1 00:00:04,130 --> 00:00:05,930 Across our planet, 2 00:00:05,930 --> 00:00:07,930 there are a handful of places 3 00:00:07,930 --> 00:00:11,520 that just take your breath away. 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,375 We call them natural wonders. 5 00:00:15,780 --> 00:00:18,600 And, for the people who live in them, 6 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,218 these places pose extraordinary challenges. 7 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,800 On the deadly slopes of Mount Everest, 8 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,440 a man must cross the highest glacier on Earth. 9 00:00:36,490 --> 00:00:38,936 For those adrift on an ocean wonder... 10 00:00:40,250 --> 00:00:42,366 ..a monster fish means salvation... 11 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,169 ..or disaster. 12 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,880 In the world's greatest cave complex, 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,490 a hunter's life hangs by a thread 14 00:00:54,490 --> 00:00:57,379 as he climbs for treasure. 15 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,932 And, deep in the Amazon rainforest... 16 00:01:03,370 --> 00:01:07,147 ..a boy will undergo a terrifying rite of passage. 17 00:01:12,211 --> 00:01:14,486 This is the story of these wonders. 18 00:01:16,961 --> 00:01:20,300 And of the people fighting to survive, 19 00:01:20,300 --> 00:01:22,325 and even triumph... 20 00:01:24,490 --> 00:01:26,526 ..in these astonishing places. 21 00:01:42,140 --> 00:01:43,850 On our Earth, 22 00:01:43,850 --> 00:01:48,173 some wonders stand out as the most extreme. 23 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,330 Whether the deepest, 24 00:01:52,330 --> 00:01:54,670 highest, or most remote, 25 00:01:54,670 --> 00:01:59,380 they are places which test their inhabitants to the limits. 26 00:02:06,450 --> 00:02:08,880 Straddling Nepal and China, 27 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,400 in the heart of the Himalaya, 28 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,670 Iies our planet's most famous wonder, 29 00:02:14,670 --> 00:02:17,070 and perhaps its most extreme. 30 00:02:18,540 --> 00:02:19,893 Mount Everest. 31 00:02:21,211 --> 00:02:25,930 Its summit is 8,848 metres, 32 00:02:25,930 --> 00:02:27,852 the cruising height of an airliner. 33 00:02:29,740 --> 00:02:33,320 Everest poses a gauntlet of dangers. 34 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:35,370 A lack of oxygen, 35 00:02:35,370 --> 00:02:37,930 sub-zero temperatures, 36 00:02:37,930 --> 00:02:40,091 and hurricane force winds. 37 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,756 It even sits in a deadly earthquake zone. 38 00:02:46,940 --> 00:02:50,046 Over 200 people have died climbing it. 39 00:02:55,670 --> 00:02:59,345 These eight men have the most dangerous job on Everest. 40 00:03:01,170 --> 00:03:02,480 They're not medics, 41 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,495 but they're called "icefall doctors". 42 00:03:09,590 --> 00:03:12,550 New team member Temba only has the job 43 00:03:12,550 --> 00:03:15,303 because last year his predecessor died on the mountain. 44 00:03:32,420 --> 00:03:36,766 After five days, the team arrives at 5,300 metres. 45 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:39,520 Base camp. 46 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:41,408 Their home for the next few weeks. 47 00:03:42,841 --> 00:03:46,160 Bad weather on Everest limits summit attempts 48 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:47,855 to just a few weeks every year. 49 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,680 But, before that climbing season opens, 50 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,180 the icefall doctors must create a route 51 00:03:55,180 --> 00:03:57,751 through Everest's most fearsome obstacle. 52 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:11,276 The Khumbu Icefall. 53 00:04:17,270 --> 00:04:19,517 Dozens of lives have been lost 54 00:04:19,517 --> 00:04:24,068 in this two kilometre wide jumble of ice. 55 00:04:33,963 --> 00:04:37,797 The icefall is so hazardous because it is not static. 56 00:04:43,412 --> 00:04:44,845 It's constantly moving. 57 00:04:50,322 --> 00:04:52,612 During the short climbing season, 58 00:04:52,612 --> 00:04:56,207 the ice will grind its way 80 metres downhill. 59 00:04:58,462 --> 00:05:00,682 Fracturing into huge crevasses 60 00:05:00,682 --> 00:05:04,960 and blocks of ice that collapse without warning. 61 00:05:07,952 --> 00:05:11,513 The Khumbu is the world's highest glacier. 62 00:05:17,332 --> 00:05:19,635 The job of the icefall doctors 63 00:05:19,635 --> 00:05:22,251 is to rope a route through this lethal maze. 64 00:05:25,207 --> 00:05:26,208 Ush! 65 00:05:27,667 --> 00:05:28,873 Oop! 66 00:05:29,997 --> 00:05:31,587 Yah! 67 00:05:31,587 --> 00:05:34,533 But the Khumbu isn't Everest's only danger. 68 00:05:36,447 --> 00:05:39,746 LOW RUMBLING NOISE 69 00:05:56,187 --> 00:05:59,147 The men have just a fortnight to rope the route, 70 00:05:59,147 --> 00:06:01,103 or the summit season can't start. 71 00:06:13,427 --> 00:06:15,839 For Temba, the pressure is building. 72 00:06:26,107 --> 00:06:30,601 Three days into the icefall, the team hits a big obstacle. 73 00:06:40,637 --> 00:06:43,049 A 10 metre wide crevasse. 74 00:06:55,527 --> 00:06:59,418 50 metres to the bottom, and no way round. 75 00:07:15,007 --> 00:07:17,607 With the ice melting in the afternoon sun, 76 00:07:17,607 --> 00:07:20,440 it's too risky to try to cross today. 77 00:07:22,477 --> 00:07:27,267 The doctors decide that tomorrow morning, Temba will cross first. 78 00:07:30,007 --> 00:07:34,410 It's the most dangerous role, but he must prove himself to the team. 79 00:07:45,968 --> 00:07:48,038 Tomorrow will be a big test. 80 00:07:50,367 --> 00:07:53,757 But, not all wonders pose such hostile challenges. 81 00:07:59,117 --> 00:08:03,047 North of Australia, on the coast of Papua New Guinea, 82 00:08:03,047 --> 00:08:05,845 there's a very unusual natural wonder. 83 00:08:09,078 --> 00:08:12,969 Cenderawasih is a remote bay the size of France. 84 00:08:19,397 --> 00:08:22,844 But, what makes it a wonder is its extreme depth. 85 00:08:24,887 --> 00:08:29,483 Close to shore, the bay plummets to 1.5 kilometres deep. 86 00:08:32,917 --> 00:08:35,681 This creates a unique environment. 87 00:08:37,277 --> 00:08:40,997 One that forges a remarkable relationship 88 00:08:40,997 --> 00:08:42,680 between man... 89 00:08:44,317 --> 00:08:45,727 ..and giant. 90 00:08:51,407 --> 00:08:55,696 Fishermen travel to Cenderawasih from hundreds of kilometres away. 91 00:08:57,477 --> 00:08:59,536 Drawn by the bay's marine bounty. 92 00:09:00,807 --> 00:09:03,890 They live on flimsy wooden rafts called bagans. 93 00:09:05,277 --> 00:09:07,290 One of the skippers is Rousti. 94 00:09:10,757 --> 00:09:13,637 He shares his bagan with six boys. 95 00:09:13,637 --> 00:09:16,117 The youngest is just nine. 96 00:09:22,247 --> 00:09:26,217 Rousti's dream is to marry his girlfriend and live on dry ground. 97 00:09:27,817 --> 00:09:31,571 But tradition demands he must first make a generous gift to her parents. 98 00:09:52,047 --> 00:09:55,357 The boys use lights to try to lure the fish up from the depths. 99 00:09:56,887 --> 00:09:58,917 But it's not working. 100 00:09:58,917 --> 00:10:01,727 In three weeks, Rousti has caught almost nothing. 101 00:10:25,587 --> 00:10:28,977 Low on supplies, the crew needs a miracle. 102 00:10:33,757 --> 00:10:36,840 HE SHOUTS 103 00:10:40,447 --> 00:10:42,984 Dark shapes rise from the depths. 104 00:10:49,877 --> 00:10:51,538 Whale sharks. 105 00:10:53,718 --> 00:10:55,527 The largest fish on the planet. 106 00:10:58,097 --> 00:11:02,193 Up to 14 metres long, and 20 tonnes in weight. 107 00:11:06,537 --> 00:11:09,199 They are far too big for Rousti's nets. 108 00:11:12,157 --> 00:11:15,832 But their arrival could signal a change in his fortunes. 109 00:11:27,787 --> 00:11:30,757 Strangely, in Cenderawasih Bay, 110 00:11:30,757 --> 00:11:34,407 whale sharks can sometimes draw up from the depths 111 00:11:34,407 --> 00:11:36,762 Iarge shoals of fish. 112 00:11:44,067 --> 00:11:47,878 As the crew had hoped, their nets are filling. 113 00:12:05,767 --> 00:12:10,204 For the boys, it's important to keep the sharks alongside the raft. 114 00:12:13,067 --> 00:12:18,255 Because after sunrise, they attract even bigger, more valuable fish. 115 00:12:24,347 --> 00:12:26,486 It's the best haul for months. 116 00:12:42,597 --> 00:12:45,167 And this unique relationship 117 00:12:45,167 --> 00:12:48,307 is all because of Cenderawasih's extreme depth. 118 00:12:50,557 --> 00:12:52,958 Whale sharks in other parts of the world 119 00:12:52,958 --> 00:12:55,757 must migrate thousands of kilometres 120 00:12:55,757 --> 00:12:58,737 between the deep water they need to give birth 121 00:12:58,737 --> 00:13:01,672 and the shallow coastal waters with the most food. 122 00:13:03,477 --> 00:13:09,477 But here, just offshore, the bay plunges to a depth of 1,500 metres, 123 00:13:09,477 --> 00:13:12,662 making it both deep and rich. 124 00:13:14,948 --> 00:13:17,997 So, the whale sharks never need to leave. 125 00:13:30,327 --> 00:13:33,917 Their constant presence in the bay means Rousti's dream 126 00:13:33,917 --> 00:13:35,714 is now a step closer. 127 00:13:48,397 --> 00:13:52,037 This cooperation between man and whale shark 128 00:13:52,037 --> 00:13:54,257 only happens in Cenderawasih, 129 00:13:54,257 --> 00:13:58,978 forged from the great depth of this extreme natural wonder. 130 00:14:10,838 --> 00:14:12,517 Back on Everest, 131 00:14:12,517 --> 00:14:15,607 at 5,500 metres above sea level, 132 00:14:15,607 --> 00:14:20,772 the icefall doctors head for the crevasse and Temba's first crossing. 133 00:14:23,357 --> 00:14:28,067 At this height, the air has half of the oxygen of sea level, 134 00:14:28,067 --> 00:14:29,921 so Western climbers struggle. 135 00:14:34,047 --> 00:14:35,997 But not these men. 136 00:14:35,997 --> 00:14:37,517 They're Sherpa. 137 00:14:37,517 --> 00:14:41,214 Over generations, they have been shaped by their Himalayan home. 138 00:14:47,277 --> 00:14:50,607 They have more blood vessels than most other humans, 139 00:14:50,607 --> 00:14:53,337 so their muscles receive more oxygen. 140 00:14:55,397 --> 00:14:59,197 It's a huge advantage when working in Everest's thin air. 141 00:15:01,467 --> 00:15:04,504 After four hours, they're back at the crevasse. 142 00:15:13,828 --> 00:15:15,830 THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE 143 00:15:18,187 --> 00:15:22,829 It's so wide, three ladders need to be lashed together. 144 00:15:36,487 --> 00:15:38,500 THEY GRUNT 145 00:15:53,107 --> 00:15:56,708 The first crossing is always the most dangerous. 146 00:15:56,708 --> 00:16:00,064 The risk is the unsecured end will collapse. 147 00:16:01,467 --> 00:16:05,847 Temba knows that the icefall doctor he replaced died the previous year 148 00:16:05,847 --> 00:16:07,303 on this mountain... 149 00:16:09,007 --> 00:16:10,918 ..down a crevasse. 150 00:16:28,828 --> 00:16:33,767 Before Temba starts, the team leader makes an offering of blessed rice. 151 00:16:33,767 --> 00:16:35,780 HE MUTTERS 152 00:17:34,777 --> 00:17:35,766 Easy! 153 00:17:37,337 --> 00:17:38,907 Easy-peasy. 154 00:17:38,907 --> 00:17:40,909 THEY LAUGH 155 00:17:58,987 --> 00:18:02,775 Temba's been accepted into this prestigious team... 156 00:18:06,797 --> 00:18:09,357 ..but his joy is short-lived. 157 00:18:11,497 --> 00:18:15,911 A few weeks later, a huge avalanche rips through the Khumbu Icefall... 158 00:18:18,627 --> 00:18:22,307 ..just as a group of Sherpa are crossing. 159 00:18:22,307 --> 00:18:24,218 16 are killed. 160 00:18:26,728 --> 00:18:30,164 By chance, Temba and the team were having the morning off. 161 00:18:45,177 --> 00:18:47,127 As a mark of respect, 162 00:18:47,127 --> 00:18:49,072 all summit bids were cancelled... 163 00:18:52,397 --> 00:18:53,944 ..but worse was to come. 164 00:18:57,667 --> 00:18:59,217 A year later, 165 00:18:59,217 --> 00:19:04,200 a devastating earthquake killed more than 8,000 people across Nepal. 166 00:19:05,497 --> 00:19:09,684 At Everest's base camp, it claimed 19 lives. 167 00:19:11,747 --> 00:19:14,557 The icefall doctors also survived this disaster. 168 00:19:17,867 --> 00:19:21,678 It's the very forces which created Everest that have made it so deadly. 169 00:19:23,197 --> 00:19:25,227 Deep beneath the Himalaya, 170 00:19:25,227 --> 00:19:28,765 two great landmasses are coming together very slowly. 171 00:19:30,107 --> 00:19:32,627 Over the last 50 million years, 172 00:19:32,627 --> 00:19:35,557 their collision has crumpled the land between, 173 00:19:35,557 --> 00:19:38,187 creating the mountain range 174 00:19:38,187 --> 00:19:42,487 and lifting Everest higher by four centimetres a decade. 175 00:19:44,297 --> 00:19:48,597 And it's this same collision that triggers Nepal's earthquakes. 176 00:19:51,387 --> 00:19:55,857 Despite the tragedies, climbers will return to Everest, 177 00:19:55,857 --> 00:19:59,497 drawn to conquer the Earth's highest wonder. 178 00:20:01,297 --> 00:20:04,067 6,000km from Everest, 179 00:20:04,067 --> 00:20:08,197 there's another iconic peak with a very different story. 180 00:20:12,037 --> 00:20:16,485 In the east of Africa rises Mount Kilimanjaro. 181 00:20:22,427 --> 00:20:26,867 It climbs 4,900 metres from the surrounding area, 182 00:20:26,867 --> 00:20:30,280 making it the tallest freestanding mountain on Earth. 183 00:20:36,217 --> 00:20:40,517 And it has created a high-stakes battle between man and animal. 184 00:20:43,867 --> 00:20:47,473 These are the Maasai farmers of the village of Tinga Tinga. 185 00:20:50,507 --> 00:20:53,670 Their survival depends on a yearly crop of maize. 186 00:20:56,557 --> 00:21:01,199 But when night falls, their precious fields are under attack. 187 00:21:04,867 --> 00:21:09,557 If the raiders are not stopped, the village could starve. 188 00:21:09,557 --> 00:21:12,718 It's down to one man to defend them. 189 00:21:12,718 --> 00:21:16,927 Richard Lacer is a farmer and Maasai warrior. 190 00:21:16,927 --> 00:21:18,918 HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE 191 00:21:26,947 --> 00:21:31,281 To protect the fields, Richard has set up a series of watchtowers. 192 00:21:38,377 --> 00:21:40,379 PHONE RINGS 193 00:21:46,127 --> 00:21:47,637 A panicked farmer calls 194 00:21:47,637 --> 00:21:50,515 to say the raiders have sneaked past the watchtowers. 195 00:22:05,677 --> 00:22:07,718 TRUMPETI NG 196 00:22:07,718 --> 00:22:10,084 And the marauders are still here... 197 00:22:13,067 --> 00:22:14,841 ..a herd of elephants. 198 00:22:16,708 --> 00:22:19,307 They're eating the crops 199 00:22:19,307 --> 00:22:21,081 and trampling the fields. 200 00:22:23,997 --> 00:22:26,077 GROWLING 201 00:22:26,077 --> 00:22:31,598 Elephants are dangerous - they can charge at over 25mph. 202 00:22:31,598 --> 00:22:34,307 But they are also endangered, 203 00:22:34,307 --> 00:22:36,389 so anyone harming them faces prison. 204 00:22:38,877 --> 00:22:43,723 All the defenders have to frighten them off are torches. 205 00:22:47,077 --> 00:22:49,022 TRUMPETING 206 00:23:00,237 --> 00:23:02,080 GROWLING 207 00:23:03,677 --> 00:23:06,396 The powerful beams seem to be working. 208 00:23:09,947 --> 00:23:11,938 ROARING 209 00:23:15,507 --> 00:23:17,361 But then, the elephants stop... 210 00:23:21,737 --> 00:23:23,216 ..turn around... 211 00:23:27,027 --> 00:23:28,718 ..and charge. 212 00:23:28,718 --> 00:23:30,674 ROARING 213 00:23:32,917 --> 00:23:34,930 TRUMPETING 214 00:23:38,067 --> 00:23:40,947 In the darkness, the ground is treacherous - 215 00:23:40,947 --> 00:23:43,199 one slip could be fatal. 216 00:23:49,077 --> 00:23:51,097 THEY SHOUT 217 00:23:51,097 --> 00:23:53,387 The men escape but, in the chaos, 218 00:23:53,387 --> 00:23:56,458 the elephants have destroyed a large swathe of crops. 219 00:23:56,458 --> 00:23:58,517 ANGRY SHOUTING 220 00:24:09,077 --> 00:24:11,921 The farmer's fury is shifting to Richard. 221 00:24:19,957 --> 00:24:21,747 Richard is failing in his battle 222 00:24:21,747 --> 00:24:25,080 to defend the farms from the elephants of Kilimanjaro. 223 00:24:30,478 --> 00:24:34,642 And it's the mountain itself that has created this conflict... 224 00:24:36,157 --> 00:24:40,317 ..because Kilimanjaro is no ordinary mountain - 225 00:24:40,317 --> 00:24:42,160 it's a dormant volcano. 226 00:24:45,718 --> 00:24:49,677 When it last erupted, it blanketed a vast area in ash... 227 00:24:51,797 --> 00:24:56,567 ..creating volcanic soil rich in nutrients 228 00:24:56,567 --> 00:24:58,751 and a magnet for life. 229 00:25:01,827 --> 00:25:04,197 Elephants forage in the plentiful vegetation 230 00:25:04,197 --> 00:25:07,107 that grows in the mountain's shadow 231 00:25:07,107 --> 00:25:11,328 and the fertile soil is also perfect for the Maasai to farm maize... 232 00:25:15,797 --> 00:25:19,255 ..a crop that's proving irresistible to the elephants. 233 00:25:26,647 --> 00:25:29,195 Richard knows the elephants will be back. 234 00:25:38,517 --> 00:25:43,397 He has one last option, one he'll try at nightfall, 235 00:25:43,397 --> 00:25:46,639 but it's an option which is very risky. 236 00:25:49,397 --> 00:25:55,747 Extreme wonders, by their very nature, can often be hostile, 237 00:25:55,747 --> 00:25:58,728 but rather than fighting their threats, 238 00:25:58,728 --> 00:26:01,288 some inhabitants have come to embrace them. 239 00:26:07,357 --> 00:26:08,647 In South America, 240 00:26:08,647 --> 00:26:13,835 there is a forest so huge it covers a third of the continent. 241 00:26:17,728 --> 00:26:22,483 The Amazon rainforest is made up of 400 billion trees. 242 00:26:26,317 --> 00:26:29,844 It is home to a tenth of all known animal species. 243 00:26:36,877 --> 00:26:39,927 And, for a tribe in the rainforest, 244 00:26:39,927 --> 00:26:44,887 their relationship with one animal in particular defines their lives. 245 00:26:48,287 --> 00:26:50,307 THEY SHOUT 246 00:26:50,307 --> 00:26:53,608 This is Enison 247 00:26:53,608 --> 00:26:57,478 and his best friend, Honison. 248 00:26:57,478 --> 00:26:58,649 They're nine... 249 00:27:01,007 --> 00:27:04,397 ..and their lives are about to change forever... 250 00:27:09,077 --> 00:27:11,007 ..because later today, 251 00:27:11,007 --> 00:27:14,468 they must suffer an agonising rite of passage 252 00:27:14,468 --> 00:27:16,117 which could kill them. 253 00:27:23,807 --> 00:27:28,517 There's a fearsome animal at the heart of the ritual 254 00:27:28,517 --> 00:27:30,838 but first, it must be caught. 255 00:27:33,397 --> 00:27:35,399 THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE 256 00:27:40,047 --> 00:27:44,367 The elders of the Satare-Mawe tribe are seeking the jungle animal 257 00:27:44,367 --> 00:27:46,198 with the most painful sting on Earth... 258 00:27:54,718 --> 00:27:57,653 ..the giant tropical bullet ant. 259 00:27:59,608 --> 00:28:04,682 One of its strings hurts as much as 50 bee stings. 260 00:28:14,728 --> 00:28:18,327 Bullet ants have evolved their sting to protect themselves 261 00:28:18,327 --> 00:28:21,034 from the huge numbers of predators in the Amazon. 262 00:28:22,478 --> 00:28:26,562 There are 1,000 species of insect-eating birds alone. 263 00:28:28,677 --> 00:28:31,317 This extraordinary diversity of life 264 00:28:31,317 --> 00:28:34,907 creates a constant battle for survival here 265 00:28:34,907 --> 00:28:38,616 for animals and humans... 266 00:28:41,608 --> 00:28:44,447 ..so the Satare-Mawe have a ritual 267 00:28:44,447 --> 00:28:46,647 to help build a tolerance to ant venom 268 00:28:46,647 --> 00:28:48,797 in boys like Enison and Honison. 269 00:28:50,917 --> 00:28:54,318 It'll be vital for when they become hunters in the jungle. 270 00:28:59,007 --> 00:29:04,917 Sedated by a herbal brew, hundreds of ants are woven into gloves, 271 00:29:04,917 --> 00:29:07,385 stingers pointing inwards. 272 00:29:12,367 --> 00:29:15,887 Their sting is said to feel like being shot, 273 00:29:15,887 --> 00:29:18,401 hence the name, "bullet ant". 274 00:29:21,167 --> 00:29:22,728 Every boy in the tribe 275 00:29:22,728 --> 00:29:27,367 must undergo the ritual many times during their childhood, 276 00:29:27,367 --> 00:29:30,200 and Honison has done it once before. 277 00:29:46,447 --> 00:29:51,214 For the boys, the bullet ant ritual will be a transformative moment. 278 00:30:04,757 --> 00:30:08,447 It's time for the initiation to begin. 279 00:30:08,447 --> 00:30:10,483 HORN SOUNDS 280 00:30:12,177 --> 00:30:15,087 Waiting for the boys, 281 00:30:15,087 --> 00:30:16,748 the ants. 282 00:30:18,358 --> 00:30:20,531 Smoke awakens them. 283 00:30:25,647 --> 00:30:29,358 Their hypodermic stingers contain a neurotoxin 284 00:30:29,358 --> 00:30:34,397 that attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis in humans... 285 00:30:34,397 --> 00:30:35,728 and even death. 286 00:30:35,728 --> 00:30:37,730 CHANTING 287 00:30:39,557 --> 00:30:42,640 The boys must wear the gloves for ten minutes. 288 00:30:50,327 --> 00:30:52,921 Enison must now prove himself. 289 00:31:30,817 --> 00:31:32,808 SINGING 290 00:31:44,618 --> 00:31:49,097 After the ten minutes, the gloves are removed. 291 00:31:49,097 --> 00:31:50,257 He's done well. 292 00:31:53,727 --> 00:31:56,127 Now, it's Honison's turn. 293 00:32:02,358 --> 00:32:07,368 He's endured the ritual before, 294 00:32:07,368 --> 00:32:09,689 but it doesn't get much easier. 295 00:32:16,247 --> 00:32:18,249 CHANTING 296 00:32:26,167 --> 00:32:28,180 SINGING 297 00:32:30,618 --> 00:32:33,416 His bravery, too, impresses the elders... 298 00:32:36,137 --> 00:32:42,337 ..but the tribe knows the best way to fight the pain is to move. 299 00:32:47,897 --> 00:32:52,687 Dancing works the venom round the body and away from the hands. 300 00:32:52,687 --> 00:32:54,689 SINGING 301 00:33:10,488 --> 00:33:12,501 HE SINGS 302 00:33:29,567 --> 00:33:32,422 By morning, the pain has begun to fade... 303 00:33:34,207 --> 00:33:38,337 ..and the boys have earned the right to drink with the chiefs. 304 00:33:38,337 --> 00:33:40,407 THEY CHEER 305 00:33:46,927 --> 00:33:48,929 THEY CHEER 306 00:33:59,897 --> 00:34:03,217 The ceremony may seem shocking 307 00:34:03,217 --> 00:34:05,348 but the latest scientific research 308 00:34:05,348 --> 00:34:08,727 is revealing that ant venoms may help prevent disease, 309 00:34:08,727 --> 00:34:10,967 even fight cancer. 310 00:34:10,967 --> 00:34:15,779 This tribe rarely gets ill and many live well into their 80s. 311 00:34:29,977 --> 00:34:34,447 With bullet ant venom coursing through their blood, 312 00:34:34,447 --> 00:34:40,340 the boys are now irreversibly bound to this extreme living wonder. 313 00:34:46,368 --> 00:34:49,007 In Kilimanjaro's shadow, 314 00:34:49,007 --> 00:34:51,177 Richard Lacer is on his way to pick up something 315 00:34:51,177 --> 00:34:55,368 he hopes can save the village crops 316 00:34:55,368 --> 00:34:59,417 and protect the elephants from the farmers' anger. 317 00:34:59,417 --> 00:35:01,419 HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE 318 00:35:11,777 --> 00:35:14,007 He plans to make a weapon, 319 00:35:14,007 --> 00:35:17,306 one with some unlikely ingredients. 320 00:35:40,967 --> 00:35:45,074 Elephants have the keenest sense of smell of any mammal. 321 00:35:46,628 --> 00:35:49,347 Richard wants to try to turn it against them. 322 00:35:50,618 --> 00:35:53,382 He's making chilli powder bombs. 323 00:35:58,217 --> 00:36:04,156 2am, and Richard gets word the raiders are back. 324 00:36:12,727 --> 00:36:14,527 He and his men arrive at a field 325 00:36:14,527 --> 00:36:16,847 which has already been almost destroyed... 326 00:36:16,847 --> 00:36:19,217 TRUMPETING 327 00:36:19,217 --> 00:36:22,141 ..and the elephants are still here. 328 00:36:25,217 --> 00:36:28,345 This time, they completely ignore the torches. 329 00:36:32,577 --> 00:36:36,417 It's time to try the chilli bomb, 330 00:36:36,417 --> 00:36:38,499 the final throw of the dice. 331 00:36:41,727 --> 00:36:43,777 LOUD CRACK 332 00:36:43,777 --> 00:36:45,779 TRUMPETING 333 00:36:53,097 --> 00:36:55,947 His chilli bomb assaults the elephants' hearing 334 00:36:55,947 --> 00:36:59,368 as well as their acute sense of smell. 335 00:36:59,368 --> 00:37:05,248 The danger is it could enrage the herd and they charge. 336 00:37:05,248 --> 00:37:07,250 TRUMPETING 337 00:37:10,167 --> 00:37:11,941 Instead, the elephants run... 338 00:37:13,618 --> 00:37:15,427 ..and keep on running. 339 00:37:20,697 --> 00:37:23,063 Richard has triumphed. 340 00:37:31,508 --> 00:37:33,499 CHANTING 341 00:37:35,417 --> 00:37:38,944 By morning, the elephants have left Tinga Tinga. 342 00:37:42,137 --> 00:37:44,150 The crop has been saved... 343 00:37:47,217 --> 00:37:49,947 ..and no elephants were harmed. 344 00:38:11,508 --> 00:38:13,607 But not all natural wonders 345 00:38:13,607 --> 00:38:17,236 create battlegrounds for their inhabitants like Kilimanjaro. 346 00:38:19,147 --> 00:38:21,587 Some can create riches, 347 00:38:21,587 --> 00:38:25,796 treasure troves accessible to only the very bravest. 348 00:38:30,217 --> 00:38:33,527 On the Malaysian island of Borneo, 349 00:38:33,527 --> 00:38:37,577 deep in the rainforest, lies a hidden wonder. 350 00:38:44,248 --> 00:38:47,267 This is Deer Cave, 351 00:38:47,267 --> 00:38:51,427 an epic 168 metres wide 352 00:38:51,427 --> 00:38:54,499 with a ceiling 220 metres high... 353 00:38:56,697 --> 00:39:00,557 ..and over four kilometres long - 354 00:39:00,557 --> 00:39:04,027 a cavern big enough to fly a jumbo jet through. 355 00:39:06,368 --> 00:39:08,381 BIRDS CHATTER 356 00:39:10,817 --> 00:39:17,087 And for centuries, Borneo's huge caves have lured men inside 357 00:39:17,087 --> 00:39:21,160 to search for treasure they will risk their lives for. 358 00:39:24,047 --> 00:39:27,596 Tomorrow morning, Jumalee Tubon will enter this wonder. 359 00:39:29,508 --> 00:39:32,011 He may not come out alive. 360 00:39:36,537 --> 00:39:38,539 THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE 361 00:39:53,537 --> 00:39:55,527 For Jumalee and his father, 362 00:39:55,527 --> 00:39:58,269 today is the start of a dangerous week. 363 00:40:12,777 --> 00:40:15,507 The men seek a great prize... 364 00:40:18,637 --> 00:40:22,127 ..a treasure produced by these birds - 365 00:40:22,127 --> 00:40:26,067 tens of thousands of swiftlets. 366 00:40:26,067 --> 00:40:29,787 Their nests are woven from solidified saliva... 367 00:40:31,117 --> 00:40:35,667 ..and they are the precious ingredient of bird's nest soup. 368 00:40:35,667 --> 00:40:40,207 In China, a single bowl can cost $60. 369 00:40:40,207 --> 00:40:42,209 BIRDS CHATTER 370 00:40:48,617 --> 00:40:52,769 Inside, a team erect a web of ropes and ladders. 371 00:41:01,307 --> 00:41:07,277 Jumalee will try to climb to nests 100 metres above... 372 00:41:07,277 --> 00:41:11,327 a part of the cave notorious for accidents. 373 00:41:54,677 --> 00:41:58,386 Jumalee is only allowed to collect nests for a few weeks a year... 374 00:42:01,147 --> 00:42:03,001 ROPE CREAKS 375 00:42:04,087 --> 00:42:06,408 ..so every climb must count. 376 00:42:24,777 --> 00:42:27,327 He's reached a critical point - 377 00:42:27,327 --> 00:42:29,602 he needs to switch ladders. 378 00:42:33,937 --> 00:42:35,950 WOOD CREAKS 379 00:42:49,127 --> 00:42:54,397 The drop below is now a staggering 90 metres, 380 00:42:54,397 --> 00:42:56,410 the height of Big Ben. 381 00:43:15,397 --> 00:43:20,157 This enormous cave was first sculpted by water, 382 00:43:20,157 --> 00:43:23,331 but there's another remarkable force at work... 383 00:43:25,677 --> 00:43:27,292 ..the nesting swiftlets. 384 00:43:29,508 --> 00:43:33,604 The vertical columns lining the cave walls reveal how. 385 00:43:35,447 --> 00:43:37,437 Over millions of years, 386 00:43:37,437 --> 00:43:40,907 the acidic droppings of nesting swiftlets and bats 387 00:43:40,907 --> 00:43:43,947 has eroded deep channels in the walls, 388 00:43:43,947 --> 00:43:46,147 making caves here bigger 389 00:43:46,147 --> 00:43:49,810 by an estimated metre every 100,000 years. 390 00:43:51,318 --> 00:43:54,765 Some caves have doubled in size as a result. 391 00:44:23,098 --> 00:44:26,897 This time, Jumalee's been successful. 392 00:44:26,897 --> 00:44:30,742 He has reached a remote corner with a valuable cluster of nests. 393 00:44:34,259 --> 00:44:39,185 But he knows every climb he makes could be his last. 394 00:44:41,249 --> 00:44:45,458 And it's the very thing he's risking his life for, the birds' nests, 395 00:44:45,458 --> 00:44:48,837 that has helped create the challenge in the first place. 396 00:44:56,408 --> 00:44:58,259 But there are other wonders 397 00:44:58,259 --> 00:45:00,408 where the challenge they set their inhabitants 398 00:45:00,408 --> 00:45:03,036 is not natural but man-made. 399 00:45:05,228 --> 00:45:09,130 In the heart of North America, there's just such a place... 400 00:45:12,698 --> 00:45:14,495 ..the Grand Canyon... 401 00:45:17,058 --> 00:45:24,588 ..up to 28km wide and more than 1.5km deep, 402 00:45:24,588 --> 00:45:27,259 deep enough to stack the Empire State Building 403 00:45:27,259 --> 00:45:29,238 three times over. 404 00:45:30,498 --> 00:45:32,548 For more than six million years, 405 00:45:32,548 --> 00:45:36,348 the Colorado River has gouged out this monumental canyon... 406 00:45:40,028 --> 00:45:45,056 ..and this extraordinary landscape is ruled over by a titan... 407 00:45:56,848 --> 00:45:58,145 ..the condor. 408 00:46:00,688 --> 00:46:03,618 The largest bird in North America, 409 00:46:03,618 --> 00:46:06,462 with a wingspan of three metres. 410 00:46:15,338 --> 00:46:20,178 It's perfectly adapted to exploit the canyon's powerful thermals - 411 00:46:20,178 --> 00:46:23,188 updraughts of warm air, heated by the sun 412 00:46:23,188 --> 00:46:25,213 and channelled by the canyon walls. 413 00:46:31,898 --> 00:46:34,696 It's the ideal home for the condor... 414 00:46:37,748 --> 00:46:40,501 ..and yet, they are on the verge of extinction. 415 00:46:42,418 --> 00:46:48,108 Two decades ago, there were just 22 left in the American wild, 416 00:46:48,108 --> 00:46:51,418 which is why this four-week-old chick is so precious. 417 00:46:54,178 --> 00:46:57,909 He's one of just two born this year in the canyon area. 418 00:47:00,828 --> 00:47:03,768 A kilometre high and unable to fly, 419 00:47:03,768 --> 00:47:06,908 the chick is totally dependent on his parents... 420 00:47:09,488 --> 00:47:12,218 ..and they might be poisoned. 421 00:47:16,618 --> 00:47:18,142 The reason? 422 00:47:20,058 --> 00:47:21,389 Deer hunting. 423 00:47:21,389 --> 00:47:23,391 BLEATING 424 00:47:24,828 --> 00:47:28,719 Lead bullets used by hunters can fragment on impact. 425 00:47:31,139 --> 00:47:36,588 When scavenging condors feed on the remains, they ingest the lead, 426 00:47:36,588 --> 00:47:38,226 which can poison them. 427 00:47:43,828 --> 00:47:48,348 It's the job of field biologist Chris Parish and his team 428 00:47:48,348 --> 00:47:50,985 to try to save this condor family. 429 00:47:50,985 --> 00:47:53,295 If something were to happen to one of the parents, 430 00:47:53,295 --> 00:47:55,183 chances are the chick would die. 431 00:47:56,805 --> 00:47:58,625 Using clean meat as bait, 432 00:47:58,625 --> 00:48:02,045 he lures the chick's mother into a cage. 433 00:48:02,045 --> 00:48:04,104 SCREECHING 434 00:48:07,029 --> 00:48:09,979 He's going to test her blood for lead poisoning. 435 00:48:09,979 --> 00:48:12,355 Big Mama! 436 00:48:12,355 --> 00:48:14,550 I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 437 00:48:16,178 --> 00:48:17,928 If she's dying, 438 00:48:17,928 --> 00:48:21,739 Chris might be able to save her with an emergency blood transfusion. 439 00:48:25,668 --> 00:48:28,018 What a beautiful gal. 440 00:48:28,018 --> 00:48:31,408 Let's hope that you don't have any lead in your system. 441 00:48:31,408 --> 00:48:32,898 You never know. 442 00:48:32,898 --> 00:48:34,570 All it takes is one carcass. 443 00:48:35,978 --> 00:48:38,178 Every test takes three minutes 444 00:48:38,178 --> 00:48:40,328 and it seems like the longest three minutes, waiting. 445 00:48:47,048 --> 00:48:51,048 15.6. Yes! 15.6. 446 00:48:51,048 --> 00:48:53,928 That's a very fine level. 447 00:48:53,928 --> 00:48:55,338 That bird is releasable. 448 00:48:57,898 --> 00:49:00,288 Her lead levels are low... 449 00:49:00,288 --> 00:49:01,478 for the moment. 450 00:49:01,478 --> 00:49:03,658 All right, clean bill of health. 451 00:49:03,658 --> 00:49:06,104 You get to go back to the wild and do your job. 452 00:49:15,658 --> 00:49:18,388 But the threat hanging over her family remains... 453 00:49:20,968 --> 00:49:24,129 ..because the undigested meat she's feeding her chick 454 00:49:24,129 --> 00:49:25,972 could also be poisoned. 455 00:49:28,129 --> 00:49:31,348 She could be killing him with every mouthful. 456 00:49:37,098 --> 00:49:39,668 Chris hopes to help by leaving out lead-free carcasses 457 00:49:39,668 --> 00:49:42,967 for the condors to scavenge. 458 00:49:44,528 --> 00:49:48,379 The chick is this pair's seventh together. 459 00:49:48,379 --> 00:49:49,915 All the others have died. 460 00:49:52,288 --> 00:49:54,131 Will this one be different? 461 00:50:05,738 --> 00:50:07,706 COOI NG 462 00:50:37,899 --> 00:50:39,649 Against the odds, 463 00:50:39,649 --> 00:50:42,550 the chick has made it through its first six months... 464 00:50:46,929 --> 00:50:51,480 ..and the high and inaccessible cliffs have kept him safe from predators. 465 00:50:55,959 --> 00:50:59,440 But now, they create another great challenge. 466 00:51:03,079 --> 00:51:05,599 A kilometre up, 467 00:51:05,599 --> 00:51:09,899 the chick must jump off the edge for his first flight. 468 00:51:18,169 --> 00:51:21,479 It's a leap that's killed plenty of birds before. 469 00:51:26,779 --> 00:51:28,619 It's make or break. 470 00:51:28,619 --> 00:51:33,299 You take to the winds and you learn immediately 471 00:51:33,299 --> 00:51:36,099 or you fail and you fall to the valley floor, 472 00:51:36,099 --> 00:51:38,619 1,000 feet below. 473 00:51:38,619 --> 00:51:40,143 It's high stakes. 474 00:51:45,879 --> 00:51:48,404 He has to take that leap. 475 00:52:01,809 --> 00:52:02,809 Look there. 476 00:52:02,809 --> 00:52:04,140 Nice. 477 00:52:10,579 --> 00:52:12,579 That's nature's best work. 478 00:52:12,579 --> 00:52:15,252 In flight. Good luck. 479 00:52:18,649 --> 00:52:22,939 It's the perfect marriage between the canyon's thermals 480 00:52:22,939 --> 00:52:25,715 and the condor's massive wingspan. 481 00:52:34,109 --> 00:52:36,000 For thousands of years, 482 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:41,279 condors have lived in perfect harmony with these vast walls. 483 00:52:41,279 --> 00:52:44,609 Today, humans threaten their survival 484 00:52:44,609 --> 00:52:48,000 and humans must save them 485 00:52:48,000 --> 00:52:51,519 so this most iconic of residents 486 00:52:51,519 --> 00:52:56,536 can continue to soar above one of Earth's greatest natural wonders. 487 00:53:19,929 --> 00:53:22,839 Of all the shoots in Earth's Natural Wonders, 488 00:53:22,839 --> 00:53:25,429 filming the struggles of Maasai, Richard Lacer, 489 00:53:25,429 --> 00:53:28,359 and Kilimanjaro's crop-raiding elephants 490 00:53:28,359 --> 00:53:31,203 proved the most difficult and dangerous. 491 00:53:37,449 --> 00:53:39,889 Elephants raid mostly at night, 492 00:53:39,889 --> 00:53:44,349 so the team's biggest challenge is to film events they can't see. 493 00:53:48,649 --> 00:53:50,719 PANICKED SHOUTING 494 00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:53,549 We've heard some shouting 495 00:53:53,549 --> 00:53:55,579 and you can hear the shouting right now. 496 00:53:55,579 --> 00:53:58,299 There's probably elephants raiding these crops right here. 497 00:53:58,299 --> 00:54:00,859 Stop, stop, stop! Stop. Stop... 498 00:54:00,859 --> 00:54:04,509 How can there be an elephant there? 499 00:54:04,509 --> 00:54:08,140 The crew are using a special camera called a Starlight, 500 00:54:08,140 --> 00:54:12,020 sensitive enough to film in almost total darkness. 501 00:54:12,020 --> 00:54:15,789 There he is, there he is! 12 o'clock, he's running away. 502 00:54:15,789 --> 00:54:17,939 That's good, that's good, that's good. 503 00:54:21,150 --> 00:54:24,369 We're following the world's largest mammal 504 00:54:24,369 --> 00:54:27,859 and it's impossible to see, even if it was standing 505 00:54:27,859 --> 00:54:29,379 probably ten feet away. 506 00:54:29,379 --> 00:54:31,429 Unless were pointing the lights directly at it, 507 00:54:31,429 --> 00:54:32,549 we wouldn't be able to see it. 508 00:54:32,549 --> 00:54:34,939 He's off to your left, off to your left. 509 00:54:34,939 --> 00:54:38,030 The initial filming is from the safety of the vehicle... 510 00:54:38,030 --> 00:54:39,579 See them? Yeah. 511 00:54:39,579 --> 00:54:41,789 There's a huge herd going into the shamba right now. 512 00:54:41,789 --> 00:54:42,859 ..and it's successful. 513 00:54:42,859 --> 00:54:45,339 We can actually see them running towards... 514 00:54:45,339 --> 00:54:46,979 If only they could see how big they are! 515 00:54:46,979 --> 00:54:49,219 A huge herd of extremely dangerous animals. 516 00:54:49,219 --> 00:54:51,099 Terrifying. 517 00:54:51,099 --> 00:54:54,499 But the crew know that to tell the story properly, 518 00:54:54,499 --> 00:54:56,020 they must film on foot... 519 00:54:56,020 --> 00:54:58,059 GROWLI NG 520 00:54:58,059 --> 00:54:59,459 ..alongside Richard, 521 00:54:59,459 --> 00:55:02,451 as he uses chilli bombs to scare the elephants away. 522 00:55:06,270 --> 00:55:09,592 No-one has used a Starlight camera for this kind of filming before... 523 00:55:11,509 --> 00:55:15,299 ..and, in the darkness, with enraged elephants, 524 00:55:15,299 --> 00:55:17,267 it's extremely dangerous. 525 00:55:20,826 --> 00:55:24,466 They're away from the vehicles, which puts them in harm's way. 526 00:55:24,466 --> 00:55:27,626 If that elephant decides to come this way, charging, 527 00:55:27,626 --> 00:55:30,306 they're going to have to run and running at night is not... 528 00:55:30,306 --> 00:55:31,746 There's ditches and everything. 529 00:55:31,746 --> 00:55:33,336 You, you can't outrun an elephant. 530 00:55:33,336 --> 00:55:36,256 TRUMPETING 531 00:55:36,256 --> 00:55:38,146 It's complete chaos. It's like a war zone. 532 00:55:38,146 --> 00:55:40,666 I've no idea what going on. 533 00:55:40,666 --> 00:55:42,236 They're coming this way now. 534 00:55:44,156 --> 00:55:46,626 TRUMPETING 535 00:55:46,626 --> 00:55:49,515 They're now coming towards us, directly towards us. 536 00:55:52,456 --> 00:55:57,386 The villagers have chased the elephants off the field... 537 00:55:57,386 --> 00:56:01,675 but now, the retreating animals are heading towards the crew vehicle. 538 00:56:05,696 --> 00:56:07,709 TRUMPETING 539 00:56:13,666 --> 00:56:15,586 HE LAUGHS 540 00:56:15,586 --> 00:56:16,696 Oh, my God! 541 00:56:16,696 --> 00:56:18,776 Oh, my.....straight to the car for a second... 542 00:56:18,776 --> 00:56:21,146 They were coming straight at the car and then they saw us. 543 00:56:21,146 --> 00:56:24,107 They suddenly panicked and saw us, didn't they? At the last minute... 544 00:56:24,107 --> 00:56:25,546 They saw us at the last minute. 545 00:56:25,546 --> 00:56:28,237 We were totally quiet and they saw us 20 feet away 546 00:56:28,237 --> 00:56:30,396 and they just went, "Brrr!" 547 00:56:30,396 --> 00:56:32,826 And I'm sitting on the roof and I was thinking, 548 00:56:32,826 --> 00:56:34,876 "They're going to knock me off here." Did they?! 549 00:56:34,876 --> 00:56:37,626 When you're looking through the viewfinder 550 00:56:37,626 --> 00:56:40,396 and all you can see is the eye of an elephant, 551 00:56:40,396 --> 00:56:41,936 then you know they're pretty close! 552 00:56:41,936 --> 00:56:43,904 TRUMPETING 553 00:56:45,306 --> 00:56:48,787 Richard has defended the farms and seen off the elephants... 554 00:56:50,237 --> 00:56:51,946 ..and the crew has recorded 555 00:56:51,946 --> 00:56:55,136 something that has never been filmed before - 556 00:56:55,136 --> 00:56:59,675 a night-time elephant crop raid on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. 557 00:57:04,056 --> 00:57:07,666 Next on Earth's Natural Wonders - 558 00:57:07,666 --> 00:57:10,776 a vast forest, where men must face killer tigers... 559 00:57:10,776 --> 00:57:12,876 ROARING 560 00:57:12,876 --> 00:57:16,835 ..a huge reef, whose guardian hunts a giant to save it... 561 00:57:18,346 --> 00:57:22,203 ..and a deadly journey to the edge of the greatest waterfall. 562 00:57:24,117 --> 00:57:26,306 The Earth's biggest wonders 563 00:57:26,306 --> 00:57:31,039 and the challenges they set for those who dare to call them home.