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♪ ♪
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WALDO: Just a heads up,
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there is lightning to
the northwest, copy that?
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BERTIE: Okay, roger that.
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[thunder]
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WALDO: Whoa, did you see that?
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[thunder]
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♪ ♪
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[elephant roaring]
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Bertie, get back here now!
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{\an8}♪ ♪
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{\an8}♪ ♪
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{\an8}♪ ♪
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BERTIE: As a wildlife filmmaker,
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I've worked in some
pretty remote places,
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but this one is next level!
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The spot we are here
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is actually the border
between three countries.
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To the boat's left
is the Cameroon,
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back behind us is
the Republic of Congo,
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and up ahead, our destination
is the Central African Republic.
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We're heading
to a vast wilderness,
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Dzanga-Sangha National Park.
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Our goal is to try
and track down
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the jungle's mightiest resident.
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We've got five weeks to film
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one of the biggest and rarest
elephants in Africa,
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a forest elephant tusker,
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huge males with tusks
that sweep down to the floor.
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It won't be easy.
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The tuskers' supersized ivory
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makes them a prime target
for poachers.
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In just 12 years,
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Africa's forest elephant
population was halved.
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To have any chance
of finding one
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we're going to need
some expert knowledge.
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Well, this is not a jungle
you want to walk around in
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unless you really know
what you're doing,
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and I don't know what I'm doing,
so up ahead, this is Ngbanda.
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Ngbanda's a BaAka, they're
an incredible group of people
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that have lived in this forest
for generations.
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So we're in good hands.
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♪ ♪
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[distant roar]
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Did you hear that?
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♪ ♪
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[distant roar]
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{\an8}♪ ♪
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BERTIE: Ngbanda is leading us
to a very special place,
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where we'll have the best chance
of finding a tusker.
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BERTIE: That way?
NGBANDA: Oui.
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♪ ♪
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[distant grumbling]
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BERTIE: Listen to
all that noise.
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[distant grumbling]
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We're getting closer.
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[elephant trumpets in distance]
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♪ ♪
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[trumpeting]
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♪ ♪
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Wow.
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♪ ♪
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[groans]
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♪ ♪
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[trumpets]
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♪ ♪
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[trumpets]
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♪ ♪
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This is Dzanga Bai,
village of elephants.
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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Merci, Ngbanda, merci.
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♪ ♪
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This big, open clearing in
the forest is known as a bai.
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Created by the elephants
over decades,
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it's the length of
five football fields.
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This species spends
most of their lives
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hidden in the forest.
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To see this many out in the open
is incredible.
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If we want to find a big male
tusker, this could be our spot.
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There is nowhere else on Earth
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where forest elephants
gather in these numbers.
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♪ ♪
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And the big attraction...
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[bubbling]
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...is hidden deep in the mud.
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♪ ♪
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See this female
and her little calf,
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she's pushing down with
her trunk, blowing bubbles.
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[bubbling]
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It looks like she's just
messing about,
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but this mud play
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is serious stuff.
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Their plant-based diet
lacks essential minerals
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like potassium and calcium.
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The minerals that they're after
are buried deep underground,
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so they've got to mine for them.
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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They drive their trunks
into the mud and blow,
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using bubbles to dislodge
the minerals.
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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But it takes some practice.
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The elephant's trunk is
the most unbelievable thing.
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It's got tens of thousands
of muscles in it.
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And I don't think
that little baby
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has learnt to fully use it yet.
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It just sort flicks it around.
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♪ ♪
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[bird chirps]
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Forest elephants live
in small family groups.
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[squeal]
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The bai is a place for these
normally shy animals
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to socialize.
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Up to 200 gather
in this clearing every day.
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Their heavy footfall
has created a habitat
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that attracts some of
Africa's rarest animals.
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From giant forest hogs...
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♪ ♪
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...to bongos...
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[moo]
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...and African grey parrots.
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♪ ♪
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Somewhere amongst the crowd
I'm hoping I'll spot
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the biggest elephant of all,
a legendary tusker.
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[grumbling]
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BERTIE: Ngbanda,
elephant in BaAka?
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NGBANDA: Njoku.
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[elephant roars]
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BERTIE: Is it njoku?
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00:08:06,781 --> 00:08:08,324
NGBANDA: Njoku.
BERTIE: Njoku.
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BERTIE: What about the big,
big elephant, big male? Tusks?
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NGBANDA: Njoku wambule.
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BERTIE: Njoku wambule. Okay.
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We're seeing some njoku wambule,
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but none of them are the really
big tuskers we're after.
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♪ ♪
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This male here might look big;
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they get much, much bigger.
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Those tusks can reach all
the way down to the ground.
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But the bigger the tusks,
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the more at risk the elephant
is from poaching.
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And open areas like this
are where forest elephants
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are at their most vulnerable.
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[roar]
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Hang on a second.
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[roaring]
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00:09:09,052 --> 00:09:12,597
I'm not sure what spooked them,
but it's really fired them up.
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♪ ♪
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[grumbling]
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They're very, very jumpy.
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[trumpets]
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♪ ♪
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[trumpets]
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[trumpets]
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♪ ♪
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If they come running
in our direction,
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we'd be in serious trouble.
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[trumpeting]
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00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:54,097
[grumbling]
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[trumpets]
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♪ ♪
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00:10:02,105 --> 00:10:04,357
It's too dangerous
to stay on the ground,
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00:10:04,941 --> 00:10:07,318
so it's time for plan B.
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00:10:08,528 --> 00:10:12,073
♪ ♪
167
00:10:12,156 --> 00:10:14,200
On the team are rope experts
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00:10:14,283 --> 00:10:15,493
Waldo Etherington
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00:10:16,911 --> 00:10:18,162
and Meg Donaldson.
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00:10:20,123 --> 00:10:22,750
They've worked in remote jungles
around the world,
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00:10:23,376 --> 00:10:26,295
and we're going to need all
their tree climbing skills.
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♪ ♪
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[snap]
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♪ ♪
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00:10:38,474 --> 00:10:40,476
We don't want to spook
the elephants,
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00:10:40,560 --> 00:10:43,479
so the setup needs to be
quiet and quick.
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♪ ♪
178
00:10:47,567 --> 00:10:48,943
Check out the view.
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00:10:50,695 --> 00:10:53,990
So we're gonna stick
the filming platform
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00:10:54,073 --> 00:10:56,701
on the tree just here,
and it's looking good.
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00:11:00,663 --> 00:11:02,748
Now we've got somewhere
to film from.
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00:11:04,750 --> 00:11:06,878
Next we need somewhere to live.
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00:11:07,044 --> 00:11:10,882
♪ ♪
184
00:11:13,467 --> 00:11:15,469
Just back from
the filming platform,
185
00:11:16,220 --> 00:11:18,890
{\an8}Waldo and Meg have found
the perfect place
186
00:11:19,056 --> 00:11:21,017
{\an8}to set up a canopy camp.
187
00:11:21,142 --> 00:11:24,896
{\an8}♪ ♪
188
00:11:25,021 --> 00:11:28,858
This 150-foot sapele tree
has a trunk strong enough
189
00:11:28,941 --> 00:11:30,443
to support our whole team.
190
00:11:31,110 --> 00:11:36,782
♪ ♪
191
00:11:36,866 --> 00:11:40,328
They make it look easy,
but this is an extreme build.
192
00:11:41,287 --> 00:11:48,211
♪ ♪
193
00:11:48,628 --> 00:11:50,546
They're rigging
a netted living area
194
00:11:53,049 --> 00:11:55,801
and metal-framed tents
known as portaledges.
195
00:11:55,927 --> 00:12:01,140
♪ ♪
196
00:12:01,224 --> 00:12:04,101
And for safety, there's
a nearby bailout tree
197
00:12:04,185 --> 00:12:05,728
for really bad weather.
198
00:12:05,853 --> 00:12:10,483
♪ ♪
199
00:12:14,278 --> 00:12:17,323
While Waldo and Meg finish
setting up our canopy camp,
200
00:12:17,949 --> 00:12:19,825
I'm excited to show
Ngbanda his home
201
00:12:20,284 --> 00:12:21,994
from a totally new perspective.
202
00:12:22,078 --> 00:12:24,830
[drone whirring]
203
00:12:24,914 --> 00:12:28,209
♪ ♪
204
00:12:32,296 --> 00:12:38,344
♪ ♪
205
00:12:40,680 --> 00:12:42,265
♪ ♪
206
00:12:42,598 --> 00:12:43,599
{\an8}C'est bon, Ngbanda?
207
00:12:47,311 --> 00:12:54,235
♪ ♪
208
00:13:03,744 --> 00:13:08,958
♪ ♪
209
00:13:10,459 --> 00:13:17,174
{\an8}♪ ♪
210
00:13:40,531 --> 00:13:41,657
BERTIE: From the air,
211
00:13:41,741 --> 00:13:44,493
the scale of their gardening
is breathtaking.
212
00:13:47,663 --> 00:13:50,708
And it's not only Ngbanda
who's seeing things differently.
213
00:13:54,545 --> 00:13:58,049
Up here, I can see hundreds of
routes in and out of the bai
214
00:13:58,174 --> 00:13:59,800
that the tuskers could use.
215
00:14:02,887 --> 00:14:05,973
Secret elephant highways
through the forest.
216
00:14:07,058 --> 00:14:09,602
So we need eyes on them
at all times.
217
00:14:10,311 --> 00:14:14,565
♪ ♪
218
00:14:14,774 --> 00:14:17,651
Our plan is to set up
a network of camera traps.
219
00:14:18,194 --> 00:14:21,739
♪ ♪
220
00:14:21,822 --> 00:14:25,242
The biggest tuskers never stay
in the same place for long.
221
00:14:28,079 --> 00:14:30,873
But Ngbanda knows how to spot
their favorite routes.
222
00:14:38,964 --> 00:14:40,633
BERTIE:
There's another trail here.
223
00:14:42,718 --> 00:14:43,761
Okay.
224
00:14:47,598 --> 00:14:50,518
This is a camera trap, and we've
got 10 of these to put out.
225
00:14:52,144 --> 00:14:54,397
I've brought camera trap
specialist Declan Burley
226
00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:55,523
to help.
227
00:14:57,066 --> 00:14:59,902
His tech skills paired with
Ngbanda's local knowledge
228
00:14:59,985 --> 00:15:01,404
are a powerful combo.
229
00:15:01,487 --> 00:15:02,613
So this is the main one.
230
00:15:02,696 --> 00:15:04,031
DECLAN: Let's focus on
that one, then.
231
00:15:04,115 --> 00:15:05,199
BERTIE: Listen to the boss.
232
00:15:05,282 --> 00:15:07,243
DECLAN: Yeah.
The man who knows the ways.
233
00:15:12,164 --> 00:15:15,209
BERTIE: Jungle-proof cases will
allow us to leave these cameras
234
00:15:15,292 --> 00:15:16,460
for the next few weeks.
235
00:15:24,301 --> 00:15:26,429
So camera's set,
and how this is gonna work
236
00:15:26,512 --> 00:15:29,181
is we've set up two
invisible laser beams
237
00:15:29,265 --> 00:15:30,808
down either way down the trail,
238
00:15:31,642 --> 00:15:34,228
and when an elephant
triggers either beam,
239
00:15:34,311 --> 00:15:37,273
it sends a signal to the camera
to turn on and start recording.
240
00:15:40,025 --> 00:15:42,236
[chuckling]
241
00:15:42,319 --> 00:15:47,241
♪ ♪
242
00:15:47,324 --> 00:15:49,326
And hopefully the next time
this camera triggers,
243
00:15:49,410 --> 00:15:50,995
it'll be an actual elephant.
244
00:15:55,291 --> 00:15:56,459
While we've been away,
245
00:15:57,334 --> 00:16:00,588
Waldo and Meg have completed
the ultimate treehouse,
246
00:16:03,591 --> 00:16:06,177
suspended 120 feet in the air.
247
00:16:06,927 --> 00:16:13,809
♪ ♪
248
00:16:14,226 --> 00:16:15,978
I think it's time for
a bit of a camp tour.
249
00:16:16,061 --> 00:16:17,855
So behind me is the view,
you can see the bai
250
00:16:17,938 --> 00:16:19,815
with some of the elephants
through the trees there.
251
00:16:20,107 --> 00:16:22,735
If I come over here, Waldo and
Meg are making some breakfast.
252
00:16:22,985 --> 00:16:24,695
WALDO: It's looking very good.
BERTIE: I'm excited.
253
00:16:24,820 --> 00:16:27,114
In the back there is Drew,
the sound department.
254
00:16:27,615 --> 00:16:29,700
And then over here,
these are the portaledges,
255
00:16:29,783 --> 00:16:31,076
this is where we sleep.
256
00:16:31,243 --> 00:16:33,496
Waldo and Meg's is further down
the trunk below us.
257
00:16:38,792 --> 00:16:42,338
But the coolest part of camp
is the commute to work.
258
00:16:42,713 --> 00:16:49,094
♪ ♪
259
00:16:49,220 --> 00:16:56,060
♪ ♪
260
00:16:57,978 --> 00:17:00,189
A 300-foot highline takes me
261
00:17:00,272 --> 00:17:02,191
straight to
the filming platform.
262
00:17:02,816 --> 00:17:08,572
♪ ♪
263
00:17:08,656 --> 00:17:13,953
♪ ♪
264
00:17:14,036 --> 00:17:16,372
It also keeps my scent
off the ground
265
00:17:16,455 --> 00:17:18,374
to avoid disturbing
the elephants.
266
00:17:19,333 --> 00:17:26,215
♪ ♪
267
00:17:26,632 --> 00:17:29,009
Well, this is
the filming platform,
268
00:17:29,093 --> 00:17:31,637
and gonna be spending
many, many hours here
269
00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:33,013
over the next few weeks.
270
00:17:35,766 --> 00:17:38,143
This platform is a game-changer.
271
00:17:39,478 --> 00:17:44,024
♪ ♪
272
00:17:44,108 --> 00:17:47,319
♪ ♪
273
00:17:47,403 --> 00:17:52,700
♪ ♪
274
00:17:52,783 --> 00:17:56,412
♪ ♪
275
00:17:56,495 --> 00:17:58,080
I've got a clear view
276
00:17:58,163 --> 00:18:00,332
all the way down to
the other end of the bai.
277
00:18:00,916 --> 00:18:05,921
♪ ♪
278
00:18:06,297 --> 00:18:09,133
It's just elephant pathways from
all directions all around us,
279
00:18:09,216 --> 00:18:12,386
so it's gonna be so good
to try and spot this big tusker.
280
00:18:17,808 --> 00:18:19,643
[chuckles]
281
00:18:19,727 --> 00:18:23,606
♪ ♪
282
00:18:23,814 --> 00:18:26,775
Hidden in the canopy,
I have a secret window
283
00:18:26,900 --> 00:18:29,278
into the elephants'
day-to-day lives.
284
00:18:32,323 --> 00:18:34,783
I think my favorite thing
about this filming platform,
285
00:18:34,867 --> 00:18:37,244
other than the amazing view
of the elephants,
286
00:18:37,328 --> 00:18:39,455
is the food delivery service.
287
00:18:40,247 --> 00:18:43,042
[chuckles]
288
00:18:43,208 --> 00:18:44,460
Thank you.
289
00:18:45,169 --> 00:18:51,884
♪ ♪
290
00:18:53,052 --> 00:18:54,428
The longer I wait...
291
00:18:54,511 --> 00:18:55,846
[trumpeting]
292
00:18:55,929 --> 00:18:58,932
...the more I notice all
the little family dramas.
293
00:19:00,601 --> 00:19:03,479
[roar]
294
00:19:03,604 --> 00:19:07,566
♪ ♪
295
00:19:07,775 --> 00:19:09,276
Most of them are playful,
296
00:19:11,528 --> 00:19:13,322
But things are getting
a bit feisty
297
00:19:13,405 --> 00:19:14,948
with some of the younger males.
298
00:19:15,532 --> 00:19:19,995
[roaring]
299
00:19:20,079 --> 00:19:21,538
[grumbling]
300
00:19:21,622 --> 00:19:24,041
[roar]
301
00:19:24,124 --> 00:19:28,045
[grumbling]
302
00:19:30,339 --> 00:19:33,217
[trumpets]
303
00:19:33,300 --> 00:19:34,343
Look at that.
304
00:19:34,718 --> 00:19:38,430
[grumbling]
305
00:19:38,514 --> 00:19:41,266
I wonder how they'd act if
there was a big tusker here
306
00:19:41,350 --> 00:19:43,060
to remind them who's boss.
307
00:19:43,143 --> 00:19:44,812
[grumbling]
308
00:19:45,062 --> 00:19:47,439
♪ ♪
309
00:19:47,523 --> 00:19:51,276
Days turn to weeks.
310
00:19:51,568 --> 00:19:55,197
♪ ♪
311
00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,241
But still no sign of a tusker.
312
00:19:57,783 --> 00:20:01,495
♪ ♪
313
00:20:01,578 --> 00:20:04,248
Poaching may have had
an even bigger impact
314
00:20:04,331 --> 00:20:05,457
than I first thought.
315
00:20:06,458 --> 00:20:12,131
♪ ♪
316
00:20:12,214 --> 00:20:14,842
To learn more, I'm meeting up
with the park's rangers.
317
00:20:17,386 --> 00:20:20,639
Known as ecoguards, they put
their lives on the line
318
00:20:20,723 --> 00:20:23,225
to protect the forest
from poachers.
319
00:20:24,852 --> 00:20:26,353
BERTIE: Bonjour.
TATIANA: Bonjour.
320
00:20:26,562 --> 00:20:27,896
BERTIE: Tatiana Solet
321
00:20:28,147 --> 00:20:30,899
is one of the most experienced
rangers on the team.
322
00:20:44,663 --> 00:20:47,166
BERTIE: Dzanga Bai
has a dark past.
323
00:21:10,898 --> 00:21:13,650
Poachers target
the bigger elephants.
324
00:21:13,901 --> 00:21:16,737
Their tusks sell for more money.
325
00:21:20,491 --> 00:21:22,159
BERTIE: Tatiana wants to show me
326
00:21:22,242 --> 00:21:24,077
what these elephants
are up against.
327
00:21:28,207 --> 00:21:33,337
♪ ♪
328
00:21:38,050 --> 00:21:41,720
♪ ♪
329
00:21:41,804 --> 00:21:43,430
Jeez.
330
00:21:43,514 --> 00:21:47,142
♪ ♪
331
00:21:49,061 --> 00:21:50,270
Pff, they're heavy.
332
00:21:53,106 --> 00:21:55,108
27th of November this year.
333
00:21:56,235 --> 00:21:57,611
That was like a week ago.
334
00:21:59,154 --> 00:22:03,408
A week ago this was an elephant
335
00:22:04,326 --> 00:22:05,828
walking round the forest.
336
00:22:06,870 --> 00:22:08,288
Oh, that's depressing.
337
00:22:09,373 --> 00:22:13,418
Wow, 2nd of October last year.
338
00:22:14,545 --> 00:22:16,630
That is unbelievably heavy.
339
00:22:18,924 --> 00:22:20,551
And it's as tall as me.
340
00:22:21,343 --> 00:22:26,431
♪ ♪
341
00:22:26,515 --> 00:22:30,060
You can see the cut marks,
the machete marks
342
00:22:30,143 --> 00:22:31,728
where it's been cut off
the elephant.
343
00:22:32,646 --> 00:22:38,944
♪ ♪
344
00:22:39,152 --> 00:22:42,197
Over 12,000 forest elephants
are killed
345
00:22:42,281 --> 00:22:44,324
for their ivory every year.
346
00:22:47,911 --> 00:22:49,246
If this continues,
347
00:22:49,454 --> 00:22:52,332
extinction could be
less than a decade away.
348
00:22:54,585 --> 00:22:56,128
I guess I didn't expect,
349
00:22:56,587 --> 00:22:58,547
I didn't expect it to be
all so recent.
350
00:23:00,591 --> 00:23:04,344
Like, these elephants, you know,
they haven't been poached
351
00:23:04,428 --> 00:23:08,599
in the last 10 years, 20 years.
352
00:23:09,683 --> 00:23:11,727
There's an elephant there
that was poached last week,
353
00:23:13,186 --> 00:23:18,775
and that absolute beauty
less than a year ago.
354
00:23:19,484 --> 00:23:26,325
♪ ♪
355
00:23:26,992 --> 00:23:30,495
But Tatiana and the ecoguards
are fighting back.
356
00:23:32,247 --> 00:23:33,832
Over the past four years,
357
00:23:34,207 --> 00:23:37,210
poaching incidents have dropped
by more than 80%.
358
00:23:40,380 --> 00:23:42,925
It gives me a small
glimmer of hope.
359
00:23:44,635 --> 00:23:46,553
Do you think there are
any of those males left
360
00:23:46,637 --> 00:23:48,388
whose tusks reach the floor?
361
00:23:56,521 --> 00:23:59,650
BERTIE: Wow, so the big male
tuskers do still exist.
362
00:23:59,983 --> 00:24:02,027
Well, please,
please wish us luck.
363
00:24:02,110 --> 00:24:04,529
We've got our fingers crossed,
and hopefully we get to see one.
364
00:24:05,113 --> 00:24:11,912
♪ ♪
365
00:24:11,995 --> 00:24:14,289
The tuskers are out there
somewhere,
366
00:24:14,623 --> 00:24:17,334
so I'm determined to make
the most of our last week.
367
00:24:19,002 --> 00:24:20,671
[roars]
368
00:24:22,214 --> 00:24:24,633
But the jungle has other ideas.
369
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:28,345
[thunder]
370
00:24:28,428 --> 00:24:30,430
That is a big
tropical storm brewing.
371
00:24:30,931 --> 00:24:31,974
[thunder]
372
00:24:32,557 --> 00:24:34,309
Oh, that's a lot of thunder.
373
00:24:35,060 --> 00:24:36,812
[trumpets]
374
00:24:36,895 --> 00:24:38,855
The elephants seem
super on edge.
375
00:24:39,481 --> 00:24:41,149
Lots of them have got
their trunks in the air.
376
00:24:41,566 --> 00:24:45,278
[trumpeting]
377
00:24:45,362 --> 00:24:46,571
WALDO: For Bertie.
378
00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,533
Just a heads-up, there is
lightning to the north.
379
00:24:49,658 --> 00:24:50,659
Copy that?
380
00:24:50,742 --> 00:24:52,035
BERTIE: Okay, roger that.
381
00:24:52,494 --> 00:24:54,204
[thunder]
382
00:24:54,287 --> 00:24:56,039
WALDO: Whoa, did you see that?
383
00:24:56,123 --> 00:24:57,249
Another one.
384
00:24:58,709 --> 00:25:00,961
[thunder]
385
00:25:01,044 --> 00:25:03,046
BERTIE: This isn't a great time
to be standing
386
00:25:03,130 --> 00:25:05,590
on a metal platform
high in a tree.
387
00:25:06,258 --> 00:25:09,928
[thunder]
388
00:25:10,012 --> 00:25:13,140
I need to get back to the team
before this sets in.
389
00:25:13,724 --> 00:25:16,226
♪ ♪
390
00:25:16,309 --> 00:25:20,188
[thunder]
391
00:25:20,272 --> 00:25:22,441
♪ ♪
392
00:25:22,566 --> 00:25:24,609
[thunder]
393
00:25:24,693 --> 00:25:26,653
♪ ♪
394
00:25:26,820 --> 00:25:32,284
[thunder]
395
00:25:35,370 --> 00:25:36,788
[rainfall]
396
00:25:36,872 --> 00:25:40,959
Back at camp, conditions
go from bad to worse.
397
00:25:44,171 --> 00:25:47,090
[radio chatter]
398
00:25:47,174 --> 00:25:49,634
WALDO: There's some strikes
directly to our north,
399
00:25:49,718 --> 00:25:52,179
um, and the west and the east.
400
00:25:52,554 --> 00:25:56,391
It's not directly overhead, but
that front is moving this way.
401
00:25:56,933 --> 00:25:58,351
[thunder]
402
00:25:59,561 --> 00:26:01,354
DREW: Agh.
403
00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,023
BERTIE:
Are you having fun, Drew?
404
00:26:03,106 --> 00:26:04,107
DREW: No!
405
00:26:04,775 --> 00:26:06,610
BERTIE: Waldo, what's the plan?
406
00:26:06,693 --> 00:26:08,070
WALDO: So we can't stay
in this tree,
407
00:26:08,195 --> 00:26:09,988
there's portaledges
and loads of metal,
408
00:26:10,405 --> 00:26:13,909
so the plan is to move down and
across into our bailout tree
409
00:26:13,992 --> 00:26:16,453
which is rigged with just rope
and no metalwork.
410
00:26:20,290 --> 00:26:22,542
I'll go down and just take
my weight off the lines.
411
00:26:22,626 --> 00:26:23,668
BERTIE: Okay.
412
00:26:25,128 --> 00:26:26,254
WALDO: And then you
can come down.
413
00:26:26,338 --> 00:26:27,881
BERTIE: Okay, and abseil down
on to it, yeah?
414
00:26:27,964 --> 00:26:29,257
WALDO: Yeah, see you
on the other side.
415
00:26:29,341 --> 00:26:30,801
BERTIE: Alright, see you
on the other side.
416
00:26:30,884 --> 00:26:32,677
[thunder]
417
00:26:32,761 --> 00:26:34,721
Whoa! Big lightning strike.
418
00:26:34,805 --> 00:26:36,056
We've got to get out of here.
419
00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:43,605
♪ ♪
420
00:26:50,529 --> 00:26:51,655
Time for bed.
421
00:26:58,620 --> 00:27:03,542
[birds and insects chirping]
422
00:27:04,626 --> 00:27:06,002
[unzipping]
423
00:27:06,253 --> 00:27:10,006
I think it has stopped raining.
424
00:27:10,298 --> 00:27:11,550
What do you reckon, Drew?
425
00:27:12,342 --> 00:27:13,552
DREW: Yeah, I think we're good.
426
00:27:18,849 --> 00:27:20,600
BERTIE: The team
and our canopy camp
427
00:27:20,684 --> 00:27:22,644
made it through the night
in one piece.
428
00:27:22,936 --> 00:27:29,818
♪ ♪
429
00:27:31,486 --> 00:27:34,698
But we weren't the only ones
run out of town by the storm.
430
00:27:36,283 --> 00:27:38,994
[bird chirping]
431
00:27:39,578 --> 00:27:41,037
The elephants were spooked
432
00:27:41,121 --> 00:27:43,540
and have taken refuge
deep in the forest.
433
00:27:47,210 --> 00:27:48,587
Filming is put on hold,
434
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,256
and we reluctantly use
the time to rest.
435
00:27:55,510 --> 00:27:58,346
But then,
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
436
00:27:58,471 --> 00:28:00,640
brings a much-needed
morale boost.
437
00:28:04,102 --> 00:28:05,520
I've got some
very exciting news.
438
00:28:05,604 --> 00:28:08,190
The ecoguards have come across
a family of gorillas
439
00:28:08,273 --> 00:28:09,566
while out on patrol.
440
00:28:09,649 --> 00:28:11,318
And I've never seen gorillas
before in the wild,
441
00:28:11,401 --> 00:28:12,903
so I'm a little bit excited.
442
00:28:17,824 --> 00:28:20,160
Humans are so similar
to gorillas,
443
00:28:20,243 --> 00:28:22,913
we can actually give them
our airborne diseases.
444
00:28:23,163 --> 00:28:24,206
Okay.
445
00:28:24,789 --> 00:28:26,917
So we mask-up to keep them safe.
446
00:28:27,584 --> 00:28:34,299
♪ ♪
447
00:28:35,050 --> 00:28:37,385
I'm carrying an 80-pound camera.
448
00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:40,347
That's 40 kilos.
449
00:28:43,308 --> 00:28:46,061
So it's a struggle to be
as stealthy as the trackers.
450
00:28:50,106 --> 00:28:51,691
Okay, here's a clearing.
451
00:28:51,816 --> 00:28:53,068
Thanks, dude.
452
00:28:53,610 --> 00:28:55,445
Oh, my word, the silverback's
coming out.
453
00:28:56,196 --> 00:29:01,368
♪ ♪
454
00:29:07,374 --> 00:29:09,209
♪ ♪
455
00:29:09,459 --> 00:29:11,962
Well, this big boy
is called Makumba,
456
00:29:12,045 --> 00:29:15,548
and he was born in 1980,
so he's over 40 years old.
457
00:29:16,466 --> 00:29:23,390
♪ ♪
458
00:29:24,224 --> 00:29:25,892
How cool is that?
459
00:29:25,976 --> 00:29:29,688
To be so close to such
a powerful wild animal.
460
00:29:30,272 --> 00:29:32,941
♪ ♪
461
00:29:33,024 --> 00:29:34,609
[grunt]
462
00:29:34,693 --> 00:29:41,574
♪ ♪
463
00:29:42,075 --> 00:29:44,452
I love that an animal
can get this big
464
00:29:44,828 --> 00:29:48,164
when tiny termites and leaves
are his main food source.
465
00:29:48,748 --> 00:29:52,919
♪ ♪
466
00:29:53,044 --> 00:29:55,588
The rest of the family
can't be far away.
467
00:29:58,633 --> 00:29:59,801
Ha ha, there they are!
468
00:30:00,218 --> 00:30:06,891
♪ ♪
469
00:30:07,517 --> 00:30:10,103
The ecoguards believe
Makumba has fathered
470
00:30:10,186 --> 00:30:12,314
20 babies in his lifetime.
471
00:30:13,064 --> 00:30:18,361
♪ ♪
472
00:30:18,486 --> 00:30:20,030
[chuckles]
473
00:30:20,113 --> 00:30:22,699
The youngest is
three-year-old Epolo.
474
00:30:24,659 --> 00:30:26,453
I think that this baby gorilla
475
00:30:27,620 --> 00:30:29,622
thinks he's a silverback
already.
476
00:30:30,332 --> 00:30:34,878
♪ ♪
477
00:30:34,961 --> 00:30:37,339
Epolo loves playing
with his mum,
478
00:30:37,422 --> 00:30:39,132
under Dad's watchful eye.
479
00:30:39,924 --> 00:30:46,056
♪ ♪
480
00:30:46,139 --> 00:30:47,891
Whoa.
481
00:30:47,974 --> 00:30:54,356
♪ ♪
482
00:30:54,481 --> 00:30:55,774
[thud]
483
00:30:59,319 --> 00:31:01,988
Now that was just
a show of aggression
484
00:31:02,072 --> 00:31:04,240
to say, "Just remember
I'm in charge."
485
00:31:09,079 --> 00:31:11,081
That might just be
our cue to leave.
486
00:31:12,916 --> 00:31:16,920
♪ ♪
487
00:31:17,003 --> 00:31:18,463
On the way back to the bai,
488
00:31:19,589 --> 00:31:21,674
we stop off to check
the camera traps.
489
00:31:22,133 --> 00:31:28,807
♪ ♪
490
00:31:31,226 --> 00:31:32,602
The camera's been triggered.
491
00:31:35,897 --> 00:31:37,440
But it's just a young male.
492
00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:42,737
♪ ♪
493
00:31:42,821 --> 00:31:45,490
Unfortunately,
still no big tuskers.
494
00:31:48,410 --> 00:31:49,619
DECLAN: Good luck, camera trap.
495
00:31:50,245 --> 00:31:56,501
♪ ♪
496
00:31:56,668 --> 00:32:01,047
BERTIE: With time running out,
our luck finally improves.
497
00:32:02,674 --> 00:32:06,302
[roaring]
498
00:32:08,596 --> 00:32:10,348
The elephants are back!
499
00:32:10,432 --> 00:32:12,225
[trumpets]
500
00:32:13,852 --> 00:32:16,855
The number of elephants has
just gone through the roof.
501
00:32:19,190 --> 00:32:21,734
There's got to be more than 100
elephants here now,
502
00:32:22,402 --> 00:32:25,071
and there's just more families
arriving all the time.
503
00:32:27,157 --> 00:32:28,700
But just as the number
of elephants
504
00:32:28,783 --> 00:32:30,076
are starting to skyrocket,
505
00:32:31,995 --> 00:32:33,204
the light fades.
506
00:32:36,749 --> 00:32:40,253
I'm hoping some fancy tech
can help extend the search
507
00:32:40,336 --> 00:32:41,754
into the dark.
508
00:32:45,467 --> 00:32:47,343
Okay, here we go,
the moment of truth.
509
00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:51,973
[camera whirring]
510
00:32:52,056 --> 00:32:55,393
Wow. Look at all the elephants.
511
00:32:58,188 --> 00:33:02,567
This thermal camera shows
white as hot and black as cold
512
00:33:04,611 --> 00:33:07,155
and allows me to see
into the pitch black.
513
00:33:10,617 --> 00:33:12,410
That is a lot of elephants.
514
00:33:13,286 --> 00:33:15,788
We definitely didn't see
these numbers during the day.
515
00:33:17,123 --> 00:33:19,501
Surely one of them's
gonna be a big tusker.
516
00:33:20,251 --> 00:33:21,336
[grumbling]
517
00:33:21,419 --> 00:33:25,006
[trumpeting]
518
00:33:27,217 --> 00:33:30,094
Just when I thought I knew
what an elephant looks like,
519
00:33:31,679 --> 00:33:34,057
I can see all this.
520
00:33:34,599 --> 00:33:41,564
♪ ♪
521
00:33:43,608 --> 00:33:46,069
Look at the detail
on this elephant's ears.
522
00:33:46,778 --> 00:33:48,738
You can see all
the blood vessels.
523
00:33:50,740 --> 00:33:52,158
You can see the veins.
524
00:33:52,951 --> 00:33:56,204
♪ ♪
525
00:33:56,287 --> 00:33:57,997
That's how elephants keep cool,
526
00:33:58,081 --> 00:34:00,500
they shunt blood to their ears
and then flap them.
527
00:34:02,043 --> 00:34:04,337
This camera is so sensitive,
528
00:34:04,420 --> 00:34:08,508
it can pick out a source of heat
within 27 miles.
529
00:34:10,468 --> 00:34:12,804
Look at the Hartlaub ducks
and their chicks!
530
00:34:15,139 --> 00:34:17,475
It reveals an incredible
amount of life,
531
00:34:18,726 --> 00:34:20,353
big and small.
532
00:34:20,436 --> 00:34:24,524
♪ ♪
533
00:34:24,691 --> 00:34:27,151
[squeals]
534
00:34:28,778 --> 00:34:30,863
I've just seen a little thing
that looks like a cat.
535
00:34:32,240 --> 00:34:33,283
Where did it go?
536
00:34:35,034 --> 00:34:36,244
There it is.
537
00:34:37,870 --> 00:34:39,163
We've got a genet!
538
00:34:41,291 --> 00:34:45,253
Genets are a slim, catlike
animal with huge eyes,
539
00:34:46,004 --> 00:34:48,464
especially helpful
for hunting at night.
540
00:34:51,301 --> 00:34:53,052
And with all these
elephants around,
541
00:34:53,177 --> 00:34:55,680
they can sneak right up
on their prey.
542
00:34:56,055 --> 00:35:00,143
♪ ♪
543
00:35:00,226 --> 00:35:01,686
Oh, and it's hunting frogs.
544
00:35:02,186 --> 00:35:05,940
♪ ♪
545
00:35:06,024 --> 00:35:07,942
Oh, it's crouched really low.
546
00:35:08,151 --> 00:35:14,741
♪ ♪
547
00:35:14,824 --> 00:35:17,577
Ha ha. The genet caught a frog.
548
00:35:18,369 --> 00:35:21,289
♪ ♪
549
00:35:21,372 --> 00:35:23,499
[distant boom]
550
00:35:23,625 --> 00:35:24,959
[elephants groan]
551
00:35:25,043 --> 00:35:26,252
Was that a gunshot?
552
00:35:27,211 --> 00:35:31,924
[trumpeting]
553
00:35:32,175 --> 00:35:33,801
Oh, they're all looking nervous.
554
00:35:37,513 --> 00:35:38,765
But they've all gone quiet.
555
00:35:41,559 --> 00:35:42,935
[boom, boom]
556
00:35:43,019 --> 00:35:44,520
Yeah, those are gunshots.
557
00:35:44,896 --> 00:35:46,064
There are gunshots.
558
00:35:46,356 --> 00:35:52,236
♪ ♪
559
00:35:52,528 --> 00:35:54,030
Waldo, did you hear
those gunshots?
560
00:35:54,989 --> 00:35:58,368
WALDO: Yeah, uh, dude,
get back to camp ASAP.
561
00:35:58,534 --> 00:36:02,246
♪ ♪
562
00:36:18,429 --> 00:36:21,307
BERTIE: The gunshots sent the
elephants back to the forest,
563
00:36:23,768 --> 00:36:26,145
and us to our camp in the trees.
564
00:36:29,357 --> 00:36:32,026
It's not how I expected
our filming to end.
565
00:36:35,530 --> 00:36:37,907
Now it all comes down
to the camera traps.
566
00:36:39,033 --> 00:36:45,998
♪ ♪
567
00:36:47,291 --> 00:36:48,835
Right, here we go.
568
00:36:48,918 --> 00:36:51,295
We've collected all of
the camera trap memory cards.
569
00:36:51,379 --> 00:36:53,673
So me and Ngbanda are now
gonna watch them back
570
00:36:53,756 --> 00:36:54,924
and see if we got anything.
571
00:36:55,341 --> 00:36:56,718
You ready, Ngbanda?
572
00:36:56,801 --> 00:36:58,302
NGBANDA: Okay.
573
00:37:02,682 --> 00:37:03,725
[Bertie gasps]
574
00:37:03,850 --> 00:37:05,059
NGBANDA: Ooh!
575
00:37:06,894 --> 00:37:08,062
BERTIE: Here come the feet.
576
00:37:08,730 --> 00:37:11,899
[grumbling]
577
00:37:11,983 --> 00:37:14,277
[trumpeting]
578
00:37:14,527 --> 00:37:16,362
BERTIE: Njoku sonny. Baby, baby!
579
00:37:16,487 --> 00:37:17,572
NGBANDA: Njoku sonny.
580
00:37:18,197 --> 00:37:21,868
♪ ♪
581
00:37:24,787 --> 00:37:31,711
♪ ♪
582
00:37:47,143 --> 00:37:53,691
♪ ♪
583
00:37:56,444 --> 00:38:00,782
♪ ♪
584
00:38:00,990 --> 00:38:03,493
BERTIE: Yeah, he's got
really long eyelashes. Sshoo.
585
00:38:04,702 --> 00:38:07,163
But this isn't the only clip
on the camera.
586
00:38:07,330 --> 00:38:10,833
♪ ♪
587
00:38:11,167 --> 00:38:12,960
[gasps]
588
00:38:14,796 --> 00:38:15,880
Njoku wambule!
589
00:38:15,963 --> 00:38:17,048
NGBANDA: Njoku wambule.
590
00:38:20,676 --> 00:38:21,969
BERTIE: Look at the size
of his tusks!
591
00:38:22,053 --> 00:38:23,679
NGBANDA: Ooohhh.
592
00:38:23,763 --> 00:38:29,310
♪ ♪
593
00:38:33,231 --> 00:38:35,066
[trumpets]
594
00:38:46,828 --> 00:38:50,122
BERTIE: A tusker this big
is an incredibly rare sight,
595
00:38:50,289 --> 00:38:51,666
even for Ngbanda.
596
00:39:05,596 --> 00:39:12,520
{\an8}♪ ♪
597
00:39:13,187 --> 00:39:15,523
BERTIE: It's magical
to think this tusker
598
00:39:15,606 --> 00:39:19,986
has been secretly roaming the
forest for over half a century.
599
00:39:20,069 --> 00:39:24,365
♪ ♪
600
00:39:24,448 --> 00:39:27,660
Defending his territory
and evading poachers.
601
00:39:30,079 --> 00:39:32,957
I hope this species
continues to hang on,
602
00:39:33,082 --> 00:39:35,960
because without them,
this place would not exist.
603
00:39:36,377 --> 00:39:40,089
♪ ♪
604
00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:45,344
These elephants aren't just
part of the forest,
605
00:39:45,511 --> 00:39:46,596
they are the forest,
606
00:39:47,054 --> 00:39:49,432
you know, they keep it healthy,
they shape the landscape.
607
00:39:50,516 --> 00:39:51,559
[grumbling]
608
00:39:51,642 --> 00:39:53,477
I've witnessed the dangers
they're up against.
609
00:39:53,561 --> 00:39:56,397
[grumbling]
610
00:39:59,275 --> 00:40:01,652
So I leave this place
with a deep respect
611
00:40:01,736 --> 00:40:03,654
not just for forest elephants,
612
00:40:08,075 --> 00:40:11,537
but for the people that dedicate
their lives to protecting them.
613
00:40:11,996 --> 00:40:13,915
[trumpets]
614
00:40:14,248 --> 00:40:20,004
♪ ♪
615
00:40:21,714 --> 00:40:26,260
♪ ♪
616
00:40:33,684 --> 00:40:40,566
♪ ♪
617
00:40:45,738 --> 00:40:48,449
♪ ♪