1 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:55,240 This is Guelta d'Archei in Central Africa. 2 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,320 A hostile, seemingly empty world. 3 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,160 ANIMALS GROAN 4 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:16,960 There is life here. 5 00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:18,680 FAINT CHATTER 6 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,600 But it exists at the very limits of survival. 7 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:30,000 CAMELS GROAN 8 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:54,160 For this is a world with almost no water. 9 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:13,480 Lands like these cover over a third of our planet. 10 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,840 Here, life is forced to do things differently. 11 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,800 This is the most ancient desert of all. 12 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,120 The Namib - in south west Africa. 13 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,600 It is one of the hottest places on Earth. 14 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,480 Yet this male ostrich and his mate 15 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,080 have come here to start a family. 16 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,000 Few predators venture out during the heat of day. 17 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,600 But such safety comes at a price. 18 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:47,320 Out in the open, the newly-hatched chicks are exposed 19 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,480 to the crushing heat of the sun. 20 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,120 But not all of the brood have hatched. 21 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,760 Until they do, the family will stay here. 22 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,800 The adults take it in turns to protect the brood. 23 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:25,520 So whilst the female takes a well-earned break, 24 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:29,560 the male takes over for the most testing shift. 25 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,120 He gently rolls the unhatched eggs... 26 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,160 ..calling to the young within them. 27 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,320 He doesn't want to leave anyone behind. 28 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:03,280 The temperature continues to rise by five degrees Celsius every hour. 29 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,120 He protects the chicks that have emerged... 30 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,200 ..shading them with his own body. 31 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,320 At the end of another gruelling day in the sun... 32 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,120 ..he's lost almost all his energy. 33 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,240 But he must resist the urge to rest. 34 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,240 The cool of the night brings some relief... 35 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,640 ..but now predators are out and about. 36 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,600 ANIMALS CALL 37 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,960 It's going to be a long night. 38 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,960 Dawn brings a surprise. 39 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:20,720 Three additions to the family... 40 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,640 ..to greet the returning female. 41 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:34,920 But there's a problem. 42 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,920 The chicks won't survive another day in these temperatures. 43 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,360 Yet the male is reluctant to leave. 44 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:55,040 Some of the eggs have still not hatched. 45 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,360 But time has run out. 46 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,680 They must depart. 47 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,080 Just a few minutes too late. 48 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:12,400 HATCHLING CALLS 49 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,840 Alone and without the protection of its parents, 50 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,920 this hatchling's chances are slim. 51 00:09:57,440 --> 00:09:59,240 HATCHLING CALLS 52 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:22,600 CALLING CONTINUES 53 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:48,880 OSTRICH CALLS 54 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:00,840 HATCHLING CALLS 55 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,760 Survival here, as in all deserts, 56 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,200 is on a knife edge. 57 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,840 So desert dwellers have had to evolve in remarkable ways. 58 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:13,760 Some have even given rise to legends of dragons and unicorns. 59 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,640 And even the dunes have their own magical quality. 60 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,840 Indeed some have their own voice. 61 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:45,920 ETHEREAL WHIRRING 62 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,520 Here in Arabia, this extraordinary sound 63 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,320 is created by billions of moving sand grains 64 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,640 vibrating against one another. 65 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:04,240 ETHEREAL SOUND CONTINUES 66 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,560 The eerie song they produce can be heard for miles 67 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:15,400 across the world's biggest sand desert. 68 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:29,520 Winds have also built sand into surreal shapes. 69 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:41,280 Deserts around the world can appear so alien, 70 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,400 that they seem to belong to another planet altogether. 71 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,400 Few more so than here in Australia. 72 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,640 Yet one little creature chooses this desert 73 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,880 to prepare for a most important event in its life. 74 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,360 A male spotted bowerbird. 75 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:12,720 For the last two months, 76 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:16,000 he has been busy in anticipation of brief rains... 77 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:22,920 That is when females will look for a mate. 78 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,280 So he's built a bower, a sort of theatre, 79 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:33,520 a stage on which he will dance with a female, if she is willing. 80 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:42,520 He decorates the entrance with piles of empty snail shells and bones. 81 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,600 How could any female resist? 82 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,080 The rains are due any day, 83 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,520 so it's his last chance for improvements. 84 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,200 You can never have too many shells. 85 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,080 But in his absence... 86 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:19,560 ..a rival male drops by, to size up the competition... 87 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:25,400 ..and cause trouble. 88 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:32,960 Wreck your neighbour's bower 89 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,040 and your own might look better. 90 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:50,800 And perhaps one of the best bits 91 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,560 would look good in his bower. 92 00:15:57,720 --> 00:15:58,920 The owner is back. 93 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,640 And something isn't right. 94 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:13,520 Repairs are needed. 95 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,640 Still no sign of rain or females. 96 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,880 Undeterred, he continues his preparations. 97 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,480 Time to rehearse his courtship display. 98 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:07,000 But sadly he may only ever dance alone. 99 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:12,200 For the last three years, the rains have failed. 100 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:18,760 Without them, 101 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,200 the females won't mate. 102 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,400 They need the rains to provide food for their family. 103 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:31,160 Changes in the climate are affecting these birds, 104 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:33,400 just as they are affecting us. 105 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:57,680 A quarter of the world's people live in arid lands. 106 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,360 So we, too, have to deal with climate change. 107 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:15,120 Less rainfall and extended droughts allow deserts to grow. 108 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,760 And as they do, so does the likelihood 109 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,560 of one of nature's most intimidating events. 110 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:41,960 A dust storm. 111 00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:08,840 A wall of dust up to a mile high, 112 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,160 travelling at almost 70mph. 113 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:19,680 Today these destructive storms are some of the most powerful ever seen. 114 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,800 Unstoppable, they can travel thousands of miles... 115 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,040 ..overwhelming towns and cities across the world... 116 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:40,360 ..in an instant. 117 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:59,200 It takes millennia for life to adapt to the extremes of deserts. 118 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:08,880 These baboons manage to survive 119 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,480 in one of the driest environments on Earth. 120 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,960 The Erongo region in Namibia. 121 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:32,080 Not a single drop of rain has fallen here for eight months. 122 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:43,400 Life here for these baboons is as hard as it gets. 123 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,120 THEY GRUNT AND SCREECH 124 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:56,440 And it's especially difficult 125 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:58,640 for this young female. 126 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:05,240 She has just given birth to her first baby. 127 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,360 She's desperate for water. 128 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:22,080 Without it, she can't produce milk. 129 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,880 The tiny of amount of moisture in her food 130 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,280 is simply not enough for both of them. 131 00:21:43,120 --> 00:21:45,960 The troop must constantly search for water. 132 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,160 And they won't wait for her. 133 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:57,600 At last, one of the troop's scouts finds a tiny trickle on a rock face. 134 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:15,840 Relief! 135 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:19,960 But not for everyone. 136 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:24,960 The young mother will have to wait. 137 00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:33,520 Access to the precious water is determined by rank. 138 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:49,080 She is so low in the pecking order... 139 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,280 ..she might fail to get any drink at all. 140 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:04,760 Because jumping the queue 141 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,480 is severely punished. 142 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:46,280 It's risky, but she can't wait any longer. 143 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,680 A dangerous move. 144 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,360 THEY SCREECH 145 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,520 But there's no match for a mother's determination. 146 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:31,600 This will be enough to keep her and her baby alive until rain falls. 147 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,520 Rain brings salvation not just to her and the troop, 148 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:45,080 but to the thirsty land. 149 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:04,160 When it does fall, it can transform a desert. 150 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:20,640 And turn it into one of Earth's most productive landscapes. 151 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:40,840 Grasslands. 152 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,880 They support the greatest concentrations of large animals 153 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,160 to be found anywhere on the planet. 154 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:58,400 ZEBRAS BRAY 155 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,920 Here nature is at its most spectacular. 156 00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:29,600 This leopardess, believe it or not, 157 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,320 is ready to hunt at a moment's notice. 158 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,240 She is one of the few special leopards that have 159 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:41,440 learnt to hide in the tree tops, 160 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,240 and wait for their prey to come to them. 161 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,680 Without making a sound, 162 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,440 she gets into position. 163 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,040 Not this time. 164 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:37,480 And now her presence is known to all. 165 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:55,440 But leopards will go to astonishing lengths to succeed. 166 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,040 And some are more daring than others. 167 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:35,240 This leopard climbs up to a branch nine metres above the ground. 168 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:43,640 She's higher than the roof of a two-storey house. 169 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,280 Leopards have killed themselves jumping from these heights. 170 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:51,280 To succeed on these equatorial grasslands, 171 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:56,160 you must be adaptable and sometimes brave. 172 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:15,440 The Eurasian Steppe, 173 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:17,440 the largest grassland on earth. 174 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,720 It tests animals in a different way. 175 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,880 Here, the wind can blow at speeds of nearly 80mph. 176 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:38,840 And temperatures drop to below minus 30 degrees Celsius. 177 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:49,440 Yet one bizarre creature has evolved ways to survive in these extremes. 178 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:57,360 Saiga antelope. 179 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:03,760 Small but tough animals that lived alongside woolly mammoths. 180 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:13,200 The male's enormous nose both filters out the dust 181 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:17,120 and warms up the cold air before it reaches his lungs. 182 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:24,600 But at this time of year, it also serves a very different purpose. 183 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:26,360 ANTELOPE SNORTS 184 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:32,160 It impresses the females. 185 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,720 And the bigger it is, the better. 186 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:50,440 This old male knows what it takes to hold their attention. 187 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:58,720 But they make him work for it. 188 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:22,160 And if that isn't effective... 189 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:26,240 ..he has other ways of impressing them. 190 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:31,440 A bush - very majestic. 191 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:55,720 But when you are king of the steppe, 192 00:34:55,720 --> 00:34:59,080 there's always someone waiting to claim your crown. 193 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:04,440 This young buck fancies his chances. 194 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:09,000 He aims to steal the king's harem. 195 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:21,280 The challenger charges, ready to do battle. 196 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:26,520 This could be a fight to the death. 197 00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:32,800 70% of rutting males will die. 198 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:48,880 The older male eventually begins to gain the upper hand. 199 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,240 And with one final effort, 200 00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:03,640 he drives the young rival away. 201 00:36:12,720 --> 00:36:15,600 The king has kept his crown - 202 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:17,160 and his harem. 203 00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:25,160 Only the strongest saigas can endure and succeed 204 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:28,600 in one of the harshest places on Earth. 205 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:40,640 But close to the equator, where there is constant warmth and water, 206 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:44,120 there are grasslands close to paradise. 207 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:53,560 This is the most bio-diverse grassland in the world... 208 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,200 ..the Cerrado in Brazil. 209 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:07,640 Here there are thousands of species of both animals and plants 210 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:09,680 found nowhere else. 211 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,480 A rich and complex community that is kept in balance 212 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:21,360 by this ghostly creature. 213 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,640 A maned wolf. 214 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:42,400 Quiet and shy, it's little known and seldom seen. 215 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,760 Unlike any other wolf in the world, 216 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:52,360 their diet is mostly vegetarian. 217 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:58,000 And they particularly like lobeira fruit. 218 00:37:59,720 --> 00:38:02,800 This plant increases the fertility of the land, 219 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:06,440 and helps to sustain the entire Cerrado. 220 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,320 The maned wolves, odd though it may seem, 221 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:17,360 are, in effect, the gardeners of these unique plains. 222 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:27,360 The dense grass in turn provides this female 223 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,440 with a comfortable home... 224 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:36,600 ..and somewhere to hide her three puppies, 225 00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:38,360 just one month old. 226 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:56,840 She is so rare that she's been fitted with a radio-collar 227 00:38:56,840 --> 00:39:00,160 so that scientists can study her continuously. 228 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:06,880 And our remotely controlled "den camera" reveals a mother 229 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:10,200 only comes here for a few hours a day to suckle her pups. 230 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:23,640 She spends much of her time foraging to provide for her growing family. 231 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:34,600 Now, alone in the den, 232 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:37,800 her puppies are suddenly in danger. 233 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:47,080 Not from other predators... 234 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:53,440 ..but from fire. 235 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:17,560 Their home is being burnt all around them. 236 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:35,720 These fires can race through a mile of grassland 237 00:40:35,720 --> 00:40:37,440 in a matter of minutes. 238 00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:07,720 The Cerrado devastated. 239 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:12,520 Why? 240 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:17,120 In order to clear land to grow crops. 241 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:54,720 This particular fire didn't reach their den. 242 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:00,000 But it's empty. 243 00:42:12,720 --> 00:42:14,920 PUPS WHINE 244 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:19,960 This time, the family were lucky. 245 00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:31,360 But her species faces an alarmingly uncertain future. 246 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,960 At the current rate of habitat destruction, 247 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:42,400 these may be some of the last maned wolves to survive in the wild. 248 00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:59,760 In grasslands, the land and the animals 249 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:04,360 are so closely interconnected, that the loss of one key species 250 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:08,200 could well trigger the collapse of the entire ecosystem. 251 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:14,080 That's what happened here in central Africa, 252 00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:17,720 when 95% of the elephant population 253 00:43:17,720 --> 00:43:19,920 were killed for their ivory. 254 00:43:21,240 --> 00:43:24,160 Without these essential gardeners - 255 00:43:24,160 --> 00:43:26,560 life couldn't flourish. 256 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:34,880 This male is one of the few survivors. 257 00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:42,520 He still bears the scars from his persecuted past. 258 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:49,800 But the slaughter was stopped just in time. 259 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:56,840 With an end to poaching, 260 00:43:56,840 --> 00:44:02,560 this male is part of a growing herd that now lives in safety. 261 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:09,560 Today, it's thought this is one of the largest groups 262 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:12,840 of African elephants surviving in the wild. 263 00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:21,040 As they recovered their numbers, 264 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:24,720 their grazing encouraged a healthy growth of new grasses. 265 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:31,640 And they created space for other animals... 266 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:38,920 ..bringing life back to Zakouma. 267 00:45:17,320 --> 00:45:20,000 This miraculous transformation 268 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:21,800 shows what can happen 269 00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:25,480 if nature is allowed to restore its own balance. 270 00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:41,280 Abakar is part of the team of local rangers who risked their lives 271 00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:42,760 to protect these elephants. 272 00:45:57,560 --> 00:46:00,800 And the elephants didn't just heal the land. 273 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:08,040 They did something no-one had anticipated. 274 00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:31,480 As we understand more about the wonders, 275 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:36,520 the connections and the fragility of these landscapes... 276 00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:42,880 ..the consequences of our actions are thrown into sharp focus. 277 00:46:45,760 --> 00:46:48,880 They show we urgently need to do 278 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:52,560 everything we can to help nature heal itself. 279 00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:14,680 To film maned wolves, 280 00:47:14,680 --> 00:47:19,120 the Planet Earth crew joined pioneering scientists in Brazil. 281 00:47:20,200 --> 00:47:22,360 If you get a direction, Bela, please let me know. 282 00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:25,640 Yeah, she's like three o'clock from the car here. 283 00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:27,520 Like 800 metres, too. 284 00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:32,640 Without their help the wolves are almost impossible to track, 285 00:47:32,640 --> 00:47:35,960 let alone film, in the dense grass of the Cerrado. 286 00:47:37,080 --> 00:47:38,840 It's so hard to find them, 287 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:41,840 they're sort of solitary animals in a huge grassland 288 00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:43,240 with sort of metre high grass, 289 00:47:43,240 --> 00:47:45,720 which is the same height as the wolf. 290 00:47:45,720 --> 00:47:48,880 And it's like looking for a needle in a haystack currently. 291 00:47:48,880 --> 00:47:51,320 Shall we turn the car around, if she's going to head that way? 292 00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:52,880 Yeah, maybe. 293 00:47:56,560 --> 00:48:00,240 The researchers have radio collared two female wolves. 294 00:48:00,240 --> 00:48:01,480 Both have puppies. 295 00:48:03,200 --> 00:48:08,880 They hope to track one to a den and set up remote cameras inside. 296 00:48:08,880 --> 00:48:12,640 The footage would provide the researchers with crucial information 297 00:48:12,640 --> 00:48:16,040 and help to protect this endangered species. 298 00:48:16,040 --> 00:48:17,680 She's in here somewhere. 299 00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:21,720 Maned wolf, they're so special. 300 00:48:21,720 --> 00:48:25,840 It's very important to understand more of this species. 301 00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:30,000 When we get more knowledge, its getting easier to protect them. 302 00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:37,960 But the signal from one of the females 303 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:40,760 takes them in a worrying direction. 304 00:48:40,760 --> 00:48:46,080 So it's led us directly into this huge epic scale farmland, 305 00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:49,160 the likes of which, to be honest, I've never seen before. 306 00:48:49,160 --> 00:48:53,240 And it shows you what little is left of their natural habitat. 307 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:02,440 50% of maned wolf habitat has been lost to farmland. 308 00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:11,080 And the radio collars show they now regularly stray 309 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:13,960 into this unfamiliar landscape. 310 00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:19,920 Tragically, the researchers discover the body 311 00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:23,840 of one collared mother wolf on farmland. 312 00:49:23,840 --> 00:49:26,760 The cause of her death unknown. 313 00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:31,760 Her puppies won't survive alone for long. 314 00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:36,800 Without delay, the researchers set out to find them. 315 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:51,440 They rescue five, one-month-old pups, 316 00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:52,960 hidden in the long grass. 317 00:50:00,800 --> 00:50:02,480 To assess their condition, 318 00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:05,720 the pups are taken to an emergency rescue facility. 319 00:50:14,240 --> 00:50:15,720 PUPS WHINE 320 00:50:19,600 --> 00:50:22,280 They will be cared for around the clock, 321 00:50:22,280 --> 00:50:25,880 until they are strong enough to be released back into the wild. 322 00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:36,080 Their mothers death is a huge blow for everyone. 323 00:50:38,280 --> 00:50:41,360 For the crew, the only chance of filming in a den 324 00:50:41,360 --> 00:50:45,560 now lies with one remaining collared female known as Nhorinha. 325 00:50:52,400 --> 00:50:53,920 She's more here to the right. 326 00:50:55,440 --> 00:50:56,880 Is that her there? No. 327 00:50:58,040 --> 00:51:00,360 Yep, I can see her, she's there. She's here. 328 00:51:00,360 --> 00:51:02,960 Yeah, got her, got her, got her. 329 00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:06,800 She's coming towards two o'clock now. 330 00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:09,280 50 metres away from the car. 331 00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:12,480 She's coming behind this tree in the middle here, let's wait. 332 00:51:12,480 --> 00:51:13,960 I've got her, I've got her. OK. 333 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:27,280 Eventually the team capture the first images of Nhorinha on camera. 334 00:51:27,280 --> 00:51:29,640 To finally see our wolf is amazing. 335 00:51:32,600 --> 00:51:36,320 Using a drone camera, they follow her to her den. 336 00:51:46,680 --> 00:51:49,960 The drone reveals the first glimpse of Nhorinha's puppies. 337 00:51:51,720 --> 00:51:54,080 WHISPERS: Oh, my God. 338 00:51:57,520 --> 00:51:58,920 And she's moving them... 339 00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:04,080 ..something that's never been witnessed before. 340 00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:11,920 This is very special, my heart stopped there, like... 341 00:52:11,920 --> 00:52:15,480 I can't believe what I'm really seeing here. 342 00:52:15,480 --> 00:52:17,320 We know where the den is now. 343 00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:30,360 The following morning, they return to the den site. 344 00:52:32,280 --> 00:52:34,360 They want to rig their cameras, 345 00:52:34,360 --> 00:52:37,880 but can only approach when they know Nhorinha is not at the den. 346 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:41,240 Is she nearby? 347 00:52:41,240 --> 00:52:42,800 No, no signal yet. 348 00:52:43,840 --> 00:52:48,760 Nhorinha is out of here, at least 1km. 349 00:52:48,760 --> 00:52:50,680 So it's very good news for us. 350 00:52:50,680 --> 00:52:52,280 Let's try to approach it. 351 00:52:56,040 --> 00:52:59,400 Barbara checks that Nhorinha is away from the den, 352 00:52:59,400 --> 00:53:02,400 so the team can go in without disturbing her. 353 00:53:05,680 --> 00:53:07,680 Very good. 354 00:53:07,680 --> 00:53:10,280 The den isn't immediately obvious, 355 00:53:10,280 --> 00:53:13,040 but the grass here is flattened, 356 00:53:13,040 --> 00:53:16,120 so they place their cameras and hope for the best. 357 00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:20,440 We're about 80m from the den. 358 00:53:20,440 --> 00:53:25,160 This is as close as we can be safely. 359 00:53:25,160 --> 00:53:28,280 This is the moment of truth, we're turning them on. 360 00:53:29,880 --> 00:53:31,600 And we're live, 361 00:53:31,600 --> 00:53:33,200 and the camera hasn't moved. 362 00:53:36,080 --> 00:53:39,920 Luke keeps watch over the cameras, 363 00:53:39,920 --> 00:53:43,560 while the team continue to monitor Nhorinha's movements. 364 00:53:45,640 --> 00:53:49,200 Before long, they are stopped in their tracks. 365 00:53:49,200 --> 00:53:52,040 Just see this huge plume of smoke in the distance, 366 00:53:52,040 --> 00:53:55,240 you know, directly behind the den where our mother maned wolf 367 00:53:55,240 --> 00:53:58,400 has been with her puppies. 368 00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:02,480 I'm quite anxious. I'm sure the other researchers are as well. 369 00:54:04,680 --> 00:54:08,960 And the fire may well have been started by farmers, 370 00:54:08,960 --> 00:54:11,640 in order to clear land to grow crops 371 00:54:11,640 --> 00:54:14,720 that will be used to feed chicken and cattle around the world. 372 00:54:18,960 --> 00:54:21,320 The heat from the fire when we're working that close 373 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:24,160 is so intense that I can feel it burning the skin on my arms. 374 00:54:24,160 --> 00:54:27,480 It moves so fast, there's no way you'd escape something like that. 375 00:54:29,680 --> 00:54:33,400 Every single cell in your body just wants to get out of there. 376 00:54:33,400 --> 00:54:34,960 But actually this whole place, 377 00:54:34,960 --> 00:54:38,280 this whole Cerrado, is surrounded by farmland and roads, 378 00:54:38,280 --> 00:54:40,400 so, actually, when you really think about it, 379 00:54:40,400 --> 00:54:42,040 the wildlife has nowhere to run. 380 00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:56,200 After a difficult few weeks for Barbara and the research team... 381 00:54:57,400 --> 00:55:01,600 Hello, how you doing? How was it? It was good. 382 00:55:01,600 --> 00:55:04,840 The crew have some good news for them. 383 00:55:04,840 --> 00:55:07,560 Oh, track, there's one right there. 384 00:55:07,560 --> 00:55:09,480 Right now. Yeah. 385 00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:12,120 Can you see? That's live? Yeah, yeah, that's live. 386 00:55:12,120 --> 00:55:13,600 Oh! 387 00:55:13,600 --> 00:55:15,560 Oh, my God! 388 00:55:19,120 --> 00:55:21,720 I've never see anything so cute in my entire life. 389 00:55:21,720 --> 00:55:24,320 No! Me neither. Me neither, guys. 390 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:27,640 Look at this! Look, it's looking at the camera. 391 00:55:29,960 --> 00:55:31,760 Unbelievable. 392 00:55:34,040 --> 00:55:36,720 That's the first record in the world, 393 00:55:36,720 --> 00:55:39,880 so intimate inside the den. 394 00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:41,800 Nobody ever saw this. 395 00:55:41,800 --> 00:55:45,360 Such new information of such important species. 396 00:55:48,520 --> 00:55:50,440 You feeling emotional, Barbara? 397 00:55:50,440 --> 00:55:52,640 It's difficult not to be. 398 00:55:52,640 --> 00:55:55,520 I don't have words to describe it. 399 00:55:55,520 --> 00:55:57,320 It's too much for me. 400 00:56:01,160 --> 00:56:05,480 The cameras continue to gather first-of-its-kind footage, 401 00:56:05,480 --> 00:56:08,800 providing insight into the all-important first weeks 402 00:56:08,800 --> 00:56:10,760 of a maned wolf's life. 403 00:56:13,960 --> 00:56:17,440 And, crucially, how much space must be protected 404 00:56:17,440 --> 00:56:19,440 to support future generations. 405 00:56:21,120 --> 00:56:25,000 I really hope that every person in the world could see 406 00:56:25,000 --> 00:56:29,080 from their house, how special, and how beautiful, 407 00:56:29,080 --> 00:56:32,320 amazing these animals are. 408 00:56:33,520 --> 00:56:38,000 I feel quite worried, but not hopeless. 409 00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:43,400 I will fight every day and every year to help them. 410 00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:46,400 I was born in Cerrado, I grew up in Cerrado, 411 00:56:46,400 --> 00:56:50,280 and Cerrado, it's my home, I have to protect it. 412 00:57:01,320 --> 00:57:03,800 Next time... 413 00:57:03,800 --> 00:57:05,240 ..the world of freshwater. 414 00:57:11,720 --> 00:57:13,760 The lifeblood of Planet Earth. 415 00:57:16,960 --> 00:57:21,480 And a stage for the most extraordinary animal dramas. 416 00:57:25,920 --> 00:57:29,760 Habitat Explorer brings animals and their habitats to life. 417 00:57:29,760 --> 00:57:33,160 Explore this free interactive and make origami animals! 418 00:57:33,160 --> 00:57:34,880 Go to... 419 00:57:37,680 --> 00:57:39,760 ..and follow the links to the Open University. 420 00:57:39,760 --> 00:57:41,920 Or to order a free printed version, 421 00:57:41,920 --> 00:57:45,560 visit the website or call the numbers on the screen.