1 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,640 At the southern tip of the Australian continent 2 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:20,480 lies a remote island. 3 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:26,600 An immense wilderness... 4 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,760 ..divided by mountains. 5 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,120 It's a world of ancient forests... 6 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,440 ..of pristine rivers... 7 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:45,440 ..and a coastline... 8 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,480 ..that's both wild and beautiful. 9 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,000 Its animal inhabitants are as extraordinary 10 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:02,760 as they are bizarre. 11 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,880 This is a land of black devils... 12 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,200 ..and white wallabies... 13 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,240 ..where lights dance in the southern sky 14 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,880 and trees tower to 100 metres. 15 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,800 This is Tasmania - 16 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,920 the weird and wonderful isle at the bottom of the world. 17 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,040 Tasmania is full of surprises. 18 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:08,360 Australia, yes, but with a twist. 19 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:16,800 It was once connected to the dry Australian mainland. 20 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:22,960 Today, along with its plants and animals, it's physically cut off. 21 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,880 Though it lies just to the south, 22 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,280 Tasmania is a world apart. 23 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,560 Its isolation and cooler climate 24 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,280 has created a sanctuary 25 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,440 unlike any other part of Australia. 26 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:50,200 And a strong seasonal cycle makes life here very different indeed. 27 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,160 Winter means a struggle for survival. 28 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,440 In Tasmania's mountains there are meagre pickings on offer. 29 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:27,320 This is the last landfall heading south before Antarctica. 30 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,720 Cold air from further south brings snowfall and freezing temperatures 31 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:37,640 throughout these winter months. 32 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:49,320 Many animals, like this female wombat, are Australian species, 33 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:54,000 but their habits and lifestyles are most definitely Tasmanian. 34 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,720 Mainland wombats are largely nocturnal... 35 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,360 ..but here she feeds at any time of the day, 36 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,520 kept warm by her thicker coat of fur. 37 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,000 She must take every opportunity to find food. 38 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,680 Winter is felt right across this island wilderness. 39 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,240 Even lower down in Tasmania's forests 40 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,400 temperatures can fall below freezing. 41 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,440 The first Europeans to explore these forests 42 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,760 claimed they heard devils screaming in the night... 43 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:01,840 EERIE CRIES 44 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,760 ..and so Tasmania's most famous animal got its name. 45 00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:23,560 The Tasmanian Devil. 46 00:05:32,280 --> 00:05:34,120 AGGRESSIVE RASPING CRIES 47 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,600 Primarily scavengers, 48 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,280 they can smell a carcass from half a mile away... 49 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:47,320 ..and relative to body size they have the most powerful bite 50 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:48,600 in the natural world. 51 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:52,640 They can easily crunch through bone. 52 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,400 Devils once lived throughout Australia 53 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,000 but vanished as the continent dried out and humans arrived. 54 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,040 Today, this is their last stronghold. 55 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,280 Like most Australian mammals, they're marsupials. 56 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,680 While they may appear dog-like, 57 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:37,280 devils are more closely related to kangaroos than canines... 58 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,520 ..and being marsupial they rear their young in a pouch. 59 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:49,480 A few weeks ago this female gave birth to 40 young... 60 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,560 ..each the size of a grain of rice. 61 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:03,680 Inside her pouch she has just four teats, 62 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,360 so only four young will survive. 63 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,600 A devil's race for survival begins early. 64 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:27,280 It's a tough start but this mum will dedicate most of her year 65 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,720 to looking after the four babies who survive. 66 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,000 She overcame extraordinary odds to reach adulthood. 67 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,040 Now, it's her turn to raise the next generation. 68 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,720 Marsupials like the devils live here because Tasmania was once 69 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:54,080 connected to mainland Australia. 70 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,800 The island and its inhabitants became isolated some 12,000 years 71 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,880 ago when sea levels rose following the last Ice Age. 72 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,960 But Tasmania is a window on a far more ancient past. 73 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,480 Some of these forests have barely changed since dinosaurs 74 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,120 walked the Earth, 75 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:26,800 when the southern continents were a single landmass called Gondwana. 76 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,080 There is still a creature here whose ancestors roamed 77 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,320 that ancient supercontinent. 78 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,120 It lives in Tasmania's rivers 79 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,400 and is one of the island's longest lived survivors... 80 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,320 The Tasmanian giant lobster. 81 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,320 Weighing up to five kilos and a metre long, 82 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:14,120 they're the biggest freshwater invertebrates on our planet, 83 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,160 taking some 40 years to reach full size. 84 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,680 Tasmania's isolation, together with the lack of sizeable predators, 85 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:27,240 may be one reason why they grow so massive... 86 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,240 ..but they're not entirely free from threat. 87 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,800 Tasmanian platypuses are enormous... 88 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,440 As much as three times heavier than their mainland counterparts. 89 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,560 It's an adaptation to the cooler southern climate. 90 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,560 This male is after tiny invertebrates found on the river bed 91 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:09,360 including young lobsters... 92 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,080 ..and to stay warm in winter he must find a lot. 93 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:24,000 He needs to keep moving. 94 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:30,080 With no large predators to worry them, platypuses here 95 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,640 get about in an unusual way. 96 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:39,640 Only in Tasmania does the platypus walk between rivers 97 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:41,240 in broad daylight. 98 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:57,920 Out of water, it's easy to see why the platypus was once dismissed 99 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:00,360 as a fraud, the work of a hoaxer. 100 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,800 But down here he is in his element. 101 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:20,840 His strange assemblage of body parts soon begins to make sense. 102 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:25,880 Webbed feet help him move... 103 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,000 ..while his otter-like fur keeps him warm. 104 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,920 His beaver-like tail stores fat. 105 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,520 But the platypus is best known for its duck-like bill.. 106 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,160 ..which it uses to find food. 107 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,360 Underwater, he's completely blind. 108 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,960 Not ideal for avoiding rocks. 109 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:10,040 But some 40,000 receptors in the bill detect electrical signals 110 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:12,680 given off by the muscles of prey animals. 111 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,440 With the need to eat a lot just to keep warm, 112 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:25,200 a platypus can stay on the hunt for some 12 hours a day. 113 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,040 Though also found on the mainland, 114 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:41,760 Tasmania's platypuses are by far the biggest and boldest. 115 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:49,640 They, like others, 116 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,360 are adapted to the island's isolation and cooler climate. 117 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,960 Lying 150 miles south of Australia... 118 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:09,320 ..Tasmania is surrounded by a vast expanse of open ocean. 119 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:33,120 To the west, the next landfall is South America... 120 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:35,840 ..thousands of miles away. 121 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,480 To the south, lies the great Antarctic continent. 122 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,760 And as winter comes to an end, 123 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,640 new arrivals come ashore to breed... 124 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:01,920 Penguins. 125 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:04,800 Hidden among the rocks, 126 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,840 this female has two newly hatched chicks... 127 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:11,080 ..but nothing to feed them. 128 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:18,120 Her partner left some 14 hours ago 129 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:19,600 and is yet to return. 130 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:24,800 He's out fishing, 131 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,320 but quite unlike any other penguin, 132 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:29,960 he must wait for nightfall to leave the water. 133 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:40,160 Gulls and birds of prey patrol the coast by day, 134 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:42,800 it's only safe to return after sunset. 135 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,120 That is because these are little penguins. 136 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:58,760 At only 30 centimetres tall, 137 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:00,840 they're the smallest penguins in the world. 138 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,240 And with nests several hundred metres inland... 139 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,840 ..the only safe way to get there is to make a dash 140 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:15,080 in the darkness. 141 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:23,800 There's safety in numbers. 142 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:41,760 MULTIPLE PENGUINS CALL 143 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:50,840 With hundreds of nests in the colony, the night soon fills with 144 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:52,640 the calls of returning adults... 145 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:59,320 The sound of early spring on Tasmania's coast. 146 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:05,680 CRIES AND CALLS 147 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,400 This will be a welcome meal 148 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:29,200 for the newly hatched chicks. 149 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,120 The little penguins' presence is a reminder 150 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,000 of Antarctica's proximity. 151 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:48,520 But while early spring brings them ashore to breed, 152 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,640 it also brings wild and unpredictable weather. 153 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,840 Prevailing winds carry most of the bad weather from the west... 154 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:10,960 THUNDER 155 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,360 LOUD CLAP OF THUNDER 156 00:17:22,360 --> 00:17:26,720 And Tasmania's mountains cause much of the rain to fall 157 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:28,720 on the western half of the island. 158 00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:35,440 The result divides Tasmania in two, 159 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,600 with a wet western side 160 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,440 and a dry eastern side. 161 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:54,240 Some western areas are among the wettest in all of Australia. 162 00:17:57,400 --> 00:17:59,800 It rains here nearly every day... 163 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,960 ..and all the water supports a surprising spectacle. 164 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,000 Caught in a bizarre trap, 165 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,240 these insects are doomed. 166 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:39,680 How they got stuck only becomes apparent as night falls. 167 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,240 These strange lights belong 168 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,640 to the larvae of a type of gnat. 169 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:03,400 The light is formed by a chemical reaction in the larva's abdomen 170 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,040 and can be turned on and off at will. 171 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:13,360 The sticky threads hang from its silk and mucus laden nest. 172 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:20,400 Insects drawn to the light are ensnared, then devoured. 173 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:34,240 Each glow-worm's thread is made up almost entirely of water, 174 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:39,800 so the high rainfall in Tasmania's wet west provides ideal conditions. 175 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:54,360 And the rain that supports these tiny glow-worms 176 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:58,840 also sustains one of the largest organisms on the planet... 177 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:04,600 Mountain ash. 178 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,640 They are a type of eucalyptus, 179 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:16,120 fast growing trees that evolved on the dry Australian mainland. 180 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,440 In Tasmania they've become giants. 181 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:31,120 Strangely, for trees living in a wet forest they need fire to reproduce. 182 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:34,000 ANIMAL SQUEAKS 183 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,600 The mountain ash stores its seeds in small pods... 184 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,200 ..which are released as the pods burn. 185 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:04,040 Beneath the ash, the seeds live on, 186 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,920 quickly germinating without competition from other plants. 187 00:21:10,360 --> 00:21:13,800 This makes sense in a dry habitat with regular fire... 188 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:22,320 ..but not in Tasmania's wet forests. 189 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:35,120 Young mountain ash can grow at a rate of several metres a year. 190 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:51,160 All that holds them back is 191 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,840 the next fire or a lack of water. 192 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,360 And that is the secret behind their staggering height. 193 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,960 In Tasmania's damp west, fire is so infrequent 194 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,640 these trees keep growing for centuries. 195 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:31,320 Those standing in this valley all germinated following the same 196 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,640 devastating fire 400 years ago. 197 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:41,200 Today, they reach almost 100 metres into the sky. 198 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:01,760 They may have evolved on the dry Australian mainland, 199 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:07,040 but it's Tasmania's wet forests that have turned mountain ash trees 200 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,200 into the tallest flowering plants on Earth. 201 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:25,480 The moisture laden air that blows in from Tasmania's west 202 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,600 brings several metres of rainfall each year. 203 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:36,960 Although it can rain most days, 204 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,080 winter and spring are the wettest times, 205 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,720 and seasonal waterfalls burst into life. 206 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,680 All who live here must adapt to the regular downpours 207 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:57,160 and cooler temperatures... 208 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,640 ..and like so many of Tasmania's species 209 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:06,160 their adaptations set them apart. 210 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:20,800 It may not look like it 211 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:24,880 but this is the closest living relative of the platypus. 212 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,240 The echidna, Australia's most widespread native mammal. 213 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:43,640 But while mainland echidnas are all spines, this Tasmanian one 214 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,680 is mostly covered in hair to help keep him warm. 215 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,440 The milder spring months 216 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,040 mean an abundance of his favourite food... 217 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:00,480 ..ants. 218 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:09,040 But when you're this hairy, your food gets stuck everywhere 219 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,480 which is a pain when it can bite back. 220 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:20,800 Time to move on. 221 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,160 As spring turns to summer, 222 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,880 Tasmania's inhabitants get some relief from the wild 223 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:38,280 and cool weather. 224 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:41,120 BIRD CRIES 225 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,880 It's now that the young devils are ready to leave the den. 226 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:03,040 They've been out of their mother's pouch for a while, 227 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:05,280 but have remained safely hidden away. 228 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:10,960 Fully weaned, 229 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,120 this is the start of their independence. 230 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:29,760 This young female will have to learn to survive and find food 231 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:31,000 all by herself. 232 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:38,000 What's more, she and her sibling are much smaller than an adult. 233 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:42,880 They could easily be killed. 234 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,080 This will be her way out of danger. 235 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,400 Heavier adults can't climb, 236 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,520 so there are some benefits to being small. 237 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:14,760 Over the next few months she'll also find much of the food she needs 238 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:16,600 up here in the treetops. 239 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:31,000 But grubs and birds' eggs alone 240 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,480 won't be enough to sustain her as she grows. 241 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:41,960 RASPING CRIES 242 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,440 If she's to make it to adulthood, 243 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:47,960 she needs to find more substantial meals... 244 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,400 ..and that brings her into direct competition with dangerous 245 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:57,640 and more powerful adult devils. 246 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:08,640 The scent and sound of crunching bones draw her in... 247 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:13,920 ..but she needs to be careful. 248 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:27,480 Less than half of all newly weaned youngsters make it to adulthood. 249 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:35,280 If she is to survive she needs to earn her place. 250 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:40,840 There's no telling how this adult might react. 251 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,400 Confronting a stranger at a carcass is a gamble... 252 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:55,760 ..but one she needs to take. 253 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,160 AGGRESSIVE CRIES 254 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,960 Spurred on by hunger, she seems to have the upper hand. 255 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,560 It looks as though her gamble has paid off, 256 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,720 but her competitor won't let the carcass go that easily. 257 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:29,200 The adult could kill her with a single bite... 258 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:33,840 ..but that's not how devil society works. 259 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:45,000 Despite living most of their lives alone, devils can and do share. 260 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,480 They defend only the amount of meat they can eat 261 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:52,320 rather than the whole carcass. 262 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:58,560 The pecking order has less to do with size and strength 263 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:01,240 and more to do with whoever wants it most. 264 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,720 As this youngster is learning, 265 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:08,160 it's all about who can shout the loudest. 266 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,640 Devils may have a fearsome reputation 267 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,880 but the reality is quite different. 268 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:32,720 Summer brings warmer temperatures across Tasmania. 269 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,440 While in the west it still rains frequently... 270 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:48,120 ..summer is most apparent in the dry eastern half of the island. 271 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,560 The driest areas of Tasmania receive 272 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:00,360 80% less rainfall than the wettest. 273 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,280 Here, the landscape is more reminiscent of parts 274 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:11,960 of the Australian mainland. 275 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:23,920 For marsupials that graze the open grasslands, 276 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:27,560 there's a bounty of fresh shoots in these warm summer months. 277 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:38,560 And although life here may appear more typically Australian, 278 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:44,040 the effect of Tasmania's isolation is felt just as strongly in this dry 279 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:45,640 half of the island. 280 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:55,920 It's given this group of wallabies something of a Tasmanian twist... 281 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:00,680 They've turned white. 282 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:16,400 About 100 of them live within this population. 283 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:24,560 They're so poorly camouflaged 284 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:27,400 that anywhere else they'd be easily killed. 285 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:33,600 On Tasmania, however, there aren't any predators big enough to kill 286 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:36,640 a wallaby, so many live full adult lives... 287 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:45,960 ..and without the normal controls, their numbers are growing. 288 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:01,440 But although this may appear a predator-free paradise, 289 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:03,200 there are killers here. 290 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:08,960 One of Tasmania's deadliest animals 291 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:10,960 lives in these dry forests. 292 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,760 It's a species of ant known as the jack jumper. 293 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:47,320 Jack jumpers evolved on the ancient Gondwanan supercontinent. 294 00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:54,840 Workers hunt alone, 295 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:58,560 a very primitive behaviour among ants which are mainly social. 296 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:04,280 And instead of using scent to hunt 297 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:06,640 they rely on acute vision. 298 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:15,560 They sting their victims to death with a venom that can kill humans... 299 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:20,760 Making these one of the deadliest animals in all of Australia. 300 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:45,360 Jack jumper ants are particularly abundant in this dry half 301 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:46,680 of Tasmania. 302 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:54,760 Their nests are small mounds within which their larvae are raised. 303 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:04,720 Workers cover the nest with dark materials to help absorb warmth 304 00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:06,560 in the cooler southern climate. 305 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,880 In midsummer, however, temperatures soar... 306 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,760 ..and the nest risks overheating. 307 00:36:34,720 --> 00:36:36,400 with the intense sunlight. 308 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:48,800 On hotter days they switch building materials. 309 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:56,360 Now, the workers cover the nest in white stones. 310 00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:06,680 These reflect the sun's energy, 311 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,120 keeping the young cool inside. 312 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,040 It's an inventive solution to Tasmania's changing seasons. 313 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,840 The dry eastern forests can be a challenging place 314 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:32,280 in the heat of midsummer... 315 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:49,560 ..but one of Tasmania's few marsupial predators avoids the worst 316 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:52,160 of this heat by hunting at night. 317 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:59,320 It's the eastern quoll, 318 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:01,320 a close relative of the Tasmanian devil. 319 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:07,600 They're very rare, 320 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:10,880 but summer sees an increase in numbers as juveniles 321 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:12,000 leave the den. 322 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:21,040 Quolls are solitary hunters... 323 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,720 ..and in summer are drawn to these dry pasture lands. 324 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:36,800 There's a rich bounty of moths and grubs at this time of year. 325 00:38:43,720 --> 00:38:47,640 But with lots of youngsters around competition can be intense. 326 00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:07,120 It's every quoll for itself. 327 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:12,720 SHARP SHRIEKS 328 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:32,720 Like Tasmanian devils, 329 00:39:32,720 --> 00:39:36,120 Eastern quolls were once found on the Australian mainland. 330 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:43,560 Today, this dry eastern half of the island is their last refuge... 331 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:50,440 ..and with an abundance of summer insects 332 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:52,440 they have every chance of thriving. 333 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:10,120 Summer is almost over... 334 00:40:14,240 --> 00:40:16,840 ..and as autumn arrives the stage 335 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,040 is set for a bizarre ritual. 336 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:33,040 TASMANIAN DEVILS CRY OUT 337 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:37,200 Familiar screams fill the forest. 338 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:53,560 It may not look like it but these devils are becoming amorous. 339 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:03,920 An eligible male clings on as a female guides him back to the den. 340 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:17,120 Female devils are receptive three times over a short period 341 00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:19,960 during the breeding season. 342 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:22,120 To ensure the fittest offspring, 343 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:25,200 she'll try to mate with as many big males as she can. 344 00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:30,280 And to increase his chances of fatherhood, 345 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,400 he must keep her in here for as long as possible. 346 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:44,360 Inside the den, he moves her around in an effort to mate. 347 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:48,400 To protect her from his biting grip, 348 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:51,880 the skin around her neck has thickened over the last few weeks. 349 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:02,160 Though it may appear aggressive, 350 00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:06,080 this is part of a bizarre and complicated breeding system. 351 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:24,960 They'll remain in here, mating regularly, for several days. 352 00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:44,880 In spite of that fearsome scream, 353 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:48,400 there is a sensitive side to these much maligned creatures. 354 00:42:51,720 --> 00:42:55,840 Far from devilish, they are simply very determined survivors. 355 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:06,000 The devil mating season marks autumn's arrival. 356 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:13,520 GEESE HONK 357 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:25,120 Each evening, flocks of Cape Barren geese return to their roost. 358 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:40,600 Their silhouettes in the sunset a sign that the year is ending. 359 00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:07,560 Back on the coast, the longer nights bring with them 360 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:08,960 a stunning spectacle. 361 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:25,960 The southern lights, 362 00:44:25,960 --> 00:44:30,120 a reminder that the next stop from here is Antarctica. 363 00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:57,520 For Tasmania's little penguins the breeding season has finished. 364 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:00,960 Only adults remain at the colony. 365 00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:07,280 They've spent the last few weeks fattening up at sea, 366 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:09,120 almost doubling their weight. 367 00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:22,320 The efforts of raising chicks have left them in need 368 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:24,080 of a new set of feathers. 369 00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:33,880 Little penguins go through what's known as catastrophic moult... 370 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:40,200 ..shedding some 10,000 feathers all at once. 371 00:45:48,720 --> 00:45:51,760 Because their feathers keep them warm and waterproof, 372 00:45:51,760 --> 00:45:55,640 they can't return to sea until they've grown new ones. 373 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:09,840 For three long weeks they're stuck on dry land, unable to feed. 374 00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:24,960 It's a long wait for a little penguin. 375 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:40,720 The year is almost over... 376 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:47,440 ..and high in the mountains there's time for one last surprise. 377 00:46:56,960 --> 00:46:59,400 These are southern beech trees. 378 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:03,840 Unique to Tasmania. 379 00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:12,720 Their change in colour makes for an autumn unlike anywhere else 380 00:47:12,720 --> 00:47:14,040 in Australia. 381 00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:21,960 These are the only trees on the continent to drop their leaves 382 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:23,560 during the cooler months. 383 00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:33,200 The southern beech trees' closest living relatives are found thousands 384 00:47:33,200 --> 00:47:35,360 of miles away in South America. 385 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:52,000 This rare splash of autumnal colour lasts just a few weeks 386 00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:56,000 as across the whole of Tasmania temperatures begin to drop. 387 00:48:03,040 --> 00:48:06,400 June marks the start of the winter season, 388 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:09,760 and for the devils the beginning of new life. 389 00:48:10,920 --> 00:48:13,400 With young already inside her pouch, 390 00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:18,000 she will provide milk for them through the harshest months. 391 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:22,680 Her life and theirs tied to Tasmania's seasonal cycle. 392 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:36,720 Just 12,000 years ago, Tasmania separated from its mainland parent. 393 00:48:43,600 --> 00:48:45,240 The island is young, 394 00:48:45,240 --> 00:48:47,040 yet rich in life, 395 00:48:47,040 --> 00:48:49,480 and with a long and ancient past. 396 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:59,480 Now, Tasmania, and the animals it supports, are on a different course 397 00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:01,120 to the rest of Australia. 398 00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:15,080 It is, as a result, home to a cast as weird as they are wonderful. 399 00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:25,440 Indeed, there's nowhere on Earth 400 00:49:25,440 --> 00:49:27,280 quite like Tasmania. 401 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:47,280 Tasmania is roughly the size of Ireland, but with a population 402 00:49:47,280 --> 00:49:50,880 of just half a million people, it's home to some of the greatest 403 00:49:50,880 --> 00:49:53,400 expanse of wilderness left on our planet. 404 00:49:56,240 --> 00:49:58,360 Despite all this room for nature, 405 00:49:58,360 --> 00:50:02,800 some of Tasmania's most well-known animals face an uncertain future. 406 00:50:05,760 --> 00:50:08,320 Tasmanian devils are endangered - 407 00:50:08,320 --> 00:50:10,920 disease and historical persecution 408 00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:13,200 have caused their numbers to plummet. 409 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:19,480 Right from birth, reaching adulthood is challenge enough. 410 00:50:24,600 --> 00:50:27,800 But the devils' vicious reputation has made life 411 00:50:27,800 --> 00:50:29,400 even more difficult for them. 412 00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:34,320 One man, however, 413 00:50:34,320 --> 00:50:37,800 has spent years helping to change people's perceptions. 414 00:50:39,920 --> 00:50:46,400 Cameraman and ecologist Simon Plowright moved to Tasmania in 1981. 415 00:50:46,400 --> 00:50:50,360 I'd been brought up as a nature lover back in Wales and to come 416 00:50:50,360 --> 00:50:53,600 to this incredibly exotic place, it was very exciting. 417 00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:59,040 Since then, Tasmanian devils have become very close to Simon's heart. 418 00:51:02,560 --> 00:51:05,920 When I first came to Tasmania I heard devils in the forest at night. 419 00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:08,960 SHARP RASPING CRIES 420 00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:12,920 The screaming noises, the unusual calls the devils make 421 00:51:12,920 --> 00:51:15,160 when they're having a bit of a tiff, 422 00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:18,400 seemed really, really strange to a person from Wales. 423 00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:20,840 Of course, you're intrigued and want to go and find out 424 00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:22,240 what this animal is. 425 00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:27,640 One of my first experiences of being close to these animals 426 00:51:27,640 --> 00:51:30,600 was going out with an old guy, he'd lived there all his life, 427 00:51:30,600 --> 00:51:32,560 he knew the area like the back of his hand. 428 00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:36,280 He still occasionally caught the odd wallaby to eat 429 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:38,200 because he'd been brought up on that sort of thing. 430 00:51:38,200 --> 00:51:40,600 I went out with him, and he had a couple of spots 431 00:51:40,600 --> 00:51:42,560 where he'd trapped a wallaby, 432 00:51:42,560 --> 00:51:45,640 and the wallabies had been stolen by devils, 433 00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:48,040 and that, to me, was fascinating. 434 00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:54,040 Buoyed by tales of wallaby-stealing beasts that lurked in the night, 435 00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:56,160 Simon was desperate to find out more. 436 00:51:57,600 --> 00:52:00,560 He set out to try and observe wild devils. 437 00:52:02,600 --> 00:52:05,720 The first time that I actually sat out with devils, 438 00:52:05,720 --> 00:52:08,200 I was obviously a bit wary and, you know, 439 00:52:08,200 --> 00:52:10,080 do these things attack people? 440 00:52:10,080 --> 00:52:11,600 Are they going to start eating me? 441 00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:15,360 Cos, you know, I had heard tales of devils eating people, dead people, 442 00:52:15,360 --> 00:52:18,160 and all this sort of stuff and, "Oh, will they go for a live one?" 443 00:52:18,160 --> 00:52:20,760 You know, I'm new to this country, 444 00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:25,240 so I wasn't completely sure, but very soon I realised 445 00:52:25,240 --> 00:52:27,480 that they're not the slightest bit interested in me. 446 00:52:29,080 --> 00:52:31,960 Coming from the UK where foxes and badgers and all these things 447 00:52:31,960 --> 00:52:33,560 are pretty scared of people, 448 00:52:33,560 --> 00:52:37,200 I was amazed with how they didn't seem to care about me being there. 449 00:52:40,880 --> 00:52:42,720 Simon quickly came to realise 450 00:52:42,720 --> 00:52:46,560 that these weren't the terrifying monsters people thought they were. 451 00:52:54,440 --> 00:52:58,640 He began to learn all about the Tasmanian devils' complex life cycle 452 00:52:58,640 --> 00:53:00,120 and social structure. 453 00:53:00,120 --> 00:53:02,600 AGGRESSIVE CRIES 454 00:53:02,600 --> 00:53:05,200 The sounds that you hear around a carcass, 455 00:53:05,200 --> 00:53:07,680 you'd think they were killing each other but they're actually not 456 00:53:07,680 --> 00:53:09,480 harming each other at all. 457 00:53:09,480 --> 00:53:11,520 All the noise, really, is just bluff. 458 00:53:16,640 --> 00:53:20,280 Since then, Simon has used all he's learnt to raise 459 00:53:20,280 --> 00:53:21,960 awareness of devils. 460 00:53:23,960 --> 00:53:26,760 I've taken many, many people from all around the world out 461 00:53:26,760 --> 00:53:30,640 to see devils and people who have been to all the continents 462 00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:34,400 on Earth and have seen some of the most amazing wildlife spectacles, 463 00:53:34,400 --> 00:53:39,560 have one and all said to me, this is as good as anything I've seen 464 00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:40,800 on the planet. 465 00:53:40,800 --> 00:53:44,040 Changing public perception has been an important step 466 00:53:44,040 --> 00:53:46,120 in devil conservation. 467 00:53:46,120 --> 00:53:50,520 Indeed, right here in Tasmania there's a stark example of where 468 00:53:50,520 --> 00:53:52,160 persecution can lead. 469 00:53:53,800 --> 00:53:57,600 Only a relatively short time ago it drove another top carnivore 470 00:53:57,600 --> 00:53:59,040 to extinction. 471 00:54:00,920 --> 00:54:04,600 A predatory marsupial called the thylacine once lived here. 472 00:54:06,640 --> 00:54:09,240 This was the last known captive individual. 473 00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:13,320 Filmed in Hobart Zoo, 474 00:54:13,320 --> 00:54:16,040 this is the only footage of these extinct predators. 475 00:54:17,760 --> 00:54:20,200 Nicknamed the Tasmanian tiger, 476 00:54:20,200 --> 00:54:23,240 this island was the thylacines' final refuge. 477 00:54:27,120 --> 00:54:31,360 But when Europeans arrived in Tasmania they saw the thylacine 478 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:33,000 as a threat to livestock. 479 00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:37,480 It was soon hunted to extinction. 480 00:54:40,680 --> 00:54:43,720 This individual died in 1936. 481 00:54:46,440 --> 00:54:50,640 It's an important reminder of what's at stake for Tasmania's wild devils. 482 00:54:53,200 --> 00:54:58,200 Today, however, despite a shift in public perception of these animals, 483 00:54:58,200 --> 00:55:01,640 the last decades have seen the emergence of an even greater threat 484 00:55:01,640 --> 00:55:03,360 to devil populations. 485 00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:08,520 In recent times, the Tasmanian devil has been put on the endangered 486 00:55:08,520 --> 00:55:11,880 species list because, er, of... 487 00:55:11,880 --> 00:55:14,200 ..the facial tumour disease. 488 00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:17,120 Facial tumour disease is a transmissible disease 489 00:55:17,120 --> 00:55:20,320 that causes cancerous growths. 490 00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:22,760 It's devastated devil populations. 491 00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:26,000 The horrible thing about it is there's no cure. 492 00:55:27,160 --> 00:55:31,480 So, when an animal becomes infected, it will die. 493 00:55:31,480 --> 00:55:34,680 In places where the disease has gone through the landscape, 494 00:55:34,680 --> 00:55:37,200 the numbers have been reduced by 80% and 90%. 495 00:55:46,120 --> 00:55:49,720 Where there are low numbers on the landscape it's not possible 496 00:55:49,720 --> 00:55:51,600 to sit and watch wild devils any more. 497 00:55:55,840 --> 00:55:58,160 That's really, really a sad thing. 498 00:55:58,160 --> 00:56:00,280 And each time now, 499 00:56:00,280 --> 00:56:05,040 when I pack up to leave a wild devil viewing session 500 00:56:05,040 --> 00:56:07,320 I think, well, this could easily be the last time. 501 00:56:07,320 --> 00:56:08,840 And... 502 00:56:08,840 --> 00:56:11,280 Er.... Yeah. 503 00:56:16,200 --> 00:56:17,280 Hm. 504 00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:31,760 But there is hope... 505 00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:35,880 A vaccine has been created and some devils seem to be evolving 506 00:56:35,880 --> 00:56:37,680 resistance to the disease. 507 00:56:39,720 --> 00:56:42,760 It is heartening, though, that this disease, having started 508 00:56:42,760 --> 00:56:46,640 at this spot 20 years ago, there are still animals there. 509 00:56:46,640 --> 00:56:49,160 It gives you an indication of how tough these little creatures are 510 00:56:49,160 --> 00:56:51,120 and how they will hang on in the landscape. 511 00:56:54,600 --> 00:56:59,560 As a safeguard, Simon also breeds devils as part of a wider human 512 00:56:59,560 --> 00:57:02,080 effort to protect the species from extinction. 513 00:57:10,400 --> 00:57:14,120 Tasmanian devils are only found in Tasmania. 514 00:57:14,120 --> 00:57:18,960 They became extinct on mainland Australia a long time ago. 515 00:57:18,960 --> 00:57:21,480 One of the worst things that could ever happen, I guess, 516 00:57:21,480 --> 00:57:24,240 is the Tasmanian devil ends up like the Tasmanian tiger. 517 00:57:26,720 --> 00:57:30,120 It's so vital that these animals are protected. 518 00:57:30,120 --> 00:57:34,480 Let's hope for the future that the devils, with the help from us, 519 00:57:34,480 --> 00:57:38,240 can once again be free in the wild 520 00:57:38,240 --> 00:57:40,160 and beat this disease. 521 00:57:43,160 --> 00:57:48,200 Tasmania is a refuge to some unusual species, many of which are long 522 00:57:48,200 --> 00:57:51,960 extinct on the Australian mainland. 523 00:57:51,960 --> 00:57:54,480 This island may be a vast wilderness 524 00:57:54,480 --> 00:57:59,040 but even here the influence of our human world is felt, 525 00:57:59,040 --> 00:58:03,640 and a great deal of hard work and dedication is still required 526 00:58:03,640 --> 00:58:06,720 to ensure the survival of its wild residents.