1 00:00:35,807 --> 00:00:40,228 Today, the WHO declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. 2 00:00:40,311 --> 00:00:44,148 I'm issuing a "stay home, stay safe" executive order. 3 00:00:44,232 --> 00:00:46,693 …directing nearly all of our residents 4 00:00:46,776 --> 00:00:49,445 to quite simply stay at home. 5 00:00:49,529 --> 00:00:53,283 From this evening, I must give a very simple instruction. 6 00:00:53,366 --> 00:00:55,285 You must stay at home. 7 00:00:57,579 --> 00:01:03,167 March 2020. A deadly virus sweeps around the world. 8 00:01:05,086 --> 00:01:08,840 Overnight, our lives are put on pause. 9 00:01:14,554 --> 00:01:16,222 But as we stop… 10 00:01:17,557 --> 00:01:22,604 remarkable things start to change in the natural world. 11 00:01:25,940 --> 00:01:27,567 Clearer air. 12 00:01:29,944 --> 00:01:31,571 Cleaner waters. 13 00:01:33,156 --> 00:01:38,995 And animals starting to flourish in ways we hadn't seen for decades. 14 00:01:41,915 --> 00:01:46,628 Filming from the start of lockdown across five continents… 15 00:01:48,713 --> 00:01:52,175 we've recorded nature's extraordinary response. 16 00:02:01,142 --> 00:02:04,854 From ocean giants communicating in new ways with their young… 17 00:02:08,941 --> 00:02:13,696 And cheetahs transforming the chances of survival for their cubs… 18 00:02:14,364 --> 00:02:17,450 This is the best time for her to be a mother. 19 00:02:18,451 --> 00:02:24,040 To endangered penguins having a record-breaking breeding season. 20 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:32,715 This is a unique opportunity to peer into the lives and worlds of wildlife 21 00:02:32,799 --> 00:02:37,220 and see what things look like without as much of our interaction. 22 00:02:37,971 --> 00:02:41,599 It's a global experiment of epic proportions. 23 00:02:43,184 --> 00:02:47,480 This is the year Earth changed. 24 00:03:05,915 --> 00:03:11,504 Just hours into lockdown, many of us notice the silence. 25 00:03:14,257 --> 00:03:19,220 With global traffic noise reduced by up to 70%, 26 00:03:19,304 --> 00:03:22,473 there is a new sound to be heard… 27 00:03:25,602 --> 00:03:27,020 birdsong. 28 00:03:35,361 --> 00:03:37,447 These white-crowned sparrows 29 00:03:37,530 --> 00:03:41,367 adapt to the quiet by doing something astonishing. 30 00:03:43,661 --> 00:03:46,497 Living in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, 31 00:03:46,581 --> 00:03:50,501 their song had been drowned out by cars. 32 00:03:52,503 --> 00:03:57,383 But now, with the traffic here at its lowest levels since the 1950s… 33 00:03:58,635 --> 00:04:04,265 researchers are amazed to hear new notes in the sparrows' mating call. 34 00:04:06,809 --> 00:04:11,898 And there's hope that the birds will have their best breeding season for years. 35 00:04:17,569 --> 00:04:20,573 And it's not just noise level that reduces. 36 00:04:22,325 --> 00:04:28,331 The speed at which air pollution drops around the globe is staggering. 37 00:04:30,250 --> 00:04:31,459 Within days, 38 00:04:31,543 --> 00:04:36,965 Los Angeles experiences its best air quality for 40 years. 39 00:04:39,133 --> 00:04:44,264 Across China, the levels of toxic gases in the atmosphere halve. 40 00:04:46,266 --> 00:04:52,146 And in India, which typically suffers from some of the worst pollution in the world… 41 00:04:53,606 --> 00:04:56,234 just 12 days after lockdown… 42 00:04:58,194 --> 00:05:01,531 …a breathtaking sight appears. 43 00:05:01,614 --> 00:05:04,492 We were sitting on the table having breakfast, 44 00:05:04,576 --> 00:05:06,619 and then my dad came, rushed in. 45 00:05:06,703 --> 00:05:10,081 He said, "Come upstairs. The mountains are visible." 46 00:05:10,164 --> 00:05:12,542 Amateur photographer Anshul 47 00:05:12,625 --> 00:05:15,879 goes to see what all the excitement was about. 48 00:05:16,838 --> 00:05:19,257 People were standing on the rooftops saying, 49 00:05:19,340 --> 00:05:21,843 "Wow. Wow. Mountains. Mountains." 50 00:05:21,926 --> 00:05:24,554 And I pause, and I saw. 51 00:05:27,348 --> 00:05:30,476 With the clear skies, for the first time in a lifetime, 52 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:32,145 we can see the Himalayas. 53 00:05:33,062 --> 00:05:35,231 Over 200 kilometers away, 54 00:05:35,315 --> 00:05:38,067 the highest mountain range on Earth, 55 00:05:38,151 --> 00:05:41,863 hidden behind smog for 30 years, 56 00:05:41,946 --> 00:05:43,489 is suddenly visible. 57 00:05:44,490 --> 00:05:45,909 I couldn't believe my eyes. 58 00:05:45,992 --> 00:05:49,746 The Himalayas have been right there behind the pollution all along. 59 00:05:51,956 --> 00:05:56,544 Anshul's photograph of this moment went viral around the world. 60 00:05:57,629 --> 00:05:59,297 It's a vivid illustration 61 00:05:59,380 --> 00:06:04,886 that the moment we paused, the Earth was able to breathe again. 62 00:06:10,516 --> 00:06:13,853 Lockdown extends into weeks. 63 00:06:16,147 --> 00:06:20,193 And the travel bans limit our movement still further. 64 00:06:21,152 --> 00:06:24,489 Those holidays that you might have been planning to take, cancel them. 65 00:06:24,572 --> 00:06:27,367 Passenger numbers and passenger bookings are all down. 66 00:06:27,450 --> 00:06:29,577 Air travel has just fallen off a cliff. 67 00:06:29,661 --> 00:06:32,747 It's down roughly 90% worldwide. 68 00:06:33,540 --> 00:06:35,208 April 2020, 69 00:06:35,291 --> 00:06:40,547 and there are 114 million fewer international tourists 70 00:06:40,630 --> 00:06:42,799 than in the same month the previous year. 71 00:06:44,592 --> 00:06:50,848 In Spain, visitor numbers drop from over seven million to zero. 72 00:06:54,269 --> 00:07:00,567 And in Florida, beaches normally packed with holidaymakers on spring break… 73 00:07:01,526 --> 00:07:03,152 are deserted. 74 00:07:06,406 --> 00:07:11,077 Could this be the opportunity for one endangered sea creature 75 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:12,954 to boost its numbers? 76 00:07:21,087 --> 00:07:24,632 Female sea turtles return every two to three years 77 00:07:24,716 --> 00:07:27,760 to the shores where they themselves hatched 78 00:07:27,844 --> 00:07:29,679 in order to lay their eggs. 79 00:07:32,098 --> 00:07:36,519 Globally, turtle numbers have been in steep decline, 80 00:07:36,603 --> 00:07:41,149 partly because they have been reluctant to visit the ever-busier beaches. 81 00:07:46,112 --> 00:07:47,322 But this year… 82 00:07:48,781 --> 00:07:49,991 is different. 83 00:07:53,161 --> 00:07:56,539 Our cameraman, working with local researchers, 84 00:07:56,623 --> 00:07:59,959 is lucky enough to film here on Juno Beach… 85 00:08:01,211 --> 00:08:05,840 one of the densest nesting sites for loggerhead turtles in the world. 86 00:08:10,887 --> 00:08:12,847 As the breeding season begins… 87 00:08:14,599 --> 00:08:18,102 the female is able to lay her eggs in peace 88 00:08:18,937 --> 00:08:21,773 for the first time in her life. 89 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:40,041 And over the following weeks, 90 00:08:40,123 --> 00:08:42,418 hundreds more do the same. 91 00:08:47,715 --> 00:08:50,593 It's long been thought that human disturbance 92 00:08:50,677 --> 00:08:53,680 is a major problem for breeding turtles. 93 00:08:56,307 --> 00:09:00,395 But this is the first time that scientists can accurately measure 94 00:09:00,478 --> 00:09:02,480 the scale of the impact. 95 00:09:08,027 --> 00:09:11,281 Each morning, this team of researchers 96 00:09:11,364 --> 00:09:14,993 counted the number of turtle tracks that lead to a nest. 97 00:09:18,371 --> 00:09:20,206 Over the last ten years, 98 00:09:20,290 --> 00:09:23,459 the average nesting success rate for loggerheads 99 00:09:23,543 --> 00:09:26,671 had dropped to just 40%. 100 00:09:27,422 --> 00:09:31,885 Have they been any more successful with the beach to themselves? 101 00:09:32,635 --> 00:09:34,804 When the beaches were closed to humans, 102 00:09:34,888 --> 00:09:40,560 that number jumped all the way up to 61%, which is the highest we've ever seen. 103 00:09:41,728 --> 00:09:44,397 This is a dramatic improvement. 104 00:09:51,446 --> 00:09:56,159 Every extra nest means another hundred or so hatchlings, 105 00:09:56,242 --> 00:10:00,788 each with the potential to become breeding adults themselves. 106 00:10:03,166 --> 00:10:06,586 With these beach closures, these animals were able to do 107 00:10:06,669 --> 00:10:09,130 what they've been doing for millions of years 108 00:10:09,964 --> 00:10:13,635 more successfully than when we have a human presence. 109 00:10:42,247 --> 00:10:44,499 Six thousand kilometers away, 110 00:10:44,582 --> 00:10:46,376 on the west coast of America… 111 00:10:49,921 --> 00:10:54,801 a new quiet beneath the waves offers an opportunity 112 00:10:55,718 --> 00:10:57,845 for ocean giants. 113 00:11:03,268 --> 00:11:07,355 Every year, more than 10,000 humpback whales 114 00:11:07,438 --> 00:11:09,399 migrate from Hawaii… 115 00:11:10,817 --> 00:11:14,654 to these bays in Alaska in order to feed. 116 00:11:23,204 --> 00:11:25,790 Normally, they would have to share these waters 117 00:11:25,874 --> 00:11:29,711 with ships carrying a million visitors a year. 118 00:11:36,301 --> 00:11:39,387 But now, with every cruise canceled… 119 00:11:40,305 --> 00:11:45,184 it's as much as 25 times quieter underwater. 120 00:11:46,853 --> 00:11:51,858 In this hush, scientists using underwater microphones 121 00:11:51,941 --> 00:11:54,402 record a remarkable change. 122 00:11:55,153 --> 00:11:58,448 Humpbacks are talking to each other more often… 123 00:12:00,658 --> 00:12:02,827 and in new ways. 124 00:12:04,746 --> 00:12:07,457 Well, it was really exciting and actually very moving 125 00:12:07,540 --> 00:12:11,336 to hear these whales having this long vocal exchange. 126 00:12:12,003 --> 00:12:14,672 One vocalizing, and then a mother and calf. 127 00:12:14,756 --> 00:12:16,591 I mean, I'd never heard that before. 128 00:12:18,134 --> 00:12:21,095 You can imagine, if you were trying to communicate with your friends, 129 00:12:21,179 --> 00:12:22,513 and you're in a crowded bar. 130 00:12:22,597 --> 00:12:26,267 It's hard to do, you don't say as much, and when you do, you have to scream. 131 00:12:26,351 --> 00:12:29,020 But if you find yourself a nice, quiet coffee shop 132 00:12:29,103 --> 00:12:30,772 where there isn't much noise, 133 00:12:30,855 --> 00:12:34,901 you can carry on a much more elaborate and productive conversation. 134 00:12:38,863 --> 00:12:41,741 But there's something even more surprising. 135 00:12:45,203 --> 00:12:50,291 Now the whales can communicate across greater distances without interruption. 136 00:12:50,875 --> 00:12:55,088 And some mothers, like this one, leave their calves alone. 137 00:12:55,922 --> 00:12:58,424 An extremely rare sight. 138 00:13:01,844 --> 00:13:03,846 She can now head off to feed, 139 00:13:03,930 --> 00:13:09,185 safe in the knowledge that she can hear her calf if it needs her. 140 00:13:15,567 --> 00:13:18,862 A nursing mother needs to eat as much as possible… 141 00:13:20,113 --> 00:13:24,117 and the best way to do so is to hunt with other adults. 142 00:13:30,164 --> 00:13:32,292 The whales dive down… 143 00:13:34,460 --> 00:13:37,005 blowing a circular wall of bubbles… 144 00:13:39,173 --> 00:13:42,051 corralling the fish into shoals… 145 00:13:44,846 --> 00:13:47,807 before gorging on them in their thousands. 146 00:13:53,354 --> 00:13:56,566 It's one of nature's greatest spectacles. 147 00:14:10,038 --> 00:14:12,207 Reassured by the quiet, 148 00:14:12,290 --> 00:14:17,045 humpback mothers are able to team up in this way more often. 149 00:14:18,046 --> 00:14:20,423 This year, they've got the place to themselves. 150 00:14:20,506 --> 00:14:24,135 They're doing anything they want, wherever they want, whenever they want. 151 00:14:24,802 --> 00:14:26,304 In previous years, 152 00:14:26,387 --> 00:14:30,391 as few as 7% of calves made it to adulthood. 153 00:14:31,559 --> 00:14:35,730 But this season, there's every chance many more will survive. 154 00:14:37,857 --> 00:14:42,320 Hopefully, after a few tough years where whales were not doing so well, 155 00:14:42,403 --> 00:14:45,782 this pandemic has given them a break at a time that they needed it most. 156 00:14:49,369 --> 00:14:54,582 This change in underwater noise levels went far beyond Alaska. 157 00:14:57,085 --> 00:15:02,924 Global shipping traffic drops by 17% in the first three months of lockdown, 158 00:15:03,716 --> 00:15:07,595 improving the lives of animals across the oceans. 159 00:15:11,474 --> 00:15:13,560 Dolphins off New Zealand 160 00:15:13,643 --> 00:15:16,271 triple the range of their communication. 161 00:15:20,900 --> 00:15:26,573 And researchers in Vancouver record a fourfold reduction in ship noise 162 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,285 that allows killer whales to use their sonar 163 00:15:30,368 --> 00:15:33,037 more effectively in hunting their prey. 164 00:15:48,428 --> 00:15:51,556 It's three months into the pandemic. 165 00:15:52,390 --> 00:15:57,353 In the United States, nearly half the labor force is working from home. 166 00:15:57,437 --> 00:16:01,065 And globally, a quarter of businesses are shut. 167 00:16:03,026 --> 00:16:06,946 Bars, restaurants and cafés remain closed. 168 00:16:07,906 --> 00:16:12,535 When all is said and done, the retail business is shut down. 169 00:16:13,620 --> 00:16:17,332 Right now it feels abandoned. Like there's no one around. 170 00:16:18,416 --> 00:16:20,752 Across the world's major cities, 171 00:16:20,835 --> 00:16:25,006 footfall is reduced by more than 90%. 172 00:16:27,217 --> 00:16:29,552 With urban centers almost deserted… 173 00:16:29,636 --> 00:16:31,471 remarkable pictures emerge 174 00:16:31,554 --> 00:16:35,391 of animals taking advantage of city living. 175 00:16:39,145 --> 00:16:42,190 A hippo on a trip to the gas station. 176 00:16:47,529 --> 00:16:50,240 Jackals enjoying the local park. 177 00:16:55,161 --> 00:16:58,122 Even a puma prowling the sidewalk. 178 00:17:06,089 --> 00:17:10,217 But one animal adapts to these abandoned urban spaces 179 00:17:10,301 --> 00:17:12,678 with particular ingenuity. 180 00:17:25,274 --> 00:17:29,612 The city of Nara has been home to a group of sika deer 181 00:17:29,696 --> 00:17:32,866 for at least 1,300 years. 182 00:17:36,244 --> 00:17:39,080 Most of the meadows they relied on for food 183 00:17:39,163 --> 00:17:41,833 had been taken over by buildings. 184 00:17:41,916 --> 00:17:45,461 But these normally shy animals had found a solution. 185 00:17:48,756 --> 00:17:55,388 The deer turned to the 13 million annual visitors to Nara's temples… 186 00:17:56,973 --> 00:17:59,976 and discovered that showing a bit of respect… 187 00:18:02,103 --> 00:18:03,938 would bring tasty rewards. 188 00:18:08,484 --> 00:18:13,031 Rice bran crackers had become a vital part of their diet. 189 00:18:22,999 --> 00:18:25,543 But the pandemic changed that. 190 00:18:32,175 --> 00:18:35,720 Their favorite takeout disappeared overnight. 191 00:18:41,017 --> 00:18:44,229 No people means no crackers. 192 00:18:53,154 --> 00:18:56,699 There's concern that the deer might starve. 193 00:18:56,783 --> 00:19:00,995 But some of the older generation appear to have a plan. 194 00:19:06,125 --> 00:19:10,046 They lead a group out of the temple grounds. 195 00:19:10,547 --> 00:19:12,966 And they seem to know exactly where they're going. 196 00:19:21,182 --> 00:19:23,810 They're heading down a major road… 197 00:19:26,145 --> 00:19:29,357 deep into the concrete jungle of the city. 198 00:19:40,910 --> 00:19:44,664 But where will they find food in this urban sprawl? 199 00:19:52,755 --> 00:19:55,174 After a two-and-a-half kilometer trek… 200 00:19:57,010 --> 00:19:59,012 the group comes to a halt. 201 00:20:04,475 --> 00:20:09,480 This unassuming patch was once part of their grazing grounds. 202 00:20:10,607 --> 00:20:12,734 Remarkably, the older deer 203 00:20:12,817 --> 00:20:16,613 seem to have remembered it as the place where they used to feed. 204 00:20:23,828 --> 00:20:26,289 And it provides everything they need: 205 00:20:26,873 --> 00:20:30,460 fresh grass, leaves and herbs. 206 00:20:35,173 --> 00:20:36,591 Over the following weeks, 207 00:20:36,674 --> 00:20:42,013 they graze across a patchwork of these surviving scraps of land. 208 00:20:44,307 --> 00:20:48,228 And there was another upside to the absence of people. 209 00:20:50,271 --> 00:20:55,610 Scientists have discovered that not only did this new diet make them healthier… 210 00:20:57,695 --> 00:21:01,699 but fewer visitors meant less plastic trash, 211 00:21:02,367 --> 00:21:04,077 which can kill deer. 212 00:21:09,749 --> 00:21:13,294 Even when it seems that animals benefit from our presence… 213 00:21:16,130 --> 00:21:19,759 in many cases, they're actually better off without us. 214 00:21:30,979 --> 00:21:35,149 Four months into lockdown, and wherever we step back, 215 00:21:35,233 --> 00:21:39,654 the space we leave is providing wildlife with new opportunities. 216 00:21:46,786 --> 00:21:48,246 In Argentina… 217 00:21:49,289 --> 00:21:51,583 normally shy capybara 218 00:21:51,666 --> 00:21:55,545 raid the manicured gardens of this well-heeled suburb… 219 00:21:57,338 --> 00:22:00,842 which has been built on their former wetland home. 220 00:22:04,053 --> 00:22:08,850 Nothing seems to stop them enjoying what was originally theirs. 221 00:22:27,493 --> 00:22:28,703 Well… 222 00:22:30,413 --> 00:22:31,748 almost nothing. 223 00:22:39,255 --> 00:22:44,802 The longer our absence continues, the more daring animals become. 224 00:22:46,387 --> 00:22:50,016 And when the safari season in Africa is canceled… 225 00:22:51,184 --> 00:22:55,438 …one deadly hunter rewrites the rule book. 226 00:22:58,107 --> 00:23:01,027 This luxury lodge stands empty. 227 00:23:02,862 --> 00:23:07,575 But it doesn't take long before new guests begin to check in. 228 00:23:14,832 --> 00:23:18,086 Vervet monkeys reserve a spot by the pool. 229 00:23:24,133 --> 00:23:26,636 While impala and nyala antelope 230 00:23:27,428 --> 00:23:30,014 take advantage of the salad bar. 231 00:23:34,060 --> 00:23:36,145 But not far behind… 232 00:23:38,189 --> 00:23:42,610 a fully grown male leopard. 233 00:23:49,784 --> 00:23:54,706 The appearance during the day of this usually nocturnal hunter 234 00:23:54,789 --> 00:23:57,083 is a real surprise. 235 00:23:57,166 --> 00:23:59,919 Not least for our film crew. 236 00:24:01,212 --> 00:24:02,964 Just stand still, guys. 237 00:24:41,294 --> 00:24:46,216 I've had some intimidating moments in my life, but that is at the top of it. 238 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:52,138 Across Africa, 239 00:24:52,222 --> 00:24:56,559 leopards have lost over 60% of their territory to people, 240 00:24:57,143 --> 00:24:59,896 making hunting ever more challenging. 241 00:25:02,524 --> 00:25:05,109 But here, with no guests around, 242 00:25:05,693 --> 00:25:08,446 this leopard sees an opportunity 243 00:25:09,155 --> 00:25:13,201 and makes a remarkable switch in his behavior. 244 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:19,916 He starts hunting during the day. 245 00:25:29,842 --> 00:25:32,178 It may take a few attempts… 246 00:25:35,265 --> 00:25:36,933 but it's not long… 247 00:25:38,476 --> 00:25:40,478 before his new strategy… 248 00:25:41,062 --> 00:25:42,272 pays off. 249 00:25:49,821 --> 00:25:51,614 Leopard numbers in Africa 250 00:25:51,698 --> 00:25:55,618 have dropped by over 30% in the last 25 years. 251 00:25:56,578 --> 00:26:02,292 But by taking full advantage of this new all-you-can-eat lockdown buffet, 252 00:26:02,375 --> 00:26:04,377 this leopard is thriving. 253 00:26:05,044 --> 00:26:08,715 This pretty much has become his lodge. His private kingdom. 254 00:26:24,856 --> 00:26:27,942 It's six months since the pandemic began. 255 00:26:30,069 --> 00:26:35,283 By September, over 40 countries still have restrictions in place… 256 00:26:37,243 --> 00:26:41,414 limiting the activities of over 3 billion people. 257 00:26:42,332 --> 00:26:43,666 Large gatherings, 258 00:26:43,750 --> 00:26:49,505 including live sporting events, concerts and festivals, 259 00:26:49,589 --> 00:26:54,594 will not be able to return until we have a reliable treatment like a vaccine. 260 00:26:56,429 --> 00:26:59,182 Whilst we adjust to our new normal, 261 00:27:00,016 --> 00:27:03,228 nature's rejuvenation continues. 262 00:27:06,272 --> 00:27:08,483 In India, the river Ganges 263 00:27:08,566 --> 00:27:12,695 shows an 80% increase in its oxygen levels. 264 00:27:16,241 --> 00:27:18,451 And on Africa's Atlantic coast, 265 00:27:19,369 --> 00:27:25,291 the water cleanliness rating leaps from poor to excellent. 266 00:27:29,921 --> 00:27:34,384 And our lighter tread has now been continuing for long enough 267 00:27:34,467 --> 00:27:37,387 for a whole new generation of animals to benefit. 268 00:27:39,430 --> 00:27:42,600 Here on the South African coast, 269 00:27:42,684 --> 00:27:47,021 some proud new parents are on their morning commute. 270 00:27:53,570 --> 00:27:56,406 African jackass penguins. 271 00:28:05,582 --> 00:28:09,043 They have set up home right alongside us. 272 00:28:26,561 --> 00:28:28,521 During the breeding season, 273 00:28:28,605 --> 00:28:32,442 every morning they head out to sea to go fishing. 274 00:28:39,991 --> 00:28:42,410 Their chicks are very demanding. 275 00:28:43,786 --> 00:28:48,708 They need to eat around 15% of their body weight every day. 276 00:28:51,544 --> 00:28:55,340 Luckily, jackass penguins are highly effective hunters… 277 00:28:56,174 --> 00:28:58,593 able to dive to depths of 80 meters 278 00:28:59,427 --> 00:29:03,097 to feast on shoals of fish and crustaceans. 279 00:29:09,354 --> 00:29:13,399 But delivering the catch to their hungry chicks is a problem. 280 00:29:18,696 --> 00:29:22,534 In previous years, these beaches were packed with people. 281 00:29:23,660 --> 00:29:26,538 And by the time the penguins were ready to return from fishing… 282 00:29:27,247 --> 00:29:29,499 they would find their path blocked. 283 00:29:30,833 --> 00:29:34,420 So many of them waited offshore until sunset… 284 00:29:36,548 --> 00:29:38,508 when the crowds headed home. 285 00:29:47,809 --> 00:29:51,855 But this year, the beach is deserted. 286 00:29:59,779 --> 00:30:02,448 The penguins abandon their old routine 287 00:30:02,532 --> 00:30:06,411 and now head home after just a few hours at sea 288 00:30:07,370 --> 00:30:10,164 with a bellyful of fish for their chicks. 289 00:30:16,921 --> 00:30:22,552 And with plenty of daylight still in hand, they can go out to sea once more. 290 00:30:28,474 --> 00:30:33,605 These chicks are now being fed twice or even three times a day. 291 00:30:36,441 --> 00:30:39,360 They're not only healthier and growing more rapidly, 292 00:30:39,444 --> 00:30:44,991 but more families like this one are successfully rearing twins. 293 00:30:46,951 --> 00:30:49,120 And there's more good news. 294 00:30:49,204 --> 00:30:50,705 Over the next few weeks, 295 00:30:50,788 --> 00:30:56,169 some parents go on to successfully raise a second clutch of chicks, 296 00:30:56,711 --> 00:31:00,215 the first time this has been seen here in over a decade. 297 00:31:03,593 --> 00:31:06,930 For years, we've assumed that penguins and people here 298 00:31:07,013 --> 00:31:08,932 were getting along just fine. 299 00:31:12,727 --> 00:31:17,190 But in reality, we were making their life difficult. 300 00:31:21,569 --> 00:31:24,447 And given that penguin numbers in South Africa 301 00:31:24,531 --> 00:31:28,618 have dropped by almost 70% over the last 30 years… 302 00:31:30,620 --> 00:31:33,039 they need all the help we can give them. 303 00:31:42,090 --> 00:31:46,427 It's not just the young of city-dwelling animals that are thriving. 304 00:31:48,096 --> 00:31:51,516 By now, the effects of this year's restrictions 305 00:31:51,599 --> 00:31:55,144 are even being felt in the world's wildest places. 306 00:31:57,230 --> 00:32:01,317 Transforming one big cat's ability to protect its young. 307 00:32:04,779 --> 00:32:05,780 Cheetah. 308 00:32:11,035 --> 00:32:13,872 The fastest sprinter on Earth. 309 00:32:30,221 --> 00:32:31,681 But they have a weakness. 310 00:32:31,764 --> 00:32:37,020 Their slight build means they lack the strength of rival predators… 311 00:32:38,980 --> 00:32:41,441 like lions and hyenas. 312 00:32:46,154 --> 00:32:48,656 They will happily steal a cheetah's meal 313 00:32:49,407 --> 00:32:51,743 and won't hesitate to kill a cub. 314 00:33:02,754 --> 00:33:05,465 Cheetahs try to keep a low profile. 315 00:33:08,176 --> 00:33:10,178 But with two cubs to feed, 316 00:33:10,970 --> 00:33:15,016 this mother needs to make a kill every two or three days. 317 00:33:31,741 --> 00:33:33,034 While she hunts, 318 00:33:33,117 --> 00:33:37,080 her six-month-old cubs stay hidden in the long grass. 319 00:33:40,166 --> 00:33:45,880 But as soon as she's made her kill, she faces a dilemma. 320 00:33:50,802 --> 00:33:53,179 She is hundreds of meters away from them, 321 00:33:53,638 --> 00:33:56,349 with a carcass too large to drag back. 322 00:33:58,268 --> 00:34:02,480 And if she leaves it, she will risk it being stolen by scavengers. 323 00:34:05,984 --> 00:34:09,487 Her solution is to use a soft chirruping call… 324 00:34:10,655 --> 00:34:12,407 to tell her cubs to join her. 325 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:16,410 She must be careful. 326 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:19,497 If she calls too loudly or too often, 327 00:34:19,581 --> 00:34:23,167 she will alert her enemies to her defenseless cubs. 328 00:34:26,504 --> 00:34:28,590 And it's at this very moment 329 00:34:28,673 --> 00:34:32,135 that cheetah here have found it hardest to be heard. 330 00:34:36,305 --> 00:34:38,725 In the years before lockdown, 331 00:34:38,807 --> 00:34:42,687 seeing a cheetah hunt was the top of the wish list 332 00:34:42,769 --> 00:34:44,772 for the Maasai Mara's tourists. 333 00:34:45,606 --> 00:34:49,986 But the crowds that surrounded the mother after her kill posed a problem. 334 00:34:51,863 --> 00:34:55,408 There's a lot of commotion. Vehicles driving up and down. 335 00:34:55,992 --> 00:34:59,370 Guides talking on radio, people talking to each other. 336 00:35:00,914 --> 00:35:02,957 The hubbub drowned the calls 337 00:35:03,041 --> 00:35:05,418 of mother cheetahs calling to their cubs. 338 00:35:06,085 --> 00:35:07,837 All that noise 339 00:35:07,921 --> 00:35:12,342 masks the natural cues that cheetahs rely on to survive. 340 00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:20,683 Forced to keep on calling, they risked attracting rivals. 341 00:35:30,610 --> 00:35:32,195 But this year… 342 00:35:32,278 --> 00:35:36,241 this mother is experiencing almost no human disruption. 343 00:35:41,538 --> 00:35:45,041 After just a few calls across the empty savanna… 344 00:35:49,087 --> 00:35:50,964 her cubs hear her… 345 00:35:57,303 --> 00:35:59,222 and join their mother. 346 00:36:03,685 --> 00:36:06,354 We find that mothers make fewer calls. 347 00:36:06,437 --> 00:36:09,774 One or two times, and cubs respond immediately. 348 00:36:12,235 --> 00:36:13,945 Without people around, 349 00:36:14,028 --> 00:36:17,407 researchers are already seeing cheetah cubs doing better. 350 00:36:19,868 --> 00:36:23,746 In pre-COVID times, you'll find one out of three cubs will survive. 351 00:36:23,830 --> 00:36:25,832 But currently we are coming across 352 00:36:25,915 --> 00:36:28,042 more cubs that are more than three months old, 353 00:36:28,126 --> 00:36:29,836 which makes us optimistic 354 00:36:29,919 --> 00:36:33,047 that this time around we are going to have more cubs surviving, 355 00:36:33,131 --> 00:36:34,799 which means more cheetahs. 356 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:41,973 With only around 7,000 adult cheetahs left in Africa… 357 00:36:43,975 --> 00:36:45,852 every cub is precious. 358 00:37:05,330 --> 00:37:08,416 While the year continues to be challenging for us… 359 00:37:09,250 --> 00:37:11,586 …more and more endangered animals 360 00:37:11,669 --> 00:37:15,506 are enjoying a boost to their chances of survival. 361 00:37:20,553 --> 00:37:23,556 With less disturbance during 2020, 362 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:24,933 mountain gorillas here 363 00:37:25,016 --> 00:37:28,686 gave birth to twice the usual number of babies. 364 00:37:34,609 --> 00:37:36,569 On England's south coast, 365 00:37:36,653 --> 00:37:42,700 rare spiny seahorses appear in numbers not seen for at least ten years 366 00:37:43,201 --> 00:37:48,623 as their seagrass home recovers from damage caused by visiting boats. 367 00:37:54,295 --> 00:37:58,716 And in Kenya, no rhinos were killed for their horns 368 00:37:59,384 --> 00:38:02,720 for the first time since 1999. 369 00:38:11,437 --> 00:38:14,107 It's a whole year since the start of lockdown. 370 00:38:15,441 --> 00:38:20,238 A year in which many of us have found comfort in the natural world. 371 00:38:20,947 --> 00:38:25,869 A year in which that world has changed in extraordinary ways. 372 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:32,208 Annual global emissions of carbon dioxide 373 00:38:32,292 --> 00:38:35,044 have fallen by over 6%, 374 00:38:35,128 --> 00:38:37,589 the largest drop ever measured. 375 00:38:39,507 --> 00:38:43,845 And there have been striking changes beneath the Earth's surface too. 376 00:38:44,846 --> 00:38:48,641 With the vibrations from travel and industry halved, 377 00:38:48,725 --> 00:38:53,479 it's been the quietest period underground in recorded history. 378 00:38:57,817 --> 00:39:00,737 But the impact of this lockdown won't last forever. 379 00:39:02,238 --> 00:39:05,658 What inspiration can we take from this moment 380 00:39:05,742 --> 00:39:09,495 to find ways to better coexist with nature? 381 00:39:14,417 --> 00:39:17,921 In India, some are already seizing the chance 382 00:39:18,004 --> 00:39:19,714 to live more harmoniously 383 00:39:19,797 --> 00:39:24,177 alongside some very powerful yet endangered animals. 384 00:39:33,603 --> 00:39:35,647 A fully grown Asian elephant 385 00:39:35,730 --> 00:39:40,401 needs to eat 150 kilos of food every day. 386 00:39:41,611 --> 00:39:45,031 But with only 5% of their natural habitat remaining, 387 00:39:45,615 --> 00:39:48,993 and with much of their forest home replaced by farmland, 388 00:39:49,077 --> 00:39:53,706 elephants here often raid crops to survive. 389 00:40:06,010 --> 00:40:10,056 In response, the farmers try to defend their fields. 390 00:40:11,474 --> 00:40:17,397 But they still regularly lose over half of the rice harvest on which they depend. 391 00:40:30,159 --> 00:40:32,078 We would spend the entire night 392 00:40:32,161 --> 00:40:33,913 chasing them away into the forest. 393 00:40:33,997 --> 00:40:35,415 But they'd come back 394 00:40:35,498 --> 00:40:39,043 and we'd have to do it all over again. 395 00:40:53,766 --> 00:40:57,061 And it's not just farms that are at risk. 396 00:41:00,064 --> 00:41:03,651 Elephants also search for food in villages 397 00:41:03,735 --> 00:41:06,362 and have ended up trampling people. 398 00:41:11,075 --> 00:41:12,076 Across the country, 399 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:15,830 around 400 humans and a hundred elephants 400 00:41:15,914 --> 00:41:18,917 are killed in these conflicts every year. 401 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:28,885 But one community is trying a new approach 402 00:41:28,968 --> 00:41:30,678 to solving the problem. 403 00:41:31,262 --> 00:41:34,432 City workers who've returned home because of lockdown 404 00:41:35,016 --> 00:41:37,310 can provide the extra hands needed 405 00:41:37,393 --> 00:41:41,648 for a project spearheaded by a local conservation trust. 406 00:41:43,274 --> 00:41:46,236 We got a great opportunity during lockdown 407 00:41:46,319 --> 00:41:50,031 to do plantation for wild elephants. 408 00:41:51,824 --> 00:41:54,911 Along the forest edge, they plant a buffer zone 409 00:41:54,994 --> 00:42:00,041 of fast-growing wild rice and grasses for the elephants to eat. 410 00:42:02,835 --> 00:42:09,092 The entire community of more than 500 people came to help. 411 00:42:09,300 --> 00:42:11,052 Over just a few months, 412 00:42:11,135 --> 00:42:17,350 they transform almost 400 acres, 1.6 square kilometers, of their land. 413 00:42:19,394 --> 00:42:22,480 And now, instead of driving the elephants away 414 00:42:22,564 --> 00:42:25,400 they're holding a ceremony to welcome them. 415 00:42:34,367 --> 00:42:36,619 The crops are ready for harvest. 416 00:42:38,246 --> 00:42:41,875 But will the elephants eat the grasses that have been planted for them… 417 00:42:43,918 --> 00:42:46,671 or will they raid the farmers' fields? 418 00:42:51,551 --> 00:42:53,553 As the people return home… 419 00:42:54,971 --> 00:42:58,558 something stirs at the edge of the forest. 420 00:43:06,733 --> 00:43:11,946 One by one, the elephants emerge from the cover of the trees. 421 00:43:14,949 --> 00:43:16,284 Mothers. 422 00:43:17,785 --> 00:43:19,287 Calves. 423 00:43:19,370 --> 00:43:24,375 A whole extended family of 26 hungry elephants. 424 00:43:26,711 --> 00:43:28,379 But how far will they come? 425 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,596 Staying close to the edge of the forest… 426 00:43:38,097 --> 00:43:42,936 they choose to feast only on the crops planted for them. 427 00:43:46,147 --> 00:43:48,816 Before, we used to chase them away. 428 00:43:48,900 --> 00:43:50,902 But now, things have changed. 429 00:43:50,985 --> 00:43:54,280 It feels good… makes us happy. 430 00:43:59,202 --> 00:44:01,788 As the harvest season progresses, 431 00:44:01,871 --> 00:44:06,459 the elephants never stray onto the farmers' fields 432 00:44:07,085 --> 00:44:09,003 nor do they enter the village. 433 00:44:12,507 --> 00:44:14,634 If we love elephants 434 00:44:14,717 --> 00:44:17,595 then elephants love us too. 435 00:44:21,224 --> 00:44:22,976 A buffer zone of plants 436 00:44:23,059 --> 00:44:25,186 is providing a long-term solution 437 00:44:25,270 --> 00:44:27,480 to an age-old conflict. 438 00:44:29,941 --> 00:44:32,026 And it's one which neighboring villages 439 00:44:32,110 --> 00:44:36,865 are already talking with the local conservation trust about adopting. 440 00:44:50,295 --> 00:44:53,047 Looking back over the past year, 441 00:44:53,131 --> 00:44:56,551 one that has been so difficult for many of us, 442 00:44:56,634 --> 00:45:01,222 what can we learn to secure the future of the natural world 443 00:45:01,306 --> 00:45:02,932 and our own? 444 00:45:05,643 --> 00:45:09,022 We have to think of how we shall coexist. 445 00:45:10,106 --> 00:45:14,235 Awaken us to the fact that we can share our spaces with wildlife. 446 00:45:14,903 --> 00:45:16,529 Not taking it for granted 447 00:45:16,613 --> 00:45:19,365 that we're going to do the same things when we go back. 448 00:45:21,284 --> 00:45:25,205 The astonishing speed and variety of nature's response 449 00:45:25,288 --> 00:45:29,042 has shown that even modest changes to our lives 450 00:45:29,125 --> 00:45:33,671 can make a vital difference to wildlife around the world. 451 00:45:37,508 --> 00:45:41,179 There could be some small shutdowns every single summer. 452 00:45:41,262 --> 00:45:44,098 Nightly beach closures. It doesn't have to be during the day. 453 00:45:44,182 --> 00:45:47,060 Very small alterations that people can do 454 00:45:47,143 --> 00:45:50,438 to make sure that humans and wildlife are both successful together. 455 00:45:51,648 --> 00:45:54,567 We know that if we ask vessels to go slower, 456 00:45:54,651 --> 00:45:58,363 and we maybe group vessel traffic, they can actually have a smaller footprint 457 00:45:58,446 --> 00:46:01,449 and protect the underwater soundscape and the whales. 458 00:46:02,325 --> 00:46:05,078 We are making recommendations to the park authorities 459 00:46:05,161 --> 00:46:10,458 that are aimed at promoting good conduct among tourists and tour guides 460 00:46:10,542 --> 00:46:13,002 that will ensure the survival of these animals. 461 00:46:14,087 --> 00:46:18,424 This extraordinary year, the year Earth changed, 462 00:46:19,008 --> 00:46:22,762 has not only shown us that we can help wildlife to flourish, 463 00:46:23,555 --> 00:46:25,682 but if we choose to do so, 464 00:46:26,266 --> 00:46:30,186 we can also transform the health of the planet for all. 465 00:46:31,396 --> 00:46:33,565 I know it's high time now 466 00:46:33,648 --> 00:46:37,986 that we should contribute in every small way we can to reduce the pollution. 467 00:46:38,736 --> 00:46:42,323 And far from being separate from the natural world… 468 00:46:44,117 --> 00:46:48,746 we've discovered that our lives are interconnected 469 00:46:48,830 --> 00:46:51,332 in deep and surprising ways. 470 00:46:53,376 --> 00:46:55,837 If we are to thrive in the future, 471 00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:58,923 now is the crucial moment 472 00:46:59,757 --> 00:47:02,594 to find ways to share our planet… 473 00:47:04,512 --> 00:47:06,890 with all the life on Earth.