1 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:12,074 Advertise your product or brand here contact www.OpenSubtitles.org today 2 00:00:39,203 --> 00:00:40,683 Australia - 3 00:00:40,683 --> 00:00:42,563 an island continent 4 00:00:42,563 --> 00:00:47,043 cast adrift during the time of the dinosaurs. 5 00:01:06,523 --> 00:01:12,003 Isolated from the rest of life on land for millions of years, 6 00:01:12,003 --> 00:01:17,923 the animals cast away here are today like none elsewhere. 7 00:01:21,123 --> 00:01:24,683 This is a land of survivors. 8 00:01:52,163 --> 00:01:57,283 The jungles of northern Australia - the oldest on our planet. 9 00:01:59,923 --> 00:02:04,163 Unchanged for 180 million years. 10 00:02:07,323 --> 00:02:10,923 The animals and plants here are armed... 11 00:02:13,523 --> 00:02:16,603 ..built to live alongside dinosaurs. 12 00:02:19,763 --> 00:02:23,483 Now there is just one giant left. 13 00:02:28,203 --> 00:02:30,603 With claws longer than a velociraptor 14 00:02:30,603 --> 00:02:32,523 and nearly two metres tall... 15 00:02:33,723 --> 00:02:36,923 ..the cassowary rules this forest. 16 00:02:36,923 --> 00:02:38,323 BOOMING CALL 17 00:02:46,636 --> 00:02:49,836 But the key to its success is not its stature... 18 00:02:53,556 --> 00:02:57,556 ..it's the male's abilities as a parent. 19 00:02:59,756 --> 00:03:03,436 This one's chicks are six weeks old, 20 00:03:03,436 --> 00:03:06,716 and he will raise them by himself. 21 00:03:13,276 --> 00:03:15,796 Every morsel of food is valuable 22 00:03:15,796 --> 00:03:19,076 if his chicks are to grow up tall and strong. 23 00:03:24,156 --> 00:03:26,236 But in this forest, 24 00:03:26,236 --> 00:03:29,076 most of the fruit is too big for the chicks. 25 00:03:34,596 --> 00:03:36,356 It must be cut up for them. 26 00:03:47,636 --> 00:03:51,036 There is food to be gathered throughout their territory... 27 00:03:52,276 --> 00:03:55,476 ..but it's not easy to find. 28 00:04:03,196 --> 00:04:05,956 He shows them how to cross water. 29 00:04:08,316 --> 00:04:12,276 But when your legs are only ten centimetres long, 30 00:04:12,276 --> 00:04:15,196 a stream like this is very deep. 31 00:04:20,076 --> 00:04:22,596 One takes the plunge... 32 00:04:25,156 --> 00:04:28,396 ..but for the other, this is too daunting. 33 00:04:33,076 --> 00:04:37,516 He turns and goes back the way he came. 34 00:04:38,596 --> 00:04:42,076 Out of sight and without his father's protection, 35 00:04:42,076 --> 00:04:44,036 he's vulnerable. 36 00:04:48,916 --> 00:04:53,876 Only half of cassowary chicks make it to adulthood... 37 00:04:55,196 --> 00:04:56,996 ..and for very good reason. 38 00:05:02,716 --> 00:05:07,556 Australia's prehistoric forests are still full of predators. 39 00:05:18,156 --> 00:05:21,596 IT CHEEPS Many manage to survive here 40 00:05:21,596 --> 00:05:25,996 by eating almost anything that's smaller than they are. 41 00:05:27,236 --> 00:05:29,316 He needs to find his father... IT CHEEPS 42 00:05:29,316 --> 00:05:30,716 ..and quickly. 43 00:05:46,716 --> 00:05:48,236 IT CHEEPS 44 00:05:48,236 --> 00:05:51,436 The male hears his cries and answers... 45 00:05:52,876 --> 00:05:58,516 ..using a special call that carries well through the thick forest. 46 00:05:58,516 --> 00:06:00,276 DEEP BOOMING CALL 47 00:06:06,916 --> 00:06:12,116 And then, a glimpse of some reassuring, bright colours. 48 00:06:35,156 --> 00:06:38,316 Their bonds are stronger than their fears. 49 00:06:45,516 --> 00:06:50,676 The male will guide and protect his chicks for another eight months 50 00:06:50,676 --> 00:06:52,156 before he mates again. 51 00:07:02,356 --> 00:07:06,436 Australia was once part of the vast supercontinent 52 00:07:06,436 --> 00:07:09,196 of Gondwanaland... THUNDER RUMBLES 53 00:07:09,196 --> 00:07:11,476 ..covered in forest and full of life. 54 00:07:12,916 --> 00:07:15,116 Dinosaurs dominated. 55 00:07:15,116 --> 00:07:17,596 Mammals had only just appeared. 56 00:07:19,396 --> 00:07:22,716 Then, Australia began to break away. 57 00:07:24,196 --> 00:07:29,796 Cast adrift on this new island were reptiles, birds and early mammals 58 00:07:29,796 --> 00:07:33,596 that then evolved in isolation from the rest of the world. 59 00:07:34,876 --> 00:07:37,316 None could now leave this giant island, 60 00:07:37,316 --> 00:07:39,196 and very few could get here... 61 00:07:40,756 --> 00:07:42,356 ..unless they could fly. 62 00:07:47,276 --> 00:07:49,476 A little red flying fox. 63 00:07:52,516 --> 00:07:55,396 Their ancestors flew here, 64 00:07:55,396 --> 00:07:58,196 travelling along the chain of volcanic islands 65 00:07:58,196 --> 00:08:00,236 that links Asia to Australia. 66 00:08:03,516 --> 00:08:09,236 But their huge wings, which stretch from their fingers to their toes, 67 00:08:09,236 --> 00:08:13,476 make it difficult for them to walk or take off from the ground, 68 00:08:13,476 --> 00:08:19,116 so, when they want to rest, they hang upside down in trees. 69 00:08:42,476 --> 00:08:45,956 But the bats have to drink every day. 70 00:08:48,356 --> 00:08:50,996 And they do so on the wing. 71 00:09:03,036 --> 00:09:06,276 They swoop just low enough to wet their bellies 72 00:09:06,276 --> 00:09:10,276 and then, back in their roosts, they will suck out the water. 73 00:09:17,036 --> 00:09:20,076 Each evening, 10,000 of them come here. 74 00:09:33,676 --> 00:09:36,156 Not all of them return. 75 00:09:38,156 --> 00:09:39,996 Every two metres of river, there is... 76 00:09:39,996 --> 00:09:42,156 BATS SCREECH ..a crocodile. 77 00:09:45,476 --> 00:09:50,276 They were here long before the bats... 78 00:09:52,996 --> 00:09:57,756 ..survivors from Australia's prehistoric past. 79 00:10:32,196 --> 00:10:36,596 These dramas have been taking place for millions of years... 80 00:10:40,716 --> 00:10:42,716 ..aerial agility... 81 00:10:44,036 --> 00:10:45,156 ..versus patience... 82 00:10:47,436 --> 00:10:49,036 ..and deadly speed. 83 00:11:05,956 --> 00:11:11,796 Australia's forests are hostile places in which to make your home. 84 00:11:19,516 --> 00:11:24,196 As you move inland, the forest thins, the air cools 85 00:11:24,196 --> 00:11:28,076 and the land, as it gets higher, changes dramatically. 86 00:11:31,676 --> 00:11:34,356 WIND BLOWS 87 00:11:39,636 --> 00:11:44,476 The Great Dividing Range, 2,000 metres above the jungle. 88 00:11:47,596 --> 00:11:52,636 To survive here, you must be able to tolerate really harsh conditions. 89 00:12:06,436 --> 00:12:11,036 Kangaroos, like nearly all of the continent's native mammals, 90 00:12:11,036 --> 00:12:12,116 are marsupials... 91 00:12:14,756 --> 00:12:16,956 ..mammals that rear their young 92 00:12:16,956 --> 00:12:19,636 usually in a pouch on the mother's belly. 93 00:12:21,876 --> 00:12:25,956 And the young up here certainly need such shelter. 94 00:12:37,996 --> 00:12:42,676 No kangaroos can survive for long, higher than this. 95 00:13:01,716 --> 00:13:05,636 But there is an even tougher marsupial up here. 96 00:13:18,756 --> 00:13:19,956 A wombat. 97 00:13:20,996 --> 00:13:25,076 She usually shelters underground in a burrow, 98 00:13:25,076 --> 00:13:28,516 but now that is under a metre of snow, 99 00:13:28,516 --> 00:13:31,276 together with all the grass on which she lives. 100 00:13:32,756 --> 00:13:35,676 She weighs as much a big dog 101 00:13:35,676 --> 00:13:38,236 and has the legs of a small one - 102 00:13:38,236 --> 00:13:41,396 not ideal for deep snow. 103 00:13:47,996 --> 00:13:51,436 Fragments of bark hardly count even as a snack... 104 00:13:52,676 --> 00:13:54,276 ..and she's hungry. 105 00:14:02,756 --> 00:14:05,116 She needs grass. 106 00:14:13,676 --> 00:14:18,076 But it's over a mile away, across a frozen river. 107 00:14:22,316 --> 00:14:25,116 Wombats might not be fast. 108 00:14:25,116 --> 00:14:27,036 but then they don't need to be up here. 109 00:14:27,996 --> 00:14:30,436 They can survive on next to nothing. 110 00:14:36,036 --> 00:14:39,876 A few mouthfuls will be enough food for over a week. 111 00:14:42,636 --> 00:14:44,876 And there's not much competition for it 112 00:14:44,876 --> 00:14:47,196 in this small corner of the continent. 113 00:14:55,276 --> 00:14:59,516 Snowy peaks are hardly typical of Australia, 114 00:14:59,516 --> 00:15:03,356 but the Great Dividing Range is a remnant of what were once 115 00:15:03,356 --> 00:15:06,596 some of the longest mountain chains on Earth. 116 00:15:09,756 --> 00:15:13,276 They connected Australia and Antarctica. 117 00:15:15,356 --> 00:15:19,036 But then these sister continents broke apart. 118 00:15:19,036 --> 00:15:23,836 Antarctica, drifting southwards, became locked in ice. 119 00:15:23,836 --> 00:15:27,716 Australia drifted northwards towards the equator 120 00:15:27,716 --> 00:15:30,956 and became hotter and drier. 121 00:15:32,396 --> 00:15:34,516 Woodlands developed, 122 00:15:34,516 --> 00:15:37,676 and in places where rainfall was low - 123 00:15:37,676 --> 00:15:39,276 open grasslands. 124 00:15:45,836 --> 00:15:48,036 On these grassy plains, 125 00:15:48,036 --> 00:15:51,116 animals had the space to thrive. 126 00:15:53,356 --> 00:15:56,436 These are also eastern grey kangaroos, 127 00:15:56,436 --> 00:15:58,956 and this is their true home. 128 00:15:58,956 --> 00:16:01,836 Here, they are well fed and powerful. 129 00:16:03,316 --> 00:16:06,396 Adults can stand over two metres tall 130 00:16:06,396 --> 00:16:09,356 and travel as fast as a racehorse. 131 00:16:09,356 --> 00:16:11,716 BIRD SCREECHES 132 00:16:14,596 --> 00:16:16,596 BIRD SCREECHES 133 00:16:16,596 --> 00:16:20,956 And on these open plains, you need speed... 134 00:16:22,276 --> 00:16:27,436 ..because where there are large herds, there will be predators. 135 00:16:30,076 --> 00:16:32,756 DINGO HOWLS 136 00:16:32,756 --> 00:16:37,476 Dingoes - descendants of wolves that were brought here 137 00:16:37,476 --> 00:16:41,636 over 4,000 years ago by human visitors from Asia. 138 00:16:46,356 --> 00:16:49,796 This pack is led by a white female... 139 00:16:50,996 --> 00:16:52,516 ..and they are hunting. 140 00:17:15,716 --> 00:17:19,996 Creating panic tests the herd. 141 00:17:48,036 --> 00:17:50,516 Mothers with young in their pouches might be slower... 142 00:17:53,956 --> 00:17:56,636 ..but they can still outrun a dingo. 143 00:18:01,316 --> 00:18:03,516 Maybe an ambush will work. 144 00:18:11,476 --> 00:18:17,516 But even young, newly independent kangaroos seem uncatchable. 145 00:18:24,036 --> 00:18:27,316 Across these open, flat plains, 146 00:18:27,316 --> 00:18:30,356 the dingoes are just not fast enough. 147 00:18:33,796 --> 00:18:37,636 But what makes the white female their leader is her stamina 148 00:18:37,636 --> 00:18:41,236 and, particularly, her intelligence. 149 00:18:43,996 --> 00:18:48,396 She has run 18 miles today, but she still doesn't give up. 150 00:18:50,876 --> 00:18:55,276 A different group of kangaroos, this time on uneven ground. 151 00:18:58,436 --> 00:19:00,516 It's what she's been looking for. 152 00:19:08,516 --> 00:19:09,876 Driving them uphill, 153 00:19:09,876 --> 00:19:11,996 she's struggling to keep up with them. 154 00:19:30,276 --> 00:19:34,716 And as they hurtle down the other side, the kangaroos pick up speed. 155 00:19:37,116 --> 00:19:41,396 They will easily outpace her, if they stay in control. 156 00:20:22,916 --> 00:20:27,036 The white dingo has more than one reason to be so relentless. 157 00:20:28,956 --> 00:20:30,116 PUPS WHINE 158 00:20:31,116 --> 00:20:32,196 She's a mother. 159 00:20:37,036 --> 00:20:38,996 This is a rare sight. 160 00:20:40,316 --> 00:20:43,356 Dingo pups are hardly ever seen. 161 00:20:48,276 --> 00:20:50,716 With so much effort for just one meal, 162 00:20:50,716 --> 00:20:55,196 the open plains are tough places on which to raise young. 163 00:21:01,676 --> 00:21:04,116 These are gumtrees. 164 00:21:05,276 --> 00:21:08,556 They have leaves that are poisonous to most animals. 165 00:21:10,516 --> 00:21:12,476 But not the koala. 166 00:21:12,476 --> 00:21:14,556 They eat almost nothing else. 167 00:21:18,316 --> 00:21:20,996 There are echidnas in these forests, too - 168 00:21:20,996 --> 00:21:26,436 mammals that don't even have pouches but lay eggs like reptiles. 169 00:21:33,556 --> 00:21:35,436 And there is an assassin here 170 00:21:35,436 --> 00:21:38,036 that has only recently been discovered. 171 00:21:43,196 --> 00:21:45,716 A Jotus jumping spider. 172 00:21:47,676 --> 00:21:50,396 She's only five millimetres long, 173 00:21:50,396 --> 00:21:51,876 but nonetheless 174 00:21:51,876 --> 00:21:54,996 she's a stealthy and ferocious hunter. 175 00:21:56,756 --> 00:21:59,836 She searches for prey among the grass stems. 176 00:22:20,316 --> 00:22:23,916 She's single-minded and focused on hunting. 177 00:22:31,476 --> 00:22:33,476 But today might be different. 178 00:22:37,356 --> 00:22:41,316 This is something new, 179 00:22:41,316 --> 00:22:43,836 something fast... 180 00:22:46,396 --> 00:22:47,916 ..and a little trickier. 181 00:22:54,396 --> 00:22:56,236 But what is it? 182 00:22:56,236 --> 00:22:57,636 Is it food? 183 00:23:17,276 --> 00:23:21,716 It's a male Jotus, looking for a mate. 184 00:23:27,756 --> 00:23:30,956 He needs to catch her attention, 185 00:23:30,956 --> 00:23:35,156 but female Jotus only mate once. 186 00:23:35,156 --> 00:23:38,276 If she's mated before, she might kill him. 187 00:23:41,735 --> 00:23:44,516 He will need to seduce her with care. 188 00:23:48,476 --> 00:23:52,876 Waving his arms makes his intentions clear. 189 00:23:52,876 --> 00:23:54,956 He's a friend, not food. 190 00:23:58,876 --> 00:24:01,276 No sign of an attack...yet. 191 00:24:07,156 --> 00:24:10,276 But she doesn't seem particularly impressed. 192 00:24:14,676 --> 00:24:17,716 Time to try his best move... 193 00:24:19,276 --> 00:24:20,356 ..the double paddle. 194 00:24:21,756 --> 00:24:23,796 That surely will do the trick. 195 00:24:42,116 --> 00:24:44,076 One final wave... 196 00:24:53,236 --> 00:24:54,876 ..and he's tamed her. 197 00:24:54,876 --> 00:24:57,716 She stays still for just long enough. 198 00:25:17,396 --> 00:25:21,236 And then he retreats quickly, before she has second thoughts. 199 00:25:37,756 --> 00:25:41,396 If you travel still further towards the centre of Australia, 200 00:25:41,396 --> 00:25:44,636 the landscape changes yet again. 201 00:25:44,636 --> 00:25:47,236 Trees and grass disappear. 202 00:25:50,556 --> 00:25:54,796 The continent, throughout prehistory, continued to drift north 203 00:25:54,796 --> 00:25:58,836 and as it entered the tropics, it got hotter and hotter. 204 00:26:00,676 --> 00:26:04,876 Over thousands of years, the grasslands of the centre dried 205 00:26:04,876 --> 00:26:07,196 and lakes and rivers turned dust. 206 00:26:08,836 --> 00:26:14,236 The rocks have been reduced to sand by the hot, blasting winds. 207 00:26:16,356 --> 00:26:20,276 Now Australia's centre is one vast desert. 208 00:26:21,996 --> 00:26:25,556 Its immensity is almost impossible to comprehend. 209 00:26:35,636 --> 00:26:39,676 This train running north is a half a mile long. 210 00:26:42,556 --> 00:26:45,076 Travelling at nearly 50 miles an hour, 211 00:26:45,076 --> 00:26:48,596 it takes almost three days to get from one side to another. 212 00:26:56,796 --> 00:27:02,676 Australia today is the driest inhabited continent on Earth. 213 00:27:06,716 --> 00:27:10,756 Rain hardly ever falls in 70% of it. 214 00:27:14,756 --> 00:27:20,396 From space, the continent is seen to be stained red by iron oxide - 215 00:27:20,396 --> 00:27:23,556 rust from its disintegrating rocks. 216 00:27:26,836 --> 00:27:33,036 In the surface are lines carved by winds over millennia. 217 00:27:34,196 --> 00:27:37,956 The very bones of the continent are now stripped bare... 218 00:27:39,596 --> 00:27:43,756 ...the foundations of what once were mountains. 219 00:27:55,236 --> 00:27:56,516 At its heart, 220 00:27:56,516 --> 00:28:00,556 stands the great rock mountain of Uluru... 221 00:28:03,796 --> 00:28:09,276 ..sacred to the first people to arrive here 60,000 years ago. 222 00:28:34,276 --> 00:28:39,516 There is almost no soil here, few plants, few animals 223 00:28:39,516 --> 00:28:41,876 and almost no permanent water. 224 00:28:44,236 --> 00:28:47,836 It's a place where only the toughest can survive. 225 00:28:52,316 --> 00:28:55,676 This is the land of reptiles. 226 00:28:57,236 --> 00:29:01,556 Australia has more species of them than any other continent. 227 00:29:03,516 --> 00:29:05,876 The perentie, two metres long, 228 00:29:05,876 --> 00:29:09,476 is the biggest here, and he's thirsty. 229 00:29:16,396 --> 00:29:19,516 It only rains here once or twice a year. 230 00:29:19,516 --> 00:29:22,596 And when there isn't any rain, 231 00:29:22,596 --> 00:29:26,836 perenties get their water from eating lizards. 232 00:29:31,276 --> 00:29:34,756 There are several kinds to choose from... 233 00:29:38,276 --> 00:29:39,876 ..bearded dragons... 234 00:29:43,316 --> 00:29:45,316 ..blue-tongued skinks... 235 00:29:49,476 --> 00:29:50,996 ..and thorny devils. 236 00:29:50,996 --> 00:29:53,156 All are on the menu. 237 00:29:55,916 --> 00:30:00,196 The thorny devil also gets its water from its food. 238 00:30:05,436 --> 00:30:07,556 It's only the size of a mouse, 239 00:30:07,556 --> 00:30:11,276 but, even so, it must eat hundreds of ants every day 240 00:30:11,276 --> 00:30:12,916 to get what it needs. 241 00:30:12,916 --> 00:30:14,996 THUNDER RUMBLES 242 00:30:20,316 --> 00:30:26,036 Most storm clouds pass by without releasing any water. 243 00:30:29,836 --> 00:30:32,036 But just sometimes, 244 00:30:32,036 --> 00:30:34,596 there's a brief shower. 245 00:30:57,956 --> 00:31:01,276 Everyone makes the most of the opportunity. 246 00:31:09,676 --> 00:31:14,116 It's so hot the droplets will disappear within minutes. 247 00:31:15,116 --> 00:31:17,756 But the thorny devil has a trick. 248 00:31:23,476 --> 00:31:25,876 He's found a tiny puddle, 249 00:31:25,876 --> 00:31:27,916 only a few millimetres deep, 250 00:31:27,916 --> 00:31:30,316 and he dips his toe into it. 251 00:31:42,316 --> 00:31:45,516 His skin is like blotting paper. 252 00:31:51,116 --> 00:31:53,956 It collects moisture by capillary action, 253 00:31:53,956 --> 00:31:56,796 sucking it up along the inter-connecting grooves 254 00:31:56,796 --> 00:31:58,436 until he glistens all over. 255 00:32:02,516 --> 00:32:04,476 When the water reaches his mouth, 256 00:32:04,476 --> 00:32:05,836 he can collect it... 257 00:32:07,156 --> 00:32:10,596 ..while still keeping his head up, on the lookout for danger. 258 00:32:14,236 --> 00:32:18,956 The perentie is 200 times the size of a thorny devil - 259 00:32:18,956 --> 00:32:23,036 tiny puddles and droplets are of no use to him. 260 00:32:25,796 --> 00:32:29,876 What he needs is a juicy lizard. 261 00:32:51,636 --> 00:32:55,996 That was a bearded dragon that wasn't quite quick enough. 262 00:33:03,916 --> 00:33:08,436 Even the perentie sometimes gets a chance to quench his thirst. 263 00:33:16,476 --> 00:33:22,476 There is one species that has truly conquered the Australian desert. 264 00:33:24,556 --> 00:33:27,356 They don't wait for water to come to them. 265 00:33:27,356 --> 00:33:33,116 They sometimes travel over 300 miles in a single day to find it. 266 00:33:34,636 --> 00:33:37,356 Australia's hardiest animal... 267 00:33:38,476 --> 00:33:40,156 (CHIRPS) 268 00:33:40,156 --> 00:33:42,196 ..the wild budgerigar... 269 00:33:42,196 --> 00:33:45,436 (BUDGIES CHIRP) 270 00:33:45,436 --> 00:33:49,316 ..the most accomplished of all desert nomads. 271 00:33:49,316 --> 00:33:52,156 These have been travelling together for weeks... 272 00:33:54,796 --> 00:33:58,716 ..and that has evidently caused a few domestic arguments. 273 00:34:07,716 --> 00:34:11,796 This is truly an immense community. 274 00:34:11,796 --> 00:34:15,276 There are over 10,000 budgies in this flock. 275 00:34:22,196 --> 00:34:24,796 Every one of them is thirsty. 276 00:34:32,796 --> 00:34:35,396 But although they've found this billabong... 277 00:34:36,476 --> 00:34:38,476 ..they must be wary. 278 00:34:41,036 --> 00:34:44,156 A hawk - and one that eats budgies. 279 00:34:50,716 --> 00:34:53,316 As long as it remains on the ground, 280 00:34:53,316 --> 00:34:55,916 the budgies will risk taking a drink. 281 00:35:14,436 --> 00:35:19,076 Once it takes to the air, however, the budgies are in danger. 282 00:35:22,756 --> 00:35:26,356 And it's not the only bird of prey here. 283 00:35:28,236 --> 00:35:32,796 The budgies have a simple but very effective defence - 284 00:35:32,796 --> 00:35:34,716 they all take to the wing at once. 285 00:35:38,876 --> 00:35:42,836 An aerial hunter needs to lock on to a single target for a few seconds 286 00:35:42,836 --> 00:35:44,916 if it is to catch it, 287 00:35:44,916 --> 00:35:47,916 but in this swirl, that's very hard to do. 288 00:35:58,116 --> 00:36:00,876 Flying in a flock keeps the budgies safe, 289 00:36:00,876 --> 00:36:03,476 but they're still desperate to drink. 290 00:36:10,916 --> 00:36:15,316 As soon as a particularly brave one takes the plunge, they all do. 291 00:36:21,676 --> 00:36:25,156 But once on the water, they are easier to target. 292 00:36:30,636 --> 00:36:33,836 They must drink quickly and stick together. 293 00:36:53,396 --> 00:36:57,996 The last ones to leave will be the ones in most danger. 294 00:37:21,996 --> 00:37:26,876 Only one has been taken from a flock of 10,000. 295 00:37:36,036 --> 00:37:39,036 In a few days, they will leave the area, 296 00:37:39,036 --> 00:37:40,796 on their never-ending search 297 00:37:40,796 --> 00:37:44,116 for the next brief opportunity to feed and drink. 298 00:38:01,676 --> 00:38:04,916 As the continent continued to drift north, 299 00:38:04,916 --> 00:38:08,276 it eventually entered warm, tropical seas. 300 00:38:10,996 --> 00:38:15,036 And here, in the crystal-clear, sunlit water, 301 00:38:15,036 --> 00:38:17,996 just a metre or two beneath the surface, 302 00:38:17,996 --> 00:38:20,036 life proliferated. 303 00:38:24,116 --> 00:38:27,956 Coral grows into reefs in these shallow seas. 304 00:38:31,036 --> 00:38:32,956 This is Ningaloo... 305 00:38:34,316 --> 00:38:37,716 ..today one of the richest anywhere in the world. 306 00:38:46,156 --> 00:38:50,716 Thousands of species of fish and all kinds of other organisms 307 00:38:50,716 --> 00:38:53,596 thrive in these coral cities. 308 00:38:54,996 --> 00:38:57,036 And they have attracted 309 00:38:57,036 --> 00:39:00,156 the most ancient of living predators. 310 00:39:07,396 --> 00:39:09,436 Sharks. 311 00:39:09,436 --> 00:39:15,076 They were around 200 million years before the dinosaurs. 312 00:39:17,956 --> 00:39:21,036 They're fast and agile, 313 00:39:21,036 --> 00:39:24,436 well able to pick off the small reef fish. 314 00:39:26,716 --> 00:39:30,116 But they come here for bigger rewards. 315 00:39:34,596 --> 00:39:38,476 These are fish from the open ocean, 316 00:39:38,476 --> 00:39:42,876 and every so often, for some reason, they swim over the reef. 317 00:39:53,316 --> 00:39:58,196 The small fish swirl like the budgies, and for the same reason. 318 00:39:58,196 --> 00:40:02,436 It makes it harder for a hunter to single out a particular target. 319 00:40:08,076 --> 00:40:11,876 But, in fact, the sharks aren't trying to catch them individually. 320 00:40:18,436 --> 00:40:21,156 They're driving them closer to the shore, 321 00:40:21,156 --> 00:40:23,276 penning them against the beach. 322 00:40:27,876 --> 00:40:31,476 Slowly, the sharks drive each new wave of fish 323 00:40:31,476 --> 00:40:33,116 into shallow water, 324 00:40:33,116 --> 00:40:35,636 and the bait ball grows. 325 00:40:43,916 --> 00:40:48,436 More sharks arrive, some from many miles away. 326 00:40:57,156 --> 00:40:59,516 And still the sharks don't attack. 327 00:41:00,556 --> 00:41:02,556 They're waiting... 328 00:41:03,596 --> 00:41:05,316 ..for the right moment. 329 00:41:12,956 --> 00:41:16,956 Millions of fish are now trapped in these shallow waters. 330 00:41:18,676 --> 00:41:22,876 It only happens like this once in every decade or so. 331 00:41:29,396 --> 00:41:32,276 The time has come to strike. 332 00:41:44,076 --> 00:41:47,516 For the sharks, this is a bonanza. 333 00:41:49,676 --> 00:41:51,716 They work together. 334 00:41:52,796 --> 00:41:56,396 Each shark now fills its stomach. 335 00:42:02,716 --> 00:42:07,796 These shallow seas are exceptionally rich in sharks. 336 00:42:09,636 --> 00:42:14,036 There are more species here than anywhere else on Earth. 337 00:42:25,556 --> 00:42:30,356 Australia is not only fringed by rich reefs 338 00:42:30,356 --> 00:42:35,796 but girdled with islands - some big, some small. 339 00:42:41,916 --> 00:42:45,756 Off the south coast lies by far the biggest of them. 340 00:42:47,196 --> 00:42:48,996 Tasmania. 341 00:42:51,876 --> 00:42:55,916 And that has its own special marsupial... 342 00:42:57,076 --> 00:43:00,876 ..one that seldom appears until after dark. 343 00:43:03,836 --> 00:43:06,076 The Tasmanian devil. 344 00:43:12,036 --> 00:43:16,116 Many predators inhabit a territory packed with prey. 345 00:43:16,116 --> 00:43:18,876 But here, there's nothing like that for them. 346 00:43:27,836 --> 00:43:31,756 Each may travel for miles night after night, 347 00:43:31,756 --> 00:43:36,076 prepared to eat anything it can find, dead or alive. 348 00:43:45,516 --> 00:43:48,316 The shoreline is a good place to search. 349 00:43:49,476 --> 00:43:52,996 There might be some small creatures to catch here, 350 00:43:52,996 --> 00:43:55,436 or maybe something that the tide has brought in. 351 00:44:05,836 --> 00:44:09,356 The carcass of a wallaby has been washed ashore. 352 00:44:16,796 --> 00:44:20,956 Tasmanian devils can eat 40% of their body weight 353 00:44:20,956 --> 00:44:22,236 in one session, 354 00:44:22,236 --> 00:44:25,116 and they have hugely powerful jaws. 355 00:44:25,116 --> 00:44:28,796 They tackle everything - even bones. 356 00:44:32,876 --> 00:44:34,396 Back at the den, 357 00:44:34,396 --> 00:44:37,076 there are other hungry mouths. 358 00:44:38,316 --> 00:44:40,716 IT YAWNS 359 00:44:44,196 --> 00:44:46,996 Her two youngsters are six months old. 360 00:44:48,676 --> 00:44:54,556 They still rely on their mother's milk, but they're feeling peckish! 361 00:44:58,436 --> 00:45:01,916 There must be something solid they could find for themselves, 362 00:45:01,916 --> 00:45:03,676 while they're waiting for a drink. 363 00:45:11,596 --> 00:45:13,196 Is this food? 364 00:45:15,076 --> 00:45:16,276 IT YELPS 365 00:45:19,916 --> 00:45:21,316 IT SNIFFS 366 00:45:21,316 --> 00:45:23,756 That possum smells tasty... 367 00:45:26,156 --> 00:45:28,636 ..but it's a little high up. 368 00:45:30,916 --> 00:45:33,556 This looks more promising. 369 00:45:43,636 --> 00:45:47,196 At last, a giant stick! 370 00:45:49,116 --> 00:45:51,236 Not bad for a first go. 371 00:45:56,716 --> 00:45:59,716 Their mother will protect and feed these youngsters 372 00:45:59,716 --> 00:46:01,356 for another three months. 373 00:46:03,276 --> 00:46:08,076 Their survival is important to her, but also for us... 374 00:46:09,356 --> 00:46:12,476 ...because these are one of the last devil families 375 00:46:12,476 --> 00:46:13,756 in the world. 376 00:46:20,276 --> 00:46:22,876 Tasmanian devils are now endangered... 377 00:46:23,876 --> 00:46:26,156 ..found in only a few places, 378 00:46:26,156 --> 00:46:30,596 such as this remote islet off the coast of Tasmania. 379 00:46:36,916 --> 00:46:40,356 But they once lived across the whole of Australia. 380 00:46:41,956 --> 00:46:44,796 Evidence that this was so 381 00:46:44,796 --> 00:46:49,516 can be seen nearly 2,500 miles away from the devils' family den, 382 00:46:49,516 --> 00:46:53,516 on Australia's northern coast. 383 00:47:00,836 --> 00:47:03,956 This great stretch of boulders 384 00:47:03,956 --> 00:47:07,076 is covered by the largest concentration 385 00:47:07,076 --> 00:47:10,636 of prehistoric images anywhere in the world. 386 00:47:16,436 --> 00:47:19,756 Over one million pictures of wildlife... 387 00:47:24,196 --> 00:47:25,636 ..and among them... 388 00:47:27,356 --> 00:47:29,116 ..a Tasmanian devil. 389 00:47:31,996 --> 00:47:36,876 It was engraved on stone 60,000 years ago 390 00:47:36,876 --> 00:47:40,476 by some of the first human beings to reach the continent. 391 00:47:44,196 --> 00:47:46,996 Then, just 200 years ago, 392 00:47:46,996 --> 00:47:52,716 European settlers arrived with guns and dogs, foxes and cats. 393 00:47:53,996 --> 00:47:57,956 Together, they decimated Australia's unique wildlife. 394 00:48:03,876 --> 00:48:08,116 This was one of the continent's biggest animal predators - 395 00:48:08,116 --> 00:48:10,756 a marsupial wolf or thylacine. 396 00:48:12,796 --> 00:48:17,636 The last-known remaining one was filmed in 1936 397 00:48:17,636 --> 00:48:19,956 in a zoo just before it died... 398 00:48:21,356 --> 00:48:26,156 ..and so brought the final extinction of its species. 399 00:48:31,076 --> 00:48:34,516 These rocks are now its memorial. 400 00:48:39,036 --> 00:48:42,836 And they may become that for the Tasmanian devil as well. 401 00:48:45,116 --> 00:48:48,796 Mammals in Australia are disappearing faster 402 00:48:48,796 --> 00:48:51,196 than anywhere else on Earth. 403 00:48:55,236 --> 00:49:00,116 They succeeded in adapting to life as their home changed around them. 404 00:49:01,916 --> 00:49:05,236 But now they face their greatest challenge - 405 00:49:05,236 --> 00:49:09,276 the change to their world brought by humanity. 406 00:49:11,516 --> 00:49:15,436 Which of its unique species will survive the coming decades 407 00:49:15,436 --> 00:49:17,596 now depends on us. 408 00:49:30,596 --> 00:49:33,876 The most ambitious shoot for the Australia team 409 00:49:33,876 --> 00:49:38,316 was filming the continent's top predator, the dingo, hunting. 410 00:49:42,316 --> 00:49:45,556 Elusive and shy, they're rarely seen. 411 00:49:50,156 --> 00:49:54,796 The crew journeyed to the high plains of Australia, 412 00:49:54,796 --> 00:49:58,036 where park rangers had reported sightings 413 00:49:58,036 --> 00:50:00,356 of a white dingo and her pack. 414 00:50:03,916 --> 00:50:06,956 In their first week, the team confirm the sightings... 415 00:50:06,956 --> 00:50:08,156 There she is. 416 00:50:09,476 --> 00:50:11,836 ..and begin to catch glimpses. 417 00:50:13,476 --> 00:50:15,476 But with the dingoes constantly on the move, 418 00:50:15,476 --> 00:50:19,316 keeping track of them is a challenge. 419 00:50:19,316 --> 00:50:20,636 They teleport around 420 00:50:20,636 --> 00:50:23,196 because you just lose them in the grass. 421 00:50:23,196 --> 00:50:24,676 It's madness. 422 00:50:24,676 --> 00:50:28,836 Each time the crew arrive to set up... 423 00:50:29,836 --> 00:50:31,916 ..they're too late. 424 00:50:43,316 --> 00:50:45,476 I couldn't believe how far she'd gone. 425 00:50:45,476 --> 00:50:47,996 By the time we managed to drive over the brow of the hill, 426 00:50:47,996 --> 00:50:50,316 she was a kilometre away. 427 00:50:51,556 --> 00:50:54,716 If they lose them, it could take days to find them again. 428 00:50:56,756 --> 00:51:01,796 And searching in outback Australia can be dangerous work. 429 00:51:01,796 --> 00:51:03,676 SHE YELPS 430 00:51:09,956 --> 00:51:13,316 Brown snakes are one of the world's most venomous. 431 00:51:14,836 --> 00:51:18,236 And it's not only the snakes that have a nasty bite. 432 00:51:18,236 --> 00:51:19,436 Oh, dear! 433 00:51:19,436 --> 00:51:20,676 Look at that. 434 00:51:22,316 --> 00:51:23,476 Sorry. 435 00:51:28,116 --> 00:51:30,396 Turns out I just stood in an ants' nest. 436 00:51:34,076 --> 00:51:35,676 Over the coming weeks, 437 00:51:35,676 --> 00:51:39,196 the dingoes continue to give the crew the runaround. 438 00:51:40,396 --> 00:51:42,636 With such a large area to search, 439 00:51:42,636 --> 00:51:45,596 they enlist the help of two additional cameramen. 440 00:51:46,916 --> 00:51:51,956 Dan is a dingo expert and studied them for five years 441 00:51:51,956 --> 00:51:54,836 and even he struggled to follow them. 442 00:51:54,836 --> 00:51:59,436 Dingoes are Australia's most heavily persecuted native animal... 443 00:51:59,436 --> 00:52:02,036 DINGO HOWLS ..and that makes them 444 00:52:02,036 --> 00:52:04,676 so incredibly elusive and hard to film. 445 00:52:05,596 --> 00:52:07,396 They're very scared of humans. 446 00:52:08,636 --> 00:52:13,116 Dingoes have lived in Australia for over 4,000 years, 447 00:52:13,116 --> 00:52:15,636 but when Europeans arrived with livestock, 448 00:52:15,636 --> 00:52:17,276 they were seen as a threat. 449 00:52:18,276 --> 00:52:22,676 Today they continue to be shot, poisoned and trapped, 450 00:52:22,676 --> 00:52:24,876 which explains why they avoid the crew. 451 00:52:26,076 --> 00:52:29,756 So Dan suggests a new approach. 452 00:52:32,916 --> 00:52:35,676 From the air, they have a better view. 453 00:52:36,876 --> 00:52:40,956 Now they can track the dingoes and follow their trails. 454 00:52:42,116 --> 00:52:45,556 And they notice the white dingo repeatedly returning 455 00:52:45,556 --> 00:52:47,436 to the same patch of forest. 456 00:52:49,356 --> 00:52:53,916 Ben, the park ranger, goes to explore... 457 00:52:53,916 --> 00:52:55,476 Dog's had a scratch in here. 458 00:52:57,996 --> 00:52:59,396 Old roo leg. 459 00:52:59,396 --> 00:53:02,356 ..and unearths a den site. 460 00:53:02,356 --> 00:53:04,076 Den site in here. Look at it. Jeez. 461 00:53:04,076 --> 00:53:08,316 Only a handful of wild dingo dens 462 00:53:08,316 --> 00:53:10,756 have ever been filmed, so the team set up a stakeout. 463 00:53:19,916 --> 00:53:23,396 And after a few days waiting... 464 00:53:28,796 --> 00:53:32,076 To the best of my knowledge, this is some of the first footage 465 00:53:32,076 --> 00:53:33,716 of wild dingo pups at the den. 466 00:53:35,996 --> 00:53:38,596 Being able to capture this really intimate, 467 00:53:38,596 --> 00:53:40,436 up-close footage is amazing. 468 00:53:40,436 --> 00:53:42,676 Really, really special. 469 00:53:44,236 --> 00:53:47,116 The den site is a major breakthrough. 470 00:53:50,596 --> 00:53:53,636 Now the team can find the white dingo each morning... 471 00:53:53,636 --> 00:53:54,956 Yeah, I've got her. 472 00:53:54,956 --> 00:53:58,276 ..and begin to understand her hunting patterns. 473 00:54:01,676 --> 00:54:05,036 At this point, she's just testing the water to see which... 474 00:54:05,036 --> 00:54:06,396 ..which ones are weaker 475 00:54:06,396 --> 00:54:09,196 or if there are any joeys around that she can hunt easily. 476 00:54:11,716 --> 00:54:15,796 But her chases cover such vast distances 477 00:54:15,796 --> 00:54:19,836 that filming them from start to finish is impossible. 478 00:54:21,076 --> 00:54:24,316 Time for the final crew members. 479 00:54:27,756 --> 00:54:31,836 With the filming helicopter, 480 00:54:31,836 --> 00:54:35,076 the team can stay airborne for long enough 481 00:54:35,076 --> 00:54:37,516 to capture her marathon hunts. 482 00:54:37,516 --> 00:54:39,236 But to be successful, 483 00:54:39,236 --> 00:54:43,396 the ground and aerial team will need to work together. 484 00:54:45,996 --> 00:54:48,316 So we've got spotters all around the valley, 485 00:54:48,316 --> 00:54:50,396 and if anything happens, if anything moves, 486 00:54:50,396 --> 00:54:51,756 we can run to the helicopter 487 00:54:51,756 --> 00:54:55,196 and we can be up in the air in about three minutes and filming. 488 00:54:55,196 --> 00:54:58,676 We're just on standby all morning and all afternoon. 489 00:55:01,516 --> 00:55:05,796 With nine people monitoring the white dingo's every move, 490 00:55:05,796 --> 00:55:07,876 all they can do... 491 00:55:08,876 --> 00:55:09,996 ..is wait. 492 00:55:19,316 --> 00:55:21,516 Until one morning... 493 00:55:21,516 --> 00:55:24,476 She really looks like she's eyeing up those roos over there. 494 00:55:24,476 --> 00:55:26,756 She's just stopped and just looking at them. 495 00:55:30,156 --> 00:55:34,076 OVER RADIO: Yeah, she's definitely looking for some roos. Over. 496 00:55:36,836 --> 00:55:38,876 MUFFLED RADIO MESSAGE 497 00:55:38,876 --> 00:55:41,876 With the dingo on the move, the hunt seems imminent. 498 00:55:45,596 --> 00:55:48,596 As the helicopter prepares to launch, 499 00:55:48,596 --> 00:55:51,396 the ground team keep track of her. 500 00:55:58,796 --> 00:56:01,916 Yep, she's running, she's running, she's running. 501 00:56:14,796 --> 00:56:16,236 She looks good. 502 00:56:33,716 --> 00:56:35,356 Finally able to keep up, 503 00:56:35,356 --> 00:56:39,596 the team film these dingoes hunting kangaroos 504 00:56:39,596 --> 00:56:41,436 for the first time, 505 00:56:41,436 --> 00:56:45,796 adding to the little we know about these remarkable predators. 506 00:56:48,916 --> 00:56:51,556 After five weeks following the white dingo, 507 00:56:51,556 --> 00:56:54,996 the team are left in awe of her. 508 00:56:54,996 --> 00:56:56,676 She's worked so hard, 509 00:56:56,676 --> 00:56:59,716 catching roos and looking after her babies, 510 00:56:59,716 --> 00:57:02,156 and it's been just amazing. 511 00:57:03,236 --> 00:57:04,996 I'll never forget it. 512 00:57:08,876 --> 00:57:14,516 Next time - a world transformed by mankind... 513 00:57:15,756 --> 00:57:18,396 ..where extraordinary animals are found... 514 00:57:19,796 --> 00:57:22,436 ..in surprising places. 515 00:57:30,396 --> 00:57:32,396 Europe. IT GRUNTS 515 00:57:33,305 --> 00:57:39,744 Support us and become VIP member to remove all ads from www.OpenSubtitles.org