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A great philosopher
once said, "The world is a book,
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and those who don't travel
read only one page."
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Well, I've gotta say,
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I've read a few pages,
and I'm not crazy about the book.
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I don't look forward to traveling
for a number of reasons.
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When it's too cold,
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I'm not comfortable.
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Ice swimming, naked?
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- Yes.
- Well, that's a terrific invitation.
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When it's too warm, guess what?
I'm not comfortable.
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I can't move that fast.
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- But I'm 75.
- You need some help?
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No, I got it.
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And maybe it's time to expand my horizons.
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Oh, my God.
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First time I've had my hand
up an elephant's ass.
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On the plus side,
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I'm staying at some unbelievable hotels.
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Oh, my. This is spectacular.
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The catch is, I've also agreed
to explore what lies outside.
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- Watch your step.
- No kidding.
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- Beautiful mountain.
- That's a volcano.
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That's a volcano?
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A world I've spent my whole life avoiding.
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Sadie.
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Oh, my God.
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Just surviving would be great.
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This is the last time
I have five vodkas with a Finn.
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When I told people I was going
on safari in South Africa,
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they'd say, "Wow.
You've gotta be so excited."
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And I'd say, "Well, I should be."
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But I'm not really into the wild.
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I have watched nature programs
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and seen just about every animal
that you would see here,
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and I didn't have to travel halfway
round the world to do it.
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But here I am
in an undeniably beautiful country.
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Home to 7% of the world's reptile
and mammal species.
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Now, I'm an animal lover,
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but anything that views me
as lunch, I'd prefer to see
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from the safety of my couch.
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Hello, my name is Bonga.
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Bonga, Eugene.
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- Nice to meet you. Come on in.
- Nice to meet you.
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And it genuinely is nice to meet Bonga,
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as he's the guide who's going
to get me safely to the hotel.
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Kruger National Park is one
of Africa's biggest game reserves.
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At 8,000 square miles,
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{\an8}it's like you took New Jersey
and filled it with lions and hyenas.
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They tell you a million people
visit Kruger every year.
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Of course, they don't tell you how many
make it back home.
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Do you find just about every type
of animal here in the park?
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Kruger National Park is well-known
for its Big Five species.
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So, the animals are considered dangerous
to encounter on foot.
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And the Big Five would be what?
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It would be an elephant, buffalo,
a lion, a leopard,
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and the last one would be a rhino.
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That's good. That's good.
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Is this the hotel?
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Yeah. This is where the magic will happen.
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Amazing.
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So, Eugene, if you can head out
and then follow the track.
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Get out and follow the track?
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Great. My fear of being eaten alive
is rapidly being replaced
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by my terror of being crushed by a train.
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Welcome to Kruger Shalati, Eugene.
My name's Gavin.
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Gavin. How are ya?
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Very well, thank you.
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Gavin's the manager of one
of the world's most unique hotels.
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The Kruger Shalati is made up
of 13 train cars suspended
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above the Sabi River
on a 1,000-foot bridge.
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That's gonna cause quite the holdup.
A hotel on the track.
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It's a little different, right?
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I've never quite seen a hotel like this.
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100 years ago, this railway was
the only way to visit the game reserve,
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but it was abandoned in 1973,
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partly due to the number
of animals being killed by trains.
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Now, these reconditioned carriages
have been sourced
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from across Africa to accomplish this feat
of engineering.
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- Shall we swap, or are you good?
- No, I'm good.
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The hotel opened in 2020,
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offering incredible views
of some incredibly dangerous things.
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Last night, on our--
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on our night camera
we caught lions just here.
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- Right underneath us.
- No.
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We had some guests who heard
them roaring and were questioning,
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- "Were they on the deck?"
- No. Go on.
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Were they on the deck?
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- No, they were not on the deck.
- All right.
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- We're pretty safe, so--
- Pretty safe, not completely safe.
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- Pretty safe. Right.
- Yeah. Well, you remember, this is Africa.
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Right.
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No chance of forgetting I'm in Africa.
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It's all around me,
and it's extraordinary.
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Oh, my. Look at this.
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This is the best place to come and sit
and watch game the whole day.
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- What was that?
- That was a hippo.
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All right.
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- Shall we go show you your room?
- Yeah.
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Let's do that.
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We have a safari booked for you.
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So once you've orientated yourself,
we'll see you on the vehicle.
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Thank you.
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The cars date back to the 1950s.
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But they've added a level of luxury which,
I'll be honest, I can get on board with.
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It's quite spectacular.
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You definitely get
a sense you're in Africa here.
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Yeah. I don't know what that was.
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With the balcony
and the floor-to-ceiling windows,
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you feel close to nature.
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Maybe too close.
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What the hell is that?
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Okay, something's being killed.
I don't know what that sound was.
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It was just a horrible, like, hack.
Something was hacking.
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People keep talking about the Big Five.
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I'd be happy to achieve
the Big One on this trip: staying alive.
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This is quite incredible.
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But fortune favors the brave,
so safari with Bonga it is.
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Once we in the vehicle, you don't go out.
You remain seated at all time--
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Oh, wow.
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- Oh, my goodness. Look at that.
- Crocodile. Crocodile.
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- This is an amazing, big crocodile.
- Wow.
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So, you see the teeth,
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- how they're actually sticking out.
- I can-- I see the teeth.
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That's the smile of death.
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Because that one could actually snap
the whole entire human being.
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It almost didn't look real.
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It looks like the kind of thing
that is planted there
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so that tourists have something,
you know, to look at.
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Look down the road. A leopard.
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Oh, yeah.
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- My first leopard.
- That's one of the Big Five.
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There we go.
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Stop, stop, stop, stop. Look on the left.
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Elephant.
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That's another one of the Big Five.
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Look at that.
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They've got various ways of communicating.
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So, they've got an amazing tummy rumble
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that actually sends a signal
onto the ground,
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and then they've got receptors
under their feet
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that actually detects that vibration.
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- Wow.
- Yeah.
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{\an8}- We're doing well.
- We doing good.
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{\an8}Two down already.
It's like they're lining up to meet me.
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Must be Schitt's Creek fans.
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- Look what's on the road.
- Is that a hippo?
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No, no. It's a warthog.
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- It's a warthog. This is too much. Wow.
- It's a warthog.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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That is not a pleasant-looking thing.
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They've got an amazing sense of hearing.
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Well, they gotta have something
going for them.
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They say there's no sunset
like an African sunset.
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And I've gotta say,
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I'm enjoying the light on the landscape
from the comfort of this jeep.
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We're gonna walk.
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- We're gonna have to walk?
- To walk. Yeah.
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We're not supposed
to get out of the truck.
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Okay, I like sunsets,
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but not enough to get eaten for one.
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Bonga assures me it's safe.
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And nothing says "safe"
like an armed guard.
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That's a healthy-looking weapon.
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Yeah.
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- We walk in a single file.
- Okay.
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If you see a buffalo, a hippo,
you just call,
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"Buffalo left," "Hippo on the right."
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It actually scares me that I'm the one
that's gonna be saying,
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"A hippo left," "Rhino right."
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Like, as if, like,
you guys are like, "What?"
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Have you got any questions?
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"Why are we doing it?"
is the first question.
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- Okay, single file.
- Yeah.
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When the sun starts going down,
that's when the cats come out?
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Yeah. So, the cats come out,
especially in the dark,
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because they've got
an amazing nocturnal vision.
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You're not single file.
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Sorry. I'm in. What's that?
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- What are you pointing to?
- The monkeys.
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- Look at the monkeys on the left here.
- Monkeys?
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Yeah, the monkeys are retreating
up to the trees as well,
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now that it's getting dark.
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Well, you're not single file.
Are you trying to kill me?
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- Come through.
- Hey, look.
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This is what we call a sundowner.
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This is what I call "That's more like it."
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So we've got some warthog dried sausage.
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- Uh-huh. Next.
- And then we've--
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we've got a crocodile schnitzel.
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- A crocodile schnitzel?
- Yeah.
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Well, I'm gonna enjoy
watching you eat that, Bonga.
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This is amazing.
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I think just a vodka tonic.
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Perfect.
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- Cheers.
- Cheers.
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Cheers.
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I think we did pretty well.
There were some good sightings.
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- We saw a lot of animals.
- Yeah.
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I think you had something to do with that.
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I don't know what,
but you kind of arranged it, I think.
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When you see animals on TV,
you're on your own turf.
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And out here, you're on their turf.
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And there's kind of an element of danger
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that creates an element of excitement.
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This is beautiful.
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As exciting as it is
to see these animals in the wild,
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I'll be less than thrilled
to find one in my hotel.
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I'll be keeping the windows closed.
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The one thing
that's not gonna get me to sleep
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is hearing the sound
of an animal squealing
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for his life as some other thing
is just ripping him apart.
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After a surprisingly good night's sleep,
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I'm ready for breakfast
before anything makes breakfast out of me.
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- Good morning, Eugene.
- Hi.
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How are you finding your stay with us?
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- Well, so far, so good. Yeah.
- So far, so good.
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The insect, it's loving you.
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- What? What is it?
- Whoosh.
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- I see the insect here.
- Oh, my God.
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- Do me a favor. Flick it off.
- There.
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Here we go.
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Fanta--
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- Don't be scared.
- No, I'm not.
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That's a-- Whatever it is.
A giant something, isn't it?
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A locust.
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It's the first morning,
and I already am being attacked by,
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you know, giant praying mantis.
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I'm up for a change of pace today.
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Ideally, something that doesn't
involve risk to life and limb.
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Fortunately, hotel manager Gavin
has invited me for a round of golf.
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This is kind of exciting.
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I mean, people play golf there,
so it would have to be safe.
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"Use of golf course at your own risk."
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"They are unable to accept liability
for any loss,
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damage and/or injury. Fatal or otherwise."
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Gonna have to have
a little chat with Gavin.
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Skukuza Golf Course is one
of the wildest in the world.
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There's nothing to keep the animals out.
Not even a dress code.
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So, there's no fencing? Like...
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Exactly.
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How does that work?
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If we do hit our balls into the rough,
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00:14:59,776 --> 00:15:01,987
then it's safe to say
that we leave it there.
244
00:15:01,987 --> 00:15:03,655
- Yeah.
- Remember to keep your head down
245
00:15:03,655 --> 00:15:05,824
when there's a rattle
in the bush behind you.
246
00:15:06,408 --> 00:15:08,243
Shall we go and get Eugene on his cart?
247
00:15:12,831 --> 00:15:13,999
Here we go.
248
00:15:13,999 --> 00:15:15,542
Right. Off we are.
249
00:15:18,169 --> 00:15:21,464
Last week, I took a video of a hippo
right in front of us here.
250
00:15:21,464 --> 00:15:24,217
- On the fairway here.
- Wow.
251
00:15:25,010 --> 00:15:28,930
Hippos can cover 100 meters
in under ten seconds.
252
00:15:28,930 --> 00:15:32,142
So, I'm keen to tee off in under nine.
253
00:15:32,142 --> 00:15:34,060
Well, this is really something.
254
00:15:34,060 --> 00:15:35,645
Yep. Oh, my goodness. Look at this.
255
00:15:37,314 --> 00:15:38,356
Yikes!
256
00:15:38,356 --> 00:15:40,984
A hippo is the most dangerous animal.
257
00:15:40,984 --> 00:15:43,194
I mean, it accounts for more deaths
than any other animal.
258
00:15:43,194 --> 00:15:44,821
I know why you're doing this.
259
00:15:44,821 --> 00:15:48,617
You know, Gavin,
it's tough enough hitting over water.
260
00:15:49,159 --> 00:15:50,702
He's trying to put me off my game.
261
00:15:50,702 --> 00:15:52,996
You know,
"The hippo's the most dangerous animal."
262
00:15:52,996 --> 00:15:55,957
That's a dirty player.
I didn't think he was a dirty player.
263
00:15:55,957 --> 00:15:58,376
You can keep your head down.
I'll watch your back.
264
00:16:00,879 --> 00:16:02,172
No!
265
00:16:03,089 --> 00:16:04,341
Let's try it again.
266
00:16:08,261 --> 00:16:09,304
Was that bird laughing?
267
00:16:14,476 --> 00:16:15,518
Where'd he go?
268
00:16:15,518 --> 00:16:17,270
He went just behind us.
269
00:16:19,314 --> 00:16:21,816
- Let's see how it's done. Go ahead.
- Okay. All right.
270
00:16:21,816 --> 00:16:23,443
Let's have a look.
271
00:16:25,904 --> 00:16:27,614
Yes, sir.
272
00:16:28,657 --> 00:16:33,703
I kind of held back because I didn't want
to show him up. So, I...
273
00:16:39,668 --> 00:16:41,962
Okay, this is getting a little spooky,
isn't it?
274
00:16:42,879 --> 00:16:45,590
I'm just going to
head up to the lunch area
275
00:16:45,590 --> 00:16:47,801
and maybe hide behind some children.
276
00:16:54,641 --> 00:16:56,560
After that round of golf,
277
00:16:57,644 --> 00:17:01,773
I didn't think it was possible
to get any closer to the wildlife here.
278
00:17:02,983 --> 00:17:05,986
But Bonga's arranged an experience for me,
279
00:17:05,986 --> 00:17:10,198
which he promises will bring new meaning
to up close and personal.
280
00:17:10,739 --> 00:17:13,118
First, we've gotta get there.
281
00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:19,457
Oh, my. Look at those buffalo.
Wow, are they big.
282
00:17:20,041 --> 00:17:23,128
I've heard of having a face
that stops traffic,
283
00:17:23,128 --> 00:17:25,839
but these guys take
that to the next level.
284
00:17:27,924 --> 00:17:31,636
They're actually looking right at us.
285
00:17:33,096 --> 00:17:34,806
Okay, now it's getting a little scary.
286
00:17:36,016 --> 00:17:37,142
Well, let 'em stare.
287
00:17:37,809 --> 00:17:41,521
Sometimes you have to show
these animals exactly who's the boss.
288
00:17:42,898 --> 00:17:47,444
And I can definitely do that
from the back seat of the van here.
289
00:17:47,444 --> 00:17:52,657
Good news? That's another
of the Big Five ticked off. Bad news?
290
00:17:52,657 --> 00:17:58,079
They can kill 200 people a year.
So, I'm happy to stick to their timetable.
291
00:18:00,790 --> 00:18:02,959
One beast of a roadblock later,
292
00:18:02,959 --> 00:18:06,671
{\an8}I finally arrive to meet Peter,
Kruger's head vet.
293
00:18:07,172 --> 00:18:10,217
So, Peter, what exactly
are we doing today?
294
00:18:10,217 --> 00:18:13,428
So, what we hope to do today
is immobilise an elephant,
295
00:18:14,012 --> 00:18:17,349
'cause we'd like to do a general
health check while we have it in hand.
296
00:18:17,349 --> 00:18:22,229
I've never heard anyone say
"immobilise an elephant" so casually.
297
00:18:22,729 --> 00:18:24,648
Where exactly do I fit in?
298
00:18:24,648 --> 00:18:28,235
We're gonna try and get you
to help us as much as possible.
299
00:18:29,110 --> 00:18:30,237
Okay.
300
00:18:30,737 --> 00:18:35,242
But I hope they're not counting on me
for doing too much
301
00:18:35,742 --> 00:18:38,286
because my background is comedy.
302
00:18:38,286 --> 00:18:41,289
We actors are accustomed
to safety briefings,
303
00:18:41,289 --> 00:18:44,834
but today in particular, I'm all ears.
304
00:18:44,834 --> 00:18:46,336
If you see the elephant starting to move,
305
00:18:46,336 --> 00:18:49,381
even if it starts to urinate,
please let me know,
306
00:18:49,381 --> 00:18:51,591
'cause it suggests that the elephant
is starting to wake up.
307
00:18:52,467 --> 00:18:54,928
If the elephant starts to urinate,
308
00:18:54,928 --> 00:18:57,138
how far back do you have to stand?
309
00:18:57,138 --> 00:18:58,348
No, you have to start running.
310
00:19:00,141 --> 00:19:01,142
Start running.
311
00:19:01,142 --> 00:19:03,019
- Yeah.
- Gotcha.
312
00:19:04,479 --> 00:19:07,065
Now me and helicopters don't go together,
313
00:19:07,065 --> 00:19:11,152
so I'm in the tracking vehicle
with Peter's colleague, Michele.
314
00:19:11,861 --> 00:19:13,697
I would advise most people
315
00:19:13,697 --> 00:19:16,157
not to be in the chopper
when they're darting.
316
00:19:16,157 --> 00:19:18,243
You don't have to twist my arm.
317
00:19:25,292 --> 00:19:27,544
Hey, that looks like our man today.
318
00:19:28,211 --> 00:19:32,841
So what they're trying to do is just use
the chopper to push the animal this way,
319
00:19:32,841 --> 00:19:36,761
- and that's the time that Peter will dart.
- Right. Gotcha.
320
00:19:43,268 --> 00:19:45,645
Wow. Look at this.
321
00:19:45,645 --> 00:19:49,733
And look at that amazing flying.
Have you ever seen anything like it?
322
00:19:49,733 --> 00:19:52,360
He's going exactly
where they want him to go.
323
00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:55,238
- Okay, he's starting to stumble.
- There he goes.
324
00:19:55,238 --> 00:19:58,575
- Yeah. Now he's laying down.
- There he goes. Yeah.
325
00:19:59,576 --> 00:20:03,371
And they're going
to pull him over on to his side.
326
00:20:13,131 --> 00:20:14,341
That was incredible.
327
00:20:15,467 --> 00:20:18,303
Spot checks, like this, help monitor
328
00:20:18,303 --> 00:20:20,680
the health of the elephant population.
329
00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,559
The team now has less than 30 minutes
to collect their data
330
00:20:24,559 --> 00:20:27,562
before the harmless tranquilizer
wears off.
331
00:20:27,562 --> 00:20:30,106
Your first elephant. Come and touch him.
332
00:20:30,106 --> 00:20:31,233
Wow.
333
00:20:31,733 --> 00:20:35,862
He's calm and in a good state
for us to be able to work on him.
334
00:20:35,862 --> 00:20:37,948
He's more calm than I am right now.
335
00:20:39,991 --> 00:20:43,536
I'm not real big on medical dramas.
336
00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:47,374
Like, now, they're be--
yanking his mouth open.
337
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,711
Okay, now they gotta-- Whoa.
338
00:20:55,507 --> 00:20:57,968
- So far, so good?
- So far, so good.
339
00:20:57,968 --> 00:20:59,302
All right. Keep me posted.
340
00:20:59,302 --> 00:21:00,303
Okay.
341
00:21:02,264 --> 00:21:03,557
- Eugene, I don't know if you...
- Yeah?
342
00:21:03,557 --> 00:21:05,767
...wanna help us just collect some
of the samples?
343
00:21:05,767 --> 00:21:08,937
- Take some of the samples?
- The samples, yeah.
344
00:21:10,730 --> 00:21:12,107
- Yeah?
- You need a big glove.
345
00:21:12,774 --> 00:21:14,067
You can just imagine--
346
00:21:14,943 --> 00:21:17,153
I don't know. I don't think s--
347
00:21:17,153 --> 00:21:19,990
- So it's at this end of--
- Oh, yeah. No.
348
00:21:21,866 --> 00:21:23,535
No. No.
349
00:21:24,327 --> 00:21:27,080
Not sure I like the direction
this is going in.
350
00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:28,665
- Okay, so you're just gonna...
- Yeah.
351
00:21:28,665 --> 00:21:30,000
...collect a fecal sample.
352
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,837
- So, I don't want all of it-- Yes.
- Collect a fecal sample?
353
00:21:33,837 --> 00:21:37,883
Right. And what if the big fella
wakes up while I'm,
354
00:21:37,883 --> 00:21:40,051
you know, there?
355
00:21:40,051 --> 00:21:41,845
You don't have to be too gentle.
356
00:21:42,470 --> 00:21:45,932
Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.
357
00:21:48,435 --> 00:21:50,937
- He's tightening.
- Is he tightening?
358
00:21:50,937 --> 00:21:52,689
- Yeah.
- Okay.
359
00:21:52,689 --> 00:21:54,357
And I don't blame him!
360
00:21:56,151 --> 00:21:59,070
- Are you getting anything?
- I don't know.
361
00:21:59,070 --> 00:22:01,948
- You can feel around.
- You feel around. How about that?
362
00:22:03,366 --> 00:22:04,868
- There it is.
- There you go.
363
00:22:06,286 --> 00:22:10,248
First time I've had my hand up
an elephant's ass, I gotta be honest.
364
00:22:10,749 --> 00:22:12,584
Tick that off the bucket list.
365
00:22:13,084 --> 00:22:18,506
One of the all-time worst experiences
I've ev--
366
00:22:18,506 --> 00:22:19,674
Well, that's not exactly
367
00:22:19,674 --> 00:22:21,259
- fecal matter, is it?
- No, it's not.
368
00:22:21,259 --> 00:22:23,053
I think I should try and help you.
369
00:22:23,595 --> 00:22:25,847
Good luck.
I don't know how far up you have to go.
370
00:22:25,847 --> 00:22:28,266
- Let's see.
- But, you know, if you have to Uber...
371
00:22:28,266 --> 00:22:29,184
Okay.
372
00:22:30,435 --> 00:22:32,062
- You see what I mean?
- I've got it.
373
00:22:32,062 --> 00:22:33,230
Okay.
374
00:22:35,690 --> 00:22:38,485
- So that's what we want.
- Yeah.
375
00:22:40,654 --> 00:22:42,322
It's fun, Africa.
376
00:22:45,867 --> 00:22:48,370
They say elephants never forget, so...
377
00:22:49,412 --> 00:22:51,373
I think he's looking for you, Eugene.
378
00:22:51,373 --> 00:22:54,709
No kidding. And believe me,
I'm just gonna duck a little bit here.
379
00:22:57,963 --> 00:23:00,674
I don't think I'll be back
in this particular field
380
00:23:01,174 --> 00:23:05,011
because he'll know this hand. You know?
381
00:23:05,011 --> 00:23:06,513
He might not be good with faces,
382
00:23:06,513 --> 00:23:08,765
but he's gonna look at this hand
and, you know...
383
00:23:12,602 --> 00:23:15,272
Seeing this hulk of an animal
384
00:23:15,272 --> 00:23:18,358
and getting the opportunity to touch it,
feel it,
385
00:23:18,358 --> 00:23:22,529
feel its heartbeat, I mean,
that was quite amazing.
386
00:23:23,530 --> 00:23:27,242
Can't honestly say I've experienced
anything quite like this in my life
387
00:23:27,242 --> 00:23:29,578
and probably never will again,
388
00:23:29,578 --> 00:23:31,663
but that was something.
389
00:23:41,923 --> 00:23:45,176
I've come to realize
that when the sun sets in Africa,
390
00:23:45,176 --> 00:23:48,930
you can't assume you're done
for the day on the savage beast front.
391
00:23:49,431 --> 00:23:50,932
- Look, look what's on the road.
- Yeah?
392
00:23:50,932 --> 00:23:52,309
Hey, whoa.
393
00:23:53,518 --> 00:23:54,769
That's a hyena.
394
00:23:54,769 --> 00:23:56,021
- Hyena?
- Yeah.
395
00:23:56,021 --> 00:23:57,856
- There it is.
- Look at that.
396
00:23:58,607 --> 00:23:59,649
Wow.
397
00:24:00,150 --> 00:24:02,444
As Bonga and I head back to the hotel,
398
00:24:02,444 --> 00:24:06,031
some of the park's nocturnal wildlife
have come out to eat us--
399
00:24:06,031 --> 00:24:07,240
Sorry, meet us.
400
00:24:07,866 --> 00:24:10,452
There's more further down the road.
Quick, quick. Go, go.
401
00:24:10,952 --> 00:24:11,995
There they are.
402
00:24:12,495 --> 00:24:15,248
And they're actually
on the hunt at the moment.
403
00:24:15,248 --> 00:24:17,584
Well, hopefully we're not on the menu.
404
00:24:20,295 --> 00:24:22,172
Wait, look. What's that, what's that?
405
00:24:22,172 --> 00:24:24,257
- Is it a rabbit?
- It's a scrub hare.
406
00:24:24,257 --> 00:24:26,426
That's not one of the Big Five, is it?
407
00:24:26,426 --> 00:24:28,011
- Scrub hare?
- No. No.
408
00:24:29,930 --> 00:24:33,183
- Rhinos are part of the Big Five.
- Yeah.
409
00:24:33,183 --> 00:24:36,228
What are the chances
of seeing a rhino tonight?
410
00:24:36,728 --> 00:24:39,022
It's very rare to see a rhino in the park
411
00:24:39,022 --> 00:24:41,524
because they've been poached
for their horn.
412
00:24:42,067 --> 00:24:47,239
Ten years ago, I used to see a rhino
maybe three times a week.
413
00:24:47,239 --> 00:24:52,410
Now, we go for, like, a month
without having to see a rhino.
414
00:24:52,410 --> 00:24:58,833
I'm worried that my son might not have
an opportunity to see when he grows up.
415
00:24:58,833 --> 00:25:02,087
Oh, boy. Just terrible.
416
00:25:06,967 --> 00:25:08,343
I can't believe I'm saying this,
417
00:25:08,343 --> 00:25:13,014
but the wildlife in South Africa
is actually starting to affect me
418
00:25:13,014 --> 00:25:15,559
in a way that I wasn't expecting.
419
00:25:16,893 --> 00:25:23,024
I loved the experience of being
that close to the elephant.
420
00:25:23,858 --> 00:25:28,405
And spotting animals on a safari,
421
00:25:28,905 --> 00:25:33,118
that's something you don't see in Toronto.
422
00:25:33,702 --> 00:25:39,332
But being on the deck next to a fire,
sipping a lovely cabernet,
423
00:25:39,916 --> 00:25:43,879
it's a nice little way to end a day here
in the wilds of Africa.
424
00:25:51,011 --> 00:25:55,181
Three of the Big Five down.
Lion and rhino to go.
425
00:25:56,433 --> 00:26:02,230
Over the last decade, the rhino
population in Kruger has dropped by 75%.
426
00:26:02,230 --> 00:26:05,483
So I'm having to travel out of the park
to see some.
427
00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:09,571
Now, I managed to avoid it earlier,
but this time,
428
00:26:09,571 --> 00:26:13,700
there's no getting away from my least
favorite mode of transportation.
429
00:26:14,284 --> 00:26:17,787
We're taking a helicopter.
430
00:26:19,414 --> 00:26:22,709
I don't feel great about helicopters,
I gotta be honest.
431
00:26:22,709 --> 00:26:25,337
I've got a thing about heights.
432
00:26:25,337 --> 00:26:27,672
Specifically, plummeting from them.
433
00:26:28,798 --> 00:26:32,302
Just keep telling myself
it's all for the Big Five.
434
00:26:32,886 --> 00:26:35,597
There's an elephant bull
just sitting under a tree there.
435
00:26:36,806 --> 00:26:39,559
I'm looking straight ahead at a mountain.
436
00:26:42,562 --> 00:26:44,272
There we go. Solid ground.
437
00:26:45,357 --> 00:26:46,358
Feels good.
438
00:26:47,901 --> 00:26:51,488
- Nice meeting you. Welcome here.
- Nice to meet you. Eugene.
439
00:26:51,488 --> 00:26:53,156
Petronel. Let's go.
440
00:26:55,283 --> 00:26:57,994
You jump in here with me and Goofy.
It's my dog.
441
00:26:58,495 --> 00:27:00,747
Hi, Goofy. Goofy, Goofy.
442
00:27:02,415 --> 00:27:06,211
Petronel is the driving force
behind Care for Wild,
443
00:27:06,211 --> 00:27:08,755
the world's largest rhino sanctuary.
444
00:27:08,755 --> 00:27:13,885
Once you've seen a rhino, they climb right
into your heart, so be careful.
445
00:27:13,885 --> 00:27:17,305
You might find
a new love of your life here.
446
00:27:17,305 --> 00:27:23,728
That's something I never actually
thought was possible, but we'll see.
447
00:27:24,563 --> 00:27:29,192
Since 2011, the team here
has rescued over 100 rhinos.
448
00:27:30,068 --> 00:27:32,904
As I arrive,
it's feeding time for the youngest.
449
00:27:32,904 --> 00:27:35,365
- Wow, that's what I call a bottle.
- Yes.
450
00:27:36,533 --> 00:27:40,745
How do you get the babies over here?
451
00:27:41,288 --> 00:27:42,330
We call them.
452
00:27:45,500 --> 00:27:47,210
Go, go, Eugene. Call, call.
453
00:27:50,547 --> 00:27:51,548
We're doing well.
454
00:27:53,466 --> 00:27:54,968
There's your little one.
455
00:27:54,968 --> 00:27:56,386
Come, come!
456
00:27:56,386 --> 00:27:58,054
- Look here! There's Danny...
- Wow.
457
00:27:58,054 --> 00:27:59,681
- ...the big one jogging.
- They're big.
458
00:27:59,681 --> 00:28:01,641
- And there--
- They're very large babies.
459
00:28:01,641 --> 00:28:05,729
Okay, there we go.
And you pick it up like that.
460
00:28:05,729 --> 00:28:08,315
Excellent. Excellent.
461
00:28:11,568 --> 00:28:14,988
- He's done.
- Excellent. That's why we give him two.
462
00:28:16,615 --> 00:28:20,076
Last time I bottle-fed was 36 years ago,
463
00:28:20,702 --> 00:28:24,664
and the bottle was considerably smaller.
And so was my daughter.
464
00:28:25,957 --> 00:28:28,752
He's a bit smaller than
he's supposed to be,
465
00:28:28,752 --> 00:28:32,714
because he was just about a month old
when they poached his mom.
466
00:28:33,465 --> 00:28:34,299
Wow.
467
00:28:34,299 --> 00:28:36,635
Despite the sanctuary's best efforts,
468
00:28:36,635 --> 00:28:39,221
if poaching continues at its current rate,
469
00:28:39,221 --> 00:28:43,141
wild rhinos could be extinct
within 15 years.
470
00:28:43,141 --> 00:28:47,187
These things are being killed
at an alarming rate,
471
00:28:47,187 --> 00:28:49,773
and the fact that people
are picking these orphans up
472
00:28:49,773 --> 00:28:53,652
and getting them here somehow,
I think is like a miracle.
473
00:28:57,906 --> 00:29:01,701
I'm beginning to like these things.
These sweet little things.
474
00:29:04,537 --> 00:29:08,750
That was a very,
very cute experience for me.
475
00:29:11,753 --> 00:29:16,633
There was something absolutely
adorable about those rhinos.
476
00:29:18,176 --> 00:29:22,639
I just kept thinking,
"I can't believe I'm feeding a rhino."
477
00:29:27,644 --> 00:29:31,231
Petronel aims to release
all her orphan rhinos
478
00:29:31,231 --> 00:29:32,816
back to their natural habitat.
479
00:29:33,567 --> 00:29:36,903
And she's got something extra special
she wants to show me.
480
00:29:38,238 --> 00:29:41,032
We are heading out to see the rhinos
481
00:29:41,032 --> 00:29:45,120
that we already released
and see how they're doing.
482
00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,872
You know,
rhinos need to be out in the wild.
483
00:29:47,872 --> 00:29:49,833
- That's where they belong.
- Yeah.
484
00:29:54,671 --> 00:29:55,839
This is crazy.
485
00:29:57,299 --> 00:30:03,513
One, two, three, four, five.
That's an amazing picture.
486
00:30:07,183 --> 00:30:10,437
This is incredible, Petronel.
487
00:30:10,437 --> 00:30:14,983
This is a sighting I never actually
thought I'd get to see.
488
00:30:18,028 --> 00:30:19,154
Wow.
489
00:30:21,072 --> 00:30:25,744
Two of these rhinos, Wynter
and Storm, have recently made history.
490
00:30:26,369 --> 00:30:30,373
Wynter bred with another orphan
by the name of Storm,
491
00:30:30,373 --> 00:30:34,377
- and there's Blizzy. Like, what a miracle.
- Wow.
492
00:30:35,545 --> 00:30:38,340
This is the first in the world.
493
00:30:38,340 --> 00:30:42,010
First baby born to two orphan rhinos.
494
00:30:42,636 --> 00:30:45,805
It's the first step on the moon,
you know, for us.
495
00:30:45,805 --> 00:30:47,599
- It's just-- This is possible.
- Yeah, yeah.
496
00:30:47,599 --> 00:30:51,269
This is the hope.
It's a new era for rhinos.
497
00:30:53,021 --> 00:30:54,606
Wow. Miraculous.
498
00:30:57,067 --> 00:31:01,738
Seeing that orphan rhino
that had just given birth to the baby
499
00:31:01,738 --> 00:31:07,827
was an image that will linger when it
comes to, "What is South Africa to me?"
500
00:31:09,454 --> 00:31:13,083
This is a country
unlike any I've ever been to.
501
00:31:13,083 --> 00:31:15,877
And it's left a lasting impression on me.
502
00:31:16,586 --> 00:31:21,841
I'd thought seeing animals in the wild
would be just like seeing them on TV.
503
00:31:21,841 --> 00:31:23,301
How wrong I was.
504
00:31:24,511 --> 00:31:27,347
Being this close to the animals,
505
00:31:27,847 --> 00:31:33,144
that's what makes it more exciting
than I thought it was actually gonna be.
506
00:31:34,020 --> 00:31:39,693
In your day-to-day life, you're
not thinking about the animals here.
507
00:31:40,277 --> 00:31:44,531
You're not thinking about the possible
extinction of the rhino.
508
00:31:45,365 --> 00:31:50,412
When you're here,
you're smack-dab in the middle of it.
509
00:31:50,912 --> 00:31:54,457
These are once-in-a-lifetime experiences,
510
00:31:54,457 --> 00:31:57,752
and I did get to see some amazing things
511
00:31:57,752 --> 00:32:00,839
that most people might not get
a chance to see.
512
00:32:01,506 --> 00:32:04,134
I think I saw four of the Big Five.
513
00:32:04,718 --> 00:32:06,511
Apparently, that's a good batting average.
514
00:32:07,095 --> 00:32:09,222
I didn't get to see the lion,
515
00:32:09,222 --> 00:32:12,809
but I'm gonna go back
and watch The Lion King when I get home.