1 00:00:03,470 --> 00:00:07,474 On the southwestern tip of Africa 2 00:00:07,474 --> 00:00:10,577 lies a botanical wonderland, 3 00:00:10,577 --> 00:00:12,512 A mountainous world, 4 00:00:12,512 --> 00:00:15,249 covered in plants and animals, 5 00:00:15,249 --> 00:00:18,485 many of which occur nowhere else. 6 00:00:24,191 --> 00:00:26,493 Along its rocky coastline, 7 00:00:26,493 --> 00:00:29,296 rich waters teem with life. 8 00:00:32,099 --> 00:00:36,303 This is not a park of great beasts, 9 00:00:36,303 --> 00:00:39,473 But of small intimate relationships 10 00:00:39,473 --> 00:00:42,743 woven into the fabric of life. 11 00:00:45,212 --> 00:00:50,284 Nowhere else on the planet, contains more unique species 12 00:00:50,284 --> 00:00:53,754 in such a small area - 13 00:00:53,754 --> 00:01:00,060 Than the incredible Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. 14 00:01:36,330 --> 00:01:39,866 It's spring in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. 15 00:01:53,213 --> 00:01:55,849 The park is coming to life. 16 00:02:15,969 --> 00:02:21,875 An old male Puffadder is sunning himself on an exposed rocky surface. 17 00:02:24,211 --> 00:02:26,747 He's more than three feet long 18 00:02:26,747 --> 00:02:30,450 and thicker than the business end of a baseball bat. 19 00:02:31,985 --> 00:02:33,954 Snakes are cold blooded, 20 00:02:33,954 --> 00:02:36,656 and their metabolism drops during the winter 21 00:02:36,656 --> 00:02:39,659 meaning they don't require as much food. 22 00:02:41,395 --> 00:02:43,597 But as the rainy days of winter dissipate 23 00:02:43,597 --> 00:02:46,900 he's feeling the first stirrings of hunger. 24 00:02:49,269 --> 00:02:52,406 It's been weeks since his last meal. 25 00:02:56,743 --> 00:02:59,880 Puffadders are vipers. 26 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:03,283 Their diamond-shaped heads contain hinged fangs 27 00:03:03,283 --> 00:03:09,256 that can inject lethal cocktails of venom into prey. 28 00:03:09,256 --> 00:03:15,362 Small mammals, lizards, frogs and even birds are on the menu. 29 00:03:17,497 --> 00:03:20,734 But he's not yet warm enough to hunt, so for now, 30 00:03:20,734 --> 00:03:25,939 he's simply relishing the exquisite feeling of sunshine on his scales. 31 00:03:53,567 --> 00:03:56,970 The 45,000 acre Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve 32 00:03:56,970 --> 00:04:00,941 is located on the southwestern coast of South Africa. 33 00:04:04,377 --> 00:04:06,947 Unlike many African parks however 34 00:04:06,947 --> 00:04:10,083 it's not famous for large animals, 35 00:04:10,083 --> 00:04:14,254 But for its incredible floral diversity. 36 00:04:18,992 --> 00:04:23,864 The park's rugged mountains stand over three thousand feet high 37 00:04:23,864 --> 00:04:28,001 and are draped in Fynbos. 38 00:04:28,001 --> 00:04:34,374 Fynbos refers to a group of shrubs and plants found in South Africa's Western Cape. 39 00:04:34,374 --> 00:04:40,413 It's one of the most species-rich vegetation types anywhere on earth. 40 00:04:40,413 --> 00:04:45,852 Here, more than 150 plant species occur per 390 square miles - 41 00:04:45,852 --> 00:04:49,456 almost double that of tropical rainforests. 42 00:04:52,526 --> 00:04:57,764 At the mountain's feet, the cold Atlantic Ocean washes the rocky coastline. 43 00:05:08,542 --> 00:05:10,544 The nutrient-rich upwelling 44 00:05:10,544 --> 00:05:15,549 fuels underwater reefs which are also bursting with life. 45 00:05:23,690 --> 00:05:28,094 Cascading rivers carve steep valleys on their way to the sea. 46 00:05:35,135 --> 00:05:37,604 High in steep mountain ravines, 47 00:05:37,604 --> 00:05:40,173 rare fragments of forest survive, 48 00:05:40,173 --> 00:05:43,877 surrounded by the heath land of the Fynbos. 49 00:05:45,612 --> 00:05:48,582 Only a few mammals live in these mountains 50 00:05:48,582 --> 00:05:52,485 because the vegetation is mostly tough and unpalatable. 51 00:05:55,121 --> 00:06:01,695 But what the reserve lacks in mammals it makes up for in its astonishing plant diversity. 52 00:06:04,464 --> 00:06:07,601 The Kogelberg is part of the Cape Floristic Region, 53 00:06:07,601 --> 00:06:11,071 which contains 9,000 plant species, 54 00:06:11,071 --> 00:06:15,508 70 percent of which occur nowhere else. 55 00:06:17,777 --> 00:06:22,182 Covering only .04% of the world's surface area, 56 00:06:22,182 --> 00:06:27,954 this is the highest density and diversity of plant species per square mile 57 00:06:27,954 --> 00:06:30,123 anywhere on earth. 58 00:06:47,841 --> 00:06:54,214 The Fynbos covering these mountains is dominated by four plant families: 59 00:06:54,214 --> 00:06:56,850 Ericas or heathers, 60 00:06:56,850 --> 00:07:01,054 Large flowering shrubs called proteas, 61 00:07:01,054 --> 00:07:04,691 Reed-like restios, 62 00:07:04,691 --> 00:07:10,697 And underground tubers and bulbs known as geophytes. 63 00:07:10,697 --> 00:07:16,703 These all thrive in the region's Mediterranean style climate, 64 00:07:16,703 --> 00:07:21,074 With long, hot, dry summers - 65 00:07:21,074 --> 00:07:23,910 And cold, wet winters. 66 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,844 These poor sandy soils contain few nutrients. 67 00:07:59,245 --> 00:08:02,148 Every plant and animal living here 68 00:08:02,148 --> 00:08:06,486 is adapted to the unique challenges posed by these conditions. 69 00:08:19,265 --> 00:08:21,334 A small family of Chacma baboons 70 00:08:21,334 --> 00:08:25,939 is rooting through the restio-covered landscape looking for food. 71 00:08:27,941 --> 00:08:31,044 The dominant male watches over his troop. 72 00:08:34,848 --> 00:08:37,217 He weighs more than 100 pounds 73 00:08:37,217 --> 00:08:41,187 making him one of the largest monkeys in Africa. 74 00:08:42,689 --> 00:08:45,759 Baboons are unusual monkeys. 75 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,195 Unlike most African primates, 76 00:08:49,195 --> 00:08:52,632 they're happy on the ground away from trees. 77 00:08:55,335 --> 00:08:59,606 This allows them to live in many different habitats. 78 00:08:59,606 --> 00:09:01,040 Of these, 79 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,577 Fynbos shrub-landis the most challenging. 80 00:09:11,985 --> 00:09:18,324 The sandy soils of the Kogelberg contain few nutrients and retain little water. 81 00:09:20,126 --> 00:09:22,929 Plants struggle to obtain sufficient moisture 82 00:09:22,929 --> 00:09:26,966 and must be able to withstand the long dry summers. 83 00:09:29,369 --> 00:09:34,140 So leaves are either small or designed to limit water loss. 84 00:09:36,242 --> 00:09:40,713 Fynbos gets its name from the tiny leaves of many of its plants. 85 00:09:42,182 --> 00:09:45,819 In the poor soils growing leaves is expensive, 86 00:09:45,819 --> 00:09:50,290 so plants deter animals from eating them. 87 00:09:50,290 --> 00:09:55,695 To do this they pack their leaves with indigestible chemicals called tannins. 88 00:09:59,199 --> 00:10:03,236 So for animals finding food is a constant challenge. 89 00:10:10,310 --> 00:10:15,982 Restios are one of the most diverse plant groups in the Kogelberg. 90 00:10:15,982 --> 00:10:22,622 There are more than 500 species of these evergreen, reed-like plants in the world. 91 00:10:24,390 --> 00:10:30,396 One in three of all restios species occur here. 92 00:10:30,396 --> 00:10:35,235 They more than any other plant type typify the Fynbos environment. 93 00:10:37,704 --> 00:10:43,343 Restios range in size from 4 inches to over 9 feet in height. 94 00:10:46,145 --> 00:10:52,485 They lack proper leaves and rely on their stems for photosynthesis. 95 00:10:52,485 --> 00:10:57,824 This helps them prevent excessive water loss in the long dry summers. 96 00:11:01,227 --> 00:11:07,133 Restios have male and female plants whose flowers often differ. 97 00:11:08,434 --> 00:11:10,403 They're wind-pollinated 98 00:11:10,403 --> 00:11:15,441 and so male flowers hang down dropping pollen into the wind, 99 00:11:15,441 --> 00:11:20,680 while female flowers tend to be upright to catch the wind-blown pollen. 100 00:11:39,832 --> 00:11:42,936 One reason that the Kogelberg is so diverse 101 00:11:42,936 --> 00:11:49,409 is that it contains many species that live nowhere else. 102 00:11:49,409 --> 00:11:54,314 Many rare plants with very localized populations survive here. 103 00:11:58,017 --> 00:12:00,353 And of all the plants living in the Kogelberg, 104 00:12:00,353 --> 00:12:04,157 none is more special nor synonymous with this reserve 105 00:12:04,157 --> 00:12:06,159 than the Marsh Rose. 106 00:12:09,295 --> 00:12:14,200 Fewer than 250 individual plants remain in the wild 107 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:19,405 as it only lives on moist seeps on the cooler south-facing slopes 108 00:12:19,405 --> 00:12:23,042 where water flows continuously past its roots. 109 00:12:25,878 --> 00:12:28,514 It's a fragile habitat. 110 00:12:28,514 --> 00:12:31,017 Even the slightest disturbance, 111 00:12:31,017 --> 00:12:35,121 such as an animal walking through the mossy substrate at its feet, 112 00:12:35,121 --> 00:12:36,489 can be fatal. 113 00:12:39,826 --> 00:12:41,527 Only flowering in spring, 114 00:12:41,527 --> 00:12:44,163 this odd-looking resident of the Kogelberg 115 00:12:44,163 --> 00:12:48,301 looks nothing like the rest of the flowers living in the Fynbos. 116 00:12:49,836 --> 00:12:53,773 How it is pollinated remains a mystery. 117 00:13:05,485 --> 00:13:11,457 The dominant male leads his troop down to the sea to feed on the coastal dune vegetation. 118 00:13:16,929 --> 00:13:21,267 He's experienced and knows all the best feeding spots. 119 00:13:23,936 --> 00:13:26,973 Succulents growing on the coast offer a reprieve 120 00:13:26,973 --> 00:13:30,176 from the challenging conditions higher on the mountains. 121 00:13:37,483 --> 00:13:43,589 Family life is important for baboons. 122 00:13:43,589 --> 00:13:50,563 This youngster is learning where to find the best food in the reserve from his elders. 123 00:13:54,300 --> 00:14:00,039 He'll stay with his mother for the first 3 months, seldom straying far from her side. 124 00:14:05,078 --> 00:14:10,016 But as youngsters grow, they become more independent, 125 00:14:10,016 --> 00:14:13,219 And begin to taste some autonomy. 126 00:14:52,258 --> 00:14:56,896 Ericas are another diverse group of plants found in the fynbos. 127 00:14:59,999 --> 00:15:04,270 They have tiny leaves to help reduce water loss and grazing. 128 00:15:04,270 --> 00:15:07,573 But other than that, are incredibly varied. 129 00:15:09,742 --> 00:15:13,379 Wind-pollinated ericas have tiny flowers. 130 00:15:15,381 --> 00:15:19,385 But not all ericas rely on the vagaries of the wind. 131 00:15:21,754 --> 00:15:24,257 Of all the species in the Kogelberg 132 00:15:24,257 --> 00:15:27,193 ericas have the most colorful floral displays 133 00:15:27,193 --> 00:15:31,030 to attract birds and insects so they can be pollinated. 134 00:15:33,232 --> 00:15:35,601 And it soon works. 135 00:15:35,601 --> 00:15:39,472 A Southern double-collared sunbird is looking for nectar. 136 00:15:48,481 --> 00:15:53,319 Ericas are not the only plants that are advertising for animal assistance. 137 00:15:58,457 --> 00:16:00,626 Proteas - 138 00:16:00,626 --> 00:16:04,230 South Africa's national flower. 139 00:16:04,230 --> 00:16:07,500 These are some of the largest plant species in the Fynbos 140 00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:13,239 with some species growing to the size of small trees. 141 00:16:13,239 --> 00:16:17,043 Their showy flowers are an advertisement for pollinators. 142 00:16:19,312 --> 00:16:24,217 And Cape sugarbirds can't resist the sweet nectar on offer. 143 00:16:28,054 --> 00:16:32,391 Like sunbirds they too are important pollinators. 144 00:16:34,827 --> 00:16:38,631 Visiting as many as 300 flowers a day, 145 00:16:38,631 --> 00:16:46,072 they dip their heads into protea flowers from above and become dusted with pollen, 146 00:16:47,740 --> 00:16:51,410 which they then transfer from plant to plant. 147 00:16:58,718 --> 00:17:02,521 Sugarbirds are highly adapted to their diet 148 00:17:02,521 --> 00:17:08,127 and can digest 99 percent of all the sugars found in the sweet nectar. 149 00:17:15,134 --> 00:17:18,204 Smaller sunbirds also visit proteas 150 00:17:18,204 --> 00:17:25,811 but often cheat the flowers as they are too small to become dusted in pollen as they feed. 151 00:17:25,811 --> 00:17:31,250 The only reliable pollinators are sugarbirds. 152 00:17:31,250 --> 00:17:35,655 And a smaller pollinator, who is also hard at work. 153 00:17:39,125 --> 00:17:44,230 Cape honey bees are also drawn to the sugary nectar, 154 00:17:44,230 --> 00:17:50,069 And while they are incidental pollinators of species such as this Waboom protea, 155 00:17:52,338 --> 00:17:56,642 For some plants the relationship is critically important. 156 00:18:05,618 --> 00:18:11,557 This plant is aptly named "pink-fingers" after its springtime floral display. 157 00:18:15,661 --> 00:18:18,798 During spring when it bursts into flower 158 00:18:18,798 --> 00:18:21,267 the bushes attract swarms of bees 159 00:18:21,267 --> 00:18:27,673 who busily flit from flower to flower collecting pollen and nectar. 160 00:18:29,709 --> 00:18:33,446 The bees are a marvel of engineering. 161 00:18:33,446 --> 00:18:39,885 A small straw-like proboscis enables them to suck up the sweet nectar. 162 00:18:39,885 --> 00:18:43,756 While electrostatically charged hairs on their bodies and legs 163 00:18:43,756 --> 00:18:45,825 help them collect pollen. 164 00:18:49,962 --> 00:18:57,303 They take the pollen and nectar back to their hive to feed larvae and produce their honey. 165 00:19:17,590 --> 00:19:22,962 The main river running through the reserve is the Palmiet - 166 00:19:22,962 --> 00:19:28,567 so named because of the dense mats of Palmiet reeds along its banks. 167 00:19:34,774 --> 00:19:37,576 As the Palmiet winds down to the sea 168 00:19:37,576 --> 00:19:40,746 it spreads out into a small shallow estuary, 169 00:19:40,746 --> 00:19:43,916 which is perfect for Lesser flamingos. 170 00:19:53,292 --> 00:19:57,863 By kneading the bottom with their feet they're stirring up their food. 171 00:20:06,672 --> 00:20:09,642 They're filter feeders. 172 00:20:09,642 --> 00:20:14,413 Their beaks strain the muddy soup removing small invertebrates. 173 00:20:22,655 --> 00:20:24,590 They're most active in the morning 174 00:20:24,590 --> 00:20:29,695 and once they've eaten their fill they gather together for safety. 175 00:20:29,695 --> 00:20:33,833 And tuck their heads under their wings for a little shuteye. 176 00:20:39,472 --> 00:20:43,876 The Kogelberg's floral wonders aren't only restricted to dry land, 177 00:20:43,876 --> 00:20:47,913 but extend 700 feet into the ocean. 178 00:20:53,552 --> 00:21:00,259 Upwelling along this coast brings cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. 179 00:21:01,393 --> 00:21:04,697 And this means there is plenty of food 180 00:21:04,697 --> 00:21:08,501 so both plant and animal life are abundant. 181 00:21:16,742 --> 00:21:22,815 Fed by sunlight, Giant kelp absorb all the nutrients they need from the water 182 00:21:22,815 --> 00:21:27,052 and tower 30 feet above the reefs in places. 183 00:21:28,888 --> 00:21:31,590 In stark contrast to the land above, 184 00:21:31,590 --> 00:21:34,560 there's so much food available underwater, 185 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,998 the only problem most species have is finding somewhere to live. 186 00:21:39,999 --> 00:21:42,468 Space is at a premium. 187 00:21:44,103 --> 00:21:48,107 Recently conditions on these reefs have been changing 188 00:21:48,107 --> 00:21:53,012 and no one is entirely sure why. 189 00:21:53,012 --> 00:21:58,717 There's been an influx of one of the rocky reefs' most formidable predators. 190 00:21:59,485 --> 00:22:01,487 Rock lobsters. 191 00:22:03,989 --> 00:22:06,058 They are voracious. 192 00:22:09,395 --> 00:22:11,463 Rock lobsters eat sea urchins 193 00:22:11,463 --> 00:22:16,735 and the influx of these crustaceans is devastating for urchin populations. 194 00:22:19,071 --> 00:22:23,509 This reduction in urchins is affecting another reef inhabitant - 195 00:22:25,911 --> 00:22:28,414 Abalone. 196 00:22:28,414 --> 00:22:33,519 These large limpet-like mollusks need urchins to survive, 197 00:22:33,519 --> 00:22:38,557 because baby Abalone settle under urchins after spawning. 198 00:22:39,825 --> 00:22:43,796 Without urchins, they don't settle, 199 00:22:43,796 --> 00:22:46,865 And so populations are not renewed. 200 00:22:48,801 --> 00:22:54,940 Abalone are a tasty delicacy and are heavily overfished for food. 201 00:22:54,940 --> 00:22:59,712 This fishing pressure, compounded by the reduction in their breeding success, 202 00:22:59,712 --> 00:23:04,450 means this large grazer is nearly extinct. 203 00:23:04,450 --> 00:23:08,554 In the absence of Abalone, kelp is flourishing - 204 00:23:10,522 --> 00:23:13,092 But it's a system out of kilter, 205 00:23:13,092 --> 00:23:15,594 and nobody knows how these changes 206 00:23:15,594 --> 00:23:19,932 will affect the long-term health of these bountiful reefs. 207 00:23:32,778 --> 00:23:34,913 Where the mountains meet the sea 208 00:23:34,913 --> 00:23:39,551 a family of Rock hyraxes known as "Dassies" 209 00:23:39,551 --> 00:23:43,188 is thriving on the shrubby coastal vegetation. 210 00:23:44,857 --> 00:23:50,029 This vegetation absorbs water from the ocean spray. 211 00:23:50,029 --> 00:23:53,799 As such it is tough and hardy 212 00:23:53,799 --> 00:23:59,538 and only a tough character like a Dassie can stomach its salty leaves. 213 00:24:01,206 --> 00:24:04,243 Dassies are often seen sunning themselves 214 00:24:04,243 --> 00:24:08,814 as this helps raise their internal body temperature. 215 00:24:08,814 --> 00:24:11,950 They're one of only a few warm blooded mammals 216 00:24:11,950 --> 00:24:15,854 capable of using the sun's heat to aid their metabolism. 217 00:24:18,590 --> 00:24:22,928 Dassies are unusual animals and, despite looking like a rodent, 218 00:24:22,928 --> 00:24:26,699 DNA analysis shows they're actually more closely related 219 00:24:26,699 --> 00:24:28,767 to elephants. 220 00:24:30,602 --> 00:24:34,673 They're rock specialists living on rocky outcrops from savanna 221 00:24:34,673 --> 00:24:37,209 to the Fynbos and even the coast. 222 00:24:41,780 --> 00:24:43,682 They're nimble. 223 00:24:50,622 --> 00:24:54,860 Small stubby toes grip the rock. 224 00:24:54,860 --> 00:24:57,129 And special secretions on their palms 225 00:24:57,129 --> 00:25:01,667 increase friction for better grip on precarious rocky outcrops. 226 00:25:13,045 --> 00:25:18,984 Along the coastal region of the reserve many seabirds, such as these White-breasted cormorants, 227 00:25:18,984 --> 00:25:21,520 thrive on the rocky shores. 228 00:25:36,168 --> 00:25:39,171 Oystercatchers also thrive here 229 00:25:39,171 --> 00:25:41,273 hunting mussels and limpets, 230 00:25:41,273 --> 00:25:45,644 prying the mollusks from the rocks with their razor sharp red bills. 231 00:26:11,703 --> 00:26:17,676 Oystercatchers lay eggs in remarkably camouflaged nests on the sandy beaches. 232 00:26:23,715 --> 00:26:25,651 Camouflage is important 233 00:26:25,651 --> 00:26:29,855 with predators such as otters and Kelp gulls on the prowl. 234 00:26:35,127 --> 00:26:38,764 If parents are disturbed they leave the eggs vulnerable, 235 00:26:38,764 --> 00:26:41,834 relying on the eggs' camouflage to protect them. 236 00:27:01,386 --> 00:27:04,690 Eggs hatch in roughly 6 weeks. 237 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:12,164 The precocious chicks are up and about within days. 238 00:27:15,734 --> 00:27:20,038 They cannot fly as they are yet to fledge into their adult feathers, 239 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,077 so they have another trick to avoid hungry eyes. 240 00:27:31,817 --> 00:27:35,020 Camouflage helps throughout their young lives 241 00:27:35,020 --> 00:27:40,425 and chicks blend seamlessly into the background kelp wrack that comprises their home. 242 00:27:42,361 --> 00:27:44,196 Young birds grow quickly 243 00:27:44,196 --> 00:27:47,199 learning how to feed from their parents. 244 00:27:57,743 --> 00:28:04,116 Tiny crustaceans called beach-hoppers occur in huge numbers on these shores. 245 00:28:04,116 --> 00:28:08,086 And the young birds make the most of the feast on offer. 246 00:28:22,801 --> 00:28:28,140 Nearby a colony of African penguins also makes their home in the reserve. 247 00:28:32,311 --> 00:28:39,084 African penguins are the only penguin species that breeds on the continent. 248 00:28:39,084 --> 00:28:42,888 This is one of only three breeding colonies on the mainland. 249 00:28:49,194 --> 00:28:53,265 African penguins typically prefer offshore islands. 250 00:29:05,277 --> 00:29:07,913 But during the early 1900s 251 00:29:07,913 --> 00:29:10,282 humans destroyed their traditional homes 252 00:29:10,282 --> 00:29:15,454 while harvesting seabird droppings called guano, which was used for fertilizer. 253 00:29:18,123 --> 00:29:22,761 Millions of penguin eggs were also collected for the tables of Europe. 254 00:29:26,398 --> 00:29:31,436 And commercial fishing stripped the surrounding oceans of sardines and anchovies, 255 00:29:31,436 --> 00:29:34,039 the penguin's most important prey. 256 00:29:36,608 --> 00:29:42,814 Historically there were an estimated two million breeding pairs in southern Africa. 257 00:29:45,384 --> 00:29:49,855 Now fewer than 25,000 survive. 258 00:29:53,291 --> 00:29:56,495 These birds are hanging on to survival. 259 00:30:12,044 --> 00:30:15,147 The Kogelberg lies within the Cape Fold mountains 260 00:30:15,147 --> 00:30:19,084 so named for the folded rock that is typical of the region. 261 00:30:22,354 --> 00:30:27,592 The Cape Fold mountains were thrust up millions of years ago by tectonic forces 262 00:30:27,592 --> 00:30:32,064 under the super-continent of Gondwana. 263 00:30:32,064 --> 00:30:36,168 When Gondwana split up 150-odd million years ago, 264 00:30:36,168 --> 00:30:42,240 these mountains remained as the southwestern border of the new African continent. 265 00:30:45,477 --> 00:30:49,948 They are comprised of super hard sandstone quartzite rock, 266 00:30:49,948 --> 00:30:55,053 which is resistant to erosion but produces nutrient-poor soils. 267 00:31:01,159 --> 00:31:03,628 A tight-knit family of Klipspringers 268 00:31:03,628 --> 00:31:08,934 feeds on the scrubby Fynbos vegetation high on the rocky slopes. 269 00:31:10,669 --> 00:31:15,240 They're agile and leap effortlessly from rock to rock. 270 00:31:17,409 --> 00:31:23,715 Specially cushioned hooves act as shock absorbers, increasing their grip. 271 00:31:23,715 --> 00:31:26,952 Males have two short pointed horns, 272 00:31:26,952 --> 00:31:30,522 which are used in territorial disputes with other males. 273 00:31:39,731 --> 00:31:46,004 Sufficiently warmed, the Puffadder is finally ready to head out in search of a meal. 274 00:31:51,009 --> 00:31:56,248 Puffadders almost never hunt actively for prey. 275 00:31:56,248 --> 00:32:01,386 He's an ambush predator looking for a suitable spot to lie in wait. 276 00:32:06,691 --> 00:32:12,564 Unlike most snakes, which move with accentuated, side-to-side movements, 277 00:32:12,564 --> 00:32:18,069 Puffadders move almost in a straight line with a distinct caterpillar motion. 278 00:32:30,382 --> 00:32:35,053 High in the valleys protected from frequent fires that consume the landscape 279 00:32:35,053 --> 00:32:37,622 small patches of forest survive. 280 00:32:42,494 --> 00:32:47,566 These fragments of Africa's mountain forest or "Afromontane" forest 281 00:32:47,566 --> 00:32:50,569 are some of the last remnants in this region. 282 00:32:54,206 --> 00:32:57,475 Access to sunlight drives the forest upwards 283 00:32:57,475 --> 00:33:01,246 and Yellowwoods and Stinkwoods strive for the sunshine, 284 00:33:08,386 --> 00:33:11,723 While ferns cover the shadowy forest floor. 285 00:33:28,106 --> 00:33:33,078 In the shelter of the undergrowth, spiders carefully set their traps - 286 00:33:39,251 --> 00:33:43,355 And geckos lurk on the tree trunks looking for insects. 287 00:33:57,302 --> 00:34:01,273 The forests are fed by the streams at their feet. 288 00:34:08,146 --> 00:34:10,682 The water in these streams is brown 289 00:34:10,682 --> 00:34:14,452 because of the tannins that leach out of the Fynbos vegetation. 290 00:34:25,764 --> 00:34:29,668 Frogs patrol the shallows, hunting insects. 291 00:34:34,639 --> 00:34:39,778 While crabs scuttle across small sheltered pools looking for food. 292 00:34:42,781 --> 00:34:45,517 Some isolated streams in the Kogelberg 293 00:34:45,517 --> 00:34:49,788 contain crab species that occur nowhere else. 294 00:35:01,733 --> 00:35:05,370 This Cape crag lizard is enjoying the sun. 295 00:35:06,738 --> 00:35:09,341 He's the largest crag lizard in the region, 296 00:35:09,341 --> 00:35:13,345 measuring 6 inches from snout to tail. 297 00:35:17,315 --> 00:35:21,519 Like Puffadders, they're ambush predators 298 00:35:21,519 --> 00:35:26,825 and they use elevated rocky vantage points to pounce on their invertebrate prey. 299 00:35:29,327 --> 00:35:32,831 Smaller lizards are also targets. 300 00:35:34,866 --> 00:35:38,503 While the Kogelberg doesn't have large numbers of big mammals 301 00:35:38,503 --> 00:35:42,407 it does contain some surprisingly voracious predators, 302 00:35:42,407 --> 00:35:45,577 but these are not your typical killers. 303 00:35:47,645 --> 00:35:54,452 In a nearby seep a unique collection of plants waits in ambush. 304 00:35:54,452 --> 00:35:58,423 All plants living in the nutrient-poor soils of the Kogelberg 305 00:35:58,423 --> 00:36:04,596 are adapted to obtain valuable nutrients from the poor sandy soils. 306 00:36:04,596 --> 00:36:09,234 While some legumes rely on underground partnerships with microbes 307 00:36:09,234 --> 00:36:12,937 to help their roots absorb nitrogen and other food, 308 00:36:12,937 --> 00:36:15,507 And others such as proteas 309 00:36:15,507 --> 00:36:21,613 have specially designed micro-roots to ensure sufficient uptake, 310 00:36:21,613 --> 00:36:25,483 These sundews have come up with an ingenious solution. 311 00:36:28,486 --> 00:36:33,658 Their leaves glisten with sweet, sticky drops to attract insects, 312 00:36:33,658 --> 00:36:36,561 but are in fact a death trap. 313 00:36:38,830 --> 00:36:43,501 Insects landing on the sticky leaves get stuck in the goo. 314 00:36:45,804 --> 00:36:52,243 The plant then digests the insect prey and absorbs its valuable nutrients. 315 00:36:54,813 --> 00:36:58,783 Roridula, the largest carnivorous plants in the reserve, 316 00:36:58,783 --> 00:37:02,487 have taken carnivory to a whole new level. 317 00:37:07,325 --> 00:37:10,695 They can't digest the insects they catch themselves. 318 00:37:12,363 --> 00:37:14,966 So they've entered into a partnership. 319 00:37:19,037 --> 00:37:23,908 Bugs patrol the leaves and eat any insects caught by the plant. 320 00:37:25,910 --> 00:37:28,480 They then defecate on to the leaves 321 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:33,918 allowing the plant to absorb the nutrients from this feces. 322 00:37:33,918 --> 00:37:38,690 Plants receive as much as 70% of their nitrogen this way. 323 00:37:41,426 --> 00:37:44,496 It's a unique relationship. 324 00:37:44,496 --> 00:37:47,832 The bugs rely on the plants to catch their food 325 00:37:47,832 --> 00:37:52,871 and the plant benefits from the bugs' digestive abilities. 326 00:37:52,871 --> 00:37:57,609 Only two species of bugs occur on each Roridula species. 327 00:37:57,609 --> 00:38:01,579 And they have a mutually essential relationship. 328 00:38:01,579 --> 00:38:04,082 If either of these species disappears 329 00:38:04,082 --> 00:38:08,520 the other will also vanish from the mountains forever. 330 00:38:12,357 --> 00:38:15,493 One reason that the Kogelberg is so diverse is the large number 331 00:38:15,493 --> 00:38:22,500 of plants that rely on Anoplolepis or Pugnacious ants to distribute seeds. 332 00:38:25,470 --> 00:38:30,308 In the Fynbos shrub-land vegetation this is a critical relationship. 333 00:38:36,481 --> 00:38:41,719 A scout finds the fallen restio seed. 334 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:46,558 Soon the whole team is roped in to retrieve the valuable prize. 335 00:38:50,528 --> 00:38:56,367 The seed's white fatty region, called an eliasome, is food for the ants. 336 00:39:18,990 --> 00:39:22,527 But it's not only the ants that benefit, 337 00:39:22,527 --> 00:39:24,796 the plant benefits too. 338 00:39:27,465 --> 00:39:30,668 By burying the seed underground in their nests, 339 00:39:30,668 --> 00:39:34,405 the ants protect the seed from herbivores such as mice. 340 00:39:37,442 --> 00:39:40,678 But while looking for the seeds and sweet nectar to eat, 341 00:39:40,678 --> 00:39:45,049 mice also serve a different purpose. 342 00:39:45,049 --> 00:39:49,187 Protea species are known for their tall showy flowers, 343 00:39:49,187 --> 00:39:53,524 which they use to attract insect and bird pollinators. 344 00:39:59,130 --> 00:40:03,468 But some species of proteas have flowers that grow close to the ground. 345 00:40:06,938 --> 00:40:11,909 And these rely on mice to pollinate them. 346 00:40:11,909 --> 00:40:18,149 More than 35 species of proteas rely on these unusual pollinators. 347 00:40:20,218 --> 00:40:25,657 Mice nosing around the flowers looking for nectar get covered in pollen, 348 00:40:25,657 --> 00:40:29,994 which they carry from flower to flower and plant to plant. 349 00:40:32,964 --> 00:40:36,534 The ants not only protect protea seeds from mice 350 00:40:38,703 --> 00:40:40,938 By burying them underground 351 00:40:40,938 --> 00:40:46,010 they keep the seeds safe from the frequent fires that rage across Fynbos landscapes. 352 00:40:48,846 --> 00:40:53,217 Ants don't move seeds far from parent plants. 353 00:40:53,217 --> 00:40:56,921 Which means seedlings grow only in the immediate vicinity 354 00:40:56,921 --> 00:41:02,660 restricting gene flow and isolating populations. 355 00:41:02,660 --> 00:41:07,999 Over millions of years, isolated populations develop into new species 356 00:41:07,999 --> 00:41:12,637 and this is one reason why diversity is so high. 357 00:41:32,223 --> 00:41:36,260 The Puffadder has found an ideal spot. 358 00:41:44,635 --> 00:41:50,908 He's well hidden and the rocks of the Kogelberg are busy with mice. 359 00:41:50,908 --> 00:41:56,147 It's only a matter of time until something springs his deadly trap. 360 00:42:01,853 --> 00:42:06,991 While some snakes lie in wait, others are active hunters. 361 00:42:08,693 --> 00:42:13,164 In a nearby outcrop a Spotted House snake is stirring. 362 00:42:15,333 --> 00:42:17,735 They are mainly nocturnal 363 00:42:17,735 --> 00:42:22,707 but like the Puffadder he's feeling hunger pangs following a long cold winter, 364 00:42:25,610 --> 00:42:29,046 and so he's started his search early this evening. 365 00:42:34,285 --> 00:42:38,623 He's well adapted to his rocky existence. 366 00:42:38,623 --> 00:42:45,062 A flattened head and body allows him to navigate the smallest cracks in search of prey. 367 00:42:53,738 --> 00:42:56,274 He's hunting lizards and geckos. 368 00:43:04,348 --> 00:43:11,022 But rock agamas such as this one are experts at hide and seek. 369 00:43:11,022 --> 00:43:16,294 They're exquisitely camouflaged and blend into the rock. 370 00:43:16,294 --> 00:43:21,766 This time it works; the spotted house snake has passed him by. 371 00:43:26,103 --> 00:43:29,173 Unlike solitary hunters, like snakes, 372 00:43:29,173 --> 00:43:35,179 baboons are gregarious and rely on each other to survive. 373 00:43:35,179 --> 00:43:39,283 This mother is removing ticks and fleas from her baby. 374 00:43:47,058 --> 00:43:50,394 Mothers are under pressure to get enough food for themselves 375 00:43:50,394 --> 00:43:53,631 so they can provide enough milk for their young. 376 00:43:57,101 --> 00:43:59,971 Societies are strictly regulated 377 00:43:59,971 --> 00:44:05,209 and subordinates often lavish dominant females with attention to curry favor. 378 00:44:10,214 --> 00:44:13,384 This helps build cohesion among the troop, 379 00:44:13,384 --> 00:44:18,155 which gives this family a valuable edge in this challenging environment. 380 00:44:34,805 --> 00:44:38,476 On the mountainous coast of the southwestern Cape, 381 00:44:38,476 --> 00:44:43,748 plants and animals exist side by side in an unforgiving landscape. 382 00:44:49,253 --> 00:44:54,859 This is one of the most diverse places in the world. 383 00:44:54,859 --> 00:44:58,029 Incredibly rare plants 384 00:44:58,029 --> 00:45:02,700 intersperse the carpet of species-rich Fynbos. 385 00:45:11,142 --> 00:45:16,414 Offshore, rich waters bursting with food teem with life. 386 00:45:18,950 --> 00:45:25,189 On both land and sea life here is both intricate, 387 00:45:25,189 --> 00:45:26,991 and spectacular. 388 00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:33,264 And there is nowhere else on earth quite like it. 389 00:45:40,071 --> 00:45:47,078 This is the biological wonderland of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. 390 00:45:53,284 --> 00:46:08,265 (♪♪♪) 391 00:46:08,265 --> 00:46:13,270 (♪♪♪)