1 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:40,880 Australia - 2 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:42,760 an island continent 3 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,240 cast adrift during the time of the dinosaurs. 4 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:12,200 Isolated from the rest of life on land for millions of years, 5 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:18,120 the animals cast away here are today like none elsewhere. 6 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,880 This is a land of survivors. 7 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:57,480 The jungles of northern Australia - the oldest on our planet. 8 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,360 Unchanged for 180 million years. 9 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,120 The animals and plants here are armed... 10 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,800 ..built to live alongside dinosaurs. 11 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,680 Now there is just one giant left. 12 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,800 With claws longer than a velociraptor 13 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:32,720 and nearly two metres tall... 14 00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:37,120 ..the cassowary rules this forest. 15 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:38,520 BOOMING CALL 16 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,280 But the key to its success is not its stature... 17 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,000 ..it's the male's abilities as a parent. 18 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,880 This one's chicks are six weeks old, 19 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,160 and he will raise them by himself. 20 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,240 Every morsel of food is valuable 21 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,520 if his chicks are to grow up tall and strong. 22 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:26,680 But in this forest, 23 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,520 most of the fruit is too big for the chicks. 24 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:36,800 It must be cut up for them. 25 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,480 There is food to be gathered throughout their territory... 26 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,920 ..but it's not easy to find. 27 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,400 He shows them how to cross water. 28 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,720 But when your legs are only ten centimetres long, 29 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,640 a stream like this is very deep. 30 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,040 One takes the plunge... 31 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,840 ..but for the other, this is too daunting. 32 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,960 He turns and goes back the way he came. 33 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,520 Out of sight and without his father's protection, 34 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:44,480 he's vulnerable. 35 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:54,320 Only half of cassowary chicks make it to adulthood... 36 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:57,440 ..and for very good reason. 37 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:08,000 Australia's prehistoric forests are still full of predators. 38 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:22,040 IT CHEEPS Many manage to survive here 39 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:26,440 by eating almost anything that's smaller than they are. 40 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:29,760 He needs to find his father... IT CHEEPS 41 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,160 ..and quickly. 42 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:48,680 IT CHEEPS 43 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,880 The male hears his cries and answers... 44 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:58,960 ..using a special call that carries well through the thick forest. 45 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:00,720 DEEP BOOMING CALL 46 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:12,560 And then, a glimpse of some reassuring, bright colours. 47 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,760 Their bonds are stronger than their fears. 48 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:51,120 The male will guide and protect his chicks for another eight months 49 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:52,600 before he mates again. 50 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,880 Australia was once part of the vast supercontinent 51 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,640 of Gondwanaland... THUNDER RUMBLES 52 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:11,920 ..covered in forest and full of life. 53 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,560 Dinosaurs dominated. 54 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,040 Mammals had only just appeared. 55 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,160 Then, Australia began to break away. 56 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:30,240 Cast adrift on this new island were reptiles, birds and early mammals 57 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:34,040 that then evolved in isolation from the rest of the world. 58 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,760 None could now leave this giant island, 59 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:39,640 and very few could get here... 60 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:42,800 ..unless they could fly. 61 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:49,920 A little red flying fox. 62 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,840 Their ancestors flew here, 63 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,640 travelling along the chain of volcanic islands 64 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,680 that links Asia to Australia. 65 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:09,680 But their huge wings, which stretch from their fingers to their toes, 66 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,920 make it difficult for them to walk or take off from the ground, 67 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:19,560 so, when they want to rest, they hang upside down in trees. 68 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,400 But the bats have to drink every day. 69 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,440 And they do so on the wing. 70 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,720 They swoop just low enough to wet their bellies 71 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:10,720 and then, back in their roosts, they will suck out the water. 72 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,520 Each evening, 10,000 of them come here. 73 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,600 Not all of them return. 74 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:40,440 Every two metres of river, there is... 75 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:42,600 BATS SCREECH ..a crocodile. 76 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:50,720 They were here long before the bats... 77 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:58,200 ..survivors from Australia's prehistoric past. 78 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:37,040 These dramas have been taking place for millions of years... 79 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,160 ..aerial agility... 80 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:45,600 ..versus patience... 81 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:49,480 ..and deadly speed. 82 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:12,240 Australia's forests are hostile places in which to make your home. 83 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:24,640 As you move inland, the forest thins, the air cools 84 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:28,520 and the land, as it gets higher, changes dramatically. 85 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:34,800 WIND BLOWS 86 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:44,920 The Great Dividing Range, 2,000 metres above the jungle. 87 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:53,080 To survive here, you must be able to tolerate really harsh conditions. 88 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:11,480 Kangaroos, like nearly all of the continent's native mammals, 89 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:12,560 are marsupials... 90 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,400 ..mammals that rear their young 91 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,080 usually in a pouch on the mother's belly. 92 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:26,400 And the young up here certainly need such shelter. 93 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:43,120 No kangaroos can survive for long, higher than this. 94 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:06,080 But there is an even tougher marsupial up here. 95 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:20,400 A wombat. 96 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:25,520 She usually shelters underground in a burrow, 97 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,960 but now that is under a metre of snow, 98 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,720 together with all the grass on which she lives. 99 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,120 She weighs as much a big dog 100 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,680 and has the legs of a small one - 101 00:13:38,680 --> 00:13:41,840 not ideal for deep snow. 102 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,880 Fragments of bark hardly count even as a snack... 103 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:54,720 ..and she's hungry. 104 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:05,560 She needs grass. 105 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:18,520 But it's over a mile away, across a frozen river. 106 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,560 Wombats might not be fast. 107 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:27,480 but then they don't need to be up here. 108 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,880 They can survive on next to nothing. 109 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:40,320 A few mouthfuls will be enough food for over a week. 110 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:45,320 And there's not much competition for it 111 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:47,640 in this small corner of the continent. 112 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:59,960 Snowy peaks are hardly typical of Australia, 113 00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:03,800 but the Great Dividing Range is a remnant of what were once 114 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,040 some of the longest mountain chains on Earth. 115 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,720 They connected Australia and Antarctica. 116 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:19,480 But then these sister continents broke apart. 117 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:24,280 Antarctica, drifting southwards, became locked in ice. 118 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,160 Australia drifted northwards towards the equator 119 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,400 and became hotter and drier. 120 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:34,960 Woodlands developed, 121 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:38,120 and in places where rainfall was low - 122 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:39,720 open grasslands. 123 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,480 On these grassy plains, 124 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:51,560 animals had the space to thrive. 125 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,880 These are also eastern grey kangaroos, 126 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,400 and this is their true home. 127 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,280 Here, they are well fed and powerful. 128 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,840 Adults can stand over two metres tall 129 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,800 and travel as fast as a racehorse. 130 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,160 BIRD SCREECHES 131 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,040 BIRD SCREECHES 132 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:21,400 And on these open plains, you need speed... 133 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:27,880 ..because where there are large herds, there will be predators. 134 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:33,200 DINGO HOWLS 135 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,920 Dingoes - descendants of wolves that were brought here 136 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:42,080 over 4,000 years ago by human visitors from Asia. 137 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,240 This pack is led by a white female... 138 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:52,960 ..and they are hunting. 139 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:20,440 Creating panic tests the herd. 140 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,960 Mothers with young in their pouches might be slower... 141 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,080 ..but they can still outrun a dingo. 142 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:03,960 Maybe an ambush will work. 143 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:17,960 But even young, newly independent kangaroos seem uncatchable. 144 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,760 Across these open, flat plains, 145 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,800 the dingoes are just not fast enough. 146 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:38,080 But what makes the white female their leader is her stamina 147 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:41,680 and, particularly, her intelligence. 148 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:48,840 She has run 18 miles today, but she still doesn't give up. 149 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:55,720 A different group of kangaroos, this time on uneven ground. 150 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:00,960 It's what she's been looking for. 151 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:10,320 Driving them uphill, 152 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,440 she's struggling to keep up with them. 153 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:35,160 And as they hurtle down the other side, the kangaroos pick up speed. 154 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:41,840 They will easily outpace her, if they stay in control. 155 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:27,480 The white dingo has more than one reason to be so relentless. 156 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:30,560 PUPS WHINE 157 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:32,640 She's a mother. 158 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:39,440 This is a rare sight. 159 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:43,800 Dingo pups are hardly ever seen. 160 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,160 With so much effort for just one meal, 161 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:55,640 the open plains are tough places on which to raise young. 162 00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:04,560 These are gumtrees. 163 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:09,000 They have leaves that are poisonous to most animals. 164 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,920 But not the koala. 165 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,000 They eat almost nothing else. 166 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:21,440 There are echidnas in these forests, too - 167 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:26,880 mammals that don't even have pouches but lay eggs like reptiles. 168 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:35,880 And there is an assassin here 169 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,480 that has only recently been discovered. 170 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:46,160 A Jotus jumping spider. 171 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:50,840 She's only five millimetres long, 172 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:52,320 but nonetheless 173 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:55,440 she's a stealthy and ferocious hunter. 174 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,280 She searches for prey among the grass stems. 175 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:24,360 She's single-minded and focused on hunting. 176 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,920 But today might be different. 177 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,760 This is something new, 178 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,280 something fast... 179 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:48,360 ..and a little trickier. 180 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:56,680 But what is it? 181 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:58,080 Is it food? 182 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:22,160 It's a male Jotus, looking for a mate. 183 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,400 He needs to catch her attention, 184 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:35,600 but female Jotus only mate once. 185 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,720 If she's mated before, she might kill him. 186 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,960 He will need to seduce her with care. 187 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:53,320 Waving his arms makes his intentions clear. 188 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:55,400 He's a friend, not food. 189 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:01,720 No sign of an attack...yet. 190 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:10,720 But she doesn't seem particularly impressed. 191 00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:18,160 Time to try his best move... 192 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:20,800 ..the double paddle. 193 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,240 That surely will do the trick. 194 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,520 One final wave... 195 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:55,320 ..and he's tamed her. 196 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,160 She stays still for just long enough. 197 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:21,680 And then he retreats quickly, before she has second thoughts. 198 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,840 If you travel still further towards the centre of Australia, 199 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,080 the landscape changes yet again. 200 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:47,680 Trees and grass disappear. 201 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:55,240 The continent, throughout prehistory, continued to drift north 202 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:59,280 and as it entered the tropics, it got hotter and hotter. 203 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:05,320 Over thousands of years, the grasslands of the centre dried 204 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,640 and lakes and rivers turned dust. 205 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:14,680 The rocks have been reduced to sand by the hot, blasting winds. 206 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,720 Now Australia's centre is one vast desert. 207 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:26,000 Its immensity is almost impossible to comprehend. 208 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:40,120 This train running north is a half a mile long. 209 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,520 Travelling at nearly 50 miles an hour, 210 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:49,040 it takes almost three days to get from one side to another. 211 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:03,120 Australia today is the driest inhabited continent on Earth. 212 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:11,200 Rain hardly ever falls in 70% of it. 213 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:20,840 From space, the continent is seen to be stained red by iron oxide - 214 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,000 rust from its disintegrating rocks. 215 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:33,480 In the surface are lines carved by winds over millennia. 216 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:38,400 The very bones of the continent are now stripped bare... 217 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:44,200 ...the foundations of what once were mountains. 218 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:56,960 At its heart, 219 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:01,000 stands the great rock mountain of Uluru... 220 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:09,720 ..sacred to the first people to arrive here 60,000 years ago. 221 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:39,960 There is almost no soil here, few plants, few animals 222 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:42,320 and almost no permanent water. 223 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:48,280 It's a place where only the toughest can survive. 224 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:56,120 This is the land of reptiles. 225 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:02,000 Australia has more species of them than any other continent. 226 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:06,320 The perentie, two metres long, 227 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,920 is the biggest here, and he's thirsty. 228 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,960 It only rains here once or twice a year. 229 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,040 And when there isn't any rain, 230 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:27,280 perenties get their water from eating lizards. 231 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,200 There are several kinds to choose from... 232 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:40,320 ..bearded dragons... 233 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:45,760 ..blue-tongued skinks... 234 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:51,440 ..and thorny devils. 235 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:53,600 All are on the menu. 236 00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:00,640 The thorny devil also gets its water from its food. 237 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,000 It's only the size of a mouse, 238 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,720 but, even so, it must eat hundreds of ants every day 239 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:13,360 to get what it needs. 240 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:15,440 THUNDER RUMBLES 241 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:26,480 Most storm clouds pass by without releasing any water. 242 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,480 But just sometimes, 243 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:35,040 there's a brief shower. 244 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:01,720 Everyone makes the most of the opportunity. 245 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:14,560 It's so hot the droplets will disappear within minutes. 246 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,200 But the thorny devil has a trick. 247 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,320 He's found a tiny puddle, 248 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:28,360 only a few millimetres deep, 249 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:30,760 and he dips his toe into it. 250 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,960 His skin is like blotting paper. 251 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:54,400 It collects moisture by capillary action, 252 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:57,240 sucking it up along the inter-connecting grooves 253 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:58,880 until he glistens all over. 254 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:04,920 When the water reaches his mouth, 255 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:06,280 he can collect it... 256 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,040 ..while still keeping his head up, on the lookout for danger. 257 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:19,400 The perentie is 200 times the size of a thorny devil - 258 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:23,480 tiny puddles and droplets are of no use to him. 259 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:30,320 What he needs is a juicy lizard. 260 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:56,440 That was a bearded dragon that wasn't quite quick enough. 261 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:08,880 Even the perentie sometimes gets a chance to quench his thirst. 262 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:22,920 There is one species that has truly conquered the Australian desert. 263 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,800 They don't wait for water to come to them. 264 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:33,560 They sometimes travel over 300 miles in a single day to find it. 265 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:37,800 Australia's hardiest animal... 266 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:40,600 (CHIRPS) 267 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:42,640 ..the wild budgerigar... 268 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:45,880 (BUDGIES CHIRP) 269 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:49,760 ..the most accomplished of all desert nomads. 270 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:52,600 These have been travelling together for weeks... 271 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:59,160 ..and that has evidently caused a few domestic arguments. 272 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:12,240 This is truly an immense community. 273 00:34:12,240 --> 00:34:15,720 There are over 10,000 budgies in this flock. 274 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,240 Every one of them is thirsty. 275 00:34:33,240 --> 00:34:35,840 But although they've found this billabong... 276 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:38,920 ..they must be wary. 277 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:44,600 A hawk - and one that eats budgies. 278 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:53,760 As long as it remains on the ground, 279 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,360 the budgies will risk taking a drink. 280 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:19,520 Once it takes to the air, however, the budgies are in danger. 281 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,800 And it's not the only bird of prey here. 282 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:33,240 The budgies have a simple but very effective defence - 283 00:35:33,240 --> 00:35:35,160 they all take to the wing at once. 284 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:43,280 An aerial hunter needs to lock on to a single target for a few seconds 285 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:45,360 if it is to catch it, 286 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,360 but in this swirl, that's very hard to do. 287 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:01,320 Flying in a flock keeps the budgies safe, 288 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:03,920 but they're still desperate to drink. 289 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:15,760 As soon as a particularly brave one takes the plunge, they all do. 290 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:25,600 But once on the water, they are easier to target. 291 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:34,280 They must drink quickly and stick together. 292 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:58,440 The last ones to leave will be the ones in most danger. 293 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:27,320 Only one has been taken from a flock of 10,000. 294 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:39,480 In a few days, they will leave the area, 295 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:41,240 on their never-ending search 296 00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:44,560 for the next brief opportunity to feed and drink. 297 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:05,360 As the continent continued to drift north, 298 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:08,720 it eventually entered warm, tropical seas. 299 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:15,480 And here, in the crystal-clear, sunlit water, 300 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,440 just a metre or two beneath the surface, 301 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:20,480 life proliferated. 302 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:28,400 Coral grows into reefs in these shallow seas. 303 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:33,400 This is Ningaloo... 304 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:38,160 ..today one of the richest anywhere in the world. 305 00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:51,160 Thousands of species of fish and all kinds of other organisms 306 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:54,040 thrive in these coral cities. 307 00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:57,480 And they have attracted 308 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:00,600 the most ancient of living predators. 309 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:09,880 Sharks. 310 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:15,520 They were around 200 million years before the dinosaurs. 311 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:21,480 They're fast and agile, 312 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:24,880 well able to pick off the small reef fish. 313 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:30,560 But they come here for bigger rewards. 314 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:38,920 These are fish from the open ocean, 315 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:43,320 and every so often, for some reason, they swim over the reef. 316 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:58,640 The small fish swirl like the budgies, and for the same reason. 317 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:02,880 It makes it harder for a hunter to single out a particular target. 318 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:12,320 But, in fact, the sharks aren't trying to catch them individually. 319 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:21,600 They're driving them closer to the shore, 320 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:23,720 penning them against the beach. 321 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:31,920 Slowly, the sharks drive each new wave of fish 322 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:33,560 into shallow water, 323 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,080 and the bait ball grows. 324 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:48,880 More sharks arrive, some from many miles away. 325 00:40:57,600 --> 00:40:59,960 And still the sharks don't attack. 326 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,000 They're waiting... 327 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:05,760 ..for the right moment. 328 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:17,400 Millions of fish are now trapped in these shallow waters. 329 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:23,320 It only happens like this once in every decade or so. 330 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:32,720 The time has come to strike. 331 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:47,960 For the sharks, this is a bonanza. 332 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:52,160 They work together. 333 00:41:53,240 --> 00:41:56,840 Each shark now fills its stomach. 334 00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:08,240 These shallow seas are exceptionally rich in sharks. 335 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:14,480 There are more species here than anywhere else on Earth. 336 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:30,800 Australia is not only fringed by rich reefs 337 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:36,240 but girdled with islands - some big, some small. 338 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:46,200 Off the south coast lies by far the biggest of them. 339 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:49,440 Tasmania. 340 00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:56,360 And that has its own special marsupial... 341 00:42:57,520 --> 00:43:01,320 ..one that seldom appears until after dark. 342 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:06,520 The Tasmanian devil. 343 00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:16,560 Many predators inhabit a territory packed with prey. 344 00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:19,320 But here, there's nothing like that for them. 345 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:32,200 Each may travel for miles night after night, 346 00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:36,520 prepared to eat anything it can find, dead or alive. 347 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:48,760 The shoreline is a good place to search. 348 00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:53,440 There might be some small creatures to catch here, 349 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:55,880 or maybe something that the tide has brought in. 350 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:09,800 The carcass of a wallaby has been washed ashore. 351 00:44:17,240 --> 00:44:21,400 Tasmanian devils can eat 40% of their body weight 352 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:22,680 in one session, 353 00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:25,560 and they have hugely powerful jaws. 354 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:29,240 They tackle everything - even bones. 355 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:34,840 Back at the den, 356 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:37,520 there are other hungry mouths. 357 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:41,160 IT YAWNS 358 00:44:44,640 --> 00:44:47,440 Her two youngsters are six months old. 359 00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:55,000 They still rely on their mother's milk, but they're feeling peckish! 360 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:02,360 There must be something solid they could find for themselves, 361 00:45:02,360 --> 00:45:04,120 while they're waiting for a drink. 362 00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:13,640 Is this food? 363 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:16,720 IT YELPS 364 00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:21,760 IT SNIFFS 365 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:24,200 That possum smells tasty... 366 00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:29,080 ..but it's a little high up. 367 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:34,000 This looks more promising. 368 00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:47,640 At last, a giant stick! 369 00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:51,680 Not bad for a first go. 370 00:45:57,160 --> 00:46:00,160 Their mother will protect and feed these youngsters 371 00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:01,800 for another three months. 372 00:46:03,720 --> 00:46:08,520 Their survival is important to her, but also for us... 373 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,920 ...because these are one of the last devil families 374 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:14,200 in the world. 375 00:46:20,720 --> 00:46:23,320 Tasmanian devils are now endangered... 376 00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:26,600 ..found in only a few places, 377 00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:31,040 such as this remote islet off the coast of Tasmania. 378 00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:40,800 But they once lived across the whole of Australia. 379 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:45,240 Evidence that this was so 380 00:46:45,240 --> 00:46:49,960 can be seen nearly 2,500 miles away from the devils' family den, 381 00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:53,960 on Australia's northern coast. 382 00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:04,400 This great stretch of boulders 383 00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:07,520 is covered by the largest concentration 384 00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:11,080 of prehistoric images anywhere in the world. 385 00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:20,200 Over one million pictures of wildlife... 386 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:26,080 ..and among them... 387 00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:29,560 ..a Tasmanian devil. 388 00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:37,320 It was engraved on stone 60,000 years ago 389 00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:40,920 by some of the first human beings to reach the continent. 390 00:47:44,640 --> 00:47:47,440 Then, just 200 years ago, 391 00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:53,160 European settlers arrived with guns and dogs, foxes and cats. 392 00:47:54,440 --> 00:47:58,400 Together, they decimated Australia's unique wildlife. 393 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:08,560 This was one of the continent's biggest animal predators - 394 00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:11,200 a marsupial wolf or thylacine. 395 00:48:13,240 --> 00:48:18,080 The last-known remaining one was filmed in 1936 396 00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:20,400 in a zoo just before it died... 397 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:26,600 ..and so brought the final extinction of its species. 398 00:48:31,520 --> 00:48:34,960 These rocks are now its memorial. 399 00:48:39,480 --> 00:48:43,280 And they may become that for the Tasmanian devil as well. 400 00:48:45,560 --> 00:48:49,240 Mammals in Australia are disappearing faster 401 00:48:49,240 --> 00:48:51,640 than anywhere else on Earth. 402 00:48:55,680 --> 00:49:00,560 They succeeded in adapting to life as their home changed around them. 403 00:49:02,360 --> 00:49:05,680 But now they face their greatest challenge - 404 00:49:05,680 --> 00:49:09,720 the change to their world brought by humanity. 405 00:49:11,960 --> 00:49:15,880 Which of its unique species will survive the coming decades 406 00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:18,040 now depends on us. 407 00:49:31,040 --> 00:49:34,320 The most ambitious shoot for the Australia team 408 00:49:34,320 --> 00:49:38,760 was filming the continent's top predator, the dingo, hunting. 409 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:46,000 Elusive and shy, they're rarely seen. 410 00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:55,240 The crew journeyed to the high plains of Australia, 411 00:49:55,240 --> 00:49:58,480 where park rangers had reported sightings 412 00:49:58,480 --> 00:50:00,800 of a white dingo and her pack. 413 00:50:04,360 --> 00:50:07,400 In their first week, the team confirm the sightings... 414 00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:08,600 There she is. 415 00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:12,280 ..and begin to catch glimpses. 416 00:50:13,920 --> 00:50:15,920 But with the dingoes constantly on the move, 417 00:50:15,920 --> 00:50:19,760 keeping track of them is a challenge. 418 00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:21,080 They teleport around 419 00:50:21,080 --> 00:50:23,640 because you just lose them in the grass. 420 00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:25,120 It's madness. 421 00:50:25,120 --> 00:50:29,280 Each time the crew arrive to set up... 422 00:50:30,280 --> 00:50:32,360 ..they're too late. 423 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:45,920 I couldn't believe how far she'd gone. 424 00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:48,440 By the time we managed to drive over the brow of the hill, 425 00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:50,760 she was a kilometre away. 426 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,160 If they lose them, it could take days to find them again. 427 00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:02,240 And searching in outback Australia can be dangerous work. 428 00:51:02,240 --> 00:51:04,120 SHE YELPS 429 00:51:10,400 --> 00:51:13,760 Brown snakes are one of the world's most venomous. 430 00:51:15,280 --> 00:51:18,680 And it's not only the snakes that have a nasty bite. 431 00:51:18,680 --> 00:51:19,880 Oh, dear! 432 00:51:19,880 --> 00:51:21,120 Look at that. 433 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:23,920 Sorry. 434 00:51:28,560 --> 00:51:30,840 Turns out I just stood in an ants' nest. 435 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:36,120 Over the coming weeks, 436 00:51:36,120 --> 00:51:39,640 the dingoes continue to give the crew the runaround. 437 00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:43,080 With such a large area to search, 438 00:51:43,080 --> 00:51:46,040 they enlist the help of two additional cameramen. 439 00:51:47,360 --> 00:51:52,400 Dan is a dingo expert and studied them for five years 440 00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:55,280 and even he struggled to follow them. 441 00:51:55,280 --> 00:51:59,880 Dingoes are Australia's most heavily persecuted native animal... 442 00:51:59,880 --> 00:52:02,480 DINGO HOWLS ..and that makes them 443 00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:05,120 so incredibly elusive and hard to film. 444 00:52:06,040 --> 00:52:07,840 They're very scared of humans. 445 00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:13,560 Dingoes have lived in Australia for over 4,000 years, 446 00:52:13,560 --> 00:52:16,080 but when Europeans arrived with livestock, 447 00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:17,720 they were seen as a threat. 448 00:52:18,720 --> 00:52:23,120 Today they continue to be shot, poisoned and trapped, 449 00:52:23,120 --> 00:52:25,320 which explains why they avoid the crew. 450 00:52:26,520 --> 00:52:30,200 So Dan suggests a new approach. 451 00:52:33,360 --> 00:52:36,120 From the air, they have a better view. 452 00:52:37,320 --> 00:52:41,400 Now they can track the dingoes and follow their trails. 453 00:52:42,560 --> 00:52:46,000 And they notice the white dingo repeatedly returning 454 00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:47,880 to the same patch of forest. 455 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:54,360 Ben, the park ranger, goes to explore... 456 00:52:54,360 --> 00:52:55,920 Dog's had a scratch in here. 457 00:52:58,440 --> 00:52:59,840 Old roo leg. 458 00:52:59,840 --> 00:53:02,800 ..and unearths a den site. 459 00:53:02,800 --> 00:53:04,520 Den site in here. Look at it. Jeez. 460 00:53:04,520 --> 00:53:08,760 Only a handful of wild dingo dens 461 00:53:08,760 --> 00:53:11,200 have ever been filmed, so the team set up a stakeout. 462 00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:23,840 And after a few days waiting... 463 00:53:29,240 --> 00:53:32,520 To the best of my knowledge, this is some of the first footage 464 00:53:32,520 --> 00:53:34,160 of wild dingo pups at the den. 465 00:53:36,440 --> 00:53:39,040 Being able to capture this really intimate, 466 00:53:39,040 --> 00:53:40,880 up-close footage is amazing. 467 00:53:40,880 --> 00:53:43,120 Really, really special. 468 00:53:44,680 --> 00:53:47,560 The den site is a major breakthrough. 469 00:53:51,040 --> 00:53:54,080 Now the team can find the white dingo each morning... 470 00:53:54,080 --> 00:53:55,400 Yeah, I've got her. 471 00:53:55,400 --> 00:53:58,720 ..and begin to understand her hunting patterns. 472 00:54:02,120 --> 00:54:05,480 At this point, she's just testing the water to see which... 473 00:54:05,480 --> 00:54:06,840 ..which ones are weaker 474 00:54:06,840 --> 00:54:09,640 or if there are any joeys around that she can hunt easily. 475 00:54:12,160 --> 00:54:16,240 But her chases cover such vast distances 476 00:54:16,240 --> 00:54:20,280 that filming them from start to finish is impossible. 477 00:54:21,520 --> 00:54:24,760 Time for the final crew members. 478 00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:32,280 With the filming helicopter, 479 00:54:32,280 --> 00:54:35,520 the team can stay airborne for long enough 480 00:54:35,520 --> 00:54:37,960 to capture her marathon hunts. 481 00:54:37,960 --> 00:54:39,680 But to be successful, 482 00:54:39,680 --> 00:54:43,840 the ground and aerial team will need to work together. 483 00:54:46,440 --> 00:54:48,760 So we've got spotters all around the valley, 484 00:54:48,760 --> 00:54:50,840 and if anything happens, if anything moves, 485 00:54:50,840 --> 00:54:52,200 we can run to the helicopter 486 00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:55,640 and we can be up in the air in about three minutes and filming. 487 00:54:55,640 --> 00:54:59,120 We're just on standby all morning and all afternoon. 488 00:55:01,960 --> 00:55:06,240 With nine people monitoring the white dingo's every move, 489 00:55:06,240 --> 00:55:08,320 all they can do... 490 00:55:09,320 --> 00:55:10,440 ..is wait. 491 00:55:19,760 --> 00:55:21,960 Until one morning... 492 00:55:21,960 --> 00:55:24,920 She really looks like she's eyeing up those roos over there. 493 00:55:24,920 --> 00:55:27,200 She's just stopped and just looking at them. 494 00:55:30,600 --> 00:55:34,520 OVER RADIO: Yeah, she's definitely looking for some roos. Over. 495 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:39,320 MUFFLED RADIO MESSAGE 496 00:55:39,320 --> 00:55:42,320 With the dingo on the move, the hunt seems imminent. 497 00:55:46,040 --> 00:55:49,040 As the helicopter prepares to launch, 498 00:55:49,040 --> 00:55:51,840 the ground team keep track of her. 499 00:55:59,240 --> 00:56:02,360 Yep, she's running, she's running, she's running. 500 00:56:15,240 --> 00:56:16,680 She looks good. 501 00:56:34,160 --> 00:56:35,800 Finally able to keep up, 502 00:56:35,800 --> 00:56:40,040 the team film these dingoes hunting kangaroos 503 00:56:40,040 --> 00:56:41,880 for the first time, 504 00:56:41,880 --> 00:56:46,240 adding to the little we know about these remarkable predators. 505 00:56:49,360 --> 00:56:52,000 After five weeks following the white dingo, 506 00:56:52,000 --> 00:56:55,440 the team are left in awe of her. 507 00:56:55,440 --> 00:56:57,120 She's worked so hard, 508 00:56:57,120 --> 00:57:00,160 catching roos and looking after her babies, 509 00:57:00,160 --> 00:57:02,600 and it's been just amazing. 510 00:57:03,680 --> 00:57:05,440 I'll never forget it. 511 00:57:09,320 --> 00:57:14,960 Next time - a world transformed by mankind... 512 00:57:16,200 --> 00:57:18,840 ..where extraordinary animals are found... 513 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:22,880 ..in surprising places. 514 00:57:30,840 --> 00:57:32,840 Europe.