1
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Australia's largest land predator.

2
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The dingo.

3
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DINGO HOWLS

4
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This wolf down under is one
of an extraordinary wild family.

5
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The canids.

6
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One family...

7
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..37 different faces.

8
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Including wolves...

9
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..foxes...

10
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..jackals and dogs.

11
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From the smallest...

12
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..to the tallest...

13
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..the stealthy...

14
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..and the formidable.

15
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They are the most widespread
carnivores on the planet.

16
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These are the wild dogs.

17
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At the top of the world,
5,000m above sea level...

18
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..the rugged peaks of the Himalayas
meet the stark Tibetan Plateau.

19
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With biting winds
and lurching temperatures,

20
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the weather can turn in an instant.

21
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But one extraordinary wild dog
is built

22
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for this inhospitable landscape.

23
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The world's highest dwelling fox.

24
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A shapeshifter who can hide
in plain sight.

25
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The Tibetan fox.

26
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The fox family evolved
before their wolf cousins.

27
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They're smaller, with longer snouts
and fluffier tails.

28
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This Tibetan fox lives exclusively
on these harsh,

29
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high-altitude plateaus.

30
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Too small to hunt large animals,
she targets smaller prey.

31
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The pika.

32
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These hardy relatives of the rabbit
make up 95% of her diet.

33
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But, highly alert to danger,
they're no easy catch.

34
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She must be stealthy.

35
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There's no cover.

36
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The conditions are too harsh
for trees to grow.

37
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But her angular, oversized head
may give her the edge.

38
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She blends in perfectly
with the landscape,

39
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peering unnoticed over rocks.

40
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Using the natural contours as cover,
she edges closer.

41
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If the pika spots her,
it will raise the alarm.

42
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PIKA SQUEAKS

43
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There can be dozens of pika
living underground.

44
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She must be patient.

45
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Flattening her body...

46
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..she melts into the landscape.

47
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PIKA SQUEAKS

48
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One pika a day is enough
to feed her.

49
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But recent events have increased
the pressure.

50
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Three kits, barely two months old.

51
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Like all youngsters,
they're very demanding.

52
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While nursing, Mum must eat more
to support the family.

53
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The kits will rely on her for
several months as they progress

54
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from milk to solid food.

55
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It's a relentless schedule.

56
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But help is at hand.

57
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This is the kits' father.

58
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Tibetan foxes pair up
for the breeding season...

59
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..and the male shares the work
of parenthood.

60
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The pair take turns watching
over the pups...

61
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..and hunting.

62
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By digging and listening
at their burrows...

63
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..Tibetan foxes drive pika
into the best place to strike.

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Although, he's so focused
on his work,

65
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he's missed a prime opportunity.

66
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And he may have bitten off
more than he can chew.

67
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But the Tibetan fox's remarkable
face makes all the difference.

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Their long, narrow snouts can probe
deep down into the burrows.

69
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Mission accomplished.

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He returns home with provisions.

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Vital supplies to share out
with his mate.

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The parents must both hunt often
to support their growing family

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and increase their chances
of catching enough pika.

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Thanks to such dedicated parents,
these kits have the best

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chance of survival.

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Striking looks and shrewd teamwork.

77
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The perfect combination...

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..for life on top of the world.

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But wherever they live, canids have
developed strategies to survive.

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Wild dogs grow stronger
when they work together.

81
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Especially in the rich, diverse
forests of southern India.

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Dawn is always a noisy time of day.

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ANIMALS CALL

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It's a cacophony of sound.

85
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But part of the chorus...

86
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..comes from one of the most
talkative wild dogs of all.

87
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The dhole.

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Dhole live in large packs.

89
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The breeding male and female
are in charge, overseeing siblings,

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young from previous years,
and new pups.

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The extended family can be
15 strong.

92
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To communicate, these pack-living
wild dogs must chatter constantly.

93
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But the forest is noisy.
To make sure they're heard,

94
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the dhole use unique high-pitched
calls, which break

95
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through the background noise.

96
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Dhole have 11 distinctive calls
used for different situations.

97
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HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING

98
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WHIMPERING

99
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At play, they whine and whimper,
but their talk's not just for fun.

100
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Dhole are only the size of a
Border collie and share this forest

101
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with much larger, more intimidating
creatures.

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To survive here,
they must work together.

103
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The pack have discovered
a scent-marked tree.

104
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Their calls switch from whines
to warning growls,

105
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chatterings and screams.

106
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It could be the scent of
an elephant.

107
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A mother with young
can be particularly hostile.

108
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Or a more serious threat.

109
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Leopards and tigers stalk
these lands.

110
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Both can kill the smaller dhole.

111
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The family talk to each other
as they scout the area.

112
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When the adults declare
that it's safe, the youngsters

113
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resume their playful noises.

114
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But one older sibling sits apart,

115
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acting as a sentinel, ready to sound

116
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the alarm in case of danger.

117
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With the coast clear, the adults
scan the territory for food.

118
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The forest is full of deer.

119
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They can be twice as tall and many
times heavier than a single dhole.

120
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By working as a team,
the pack can take them down.

121
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And to capture their prey,

122
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the dhole can use the dense forest
to turn the odds in their favour.

123
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A male chital with large antlers
is more likely to get tangled

124
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in the thickets.

125
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The dhole edge closer,
talking to each other

126
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to co-ordinate their attack.

127
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But, their high-frequency
calls don't travel far.

128
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The more the dhole disperse,

129
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the more they will struggle to hear
each other.

130
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For a moment, the pack's confused.

131
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But these chatty canids have saved
their best talk until last.

132
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The whistle.

133
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A low-frequency call...

134
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..which carries further
and is easier

135
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to hear through
the thick forest foliage.

136
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With up to ten of them
surrounding the deer,

137
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the whistling hunters know exactly
where each of the pack are, even

138
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when they can't see one another.

139
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At last, they're all in place.

140
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The deer is chased down.

141
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Gathered together, the dhole
are at their most vulnerable.

142
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A tiger or leopard could
steal their prey.

143
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So the pack must eat fast.

144
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With teeth like razors,

145
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dhole can consume a quarter
of their own body weight

146
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in just ten minutes.

147
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Once he's had his share,
the sentinel's back on duty,

148
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listening out for trouble.

149
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Finally, the talkative dhole
can rest easy.

150
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And for a moment, there's silence
in the forest.

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Wild dogs have many voices.

152
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And one of the loudest can be heard
across the northern hemisphere...

153
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..from the Himalayas
all the way to the Arctic.

154
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The wolf.

155
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The grey wolf and its 15 subspecies,
including

156
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the Himalayan wolf...

157
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..Mexican wolf and Eurasian wolf
are also the world's

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biggest wild dogs.

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And one of the most formidable
subspecies is the hardiest of all.

160
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The Arctic wolf.

161
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Spending its entire life
north of the tree line

162
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on the frozen Arctic tundra,

163
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to survive, the Arctic wolf

164
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must be a jack of all trades.

165
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Males can weigh up to 60kg,
as much as a man.

166
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Wrapped in two layers of fur - soft
inner hair for insulation

167
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and longer outer hair for
snow-proofing -

168
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wolves can endure the cold.

169
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They can also endure hunger.

170
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A wolf can fast for over two weeks.

171
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Young wolves go searching for mates.

172
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But if they don't find one,
soon they return to the safety

173
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of their packs.

174
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HOWLING

175
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On the open tundra, the howl

176
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from another wolf can travel 16km.

177
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Wolves can cover three times that
in a day.

178
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In fact, a Russian proverb says,
"The wolf is kept fed by its feet."

179
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By following the howling,
it soon regroups its pack.

180
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Wolves must co-operate to survive.

181
00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:08,920
So, pack-living canids keep
close eyes on each other.

182
00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:15,960
The shape and markings
on the wolf's face

183
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makes their eyes more prominent.

184
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And with larger brains than domestic
dogs, they can read the tiniest cues

185
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from their pack members' faces.

186
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As well as plenty of eye contact,
there's lots of talk.

187
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Wolves howl together to strengthen
the bonds within the pack.

188
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By communicating so effectively,
they work together to take on prey

189
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nearly 20 times their size.

190
00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:56,800
A single wolf is formidable.
As a pack of seven or more,

191
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they are unstoppable.

192
00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,480
So, pack-living wolves need lots of
talk.

193
00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,320
Other wild dogs must learn to listen.

194
00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:14,040
Stretching thousands of square
kilometres across southern Africa,

195
00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:18,520
the remnants of a vast ancient lake
baked dry over millennia.

196
00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:24,800
The salty clay crust that remains
forms the imposing Makgadikgadi Pan.

197
00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:31,040
Brutal and exposed,
there's nowhere to hide.

198
00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:36,360
Survival out here demands
being highly alert at all times.

199
00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:44,000
And one resident wild dog...is
all ears.

200
00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:47,360
The bat-eared fox.

201
00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:54,520
13cm high -
larger than their own faces

202
00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,600
and a third of the foxes' height -

203
00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:00,960
these ears are serious
hearing hardware.

204
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,320
From the safety of their den,
they monitor their surroundings.

205
00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,200
Bat-eared foxes live in pairs.

206
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:20,040
This isn't just for breeding.
It's also for security.

207
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,360
Two pairs of ears are better
than one.

208
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,000
Listening out for danger,
the bat-ears decide that

209
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:33,560
the coast is clear. Now to head
out on the hunt.

210
00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,200
Bat-eared foxes are insectivores.

211
00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:48,000
But in the harsh midday sun, most
insects have vanished underground.

212
00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:53,360
So, they use their supersized ears
to tune in on the slightest sounds.

213
00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,680
The foxes are not the only ones
on the hunt.

214
00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:09,160
They share the Pan with a larger,
more intimidating cousin

215
00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:11,760
of the wolf -
the black-backed jackal.

216
00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:17,360
Twice their size, with teeth
that can crunch through bone,

217
00:21:17,360 --> 00:21:19,760
jackals are their biggest threat.

218
00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,880
Jackals hunt in the same territory

219
00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:31,200
and will even kill bat-eared foxes.

220
00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,120
For now, the jackals have other
things on their minds.

221
00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:39,560
A springbok.

222
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,120
Working together, they torment
their prey

223
00:21:44,120 --> 00:21:46,680
until it collapses through
exhaustion.

224
00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,240
The bat-eared foxes know
these jackals are focused

225
00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,920
on the springbok, but more jackals
will soon be attracted.

226
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,880
Best return to the safety
of their den.

227
00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,080
With nightfall and well-fed jackals
dispersed...

228
00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,560
..the batties head out again.

229
00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,120
Now to search for insects
in the dark...

230
00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:43,320
..by tuning in their huge,
highly sensitive ears.

231
00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:47,200
And they're not alone.

232
00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:55,040
Rather than defending their patch,
bat-eared fox territories overlap

233
00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,360
and higher numbers increase their
chances against marauding jackals.

234
00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:06,120
By carefully turning their heads
and ears side to side,

235
00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:10,360
the foxes pinpoint the tiniest
rustlings below.

236
00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:17,800
With ears working overtime,
a treasure trove is soon discovered.

237
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:23,720
Northern harvester termites
construct elaborate tunnels

238
00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:29,480
underground, emerging through small
vent holes to forage for grass.

239
00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,840
But the foxes' incredible ears
can pinpoint

240
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,520
these telltale rustlings.

241
00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:45,120
A single bat-eared fox can consume
over 1 million termites each year.

242
00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,440
Fortunately, there's enough
to go round.

243
00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:56,080
Just one square kilometre
can contain over 300 termite nests.

244
00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,960
A young fox is out foraging alone.

245
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,640
A fox without a mate is vulnerable.

246
00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,560
And the black-backed jackals
are in the neighbourhood again.

247
00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:35,480
The smaller fox raises its tail
to look as large as possible.

248
00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,640
This threatening pose works
for the moment.

249
00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:00,640
She might not be so lucky next time.

250
00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,440
A lone bat-eared fox won't be left
alone for long.

251
00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:19,080
Threat posture at the ready...

252
00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:23,400
..but...it's another fox.

253
00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,320
It's likely been trailing it
for some time.

254
00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,960
A further benefit of overlapping
territories is

255
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:41,000
the ability to find a mate.

256
00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:51,880
Now they've found each other, these
two foxes will stay together.

257
00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:04,400
And together, bat-eared foxes
have a better chance of facing

258
00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:06,200
whatever comes their way.

259
00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,880
Wild dogs live on nearly
every continent on the planet.

260
00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:26,920
But one continent, South America,
is home to ten species

261
00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:31,160
that have evolved independently
from their fox and wolf cousins.

262
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:36,040
These unique canids are amongst
the family's most diverse,

263
00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:38,880
thanks to their broad diet
and ability to adapt

264
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:40,920
to the continent's many habitats.

265
00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:48,040
This is the bush dog, a pack-living
dog that has webbed feet to hunt

266
00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:51,000
prey in the flooded forests
of the Amazon.

267
00:26:52,120 --> 00:26:56,760
On the grasslands, the hoary foxes
small teeth and short muzzle

268
00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:58,800
are perfect for catching insects.

269
00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:05,960
Just 50cm long,
the tiny Darwin's fox only needs

270
00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:08,760
a small forest territory
to sustain it...

271
00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:13,440
..while up in the peaks
of the Andes...

272
00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:19,040
..the wolf-like culpeo is built
to endure the harsh terrain.

273
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:29,200
And South America is also home
to possibly the wild dog family's

274
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:31,280
most unusual cousin.

275
00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:35,840
The maned wolf.

276
00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,160
Standing one metre tall
at the shoulders,

277
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,280
this gangly creature is the tallest
wild dog on the planet.

278
00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,320
Despite looking like a fox
on stilts,

279
00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:57,720
they are genetically neither
fox nor wolf,

280
00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:00,120
but a completely distinct species.

281
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:06,920
The maned wolf is the only remaining
member of a long extinct line

282
00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:08,800
of South American canids.

283
00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:15,000
Their distinctive mane
may have evolved as a warning

284
00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:16,800
to other, larger rivals.

285
00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:24,600
Isolated in this landscape,
the maned wolf helps unlock

286
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:30,480
the savannah's potential for life
in their own very particular way.

287
00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:37,760
With a territory of
up to 50 square miles...

288
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,400
..long legs allow them to glide

289
00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:44,800
across the savannah
on the search for food,

290
00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:50,480
and true to their unusual nature,
this is no ordinary wolf diet.

291
00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:54,800
Rather than just eating meat, the
maned wolf has a penchant

292
00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,840
for the lobeira.

293
00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,720
This large tomato-like fruit
thrives on the savannah.

294
00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:11,400
They enjoy lobeira so much,
it's aptly named Fruit of the Wolf.

295
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,720
Some believe it's medicinal
and protects them

296
00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:19,880
from deadly kidney parasites.

297
00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:26,080
50% of their diet is fruit -
more than any other canid.

298
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:37,120
As they mark their territory, maned
wolves leave droppings that contain

299
00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,280
hundreds of undigested seeds...

300
00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:41,920
INSECTS BUZZ

301
00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:44,920
..and helpfully disperse the seeds

302
00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:48,000
many kilometres
from where they fell.

303
00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:54,080
For the moment, the seeds are
exposed under the baking sun,

304
00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,240
but they won't stay here for long.

305
00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,480
Leafcutter ants are drawn
to the pieces of fruit

306
00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,240
that remain on the seeds.

307
00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:19,520
The seeds are carried back
to the ants' nest,

308
00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:23,120
and, at the nest entrance,
stripped of fruit and discarded.

309
00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,120
But this sheltered, humid spot

310
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:33,480
provides the perfect
growing conditions.

311
00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:41,400
In parts of the most pristine
savannah, lobeira fruit seedlings

312
00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:45,280
can be seen growing only
around leafcutter ants' nests.

313
00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:50,320
A guaranteed future larder
for the maned wolf.

314
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:58,120
The maned wolf,
neither fox nor wolf,

315
00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:02,960
long-legged gardener
and an ant's best friend.

316
00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:14,560
Not every wild dog has such a
well-stocked larder on its doorstep.

317
00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:22,000
Others must contend with a
much harsher challenge to survive.

318
00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:33,280
9 million square kilometres of sand.

319
00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:36,680
The size of China.

320
00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:44,160
The Sahara smothers
6% of the world's land.

321
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:56,520
Yet this vast, unforgiving place

322
00:31:56,520 --> 00:32:00,440
is home to the world's
smallest wild dog.

323
00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:05,560
The fennec fox.

324
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:13,920
Barely the size of a walking boot,

325
00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:18,080
this tiny fox goes head-to-head
with the desert every day.

326
00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:26,640
The Sahara's filled with millions
upon millions of grains of sand.

327
00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:31,120
And every grain acts as a radiator.

328
00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:38,200
Sand absorbs heat, and the hotter
it gets, the more heat it radiates.

329
00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,800
The temperature here spirals
into the high 40s.

330
00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:52,880
In such sizzling conditions,
the fennec's size matters.

331
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:56,840
A small body can shed heat faster
than a large one.

332
00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,440
And to lose heat even faster,

333
00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:06,440
the fennec's ears act
like sophisticated

334
00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:07,880
air-conditioning units.

335
00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:13,560
The network of veins cools the blood
to lower the temperature.

336
00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:19,680
Despite such capable cooling,

337
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:23,520
not even a fennec can endure
the heat of the Saharan sun.

338
00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:30,840
There's no shade, but fennecs
are masters of their environment.

339
00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,280
Moisture concentrates
at the foot of the dunes,

340
00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:39,640
so the sand here is firm enough
to dig a burrow.

341
00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,640
Home, sweet home
for a pair of fennecs.

342
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:52,360
They have shelter from the worst
of the heat,

343
00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:53,920
but they must eventually

344
00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,720
leave the safety of their den
to find food.

345
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:06,080
And this enormous desert
is a dangerous place

346
00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,040
for a tiny wild dog.

347
00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:11,400
An unwary fennec is small enough

348
00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,520
to be caught by feral dogs
and even eagle owls.

349
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:23,240
But their camouflaged coats
make them less conspicuous.

350
00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:29,320
In the fading light of dusk,
she makes a run for it.

351
00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,240
Zig-zagging and jumping...

352
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,840
..she uses the dunes to mask
her location.

353
00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:45,760
The grains of sand are constantly
shifting, but the pads on her feet

354
00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,040
are furry, for maximum traction.

355
00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:52,240
Few can keep tabs
on her whereabouts.

356
00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:03,640
But with night falling, those same
grains of sand that radiated heat

357
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:06,360
so quickly, now turn cold.

358
00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:16,320
The sudden shift is potentially worse
for the fennec,

359
00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:19,160
but her inner coat is insulated.

360
00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:24,040
Set for the night,
she can search for food.

361
00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:29,040
Small bodies don't need much,

362
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:32,800
and by being omnivorous,
fennecs can find enough to eat.

363
00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:41,520
Insects, berries, roots -
every scrap is on the menu.

364
00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:46,560
There may be food,
but there's no water.

365
00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,680
Thankfully,
her kidneys are so efficient,

366
00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:55,680
she's the one dog
that doesn't need to drink.

367
00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:02,520
She can get all the water she needs
from the food she eats.

368
00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:05,240
Even the tiniest spider.

369
00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:12,920
The fennec evolved as the dessert
first appeared 4 million years ago.

370
00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:19,200
No other canid can so completely
endure the challenges here.

371
00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:23,360
So, this smallest of wild dogs is

372
00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:26,520
not only built for this harsh desert,

373
00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,240
it's the only one to have tamed it.

374
00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:39,520
Wild dogs are no strangers
to life at the margins.

375
00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:43,240
To survive, they must adapt to
whatever challenges come their way.

376
00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:52,040
One of the world's most adaptable
wild dogs lives in Australia.

377
00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:55,280
The dingo.

378
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:06,600
The fate of one particular family
of dingoes on K'gari Island

379
00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:09,120
in eastern Australia
has been closely monitored.

380
00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:13,280
K'gari means paradise.

381
00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:18,240
120km of ancient forest
surrounded by sandy beaches.

382
00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:23,840
Isolated from the mainland,

383
00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:27,080
these dingoes appear to be living
the dream.

384
00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:33,320
While dingoes on the mainland
have integrated with domestic dogs,

385
00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:38,280
the more purebred dingoes can be
heavier, with pale sandy coats,

386
00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:41,280
as well as white markings
on their chest

387
00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:45,600
or tail tips and feet called socks.

388
00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,880
And these wild dogs are
a breed apart.

389
00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:55,760
Their wedge-shaped skulls have

390
00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,760
longer, sharper canines
than domestic dogs.

391
00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:05,160
And unlike their domestic cousins,
dingoes only breed once a year.

392
00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:11,720
These wolves down under
are quite the family.

393
00:38:11,720 --> 00:38:15,120
The pack has a pair
of breeding adults,

394
00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:18,840
sub adults from previous years

395
00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:20,680
and juveniles.

396
00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:29,360
Being top of the food chain,

397
00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:33,560
these apex predators enjoy
prized pickings from the forest.

398
00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:37,960
And nothing is off the menu.

399
00:38:43,240 --> 00:38:46,320
Life may be good for dingoes
in paradise,

400
00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:48,920
but their luck can quickly turn.

401
00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:54,680
Summer fires are a natural part
of life on K'gari.

402
00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,560
Many plants have adapted,
and the clear-out will trigger

403
00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:01,760
a rush of new growth.

404
00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:05,520
But with climate change causing
the forest to grow drier,

405
00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:08,640
recent fires have become
more devastating.

406
00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:16,760
Unable to rely so much
on the forest,

407
00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:19,480
the dingoes must look elsewhere
for food.

408
00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:26,720
The juveniles will soon leave
the pack to lead solitary lives

409
00:39:26,720 --> 00:39:28,680
until they find suitable mates.

410
00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,680
So, they need to be strong enough
to go it alone.

411
00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:54,320
To see them through, the dingoes
resort to beachcombing.

412
00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:03,480
Life on the beach is a lottery.

413
00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:06,440
A solitary crab won't go far.

414
00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:14,280
But, throughout the fire season,
one natural event can make

415
00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,880
the difference
between life and death.

416
00:40:27,720 --> 00:40:30,880
Every summer,
turtles appear on the beach.

417
00:40:36,240 --> 00:40:40,200
Nesting between three to five times
per season,

418
00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:44,280
they lay an average of 115 eggs.

419
00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:49,600
There can be 200 females
nesting along these beaches.

420
00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:52,360
And many thousands of eggs.

421
00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:59,120
These hidden treasures could be
a lifeline for the dingoes.

422
00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:04,360
If they can find them.

423
00:41:05,720 --> 00:41:10,800
Dogs are armed with
a super-sense - smell.

424
00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,720
Their highly sensitive noses have

425
00:41:13,720 --> 00:41:17,560
290 million more receptors
than a human's.

426
00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:22,560
A nest has been located
and is being dug out.

427
00:41:26,840 --> 00:41:30,600
With slender muzzles that are longer
than those of domestic dogs

428
00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:34,880
and jaws which open wider too, they
are perfectly built for the job.

429
00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:40,480
Throughout the worst of the island's
fires, digging for the turtles' eggs

430
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:42,720
save the dingoes from starvation.

431
00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:47,400
The dingo's fed well.

432
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:53,560
But thousands of hatchlings
will still survive.

433
00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:00,480
And when the time comes,
the very presence of the dingoes

434
00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:02,640
might even benefit the hatchlings.

435
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:06,880
As the apex predators,

436
00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:10,440
dingoes keep the numbers of other
creatures on the beach in check.

437
00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:15,360
By intimidating
potential turtle predators,

438
00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:18,760
this dingo pack limits
the overall impact of predation

439
00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:20,400
on these young turtles.

440
00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:32,080
And as a result, enough turtles
will survive to reboot the cycle

441
00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:35,440
and return to this beach
in future years.

442
00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:49,440
Only dingoes in the north of K'gari
have learned to exploit

443
00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:52,080
this seasonal abundance
of turtle nests.

444
00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:57,720
They have more offspring
and larger pack sizes.

445
00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:05,040
And the juveniles have a better
chance of surviving to adulthood.

446
00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:11,240
Some might even remain with the pack
to help babysit the younger pups.

447
00:43:20,680 --> 00:43:23,320
These most adaptable dingoes have

448
00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:26,200
surely earned their place
in paradise.

449
00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:42,160
The most-successful wild dog of all
has become so widespread

450
00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:44,840
it extends from
the Arabian Peninsula...

451
00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:48,400
..to the Arctic tundra.

452
00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:55,040
Yet, it's equally at home in the
lush countryside of central Europe.

453
00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:03,840
And in the last century, it's made
the city its ultimate domain.

454
00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:09,840
The streets of London now resound
to its call.

455
00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:14,080
BARKING AND SNARLING

456
00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:23,120
The red fox.

457
00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:28,480
The world's most resilient wild dog.

458
00:44:33,720 --> 00:44:38,720
These two foxes, known as Vince and
Bitey, are seven months old.

459
00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:43,400
Their mum's raised four litters
before, and thanks

460
00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:46,320
to her experience,
the pups have grown strong.

461
00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:54,200
But the pups' days under
their mother's wing are numbered.

462
00:44:56,760 --> 00:45:00,480
It's time to master life alone
in the big city.

463
00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:08,920
Vince is already familiar with
some of the challenges ahead.

464
00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:13,720
His ear was likely lost
in a fight with another fox.

465
00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:19,760
His sister, Bitey, is one of
the smaller ones in the litter,

466
00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:22,040
but she too must find her feet.

467
00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:28,560
To survive, these youngsters must
raise their game above their rural

468
00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:31,720
cousins and become super-foxes.

469
00:45:39,240 --> 00:45:43,520
Vince is quick and agile
on the streets, but traffic's

470
00:45:43,520 --> 00:45:47,280
just one of the many challenges
foxes face in the urban jungle.

471
00:45:48,360 --> 00:45:51,640
When you're less than half
a metre high, every wall

472
00:45:51,640 --> 00:45:53,440
is a potential fortress.

473
00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:59,400
But with lightweight bones and
long tails to counterbalance, foxes

474
00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:02,600
are highly agile
compared to other wild dogs.

475
00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:08,280
Vince can jump four times
his own height,

476
00:46:08,280 --> 00:46:10,960
the same as a 2m wall.

477
00:46:15,240 --> 00:46:17,840
It's more of a struggle for Bitey.

478
00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:22,400
She's just a bit smaller, and
injuries are an occupational hazard.

479
00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:29,640
But, once the terrain is mastered,
foxes can turn the vertical

480
00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:33,960
landscape to their advantage,
using hidden routes

481
00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:35,920
across walls and fences.

482
00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:39,320
Vince vanishes and reappears
in an instant,

483
00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:42,040
maintaining enough distance
from humans.

484
00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:49,040
Like cheetahs on the savannah,
foxes use vantage points

485
00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:51,000
to scope out opportunities.

486
00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:56,640
Vince takes his chances raiding bins.

487
00:46:58,960 --> 00:47:02,240
With strong stomachs
and robust immune systems,

488
00:47:02,240 --> 00:47:05,280
the ability to eat rotting food
has allowed foxes

489
00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:07,240
to colonise urban areas.

490
00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:13,080
Nothing goes to waste.

491
00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:18,160
Cashing surplus supplies
in hidden spots...

492
00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:21,400
..urban foxes are particularly
resourceful.

493
00:47:25,720 --> 00:47:29,760
Car bonnets are the perfect place
to stash leftovers.

494
00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:35,840
Cars are often parked up longer
in cities,

495
00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:37,800
so this is smart behaviour.

496
00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:52,800
It's definitely worth Vince marking
this productive patch as his own.

497
00:47:54,760 --> 00:47:58,800
City streets are regularly cleaned,
so urban foxes urinate

498
00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:01,920
more than their country-dwelling
cousins to mark their patch.

499
00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:09,560
But Vince and Bitey's elaborate
signposting hasn't gone unnoticed

500
00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:11,160
by another fox.

501
00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:13,960
BARK

502
00:48:15,240 --> 00:48:19,840
A new vixen has arrived,
and she wants this territory too.

503
00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:25,480
Foxes avoid physical confrontation
where possible,

504
00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:28,800
but she has other ways
to show the pups who's boss.

505
00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:37,520
She postures and scent marks
around Bitey to display dominance.

506
00:48:40,600 --> 00:48:42,840
But Bitey's not backing down.

507
00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:48,160
It's time for the ultimate test
of strength.

508
00:48:53,400 --> 00:48:54,840
The foxtrot.

509
00:48:59,320 --> 00:49:02,360
They size each other up,
opening their mouths

510
00:49:02,360 --> 00:49:04,480
to intimidate their opponent.

511
00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:14,760
Bitey has stood her ground.

512
00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:19,320
But this new vixen isn't deterred.

513
00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:23,280
She spots Vince.

514
00:49:29,640 --> 00:49:32,240
These shows of strength
will determine

515
00:49:32,240 --> 00:49:34,240
the pecking order around here.

516
00:49:58,600 --> 00:50:03,240
Vince and Bitey may have held on
to their patch, but the new vixen

517
00:50:03,240 --> 00:50:06,240
has proved she's strong enough
to stay here too.

518
00:50:08,840 --> 00:50:11,960
There are 10,000 foxes
living in London.

519
00:50:11,960 --> 00:50:15,000
So, encounters like these
will be a regular part of life

520
00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:16,440
for the youngsters.

521
00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:22,720
But city foxes often learn
how to rub alongside each other...

522
00:50:24,240 --> 00:50:27,640
..so they can all eke out a living
in the same neighbourhood.

523
00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:34,800
The resilient red fox coped so well

524
00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:37,600
with the proximity
and disturbance...

525
00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:42,280
..it can call
the streets of London home.

526
00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:06,320
Over the course of filming,
the Wild Dogs team quickly learned

527
00:51:06,320 --> 00:51:09,120
that not all canids
are so easy to spot.

528
00:51:10,760 --> 00:51:13,800
And some are very hard
to keep up with.

529
00:51:16,880 --> 00:51:20,840
The most challenging of all to film
was not only the tiniest,

530
00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:23,480
it also lives in the Sahara Desert.

531
00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:26,880
The fennec fox.

532
00:51:29,520 --> 00:51:31,760
Faced with such a challenge,

533
00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:35,280
the team would be lost
without local expert Ali.

534
00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:40,640
So, the desert must be like
your back garden.

535
00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:46,040
Yeah, desert is my garden from
my first moment in this life.

536
00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:51,400
With Ali on the team, they soon see
signs of fennec foxes.

537
00:51:52,520 --> 00:51:55,840
Look at the track off our car
yesterday.

538
00:51:57,800 --> 00:52:01,000
And just after.
This is after our car? Yeah.

539
00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:07,240
And around, I didn't see a new fresh
track spill out.

540
00:52:07,240 --> 00:52:09,080
It means he's inside.

541
00:52:10,520 --> 00:52:13,320
The tracks are leading
to a potential den site.

542
00:52:14,880 --> 00:52:16,840
They don't want to disturb the area,

543
00:52:16,840 --> 00:52:20,280
so director Gavin has brought
some equipment built specially

544
00:52:20,280 --> 00:52:21,560
for the challenge.

545
00:52:22,600 --> 00:52:24,840
I bring you the dachshund.

546
00:52:27,480 --> 00:52:32,000
Caterpillar tracks, maximum
traction, independent suspension.

547
00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:36,040
Small stabilised camera on a gimbal.

548
00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:44,880
The dachshund's small enough
to allow the crew to remotely creep

549
00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:46,400
up on the side.

550
00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:51,840
Looks like something
has been digging around.

551
00:52:51,840 --> 00:52:54,520
It was definitely fox footprints.
It was good.

552
00:52:55,760 --> 00:52:59,520
With an active den detected,
the crew film around the clock.

553
00:53:00,560 --> 00:53:04,120
But despite the long hours,
the wary fennecs are proving

554
00:53:04,120 --> 00:53:06,280
a challenge for camera op Tom.

555
00:53:07,920 --> 00:53:13,000
They're so tuned in to the
natural sounds around the desert.

556
00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:16,520
But, anything that's out of
the ordinary, they'll either inspect

557
00:53:16,520 --> 00:53:20,320
it or they'll take that as an
opportunity to just scarper and go.

558
00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:24,000
They can see and hear me
from, like, 50m.

559
00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:27,560
And annoyingly, the wind circulates
in these dunes.

560
00:53:27,560 --> 00:53:29,800
So, they can also smell me
quite easily as well.

561
00:53:31,640 --> 00:53:36,320
It's several days before patience
finally pays off, but the team's

562
00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:38,680
excitement is quickly shattered.

563
00:53:41,760 --> 00:53:44,120
The fennec has a trap on its leg.

564
00:53:51,640 --> 00:53:54,880
The injured fennec vanishes
over the dunes before the team

565
00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:56,680
have a chance to catch up with it.

566
00:53:58,840 --> 00:54:02,280
I really...I really worry it's just
not going to last long out here.

567
00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:03,600
Not in that condition.

568
00:54:04,960 --> 00:54:07,720
Sadly, this is not a rare sight
for Ali.

569
00:54:08,960 --> 00:54:14,040
We have this problem...the last
time here because the children

570
00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:18,800
from the village come to take them
and to show to the tourists.

571
00:54:18,800 --> 00:54:23,960
When the tourists come, they give
them the fennec to take a picture,

572
00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:28,240
and then tourists give
to the children...money.

573
00:54:32,480 --> 00:54:36,040
A licence is needed to trade
or hold fennec foxes.

574
00:54:37,040 --> 00:54:40,440
But lucrative pet and tourist trades
have encouraged illegal

575
00:54:40,440 --> 00:54:41,960
trapping for decades.

576
00:54:43,840 --> 00:54:46,680
Human interference is such a threat.

577
00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:50,440
Unregulated trade could wipe out
local populations.

578
00:54:52,400 --> 00:54:55,200
The problem has concerned
Ali for many years.

579
00:54:57,680 --> 00:55:03,080
I can't say how I feel. It makes me
sad. Very, very sad.

580
00:55:04,480 --> 00:55:06,640
As well as the illegal trade,

581
00:55:06,640 --> 00:55:10,440
some irresponsible tourists
have been causing further cruelty.

582
00:55:12,760 --> 00:55:16,920
Ali's found a dead fennec
near a popular spot for motorbikes.

583
00:55:16,920 --> 00:55:21,040
I think there is no accident
between fennec and the motorbikes,

584
00:55:21,040 --> 00:55:26,600
but the problem is the motorbikes
follow him for a long time.

585
00:55:26,600 --> 00:55:29,680
I think more than 1km
they follow him.

586
00:55:29,680 --> 00:55:35,040
Then he is dead because
he can't run for a long time.

587
00:55:36,080 --> 00:55:39,840
The desert is more than large enough
to make space for both

588
00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:42,280
people and wildlife.

589
00:55:42,280 --> 00:55:48,000
I think that we need to make
like a zoning in this area reserved

590
00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:50,280
only for animals, for fennecs.

591
00:55:52,680 --> 00:55:56,360
After days without luck,
the team's morale is running low.

592
00:55:57,800 --> 00:55:59,440
But with hope disappearing,

593
00:55:59,440 --> 00:56:02,800
there's good news, at least,
from camera operator Matt.

594
00:56:04,080 --> 00:56:08,200
We dropped off, set up the hide,
got the camera turned on.

595
00:56:08,200 --> 00:56:11,840
I was just about to, like,
you know, frame up and do stuff.

596
00:56:11,840 --> 00:56:15,040
He started the engine and
then a head popped up, and two ears,

597
00:56:15,040 --> 00:56:16,440
and it was just, yeah.

598
00:56:18,240 --> 00:56:22,040
And this was like
as soon as you left, 9.36.

599
00:56:22,040 --> 00:56:24,600
So, you'd literally just left. Wow.

600
00:56:28,240 --> 00:56:29,600
Wow.

601
00:56:30,880 --> 00:56:31,920
Very nice.

602
00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:35,200
How did you feel when you saw them,
Matt?

603
00:56:35,200 --> 00:56:38,480
It was just...it was ridiculous.
Like, I couldn't actually believe

604
00:56:38,480 --> 00:56:41,480
it. We've been trying this long.
Thomas put so many hours

605
00:56:41,480 --> 00:56:44,040
in the hide, but as soon as the head
popped up, I just,

606
00:56:44,040 --> 00:56:46,880
I was recording, but I've never been
like this,

607
00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:48,160
but I was literally shaking.

608
00:56:49,520 --> 00:56:51,760
With filming finally going well,

609
00:56:51,760 --> 00:56:54,400
there's an even-more welcome surprise
from the team's

610
00:56:54,400 --> 00:56:56,600
first fennec encounter.

611
00:56:56,600 --> 00:57:00,520
Ali has been able to track down
the snared fennec.

612
00:57:13,560 --> 00:57:15,760
Help me, please. Yes.
What should I do?

613
00:57:15,760 --> 00:57:17,240
Push this. Push this one.

614
00:57:17,240 --> 00:57:20,800
This one? Yeah. Take that.
Just take this one.

615
00:57:20,800 --> 00:57:22,440
Like this. Yeah.

616
00:57:23,680 --> 00:57:26,240
Open, please, open it.

617
00:57:26,240 --> 00:57:27,440
Thank you.

618
00:57:28,680 --> 00:57:29,720
Good boy.

619
00:57:31,000 --> 00:57:32,520
Have a look.

620
00:57:33,520 --> 00:57:37,000
There's no medical support here,
but Ali has seen incidents

621
00:57:37,000 --> 00:57:39,520
before and is able to assess
the wound.

622
00:57:41,360 --> 00:57:45,200
Just give him the cuddles.

623
00:57:45,200 --> 00:57:48,440
He believes this fennec
will survive its ordeal.

624
00:57:48,440 --> 00:57:52,320
I'm so happy. Good work.
I hope he's all right.

625
00:57:53,680 --> 00:57:56,960
Despite the trapping, the Moroccan
government stipulates

626
00:57:56,960 --> 00:57:59,920
that the hunting, killing
and capture of endangered animals

627
00:57:59,920 --> 00:58:01,520
is completely banned.

628
00:58:06,760 --> 00:58:11,120
Hopefully with the right protection
and the support of people like Ali,

629
00:58:11,120 --> 00:58:14,680
the future for this intrepid
little fox will be bright.

630
00:58:24,720 --> 00:58:25,960
Next time...

631
00:58:27,280 --> 00:58:29,080
Living across the planet...

632
00:58:30,720 --> 00:58:33,160
..and finding unique ways
to survive...

633
00:58:37,040 --> 00:58:41,320
..we discover the secrets
of our wild dogs' success.

634
00:59:16,840 --> 00:59:18,520
The Arctic fox.

635
00:59:20,360 --> 00:59:22,080
A supreme survivor.

636
00:59:24,960 --> 00:59:28,120
Just one of an incredible
animal family.

637
00:59:30,280 --> 00:59:31,560
The Canids.

638
00:59:33,520 --> 00:59:35,240
37 faces...

639
00:59:36,400 --> 00:59:37,600
..including...

640
00:59:38,560 --> 00:59:39,560
..wolves...

641
00:59:40,680 --> 00:59:41,680
..foxes...

642
00:59:43,120 --> 00:59:45,160
..jackals...

643
00:59:45,160 --> 00:59:46,320
..and dogs...

644
00:59:49,960 --> 00:59:52,640
..found in almost every habitat on
Earth...

645
00:59:54,680 --> 00:59:56,400
..from the frozen Arctic...

646
00:59:58,560 --> 01:00:00,400
..to the blistering desert.

647
01:00:02,800 --> 01:00:04,120
From the tree tops...

648
01:00:06,280 --> 01:00:08,080
..to the heart of the city...

649
01:00:09,760 --> 01:00:12,640
..each with a unique strategy
for survival.

650
01:00:13,920 --> 01:00:19,080
They are intelligent, resourceful
and remarkably resilient.

651
01:00:21,760 --> 01:00:24,760
Meet the wild dogs.

652
01:00:43,360 --> 01:00:46,400
Stretching as far as the eye
can see,

653
01:00:46,400 --> 01:00:48,840
the Kalahari Desert -

654
01:00:48,840 --> 01:00:50,240
Botswana, Africa...

655
01:00:52,520 --> 01:00:55,960
..home to one of the most
opportunistic wild dogs...

656
01:00:58,200 --> 01:01:00,000
..the black-backed jackal.

657
01:01:09,840 --> 01:01:12,200
They may look similar to foxes,

658
01:01:12,200 --> 01:01:15,760
but are actually more closely
related to wolves.

659
01:01:21,560 --> 01:01:23,600
It's the end of the dry season.

660
01:01:24,600 --> 01:01:27,920
In some areas, no rain has fallen
for eight months.

661
01:01:30,800 --> 01:01:36,040
Water is scarce and the Kalahari
is living up to its name,

662
01:01:36,040 --> 01:01:37,760
The Great Thirst.

663
01:01:42,880 --> 01:01:46,840
But this group of jackals live
close to a vital lifeline.

664
01:01:50,960 --> 01:01:56,200
This water hole is a rare
treasure that attracts visitors

665
01:01:56,200 --> 01:01:57,560
from far and wide.

666
01:02:20,520 --> 01:02:22,560
It can get a little crowded.

667
01:02:32,760 --> 01:02:35,280
Not only is it a crucial
source of water...

668
01:02:37,000 --> 01:02:39,600
..it's also prime hunting ground.

669
01:02:45,400 --> 01:02:48,760
Most visitors are too big
for the jackals to bring down.

670
01:02:52,040 --> 01:02:55,400
But these agile predators
are opportunistic...

671
01:02:59,040 --> 01:03:03,600
..always on the lookout for any
chances that might come their way.

672
01:03:10,520 --> 01:03:14,040
Every day, flocks of ring-necked
doves, sparrows,

673
01:03:14,040 --> 01:03:16,800
quelea and sandgrouse come to drink.

674
01:03:22,040 --> 01:03:25,240
Some fly in as far as 80km.

675
01:03:30,440 --> 01:03:33,720
A tempting meal...if you can
get to it.

676
01:03:48,280 --> 01:03:52,040
The jackals rely on speed
and agility.

677
01:04:21,400 --> 01:04:23,920
But these jackals are fast.

678
01:04:25,960 --> 01:04:28,080
One dove lags behind.

679
01:04:47,600 --> 01:04:49,120
A lucky escape.

680
01:05:00,520 --> 01:05:02,560
Now, another opportunity.

681
01:05:03,880 --> 01:05:05,520
A flock of guinea fowl.

682
01:05:29,680 --> 01:05:32,720
It's the breeding season
and they're distracted

683
01:05:32,720 --> 01:05:35,160
by the competition to find a mate.

684
01:05:51,320 --> 01:05:53,280
A deadly mistake.

685
01:06:11,160 --> 01:06:13,480
A hard-earned prize.

686
01:06:16,880 --> 01:06:19,240
But this meal will be shared.

687
01:06:23,080 --> 01:06:25,600
These jackals are part
of a family...

688
01:06:26,880 --> 01:06:28,800
THEY WHINE

689
01:06:28,800 --> 01:06:30,560
..and there were some new arrivals.

690
01:06:35,080 --> 01:06:39,920
At around six weeks old, these pups
are beginning to feed on solids.

691
01:06:42,200 --> 01:06:46,160
Black-backed jackals often live
in close-knit family groups

692
01:06:46,160 --> 01:06:48,640
where everyone has a part to play.

693
01:06:53,360 --> 01:06:57,000
Last year's pups still live
with their parents and help

694
01:06:57,000 --> 01:06:58,960
to provide for their younger
siblings.

695
01:07:03,280 --> 01:07:08,840
And together use their extraordinary
skill and agility...

696
01:07:10,040 --> 01:07:11,800
..to feed the pups

697
01:07:11,800 --> 01:07:18,120
throughout the toughest times,
giving them the best start in life.

698
01:07:25,040 --> 01:07:29,840
The Canid family have many tricks
up their sleeves, enabling them

699
01:07:29,840 --> 01:07:33,800
to survive in the most extreme
environments, from the hottest...

700
01:07:36,520 --> 01:07:38,400
..to the most bitterly cold.

701
01:07:39,760 --> 01:07:43,120
Winter on the edge of Hudson Bay,
Canada.

702
01:07:44,440 --> 01:07:51,000
Temperatures are dropping daily,
plummeting to a numbing -27 degrees.

703
01:07:53,400 --> 01:07:55,640
Life here is tough.

704
01:07:57,960 --> 01:08:01,560
Only the strongest survive
these bitter conditions.

705
01:08:03,760 --> 01:08:08,600
Polar bears, the largest land
predators, prowl the Tundra.

706
01:08:10,720 --> 01:08:15,920
But there's another formidable,
somewhat smaller, hunter who stalks

707
01:08:15,920 --> 01:08:17,520
this frozen landscape.

708
01:08:29,440 --> 01:08:31,080
The Arctic fox.

709
01:08:33,920 --> 01:08:35,960
Perfectly hidden against the snow...

710
01:08:36,960 --> 01:08:40,800
..they are uniquely adapted
to thrive in the frozen north.

711
01:08:44,400 --> 01:08:48,760
Their winter coat not only provides
the perfect camouflage,

712
01:08:48,760 --> 01:08:51,760
but also incredible insulation.

713
01:08:53,320 --> 01:08:58,880
With up to 25,000 hairs per square
centimetre trapping heat close

714
01:08:58,880 --> 01:09:00,720
to the body,

715
01:09:00,720 --> 01:09:04,760
this is the warmest coat
found on any wild dog.

716
01:09:06,040 --> 01:09:11,080
Even the soles of their feet are
protected by a thick layer of fur.

717
01:09:13,040 --> 01:09:17,680
Their coat allows the foxes to stay
warm and save precious energy.

718
01:09:20,040 --> 01:09:24,000
But finding food in these bitter
conditions is a challenge.

719
01:09:36,720 --> 01:09:41,160
Later in the season, when the sea
freezes over, they'll follow polar

720
01:09:41,160 --> 01:09:44,440
bears out onto the ice and scavenge
on their kills.

721
01:09:46,120 --> 01:09:51,800
But, for now, they're stuck on land
and the foxes are forced

722
01:09:51,800 --> 01:09:53,480
to fend for themselves.

723
01:09:55,600 --> 01:09:59,280
But where to find food
in this barren expanse?

724
01:10:05,280 --> 01:10:10,160
Arctic foxes are solitary hunters,
travelling around 80km

725
01:10:10,160 --> 01:10:11,880
a day in search of food.

726
01:10:25,080 --> 01:10:28,840
But some of the best prey
can be hard to find.

727
01:10:30,600 --> 01:10:34,360
Impeccable hearing allows the fox
to locate small rodents,

728
01:10:34,360 --> 01:10:37,520
such as lemmings scuttling beneath
the surface.

729
01:10:51,080 --> 01:10:52,440
Diving head-first...

730
01:10:53,560 --> 01:10:56,160
..they break through the frozen
layer of snow.

731
01:11:10,960 --> 01:11:14,520
Sometimes even the best
hunters miss their mark.

732
01:11:20,360 --> 01:11:23,920
But, in the big freeze, a fox
must feed.

733
01:11:29,640 --> 01:11:31,960
A flipper from a seal carcass,

734
01:11:31,960 --> 01:11:34,800
a rare prize packed full of
calories.

735
01:11:36,640 --> 01:11:40,160
A find like this soon attracts
unwanted guests...

736
01:11:42,720 --> 01:11:45,480
..and this Arctic fox is not
for sharing.

737
01:12:08,640 --> 01:12:11,400
But, for the loser, all is not
lost...

738
01:12:13,480 --> 01:12:18,320
..because the secret to the Arctic
foxes success is their flexibility.

739
01:12:22,480 --> 01:12:26,520
Hidden in the snow and kept fresh
in the freezing conditions,

740
01:12:26,520 --> 01:12:30,280
these juicy lingonberries,
similar to cranberries,

741
01:12:30,280 --> 01:12:31,880
are packed with energy.

742
01:12:35,720 --> 01:12:38,240
A lifeline for a hungry fox.

743
01:12:47,480 --> 01:12:51,960
This remarkable ability
to adapt their diet allows

744
01:12:51,960 --> 01:12:59,040
these plucky predators to survive
the bitter winter and truly conquer

745
01:12:59,040 --> 01:13:00,680
these frozen lands.

746
01:13:13,320 --> 01:13:16,360
Thriving in a hostile environment
is tough,

747
01:13:16,360 --> 01:13:19,040
particularly when raising a family.

748
01:13:21,720 --> 01:13:26,280
Stretching across the centre
of North America is a sea of grass.

749
01:13:27,760 --> 01:13:32,800
These open plains cover around three
million square kilometres,

750
01:13:32,800 --> 01:13:37,120
from Canada in the north to the most
southerly states of the USA.

751
01:13:43,800 --> 01:13:47,200
This prairie habitat is one
of the largest of its kind

752
01:13:47,200 --> 01:13:51,760
in the world and home to one
of the smallest wild dogs

753
01:13:51,760 --> 01:13:53,240
in North America...

754
01:13:57,280 --> 01:13:58,880
..the swift fox.

755
01:14:08,080 --> 01:14:12,360
This female is around the size
of a house cat and has recently

756
01:14:12,360 --> 01:14:15,120
become a mother to four tiny pups.

757
01:14:18,440 --> 01:14:20,960
But she's been dealt a bitter blow.

758
01:14:22,080 --> 01:14:24,680
Her mate has disappeared
and likely died...

759
01:14:26,280 --> 01:14:30,880
..so now it's all down to her to
keep her young family safe.

760
01:14:41,160 --> 01:14:46,240
Being so small, she and her pups
make an easy target for larger

761
01:14:46,240 --> 01:14:49,480
predators, such as coyote and
eagles.

762
01:14:53,520 --> 01:14:57,880
And on the flat, open prairie,
these foxes are left exposed

763
01:14:57,880 --> 01:14:59,200
with little protection.

764
01:15:04,920 --> 01:15:09,160
However, this family
has a subterranean safe house.

765
01:15:11,360 --> 01:15:17,600
All wild dogs use dens when raising
a family, but the swift fox rely

766
01:15:17,600 --> 01:15:19,440
on theirs all year round.

767
01:15:23,320 --> 01:15:27,440
Several entrances provide plenty
of escape routes to safety

768
01:15:27,440 --> 01:15:29,480
around a metre below ground.

769
01:15:35,800 --> 01:15:40,360
This underground home also provides
the foxes with protection

770
01:15:40,360 --> 01:15:41,760
from the harsh sun.

771
01:15:52,040 --> 01:15:57,440
Being so dependent on their den
for survival, the female must ensure

772
01:15:57,440 --> 01:15:59,360
it's kept in top condition.

773
01:16:05,480 --> 01:16:08,760
With the pups distracted, mum gets
to work.

774
01:16:24,000 --> 01:16:28,440
Entrances must be kept clean...

775
01:16:28,440 --> 01:16:29,640
..and clear.

776
01:16:35,120 --> 01:16:37,880
But some things are hard to part
with.

777
01:16:42,640 --> 01:16:46,040
The remnants of a kill make an
excellent toy.

778
01:16:55,000 --> 01:16:59,480
With the housework done, mum must
ensure her territory is safe.

779
01:17:08,880 --> 01:17:13,120
Leaving the pups is a risk,
but this work is vital.

780
01:17:21,920 --> 01:17:25,240
Masking her scent by picking
up the odour of other animals

781
01:17:25,240 --> 01:17:26,680
that have passed by...

782
01:17:29,040 --> 01:17:32,880
..she reduces the risk of predators
detecting her smell

783
01:17:32,880 --> 01:17:34,400
and finding her den.

784
01:17:42,960 --> 01:17:46,080
Back at home, the pups are also hard
at work.

785
01:17:51,240 --> 01:17:55,120
Playing may help them develop
their strength, co-ordination

786
01:17:55,120 --> 01:17:56,520
and hunting skills.

787
01:18:18,400 --> 01:18:19,920
And when Mum returns...

788
01:18:24,600 --> 01:18:27,840
..even she has time for a spot
of play.

789
01:18:36,760 --> 01:18:40,640
Thanks to the security of their den,
the future looks bright

790
01:18:40,640 --> 01:18:45,520
for this new generation
and their hard-working single mum.

791
01:18:54,920 --> 01:18:57,280
Raising a family alone can be
tough...

792
01:18:58,320 --> 01:19:02,840
..but for some wild dogs, living in
a pack presents its own challenges.

793
01:19:07,640 --> 01:19:11,520
The Okavango, one of the world's
largest wetlands.

794
01:19:13,040 --> 01:19:18,200
Over nine trillion litres of water
flow through it every year.

795
01:19:21,160 --> 01:19:23,000
During the dry season,

796
01:19:23,000 --> 01:19:26,920
it provides a haven for many
of Africa's iconic species...

797
01:19:34,640 --> 01:19:39,120
..and is home to one of the most
successful hunters in the world.

798
01:19:40,800 --> 01:19:44,040
Meet the African wild dog.

799
01:19:48,880 --> 01:19:53,160
This dog faces a tough existence,
living amongst other larger

800
01:19:53,160 --> 01:19:57,400
predators, such as lions
and leopards.

801
01:20:00,320 --> 01:20:03,440
On their own, they are destined
to fail.

802
01:20:05,680 --> 01:20:10,000
But one of their keys to success
is family.

803
01:20:11,440 --> 01:20:14,720
African wild dogs find strength
in numbers

804
01:20:14,720 --> 01:20:17,320
and of all the wild dogs
across the world...

805
01:20:18,760 --> 01:20:21,600
..these are the most sociable.

806
01:20:24,040 --> 01:20:27,720
This family is known to scientists
as the Ninja Pack.

807
01:20:29,280 --> 01:20:33,920
They are part of the longest large
predator research project in
Botswana.

808
01:20:36,200 --> 01:20:39,880
Made up of four adults,
the pack has a strict hierarchy.

809
01:20:41,040 --> 01:20:45,280
The most dominant male and female
are the joint heads of the family.

810
01:20:47,640 --> 01:20:52,440
They form the alpha pair and are
usually the only ones to breed.

811
01:20:55,240 --> 01:20:57,960
For the Ninja Pack, it's been a good
year.

812
01:21:00,280 --> 01:21:05,000
With seven new boisterous pups,
the family has tripled in size.

813
01:21:08,120 --> 01:21:11,960
The youngsters are growing fast
and are more demanding than ever.

814
01:21:15,280 --> 01:21:18,120
To provide enough
food for the entire family,

815
01:21:18,120 --> 01:21:19,800
the pack needs to hunt.

816
01:21:22,560 --> 01:21:26,480
But with temperatures soaring
to over 30 degrees in the middle
of the day...

817
01:21:27,800 --> 01:21:29,200
..it's too hot.

818
01:21:34,640 --> 01:21:37,480
The pack has no
choice but to find shade.

819
01:21:46,280 --> 01:21:48,840
Rest and wait.

820
01:21:51,960 --> 01:21:54,920
Their coats, which are unique to
each dog, much

821
01:21:54,920 --> 01:21:58,920
like our fingerprints, may also
help to camouflage them.

822
01:22:18,000 --> 01:22:21,240
But out here in the bush,
with noisy neighbours...

823
01:22:22,440 --> 01:22:24,400
..the peace never lasts long.

824
01:22:31,920 --> 01:22:35,240
And a family of rhino is enough
to get the pack moving.

825
01:22:38,720 --> 01:22:41,160
The dogs quickly turn
their attention to food.

826
01:22:45,120 --> 01:22:46,440
A herd of buffalo.

827
01:22:48,000 --> 01:22:51,000
They're far too big for one
dog to take on alone.

828
01:22:53,280 --> 01:22:55,840
They could even kill a single wild
dog.

829
01:22:58,400 --> 01:23:01,200
If they are to eat, they need the
whole pack.

830
01:23:05,440 --> 01:23:09,160
But how does a group of 11 dogs make
the decision

831
01:23:09,160 --> 01:23:12,160
that now is the right time to hunt?

832
01:23:14,400 --> 01:23:17,520
The secret is a pre-hunt rally.

833
01:23:19,520 --> 01:23:24,160
The whole pack performs high-energy,
almost play-like behaviour.

834
01:23:26,720 --> 01:23:29,840
The dog version of a pre-match
huddle,

835
01:23:29,840 --> 01:23:33,720
getting each family member
in sync and fired up.

836
01:23:39,920 --> 01:23:44,120
But scientists studying the Ninja
Pack and other wild dog packs

837
01:23:44,120 --> 01:23:48,640
in the Okavango have discovered
something even more intriguing.

838
01:23:50,560 --> 01:23:56,720
Just before, and during a rally,
the dogs begin to sneeze.

839
01:23:59,240 --> 01:24:03,200
There were several theories
as to why the dogs do this, but one

840
01:24:03,200 --> 01:24:05,080
study suggests it could,

841
01:24:05,080 --> 01:24:09,280
believe it or not, be a complex
voting system.

842
01:24:11,360 --> 01:24:16,160
If there are enough sneezes,
the pack will be more likely to move

843
01:24:16,160 --> 01:24:20,240
off and hunt. If not, they will
stay and rest.

844
01:24:23,480 --> 01:24:24,880
Sneezing completed...

845
01:24:26,000 --> 01:24:27,240
..the decision is made.

846
01:24:28,360 --> 01:24:30,280
The hunt is on.

847
01:24:35,040 --> 01:24:40,160
African wild dogs can cover over
10km a day in search of food.

848
01:24:49,200 --> 01:24:50,520
A herd of Impala.

849
01:24:59,320 --> 01:25:01,280
The pack set off in pursuit...

850
01:25:03,120 --> 01:25:05,320
..led by the subordinate female.

851
01:25:35,840 --> 01:25:38,840
And, working together, they've made
a kill.

852
01:25:42,280 --> 01:25:46,200
Each dog eats around 5kg
of meat in a single sitting.

853
01:25:47,200 --> 01:25:49,000
Nothing goes to waste.

854
01:25:54,240 --> 01:25:57,560
Finally, bellies full, they can
rest.

855
01:25:59,600 --> 01:26:02,400
Providing for a family can take
a whole pack.

856
01:26:06,320 --> 01:26:09,080
But for one wild dog, all they
need...

857
01:26:11,520 --> 01:26:13,360
..is the perfect partner.

858
01:26:17,600 --> 01:26:22,360
This is the largest Savannah
in South America, the Cerrado.

859
01:26:24,360 --> 01:26:26,760
Covering nearly a quarter of Brazil,

860
01:26:26,760 --> 01:26:30,840
it's made up of grasslands,
forests and swamps

861
01:26:30,840 --> 01:26:33,400
and increasingly agricultural land.

862
01:26:37,040 --> 01:26:43,600
10% of all Brazilian species
are found here, including a wild dog

863
01:26:43,600 --> 01:26:46,160
that's seen nowhere else on Earth.

864
01:26:47,880 --> 01:26:51,440
The small-toothed dog
or the hoary fox.

865
01:27:01,200 --> 01:27:04,280
This male is known to scientists
as Peter.

866
01:27:07,560 --> 01:27:09,840
He's part of a research
population...

867
01:27:11,160 --> 01:27:13,920
..and has recently paired
up with this female.

868
01:27:16,720 --> 01:27:19,200
It's the breeding season
and the strength

869
01:27:19,200 --> 01:27:21,480
of this new partnership is key

870
01:27:21,480 --> 01:27:24,600
if they are to successfully
raise a family.

871
01:27:27,000 --> 01:27:28,400
The stakes are high.

872
01:27:34,680 --> 01:27:38,080
As darkness falls,
the pair begin the night shift.

873
01:27:43,120 --> 01:27:48,680
Around five weeks ago,
she gave birth to four tiny pups.

874
01:27:53,120 --> 01:27:56,320
Since then, she's spent much time
away from the den...

875
01:28:01,960 --> 01:28:04,520
..only returning to suckle her
young...

876
01:28:06,800 --> 01:28:10,960
..but her absence is critical
to her pups' survival.

877
01:28:14,680 --> 01:28:17,680
To produce enough milk,
she must eat.

878
01:28:21,400 --> 01:28:25,440
In some wild dog species,
males bring food to the female.

879
01:28:26,960 --> 01:28:31,520
But because around 80% of the
small-toothed dogs' diet is made

880
01:28:31,520 --> 01:28:37,240
up of insects, which can be found
close to her den, the best way

881
01:28:37,240 --> 01:28:41,160
for her to get enough food
is to find it for herself.

882
01:28:44,960 --> 01:28:49,000
With Mum occupied, it's down to Dad
to pick up the slack...

883
01:28:52,160 --> 01:28:54,840
..keeping a watchful eye on the pups
as they begin

884
01:28:54,840 --> 01:28:56,720
to explore their surroundings.

885
01:29:06,440 --> 01:29:09,200
They're learning early that feeding
on insects

886
01:29:09,200 --> 01:29:13,520
can be a bit...well, tricky.

887
01:29:36,680 --> 01:29:39,760
And sometimes the neighbours
get in the way.

888
01:29:44,840 --> 01:29:48,240
But it's a skill they must
master and fast.

889
01:29:50,120 --> 01:29:51,440
At this time of year,

890
01:29:51,440 --> 01:29:54,080
there's an abundance of food
the pups must learn

891
01:29:54,080 --> 01:29:55,600
to take advantage of.

892
01:29:58,040 --> 01:29:59,040
Termites.

893
01:30:02,080 --> 01:30:06,400
Just after the first rains,
something known as reborada occurs.

894
01:30:09,560 --> 01:30:13,280
Thousands of male and female
winged termites emerge

895
01:30:13,280 --> 01:30:15,280
for their annual nuptial flight.

896
01:30:20,160 --> 01:30:23,400
Peter steps in to show the pups
how it's done.

897
01:30:26,800 --> 01:30:30,680
His small muzzle contains
specialised broadened molars,

898
01:30:30,680 --> 01:30:33,480
which allow him to crush
the tough insects.

899
01:30:44,080 --> 01:30:48,840
Mimicking their dad, the pups
quickly get a taste for this new
delicacy.

900
01:30:53,320 --> 01:30:55,720
This is a key lesson for the pups.

901
01:30:56,920 --> 01:30:58,520
They're fast learners.

902
01:31:08,400 --> 01:31:11,480
But, for some, it's all been a bit
too much.

903
01:31:18,280 --> 01:31:21,480
Peter has proved himself
to be an excellent father.

904
01:31:23,440 --> 01:31:26,200
However, parenthood is taking
its toll.

905
01:31:29,720 --> 01:31:32,480
He's losing weight and condition.

906
01:31:36,680 --> 01:31:40,880
But his strong new partnership
with the female has ensured

907
01:31:40,880 --> 01:31:43,640
this breeding season
has been a success.

908
01:31:45,120 --> 01:31:49,760
In nine months' time, their pups
will have gained all the skills

909
01:31:49,760 --> 01:31:52,200
they need for an independent life.

910
01:31:57,040 --> 01:31:58,440
For some wild dogs...

911
01:31:59,720 --> 01:32:03,440
..it's the power of the pack
that's key to their success.

912
01:32:05,760 --> 01:32:07,760
The Ethiopian Highlands.

913
01:32:09,080 --> 01:32:12,320
Over 4,500 metres above sea level...

914
01:32:13,440 --> 01:32:17,440
..these towering mountains
are known as the roof of Africa.

915
01:32:21,000 --> 01:32:22,800
Living here is a challenge.

916
01:32:23,840 --> 01:32:27,760
Temperatures can fluctuate by 40
degrees in a single day.

917
01:32:30,240 --> 01:32:31,880
This habitat is unique.

918
01:32:33,440 --> 01:32:37,720
Many of the species who live here
are found nowhere else on Earth.

919
01:32:54,120 --> 01:32:56,000
..the Ethiopian wolf.

920
01:33:05,360 --> 01:33:07,960
Restricted to small
pockets of the highlands

921
01:33:07,960 --> 01:33:09,560
above the tree line,

922
01:33:09,560 --> 01:33:13,520
these wolves are thought to descend
from an ancestor similar to the grey

923
01:33:13,520 --> 01:33:18,920
wolf that arrived in Africa
from Eurasia 100,000 years ago.

924
01:33:33,880 --> 01:33:37,640
They live in a large, close-knit
family.

925
01:33:37,640 --> 01:33:39,880
This pack has some new arrivals.

926
01:33:42,760 --> 01:33:46,160
Their mother is almost certainly
the dominant female...

927
01:33:47,200 --> 01:33:50,480
..but all members of the family
will help with childcare...

928
01:33:51,480 --> 01:33:54,960
..from regurgitating food
to baby-sitting.

929
01:33:56,120 --> 01:33:58,560
Even being a climbing frame.

930
01:34:06,480 --> 01:34:12,280
However, raising a family is not the
only reason Ethiopian wolves live

931
01:34:12,280 --> 01:34:14,000
in such strong packs.

932
01:34:18,680 --> 01:34:21,120
It also gives them a key
advantage...

933
01:34:24,840 --> 01:34:27,000
..when it comes to finding food.

934
01:34:33,320 --> 01:34:36,240
Every day, the pack sets
off to hunt.

935
01:34:44,680 --> 01:34:48,280
But each wolf breaks away
to search for food alone.

936
01:35:01,640 --> 01:35:05,280
Here in the highlands, the wolf's
staple diet is rodents.

937
01:35:06,400 --> 01:35:08,160
They are everywhere.

938
01:35:12,360 --> 01:35:14,560
Grass rats make a tasty meal...

939
01:35:16,800 --> 01:35:20,080
..but they live in a colony
and are hyper vigilant.

940
01:35:26,600 --> 01:35:31,600
An easier meal can be found in the
bigger, juicier giant mole rat.

941
01:35:34,920 --> 01:35:38,520
Living alone, these unusual-looking
rodents

942
01:35:38,520 --> 01:35:41,120
rarely stray far from the safety

943
01:35:41,120 --> 01:35:42,360
of their burrow.

944
01:35:50,040 --> 01:35:53,760
The wolves employ a range of tactics
to get to the mole rats.

945
01:36:02,560 --> 01:36:04,440
Some try digging them out.

946
01:36:13,560 --> 01:36:17,880
Others use their long, slender
muzzle to reach into the burrow...

947
01:36:24,640 --> 01:36:26,600
..which isn't always successful.

948
01:36:33,120 --> 01:36:34,680
Patience is required.

949
01:36:48,800 --> 01:36:53,720
Eventually, the mole rat can't
resist a leaf just out of reach.

950
01:37:00,160 --> 01:37:01,800
Lunch at last.

951
01:37:05,680 --> 01:37:08,880
The Ethiopian wolf is a highly
skilled hunter...

952
01:37:10,080 --> 01:37:14,720
..but they also go to great lengths
to secure the best hunting grounds.

953
01:37:17,440 --> 01:37:21,640
Mole rats only live in specific
areas of the highlands...

954
01:37:27,720 --> 01:37:31,800
..so the wolves must unite
to protect their hunting rights

955
01:37:31,800 --> 01:37:33,080
and work together.

956
01:37:39,040 --> 01:37:44,040
Every day, the pack congregates
and sets off to patrol their
territory...

957
01:37:46,000 --> 01:37:49,280
..leaving scent marks to ward off
neighbouring packs.

958
01:37:54,640 --> 01:37:58,640
The larger the pack, the better
chance they have of holding

959
01:37:58,640 --> 01:38:00,080
the best territory.

960
01:38:02,360 --> 01:38:04,720
This is important now more than
ever,

961
01:38:04,720 --> 01:38:07,080
as the wolf's habitat is shrinking.

962
01:38:11,880 --> 01:38:15,360
These mountains are increasingly
being used for farming.

963
01:38:16,920 --> 01:38:22,040
Today, 60% of the Ethiopian wolf's
habitat has been converted

964
01:38:22,040 --> 01:38:27,600
to subsistence agriculture, putting
increasing pressure on the wolves.

965
01:38:35,680 --> 01:38:40,000
Fewer than 500 Ethiopian
wolves remain in the wild.

966
01:38:41,200 --> 01:38:45,040
The fate of each and every
one is critical.

967
01:38:49,280 --> 01:38:55,120
Living alongside humans can create
difficult challenges, but sometimes

968
01:38:55,120 --> 01:38:57,320
it creates new opportunities.

969
01:39:05,600 --> 01:39:08,400
In a back yard in Austin, Texas,

970
01:39:08,400 --> 01:39:11,320
nature has been left to reclaim
its territory.

971
01:39:14,120 --> 01:39:18,680
And over time has created a new
secret oasis...

972
01:39:20,920 --> 01:39:23,560
..for one of the most
nimble wild dogs.

973
01:39:27,640 --> 01:39:30,520
This is the gray fox.

974
01:39:36,760 --> 01:39:38,760
Usually found in woodland,

975
01:39:38,760 --> 01:39:43,800
this secret garden of thick brush
is the ideal substitute home...

976
01:39:45,120 --> 01:39:47,720
..and perfect for raising a family.

977
01:39:49,360 --> 01:39:51,720
At around two and a half months old,

978
01:39:51,720 --> 01:39:54,840
these pups have spent most
of their lives underground,

979
01:39:54,840 --> 01:39:56,320
in the safety of their den.

980
01:39:58,960 --> 01:40:02,200
But now they've grown over ten
times in size,

981
01:40:02,200 --> 01:40:05,320
and they're almost indistinguishable
from their mother...

982
01:40:06,720 --> 01:40:09,440
..and keen to explore
the outside world.

983
01:40:14,520 --> 01:40:17,920
But to survive here, there's
an essential skill

984
01:40:17,920 --> 01:40:20,440
every young gray fox must master.

985
01:40:25,400 --> 01:40:30,240
The gray fox has retained
an ancient talent lost by almost

986
01:40:30,240 --> 01:40:32,440
all of their wild dog cousins...

987
01:40:33,920 --> 01:40:36,160
..they can climb.

988
01:40:48,960 --> 01:40:52,200
For the pups, the urge to climb
comes naturally...

989
01:40:55,160 --> 01:40:57,240
..but they have a lot to learn.

990
01:41:16,320 --> 01:41:19,560
Luckily, they're born with the right
tools for the job.

991
01:41:22,880 --> 01:41:27,040
Their short legs and long tail
give them exceptional balance.

992
01:41:29,240 --> 01:41:32,560
Semi-retractable claws
and the ability to rotate

993
01:41:32,560 --> 01:41:36,040
their forearms provide
them with excellent grip.

994
01:41:40,720 --> 01:41:43,320
And, of course, practice
makes perfect.

995
01:41:58,360 --> 01:42:00,920
They spend the summer honing
their skills...

996
01:42:02,840 --> 01:42:07,640
..and, by the autumn, these canned
climbers can navigate the highest

997
01:42:07,640 --> 01:42:10,720
branches, even in the dead of night.

998
01:42:19,440 --> 01:42:23,760
Here, in the heights, gray foxes
hunt roosting birds.

999
01:42:28,800 --> 01:42:31,480
But the canopy offers safety, too.

1000
01:42:32,920 --> 01:42:36,760
Even in this back garden,
danger lurks in the shadows.

1001
01:42:46,360 --> 01:42:47,680
A coyote.

1002
01:42:51,160 --> 01:42:54,360
Given the chance, they'd readily
kill a gray fox.

1003
01:43:00,120 --> 01:43:05,000
But, by mastering this ancient
skill, these pups have conquered one

1004
01:43:05,000 --> 01:43:11,320
of the most unusual habitats
for wild dogs and are ready for life

1005
01:43:11,320 --> 01:43:13,280
in the safety of the trees.

1006
01:43:18,200 --> 01:43:21,200
Thriving in the suburbs
may be a challenge...

1007
01:43:22,800 --> 01:43:26,040
..but there's one wild dog that has
found sanctuary

1008
01:43:26,040 --> 01:43:27,640
in the heart of the city.

1009
01:43:39,720 --> 01:43:41,240
Tokyo,

1010
01:43:41,240 --> 01:43:44,320
the most populated metropolis
in the world.

1011
01:43:50,280 --> 01:43:53,680
38 million people call this home.

1012
01:43:55,600 --> 01:43:59,000
The constant bustle is an assault
on the senses.

1013
01:44:06,520 --> 01:44:08,960
This world created by humans...

1014
01:44:10,320 --> 01:44:15,760
..is also home to a growing
population of legendary wild dogs.

1015
01:44:19,960 --> 01:44:22,920
Statues of them can be found
across Japan.

1016
01:44:24,520 --> 01:44:29,840
Legends dating back over 800 years
say they hold supernatural powers...

1017
01:44:31,120 --> 01:44:33,920
..and can trick unsuspecting humans.

1018
01:44:38,840 --> 01:44:41,680
Shying away from the bright
city lights,

1019
01:44:41,680 --> 01:44:44,320
they inhabit the shadows
of the night.

1020
01:44:52,720 --> 01:44:55,240
This is the tanuki...

1021
01:45:00,040 --> 01:45:04,400
..otherwise known as a racoon dog
for their strong resemblance

1022
01:45:04,400 --> 01:45:05,720
to their namesake.

1023
01:45:09,800 --> 01:45:14,160
Japanese tanuki are usually
found in forests and meadows.

1024
01:45:18,040 --> 01:45:21,640
These tanuki have found
an oasis in the city.

1025
01:45:24,840 --> 01:45:29,320
Scattered amongst the high rise
buildings are pockets of green,

1026
01:45:29,320 --> 01:45:32,320
like this Buddhist temple garden,

1027
01:45:32,320 --> 01:45:36,320
which provides the perfect secret
sanctuary.

1028
01:45:38,160 --> 01:45:42,600
And over the last 30 years, numbers
of tanuki have been increasing.

1029
01:45:45,320 --> 01:45:50,560
Unlike many wild dogs, urban
tanuki aren't usually territorial.

1030
01:45:51,960 --> 01:45:55,360
Their home ranges overlap
with their neighbours, allowing them

1031
01:45:55,360 --> 01:45:57,640
to share the best city habitats.

1032
01:45:58,680 --> 01:46:01,280
But when you live so close together,

1033
01:46:01,280 --> 01:46:04,280
knowing what the neighbours
are up to is key.

1034
01:46:10,600 --> 01:46:15,280
Night vision cameras allow
us to follow the tanuki
into the darkest corners.

1035
01:46:22,640 --> 01:46:27,000
And hidden beneath the temple
is the secret to their success.

1036
01:46:29,240 --> 01:46:31,320
A communal tanuki toilet.

1037
01:46:41,440 --> 01:46:44,680
This is not just a convenient
spot to spend a penny.

1038
01:46:45,800 --> 01:46:51,040
Unlike most wild dogs, who scent
mark to ward off others, the tanuki

1039
01:46:51,040 --> 01:46:54,720
appear to use these sites to
maintain their friendly
neighbourhood.

1040
01:46:55,960 --> 01:46:59,560
Glands on the base of their tail
and on their rear end

1041
01:46:59,560 --> 01:47:02,040
add a rich mix of scent to the pile.

1042
01:47:04,080 --> 01:47:07,280
And each tanuki
has its own unique smell.

1043
01:47:18,720 --> 01:47:23,960
Like all wild dogs, tanuki
have an incredibly sensitive nose.

1044
01:47:26,640 --> 01:47:30,920
So, when other tanuki visit
this patch, they can tell who's

1045
01:47:30,920 --> 01:47:34,160
been there before them and when
they were there...

1046
01:47:36,400 --> 01:47:39,440
..before leaving their very own
calling card.

1047
01:47:41,360 --> 01:47:45,440
Knowing their neighbours' movements
may help the tanuki maintain

1048
01:47:45,440 --> 01:47:47,320
a mutual tolerance of each other.

1049
01:47:49,440 --> 01:47:52,040
This could be especially useful
in the city,

1050
01:47:52,040 --> 01:47:54,560
where urban Tanukis live in higher
densities

1051
01:47:54,560 --> 01:47:56,480
than their countryside cousins.

1052
01:48:01,160 --> 01:48:05,160
These sites may also act
as a community message board,

1053
01:48:05,160 --> 01:48:07,760
allowing the tanuki
to potentially exchange other

1054
01:48:07,760 --> 01:48:13,040
information, such as reproductive
status and even what they've eaten.

1055
01:48:16,400 --> 01:48:19,200
And the temple provides
a diverse menu...

1056
01:48:21,240 --> 01:48:24,080
..including fruit, flowers and
insects.

1057
01:48:26,080 --> 01:48:29,160
But there's also a gourmet meal
on offer.

1058
01:48:30,120 --> 01:48:33,760
Every evening, food is laid out for
the tanuki.

1059
01:48:36,920 --> 01:48:38,960
By living alongside one another,

1060
01:48:38,960 --> 01:48:42,720
sharing information and taking
advantage of their relationship

1061
01:48:42,720 --> 01:48:48,280
with humans, these tanuki can
prosper in their new urban home.

1062
01:49:03,040 --> 01:49:08,040
Wild dogs have conquered almost
every continent and every habitat

1063
01:49:08,040 --> 01:49:14,960
on Earth, thriving in some
of the toughest places and adopting

1064
01:49:14,960 --> 01:49:19,440
incredible behaviours to overcome
all of life's challenges.

1065
01:49:21,440 --> 01:49:26,200
But not all canids have managed to
adapt and survive in the modern
world.

1066
01:49:32,240 --> 01:49:37,840
Nearly 30% of all wild dog species
are either near threatened

1067
01:49:37,840 --> 01:49:39,440
or threatened with extinction...

1068
01:49:40,760 --> 01:49:42,920
..while the success of others

1069
01:49:42,920 --> 01:49:45,960
has put them in direct conflict with
humans.

1070
01:49:48,680 --> 01:49:51,440
To survive in this everchanging
world...

1071
01:49:52,480 --> 01:49:56,400
..they need space and new ways to
live alongside

1072
01:49:56,400 --> 01:49:58,480
their biggest threat...

1073
01:49:59,640 --> 01:50:00,960
..us.

1074
01:50:11,120 --> 01:50:16,040
Over the space of a year,
the Wild Dogs team filmed 22 species

1075
01:50:16,040 --> 01:50:17,680
across six continents.

1076
01:50:22,120 --> 01:50:26,360
One of the toughest dogs to film
were the African wild dogs.

1077
01:50:29,520 --> 01:50:33,680
We'd heard of their incredible
voting by sneezing behaviour

1078
01:50:33,680 --> 01:50:36,120
and headed to the Okavango
in Botswana.

1079
01:50:37,160 --> 01:50:41,440
But every year, during the dry
season, remarkably, the Okavango

1080
01:50:41,440 --> 01:50:45,000
is flooded, becoming one
of the largest inland deltas

1081
01:50:45,000 --> 01:50:50,800
in the world, a haven for wildlife,
a prime hunting ground for wild

1082
01:50:50,800 --> 01:50:56,240
dogs, and a complete nightmare
if you're a human in a vehicle.

1083
01:50:58,920 --> 01:51:03,880
The Ninja Pack are part of the
Botswana Wild Dog Research Project

1084
01:51:03,880 --> 01:51:07,160
and the alpha male is fitted with a
tracking collar...

1085
01:51:08,560 --> 01:51:11,560
..which allows the team to pinpoint
the dogs.

1086
01:51:13,120 --> 01:51:16,600
However, keeping up with them
is a different story.

1087
01:51:17,560 --> 01:51:20,400
So the dogs have crossed the river

1088
01:51:20,400 --> 01:51:24,400
and we are unable to follow them

1089
01:51:24,400 --> 01:51:28,040
at the moment, so we're going to
try and find a way

1090
01:51:28,040 --> 01:51:31,440
around the river somehow -
or through the river.

1091
01:51:32,960 --> 01:51:34,920
We just need to find the right
crossing point

1092
01:51:34,920 --> 01:51:36,640
and hopefully we don't get stuck.

1093
01:51:38,120 --> 01:51:40,520
We've got a plan. We've got a plan.

1094
01:51:49,160 --> 01:51:51,800
For three days, they try to cross.

1095
01:51:53,320 --> 01:51:54,680
Wahey!

1096
01:51:57,200 --> 01:52:01,240
Eventually, one vehicle nearly
makes it to the other side.

1097
01:52:15,200 --> 01:52:19,280
I think, once, if we ever get up,
we really just hope that the dogs

1098
01:52:19,280 --> 01:52:21,960
come back on this side of the river.
Otherwise...

1099
01:52:23,560 --> 01:52:27,720
..yeah, there is a plan B
to maybe...I think we can cross

1100
01:52:27,720 --> 01:52:30,680
further down river. It's quite far.
It's quite, quite a drive.

1101
01:52:33,560 --> 01:52:35,480
That's if we get out there.

1102
01:52:35,480 --> 01:52:40,200
The team work for several hours
and finally the vehicle is free.

1103
01:52:45,320 --> 01:52:47,160
That was pretty unsuccessful.

1104
01:52:48,280 --> 01:52:52,200
Four and a half hours trying
to get the one vehicle out.

1105
01:52:53,240 --> 01:52:57,720
Now, there's no choice but take
on an arduous six-hour round trip

1106
01:52:57,720 --> 01:53:00,760
in search of another crossing
and the dogs.

1107
01:53:02,000 --> 01:53:05,280
OK. So the water you see is
just over there.

1108
01:53:05,280 --> 01:53:08,920
This looks like our actual crossing
point and we can just hope

1109
01:53:08,920 --> 01:53:12,080
that this is the only water
we need to cross.

1110
01:53:15,080 --> 01:53:17,240
After making it across the water,

1111
01:53:17,240 --> 01:53:20,040
the team pick up the radio signal
from the dogs.

1112
01:53:21,280 --> 01:53:27,640
So, after three full days of no dogs
and many failed attempts of river

1113
01:53:27,640 --> 01:53:31,280
crossings, we finally managed to get
around

1114
01:53:31,280 --> 01:53:34,320
and look at the dogs lying over
there.

1115
01:53:36,480 --> 01:53:37,800
Finally.

1116
01:53:38,960 --> 01:53:43,400
Filming incredible behaviours
took the dedication and hard work

1117
01:53:43,400 --> 01:53:45,840
of professional film makers
across the globe.

1118
01:53:47,920 --> 01:53:52,680
However, for one wild dog, the best
behaviours were captured by amateur

1119
01:53:52,680 --> 01:53:55,120
naturalists in their own back yard.

1120
01:53:56,960 --> 01:54:00,240
In Austin, Texas, Dan Ballard
and Jane Hunter

1121
01:54:00,240 --> 01:54:02,280
have a garden like no other.

1122
01:54:03,560 --> 01:54:06,560
Every inch of it is bugged with
cameras...

1123
01:54:08,440 --> 01:54:11,520
..allowing them to capture
incredible footage

1124
01:54:11,520 --> 01:54:13,320
of a vast array of wildlife...

1125
01:54:14,520 --> 01:54:17,320
..including one very special
visitor.

1126
01:54:18,560 --> 01:54:23,040
Their land had been a regular
back yard, but, incredibly, once

1127
01:54:23,040 --> 01:54:28,320
they no longer had domestic dogs,
it allowed a wild one to move in -

1128
01:54:28,320 --> 01:54:30,960
the elusive gray fox.

1129
01:54:33,200 --> 01:54:37,200
I've had pets all my life. I love
dogs, you know? I'm a dog person.

1130
01:54:38,440 --> 01:54:41,520
And yet we've chosen to not
have them because, wow,

1131
01:54:41,520 --> 01:54:45,760
it just opened this world
up for the wildlife to come in.

1132
01:54:46,920 --> 01:54:48,880
And this sparked the beginning

1133
01:54:48,880 --> 01:54:51,680
of their incredible wildlife
filming set-up.

1134
01:54:53,920 --> 01:54:57,760
We started putting up cameras
and one camera led to another
camera,

1135
01:54:57,760 --> 01:55:01,600
which led to 40 or 50 hard-wired
cameras.

1136
01:55:02,640 --> 01:55:07,640
These all-seeing eyes positioned
in every corner of their back yard

1137
01:55:07,640 --> 01:55:12,440
offer Dan and Jane a 24/7
wildlife surveillance system.

1138
01:55:14,800 --> 01:55:18,600
And with their kitchen as the nerve
centre of the operation, they get

1139
01:55:18,600 --> 01:55:21,200
a highly privileged view
into the life

1140
01:55:21,200 --> 01:55:23,520
of the secretive gray fox.

1141
01:55:23,520 --> 01:55:26,360
The first thing we do when we get
up in the morning is we come

1142
01:55:26,360 --> 01:55:28,280
and see what's happening now,

1143
01:55:28,280 --> 01:55:31,160
and then we come and see
what happened at night.

1144
01:55:32,360 --> 01:55:36,800
The unique camera network made Dan
and Jane's back yard the perfect

1145
01:55:36,800 --> 01:55:39,280
place to film a new generation
of pups.

1146
01:55:41,560 --> 01:55:44,600
And working with camera
operator Shannon,

1147
01:55:44,600 --> 01:55:46,520
they set to work.

1148
01:55:46,520 --> 01:55:49,760
So many times when we're filming
wildlife in the wild,

1149
01:55:49,760 --> 01:55:53,600
we don't have the luxury of CCTV
cameras inside their dens

1150
01:55:53,600 --> 01:55:55,160
and around the area.

1151
01:55:56,360 --> 01:56:00,040
But, even with the best set-up,
you need willing stars.

1152
01:56:06,240 --> 01:56:07,440
They're sleeping.

1153
01:56:13,520 --> 01:56:15,040
Then, finally...

1154
01:56:35,640 --> 01:56:38,480
But this was just the start.

1155
01:56:38,480 --> 01:56:42,880
Dan and Jane's super surveillance
system and Shannon's expert filming

1156
01:56:42,880 --> 01:56:46,200
allowed them to capture
the gray foxes'

1157
01:56:46,200 --> 01:56:50,720
rarely seen unique climbing
behaviour, even at night.

1158
01:56:56,320 --> 01:57:00,880
For Dan and Jane, their set-up is a
long-term project, allowing

1159
01:57:00,880 --> 01:57:04,080
them to share their back yard
wildlife with the world.

1160
01:57:05,760 --> 01:57:11,040
We've seen from our YouTube channel
and social media that watching

1161
01:57:11,040 --> 01:57:14,800
these animals is fascinating
to people all over the world.

1162
01:57:17,040 --> 01:57:19,880
It lets people step right
into that world.

1163
01:57:19,880 --> 01:57:24,440
If the fox pups
are in the den, underground,

1164
01:57:24,440 --> 01:57:26,240
I feel like I'm under there
with them.

1165
01:57:27,680 --> 01:57:31,920
Yeah, it's hugely powerful -
to be able to convey that and show

1166
01:57:31,920 --> 01:57:33,960
it to the rest of the world.

1167
01:57:39,920 --> 01:57:42,960
Next time,
meet the passionate people...

1168
01:57:42,960 --> 01:57:45,360
One of the most beautiful
species on Earth.

1169
01:57:45,360 --> 01:57:48,040
..who are on the front line
of discovery...

1170
01:57:48,040 --> 01:57:52,000
Look, there it is.
..closer than ever before...

1171
01:57:52,000 --> 01:57:54,280
This is pup two. ..to the canids.

1172
01:57:54,280 --> 01:57:58,120
It's a beautiful gift of the nature.

1173
01:58:38,400 --> 01:58:39,520
The canids.

1174
01:58:45,960 --> 01:58:46,960
One family.

1175
01:58:49,080 --> 01:58:51,800
37 different faces.

1176
01:59:01,720 --> 01:59:02,760
Wolves.

1177
01:59:04,160 --> 01:59:05,280
Foxes.

1178
01:59:06,800 --> 01:59:07,840
Jackals.

1179
01:59:09,240 --> 01:59:10,160
Coyotes...

1180
01:59:11,720 --> 01:59:12,920
..and dogs.

1181
01:59:16,800 --> 01:59:22,520
Right now across the world, people
are going to extraordinary lengths

1182
01:59:22,520 --> 01:59:26,800
to understand and help these
amazing species.

1183
01:59:26,960 --> 01:59:28,800
This is pup two.

1184
01:59:28,800 --> 01:59:30,800
Making incredible discoveries.

1185
01:59:31,800 --> 01:59:34,040
Oh, nice. Jackal!

1186
01:59:34,200 --> 01:59:37,760
Getting closer than ever
before to these elusive

1187
01:59:37,760 --> 01:59:39,760
and secretive animals.

1188
01:59:39,760 --> 01:59:43,040
Beautiful gift of the nature.

1189
01:59:43,040 --> 01:59:48,080
Uncovering what it takes to be a
wild dog in our modern world.

1190
01:59:49,320 --> 01:59:54,560
Forever changing our understanding
of this incredible family.

1191
02:00:13,920 --> 02:00:15,680
African wild dogs.

1192
02:00:19,120 --> 02:00:21,760
Living in packs of up to 40 strong.

1193
02:00:24,440 --> 02:00:25,640
They hunt together.

1194
02:00:27,840 --> 02:00:29,240
Raise pups together.

1195
02:00:31,680 --> 02:00:33,880
And defend their territories
together.

1196
02:00:38,040 --> 02:00:42,280
But it's their highly developed
social and emotional bonds that sets

1197
02:00:42,280 --> 02:00:44,520
them apart from other canids.

1198
02:00:50,640 --> 02:00:55,360
And now we are starting
to uncover just how vital family

1199
02:00:55,360 --> 02:00:57,320
is to their very survival.

1200
02:01:03,120 --> 02:01:07,880
Cole du Plessis has been working
with wild dogs for over ten years.

1201
02:01:10,840 --> 02:01:15,240
Across Southern Africa, wild dogs
are persecuted by humans who see

1202
02:01:15,240 --> 02:01:18,520
them as a threat to livestock
and game animals.

1203
02:01:22,400 --> 02:01:27,000
Cole and his team work tirelessly
rescuing injured dogs

1204
02:01:27,000 --> 02:01:29,000
that have been caught in traps
or shot.

1205
02:01:31,840 --> 02:01:35,960
Critically injured dogs
are relocated to secure facilities.

1206
02:01:40,600 --> 02:01:43,560
Here they receive
round-the-clock care

1207
02:01:43,560 --> 02:01:45,720
to nurse them back to health.

1208
02:01:51,800 --> 02:01:55,560
But Cole and his team have noticed
something puzzling happening

1209
02:01:55,560 --> 02:01:56,920
to the rescued dogs.

1210
02:01:58,680 --> 02:02:00,160
We had an alpha female.

1211
02:02:00,160 --> 02:02:01,800
She had been caught in a snare.

1212
02:02:02,920 --> 02:02:06,400
A vet rushes out, catches
the dog, takes it back

1213
02:02:06,400 --> 02:02:08,640
to a rehabilitation centre.

1214
02:02:08,640 --> 02:02:11,880
And despite the physical
injuries actually healing,

1215
02:02:11,880 --> 02:02:14,400
she really wasn't getting
any better.

1216
02:02:14,800 --> 02:02:16,360
And she actually died.

1217
02:02:18,000 --> 02:02:21,320
Despite recovering
from their injuries, the dogs

1218
02:02:21,320 --> 02:02:23,040
were mysteriously dying.

1219
02:02:28,000 --> 02:02:32,440
Seeking answers to this mystery,
they looked at the postmortems.

1220
02:02:35,280 --> 02:02:37,920
This postmortem speaks about
adrenal

1221
02:02:37,920 --> 02:02:42,720
glands enlarged focal lesions on the
liver and ulcers around the stomach.

1222
02:02:42,720 --> 02:02:45,800
These are all very common
cases of stress.

1223
02:02:46,840 --> 02:02:50,080
These symptoms are known
indicators of stress in other

1224
02:02:50,080 --> 02:02:52,480
animals, including humans.

1225
02:02:54,640 --> 02:02:56,960
But are they enough to cause
a dog to die?

1226
02:02:59,440 --> 02:03:02,680
One postmortem in particular
led Cole's team

1227
02:03:02,680 --> 02:03:04,480
to a ground-breaking discovery.

1228
02:03:05,960 --> 02:03:09,000
In this particular case, they kept
the dog there for ten days

1229
02:03:09,000 --> 02:03:11,600
and she actually died ten days
later.

1230
02:03:11,600 --> 02:03:13,240
When they did the postmortem,

1231
02:03:13,240 --> 02:03:16,440
they were again shocked to find that
as well, the dog had actually died

1232
02:03:16,440 --> 02:03:18,280
of Broken Heart Syndrome.

1233
02:03:19,960 --> 02:03:23,200
It's effectively heart ruptures
or stress around the heart,

1234
02:03:23,200 --> 02:03:26,120
which is how the Broken
Heart Syndrome got its name.

1235
02:03:28,080 --> 02:03:30,920
Broken Heart Syndrome is
a condition that affects

1236
02:03:30,920 --> 02:03:32,720
humans after bereavement.

1237
02:03:34,800 --> 02:03:38,520
And astonishingly, this
is what killed the dogs.

1238
02:03:40,400 --> 02:03:45,520
Dogs in the wild grieve the death
of a family member, often becoming

1239
02:03:45,520 --> 02:03:47,520
visibly depressed and withdrawn.

1240
02:03:51,120 --> 02:03:53,240
Cole noticed the dogs in
rehabilitation

1241
02:03:53,240 --> 02:03:55,840
were suffering from extreme grief

1242
02:03:55,840 --> 02:03:57,480
when separated from their pack.

1243
02:03:58,760 --> 02:04:01,640
As much as they are resilient
and tough animals, they're also

1244
02:04:01,640 --> 02:04:05,040
very emotionally driven animals
and they need that sort of emotional

1245
02:04:05,040 --> 02:04:06,840
backing or support to help them.

1246
02:04:08,080 --> 02:04:12,520
Then there's that real community
structure that helps wild dogs heal.

1247
02:04:15,800 --> 02:04:20,440
But how to treat rescue dogs
in captivity without causing high

1248
02:04:20,440 --> 02:04:24,160
levels of stress to these
emotionally sensitive animals?

1249
02:04:31,280 --> 02:04:36,120
One fateful day, Cole received
a call about a badly-injured dog

1250
02:04:36,120 --> 02:04:38,720
that was affectionately
nicknamed Teardrop.

1251
02:04:41,160 --> 02:04:44,680
One day, the pack had left
the protected area and came

1252
02:04:44,680 --> 02:04:48,320
in contact with a farmer
that opened fire on them and shot

1253
02:04:48,320 --> 02:04:49,640
several pack members.

1254
02:04:51,960 --> 02:04:55,000
The dogs were shot simply
because they ventured

1255
02:04:55,000 --> 02:04:56,400
onto the farmer's land.

1256
02:05:00,360 --> 02:05:04,160
Teardrop was luckily one of the ones
that actually survived the shooting

1257
02:05:04,160 --> 02:05:08,400
incident and the gunshot wound that
came through her front left leg

1258
02:05:08,400 --> 02:05:10,600
and exited just below her chest
here.

1259
02:05:12,080 --> 02:05:15,680
But how would Cole prevent Teardrop
from suffering the fatal

1260
02:05:15,680 --> 02:05:18,520
consequences of Broken Heart
Syndrome?

1261
02:05:20,840 --> 02:05:25,440
We opted to take the surviving pack
members and treat her with them,

1262
02:05:25,440 --> 02:05:29,120
but she had to undergo six-to-eight
months' worth of rehabilitation

1263
02:05:29,120 --> 02:05:32,560
before she could once again put
weight on her leg and on her chest.

1264
02:05:34,880 --> 02:05:38,760
By keeping all the pack members
rescued with Teardrop by her side

1265
02:05:38,760 --> 02:05:43,920
throughout her recovery, she had the
emotional support that she needed.

1266
02:05:45,600 --> 02:05:50,280
We've seen some very horrific
injuries before, but this recovery

1267
02:05:50,280 --> 02:05:52,600
was just quite remarkable,
to say the least.

1268
02:05:55,640 --> 02:05:58,160
Today is a big day for Teardrop.

1269
02:05:58,160 --> 02:06:00,680
Having been carefully sedated,

1270
02:06:00,680 --> 02:06:04,640
Cole's moving her and her pack
to a new, safer home

1271
02:06:04,640 --> 02:06:06,480
in a protected national park.

1272
02:06:08,080 --> 02:06:11,840
And they get to travel
in their own private plane.

1273
02:06:17,680 --> 02:06:21,760
Since Cole and his team
made their remarkable discovery,

1274
02:06:21,760 --> 02:06:26,760
every single critically-injured
wild dog rescued with healthy pack

1275
02:06:26,760 --> 02:06:30,160
members has made a full recovery.

1276
02:06:38,200 --> 02:06:41,320
And been successfully returned
to the wild.

1277
02:06:52,520 --> 02:06:56,480
Every single wild dog that's saved
plays a critical role

1278
02:06:56,480 --> 02:06:58,960
in the survival of this
highly-endangered,

1279
02:06:58,960 --> 02:07:01,320
emotionally-intelligent species.

1280
02:07:08,680 --> 02:07:13,320
We are in a golden age of canid
scientific discovery.

1281
02:07:15,800 --> 02:07:18,600
Discoveries that are leading
to positive changes

1282
02:07:18,600 --> 02:07:20,440
for species across the world.

1283
02:07:23,920 --> 02:07:24,880
Brazil.

1284
02:07:26,560 --> 02:07:31,600
Once covered in natural grassland
and forest known as Cerrado.

1285
02:07:36,000 --> 02:07:38,720
Nearly half has been cleared
for agriculture.

1286
02:07:41,680 --> 02:07:46,280
Crops, including soya, coffee
and sugar cane, now grow here...

1287
02:07:47,520 --> 02:07:51,400
..covering over 83-million
hectares of land.

1288
02:07:54,600 --> 02:07:58,960
These industrial-sized plantations
can't support the vibrant array

1289
02:07:58,960 --> 02:08:00,920
of wildlife that once lived here.

1290
02:08:06,880 --> 02:08:11,400
But reports of strange creatures
living amongst the crops has brought

1291
02:08:11,400 --> 02:08:15,480
biologist Rogerio Cunha de Paula
to find out more.

1292
02:08:18,360 --> 02:08:23,400
His first move - to set up a network
of camera traps.

1293
02:08:25,480 --> 02:08:28,280
And the results
have been extraordinary.

1294
02:08:32,720 --> 02:08:34,360
Maned wolves.

1295
02:08:36,560 --> 02:08:39,040
Normally found in natural
grassland...

1296
02:08:40,400 --> 02:08:43,080
..seeing them living in crops
was remarkable.

1297
02:08:45,120 --> 02:08:47,040
We found so many wolves here.

1298
02:08:47,040 --> 02:08:50,760
That was incredibly surprise for us.

1299
02:08:50,760 --> 02:08:54,080
I never expected to find
the population in a good shape

1300
02:08:54,080 --> 02:08:56,520
that we found here.

1301
02:08:56,520 --> 02:08:59,560
And the footage reveals
something even more surprising.

1302
02:09:01,360 --> 02:09:02,400
Pups.

1303
02:09:06,880 --> 02:09:11,560
To see the mother with a puppy,
for us was amazing,

1304
02:09:11,560 --> 02:09:16,720
because those little guys walking
just by a sugar cane plantation,

1305
02:09:16,720 --> 02:09:18,360
we never expected that.

1306
02:09:22,520 --> 02:09:26,000
Maned wolves are grassland
specialists.

1307
02:09:26,000 --> 02:09:31,120
They can eat a variety of food -
small mammals, fruit,

1308
02:09:31,120 --> 02:09:32,440
and even vegetables.

1309
02:09:33,920 --> 02:09:38,360
Their extremely long legs make
them the tallest of all wild dogs.

1310
02:09:39,360 --> 02:09:43,000
And allow them to move through
and see above tall vegetation.

1311
02:09:46,520 --> 02:09:48,920
Their large ears help them listen
for small prey

1312
02:09:48,920 --> 02:09:50,760
hiding in the undergrowth.

1313
02:09:54,400 --> 02:09:59,360
One swift pounce and lunch is served.

1314
02:10:06,600 --> 02:10:10,640
At first glance, these maned wolves
seem to be living successfully

1315
02:10:10,640 --> 02:10:12,480
in this agricultural landscape.

1316
02:10:14,120 --> 02:10:17,200
Something that Rogerio
had never seen before.

1317
02:10:18,720 --> 02:10:20,800
But, he's discovered a problem.

1318
02:10:22,120 --> 02:10:25,280
We found that puppies were dying.

1319
02:10:27,520 --> 02:10:31,360
All the families we monitoring
were losing their puppies.

1320
02:10:40,240 --> 02:10:44,360
To find out more, Rogerio
and his team must closely track

1321
02:10:44,360 --> 02:10:46,200
the adult wolves' movements.

1322
02:10:49,640 --> 02:10:52,480
This is a GPS satellite collar.

1323
02:10:53,480 --> 02:10:57,920
It registers her location one
hour, every hour,

1324
02:10:57,920 --> 02:11:02,840
all her information on the locations
where she is.

1325
02:11:04,720 --> 02:11:10,240
Activities, so she's moving, she's
sleeping, where she's going.

1326
02:11:19,360 --> 02:11:22,560
The collar is lightweight
and harmless to the wolf.

1327
02:11:31,960 --> 02:11:37,000
By laying the GPS locations of the
wolves over a map of the farm,

1328
02:11:37,000 --> 02:11:42,040
Rogerio can build up a picture
of where they live in the farmland.

1329
02:11:44,120 --> 02:11:49,160
This picture shows that
we have the tracking data

1330
02:11:49,160 --> 02:11:51,440
for one single wolf.

1331
02:11:51,440 --> 02:11:55,240
This is a female we've been
monitoring for three years now.

1332
02:11:55,240 --> 02:11:59,960
The red dot is the year one
and the green, the year two.

1333
02:11:59,960 --> 02:12:04,080
Here you have the animal
concentrating in the sugar cane

1334
02:12:04,080 --> 02:12:07,160
when the sugar cane was taller.

1335
02:12:07,160 --> 02:12:11,520
This data shows Rogerio that the
taller crops provide a vital

1336
02:12:11,520 --> 02:12:13,120
habitat for the wolves.

1337
02:12:15,200 --> 02:12:17,000
As grassland specialists,

1338
02:12:17,000 --> 02:12:20,840
they have learned to live in these
vast sugar cane plantations.

1339
02:12:22,920 --> 02:12:26,120
Here, there's an abundance
of prey for them to hunt.

1340
02:12:30,040 --> 02:12:32,400
Until harvest time...

1341
02:12:34,120 --> 02:12:37,120
..when the maned wolves' world
is flattened.

1342
02:12:39,680 --> 02:12:42,960
So, in one day you have a tall
sugar cane.

1343
02:12:42,960 --> 02:12:45,840
The following day you have nothing,
like a desert.

1344
02:12:48,320 --> 02:12:51,560
Harvested fields can't provide
the mother wolves with the food

1345
02:12:51,560 --> 02:12:53,920
they desperately
need to raise their pups.

1346
02:12:56,040 --> 02:13:00,400
And the farms are so vast there's
not enough natural grassland

1347
02:13:00,400 --> 02:13:03,440
for the wolves to hunt
in during the harvest time.

1348
02:13:05,320 --> 02:13:07,160
But what can be done?

1349
02:13:08,840 --> 02:13:10,680
Working with local farmers,

1350
02:13:10,680 --> 02:13:14,200
Rogerio has come up with a
brilliantly simple solution.

1351
02:13:29,880 --> 02:13:33,600
By leaving some areas uncut
during harvest season,

1352
02:13:33,600 --> 02:13:36,800
the wolves have just enough crop
to hunt in.

1353
02:13:38,520 --> 02:13:41,880
And enough food and shelter
to raise their pups.

1354
02:13:49,640 --> 02:13:54,400
In return, the wolves help control
rodents that eat the farmers' crops.

1355
02:13:57,040 --> 02:14:02,640
By doing all this management
on the croplands and the harvesting,

1356
02:14:02,640 --> 02:14:07,880
we start improving the quality
of habitats and doing

1357
02:14:07,880 --> 02:14:09,920
this farm by farm,

1358
02:14:09,920 --> 02:14:14,080
we have a better habitat in general
for this entire region.

1359
02:14:15,320 --> 02:14:18,480
Now, Rogerio's work is starting
to have an impact.

1360
02:14:19,920 --> 02:14:24,640
And for the first time, he's seeing
maned wolf pups grow into adulthood

1361
02:14:24,640 --> 02:14:27,000
and survive in these plantations.

1362
02:14:30,680 --> 02:14:35,560
It's small, positive steps like
these that make a big difference

1363
02:14:35,560 --> 02:14:37,760
for the maned wolves of Brazil.

1364
02:14:50,600 --> 02:14:54,960
Understanding the secret lives
of canids is the best tool

1365
02:14:54,960 --> 02:14:57,040
we have to help them survive.

1366
02:15:01,720 --> 02:15:04,400
On the Great Plains of North America

1367
02:15:04,400 --> 02:15:07,400
lives one of the planet's
smallest dogs.

1368
02:15:12,320 --> 02:15:13,920
The Swift Fox.

1369
02:15:19,400 --> 02:15:21,680
No bigger than a house cat,

1370
02:15:21,680 --> 02:15:26,080
this characterful canid lives
in tight-knit family groups.

1371
02:15:30,400 --> 02:15:32,400
Always staying close
to their burrow...

1372
02:15:33,640 --> 02:15:36,440
..it's a safe place to hide
from larger predators.

1373
02:15:41,720 --> 02:15:45,640
Today, the Swift Foxes of America
are confined to pockets

1374
02:15:45,640 --> 02:15:47,000
of the Great Plains.

1375
02:15:52,000 --> 02:15:55,880
But researchers Hila Shamon
and Kimberley Todd are studying

1376
02:15:55,880 --> 02:16:00,440
this fox in an effort to reinstate
their population far and wide.

1377
02:16:04,160 --> 02:16:05,520
These guys are tiny.

1378
02:16:05,520 --> 02:16:08,560
I think one of the most beautiful
species on Earth, really.

1379
02:16:09,640 --> 02:16:14,560
Swift Fox used to be very common
across the Great Plains,

1380
02:16:14,560 --> 02:16:18,920
Saskatchewan, Alberta, all
the way down to Mexico.

1381
02:16:18,920 --> 02:16:22,400
But around the 1930s,

1382
02:16:22,400 --> 02:16:25,200
they were
eliminated to less than 10%

1383
02:16:25,200 --> 02:16:26,720
of their historical range.

1384
02:16:28,920 --> 02:16:32,880
The Swift Fox was a casualty
of predator control programmes

1385
02:16:32,880 --> 02:16:37,200
that targeted wolves, coyotes
and prairie dogs.

1386
02:16:38,680 --> 02:16:43,080
But there's a bold plan to secure
the future of the Swift Fox.

1387
02:16:45,920 --> 02:16:49,160
Hila and Kimberley are at the start
of a five-year project.

1388
02:16:50,320 --> 02:16:53,800
Relocating fox families
from this healthy population

1389
02:16:53,800 --> 02:16:58,920
in Wyoming to Fort Belknap Indian
Reservation in Montana

1390
02:16:58,920 --> 02:17:00,920
800km away.

1391
02:17:02,000 --> 02:17:06,400
Re-establishing a fox population
there and gradually expanding

1392
02:17:06,400 --> 02:17:07,680
the species range.

1393
02:17:10,560 --> 02:17:14,040
But there are risks when relocating
wild animals.

1394
02:17:15,400 --> 02:17:19,480
Not every family group is able
to adapt to a new territory.

1395
02:17:21,320 --> 02:17:24,520
So, which of the fox families
should be moved?

1396
02:17:27,400 --> 02:17:31,240
They believe the answer may depend
on a surprising factor.

1397
02:17:33,880 --> 02:17:35,080
Personality.

1398
02:17:36,400 --> 02:17:38,360
What we're doing here in Wyoming

1399
02:17:38,360 --> 02:17:41,520
is trying to understand how
different

1400
02:17:41,520 --> 02:17:46,680
personalities and behaviours,
how would that impact survival

1401
02:17:46,680 --> 02:17:50,000
of translocated individuals.

1402
02:17:50,000 --> 02:17:54,000
Juvenile three, resting.

1403
02:17:54,000 --> 02:17:57,880
To work out the fox personalities
present in each family

1404
02:17:57,880 --> 02:18:00,880
and how this might affect group
survival,

1405
02:18:00,880 --> 02:18:03,400
you have to observe their behaviour.

1406
02:18:04,600 --> 02:18:08,240
Hila and Kimberley first test
the personalities in the group

1407
02:18:08,240 --> 02:18:12,000
by seeing how a family reacts
to danger.

1408
02:18:12,000 --> 02:18:13,440
A predator.

1409
02:18:13,440 --> 02:18:15,920
It's almost time for the eagle
call when you're ready.

1410
02:18:15,920 --> 02:18:16,960
All right.

1411
02:18:16,960 --> 02:18:22,200
Three, two, one, go.

1412
02:18:22,360 --> 02:18:25,240
EAGLE CALL PLAYS

1413
02:18:25,480 --> 02:18:28,880
Juveniles one, two and three,
vigilant.

1414
02:18:28,880 --> 02:18:32,400
Looks like juvenile two is kind of
crouched down now.

1415
02:18:32,400 --> 02:18:35,680
So, we are seeing a variation
even between juveniles.

1416
02:18:35,680 --> 02:18:39,280
Some of them were more bold, stayed
out the den and they realised

1417
02:18:39,280 --> 02:18:40,960
quickly there was no threat.

1418
02:18:40,960 --> 02:18:45,080
While the other ones got a bit
scared and went underground.

1419
02:18:46,400 --> 02:18:48,800
By observing their response,

1420
02:18:48,800 --> 02:18:52,280
they can build a picture of the
personalities within the group.

1421
02:18:53,920 --> 02:18:56,800
Cautious animals quickly retreat
underground

1422
02:18:56,800 --> 02:18:59,400
at the first sound of danger.

1423
02:18:59,400 --> 02:19:02,440
More bold individuals stay
out in the open.

1424
02:19:05,320 --> 02:19:08,920
To record the foxes' behaviour
in more detail,

1425
02:19:08,920 --> 02:19:11,960
Hila and Kimberley deploy motion
triggered cameras...

1426
02:19:16,280 --> 02:19:20,920
..which they hope will reveal the
foxes' true personalities.

1427
02:19:27,640 --> 02:19:31,600
We just collected an SD card
from one of our trail cameras.

1428
02:19:31,600 --> 02:19:33,320
We're going to check out
what we have.

1429
02:19:35,120 --> 02:19:37,840
All right. Looks like we have

1430
02:19:37,840 --> 02:19:41,600
a pup checking out the cameras.

1431
02:19:41,600 --> 02:19:45,880
Two juveniles here kind of playing
around with each other.

1432
02:19:45,880 --> 02:19:47,680
Just goofing around. Uh-huh.

1433
02:19:47,680 --> 02:19:49,160
See the next one. Yep.

1434
02:19:50,360 --> 02:19:51,560
Being vigilant.

1435
02:19:52,760 --> 02:19:53,840
Bold.

1436
02:19:54,960 --> 02:19:56,120
Timid.

1437
02:19:57,480 --> 02:20:00,600
Inquisitive or cautious.

1438
02:20:02,200 --> 02:20:06,000
These fox families show
a wide range of personalities.

1439
02:20:07,080 --> 02:20:11,080
Adventurous families might explore
a new home, finding food

1440
02:20:11,080 --> 02:20:13,280
and resources more readily.

1441
02:20:13,280 --> 02:20:18,440
But previous studies of captive-born
Swift Foxes have shown the bolder

1442
02:20:18,440 --> 02:20:22,400
the fox, the less likely
it is to survive after release.

1443
02:20:24,000 --> 02:20:29,240
The more timid the individual,
the more it avoids potential danger.

1444
02:20:29,240 --> 02:20:33,840
A key survival strategy for such
a tiny fox.

1445
02:20:33,840 --> 02:20:36,120
If it's a bold individual, may be
very exploratory.

1446
02:20:36,120 --> 02:20:39,760
They may take risks. They may go
investigate whatever it may be.

1447
02:20:39,760 --> 02:20:42,680
As these foxes are being
translocated, they need to be able

1448
02:20:42,680 --> 02:20:45,400
to respond appropriately
to a predator.

1449
02:20:45,400 --> 02:20:47,800
So, if they encounter a coyote
or a golden eagle

1450
02:20:47,800 --> 02:20:50,840
in their new environment,
they need to know

1451
02:20:50,840 --> 02:20:53,000
when to be vigilant, when to retreat
into a den

1452
02:20:53,000 --> 02:20:55,000
so as to avoid being predated.

1453
02:20:55,000 --> 02:20:57,040
So, there are definitely
cases in the real world

1454
02:20:57,040 --> 02:21:00,440
where being really bold
and exploratory

1455
02:21:00,440 --> 02:21:02,920
can have a very negative effect.

1456
02:21:02,920 --> 02:21:07,240
It's early days, but once Hila
and Kimberley have identified

1457
02:21:07,240 --> 02:21:11,040
the different personalities
of the fox families, they'll see

1458
02:21:11,040 --> 02:21:15,280
how each group fares after
they're relocated to their new home.

1459
02:21:18,200 --> 02:21:23,800
It's time consuming work,
but it's key to securing the future

1460
02:21:23,800 --> 02:21:24,840
of the species.

1461
02:21:26,080 --> 02:21:27,720
We have to keep going.

1462
02:21:27,720 --> 02:21:29,680
We have to keep
asking those questions.

1463
02:21:29,680 --> 02:21:30,960
We have to find the answers.

1464
02:21:30,960 --> 02:21:34,080
And we have to improve our protocols
and improve the tools

1465
02:21:34,080 --> 02:21:35,600
that we have from introductions,

1466
02:21:35,600 --> 02:21:37,440
not only for a Swift Fox,
but in general.

1467
02:21:39,120 --> 02:21:44,080
If Hila and Kimberley succeed,
the plucky Swift Fox may once again

1468
02:21:44,080 --> 02:21:47,840
reclaim its historic range
and roam freely,

1469
02:21:47,840 --> 02:21:50,440
right across the Great Plains.

1470
02:22:01,560 --> 02:22:06,560
It's believed there are 37 species
of canid alive in the world today.

1471
02:22:09,160 --> 02:22:12,160
But following a series of
new discoveries, this figure

1472
02:22:12,160 --> 02:22:13,800
is changing constantly.

1473
02:22:16,920 --> 02:22:21,120
For example, in Africa,
these animals were, for years,

1474
02:22:21,120 --> 02:22:23,760
thought to be a cousin
of the Golden Jackal.

1475
02:22:25,240 --> 02:22:30,880
But, some experts now believe
they are, in fact, a species of wolf

1476
02:22:30,880 --> 02:22:33,080
hiding in plain sight.

1477
02:22:35,360 --> 02:22:40,720
They are African wolves
and their discovery is a remarkable

1478
02:22:40,720 --> 02:22:43,640
development in canid species
classification.

1479
02:22:43,680 --> 02:22:46,240
BARKING

1480
02:22:49,640 --> 02:22:54,840
In 2018, over 4,000 metres
above sea level in the highlands

1481
02:22:54,840 --> 02:22:59,560
of New Guinea, scientists discovered
a dog that had been declared extinct

1482
02:22:59,560 --> 02:23:01,920
in the wild 30 years before.

1483
02:23:06,640 --> 02:23:12,880
The New Guinea Highland Dog, a close
relation to the Australian dingo.

1484
02:23:15,640 --> 02:23:19,800
DNA analysis of individuals living
in this remote part of the island

1485
02:23:19,800 --> 02:23:25,080
proved the species was amazingly
still alive and well in the wild.

1486
02:23:31,840 --> 02:23:34,800
And even more amazing discoveries
like this

1487
02:23:34,800 --> 02:23:37,040
could be just around the corner.

1488
02:23:45,000 --> 02:23:46,000
Japan.

1489
02:23:49,880 --> 02:23:52,480
Home to a dazzling array of animals.

1490
02:23:56,560 --> 02:24:00,040
And some of the most dramatic
wilderness on Earth.

1491
02:24:05,520 --> 02:24:09,400
Deep in these ancient forests,
naturalist Hiroshi Yagi

1492
02:24:09,400 --> 02:24:10,400
is on a mission.

1493
02:24:12,240 --> 02:24:14,920
Hunting for a ghost.

1494
02:24:18,960 --> 02:24:23,360
26 years ago, he had a truly
extraordinary encounter.

1495
02:24:48,520 --> 02:24:51,640
Yagi believes he had stumbled across
an animal

1496
02:24:51,640 --> 02:24:55,200
thought to have gone extinct
over 100 years ago.

1497
02:24:56,280 --> 02:24:58,120
The Japanese wolf.

1498
02:25:07,680 --> 02:25:11,720
Wolves roamed the forests of Japan
for tens of thousands of years.

1499
02:25:13,160 --> 02:25:16,840
But in the 1800s, the country
opened up to the west.

1500
02:25:19,080 --> 02:25:23,080
Newly-arrived domestic dogs brought
canine diseases to the islands.

1501
02:25:26,040 --> 02:25:29,200
And it's thought the Japanese
wolf couldn't withstand

1502
02:25:29,200 --> 02:25:30,840
these fatal epidemics.

1503
02:25:35,360 --> 02:25:39,720
By 1905, the species was declared
extinct.

1504
02:25:43,240 --> 02:25:46,880
Ever since his encounter, Yagi
has been searching for proof

1505
02:25:46,880 --> 02:25:48,880
that the wolf still exists.

1506
02:25:51,560 --> 02:25:53,440
He already has evidence.

1507
02:25:53,440 --> 02:25:57,200
Luckily, that night
he had a camera to hand.

1508
02:26:23,800 --> 02:26:27,040
Wolves are the largest member
of the canid family.

1509
02:26:28,120 --> 02:26:33,280
Today, they live across four
continents - North America, Europe,

1510
02:26:33,280 --> 02:26:35,200
Asia, and Africa.

1511
02:26:36,680 --> 02:26:39,920
DNA studies have proved
that the Japanese wolf

1512
02:26:39,920 --> 02:26:44,760
was genetically distinct
from any of these living wolves.

1513
02:26:46,600 --> 02:26:49,840
It was found nowhere else
in the world.

1514
02:27:37,000 --> 02:27:41,680
Yagi is convinced the Japanese wolf
is not lost to history.

1515
02:27:42,880 --> 02:27:44,880
And he's not alone.

1516
02:27:44,880 --> 02:27:47,000
Every year, he receives reports

1517
02:27:47,000 --> 02:27:49,360
of wolf sightings in these
mountains.

1518
02:27:50,960 --> 02:27:52,680
Over 200 to date.

1519
02:27:55,680 --> 02:28:00,160
One of the most recent reports came
from a monk performing a conch

1520
02:28:00,160 --> 02:28:02,640
blowing ceremony
at this mountain lake.

1521
02:28:05,040 --> 02:28:08,960
And remarkably, hearing a wolf
howl in the process.

1522
02:28:11,600 --> 02:28:14,920
This amazing encounter has given
Yagi an idea.

1523
02:28:20,080 --> 02:28:25,560
His plan to recreate the ceremony
that led to the holy man hearing

1524
02:28:25,560 --> 02:28:29,240
what he believed to be a wolf
howling in the forest.

1525
02:28:30,600 --> 02:28:35,720
Wolves use howls for long distance
communication and respond to sounds

1526
02:28:35,720 --> 02:28:38,320
that are in a similar audible range.

1527
02:29:35,760 --> 02:29:38,240
The silence is a blow for Yagi.

1528
02:29:41,200 --> 02:29:43,480
But he's not about to give up hope.

1529
02:29:49,040 --> 02:29:53,040
As part of his work, Yagi
has over 70 camera traps lining

1530
02:29:53,040 --> 02:29:55,080
the sides of these mountains.

1531
02:29:56,760 --> 02:30:00,360
They keep catching glimpses
of wolf-like creatures.

1532
02:30:03,320 --> 02:30:08,840
And recently, one of his cameras
recorded something truly intriguing.

1533
02:30:11,200 --> 02:30:14,600
Three deer running past trigger
the camera to record

1534
02:30:14,600 --> 02:30:17,320
and then if you listen carefully...

1535
02:30:18,240 --> 02:30:20,720
HOWLING

1536
02:30:22,200 --> 02:30:26,200
Yagi has had this audio
compared to a wolf's howl.

1537
02:30:26,200 --> 02:30:29,840
The report concluded that the howls
were nearly identical.

1538
02:30:33,720 --> 02:30:38,000
Although the Japanese wolf has
officially been declared extinct,

1539
02:30:38,000 --> 02:30:41,840
this recording clearly begs
the question -

1540
02:30:41,840 --> 02:30:45,960
could wolves
still be hiding in these mountains?

1541
02:30:50,120 --> 02:30:52,880
Yagi's hunt is not over.

1542
02:30:52,880 --> 02:30:58,040
And for now, the mystery
of Japan's ghost wolf remains.

1543
02:31:09,600 --> 02:31:12,080
Whilst some canids may be in
hiding...

1544
02:31:14,120 --> 02:31:17,240
..others are showing up where
they've never been seen before.

1545
02:31:19,920 --> 02:31:26,120
In Eastern Europe, a very tenacious
wild dog is making a new stronghold

1546
02:31:26,120 --> 02:31:28,520
in Romania's Danube Delta.

1547
02:31:31,400 --> 02:31:32,480
The Golden Jackal.

1548
02:31:33,840 --> 02:31:37,240
One of the most adaptable members
of the canid family.

1549
02:31:38,720 --> 02:31:45,200
They're a mesocarnivore, a medium-
sized predator with a diverse diet

1550
02:31:45,200 --> 02:31:46,800
and flexible behaviour.

1551
02:31:48,480 --> 02:31:52,840
They can eat almost anything
and live almost anywhere.

1552
02:31:54,560 --> 02:31:56,400
Originally from India,

1553
02:31:56,400 --> 02:31:59,200
in recent decades,
their population has exploded.

1554
02:32:05,120 --> 02:32:07,920
And now, the species is being found
in places

1555
02:32:07,920 --> 02:32:09,760
it's never been seen before.

1556
02:32:11,600 --> 02:32:13,840
Researcher Cristian Remus Papp

1557
02:32:13,840 --> 02:32:18,800
wants to find out how rapidly
the population is spreading and why.

1558
02:32:18,800 --> 02:32:22,560
The Golden Jackal appeared
in the region of India in the late

1559
02:32:22,560 --> 02:32:25,640
Pleistocene after the last ice age.

1560
02:32:25,640 --> 02:32:28,920
It crossed the Bosphorus
and entered in Greece.

1561
02:32:28,920 --> 02:32:33,520
At the present day, it is
widespread in the Balkans.

1562
02:32:33,520 --> 02:32:35,400
In the last two decades,

1563
02:32:35,400 --> 02:32:39,600
the number of jackals really
increased significantly.

1564
02:32:43,720 --> 02:32:47,960
Cristian needs to record how many
jackals are in this area.

1565
02:32:49,400 --> 02:32:53,640
An important clue to understanding
their fast-changing population

1566
02:32:53,640 --> 02:32:55,920
and any impact they might be having.

1567
02:32:57,600 --> 02:33:00,040
We are starting at dusk
because this is the time

1568
02:33:00,040 --> 02:33:04,720
when the jackals are starting
their activity.

1569
02:33:04,720 --> 02:33:08,800
They are nocturnal species
and starting with dusk,

1570
02:33:08,800 --> 02:33:13,040
they are hunting,
they are roaming around.

1571
02:33:13,040 --> 02:33:15,160
They are checking their territories.

1572
02:33:22,320 --> 02:33:25,840
But it's not easy to see
jackals in the dead of night.

1573
02:33:27,560 --> 02:33:29,800
So Cristian turns to sound...

1574
02:33:31,200 --> 02:33:35,680
HOWLING

1575
02:33:36,400 --> 02:33:39,760
..broadcasting a recording
of a Golden Jackal howl.

1576
02:33:43,080 --> 02:33:46,840
Jackals can hear this from over 5km
away.

1577
02:33:48,320 --> 02:33:50,800
And their instinct is to howl back.

1578
02:33:52,160 --> 02:33:54,440
HOWLING

1579
02:33:54,440 --> 02:33:57,400
There is one reply from north.

1580
02:34:08,560 --> 02:34:10,200
HOWLING

1581
02:34:10,200 --> 02:34:12,520
The second one, this is much closer.

1582
02:34:13,440 --> 02:34:14,680
Northeast.

1583
02:34:19,600 --> 02:34:25,560
During his survey, Cristian
will cover 50km.

1584
02:34:26,680 --> 02:34:31,360
He records the location of each howl
he hears, building a picture

1585
02:34:31,360 --> 02:34:33,560
of the jackal population
in the area.

1586
02:34:36,480 --> 02:34:41,320
In response to the call, jackals
usually move closer to investigate.

1587
02:34:42,960 --> 02:34:44,760
Cristian uses a thermal camera

1588
02:34:44,760 --> 02:34:47,800
to pick out the approaching animals
in the darkness.

1589
02:34:49,640 --> 02:34:52,120
Yes, I can see one.

1590
02:34:52,120 --> 02:34:54,760
Sneaking through the thick
undergrowth,

1591
02:34:54,760 --> 02:34:59,000
the jackals' warm bodies light
up as a glowing yellow shape

1592
02:34:59,000 --> 02:35:01,400
against the cool purple surroundings.

1593
02:35:01,400 --> 02:35:02,880
INDISTINCT

1594
02:35:02,880 --> 02:35:03,960
Look!

1595
02:35:05,480 --> 02:35:06,600
There it is.

1596
02:35:09,120 --> 02:35:11,000
I could see the eyes of the jackal.

1597
02:35:13,240 --> 02:35:17,320
Eventually, the jackals' instinct
to investigate becomes so strong...

1598
02:35:18,680 --> 02:35:20,200
..they appear in the spotlight.

1599
02:35:21,840 --> 02:35:23,160
They are really curious.

1600
02:35:24,480 --> 02:35:26,320
And they try to approach us.

1601
02:35:29,080 --> 02:35:33,560
Cristian's surveys reveal
that in just over five years,

1602
02:35:33,560 --> 02:35:37,160
the number of jackals in Romania
has doubled.

1603
02:35:38,640 --> 02:35:42,840
It's estimated there are now
20,000 jackals here.

1604
02:35:44,080 --> 02:35:46,160
The species is doing so well

1605
02:35:46,160 --> 02:35:49,720
it's venturing west and north
across the European continent.

1606
02:35:51,200 --> 02:35:55,120
Reaching so far, they've actually
hit the headlines.

1607
02:36:11,080 --> 02:36:13,120
And the cause of this incredible
spread?

1608
02:36:14,400 --> 02:36:19,000
People hunting one of their main
competitors - the wolf.

1609
02:36:20,320 --> 02:36:26,040
The Golden Jackal started to spread
in Europe due to several factors.

1610
02:36:26,040 --> 02:36:28,960
The most important is the fact
that the number

1611
02:36:28,960 --> 02:36:31,160
of the grey wolf decreased.

1612
02:36:32,840 --> 02:36:36,840
The adaptable jackal is moving
in where the wolves once lived.

1613
02:36:37,920 --> 02:36:40,600
Taking advantage of the lack
of competition

1614
02:36:40,600 --> 02:36:42,320
for food and territory.

1615
02:36:46,280 --> 02:36:49,480
Jackals have been seen for the first
time in Italy.

1616
02:36:51,720 --> 02:36:52,800
Austria.

1617
02:36:54,000 --> 02:36:59,680
And astonishingly, in 2021, it was
confirmed that a Golden Jackal

1618
02:36:59,680 --> 02:37:04,520
had even made it as far north
as the Arctic Circle in Norway.

1619
02:37:09,160 --> 02:37:11,960
In our rapidly changing world,

1620
02:37:11,960 --> 02:37:15,520
this amazingly adaptable wild dog

1621
02:37:15,520 --> 02:37:17,040
is coming out on top.

1622
02:37:31,000 --> 02:37:35,360
Some canid species set up home
in the most unlikely of places.

1623
02:37:43,160 --> 02:37:46,640
In the middle of the bustling
city of Minneapolis,

1624
02:37:46,640 --> 02:37:51,040
this coyote family, incredibly,
have created a den

1625
02:37:51,040 --> 02:37:52,320
in a drainage pipe.

1626
02:37:54,280 --> 02:37:56,360
Here, there's a lack
of other predators

1627
02:37:56,360 --> 02:37:58,040
that might compete with them.

1628
02:38:01,160 --> 02:38:04,880
It's recently been discovered
that urban coyotes can even

1629
02:38:04,880 --> 02:38:08,520
change their daily routine to adapt
to city living.

1630
02:38:10,160 --> 02:38:14,200
Becoming more active
at night to better avoid people.

1631
02:38:22,560 --> 02:38:27,600
In the UK, city-living red foxes
are physically changing

1632
02:38:27,600 --> 02:38:29,800
because they live in a human
environment.

1633
02:38:35,440 --> 02:38:39,760
They have shorter, wider muzzles
than their countryside cousins,

1634
02:38:39,760 --> 02:38:43,160
an adaptation that could allow them
to access food left out

1635
02:38:43,160 --> 02:38:45,040
by humans more efficiently.

1636
02:38:53,200 --> 02:38:57,720
For millennia, humans and wild dogs
have been living side-by-side.

1637
02:39:02,560 --> 02:39:06,760
And this is even true for the
largest member of the canid family.

1638
02:39:12,680 --> 02:39:13,680
Wolves.

1639
02:39:17,160 --> 02:39:19,840
Their ancestors teamed up with
humans

1640
02:39:19,840 --> 02:39:22,520
to become the domestic dogs
we know today.

1641
02:39:25,280 --> 02:39:27,440
Working with captive-born wolves,

1642
02:39:27,440 --> 02:39:29,720
researcher Friederike Range

1643
02:39:29,720 --> 02:39:34,000
wants to find out more about the
ancestral canid family tree...

1644
02:39:35,440 --> 02:39:40,080
..by studying the difference between
wolf and pet dog intelligence.

1645
02:39:41,600 --> 02:39:44,920
To do this, she uses a range
of tests.

1646
02:39:49,480 --> 02:39:54,040
To discover if the wolves can
problem solve by working together.

1647
02:39:55,560 --> 02:40:00,200
And working together is essential
for their survival in the wild.

1648
02:40:03,240 --> 02:40:08,360
To get the food, two wolves must
pull the rope simultaneously to move

1649
02:40:08,360 --> 02:40:10,000
the table towards them.

1650
02:40:10,000 --> 02:40:14,600
If one pulls too early or too late,
the table will not move.

1651
02:40:17,360 --> 02:40:21,920
If it understands that it needs
a partner, the wolf should wait

1652
02:40:21,920 --> 02:40:23,560
before starting to pull.

1653
02:40:28,720 --> 02:40:33,360
Only highly intelligent animals
such as dolphins, elephants,

1654
02:40:33,360 --> 02:40:36,960
and chimpanzees can successfully
complete this task.

1655
02:40:42,040 --> 02:40:44,080
The wolves make it look easy.

1656
02:40:45,400 --> 02:40:51,640
Subtle body posture, facial
movements, even eye expression

1657
02:40:51,640 --> 02:40:54,840
are all sophisticated ways
the wolves can communicate

1658
02:40:54,840 --> 02:40:58,000
with each other and co-ordinate
their actions.

1659
02:41:00,800 --> 02:41:04,000
And now it's the domestic dogs' turn.

1660
02:41:13,960 --> 02:41:16,920
Some of the interesting results come
out when we are running

1661
02:41:16,920 --> 02:41:19,240
these experiments that the wolves
are actually

1662
02:41:19,240 --> 02:41:21,880
very good at co-operating
with each other

1663
02:41:21,880 --> 02:41:24,520
where the dogs usually fail.

1664
02:41:24,520 --> 02:41:27,960
So it was really, for us,
a real surprise.

1665
02:41:29,960 --> 02:41:33,640
Friederike believes this difference
in the wolves' and dogs' ability

1666
02:41:33,640 --> 02:41:38,040
to complete the task is not because
the dogs are less intelligent

1667
02:41:38,040 --> 02:41:39,200
than the wolves...

1668
02:41:41,640 --> 02:41:45,360
..but because the pet dogs
are domesticated.

1669
02:41:46,440 --> 02:41:48,760
The experiment is run again.

1670
02:41:48,760 --> 02:41:52,120
If a human leads the action
by pulling the rope,

1671
02:41:52,120 --> 02:41:53,960
will the dog follow?

1672
02:41:58,000 --> 02:41:59,000
Success.

1673
02:42:00,080 --> 02:42:04,640
The dogs, they just,
"OK, so what do we do next?"

1674
02:42:04,640 --> 02:42:06,400
And then they follow the human.

1675
02:42:06,400 --> 02:42:11,240
So, instead of going ahead,
most of them just wait,

1676
02:42:11,240 --> 02:42:14,120
watch what the human is doing
and then they follow the human.

1677
02:42:14,120 --> 02:42:18,240
These tests show that two wolves
together can solve problems

1678
02:42:18,240 --> 02:42:20,120
like this easily,

1679
02:42:20,120 --> 02:42:24,120
whereas dogs co-operate better when
paired with a human.

1680
02:42:26,080 --> 02:42:29,560
So, intelligence is probably
related to how you interact

1681
02:42:29,560 --> 02:42:31,960
with your environment and how
you can solve the problems

1682
02:42:31,960 --> 02:42:33,400
of your environment.

1683
02:42:33,400 --> 02:42:37,440
And they are likely differences
between wolfs and dogs due

1684
02:42:37,440 --> 02:42:38,880
to the domestication.

1685
02:42:38,880 --> 02:42:41,520
So, the wolf has to co-operate
with each other.

1686
02:42:41,520 --> 02:42:45,440
They have to bring down big prey
and share it afterwards.

1687
02:42:45,440 --> 02:42:48,960
So, they're adapted to that
environment and they have

1688
02:42:48,960 --> 02:42:52,720
the necessary cognitive abilities to
solve these problems.

1689
02:42:52,720 --> 02:42:55,120
Whereas for the dogs,
the environment changed a lot

1690
02:42:55,120 --> 02:42:57,040
through the domestication process.

1691
02:42:58,800 --> 02:43:03,280
Thousands of years ago, humans
became the main providers of food

1692
02:43:03,280 --> 02:43:06,080
to the wild ancestor of
the domestic dog.

1693
02:43:07,320 --> 02:43:10,680
Domestication gradually
made these ancient wolves

1694
02:43:10,680 --> 02:43:13,200
more dependent on humans,

1695
02:43:13,200 --> 02:43:19,680
turn to humans, try to help
and please humans instead of members

1696
02:43:19,680 --> 02:43:21,080
of their own species.

1697
02:43:22,160 --> 02:43:26,400
This process eventually produced
the pet dogs we know today.

1698
02:43:27,640 --> 02:43:31,320
The dogs, they really want to do
things with us.

1699
02:43:31,320 --> 02:43:34,560
And you see that. I mean, you go in
an enclosure and they come and jump

1700
02:43:34,560 --> 02:43:35,960
up on you and they are there.

1701
02:43:35,960 --> 02:43:37,960
The wolves,
they're happy to see you.

1702
02:43:37,960 --> 02:43:39,640
They come, they greet you.

1703
02:43:39,640 --> 02:43:42,240
There's a mutual respect,

1704
02:43:42,240 --> 02:43:44,480
but it's not this dependency.

1705
02:43:44,480 --> 02:43:46,320
So, if the wolf says,

1706
02:43:46,320 --> 02:43:49,520
"OK, now I have enough of the
petting," and they go.

1707
02:43:51,600 --> 02:43:55,680
The exact process of domestication
may never be fully

1708
02:43:55,680 --> 02:44:01,360
understood, but Friederike's
work suggests the key traits

1709
02:44:01,360 --> 02:44:04,000
we most admire in pet dogs today -

1710
02:44:04,000 --> 02:44:10,320
intelligence, co-operation,
problem solving - were not a result

1711
02:44:10,320 --> 02:44:14,680
of domestication,
but have been present in the wolf

1712
02:44:14,680 --> 02:44:16,360
for thousands of years.

1713
02:44:31,160 --> 02:44:33,040
There are now thought to be

1714
02:44:33,040 --> 02:44:35,920
over a billion domestic dogs
across the globe.

1715
02:44:39,520 --> 02:44:40,760
And their presence

1716
02:44:40,760 --> 02:44:44,200
can threaten the very existence
of their wild cousins.

1717
02:44:46,880 --> 02:44:50,720
On the remote island of Chiloe
off the coast of Chile,

1718
02:44:50,720 --> 02:44:52,960
the domestic dog is threatening

1719
02:44:52,960 --> 02:44:55,520
one of the most endangered foxes
in the world.

1720
02:44:58,800 --> 02:45:00,360
The Darwin's Fox.

1721
02:45:03,760 --> 02:45:07,800
Conservationist Dario Moreira,
together with wildlife vets

1722
02:45:07,800 --> 02:45:12,440
Ezekiel Hidalgo and Javier Carvalho
are on a mission to save them.

1723
02:45:21,600 --> 02:45:27,200
At just 25 centimetres tall, the
elusive Darwin's Fox is perfectly

1724
02:45:27,200 --> 02:45:29,480
adapted for these dense forests.

1725
02:45:31,800 --> 02:45:34,760
The Darwin Fox, these are endemic
animal here in Chile.

1726
02:45:34,760 --> 02:45:37,840
It only lives in temperate forests.

1727
02:45:37,840 --> 02:45:41,040
It's associated with our native
forests with a dense understory.

1728
02:45:42,480 --> 02:45:46,920
It is able to move through
the forest because it has a short

1729
02:45:46,920 --> 02:45:52,440
length and a long body and it
has a dense fur which allow them

1730
02:45:52,440 --> 02:45:56,080
to survive the strong winter
here in the south of Chile.

1731
02:45:57,360 --> 02:46:00,680
The Darwin's Fox has inhabited
Chiloe Island

1732
02:46:00,680 --> 02:46:03,360
for at least 15,000 years,

1733
02:46:03,360 --> 02:46:08,880
but the arrival of the domestic dog
means their days could be numbered.

1734
02:46:13,600 --> 02:46:18,440
In their fight to save this rare
fox, the team must undertake

1735
02:46:18,440 --> 02:46:20,920
a detailed study of the population.

1736
02:46:22,120 --> 02:46:23,280
And to do that...

1737
02:46:24,960 --> 02:46:27,360
..first, they must catch one.

1738
02:46:33,680 --> 02:46:37,920
But, with as few as 400 of these
foxes remaining on the island,

1739
02:46:37,920 --> 02:46:40,760
that is no easy task.

1740
02:46:43,760 --> 02:46:46,680
THEY CONVERSE

1741
02:46:55,200 --> 02:46:59,200
To lure a fox in, they use
strong-smelling bait.

1742
02:47:00,320 --> 02:47:04,680
We are using raw chicken with
three or four days old.

1743
02:47:04,680 --> 02:47:07,920
FOREST NOISES MUFFLE SPEECH

1744
02:47:14,520 --> 02:47:16,520
After setting their traps...

1745
02:47:19,600 --> 02:47:21,280
..they make daily checks.

1746
02:47:27,760 --> 02:47:29,080
Then finally...

1747
02:47:33,000 --> 02:47:34,000
..success.

1748
02:47:37,080 --> 02:47:38,920
By sedating the fox,

1749
02:47:38,920 --> 02:47:41,920
the team can get close to this
extraordinary animal.

1750
02:47:42,920 --> 02:47:44,160
Yeah?

1751
02:47:44,960 --> 02:47:47,240
THEY CONVERSE

1752
02:47:49,640 --> 02:47:52,360
SPEAKS CHILEAN

1753
02:47:56,360 --> 02:47:58,440
Well, it's a female.

1754
02:47:58,440 --> 02:48:01,600
It's a adult, maybe it's an adult
or maybe an adult female.

1755
02:48:01,600 --> 02:48:03,880
She looks, like very healthy.

1756
02:48:03,880 --> 02:48:07,840
Now, we are taking blood samples
and to see if the animal

1757
02:48:07,840 --> 02:48:15,080
could have any disease, like a
distemper, leptospira, rabies maybe.

1758
02:48:15,080 --> 02:48:19,320
Diseases like rabies and canine
distemper would be fatal

1759
02:48:19,320 --> 02:48:23,560
to the fox, and both diseases
have been brought on to the island

1760
02:48:23,560 --> 02:48:24,920
by domestic dogs.

1761
02:48:29,480 --> 02:48:35,200
Increasingly, the remote, wild parts
of Chiloe are seeing the development

1762
02:48:35,200 --> 02:48:36,640
of human settlements.

1763
02:48:39,440 --> 02:48:42,560
And dogs from these settlements
are left to roam free.

1764
02:48:46,080 --> 02:48:51,000
The problem when a domestic dog
run free in the nature,

1765
02:48:51,000 --> 02:48:53,960
they can be in contact with
the wildlife and especially

1766
02:48:53,960 --> 02:48:57,800
with the red fox, and they also
they can transmit diseases.

1767
02:48:59,000 --> 02:49:04,800
Dario estimates there are over
30,000 domestic dogs on the island.

1768
02:49:07,520 --> 02:49:11,920
Each one with the potential to cause
a devastating epidemic

1769
02:49:11,920 --> 02:49:13,520
among the foxes.

1770
02:49:18,840 --> 02:49:21,840
The team urgently need to find
a way...

1771
02:49:23,080 --> 02:49:24,520
..to protect them.

1772
02:49:24,520 --> 02:49:27,840
Hola, buenos dias. Buenos dias.
Gracias.

1773
02:49:27,840 --> 02:49:31,600
A key part of the solution involves
the local community.

1774
02:49:49,120 --> 02:49:52,480
A simple injection and the dogs
are protected

1775
02:49:52,480 --> 02:49:54,760
from potentially fatal diseases.

1776
02:49:56,240 --> 02:50:00,000
Also protecting any foxes
they may come in contact with.

1777
02:50:14,520 --> 02:50:18,040
Now it's time for this little fox
to go back to the wild.

1778
02:50:37,680 --> 02:50:40,400
But she doesn't seem in a hurry
to leave.

1779
02:50:56,320 --> 02:50:58,200
It's an amazing experience.

1780
02:50:58,200 --> 02:51:01,560
I think it's our first time
to be so close

1781
02:51:01,560 --> 02:51:05,440
to this very enigmatic species.

1782
02:51:05,440 --> 02:51:09,120
It's a beautiful gift of the nature.

1783
02:51:29,760 --> 02:51:33,880
Across the world, the fate
of canids hangs in the balance.

1784
02:51:37,520 --> 02:51:42,840
But thanks to small groups of
passionate people, there is hope.

1785
02:51:46,360 --> 02:51:50,320
Yellowstone National Park,
North America.

1786
02:51:53,240 --> 02:51:56,240
Home to one of the greatest
conservation success stories

1787
02:51:56,240 --> 02:51:57,840
of all time.

1788
02:52:00,440 --> 02:52:04,400
In the early 1900s, Yellowstone's
grey wolf population

1789
02:52:04,400 --> 02:52:06,200
was decimated by hunting.

1790
02:52:09,840 --> 02:52:15,920
But just over 25 years ago, wolves
were released into the park.

1791
02:52:16,160 --> 02:52:20,000
The effect on the local
environment has been remarkable.

1792
02:52:25,520 --> 02:52:28,520
The wolves keep elk numbers in check
by hunting them...

1793
02:52:30,000 --> 02:52:34,440
..which, in turn, prevents young
trees being destroyed by overgrazing.

1794
02:52:36,560 --> 02:52:40,440
The return of the grey wolf
in Yellowstone has been a success.

1795
02:52:42,320 --> 02:52:45,080
But now conservationists
are embarking

1796
02:52:45,080 --> 02:52:47,880
on an even bolder
wolf reintroduction plan.

1797
02:52:53,120 --> 02:52:56,760
Regina Mossotti has spent
years working with wolves.

1798
02:53:02,320 --> 02:53:04,000
And it's feeding time.

1799
02:53:09,400 --> 02:53:12,600
They look good after yesterday's
health check. Yeah, they do.

1800
02:53:15,080 --> 02:53:17,240
This is a Red Wolf.

1801
02:53:20,400 --> 02:53:23,160
One of the most endangered
canids in the world.

1802
02:53:25,840 --> 02:53:28,320
Less than 20 remain in the wild.

1803
02:53:30,080 --> 02:53:32,720
In her battle to protect them,

1804
02:53:32,720 --> 02:53:37,840
Regina cares for these captive-born
red wolves in the hope

1805
02:53:37,840 --> 02:53:41,640
they could one day save the species
from extinction.

1806
02:53:41,640 --> 02:53:45,320
The American Red Wolf is actually
a species that is close to my heart

1807
02:53:45,320 --> 02:53:48,000
because it is solely native
to the United States.

1808
02:53:48,000 --> 02:53:51,640
And what surprises me the most
when I am talking and working

1809
02:53:51,640 --> 02:53:55,520
with the public is that most people
don't even know the Red Wolf exists,

1810
02:53:55,520 --> 02:53:58,120
let alone that it's on the brink
of extinction.

1811
02:53:58,120 --> 02:54:01,400
Hunting, habitat loss,

1812
02:54:01,400 --> 02:54:05,800
and the few remaining wild wolves
hybridising with coyotes,

1813
02:54:05,800 --> 02:54:08,960
have all hampered conservation
efforts that have been going

1814
02:54:08,960 --> 02:54:10,520
on for over 30 years.

1815
02:54:11,720 --> 02:54:14,960
The issues that the American Red
Wolf and the grey will face

1816
02:54:14,960 --> 02:54:17,040
are all the same.

1817
02:54:17,040 --> 02:54:21,720
That persecution in the late 1800s
led to a dramatic

1818
02:54:21,720 --> 02:54:23,720
decline in all those populations.

1819
02:54:23,720 --> 02:54:26,000
But, what has perpetuated it

1820
02:54:26,000 --> 02:54:28,360
is the way that our culture
looks at wolves.

1821
02:54:28,360 --> 02:54:30,040
Think of what you've grown up with,

1822
02:54:30,040 --> 02:54:31,880
Little Red Riding,
Three Little Pigs.

1823
02:54:31,880 --> 02:54:33,880
When you're teenagers,
it's werewolf movies.

1824
02:54:33,880 --> 02:54:36,000
Everything in our culture

1825
02:54:36,000 --> 02:54:38,400
is telling us that the wolf
is something to fear.

1826
02:54:38,400 --> 02:54:40,960
And when you fear something,
you don't want to save it.

1827
02:54:42,240 --> 02:54:46,880
And the irony is, is that wolves
are big scaredy cats.

1828
02:54:46,880 --> 02:54:48,480
I don't know how else to put it.

1829
02:54:48,480 --> 02:54:50,560
They run away from people
when they're in the wild.

1830
02:54:50,560 --> 02:54:52,320
They want nothing to do with humans.

1831
02:54:54,440 --> 02:54:59,640
Now, conservationists are in one
final push to save the Red Wolf.

1832
02:55:02,560 --> 02:55:08,240
And these pups, born in Regina's
care, are key to an extraordinary

1833
02:55:08,240 --> 02:55:12,440
technique that will be a game
changer for the Red Wolf's survival.

1834
02:55:14,720 --> 02:55:16,720
Pup cross-fostering.

1835
02:55:17,960 --> 02:55:21,640
A very creative
biologist, learning about wolves

1836
02:55:21,640 --> 02:55:25,720
and seeing their behaviour
and their nurturing character,

1837
02:55:25,720 --> 02:55:29,960
had the concept of pup fostering,
which is taking tiny puppies,

1838
02:55:29,960 --> 02:55:33,800
I mean, potato-sized, less than
two-week-old puppies

1839
02:55:33,800 --> 02:55:36,240
and placing them into wild dens.

1840
02:55:37,320 --> 02:55:41,360
Once a wild wolf mother
has given birth to a litter,

1841
02:55:41,360 --> 02:55:46,400
captive-born pups of a similar age
are introduced into the den.

1842
02:55:46,400 --> 02:55:48,640
They want to take care
of their puppies.

1843
02:55:48,640 --> 02:55:51,920
They protect them. They clean them,
they feed them.

1844
02:55:51,920 --> 02:55:55,200
And by just placing a few
more puppies in there,

1845
02:55:55,200 --> 02:55:56,520
she doesn't know the difference.

1846
02:55:56,520 --> 02:55:58,640
She takes them in as her own.

1847
02:55:58,640 --> 02:56:02,680
And why it works is because wolves
are so incredibly nurturing.

1848
02:56:02,680 --> 02:56:06,320
And the best part is, here's a wild
mum and a wild dad who know

1849
02:56:06,320 --> 02:56:09,800
how to protect their territory,
who know how to hunt elk, who know

1850
02:56:09,800 --> 02:56:13,280
how to stay away from people,
can raise these puppies and teach

1851
02:56:13,280 --> 02:56:16,240
them those really important
skill sets so those puppies

1852
02:56:16,240 --> 02:56:17,680
survive and thrive.

1853
02:56:18,720 --> 02:56:22,800
Regina and her team have shown
that cross-fostered wolf pups

1854
02:56:22,800 --> 02:56:26,840
have a higher rate of survival
than other kinds of wolves released.

1855
02:56:28,480 --> 02:56:32,320
The reintroduction of wolves isn't
just about bringing something back

1856
02:56:32,320 --> 02:56:35,360
to the landscape that we've lost.
It's bigger than that.

1857
02:56:36,840 --> 02:56:40,880
It's about restoring the ecosystem,
making it healthier,

1858
02:56:40,880 --> 02:56:43,480
making it healthier, not
just for the animals and plants

1859
02:56:43,480 --> 02:56:44,880
that are there, but also for us.

1860
02:56:47,240 --> 02:56:50,920
Ultimately the future of
these incredible wolves...

1861
02:56:54,360 --> 02:56:56,880
..and all wild dogs
across the planet...

1862
02:56:59,160 --> 02:57:01,720
..lies in our hands.