1
00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,000
In the heart of Africa,

2
00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,640
straddling the borders of Rwanda,
Uganda and Congo,

3
00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,800
lies a remarkable mountain kingdom.

4
00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:28,240
It's home to the last 700
mountain gorillas in the world.

5
00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,000
With so few left,
they're under constant surveillance

6
00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,280
from a dedicated band of humans.

7
00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,720
A species in intensive care.

8
00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,600
Our cameras have been given
privileged access

9
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:55,680
to these precious animals

10
00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,880
by the people that record
every detail of their lives.

11
00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,240
In this programme, we'll be following

12
00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,640
some of the youngest
and most vulnerable gorillas.

13
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:16,160
We witness the plight of two orphans
caught in a brutal civil war.

14
00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,680
A young female on the cusp
of adulthood,

15
00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,680
battling with feelings
she's unable to control.

16
00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:28,880
(DRUMMING)

17
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,480
And a new gorilla king,

18
00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,840
struggling to earn the respect
of the group

19
00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:35,640
he fought so hard to win.

20
00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:44,400
In these uncertain times,
is the mountain gorilla's future

21
00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,640
safe in our hands?

22
00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,640
On the volcanic slopes
of the mountains of Rwanda

23
00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,720
there has been momentous change.

24
00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,960
Titus, the 35-year-old gorilla king,
is dead.

25
00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,080
At his peak,
he ruled over 25 gorillas

26
00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,320
and became the most successful
silverback in recorded history.

27
00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,080
Now his reign is over.

28
00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:49,200
The young orphan he protected
has also lost his struggle for life.

29
00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:06,600
Titus was hounded to the point
of exhaustion by a younger
silverback,

30
00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,400
his son, Rano.

31
00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:21,560
The old ruler simply couldn't fight
any more, slowly fading away,

32
00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:26,360
until finally one morning
he simply didn't wake up,

33
00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,800
worn out by life

34
00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:30,480
and his own son.

35
00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:47,320
For Rwandan gorilla researcher
Felix Ndagijimana, it's the end
of an era.

36
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:53,520
Titus was one of my favourite
gorillas, and I guess,

37
00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,240
well, he was everybody's favourite,
not only me.

38
00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:06,080
Now that Titus has gone, and Rano
has taken over the group he's, um,

39
00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,200
I would say that
he's keeping the group together,

40
00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,160
and that's the most important,

41
00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,320
but it's really hard
for the individuals in the group

42
00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,160
to accept him as the leader,
especially Tuck,

43
00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:23,160
the only female of the group,
who had a very close relationship
with Titus.

44
00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,880
You can see that the group is not
as close as it used to be

45
00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:28,800
when Titus was still alive.

46
00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,000
THUNDER RUMBLES

47
00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,240
At just 17 years old, Rano
is the same age as his father was

48
00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,800
when he became leader of this group.

49
00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,920
But Rano is discovering
that to be a great silverback,

50
00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:02,040
it's not enough just to be the son
of a once great king.

51
00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,000
Already, things aren't looking good.

52
00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:22,880
The other gorillas seem reluctant
to accept him as their new leader.

53
00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:36,200
Tuck, the only female in the group,
is on the verge of leaving.

54
00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:40,200
She only stays
because of her young son.

55
00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,160
Before Titus's death,
he was a confident four-year-old.

56
00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:51,920
Now he's regressed,
becoming more reliant on his mother.

57
00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:08,040
Tuck is torn between her duty as a
parent and her contempt for Rano.

58
00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,480
This is a group in turmoil,

59
00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:20,680
and its leader
needs to prove himself.

60
00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,920
Can Rano win their confidence
and keep the group together?

61
00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:38,520
Mountain gorillas are a species
in intensive care.

62
00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,840
Around 700 remain in the wild,

63
00:06:41,840 --> 00:06:46,520
and everything humanly possible
is done to keep them safe.

64
00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,920
The mountain gorilla vets
are a vital part of this effort.

65
00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,200
They're dedicated to monitoring
the gorillas' health,

66
00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,120
and can be called upon
at a moment's notice.

67
00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,480
Magda Braum is one of those vets.

68
00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,040
She has worked with apes
for over ten years.

69
00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,040
Today, she's travelling
from her base in Rwanda

70
00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:23,920
and crossing the border into Congo,
to the town of Goma.

71
00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,840
Congo is home to around
200 mountain gorillas,

72
00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,000
about a third
of the total population.

73
00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,880
A huge country, it was the location
of the Great War of Africa,

74
00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:46,440
a conflict that began in 1998

75
00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:50,840
and involved eight nations
and around 25 armed groups.

76
00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,480
Today the war's over,
but eastern Congo,

77
00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:01,200
where the mountain gorillas live,
is still home to many armed rebels.

78
00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,600
Today, I'm going to Congo to check

79
00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,520
on Ndeze and Ndakazi,
our two mountain gorilla orphans.

80
00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:10,280
They've been with us
in the temporary facility in Goma,

81
00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:14,120
and Goma is not the right climate,
it's a very crowded place,

82
00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,680
we have lots and lots of health
problems because of that.

83
00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:21,000
And we were trying for a long time
to find them a better area,

84
00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,800
and finally there is the sanctuary
in Rumangabo.

85
00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,280
It's actually exactly the place
where they come from.

86
00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:34,120
We had the call from our vets in
Goma that they had a bit of a cough,

87
00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:36,760
which is nothing unusual
in this time of year.

88
00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,400
So, most likely,
it's nothing serious,

89
00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:43,040
but, as I said, we have to be sure
that they are fit for the move.

90
00:08:44,680 --> 00:08:46,880
The hope is that
the two orphaned gorillas

91
00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,280
will pass Magda's health check

92
00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:53,960
and be moved from the hot, dusty
town to their new home in the forest.

93
00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,320
In the neighbouring country
of Uganda,

94
00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:15,560
in a small house
in the middle of the forest,

95
00:09:15,560 --> 00:09:18,600
lives gorilla scientist
Martha Robbins.

96
00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,360
She has studied mountain gorillas
for 20 years,

97
00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:31,120
the past 12 here in Uganda,

98
00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,160
where around 300 mountain gorillas
are found.

99
00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,120
Each day, she ventures out
into the forest

100
00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,640
to observe the gorillas first-hand.

101
00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,360
The habitat here is very good
for gorillas.

102
00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,960
What makes it so difficult
for us to walk around

103
00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:58,960
is actually great for the gorillas,

104
00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:03,800
because there's herbaceous
vegetation everywhere
for the gorillas to eat.

105
00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:07,560
We have much more fruit trees here,
the gorillas definitely like fruit,

106
00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:10,960
and so that's sort of an added
resource for the gorillas.

107
00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,080
Thanks to the work
of people like Martha,

108
00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:28,680
we now know that Ugandan gorillas eat
more fruit than the gorillas
in Rwanda,

109
00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:32,200
that they spend more time
in the trees,

110
00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,400
and that they have larger
home ranges.

111
00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,640
Martha's dedication
to studying these animals

112
00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,920
has allowed her to gain the trust
of one gorilla in particular,

113
00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,000
the successful silverback leader
Rukina.

114
00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,240
He leads a group of 14
that includes six females.

115
00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,000
CREAKING AND CRASHING

116
00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:11,680
With so many females in his group,

117
00:11:11,680 --> 00:11:15,040
silverback Rukina's life
couldn't be more different

118
00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:16,960
to that of Rano back in Rwanda.

119
00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,440
The dominant silverback claims
exclusive rights to the females

120
00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:29,000
and, given the chance,
will mate every few hours.

121
00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:37,560
The junior blackbacks
can only look on.

122
00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:49,920
But for one little gorilla,

123
00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:53,400
the temptation to get involved
is just too great.

124
00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:57,000
Ten-month-old Ponoka
is the youngest in the group,

125
00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:02,080
and although Rukina is probably
his father, he could be pushing
his luck.

126
00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,760
One in three gorillas die
before three years of age.

127
00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,960
The first year is the riskiest.

128
00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:28,680
Martha can't wait for little Ponoka
to reach that milestone.

129
00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:34,440
Although Ponoka is the youngest
in this group,

130
00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:36,800
he's not the newest arrival.

131
00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:42,160
That honour goes
to a young female called Twijiki.

132
00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,720
Females often move between groups
to avoid mating with their fathers,

133
00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:50,800
and now, in Rukina's group,
the innocent-looking Twijiki

134
00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:52,920
is about to cause chaos.

135
00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,720
SHRIEKING AND GROWLING

136
00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:16,240
In Rwanda, gorilla researcher Felix
is on his way to see

137
00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,680
the new silverback leader, Rano.

138
00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,920
For Felix, this is a chance
to reacquaint himself

139
00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,240
with a gorilla he knew
many years ago,

140
00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:45,160
and find out how the new leader
and the old female, Tuck,
are getting on.

141
00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:51,200
There's little doubt that
silverback Rano would love

142
00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,600
to claim his hard-earned right
to the female in his group.

143
00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:04,360
But at 37 years old, Tuck is most
definitely not interested in sex.

144
00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,280
Nearly all females stop
by their mid to late 30s.

145
00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,960
Unfortunately,
Rano doesn't know this...

146
00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:27,760
..and keeps trying to impress her
with his displays of strength.

147
00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:34,840
But all this seems to do is make
Tuck more determined to ignore him.

148
00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:57,520
As Rano continues to hound Tuck,
her sons come to her defence.

149
00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:03,520
Now the smallest gorilla
in the group decides

150
00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,560
to show the mighty silverback Rano
who's in charge.

151
00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:41,040
This is hardly the great leader
in control.

152
00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,360
Pushed around by the youngest male
in the group,

153
00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:49,200
and spurned by Tuck, the only
female, things couldn't get
much worse.

154
00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,840
Just 40 kilometres away
in the forests of Uganda,

155
00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:10,800
things are stirring for
the eight-year-old female, Twijiki.

156
00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,720
She arrived in the group
just two months ago,

157
00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,440
and Martha's log shows that,
up until now,

158
00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:26,760
she's been keeping a low profile.

159
00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:32,400
But today she only has eyes
for Rukina, her silverback leader.

160
00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,760
The way she's staring at him like
that, that's classic solicitation.

161
00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,000
Very subtle, as gorillas are.

162
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,920
She wants to mate.
I'm not sure he does.

163
00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,560
Advancing on him,
she tightens her lips

164
00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,200
and stares straight into his eyes,

165
00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,840
sure signs that she wants to mate.

166
00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,960
But Rukina's group contains plenty
of females for him to choose from,

167
00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,160
and he doesn't appear
especially interested.

168
00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,840
Finally, Rukina relents.

169
00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:29,400
Yep, yep, yep, there you go.

170
00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:36,880
Twijiki's entered a period
called oestrus,

171
00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:41,160
a monthly occurrence for gorillas,
and the only time they can get
pregnant.

172
00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:45,600
And usually they'll mate
about once an hour.

173
00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:48,240
There we go.

174
00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:05,760
For the next few days,
Twijiki's sole aim will be to mate.

175
00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,480
They are very active
in soliciting the males.

176
00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:19,240
So, yeah, it is almost
like they're...

177
00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:21,560
It's a different gorilla
from one day to the next,

178
00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,280
depending on
if they're in oestrus or not.

179
00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:31,320
Possessed by her hormones,
she turns once more
to the silverback,

180
00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:32,880
but he's not interested.

181
00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,360
Twijiki will have to look elsewhere.

182
00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:56,600
She decides to try her luck

183
00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,480
with the more junior gorillas,
the blackbacks.

184
00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,320
Twijiki might not know any better,
but the blackback is only too aware

185
00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,320
that if he gets caught,
there'll be trouble.

186
00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,000
The dominant silverback
holds priority,

187
00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,960
and won't put up with
this sort of behaviour.

188
00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,480
Despite Rukina's efforts to break up
the young couple's embrace,

189
00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:39,680
sneaky mating does happen.

190
00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:41,600
Genetic tests have revealed

191
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:47,040
that about 15% of infants are not
fathered by the dominant silverback.

192
00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:52,760
It was a mating like this, between
Ponoka's mother and a blackback,

193
00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,200
that Martha saw
before the young Ponoka was born.

194
00:19:56,200 --> 00:20:00,480
Discovering who fathered
little Ponoka is important

195
00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,000
if Martha is to understand
the secret world of gorillas.

196
00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:11,480
The only way she can solve this
mystery is with a paternity test.

197
00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:18,760
Oh, yeah, ha-ha!
That would be Ponoka.

198
00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:24,120
Yeah. So, the size of the dung
corresponds to the size
of the gorilla.

199
00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:29,000
So we've been looking for some time
now to get the faeces from Ponoka

200
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,640
and today we succeeded. Yeah.

201
00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:32,640
Tiny, tiny, tiny.

202
00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,480
Martha will send this sample
to a laboratory,

203
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,400
where Ponoka's genetic profile
will be compared

204
00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,240
to that of the silverback, Rukina.

205
00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:44,960
Do you have the pen? Yeah.

206
00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,160
OK, great.

207
00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:18,280
In Congo, Magda is getting ready
to meet the two orphaned
mountain gorillas,

208
00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,880
and check that they are healthy
enough to be moved to their new home.

209
00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:25,240
(THEY CONVERSE IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

210
00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:32,600
Ndeze and Ndakazi's stories
began in 2007...

211
00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:40,400
..when six mountain gorillas were
killed in execution-style attacks,

212
00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,960
most likely linked
to the illegal charcoal trade.

213
00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:53,200
Two-month-old Ndakazi was found
clinging to the dead body
of his mother,

214
00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,600
who had been shot
through the back of the head.

215
00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:02,520
Around the same time,
three-month-old Ndeze was discovered

216
00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:04,120
next to his dead mother.

217
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,960
Altogether, five gorillas
from his family had been killed,

218
00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,800
including the once mighty silverback
Senkwekwe,

219
00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:22,720
whose body was ceremoniously
carried off the mountain.

220
00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,560
These atrocities shocked the world,

221
00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:32,400
but the real struggle was
keeping the two young orphans alive.

222
00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:38,920
It's all right.

223
00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,320
They survived, but because of
their contact with humans,

224
00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:46,920
they are unlikely to go back
into the wild.

225
00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:48,880
However, soon they will be moved

226
00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:53,120
from this cramped back garden
to a purpose-built sanctuary,

227
00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:56,760
close to the forest
that should be their natural home.

228
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:20,440
Good...

229
00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,120
Oh, don't be shy!

230
00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:24,000
Come, come.

231
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,720
To prepare for the move, the orphans
are being introduced to the car

232
00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:31,920
that will eventually transport them.

233
00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:50,600
Good.

234
00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:52,000
Give me your hand.

235
00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:55,680
Good.

236
00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:57,920
That's good.

237
00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,800
It's very important
that they know what's happening.

238
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:06,320
We don't try to sneak on them
and do things by surprise.

239
00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:15,640
Magda is happy
that the orphans are healthy.

240
00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,680
But before she leaves Congo,
there is a family of gorillas

241
00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:24,600
that she needs to check up on,
one closely connected to
the orphans.

242
00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,040
In Rwanda, the old female, Tuck,
has so far chosen

243
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:58,320
to stay with silverback Rano and his
small, disgruntled band of gorillas.

244
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,760
As their leader,
one of Rano's responsibilities

245
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:13,480
is to keep the group safe.

246
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,600
But now he is taking them
out of the National Park

247
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,440
and onto the farmland
that surrounds it.

248
00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:50,960
Rano is desperate
to gain the group's respect.

249
00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:00,160
Leading the gorillas out of the park
to find a tasty treat

250
00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,640
could be a way of winning them over.

251
00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:13,360
But it's not without risk.

252
00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:30,440
Nestling beneath the volcanoes
is the bustling town of Ruhengeri.

253
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,640
Its ever-expanding population
needs feeding,

254
00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:45,120
which means the last few hundred
mountain gorillas on Earth

255
00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:48,040
face stiff competition
for resources.

256
00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,200
Potatoes are the main crop
grown here,

257
00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:08,000
but the gorillas ignore these
and go in search of a different
delicacy.

258
00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:25,160
Eucalyptus. These fast-growing trees
are planted by locals

259
00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,720
to be used for building materials.

260
00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:38,280
This sort of damage does bring
the gorillas into conflict
with humans.

261
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,400
But this is not the only concern
for those looking after them.

262
00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,080
By coming onto the farmland,

263
00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,840
the gorillas are exposed
to human diseases.

264
00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:54,960
Gorillas have little immunity
to our illnesses.

265
00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:58,800
Even a simple cough or cold
could kill them.

266
00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:06,000
Much work is being done to make
people aware of the risks
and benefits

267
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,560
of having mountain gorillas
living alongside them.

268
00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:15,240
CHILDREN SING

269
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,360
BELL RINGS

270
00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:36,360
And where better to start
than with the next generation?

271
00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:39,720
At this school,
the Art of Conservation team

272
00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:43,280
are teaching Rwandan children
all about gorillas.

273
00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,000
So approximately how many
mountain gorillas are alive today?

274
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:53,040
(MAN TRANSLATES)

275
00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:56,280
(IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

276
00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:58,920
TRANSLATOR: About 700 up to 800.

277
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,520
Just as important
as learning about mountain gorillas

278
00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:07,760
is the fact that the gorillas

279
00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:11,720
are helping to give something back
to the local community.

280
00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:19,120
Money from gorilla tourism is used
to build the very schools

281
00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,480
in which the children
have their lessons.

282
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,760
The future of the mountain gorilla

283
00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:29,640
is in the hands of the people
that share this land.

284
00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:33,200
If both can benefit
from this relationship,

285
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,120
the gorilla's future
will be more secure.

286
00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:03,960
At Martha's forest home in Uganda,

287
00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:08,000
the results of Ponoka's
paternity test have arrived.

288
00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,960
So I just checked my e-mail
and the subject heading is,

289
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,600
"The paternity of Ponoka is solved."

290
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:21,000
So I'm very curious to see,
because he's nearly one year old.

291
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,120
Yeah. "So if there's no
other options,

292
00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,600
"the case for Rukina as father
is quite strong. Congrats."

293
00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:32,000
So yeah, Rukina's the dad.
That's exciting. Now we know.

294
00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,080
Knowing the gorilla's paternity
helps Martha paint

295
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:40,280
a much more accurate picture
of gorilla life.

296
00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:45,640
Although little Ponoka
is the son of Rukina,

297
00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:49,440
this doesn't make his first year
any easier.

298
00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:54,800
At ten months, he's still
pretty wobbly on his legs,

299
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:58,680
and only just beginning to explore
his jungle playground.

300
00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:07,240
But once he reaches
his first birthday,

301
00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,760
his chances of survival
will increase.

302
00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:32,640
Through her close scrutiny
of this gorilla family,

303
00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:37,840
Martha is finding silverback Rukina
to be a very successful leader.

304
00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,640
Part of this success
is his ability to attract females.

305
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:52,400
Unlike Rano, whose only female is
the elderly Tuck, Rukina has
six females,

306
00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,640
including the newly arrived Twijiki.

307
00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,800
Young females often move
between groups

308
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,160
to avoid breeding with their fathers,

309
00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:07,280
but today, young Twijiki seems happy
to mate with just about anyone.

310
00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:11,200
She's already nearly been caught
with one of the blackbacks,

311
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,000
and that's a dangerous game
to be playing.

312
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:18,200
Her behaviour has certainly
stirred up the group.

313
00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,840
GROWLING AND SHRIEKING

314
00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:31,600
Twijiki has now positioned herself
between two blackbacks.

315
00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:37,080
Both are interested...
but she seems to have a favourite.

316
00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:49,280
GRUNTING

317
00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:57,800
The spurned blackback
spoils their game.

318
00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:03,880
They started to mate,

319
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:08,000
but then the other blackback grunted
at them aggressively, very loudly.

320
00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:11,080
And then they stopped
and the female moved off.

321
00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:14,400
There was a chance
that Rukina would come running.

322
00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,800
If this goes on for much longer,

323
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,360
the youngsters are certain
to get caught.

324
00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:23,440
THUNDER RUMBLES

325
00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:39,480
In Rwanda,
Felix has received the news

326
00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:43,280
about Rano leading his group
onto the farmland.

327
00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:44,800
He decides to find them.

328
00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:58,160
Although Rano needs the group
to help him attract more females,

329
00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:00,400
the group needs Rano.

330
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:03,400
Without him, the male blackbacks
are too young

331
00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:06,600
to take on the responsibilities
of leadership,

332
00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:08,720
and the group would fall apart.

333
00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:20,880
But now it's Rano's leadership
skills that are about to be tested
to the limit.

334
00:34:29,720 --> 00:34:32,440
There's another group close by,

335
00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,760
so what now they're doing is,
you know, the chest beats,

336
00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:39,680
hooting from one side and then
from the other side as well.

337
00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:46,080
HOOTING AND GRUNTING

338
00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:48,560
It's not uncommon

339
00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,360
for gorilla groups to meet,

340
00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:53,880
and although potentially dangerous,

341
00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:56,760
it's a chance for females
to switch groups.

342
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:04,360
Felix is concerned that Tuck,
the only female in the group,

343
00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,240
may take this opportunity to leave.

344
00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:12,000
But Rano seems prepared to risk
life and limb trying to hold on
to her,

345
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,720
even though she's spurned him.

346
00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:18,200
Why he's so determined
to keep hold of Tuck is a mystery,

347
00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:20,680
especially since
she's unable to breed.

348
00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:28,560
For whatever reason, he continues
to put on an impressive display

349
00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,360
in the hope
he can ward off any challenger.

350
00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:37,680
ROARING AND WHOOPING

351
00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:41,360
The whooping is thought to be a way
of filling the chest with air

352
00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:44,920
to help increase the effect
of the chest beat.

353
00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:50,080
And right now, Rano needs to sound
as impressive and as powerful
as he can.

354
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:56,320
Felix radios the rangers
tracking the other group.

355
00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:01,200
They are very close.

356
00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:05,680
(CHEST BEATS)

357
00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:11,000
The other group is about 200 metres.

358
00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:18,720
This could be dangerous
for Felix and his rangers.

359
00:36:18,720 --> 00:36:22,960
No-one wants to get caught up in the
middle of full-on gorilla warfare.

360
00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:29,440
But it's terrible news for Rano,
as it now seems inevitable

361
00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:33,520
that he will have to face up
to a fight with another silverback.

362
00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:37,040
To make matters worse,

363
00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:41,280
Tuck is definitely showing signs
of interest in what's going on.

364
00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:45,480
Oh, come on, Tuck,
where are you going?

365
00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:51,800
Already the blackbacks from
both groups have started to mix,

366
00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:54,040
but this is not their fight.

367
00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:56,760
It's all down to
the silverbacks now.

368
00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,160
WHOOPING

369
00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,680
Rano holds back with Tuck...

370
00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:07,640
..but a clash seems unavoidable.

371
00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:17,920
And Tuck doesn't make things
any easier, as she follows Rano.

372
00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:28,840
This is a real test of Rano's skills
as a leader.

373
00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:33,000
With three silverbacks and seven
females, the rival group
is a big one.

374
00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:44,200
There's three silverbacks in there.

375
00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,360
These females could use
this opportunity to join Rano,

376
00:37:51,360 --> 00:37:55,160
so the rival silverbacks
are understandably cautious.

377
00:38:02,840 --> 00:38:05,240
It's quite serious.

378
00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:07,200
Everybody's here, all the females.

379
00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:11,240
Everybody's interested
in the other group,

380
00:38:11,240 --> 00:38:13,720
so it's a very tense situation.

381
00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:25,040
If this escalates,
Rano could be badly hurt.

382
00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:29,560
The silverbacks
posture to each other,

383
00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:32,600
turning side on
to show their full might.

384
00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:37,240
Rano must stand his ground
if he wants to hold on to his group.

385
00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:42,080
You need to go up there,
because that can be nasty sometimes.

386
00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:50,880
As the gorillas size each other up,

387
00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:54,640
Rano's stoic defence of Tuck
seems to be working.

388
00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:05,320
The silverbacks realise that none
of the females are ready to move...

389
00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:09,720
..and since no-one wants to fight,

390
00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:11,760
things begin to calm down.

391
00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:22,760
As the gorillas start to disperse,

392
00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:27,200
Felix senses
that the situation has been defused.

393
00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:41,640
Rano has handled this potentially
disastrous encounter

394
00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:44,120
with great skill and courage.

395
00:39:47,240 --> 00:39:52,000
Whether this has been appreciated
by Tuck and the rest of the group

396
00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,520
remains to be seen.

397
00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:31,160
In Congo, gorilla vet Magda
is on her way to visit

398
00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,200
the family of one of the orphans.

399
00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:38,360
News has reached her
of a newborn baby in the group,

400
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:40,840
and she wants to make sure
it's healthy.

401
00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:56,600
This is the biggest group
on Congolese side.

402
00:40:56,600 --> 00:41:00,600
36 individuals, and a very
unusual thing - only one silverback.

403
00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:04,920
Usually, in big groups like this,
we have three, four, sometimes
five silverbacks.

404
00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:09,800
In Congo side, since April
this year, we introduced masks,

405
00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:12,800
so, because of the health reasons
and disease transmission,

406
00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:15,560
we all wear masks
when we watch gorillas.

407
00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:26,800
Congo is the first country
to insist

408
00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:29,880
that all visitors to the gorillas
put on face masks

409
00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:32,160
to prevent the spread
of human disease.

410
00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:41,920
It's especially important,

411
00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:46,280
as these are some of the least
visited mountain gorillas
in the world.

412
00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:47,760
(MAGDA CROONS)

413
00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:50,320
Magda makes reassuring gorilla sounds

414
00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:53,080
so that they are fully aware
of her presence.

415
00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:54,800
(SHE CROONS)

416
00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:58,360
He's got his lunchbox with him.

417
00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:06,480
It's an amazing time of year for
gorillas now in all Virungas,
with bamboo shoots.

418
00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:10,520
That's probably 90% easily of their
diet at this time of year.

419
00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:28,600
I haven't seen this group before,
but that's a very interesting group.

420
00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:32,880
That's by far the biggest
of all the Congolese groups.

421
00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:36,320
And especially we would like
to see the female, Maisha, today,

422
00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:37,960
maybe we are lucky to see her,

423
00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:40,800
because she's the youngest
in the history mother.

424
00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:44,080
She's only six years old and she
already has a three-week-old baby.

425
00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:48,120
So we will try to see her
if we are lucky.

426
00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:56,440
Trying to see a mother and baby
in a group still suspicious
of humans

427
00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,040
is proving to be difficult.

428
00:43:03,160 --> 00:43:07,960
But at last, Magda is able to get
a glimpse of the newly born baby.

429
00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:21,200
Sometimes, with young females
like this, they are confused,

430
00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:23,480
they don't know
how to take care of the baby,

431
00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:27,880
and babies die within a few days.
But this baby's already
three weeks old.

432
00:43:27,880 --> 00:43:29,760
It's holding well, it's active,

433
00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:32,280
starts already looking
at its surroundings.

434
00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:34,440
So I think it's going to be OK.

435
00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:42,000
With the birth of this baby, the
group is slowly rebuilding itself

436
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:44,960
after the horrors
of the gorilla murders.

437
00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:51,560
War, poaching, armed rebels...

438
00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:55,920
the problems facing gorillas
in Congo are immense.

439
00:43:58,040 --> 00:43:59,800
But despite all this,

440
00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:03,240
the Congolese are forging ahead
with gorilla conservation.

441
00:44:04,680 --> 00:44:10,800
Looking after the animals
are over 650 dedicated rangers.

442
00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:13,240
Often outnumbered and outgunned,

443
00:44:13,240 --> 00:44:18,920
over 130 have lost their lives
in the line of duty.

444
00:44:18,920 --> 00:44:23,880
One of the biggest battles
is against the illegal
charcoal makers.

445
00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:30,080
Every year, hundreds of tonnes of
charcoal are taken from the forest.

446
00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:33,680
For the local population
it's their main cooking fuel.

447
00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:39,920
Demand is high, and some of it comes
from within the National Park

448
00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:42,840
where the gorillas are found.

449
00:44:42,840 --> 00:44:44,920
It's the rangers' job

450
00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:49,160
to shut down these illegal
charcoal-making operations.

451
00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:54,640
But it's no good cutting off the
supply if the demand is still there,

452
00:44:54,640 --> 00:44:57,920
so, ingeniously in Congo,

453
00:44:57,920 --> 00:45:01,520
they have come up with
an alternative cooking fuel -

454
00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:03,560
briquettes.

455
00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:09,560
The briquettes can be produced
from all sorts of materials,

456
00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:14,800
including wood chippings, cardboard,
even unused husks of rice.

457
00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:19,800
The process is simple,

458
00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:24,080
and just requires a pressing machine
to create the briquette.

459
00:45:32,920 --> 00:45:37,240
It's environmentally friendly,
and gorilla friendly.

460
00:45:37,240 --> 00:45:42,520
So far, 600 briquette-making machines
have been distributed,

461
00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:46,800
producing over 3,000 sacks
of briquettes each month,

462
00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:49,240
and creating more than 3,000 jobs.

463
00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:54,360
It's a great success story,
and one that will help secure

464
00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:57,960
the future of people and gorillas
in Congo.

465
00:46:19,160 --> 00:46:24,240
In Uganda, Martha's gorilla group
is travelling deep into the forest.

466
00:46:28,120 --> 00:46:33,160
Gorillas can have a home range
of up to 20 square kilometres,

467
00:46:33,160 --> 00:46:37,200
and Rukina's group is nearing
the very furthest boundary
of their range.

468
00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:43,880
This is a four-hour hike
for Martha and the team.

469
00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:47,720
But it's the only way
for Martha to see

470
00:46:47,720 --> 00:46:52,560
if young female Twijiki is still
causing chaos in the group.

471
00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:05,320
They finally settle,
and Martha gets a chance

472
00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:08,680
to look for the young troublemaker,
Twijiki.

473
00:47:17,640 --> 00:47:22,720
She finds the younger members of
the group playing in the
undergrowth.

474
00:47:25,480 --> 00:47:29,520
But it's not just the juveniles
enjoying this game.

475
00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:31,680
Twijiki is also there

476
00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:35,400
and all three are chuckling
in delight.

477
00:48:03,720 --> 00:48:08,080
It's really nice because Twijiki,
the young female, was playing

478
00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:12,920
and so, again, just how she's not
quite an adult, but still
not quite a kid.

479
00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:17,000
So some days she's a young lady,
but today she's trying to be a kid.

480
00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:24,840
Twijiki's venture into adulthood
is temporarily on hold.

481
00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:33,360
And with that, the temptation for
the blackbacks to misbehave
has gone...

482
00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:34,840
for now.

483
00:48:42,960 --> 00:48:47,200
The group has travelled close
to the very centre of Bwindi

484
00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:50,760
and the great swamp
from which the park got its name.

485
00:49:17,240 --> 00:49:19,520
As the light starts to fade,

486
00:49:19,520 --> 00:49:24,160
the smaller gorillas take
to the trees to build their nests.

487
00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:28,080
They make a fresh nest each night.

488
00:49:28,080 --> 00:49:32,320
A springy bed of folded branches
makes a great natural mattress.

489
00:49:36,200 --> 00:49:40,240
Nothing beats a newly made bed
in your own home.

490
00:49:40,240 --> 00:49:42,880
But for tonight,
it's Martha and her team

491
00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:45,480
who will be without
their creature comforts.

492
00:49:56,240 --> 00:50:00,760
Instead of trudging home, they
decide to camp out for the night.

493
00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:12,240
Martha always enjoys
a night under the stars,

494
00:50:12,240 --> 00:50:17,040
but tonight there's another reason
she wants to be near the gorillas.

495
00:50:17,040 --> 00:50:21,280
There's a milestone coming up,
and Martha can't miss it.

496
00:50:30,800 --> 00:50:33,840
BIRDS SING

497
00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:43,200
Daybreak in Uganda.

498
00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:45,840
Martha is first up.

499
00:50:45,840 --> 00:50:49,040
For her, this is
an eagerly awaited day.

500
00:51:00,080 --> 00:51:04,320
She's just a 20-minute walk
from the gorillas' nesting site.

501
00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:40,600
And here's what Martha has waited
all year to see -

502
00:51:40,600 --> 00:51:44,120
at last little Ponoka is one.

503
00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:49,240
This is sort of a milestone
for Ponoka.

504
00:51:49,240 --> 00:51:53,760
About one in three infants
don't live past age three,

505
00:51:53,760 --> 00:51:56,120
so there's very high
infant mortality.

506
00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:58,760
But most of the deaths occur
in the first year.

507
00:51:58,760 --> 00:52:01,440
So now that Ponoka's reached one,

508
00:52:01,440 --> 00:52:05,240
the likelihood of him surviving
goes up dramatically.

509
00:52:06,480 --> 00:52:12,200
The population of mountain gorillas
is so small that every single
individual counts.

510
00:52:12,200 --> 00:52:15,440
It's nice to think
that in 15, 20 years,

511
00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:19,000
he might be a dominant silverback
of his own group.

512
00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:20,920
I hope I'm still here then.

513
00:52:20,920 --> 00:52:24,760
I won't be running up these hills
quite as fast, I guess. I hope so.

514
00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:30,080
Reaching his first birthday
is the first

515
00:52:30,080 --> 00:52:34,720
of many challenges he will face
growing up as a male gorilla.

516
00:52:34,720 --> 00:52:39,920
But with a successful silverback
leader like Rukina heading up
his family,

517
00:52:39,920 --> 00:52:43,240
things are already looking good
for his future.

518
00:52:44,840 --> 00:52:47,760
Under the watchful eye of Martha,

519
00:52:47,760 --> 00:52:51,960
Rukina is proving to be both
a good father and a strong leader.

520
00:52:53,840 --> 00:52:57,680
My hopes for Rukina
and the rest of his group

521
00:52:57,680 --> 00:53:02,560
is that they live a natural, normal
life span in a well-protected park.

522
00:53:02,560 --> 00:53:09,440
At the moment, Bwindi is quite well
protected, so I have reason to hope.

523
00:53:35,280 --> 00:53:39,920
In Congo, it's also a big day
for the orphaned gorillas.

524
00:53:39,920 --> 00:53:41,600
At last they're on the move.

525
00:53:48,800 --> 00:53:50,720
Having been passed healthy by Magda,

526
00:53:50,720 --> 00:53:54,040
they are driven two hours
to their new home.

527
00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:06,320
It's this kind of commitment
to the last few hundred
mountain gorillas

528
00:54:06,320 --> 00:54:10,560
that's essential if they are to
survive into the next century.

529
00:54:27,280 --> 00:54:32,640
Now they are finally able to enjoy
living in a much more suitable home.

530
00:54:33,760 --> 00:54:35,760
They can never go back
into the wild,

531
00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:39,640
as it's unlikely they would
be accepted into a group.

532
00:54:39,640 --> 00:54:41,480
But they have each other,

533
00:54:41,480 --> 00:54:46,160
and their new home is as close as
can be to the forest they came from.

534
00:55:11,560 --> 00:55:15,120
But what of the brave
silverback leader Rano,

535
00:55:15,120 --> 00:55:18,760
living on the slopes
of the Rwandan volcanoes?

536
00:55:18,760 --> 00:55:21,480
Has the group finally accepted him?

537
00:55:32,000 --> 00:55:36,400
They certainly seem a lot more
relaxed and at ease with each other.

538
00:55:47,920 --> 00:55:52,560
Maybe Rano's heroic stand
against a larger, stronger group

539
00:55:52,560 --> 00:55:56,920
has convinced the others that
he might be a leader worth following.

540
00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:02,680
But what of his future?

541
00:56:06,560 --> 00:56:09,800
They all need each other.

542
00:56:09,800 --> 00:56:11,880
Rano, as the dominant silverback,

543
00:56:11,880 --> 00:56:15,120
needs all the support
he can get from these guys,

544
00:56:15,120 --> 00:56:17,760
so let's, you know,
give them some time,

545
00:56:17,760 --> 00:56:23,240
three, four years, they will grow
and they will start to interact,

546
00:56:23,240 --> 00:56:26,480
having these encounters
with other groups,

547
00:56:26,480 --> 00:56:29,600
and they will eventually
attract females.

548
00:56:29,600 --> 00:56:33,400
My hopes for Rano,
I really hope, you know, he does

549
00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:36,040
get some more females
in the future.

550
00:56:36,040 --> 00:56:38,320
I do like Rano.

551
00:56:39,440 --> 00:56:41,520
He still has a long way to go

552
00:56:41,520 --> 00:56:43,920
before he reaches
the status of his father,

553
00:56:43,920 --> 00:56:46,240
the legendary Titus.

554
00:56:46,240 --> 00:56:49,920
It would certainly help
if he could attract more females,

555
00:56:49,920 --> 00:56:54,120
but with the hard-earned support
of his fellow gorillas,

556
00:56:54,120 --> 00:56:58,400
at least he has the chance
to follow in his father's footsteps.

557
00:56:58,400 --> 00:57:02,640
Rano is also lucky because,
as well as his group,

558
00:57:02,640 --> 00:57:06,680
he has the support of
a dedicated team of scientists...

559
00:57:07,840 --> 00:57:09,280
..trackers...

560
00:57:10,640 --> 00:57:12,400
..and vets...

561
00:57:12,400 --> 00:57:16,320
all working to ensure
the future remains bright

562
00:57:16,320 --> 00:57:20,840
for every gorilla
in this precious mountain kingdom.

563
00:57:34,320 --> 00:57:37,200
Rano, in his forest home
in the heart of Africa,

564
00:57:37,200 --> 00:57:41,520
is one of the last 700
mountain gorillas

565
00:57:41,520 --> 00:57:45,080
that together are a species
in intensive care.

566
00:57:52,320 --> 00:57:55,760
But it's exactly this kind
of care and attention

567
00:57:55,760 --> 00:57:59,520
that has ensured that,
for the past 20 years,

568
00:57:59,520 --> 00:58:04,360
mountain gorilla populations haven't
dropped, or just stayed still,

569
00:58:04,360 --> 00:58:07,200
they've actually risen.

570
00:58:08,680 --> 00:58:11,640
Could the last few hundred
mountain gorillas

571
00:58:11,640 --> 00:58:14,920
finally be safe in our hands?

572
00:58:39,200 --> 00:58:42,080
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

573
00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:44,720
E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk