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In the heart of Africa,

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straddling the borders of Rwanda,
Uganda and Congo,

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lies a remarkable mountain kingdom.

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It's home to the world's last 700
mountain gorillas.

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With so few left,

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they require constant surveillance
from a dedicated band of humans.

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Our cameras have been given
privileged access

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to these amazing animals
by the people

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that record
every detail of their lives.

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In this programme, we'll discover

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what it takes to be
a dominant silverback.

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Every group needs one.
GENTLE HOOTING

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Every male aspires to be one.

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The true leaders
of the gorilla world.

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Join us as a teenage silverback
fights to find his place in a group.

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An orphan's fate
hangs in the balance.

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And the world's
most successful silverback

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faces the biggest challenge
of his life.

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Of the world's last 700
mountain gorillas,

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less than 65
are dominant silverbacks -

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every male gorilla's
ultimate aim.

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And it's a prize
worth fighting for -

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the right to father
the next generation.

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Some males will never succeed.

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But that doesn't stop them trying.

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And no-one stays at the top
for ever.

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From these 65 dominant silverbacks,

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one has remained at the top
for longer

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and sired more offspring
than any other.

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The true king of the volcanoes.

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His name is Titus,

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and today is his 35th birthday.

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Titus is now the oldest known
silverback in the world.

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But his years as a great leader
may be coming to an end.

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A silverback is only as successful
as the group that he leads...

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..and Titus's group
has been decimated.

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Three years ago,
Titus led his group of 25

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to the very top of their volcano.

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He was driven there
by a rival silverback

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set on taking Titus's crown.

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On top of their volcano kingdom,
his group was forced to choose...

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..between Titus,

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the older, more experienced king,

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and the younger, stronger silverback.

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19 of his followers
left with the challenger.

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Just six gorillas chose to
stay loyal to the ageing Titus.

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Three years on,
and Titus is about to face
the biggest challenge of his life.

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This time,
the threat will come from a gorilla

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much closer to him
than anyone yet realises.

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CHEST BEATING

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Chest beats can carry
for over a kilometre.

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CHEST BEATING

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They allow males to assess
each other's size and strength.

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CHEST BEATING

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Somewhere out there
is a large, strong silverback -

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and he's heading Titus's way.

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40 kilometres north,
separated by swathes of farmland,

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there's a silverback at a very
different stage of life from Titus.

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Rukina is in his prime.

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At 25 years of age,
he controls his group

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with the confidence
of a born leader.

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Rukina's home is
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

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Smaller than the Isle of Wight,

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and higher than the tallest
mountain in Britain,

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it's home to about half
the world's mountain gorillas.

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Bwindi lies in southern Uganda,

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just 40 kilometres north
of the volcanoes

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where Titus and the other half
of the population reside.

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On Rukina's trail is Martha Robbins,

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a pioneering scientist
who's dedicated 20 years of her life

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to studying the world's
last 700 mountain gorillas.

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I realise I definitely don't
have the average day job.

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My commute involves
walking into the forest,

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and this is the most amazing office
anybody could have.

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Martha was the first researcher
to gain the trust
of a gorilla group in Bwindi,

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and today, she's still
the only scientist
studying this precious population.

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Research is important
for many reasons
that contribute to conservation.

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We need to understand their ecology,
their social behaviour,

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and just how they develop over time,
to help conserve them.

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Martha meticulously documents
the lives of all the gorillas.

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But she's particularly interested
in the fate of the silverbacks.

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One of the aspects
that interests me the most
is how males become dominant.

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All males, when they become adult,
they turn silver.

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So all males become silverback,

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but not all males become
leaders of a group.

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I sort of view it as, you know,

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in a business,
very few people become the CEO.

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So becoming a dominant silverback's
a very difficult thing.

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Rukina is a silverback
at the very top of his game.

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It's the start of the dry season,

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and he's leading the group
to their local swamp.

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They'll eat over 20 kilograms
of vegetation a day.

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Rukina has guided them well,

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and the gorillas sing with delight
at their new feast.

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GORILLAS CROON

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On the outskirts of the group,
Martha spots a surprise visitor.

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It's junior silverback Marembo,

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a teenage male
on the cusp of adulthood.

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He's a gorilla Martha knows well.

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Until a few months ago, Marembo
lived happily in Rukina's group,

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a fine role model
for the younger gorillas.

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But on becoming a teenager,
his hormones took control

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and he struck out alone in search
of females and a group of his own.

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Now he's back to try his luck against
the dominant silverback, Rukina.

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Martha doesn't fancy his chances.

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Rukina's definitely
still in his prime.

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Marembo's about 14, 15 years old,

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and he's got a way to go
before he's...he's a threat.

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With his raging hormones
and desire to be dominant,

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Marembo's return
is sure to shake things up.

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And no-one quite knows
how Rukina will react.

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While Martha's research in Uganda
focuses solely on Rukina's group,

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further south,
on the Rwandan volcanoes,

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a much larger operation is in action.

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Every day, teams of trackers,
field staff and researchers

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climb the volcanoes to collect

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behavioural data from the nine
different gorilla groups they study.

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The teams are from
Karisoke Research Center,

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established over 40 years ago

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solely to study mountain gorillas.

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Come rain or shine, these gorillas
are visited every day,

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on Sundays, holidays
and even Christmas,

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making them some of the most studied
animals on the planet.

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Only through detailed,
long-term observations like these

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can the lives of mountain gorillas
really be understood

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and this precious population
preserved.

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At the head of this 70-strong team
is 32-year-old Felix Ndagijimana.

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Felix is on his way to see
gorilla king Titus. All is not well.

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Felix has met the mystery silverback

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responsible for
the distant chest beats.

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He's young, strong and alone.

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LOW-PITCHED EXHALATIONS

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Felix knows if this silverback
meets the ageing Titus,

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there'll be trouble.
THROATY GROWLING

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Always, you don't know
what the outcome's going to be.

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You know, sometimes
it just gets like very physical -

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they will fight and bite each other.

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Just 100 metres away,
Titus and his group are feeding,

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oblivious to the impending threat.

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Titus may be old,
but he's no stranger to adversity.

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He's survived through
some incredible ups and downs,

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each one recorded
by his human observers

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since the very day he was born.

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From these notes, we can reconstruct

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the story of Titus's
extraordinary life.

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When Titus was four years old,

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barely weaned from his mother's milk,

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he witnessed the brutal murder
of his father.

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The great silverback

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was shot in the chest while defending
Titus and his family from poachers.

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The group was sent into turmoil.

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Without a dominant silverback,

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the gorillas became frightened
and confused.

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In the chaos, Titus's mother fled.

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The four-year-old Titus
was orphaned.

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Everyone believed
his short life was over.

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But Titus didn't die.

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He was adopted
by a totally unrelated silverback.

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The silverback
treated Titus like a son.

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He was offered shelter

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and protected against
the other males in the group.

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Titus is a born survivor,

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and he grew to be
a great and powerful leader.

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Today, Titus has
the same fighting spirit.

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But he's a grandfather figure,
and his life has come full circle.

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In a remarkable twist of fate, he now
cares for a young orphan gorilla

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whose mother has left the group.

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This orphan is alone in the world,
as Titus was once,

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entirely dependent on the ageing
silverback for warmth, shelter

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and, above all, protection.

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But Titus's age
makes the pair vulnerable.

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The approaching silverback
will attempt to

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seize control of the group...
CHEST BEATING

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...and could kill an infant
fathered by another male.

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The orphan's survival depends
entirely on Titus's ability

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to remain at the head of his group,

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and fight off this impending threat.

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Martha leaves her house
each morning at 7:00,

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and heads to where she left
the gorillas the previous day...

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a walk of anything from 90 minutes
to four hours.

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Martha's keen to catch up
with the young silverback, Marembo,

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last seen following Rukina
and the family into the swamp.

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On the edge of the group,
Martha finds a silverback

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lying in the shade.

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It's the teenager, Marembo,
and it looks like he and Rukina

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have already come to blows.

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You can see the bite wound
on the back of his head.

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He's had a tough time of his life.

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He would like to be dominant,
but he certainly

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has a long way to go
before he's strong enough.

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And Rukina's really in his prime,

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so he may try and stay on the edge,
or he may leave.

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We'll have to see.

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While young Marembo
sulks under the bushes,

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dominant silverback Rukina
enjoys a real gorilla delicacy...

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..Dead wood.

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The wood is high in sodium,
a precious mineral for gorillas.

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As the gorillas gather,
it gives Martha a chance

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to have a look at the dominance
hierarchy within the group.

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Sometimes you'll see somebody
just sitting on the edge

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and you think they're just resting,

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but actually they're
waiting their turn.

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Marembo keeps a respectful distance
from Rukina.

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He's very much bottom of the pile.

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Even the females rank above him.

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If Marembo stands any chance
of becoming a gorilla leader,

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he needs to start at the bottom
and work his way up.

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And he's spotted his first target.

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This male was orphaned as an infant.

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He's the most timid member
of Rukina's clan.

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It's teenage Marembo's big moment.

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00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:45,320
He positions himself between
the male and the rest of the group.

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00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:49,080
It's a cheap trick
to show Marembo's dominance.

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00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,160
Eventually,
the nervous male scoots past.

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00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,640
For Marembo, it's a small triumph.

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At least he's dominant over someone!

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00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:17,440
1 gorilla down, 13 to go.

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00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:25,520
GORILLA CALLING

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CHEST BEATING

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Back on the volcanoes,

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Felix is on his way
to find silverback king Titus.

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SHRIEKING

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But there's trouble.

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HOOTING

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The big, challenging silverback
is now amongst the group.

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He's set on one thing...

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...seizing Titus's throne.

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HOOTING AND DRUMMING

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The intruder displays
to show Titus his strength.

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But Titus can't be intimidated.

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If he gave up now,

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the rival silverback would kill
the young orphan in his care.

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The orphan must stay
close to Titus for protection.

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But Felix knows the gorilla king
is past his prime.

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Titus is old.
He's lost a lot of muscles

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and you can see that his movement,
when he's moving he's very slow.

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Titus now faces
a potentially fatal decision.

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There are two options. One is run,
and the other one is stay and fight.

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The old leader is wise
and he's brave.

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In a rare display of strength,
he shows the intruder his intent.

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SHRIEKING AND GRUNTING

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00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:01,160
Silverback king Titus
isn't going to give up his group
without a fight.

243
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:15,200
While Titus faces the biggest
challenge of his 35 years,

244
00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:19,080
in Bwindi, everyone
is still waiting for rain.

245
00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:48,840
All the inhabitants
are ranging further each day
in search of food and water.

246
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,560
LOWING

247
00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:30,680
Rukina and his group have been forced
into dangerous new territory.

248
00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:49,800
Oh, he's got a big cut.

249
00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:54,120
Oh, he's got a very big cut
on the top of his head.

250
00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:56,320
That has to hurt.

251
00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:01,040
Marembo's right here,

252
00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:06,520
and he's got a very big, new bite
or cut on the top of his head.

253
00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:11,480
It's maybe about this long,
so I think he's been in some fights.

254
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:20,080
Marembo's deep wounds

255
00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:24,800
look to be made by the sharp canine
teeth of another silverback.

256
00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:31,560
But these wounds
weren't made by Rukina.

257
00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:39,200
Martha follows
the trampled vegetation

258
00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:42,640
until she finds another silverback.

259
00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:52,400
It's a gorilla
she doesn't recognise.

260
00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:54,800
It's definitely not Rukina.

261
00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:01,480
And he's not alone.

262
00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:08,200
Four hostile silverbacks
are threatening Rukina's group.

263
00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:24,680
Rival males will fight
to steal females...

264
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,080
..and it looks like teenage Marembo

265
00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,800
got injured trying to prove himself
defending the group.

266
00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,960
But Marembo isn't the only gorilla
at risk from the rival males.

267
00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:48,080
Martha spots the youngest member
of Rukina's group,

268
00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:53,840
eight-month-old Ponoka,
and his mother, Tinda.

269
00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:03,480
Silverbacks will kill infants
that are not their own...

270
00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:05,120
SHRIEKING

271
00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:07,520
..an act known as infanticide.

272
00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:14,880
Killing Ponoka would enable them
to mate with the bereaved mother

273
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,120
and sire offspring of their own.

274
00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,440
Ponoka and his mother
are dangerously close

275
00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:32,360
to one of the rival silverbacks.

276
00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,440
It's the dominant male
from the other group.

277
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:39,880
With Tindamanyere
and Ponoka being up here,

278
00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:45,240
the infant's very vulnerable,
at that age, to infanticide.

279
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,320
RUMBLING GROWL

280
00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:18,640
On the volcanoes,
Felix is heading towards Titus.

281
00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,560
GRUFF EXHALATIONS

282
00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:28,200
He's received worrying news.

283
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,440
Titus and the rival silverback
have come to blows.

284
00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:42,600
The gorilla king
appears to be unscathed...

285
00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:48,520
..but his rival is nursing
two fresh wounds...

286
00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,240
..wounds made by Titus.

287
00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:12,880
Finally, Felix gets a good look
at Titus's challenger.

288
00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:16,760
He recognises his face.

289
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:21,320
It's Rano...

290
00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:26,840
..Titus's son.

291
00:34:31,720 --> 00:34:34,680
Banished from the group
three years ago,

292
00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:37,440
he's now returned
from the wilderness

293
00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,440
to claim his father's throne.

294
00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:49,880
In the years he's been gone,

295
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:53,080
he's grown into
a formidable silverback.

296
00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:56,560
HOOTING

297
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:04,720
Rano piles on the pressure.

298
00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,120
Titus keeps him at arm's length.

299
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:26,800
But Titus is too old
to risk another fight...

300
00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:32,920
..and he's left with one option.

301
00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:41,720
He must flee...

302
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:49,080
..and his small
but loyal group follows.

303
00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:56,480
The long pursuit begins.

304
00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:23,480
Felix knows that Rano aims to drive
the ageing Titus to exhaustion,

305
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,520
then take the group himself.

306
00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:32,000
Sometimes he's behind them, he's
displaying, he's following them.

307
00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:33,880
They're going to keep moving.

308
00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:40,320
The little orphan
must stay out of Rano's reach.

309
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,120
There'll be no time to eat

310
00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:46,240
and no time to rest.

311
00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:18,560
But Titus can't
keep running for ever.

312
00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:42,880
SHE MURMURS

313
00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:47,640
In Bwindi, Martha is worried

314
00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:51,640
for the youngest and most vulnerable
member of Rukina's group...

315
00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:57,400
..eight-month-old Ponoka...

316
00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:03,200
..last seen near a silverback
from the hostile group.

317
00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:11,360
Now he's nowhere to be seen.

318
00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:20,160
Teenage silverback Marembo
is on the front line,

319
00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:23,160
doing his best
to keep the rival males at bay.

320
00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:32,400
SHRIEKING

321
00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:38,640
Martha has finally tracked down
dominant silverback Rukina.

322
00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,320
And he's got problems of his own.

323
00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:58,280
Two of his females seem to be showing
a little too much interest

324
00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:01,120
in the chest beats
from the other group.

325
00:39:04,720 --> 00:39:08,400
Both of them are looking towards
the sounds of the other group.

326
00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:15,960
These females may try to sneak away
to join the other group.

327
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,200
Rukina will do everything he can
to stop them.

328
00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:28,320
This is a time where Rukina
is likely to be very vigilant

329
00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:31,560
to make sure that these
females stay with him.

330
00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:40,760
RHYTHMIC GRUNTING

331
00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:45,720
Rukina knows these females can't go
anywhere while he's guarding them.

332
00:39:46,720 --> 00:39:49,080
So the wise leader holds his ground,

333
00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:55,000
while foolhardy Marembo
does the fighting on his behalf.

334
00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:00,440
CHEST BEATS

335
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:09,560
Surprisingly, young Marembo's
efforts seem to be working.

336
00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:16,280
The chest beats from the other group
fade away into the forest.

337
00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:17,880
CHEST BEATS

338
00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:28,400
Bruised and battered,
Marembo is exhausted.

339
00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:40,480
But, for one little gorilla,

340
00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:43,640
Marembo's efforts
have been worthwhile.

341
00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:51,000
Little Ponoka is back,

342
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:53,240
none the worse for wear.

343
00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:01,360
But it's his mother that Marembo
is trying to win favour with.

344
00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:09,040
And she doesn't seem
the least bit impressed.

345
00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:15,760
It's only with the respect
from the group

346
00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:18,040
that a silverback
can become a great leader.

347
00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:24,320
Marembo's quest for dominance
doesn't look good.

348
00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:32,320
GRUNTING AND CHEST-BEATING

349
00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:37,840
THEY TALK QUIETLY

350
00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:44,520
Back on the volcanoes,
there's even more trouble for Titus.

351
00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:49,120
So the situation is that
there's another silverback up there.

352
00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:53,000
The group is here and
the other silverback is up there.

353
00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:55,040
It's not Rano,
it's another silverback.

354
00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:00,240
CHEST BEATS

355
00:42:00,240 --> 00:42:02,680
GRUNTS REASSURINGLY

356
00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:12,680
Titus is under incredible pressure
from his son Rano,

357
00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:15,720
and now there's another challenger
for his crown.

358
00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:21,800
You can imagine
how this is stressful for Titus.

359
00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:28,480
He already has
to deal with this one,

360
00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:30,640
and then this other silverback here.

361
00:42:32,240 --> 00:42:33,760
It's too much for him.

362
00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,400
GRUNTING AND CHEST-BEATING

363
00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:38,280
I can see him.

364
00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:42,800
HE GRUNTS REASSURINGLY

365
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,760
CHEST BEATS

366
00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:03,240
Rano's displays are
becoming more frequent,

367
00:43:03,240 --> 00:43:06,760
but this time
they're not directed at Titus.

368
00:43:13,240 --> 00:43:16,160
His chest beats carry
across the mountain,

369
00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:22,400
telling the second challenger
that Rano got here first.

370
00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:32,640
Rano's displays
keep the new impostor at bay.

371
00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:47,520
Titus's son is stamping his claim
on his father's group.

372
00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:52,600
CHEST BEATS

373
00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:03,360
Rano's campaign has been relentless,

374
00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:05,800
and it seems to be paying off.

375
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:14,120
But what does this mean
for the ageing king?

376
00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:23,480
Titus and the little orphan
are exhausted.

377
00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:29,840
They've been on the move
for ten days.

378
00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,520
Felix can see the tide turning.

379
00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:44,200
The orphan sticks close to Titus.

380
00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:52,720
But the ever-present threat
from Rano is just metres away.

381
00:44:55,600 --> 00:45:00,320
And one of the young males seems
to be accepting him into the group.

382
00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:09,360
For Titus,
this is no longer a battle

383
00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:11,600
for the leadership of his group.

384
00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:15,480
It's become a battle for survival.

385
00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:25,360
His life and the life of the little
orphan now hang in the balance.

386
00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:49,800
In Bwindi, Rukina and his group
are waking to another sunny day.

387
00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:21,880
Martha spots
teenage silverback Marembo.

388
00:46:28,640 --> 00:46:34,680
He descends from his treetop haven
and reluctantly follows the group.

389
00:46:37,960 --> 00:46:42,000
His heroic efforts to keep them safe
have been completely ignored.

390
00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:50,360
The group has found a tree
covered in bracket fungi.

391
00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:02,720
As always,
Rukina is first to help himself...

392
00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:08,000
..before moving off
to enjoy his prize.

393
00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:12,080
MEWING

394
00:47:19,400 --> 00:47:22,560
Little Ponoka steps up
to take his turn.

395
00:47:33,600 --> 00:47:36,800
Marembo watches from the sidelines.

396
00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:44,120
Even the youngest member of the group
gets to feed before him.

397
00:47:46,280 --> 00:47:50,440
The injustice is too much
for one gorilla to bear.

398
00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:04,400
As if to rub salt into the wound,

399
00:48:04,400 --> 00:48:08,920
Rukina is flaunting another privilege
of the dominant silverback...

400
00:48:13,800 --> 00:48:16,480
..right under Marembo's nose.

401
00:48:27,400 --> 00:48:30,160
Rukina leads the group
away into the forest...

402
00:48:31,720 --> 00:48:34,680
..very much a silverback
in control.

403
00:48:40,840 --> 00:48:44,480
But, for once,
Marembo doesn't follow.

404
00:48:46,120 --> 00:48:49,960
The teenage silverback
chooses a different path...

405
00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:55,680
..and walks alone into the forest.

406
00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:05,240
Martha suspects that this time
his departure is final.

407
00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:18,320
He's no match for Rukina
and is off to seek an easier target.

408
00:49:25,360 --> 00:49:30,200
It may be Marembo
will never become a gorilla leader.

409
00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:34,520
But one thing's for sure...

410
00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:38,520
like all young males,
he'll never stop trying.

411
00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:04,720
On the volcanoes,
there's no reprieve for Titus.

412
00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:12,840
The pressure from his son Rano
is relentless.

413
00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:19,440
Felix has been monitoring
Titus's health,

414
00:50:19,440 --> 00:50:22,120
and it's taken a turn for the worse.

415
00:50:26,840 --> 00:50:29,960
He's called in Magda,
the gorilla doctor.

416
00:50:37,440 --> 00:50:40,920
She's part of an elite team
of seven vets

417
00:50:40,920 --> 00:50:44,520
who treat the mountain gorillas
if their lives are at risk.

418
00:50:50,800 --> 00:50:53,280
Today, Titus is her priority.

419
00:50:55,920 --> 00:51:00,280
He's exhausted
and has picked up an injury.

420
00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:07,560
Felix leads Magda to the group.

421
00:51:07,560 --> 00:51:11,720
She makes reassuring noises
to let them know she's coming.

422
00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:18,280
Oh, he's nursing his right hand.

423
00:51:23,160 --> 00:51:25,920
Instead of putting it like this,
he puts it like this.

424
00:51:25,920 --> 00:51:27,760
There must be something here.

425
00:51:28,840 --> 00:51:33,040
Magda has spotted a deep wound
across Titus's wrist,

426
00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:35,920
making it hard for him to walk.

427
00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:38,520
SHE GRUNTS REASSURINGLY

428
00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:43,440
Now you can see the wound under
his knee, under his right knee.

429
00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:44,920
There's always a little worry,

430
00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:47,240
especially with
the older silverback like that,

431
00:51:47,240 --> 00:51:51,440
that there can be infection, there
can be some deeper tendon injury.

432
00:51:55,280 --> 00:51:59,640
The battle scars from Rano's campaign
are starting to show.

433
00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:06,480
You can see that their tummies

434
00:52:06,480 --> 00:52:08,720
are not as full
as they would be normally.

435
00:52:08,720 --> 00:52:13,120
This is siesta time,
but they can't afford siesta now

436
00:52:13,120 --> 00:52:17,240
because they were running since
morning, so now they have to eat.

437
00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:31,960
As a gorilla doctor,
she hopes to save every animal.

438
00:52:34,040 --> 00:52:38,920
But some cases
are beyond her control.

439
00:52:42,120 --> 00:52:44,320
Magda can do nothing.

440
00:52:44,320 --> 00:52:50,560
To anaesthetise and treat Titus now
would mean a sure victory for Rano.

441
00:52:57,600 --> 00:53:02,880
It's with heavy hearts Magda and
Felix leave Titus for the night.

442
00:53:07,720 --> 00:53:10,800
Nature must take its course.

443
00:53:14,840 --> 00:53:19,760
Back in his office, Felix records
the events of the last few weeks...

444
00:53:21,960 --> 00:53:27,840
..the latest chapter in the
35-year story of Titus's life.

445
00:53:39,640 --> 00:53:44,120
Titus has shown what it takes
to be a great silverback leader...

446
00:53:50,720 --> 00:53:54,640
..a gorilla who came
from humble beginnings,

447
00:53:54,640 --> 00:53:59,560
who, on the slopes of the volcanoes,
rose against much adversity

448
00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:03,400
to be the most successful
silverback ever recorded.

449
00:54:14,160 --> 00:54:16,480
He's sired more offspring

450
00:54:16,480 --> 00:54:21,240
and lived longer than any
other known mountain gorilla.

451
00:54:25,120 --> 00:54:28,560
He's protected his group
until the end...

452
00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:38,320
..eventually hounded to exhaustion
by his own son.

453
00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:46,160
I don't know how long
Titus can keep going.

454
00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:51,320
This could be the end of Titus.

455
00:54:56,400 --> 00:54:58,520
But the legacy of Titus will live on.

456
00:55:04,880 --> 00:55:09,880
The fate of his group now rests
with his own flesh and blood.

457
00:55:18,240 --> 00:55:21,800
At first light,
Felix climbs the volcano

458
00:55:21,800 --> 00:55:25,640
to see Titus
for what could be the last time.

459
00:55:27,680 --> 00:55:29,640
HOOTING

460
00:55:32,440 --> 00:55:35,920
Rano remains strong and determined.

461
00:55:37,880 --> 00:55:41,520
For weeks, he's intimidated,
terrorised

462
00:55:41,520 --> 00:55:43,920
and wounded his own father.

463
00:55:46,640 --> 00:55:49,240
Soon the prize of dominance
will be his.

464
00:56:05,040 --> 00:56:08,280
Titus has finally managed to rest...

465
00:56:17,680 --> 00:56:21,680
..surrounded by his
most loyal followers.

466
00:56:26,600 --> 00:56:30,840
The little orphan
gently cleans his wound.

467
00:56:44,880 --> 00:56:47,840
Titus is dying.

468
00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:01,920
Felix has borne witness
to a momentous event...

469
00:57:05,680 --> 00:57:07,800
..the crowning
of a new silverback...

470
00:57:14,760 --> 00:57:18,360
..and the last stand
of the Silverback King.

471
00:57:54,520 --> 00:57:56,840
Next time on Mountain Gorilla...

472
00:57:59,440 --> 00:58:03,000
...we look at what the future holds
for one of our closest relatives.

473
00:58:05,520 --> 00:58:08,560
Are they safe in our hands?

474
00:58:09,800 --> 00:58:12,560
Titus' group struggles
to accept a new king...

475
00:58:14,240 --> 00:58:16,880
..and Rano leads them into trouble.

476
00:58:19,720 --> 00:58:22,120
And with Titus gone...

477
00:58:23,960 --> 00:58:28,240
..the little orphan's life
hangs in the balance.

478
00:58:33,640 --> 00:58:36,720
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479
00:58:36,720 --> 00:58:39,680
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