1 00:00:50,176 --> 00:00:51,677 Africa. 2 00:00:54,472 --> 00:01:00,228 No continent on Earth today has such spectacular wildlife. 3 00:01:04,232 --> 00:01:09,153 At its heart lies a vast tropical rainforest. 4 00:01:13,866 --> 00:01:17,453 Over a million square miles of wilderness, 5 00:01:17,578 --> 00:01:21,207 much of it still unexplored... 6 00:01:21,332 --> 00:01:22,708 ...even now. 7 00:01:28,631 --> 00:01:32,551 There are more species of animals and plants in these jungles 8 00:01:32,677 --> 00:01:34,679 than anywhere else on the continent. 9 00:01:40,893 --> 00:01:43,396 But even in this land of plenty... 10 00:01:44,897 --> 00:01:47,942 ...wildlife now faces major challenges. 11 00:02:03,624 --> 00:02:06,210 The forests of the Ivory Coast 12 00:02:06,335 --> 00:02:10,631 contain over 1,500 species of plant, 13 00:02:10,756 --> 00:02:13,634 but some are very difficult to get at... 14 00:02:14,969 --> 00:02:17,596 ...even for one of the most intelligent of animals. 15 00:02:27,690 --> 00:02:29,317 Chimpanzees. 16 00:02:41,287 --> 00:02:46,250 The elders in this group know where to find the most nutritious food 17 00:02:46,375 --> 00:02:49,920 and how to extract it. 18 00:02:51,380 --> 00:02:54,508 But if they are to survive to adulthood, 19 00:02:54,633 --> 00:02:58,888 the youngsters must learn these skills from their parents. 20 00:03:12,526 --> 00:03:15,738 This young female is five years old... 21 00:03:18,991 --> 00:03:21,911 ...old enough to be given an important lesson. 22 00:03:38,135 --> 00:03:40,471 And this is her teacher. 23 00:03:41,764 --> 00:03:43,265 Her mother. 24 00:03:50,147 --> 00:03:53,275 The lesson is how to crack a nut. 25 00:04:05,955 --> 00:04:08,624 Using tools like this is so complex 26 00:04:08,749 --> 00:04:13,421 that it has only been mastered by a handful of chimpanzee communities. 27 00:04:22,388 --> 00:04:28,018 This is a skill that has been practised by chimps for several thousand years. 28 00:04:40,322 --> 00:04:43,534 Time to try for herself. 29 00:05:06,307 --> 00:05:09,435 She needs to find a better tool. 30 00:05:29,830 --> 00:05:32,791 Small rocks just don't have the clout. 31 00:05:36,462 --> 00:05:39,715 And larger ones are too cumbersome. 32 00:05:46,597 --> 00:05:49,391 Wood is both light and strong... 33 00:05:53,604 --> 00:05:56,065 ...but not strong enough. 34 00:06:01,612 --> 00:06:03,489 Back to teacher. 35 00:06:07,785 --> 00:06:11,830 It may take a young chimp up to a decade to perfect 36 00:06:11,956 --> 00:06:15,209 the skills it needs for nut-cracking. 37 00:06:17,670 --> 00:06:20,464 But she's already mastered one thing. 38 00:06:24,843 --> 00:06:28,472 When her fingers can't reach the nut inside... 39 00:06:30,266 --> 00:06:33,602 ...she strips down a branch to size... 40 00:06:39,024 --> 00:06:42,611 ...and makes herself a spoon. 41 00:06:52,871 --> 00:06:56,333 She'll learn to use many tools in her life... 42 00:06:58,752 --> 00:07:01,130 ...and eventually she'll share this knowledge 43 00:07:01,255 --> 00:07:04,967 with youngsters of her own, 44 00:07:05,092 --> 00:07:10,055 enabling them to harvest the riches of their rainforest home. 45 00:07:15,644 --> 00:07:18,814 The sheer abundance of life in the rainforests 46 00:07:18,939 --> 00:07:23,485 is rivalled by that on the eastern side of the continent. 47 00:07:27,656 --> 00:07:33,787 The Great Rift Valley runs for 4,000 miles down the length of Africa. 48 00:07:35,539 --> 00:07:38,208 It developed some 30 million years ago, 49 00:07:38,334 --> 00:07:43,130 when a giant plume of molten rock pushing up from the depths 50 00:07:43,255 --> 00:07:46,425 cracked the Earth's crust apart. 51 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,397 Fresh water began to accumulate on the floor of this rift... 52 00:08:01,649 --> 00:08:04,902 ...and a chain of lakes developed. 53 00:08:07,363 --> 00:08:11,450 These lakes are now one of the richest freshwater habitats 54 00:08:11,575 --> 00:08:13,118 to be found anywhere. 55 00:08:25,839 --> 00:08:30,886 One single family of fish here - the cichlids - 56 00:08:31,011 --> 00:08:35,808 has evolved into more than 1,500 different species. 57 00:08:42,064 --> 00:08:45,317 This might look like paradise, 58 00:08:45,442 --> 00:08:49,655 but competition between these cichlid species is intense. 59 00:08:54,368 --> 00:08:58,247 This crowded world is a dangerous one. 60 00:08:59,915 --> 00:09:04,169 Baby fish, after all, make a tasty meal. 61 00:09:07,756 --> 00:09:12,261 So, many cichlid mothers have developed a very effective way 62 00:09:12,386 --> 00:09:14,680 of keeping their offspring safe. 63 00:09:17,599 --> 00:09:21,729 They use their mouths as a mobile nursery. 64 00:09:35,909 --> 00:09:42,458 It's a safe haven where the fry can stay until danger has passed. 65 00:09:46,003 --> 00:09:49,798 When the coast is clear, she releases them. 66 00:10:11,236 --> 00:10:14,823 This kind of behaviour starts when the cichlid female 67 00:10:14,948 --> 00:10:19,870 picks up her newly laid eggs and holds them in her mouth to keep them safe. 68 00:10:30,631 --> 00:10:34,968 During spawning, her mate flashes his yellow tail spots 69 00:10:35,093 --> 00:10:37,179 to encourage her to keep laying. 70 00:10:44,353 --> 00:10:47,439 As each batch of eggs emerges, 71 00:10:47,564 --> 00:10:50,108 she scoops them up. 72 00:10:59,618 --> 00:11:02,621 But this couple are being watched... 73 00:11:07,251 --> 00:11:10,087 ...by cuckoo catfish. 74 00:11:33,527 --> 00:11:35,112 They work as a gang 75 00:11:35,237 --> 00:11:40,158 and devour as many cichlid eggs as they can find. 76 00:11:46,999 --> 00:11:50,002 Then, in the middle of all this activity, 77 00:11:50,127 --> 00:11:54,006 one of the catfish also spawns. 78 00:11:58,010 --> 00:12:01,805 The cichlid mother collects every egg she can see. 79 00:12:11,231 --> 00:12:14,276 Now, by herself, she must wait 80 00:12:14,401 --> 00:12:17,112 while the eggs in her mouth develop. 81 00:12:22,034 --> 00:12:24,453 It will take three weeks. 82 00:12:26,872 --> 00:12:31,418 She doesn't eat throughout that entire time. 83 00:12:43,889 --> 00:12:45,933 But 18 days later, 84 00:12:46,058 --> 00:12:49,478 something is not right. 85 00:13:02,699 --> 00:13:07,663 The female blows out her young before they're fully ready to emerge. 86 00:13:11,833 --> 00:13:16,588 And they are followed by young cuckoo catfish... 87 00:13:26,223 --> 00:13:29,601 ...three times the size of her own babies. 88 00:13:31,353 --> 00:13:34,690 She may have as many as six of them in her mouth. 89 00:13:41,029 --> 00:13:42,072 And now 90 00:13:42,197 --> 00:13:45,325 they begin to eat the cichlid babies. 91 00:13:50,372 --> 00:13:55,377 The female cichlid treats the baby catfish as if they were hers. 92 00:13:59,923 --> 00:14:03,427 They are truly cuckoos among fish! 93 00:14:14,396 --> 00:14:17,357 The forces that created the Great Rift Valley 94 00:14:17,482 --> 00:14:20,444 continue to shape Africa's landscape 95 00:14:20,569 --> 00:14:22,529 even today. 96 00:14:26,158 --> 00:14:32,456 At weak spots in the Earth's crust, molten rock continues to erupt. 97 00:14:38,420 --> 00:14:42,090 There are some 200 volcanoes on the continent... 98 00:14:46,678 --> 00:14:49,931 ...many of them active. 99 00:14:59,149 --> 00:15:02,069 They may bring destruction 100 00:15:02,194 --> 00:15:06,615 but also, eventually, fertility. 101 00:15:15,123 --> 00:15:18,210 This is Ol Doinyo Lengai. 102 00:15:20,462 --> 00:15:26,384 For the past 400,000 years, ash from this great volcano 103 00:15:26,510 --> 00:15:30,764 has fallen on the surrounding savannas of the Serengeti 104 00:15:30,889 --> 00:15:33,058 and greatly enriched them. 105 00:15:39,397 --> 00:15:42,609 This is the best grazing on the continent. 106 00:15:51,326 --> 00:15:55,956 On it live the world's largest herds of migrating animals... 107 00:15:59,292 --> 00:16:03,296 ...and they, in turn, support predators. 108 00:16:20,355 --> 00:16:25,360 Here, in Kenya, cheetahs have formed an unusual alliance. 109 00:16:31,575 --> 00:16:37,831 These swiftest of cats usually hunt in groups of two or three. 110 00:16:37,956 --> 00:16:43,837 But this team of five is one of the largest ever recorded. 111 00:16:58,643 --> 00:17:01,021 Two sets of brothers 112 00:17:01,146 --> 00:17:03,231 and a lead male. 113 00:17:07,152 --> 00:17:11,573 They have now lived and hunted together for almost three years. 114 00:17:28,131 --> 00:17:30,217 By teaming up, they can hold 115 00:17:30,342 --> 00:17:33,345 the best territory in the area. 116 00:17:35,764 --> 00:17:41,978 But, even so, with five mouths to feed, every hunt is very important. 117 00:17:50,403 --> 00:17:53,448 They haven't eaten for three days. 118 00:17:59,287 --> 00:18:03,833 To make a kill, they must get within 30 metres of their quarry 119 00:18:03,959 --> 00:18:06,461 without being detected. 120 00:18:15,470 --> 00:18:17,347 Thick cover. 121 00:18:18,473 --> 00:18:20,267 That will help them. 122 00:18:36,866 --> 00:18:40,996 Topi - nearly three times their size... 123 00:18:46,710 --> 00:18:49,796 ...and quite strong enough to fight off a lion, 124 00:18:49,921 --> 00:18:52,048 let alone a single cheetah. 125 00:19:03,143 --> 00:19:05,603 Now out in the open... 126 00:19:05,729 --> 00:19:10,650 ...every step the cheetahs take increases their chance of success. 127 00:19:37,052 --> 00:19:41,139 The herd scatter, and the team splits up. 128 00:19:42,849 --> 00:19:45,060 But they didn't get close enough. 129 00:19:48,772 --> 00:19:51,608 They switch targets to zebra. 130 00:20:23,223 --> 00:20:26,226 Everyone now knows that they're here. 131 00:20:35,777 --> 00:20:38,446 They must devise a different approach. 132 00:20:50,291 --> 00:20:52,794 All eyes are on the brothers. 133 00:21:03,972 --> 00:21:08,393 Out in the open, they seem to be no threat. 134 00:21:11,813 --> 00:21:14,399 But the lead male is missing. 135 00:21:31,416 --> 00:21:33,793 The brothers are decoys. 136 00:21:48,725 --> 00:21:50,602 The trap is set. 137 00:22:59,087 --> 00:23:02,257 The other four now join the lead male. 138 00:23:06,719 --> 00:23:09,472 Under the combined weight of five cheetah, 139 00:23:09,597 --> 00:23:12,475 death comes quickly. 140 00:23:29,075 --> 00:23:32,996 Today, Africa's savannas support larger herds of big game 141 00:23:33,121 --> 00:23:35,999 than anywhere else in the world. 142 00:23:38,710 --> 00:23:40,837 And they, one way or another, 143 00:23:40,962 --> 00:23:44,549 provide food for all kinds of smaller creatures. 144 00:23:49,053 --> 00:23:50,263 An oxpecker. 145 00:23:54,350 --> 00:23:58,730 A resourceful little bird with an unusual diet. 146 00:24:14,495 --> 00:24:19,042 Fleas, ticks and even dandruff are food, 147 00:24:19,167 --> 00:24:21,836 as far as they are concerned. 148 00:24:39,771 --> 00:24:42,273 Both parties benefit. 149 00:24:45,860 --> 00:24:48,446 The oxpecker gets a good meal... 150 00:24:48,571 --> 00:24:53,993 ...and the host is cleaned in those places it could never reach for itself. 151 00:25:09,801 --> 00:25:14,389 Each bird, every day, collects hundreds of ticks 152 00:25:14,514 --> 00:25:16,974 and thousands of insect larvae. 153 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,940 But some oxpeckers go for rather riskier meals. 154 00:25:36,202 --> 00:25:40,707 Hippopotamus are highly territorial and very aggressive... 155 00:25:43,334 --> 00:25:48,256 ...so oxpeckers tackling them must always be on their guard. 156 00:25:54,846 --> 00:25:56,848 But there's much to be gained. 157 00:26:07,483 --> 00:26:11,446 Blood is the most nutritious meal of all. 158 00:26:13,448 --> 00:26:17,952 Pecking ensures that cuts remain open and blood keeps flowing. 159 00:26:21,289 --> 00:26:25,752 And an oxpecker, once it's found an open wound, 160 00:26:25,877 --> 00:26:30,506 will stay alongside it, no matter how much that irritates its host. 161 00:26:46,898 --> 00:26:52,236 The reward? An endless supply of food, 162 00:26:52,361 --> 00:26:54,697 whatever the conditions. 163 00:27:01,996 --> 00:27:05,875 Not all of Africa is rich and fertile. 164 00:27:12,340 --> 00:27:15,426 A third of the continent is desert. 165 00:27:29,398 --> 00:27:33,361 This is the Namib in the southwest. 166 00:27:39,534 --> 00:27:42,995 At its heart, a disused diamond mine 167 00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:46,415 that was abandoned nearly 70 years ago. 168 00:27:53,965 --> 00:27:57,760 But it still has one inhabitant. 169 00:28:05,852 --> 00:28:08,187 A desert specialist... 170 00:28:12,233 --> 00:28:15,903 ...and one of Africa's rarest predators. 171 00:28:23,077 --> 00:28:24,912 The brown hyena. 172 00:28:36,591 --> 00:28:39,260 This ghost town is her home. 173 00:28:50,396 --> 00:28:54,775 Its ruins give her valuable protection from the elements. 174 00:29:02,491 --> 00:29:06,579 She has been here for 15 years. 175 00:29:20,968 --> 00:29:24,805 She's already reared nine generations of cubs. 176 00:29:48,537 --> 00:29:53,793 These two youngsters have reached a critical stage in their lives. 177 00:30:02,593 --> 00:30:07,765 They're four months old, and now they need regular solid food. 178 00:30:09,767 --> 00:30:13,062 But there is nothing edible in these ruins, 179 00:30:13,187 --> 00:30:15,022 so their mother has to look elsewhere 180 00:30:15,147 --> 00:30:19,110 and may leave them for several days on end. 181 00:30:29,412 --> 00:30:34,917 Brown hyenas may walk over 20 miles a day in search of food. 182 00:30:44,802 --> 00:30:49,348 This is some of the most hostile country on the planet. 183 00:31:20,796 --> 00:31:25,509 Temperatures reach a blistering 50 degrees Celsius. 184 00:31:39,857 --> 00:31:42,693 Strong winds blow incessantly. 185 00:31:52,244 --> 00:31:58,084 Hyenas from all over the Namib head for where the sand dunes meet the sea. 186 00:32:09,220 --> 00:32:10,471 Somewhere along 187 00:32:10,596 --> 00:32:12,848 this seemingly barren stretch of sand, 188 00:32:12,973 --> 00:32:18,020 there is food in great quantity. 189 00:32:30,783 --> 00:32:33,369 Cape fur seals. 190 00:32:35,913 --> 00:32:39,583 There are around 10,000 of them here. 191 00:32:55,391 --> 00:32:57,726 Adult seals are large and strong. 192 00:33:03,732 --> 00:33:07,319 But their pups are neither. 193 00:33:11,949 --> 00:33:15,953 The youngsters are closely guarded by their mothers. 194 00:33:17,538 --> 00:33:22,459 A hyena, however, knows to be patient. 195 00:33:26,338 --> 00:33:32,428 Sooner or later, seal mothers must return to the ocean to cool off. 196 00:33:41,687 --> 00:33:47,234 A single seal pup could feed a hyena and her family for days. 197 00:33:52,907 --> 00:33:55,326 But finding food is only half the battle. 198 00:34:00,247 --> 00:34:02,791 It now has to be carried back. 199 00:34:08,672 --> 00:34:10,257 A jackal is here too... 200 00:34:14,887 --> 00:34:17,097 ...and it's not alone. 201 00:34:23,020 --> 00:34:29,610 If a hyena loses her kill, she'll have nothing with which to feed her cubs. 202 00:34:44,250 --> 00:34:48,337 The jackals won't follow her very far from the coast. 203 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:53,425 It's too hot for them in the desert interior. 204 00:34:59,014 --> 00:35:01,517 Only by making these long journeys 205 00:35:01,642 --> 00:35:06,897 can brown hyenas manage to survive in the middle of the Namib. 206 00:35:10,776 --> 00:35:14,571 But some desert animals seldom move far. 207 00:35:18,742 --> 00:35:20,577 The Kalahari Desert. 208 00:35:24,665 --> 00:35:26,709 Here, food is more plentiful... 209 00:35:28,836 --> 00:35:30,671 ...but it's hidden. 210 00:35:40,180 --> 00:35:41,890 A pangolin. 211 00:35:48,314 --> 00:35:53,319 She can collect food that others can't reach. 212 00:35:56,989 --> 00:35:59,658 A keen sense of smell enables her to detect 213 00:35:59,783 --> 00:36:05,414 the presence of ants and termites in their nests beneath the sand. 214 00:36:25,017 --> 00:36:28,354 Her sticky tongue, some 30cm long, 215 00:36:28,479 --> 00:36:32,524 enables her to collect them from deep underground. 216 00:36:40,908 --> 00:36:43,327 And she's being carefully watched. 217 00:36:51,001 --> 00:36:54,171 The drier it gets, the deeper the termites live. 218 00:36:55,506 --> 00:36:59,843 Many are way beyond the reach of even a pangolin. 219 00:37:02,054 --> 00:37:04,765 But not of an aardvark. 220 00:37:09,853 --> 00:37:13,607 It's the world's largest burrowing animal. 221 00:37:20,531 --> 00:37:23,909 Its sense of smell is extremely acute. 222 00:37:40,801 --> 00:37:44,430 Shovel-like claws and powerful legs enable it to dig down 223 00:37:44,555 --> 00:37:47,433 to depths of five or six metres. 224 00:37:51,186 --> 00:37:58,152 A full-grown aardvark needs to eat about 50,000 termites every day. 225 00:38:01,905 --> 00:38:05,826 Termites are highly nutritious and full of moisture, 226 00:38:05,951 --> 00:38:09,830 and they can be collected here year round. 227 00:38:22,217 --> 00:38:25,762 Aardvark are usually nocturnal. 228 00:38:29,099 --> 00:38:31,393 But the fact that this one is foraging in daylight 229 00:38:31,518 --> 00:38:35,105 is a sign that food is scarce. 230 00:38:39,526 --> 00:38:44,072 Recent droughts in the Kalahari have led to low termite numbers 231 00:38:44,198 --> 00:38:49,411 and, as a consequence, aardvarks here are close to starvation. 232 00:38:55,292 --> 00:39:00,964 Changes in the world's climate are affecting many of Africa's animals. 233 00:39:09,598 --> 00:39:13,143 It's predicted that in the next century, 234 00:39:13,268 --> 00:39:18,023 Southern Africa will warm twice as much as the global average. 235 00:39:22,736 --> 00:39:28,825 The future will be bleak for those that cannot adapt fast enough. 236 00:39:36,750 --> 00:39:41,088 In Zimbabwe, it hasn't rained in six months. 237 00:39:49,179 --> 00:39:54,309 During a drought, food becomes harder and harder to find. 238 00:40:17,457 --> 00:40:21,044 Apple-ring acacias produce pods that are full of protein... 239 00:40:23,005 --> 00:40:25,799 ...but mostly on their higher branches. 240 00:40:30,679 --> 00:40:32,848 Six metres up, they're out of reach, 241 00:40:32,973 --> 00:40:37,728 even for the continent's largest animals. 242 00:41:17,434 --> 00:41:23,940 This bull elephant needs to eat about 90kg of vegetation every day. 243 00:41:40,207 --> 00:41:44,544 He's worked out a remarkable way of surviving 244 00:41:44,670 --> 00:41:47,297 in these lean times. 245 00:41:49,383 --> 00:41:53,011 But it requires great physical strength. 246 00:42:11,780 --> 00:42:16,159 Only a handful of bulls have mastered the skill. 247 00:42:40,517 --> 00:42:43,395 He weighs over five tonnes. 248 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:46,857 This is a truly monumental effort. 249 00:43:25,896 --> 00:43:29,733 Those around him benefit too. 250 00:43:44,289 --> 00:43:48,460 Elephants have used their great intelligence to help them survive 251 00:43:48,585 --> 00:43:51,838 Africa's driest times for millennia. 252 00:43:56,802 --> 00:44:00,847 But today, they face an even greater threat. 253 00:44:07,062 --> 00:44:13,318 It's thought that as many as 20 million elephants once roamed the continent, 254 00:44:13,443 --> 00:44:17,614 but many have been killed for their tusks... 255 00:44:20,909 --> 00:44:25,121 ...their ivory used for entirely ornamental purposes. 256 00:44:30,627 --> 00:44:35,632 Now just 350,000 elephants remain. 257 00:44:43,390 --> 00:44:46,601 These stockpiles of confiscated tusks 258 00:44:46,726 --> 00:44:51,356 represent half of the elephants killed on the continent 259 00:44:51,481 --> 00:44:53,775 in just one year. 260 00:45:05,829 --> 00:45:09,124 But of all of Africa's remaining wildlife, 261 00:45:09,249 --> 00:45:13,628 it is the rhinoceros that has been most affected by poaching. 262 00:45:19,593 --> 00:45:24,180 In the Far East, its horn is used as traditional medicine. 263 00:45:29,686 --> 00:45:33,523 All of Africa's rhinos are now under threat... 264 00:45:36,192 --> 00:45:41,531 ...but for one subspecies, it's likely to be already too late. 265 00:45:44,701 --> 00:45:48,955 The northern white rhinoceros is facing extinction. 266 00:45:51,249 --> 00:45:53,710 Scientists are working on a solution, 267 00:45:53,835 --> 00:45:59,090 but no male now survives, so natural breeding is impossible. 268 00:46:04,012 --> 00:46:07,933 These two females are the last of their kind. 269 00:46:09,142 --> 00:46:11,144 When they die, 270 00:46:11,269 --> 00:46:17,776 an entire subspecies that inhabited the Earth for millions of years 271 00:46:17,901 --> 00:46:20,862 will have disappeared for ever. 272 00:46:25,367 --> 00:46:27,994 Right across Africa, 273 00:46:28,119 --> 00:46:33,708 human beings are having a devastating impact on all wildlife. 274 00:46:37,045 --> 00:46:39,214 Cheetah numbers are decreasing 275 00:46:39,339 --> 00:46:40,840 year on year. 276 00:46:42,801 --> 00:46:48,181 Today, there are fewer than 8,000 left on the continent. 277 00:47:00,652 --> 00:47:05,323 The global demand for pangolin scales for use in traditional medicine 278 00:47:05,448 --> 00:47:09,953 has now made them the most trafficked animal on the planet. 279 00:47:15,083 --> 00:47:19,087 And western chimpanzees are so threatened by the loss of their habitat 280 00:47:19,212 --> 00:47:22,424 that they are now critically endangered. 281 00:47:26,386 --> 00:47:28,430 In this female's lifetime, 282 00:47:28,555 --> 00:47:31,599 three-quarters of the forest in the Ivory Coast 283 00:47:31,725 --> 00:47:34,185 has been felled for plantations. 284 00:47:39,899 --> 00:47:43,319 Deforestation - and not only in Africa - 285 00:47:43,445 --> 00:47:46,656 continues on an enormous scale. 286 00:47:51,911 --> 00:47:56,583 64 million acres of forest are destroyed every year 287 00:47:56,708 --> 00:48:00,378 to make way for agriculture and industry. 288 00:48:01,880 --> 00:48:05,633 An area of forest the size of a football field 289 00:48:05,759 --> 00:48:07,802 is disappearing every second. 290 00:48:13,808 --> 00:48:17,437 Climate change is affecting global weather patterns. 291 00:48:19,105 --> 00:48:23,318 Rainfall is increasingly unpredictable. 292 00:48:24,736 --> 00:48:28,281 Average temperatures are soaring all over the globe. 293 00:48:35,622 --> 00:48:37,999 Extreme weather is now affecting wildlife 294 00:48:38,124 --> 00:48:41,419 on all seven of the planet's continents. 295 00:48:55,683 --> 00:49:00,897 Today, scientists tell us that we are at the start of a mass extinction, 296 00:49:01,022 --> 00:49:06,027 and one that is being caused by human activity. 297 00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:12,909 Over a million species could be wiped out, 298 00:49:13,034 --> 00:49:16,162 many within the next few decades. 299 00:49:23,670 --> 00:49:29,926 But with help, even the most vulnerable wildlife populations can still recover. 300 00:49:36,057 --> 00:49:39,060 In Africa's Virunga National Park, 301 00:49:39,185 --> 00:49:43,773 an intensive conservation programme for the mountain gorilla 302 00:49:43,898 --> 00:49:50,446 has raised their numbers above 1,000 for the first time since records began. 303 00:50:08,131 --> 00:50:10,049 And in Antarctica, 304 00:50:10,175 --> 00:50:14,179 the international ban on whaling has meant that the great whales 305 00:50:14,304 --> 00:50:19,851 have returned to the Southern Ocean in numbers not seen for a century. 306 00:50:23,771 --> 00:50:26,691 So we can improve things... 307 00:50:28,318 --> 00:50:30,737 ...if we determine to do so. 308 00:50:35,825 --> 00:50:38,870 This is a crucial moment in time. 309 00:50:38,995 --> 00:50:41,456 The decisions we take now 310 00:50:41,581 --> 00:50:46,753 will influence the future of animals, humanity, 311 00:50:46,878 --> 00:50:51,257 and indeed all life on Earth.