way that they are, 141 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,960 there's a good chance that we might not have king penguins 142 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:37,960 by the end of the century. 143 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,960 'The scientists' observations over the past 40 years 144 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:46,960 'provide hard evidence 145 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:51,320 'that climate change is having an impact, 146 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:55,960 'and they show the importance of studying and protecting 147 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,960 'this unique, pristine environment. 148 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,960 'During these opening weeks of the year, 149 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:08,960 'the sun's most direct rays 150 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:10,960 'fall on the southern half of the planet. 151 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,960 'In the Northern Hemisphere, it's winter. 152 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:24,960 'Those that can have fled the cold to follow the sun south.' 153 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:43,960 'The arrival of one such migrant 154 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:47,960 'is eagerly anticipated in Southern Florida.' 155 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,640 My favourite time of year in South Florida 156 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:56,960 has to be the winter. That's when the sharks are here. 157 00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:03,960 In the fall, as water temperatures start to drop, 158 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:05,960 these sharks will start moving south 159 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,960 to stay within their preferred water temperature. 160 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:13,480 My name is Stephen Kajiura. I'm a professor 161 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:14,960 in the Department of Biological Sciences 162 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:16,960 at Florida Atlantic University. 163 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:23,960 Ever since I was a little kid, like, four or five years old, 164 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,800 I thought sharks were really cool. I remember going to the library 165 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:29,960 and getting out as many shark books as I could. 166 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,960 And I was just fascinated. 167 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:34,960 I wanted to study sharks. 168 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:36,960 'Stephen's childhood obsession 169 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:40,960 'led him into a career in marine biology, 170 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,960 'specialising in the migration of blacktip sharks.' 171 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:47,960 When I first flew along the beach 172 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,960 and saw thousands of sharks in the shallows, 173 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:55,320 I was astounded. I had no idea that there were that many sharks here, 174 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:56,960 that close to the beach. 175 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,960 I realised we need to study this a bit more. 176 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:03,480 There's a big school. 177 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,160 That's well over a thousand sharks right there. 178 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,480 That's what we typically get this time of year. 179 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,000 We get these large aggregations of these sharks coming down here. 180 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,960 Look at 'em all. 181 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:18,960 That's a really good-sized school. 182 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:27,000 'This aerial perspective 183 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,960 'also reveals incredible behaviour 184 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,960 'that would go unnoticed down on the water.' 185 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:36,960 These sharks will funnel in 186 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:37,960 right up against the beach. 187 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:39,960 They don't wanna be in the deep water, 188 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:40,960 where the big predators are. 189 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:42,960 Oh, there's a hammer! Look at that. 190 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:44,960 There's a hammer, right there. 191 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,960 Larger sharks, like big, great hammerheads, 192 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:52,960 are trying to feed on these blacktips. 193 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:56,960 A hammerhead will come in from deeper water 194 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:58,960 and start to chase them. 195 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,960 And what's interesting is these blacktips are small enough 196 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:03,960 that they're able to dart in, right up against the beach, 197 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:05,960 into the shallow waters. 198 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,160 The big hammerhead is unable to follow into the shallow water, 199 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,960 so it has to peel off and go back into deep water again. 200 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:19,960 Looking at them from the plane is great, 201 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,000 but nothing beats actually being right beside the animal 202 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,960 and actually bringing one up beside the boat. 203 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,960 'It offers Stephen and his team 204 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:29,960 'the opportunity to track the sharks.' 205 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,960 This is our prime field season. 206 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,960 We've only got literally a few weeks while the sharks are here. 207 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,960 We have a lot of work to do in a short window. 208 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:41,960 And toss the float. 209 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:44,960 All right. 210 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:46,960 Let's see what we can catch. 211 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,960 So, we're going to tag one of the sharks 212 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,960 with a satellite tag on the fin. And what that allows us to do 213 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:56,960 is look at the movement of these sharks 214 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:58,960 as they're moving up and down the coast. 215 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,000 'First, the sharks are caught 216 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,480 'and carefully manoeuvred alongside the boat.' 217 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:21,960 When you've got a shark on the line, 218 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:23,960 you need to work it up quickly. 219 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:28,960 And once you have the shark secured, 220 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,960 then we're able to get this animal processed and released 221 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:32,960 as quickly as possible. 222 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:38,960 Dart tag, have you got the number on it? It's, um... 406856. 223 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,640 Any time that fin breaks the surface of the water, 224 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:51,960 that satellite tag sends a signal 225 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,000 and gives us a latitude and longitude, 226 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,960 so we're able to follow its movement. 227 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:59,960 And that tag will last for probably a year or so, 228 00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:01,960 and then it will eventually fall out of the fin. 229 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:12,960 'By the end of winter, 230 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,000 'as spring warms the water further north, 231 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,960 'the sharks start to leave Southern Florida. 232 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,960 'But for Stephen, his work has only just begun.' 233 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:28,960 To me, one of the most interesting aspects 234 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,800 of this whole project is getting on the computer 235 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,480 and looking at the data, seeing what we've learned. 236 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:37,960 These sharks are going much farther north now 237 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,960 than they ever have historically. 238 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:41,960 All the way up to Long Island, New York. 239 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:43,960 And I think this is largely attributed to the fact 240 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:45,960 that the oceans are warming 241 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,640 and the sharks are encountering their preferred water temperatures 242 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:49,960 at higher and higher latitudes. 243 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:51,960 And so, as oceans continue to warm, 244 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,960 these sharks are probably gonna keep shifting their distribution 245 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:56,960 further and further north 246 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:58,960 and going places they never were previously. 247 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:02,320 Conversely, in the winter, 248 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:03,960 they're not coming quite as far south. 249 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,960 Why swim all the way down to South Florida 250 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,960 if the water's just fine off Central Florida somewhere? 251 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:13,960 When I started the aerial survey project, 252 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:18,960 it was not uncommon to see in excess of 10,000 sharks on a single flight. 253 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,960 And now, I'm lucky to break a thousand. 254 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,960 And that's a dramatic change in no more than a decade. 255 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,960 That is powerful data to be able to share with the public, 256 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:32,800 to show a real, tangible effect of global climate change 257 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:33,960 on a top-level marine predator. 258 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,160 It's scary, because there's a dramatic shift 259 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,960 in a short period of time. But I'm comforted by the fact that 260 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:46,960 sharks, as a whole, have survived all five mass extinctions 261 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:48,960 on this planet, and they're still here. 262 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:49,960 And so I'm quite confident 263 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,960 that the sharks are gonna continue to be here. 264 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:54,960 They can adapt. They're gonna do just fine, 265 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:56,960 and they'll be here long after the humans go away. 266 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:10,960 'The warmth which draws the sharks north, back up the coast, 267 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:15,960 'is now felt right across the Northern Hemisphere. 268 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,960 'Winter finally gives way to spring. 269 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:24,960 'A time of growth. 270 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,960 'And new life. 271 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,960 'For many, the hardest working months 272 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:44,960 'of their lives lie ahead. 273 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,960 'And some will go to extraordinary lengths 274 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:51,960 'to raise the next generation. 275 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,960 'This female leatherback turtle 276 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:13,960 'reaches the end of a journey of more than 5,000km 277 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:15,000 'from Eastern Canada. 278 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,960 'Her destination is a remote fishing village 279 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:25,960 'in the Caribbean. 280 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,960 'Using the Earth's magnetic field to guide her, 281 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:36,960 'she returns to the very same beach where she was born 282 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,960 'nearly two decades ago.' 283 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:42,960 Wherever they were born, 284 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,960 they come back to the same beach to lay eggs. 285 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,960 After so long, I think that is amazing. 286 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:51,960 My name is Deon McEachnie 287 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,160 I am a fisherman, 288 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:58,960 and I work as a tour guide, touring people on the beach, 289 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,960 and also as a patrol to help protect leatherback turtles 290 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:03,640 that nest on the beach. 291 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,960 'In peak nesting season, there are more turtles on the beach 292 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:12,960 'than people in the village. 293 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:16,960 'But until recently, 294 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,960 'turtles have been under threat from the community.' 295 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:29,960 I grew up in Grande Riviere. I've spent my entire life here. 296 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:31,480 We used to poach turtles. 297 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:36,960 My grandparents, my parents, we ate leatherback turtles, 298 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:38,640 we ate turtle eggs. 299 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:40,960 I mean, I feel sorry about it that you actually did that, 300 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,960 but, I mean, you didn't know better. 301 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:46,960 It was just a normal custom that the villagers used to do. 302 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:50,960 'But these days, it's unlikely to be poachers 303 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:52,960 'walking the beaches at night. 304 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,800 'Following an alarming decrease 305 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,960 'in the global population of leatherbacks, 306 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,480 'the hunting and consumption of turtles was banned, 307 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,960 'and the villagers set up a conservation initiative. 308 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,960 'The Grande Riviere Nature Tour Guide Association 309 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,960 'monitors the turtles, and also runs night patrols.' 310 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:22,960 As soon as the protection started 311 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,480 and people began to patrol the beach, 312 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,640 the killing of leatherback turtles actually stopped. 313 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:31,960 The community did change. 314 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,640 They are more educated now about it, and they understand, 315 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:38,160 you know, the purpose and how important it is. 316 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:44,960 'As well as helping with night patrols, 317 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:49,960 'Deon runs educational tours during the daytime.' 318 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:51,960 Right now, she's finished laying the eggs. 319 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,000 She's doing a process we call camouflaging. 320 00:20:55,000 --> 00:21:00,960 Camouflaging means she trying to hide exactly where she lay the eggs. 321 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,800 If you look at the front-left flipper, 322 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,960 you will see that there is a cut on the flipper. 323 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:09,960 Most likely, that will be from a machete. 324 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,960 Most likely, she's been caught in a fishing net. 325 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,960 The fisherman tried to, you know, chop the turtle 326 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,960 to get the turtle away from the net. 327 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,960 'Whilst leatherbacks are now well-protected on the beaches, 328 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,960 'out in the ocean, it's a very different story.' 329 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,960 'Many families rely on fishing for their livelihood. 330 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,960 'As the sun sets, fishermen head out to sea. 331 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:50,960 'They use large vertical panels of netting suspended in the water, 332 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:52,960 'called gill nets. 333 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,480 'As well as catching fish, 334 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,960 'the gill nets often entangle other wildlife, 335 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:01,960 'including turtles. 336 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,480 'As a fisherman himself, 337 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:10,960 'Deon uses his knowledge to engage with the locals.' 338 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:15,960 How many boats, other than you, do you see out there in the night? 339 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,960 There's, like, 12 of us. Could be probably more. 340 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,480 How many turtles do you believe would actually die 341 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,960 because of being entangled in the net? 342 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,960 It would be probably 40. 343 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:29,960 OK, so that's an average of, let me say, 344 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:30,960 between 30 to 40 turtles 345 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,960 that will die per night because of gill net fishing. 346 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:35,960 - Yeah. - OK. 347 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:37,960 You wouldn't always kill them. 348 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:39,960 You wouldn't always, like... 349 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:42,960 If we was fishing them, we wouldn't kill them. 350 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:44,960 It depends on the net. 351 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:46,960 Sometimes, the net can be brand-new. 352 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:48,320 And if the net is new, 353 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,960 they have to cut up the net to free the turtle. 354 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,960 And they don't want their net to be destroyed. 355 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:55,000 Destroyed, yeah. 356 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,960 I mean, all you can do is try to talk to fishermen. 357 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:00,960 But out there, in the night, 358 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,800 it's gonna be totally up to them 359 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:05,960 if they will take your advice or not. 360 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:11,960 'Scientists and NGOs 361 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,960 'are exploring alternative fishing methods 362 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,800 'that will help keep turtles safe in these waters. 363 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:23,320 'Deon hangs up his own gill nets 364 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,960 'for the entire turtle nesting season, 365 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,800 'and remains committed to winning over the hearts and minds 366 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:30,960 'of the community.' 367 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,960 She's heading back into the water now. 368 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:40,960 And most likely, she'll be back here in about ten to 15 days' time... 369 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,960 ..where she's gonna deposit another 80 to 100 eggs. 370 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,960 'Deon's daughter often joins him on his tours.' 371 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:52,960 See, she's gonna now swim. Watch her swim. 372 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:54,960 Watch, watch, watch. What speed! 373 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,480 What speed, what speed! Yay! 374 00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:59,960 Ooh, see her over there? 375 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,960 I hope to pass on whatever knowledge I have 376 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:06,960 to generations that come, 377 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:08,960 because they are wonderful creatures. 378 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,960 To come so far and to do what they do, 379 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,960 you know, there's so much to learn from them. 380 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:18,960 We should really care about them. 381 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:20,960 Ooh! 382 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,960 She gone... far away. 383 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,800 'After nesting, leatherbacks return to the sea 384 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,800 'to make the long journey to their feeding grounds 385 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:33,960 'in the north. 386 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:42,960 'As our planet continues on its journey around the sun, 387 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,960 'its heat intensifies over the Northern Hemisphere 388 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:50,960 'and the equatorial rain belt is drawn north.' 389 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,960 'The summer months see some of the highest rainfall 390 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:11,000 'across the globe. 391 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:18,960 'All around the world, 392 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,480 'animals follow this movement of water... 393 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:27,160 '..in search of fresh food.' 394 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:51,960 'This seasonal shift of weather also changes ocean currents. 395 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,960 'In summer, a blizzard of nutritious plankton 396 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:08,960 'flows towards the Maldives.' 397 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,960 In the wet season, the winds are usually stronger 398 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,320 and we get a lot more rain. 399 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:17,960 There is what we call the manta weather. 400 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:26,960 'Enormous reef mantas 401 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:30,960 'gather here in their hundreds to feed on the plankton.' 402 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:34,960 My name is Yaniu. 403 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,960 I work with the Manta Trust as a research and education officer. 404 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:40,960 The best part of my job 405 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:45,000 is that I get to see the mantas almost every day. 406 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:46,960 I am living the dream. 407 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:02,960 'Yaniu was born and brought up on these islands. 408 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,960 'But throughout his childhood, he had no idea 409 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:09,960 'of the incredible spectacle just offshore.' 410 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,640 I learned swimming and snorkelling 411 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:19,960 when I was really young. 412 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,960 I was really interested in the natural world, 413 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:31,960 but I didn't see a manta ray until I was 18. 414 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:39,960 When I first saw the mantas, 415 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,960 I was swimming with 200 mantas. 416 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:50,960 I was so excited. 417 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,960 And at the same time, I was not really believing 418 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:57,160 it's happening for real. 419 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,960 From then, I wanted to learn more about these creatures 420 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,960 and why they show up here. 421 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,160 'The unique geography of the funnel-shaped bay 422 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,960 'traps huge amounts of plankton. 423 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:24,960 'And the mantas know exactly where to come year after year. 424 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:29,960 'This annual feeding event 425 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:33,960 'allows Yaniu to gather data on the population. 426 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:40,960 'Every summer, he spends his days taking photographs of the manta rays 427 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:45,000 'for one of the biggest photo ID projects ever undertaken. 428 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:52,960 '15 years of data have been gathered by the Manta Trust.' 429 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:57,800 Every individual manta 430 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,960 have their unique spot patterns on their belly, 431 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,320 which we can use to identify them. 432 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:07,960 The same way we can use our fingerprints to identify us. 433 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:12,960 'The photographs are also used 434 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:15,960 'to track individual mantas' movements.' 435 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,960 We can identify almost any manta 436 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:22,960 that is seen in the Maldives. 437 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:24,960 And when we can't identify it, 438 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:28,640 we usually count it as a new individual 439 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:30,960 that can go into our database. 440 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,960 'The results surprised everyone. 441 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:39,960 'They have identified more than 5,000 individual mantas 442 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:41,480 'visiting the Maldives. 443 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:48,160 'Over ten times the size of any other known population. 444 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:52,800 'Making it the manta capital of the world. 445 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:59,960 'But news of a gathering on this scale travels fast.' 446 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,960 In Maldives, the economy depends on the tourism. 447 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:15,960 The manta tourism is a big part of this. 448 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:24,640 With the increase in the tourism, we also have other impacts. 449 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,160 There will be more boat traffic, more pollution, 450 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:28,960 more people here. 451 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,960 'Despite this, Yaniu understands 452 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,640 'the importance of tourism to his work.' 453 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,960 The tourism and tourism establishments 454 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:47,960 have funded us for our researchers to be here 455 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:50,960 and to go out to where the mantas are. 456 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:56,960 So the tourism also have ups, 457 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:58,960 and, at the same time, downs 458 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,800 for the environment and for the researchers. 459 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:07,960 'It's a delicate balance, 460 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:12,960 'and one the Manta Trust are working hard to get right.' 461 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,960 I hope to see a future 462 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,960 where the mantas and the other marine organisms 463 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:20,000 are in no threat, 464 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,960 and they are safe from the human impact. 465 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,960 They are one of the most exotic creatures 466 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:30,960 in the sea world. 467 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:34,960 I love them all. 468 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:48,800 'Summer trade winds 469 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,960 'pick up evaporated water from the Indian Ocean... 470 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:56,960 '..and carry it north. 471 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:08,480 'The warm air meets the Himalayas, where it condenses. 472 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:13,960 'Clouds build 473 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,960 'for the biggest weather event of the year.' 474 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,960 'The South Asian monsoon. 475 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,960 'In China, the mix of monsoon showers 476 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:42,160 'and warm sunshine 477 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:47,320 'provides the perfect conditions for bamboo to grow. 478 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,480 'These tender new leaves and shoots 479 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:18,960 'provide one forest dweller with the resource she needs 480 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:20,960 'to raise her youngster.' 481 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:41,320 'Pandas have long been 482 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:44,960 'the global symbol of endangered species. 483 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:50,960 'In the 1980s, there were fewer than 1,000 pandas in the wild. 484 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:53,960 'But their fortunes are slowly changing, 485 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:57,960 'thanks, in part, to 40 years of dedication 486 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,480 'of one extraordinary man.' 487 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:33,960 'When Zhang first joined the panda team, 488 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:36,960 'the focus was on building panda numbers 489 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:39,640 'by breeding them in captivity. 490 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:42,960 'But it nearly always resulted in failure.' 491 00:34:59,960 --> 00:35:01,960 'Zhang decided that the key 492 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,960 'to tackling the panda's notoriously low libido 493 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,960 'was to improve their overall happiness, 494 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:14,960 'which meant caring for them 24-7 and building strong bonds. 495 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,960 'His unconventional methods 496 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,960 'soon started to improve their rate of conception. 497 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:26,320 'Now the challenge was to keep the new-born cubs alive. 498 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:29,960 'But success didn't come easily.' 499 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,640 'Gradually, through better understanding 500 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:55,960 'and improvements to their diet and immunity, 501 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:59,960 'the survival rate of cubs was transformed.' 502 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:19,960 'This incredible success 503 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:25,960 'brought Zhang worldwide acclaim as the father of pandas. 504 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:33,800 'But his ambitions didn't stop there.' 505 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:41,960 'Growing up with lots of human interaction 506 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:46,960 'didn't help prepare the cubs for life in the forest. 507 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:55,960 'So, Papa Panda and his team invented a unique approach.' 508 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:07,960 'For two years, keepers help raise the pandas 509 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:11,960 'until they're ready to be released into the wild. 510 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:20,960 'Getting to this moment 511 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:22,960 'has taken decades of hard work. 512 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:27,960 'But for Zhang, it has come at a great personal cost.' 513 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:11,960 'The incredible dedication of Zhang, 514 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:15,960 'and the centre's scientists, keepers and rangers 515 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:19,960 'has given hope for the long-term future of the species. 516 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:26,960 'After 30 years, panda numbers have almost doubled 517 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:29,960 'with nearly 2,000 living in the wild. 518 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,960 'As summer draws to a close, 519 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:37,960 'the north begins to cool, 520 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:41,960 'dramatically transforming an entire landscape. 521 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,960 'The sun's most direct rays track south, 522 00:39:59,960 --> 00:40:02,960 'drawing with them the tropical rains. 523 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:10,960 'But on the parched plains of Zimbabwe, 524 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:13,480 'the skies are still cloudless... 525 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:17,960 '..and it hasn't rained here for many months. 526 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:22,640 'Now is the toughest time 527 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:26,960 'for Hwange National Park's most famous residents. 528 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:33,960 'Elephants concentrate around the few remaining water holes. 529 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:38,960 'Providing an opportunity for predators. 530 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:48,960 'But lions aren't the only ones taking advantage.' 531 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:58,160 During the dry season, 532 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:01,960 it is easy to poach animals. 533 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:05,960 Instead of hunting for the animals, 534 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:08,960 the poacher can just go to the water hole, 535 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:10,960 wait for the animals, 536 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:12,960 shoot them to get ivory. 537 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:18,960 My name is Amos Gwema. 538 00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:23,480 I am the Principal Investigation and Intelligence Officer 539 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:25,960 for Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. 540 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:30,800 My aim is to protect the elephant in Hwange. 541 00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:36,960 'Amos and his team 542 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:39,960 'look after 35,000 elephants. 543 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:47,960 'To do this, they must cover more than 14,500 square kilometres, 544 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:51,960 'nearly twice the size of Yellowstone National Park, 545 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:55,640 'and yet they have fewer than 50 rangers... 546 00:41:56,960 --> 00:41:58,960 '..only one vehicle, 547 00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:02,960 'and they're up against a formidable foe.' 548 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:09,960 The poachers use rifles, AK-47, 549 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:13,960 and even cyanide to poison the elephant for their tusk. 550 00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:26,960 In 2013, over 200 elephants were poisoned. 551 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:35,480 Imagine a crime site 552 00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:38,960 where you discover over 60 elephant carcasses. 553 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:42,960 That was the most sorrowful... 554 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,960 ..and painful experience of my career. 555 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:51,960 I nearly cried. 556 00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:56,960 It was a dark year. 557 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:03,960 'In an area as vast as Hwange, 558 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:07,960 'keeping track of the poachers is a near-impossible task. 559 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:10,960 'But with his limited resources, 560 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:15,960 'Amos has had to find a way to crack the problem.' 561 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:18,960 What we usually do to track down poachers 562 00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:22,000 is we get intelligence from the community. 563 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,960 They are the ones who know who the poachers are. 564 00:43:26,960 --> 00:43:28,960 'To gather evidence, 565 00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:34,480 'Amos then goes undercover as a potential buyer of ivory 566 00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:36,160 'and contacts the poacher.' 567 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:41,800 We start communicating... 568 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:42,960 Hello? 569 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:45,320 ..develop a trust in each other. 570 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:49,640 You have to pretend as if you are a criminal 571 00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:51,960 because they are also intelligent. 572 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:53,960 They will attempt to find out 573 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:56,960 whether you are a serious buyer or not. 574 00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:03,160 Then we will agree on when to do the transaction. 575 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:06,960 'Once he's built up trust, he lays his trap.' 576 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:09,960 We will team up with the police. 577 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:12,960 The moment the poacher brings the ivory... 578 00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:15,960 ..he or she will be arrested. 579 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:28,480 I've facilitated arrests 580 00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:30,960 of over 350 poachers 581 00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:32,960 since 2007. 582 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:37,960 And I have got a 95% conviction rate. 583 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:42,960 'Amos and his committed team of rangers 584 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:45,960 'take huge risks in carrying out this work.' 585 00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:49,160 Anti-poaching is a dangerous job. 586 00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:53,320 There are some rangers who have been shot dead by the poachers. 587 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:58,960 'But the results are extraordinary. 588 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:02,000 'The number of elephants killed by poachers 589 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:05,960 'declined from 260 in 2013 590 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:08,960 'to none in 2020. 591 00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:11,960 'And now, there have been two successive years 592 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:14,640 'with no poaching at all. 593 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:17,960 'By using his network of informants, 594 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:21,960 'Amos has revolutionised the way poaching activity 595 00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:23,960 'can be controlled. 596 00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:29,640 'In this area, at least, elephants are safe for now.' 597 00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:32,640 We don't own this wildlife. 598 00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:36,960 We owe it to our children, our grandchildren 599 00:45:36,960 --> 00:45:38,960 to look after those elephants. 600 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:43,960 If we love them, we should keep those animals 601 00:45:43,960 --> 00:45:47,000 for them to enjoy also in their lifetime. 602 00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:52,960 'Amos puts his life on the line 603 00:45:52,960 --> 00:45:55,960 'for the benefit of future generations. 604 00:45:57,960 --> 00:45:59,960 'Across the planet... 605 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:03,960 '..extraordinary teams of scientists, 606 00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:06,960 'conservationists and local people 607 00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:09,800 'dedicate their lives 608 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,960 'to understanding and protecting wildlife. 609 00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:17,960 'Thanks to these passionate custodians of planet Earth, 610 00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:22,480 'there is some hope for the animals 611 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:25,960 'that share our precious home.' 612 00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:38,320 Subtitles by accessibility@itv.com