1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,960 We live on a crowded planet. 2 00:00:09,940 --> 00:00:13,440 But there are still vast areas... 3 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:14,840 ELEPHANT TRUMPETS 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:16,800 ..where nature has the upper hand. 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,240 It looks like another planet. 6 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:23,000 I'm heading to the last great wildernesses. 7 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,200 I'll try to cross four of these rugged landscapes... 8 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:32,280 Oh, my God! 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,960 ..on my toughest journeys yet. 10 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,200 I have to be honest - things are not going brilliantly. 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:39,800 A bit of a medical situation. 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,440 Help is a long way away. 13 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,360 - Well done. 14 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,880 - I want to meet the people for whom the wilderness is home... 15 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,800 Testicles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 16 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,800 ..to see how they live alongside nature. 17 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,040 Whoa! 18 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,200 I can stay down there for a minute or so. 19 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,440 He's still down there now walking around. 20 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,400 And in this critical time for our world... 21 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,280 Huge carcasses of great trees. 22 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,240 ..seek out the rare and majestic creatures that still survive... 23 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:20,720 My heart is racing. 24 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:22,040 THUNDERCLAP 25 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,440 ..in some of the most hostile environments. 26 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:27,320 Are you OK, Jonathan? - Yeah, yeah. 27 00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:28,680 - ..and the remotest regions... 28 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,000 Bloody hell! 29 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,920 ..of our wild planet. 30 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:33,440 Ssh! 31 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:36,960 - Coo-coo! - Coo! 32 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:42,640 Big cats roaming free. 33 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:48,040 This surely is the absolute definition of a real wilderness. 34 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,280 I'm travelling across the Kalahari Desert, 35 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:13,080 a huge area of wilderness that stretches across Southern Africa. 36 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,160 It's one of the wildest places on Earth. 37 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,040 I'm heading into a very remote region. 38 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,160 For mile after mile here, 39 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,800 there's just scrub, shrub and dusty dry land. 40 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,720 Everything here is growing in the largest 41 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,960 basin of sand on planet Earth. 42 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:36,680 At points here, the sand sinks 1,000 metres deep. 43 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:40,080 But despite the harsh terrain, 44 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:41,880 the Kalahari is bursting with life. 45 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,680 - Simon, close, elephant. 46 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,480 - Elephants! 47 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:54,320 Wow! 48 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,000 LOW GROWL 49 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,640 Here in the Kalahari, 50 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:05,920 in this very dry part of the continent, 51 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:12,800 there are still giant beasts walking through the sandy desert. 52 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:19,720 A vast wilderness the size of Germany, long eulogised 53 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:23,520 and romanticised, the Kalahari is a semi-desert 54 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,520 where seasonal rains ensure there's now food for wildlife to thrive. 55 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,080 But the Kalahari is just as famous for its people. 56 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,080 I'm travelling with Darm Debai. 57 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,200 He's one of the San - the indigenous people of the Kalahari. 58 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,880 There's a jackal. 59 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:51,400 - Cairee. 60 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,920 In our language we call it cairee. 61 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,240 Cairee. Say cairee. 62 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,520 - One more time. - Cairee. 63 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,160 - Airee. - Cairee. 64 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,240 - I can't do it, Darm, I can't! 65 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:05,960 HE LAUGHS 66 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,320 The San have been in the Kalahari for tens of thousands of years 67 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,120 as trackers, hunters and gatherers, 68 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,120 famous for their extraordinary survival skills. 69 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:22,680 Humans have always live here shaping and protecting the Kalahari 70 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,920 as much as any wilderness on the planet. 71 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,040 The Kalahari sits in the middle of Southern Africa, 72 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,600 straddling six countries. 73 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:34,680 I'm travelling through its dry centre 74 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,560 heading for the spectacular wetlands of the Okavango Delta. 75 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,320 I'm starting in the north-west, in Namibia, on my way to 76 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,760 a traditional San village. 77 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,160 Then I'll journey east into Botswana, travelling through 78 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,600 the vast emptiness of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. 79 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,280 I'm hoping to end my journey at one of the greatest 80 00:04:56,280 --> 00:04:59,160 concentrations of wildlife on this continent. 81 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,360 I'm heading to a remote village that is home to some of the last 82 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:13,800 great wildlife trackers and hunters 83 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,280 in any wilderness on the planet. 84 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:22,920 Denui is a small San village in Namibia's Nyae Nyae Conservancy. 85 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,720 People here live mostly in traditional San dwellings 86 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,080 made of wood and clay. 87 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,200 They have some livestock and crops, 88 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,960 but, far from any town, they also hunt to survive. 89 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,400 Darm has brought me to meet an old friend. 90 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,120 This is old Tui? - Yeah! 91 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:54,560 - HE LAUGHS 92 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:56,280 DARM: - But he's still young. 93 00:05:56,280 --> 00:05:58,000 - He's still young. 94 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,280 You're not that old! 95 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,800 Tomorrow we'll head into the bush. 96 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,800 But now the sun's going down, it's time to rest. 97 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,040 Oh, my goodness. 98 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:16,960 TRANSLATION: 99 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:23,080 I'm all right, thank you. 100 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:24,600 Oh, my God. 101 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:26,960 It's like being in the forest. 102 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:28,240 Look at this. 103 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,760 It's like a work of art. 104 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:44,720 Oh, right, I'll get my little mozzie net up and sort my stuff 105 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,400 and have a little... a little camping faff, 106 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,400 while I organise my things. - Yeah. 107 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,280 - BOWSTRING TWANGS MELODICALLY 108 00:06:54,280 --> 00:06:58,360 Tui and the hunters have offered to take me deep into the Kalahari. 109 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,560 It's still wild out there. 110 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,400 THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD 111 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,320 The San have been a crucial part of this eco-system 112 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,320 for tens of thousands of years. 113 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,240 Old Tui and the other trackers have an intimate understanding 114 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,400 of the wilderness and wildlife here, learned over endless generations. 115 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:12,440 We head out. 116 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:14,840 First task - hunting for a beetle. 117 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:32,040 For the San, the Kalahari is a pharmacy, pantry and armoury. 118 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,960 Tui is searching for the larvae of a beetle that lives only under 119 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,040 a certain type of bush. 120 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,720 Do you want me to do more of this? 121 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:44,320 Yeah? 122 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,040 The larvae contains poison they need for their hunting arrows. 123 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,080 Is that one? 124 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:04,560 Oh, my gosh. 125 00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:07,480 It looks like the size of a jelly bean, 126 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,400 and it does look as though there's something... 127 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,040 ..larvae or something inside. 128 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,600 - Yes, see this is the larva. - Yeah, just there. 129 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:17,680 - Yeah. - Wow! 130 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,080 Historically, the complex San language, 131 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,960 with its dozens of click consonants wasn't written down, 132 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,880 so knowledge and skills are passed down through the generations 133 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:34,720 by word of mouth. 134 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,280 Tui is keen to teach the younger lads the skills 135 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,640 and the secrets of making deadly poison arrows. 136 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:09,040 So, Tui, how many of these could kill a human being? 137 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:12,320 Wow! 138 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:49,560 You've got to stop to think how the hell did people discover this 139 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:50,880 in the first place? 140 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,640 And then he's going to squeeze it out like a pimple or something. 141 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:13,160 To avoid accidentally cutting and poisoning themselves, 142 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:17,280 the hunters don't apply the toxin directly to the sharp arrowhead. 143 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,160 It's coming out in droplets now. 144 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:27,000 So, that is now a very potent poison arrow. 145 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:37,520 It's a gruelling trek across the desert to reach the hunting grounds. 146 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,240 We're getting ready and we're heading out. 147 00:11:45,680 --> 00:11:47,480 All right? 148 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,640 We're off. 149 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,120 The Kalahari is full of wildlife, 150 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,200 everything from small birds to spindly antelope 151 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,160 and burly wildebeest. 152 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:00,960 But animals here are wary. 153 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:04,760 They've spent thousands of years dodging human predators 154 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:09,440 and they know to keep well away from the San villages and San hunters. 155 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,360 So, we need to trek to reach the best hunting grounds 156 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:14,360 in the burning heat. 157 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:19,560 Yeah, make no mistake, this is a very harsh environment. 158 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,080 At last, there's signs of animals. 159 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,680 The tracks of a kudu - a large antelope. 160 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,280 So, can we see the tracks? - Yeah, it's this one. 161 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:37,000 - You can see, it's very distinct here, 162 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,560 but they can see so much more than just the track, 163 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:41,440 they can see the direction, 164 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,840 the weight and they can tell that it came through here this morning. 165 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:49,800 With evidence of wildlife all around, 166 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,320 old Tui decides it's time to hunt. 167 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,160 They've decided they're going to put a snare, a little trap, here, 168 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:05,160 to see if they can catch anything. 169 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:09,840 Traditional hunting methods used by indigenous wilderness people 170 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,320 generally have a tiny impact on the environment. 171 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:19,360 They're eating true free-range meat, and only occasionally, 172 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:21,040 and they're often in competition 173 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,440 with other four-legged apex predators. 174 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,080 - Because it hasn't got nails here, 175 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:32,120 the cheetah is the one with only have got nails while he's running. 176 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:35,960 Like it's faster at running. 177 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,600 - This was a running cheetah that came through here? - Yeah. 178 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,040 - So, a cheetah came through here 179 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,840 and now they want to know if it made a kill just over here. 180 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:56,520 So, the guys think a cheetah came through here and it had 181 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:58,840 spotted a kudu that was coming through there. 182 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,280 Maybe it took it. 183 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,160 You can just imagine the scene playing out here, can't you, 184 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:12,800 as they recreate it 185 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:16,800 using their skills and their imagination. 186 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:22,680 - It's finish. 187 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:24,480 This is the end of the story. 188 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:28,480 And a piece of bone... - It's right here. - ..is from a kudu. 189 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:32,440 - Where's the rest of the carcass? 190 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,760 - After the kill there is others who also come 191 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:38,120 and it's why we cannot find the whole body. 192 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:42,200 - The entire carcass of the animal, 193 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:44,040 bones and everything, 194 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:46,920 has been chomped and eaten 195 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:48,760 not just by the cheetahs, of course, 196 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:53,240 but other scavengers that have come in and gnawed and nibbled 197 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,080 and destroyed the rest of the animal. 198 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,760 That's all they found of it. 199 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:07,120 All right. 200 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:09,200 We're going to go and find somewhere to camp. 201 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,240 All right, let's do it. 202 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:24,000 - Simon. - Yes. 203 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:27,800 Fire, OK. 204 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,720 Go on, see if I can. 205 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:39,120 Team work. 206 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,360 Ready? 207 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,000 It's going. 208 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:18,880 And that is quite a sunset. 209 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:20,960 Look at that through the flames. 210 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,880 I wonder if we should film that. 211 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,240 Just a suggestion. 212 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,240 What are you drinking? - Coffee. 213 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:49,960 - How can you drink coffee at this time? 214 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,000 You will be awake all night. 215 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:03,440 But this is sounding extremely dangerous. 216 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,600 It's a wonder any of you are here. 217 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:09,000 I mean, everything out there it seems to be... 218 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,400 ..to pose some sort of a threat. 219 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,360 We're up at first light. 220 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:50,600 The hunt is on. 221 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:53,360 So, the plan is that I'm going to follow them while they hunt, 222 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:55,800 and I'll carry a little camera 223 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,880 and hopefully then we'll get a more realistic picture of 224 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:02,800 what they have to do to put meat on the table. 225 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:05,960 Let's go. 226 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,280 The hunters find a fresh trail. 227 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:05,920 They've seen something. 228 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,360 WHISPERS: 229 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,120 They're not using high-powered rifles. 230 00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:34,400 They've just got lightweight bows. 231 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,080 To increase their chances, 232 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:46,360 the hunters need to get as close as possible. 233 00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:20,920 Ssh! 234 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,120 They'll only know for sure if they've hit the wildebeest 235 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:53,000 by checking for their arrows. 236 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,240 If they strike the target, the poisoned head breaks off 237 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:59,200 leaving the shaft on the ground as evidence of a direct hit. 238 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,440 So, this is where the wildebeest were. 239 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,880 They think they've shot arrows successfully into 240 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,480 two or three wildebeest. 241 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:39,680 The poison they use doesn't work instantly 242 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:44,440 so they now need to follow signs on the ground and track 243 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:46,720 and hunt those wildebeest down. 244 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:54,880 For thousands of years in this cradle of humanity, 245 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,480 this is often how we've tackled large, powerful animals, 246 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,280 pursuing them from a distance until they succumb. 247 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,120 It is strange even after just a short time with them, 248 00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:13,480 you do start to see the landscape in a completely different way, 249 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:17,080 and obviously I'm like a toddler reading a picture book, 250 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:20,280 as opposed to them taking in the whole encyclopaedia. 251 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:24,840 But you do start to get a sense that there is this whole other dimension 252 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:26,640 to the landscape here. 253 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,160 They can see it, they can read it all. 254 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,800 One of the wildebeest has separated from the herd. 255 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,320 For hour after hour, we track it. 256 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,240 They think it's close. 257 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,000 HE WHISTLES SOFTLY 258 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,360 They can see the wildebeest ahead. 259 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,040 WHISPERS: Is that it in the grass? 260 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:38,840 Man, this is intense. 261 00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:44,120 For now, the wildebeest is still too strong. 262 00:24:44,120 --> 00:24:47,120 They're powerful and dangerous animals. 263 00:24:47,120 --> 00:24:48,720 The hunters have to be patient. 264 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:11,360 Well, that... 265 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,080 ..that was a herd of wildebeest 266 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,160 and to creep up on them like that, 267 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:21,880 that is one of the most primal experiences 268 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:24,040 I feel like I've ever had. 269 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,240 I'm totally invested in these... 270 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:33,240 ..these guys, their community, their hunt for food. 271 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,080 The hunters have been unlucky. 272 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:42,800 The wounded wildebeest has made it back to the herd. 273 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,640 Well, that is really the end of the hunt for the wildebeest 274 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:52,920 because the herd have completely scattered the prints all around. 275 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:58,480 So, the guys have lost the track of the injured wildebeest 276 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,040 they were trying to follow. 277 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:05,400 So, that is a wildebeest they have lost that is probably going to 278 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:08,200 be taken by lions and hyenas. 279 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,800 So some of the wildlife out here will benefit from it, 280 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,760 but not their community. 281 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:20,880 This is a bloody hard way to provide for your family. 282 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:38,800 Dejected, Tui and the hunters 283 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:42,560 begin the long journey back to the village. 284 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,320 They have one last chance to avoid returning empty-handed. 285 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:57,960 A small game bird. What's it called? 286 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:01,120 - It's called francolin. 287 00:28:01,120 --> 00:28:04,520 - A lot of effort for this little bird. 288 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,160 They are not guaranteed success. 289 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,960 Even the best tracker and hunter 290 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:17,800 does not have an astonishing hit rate 291 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:21,200 because this is the wild 292 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,960 and life is unpredictable here. 293 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:26,480 Meat, protein, does not come easy, 294 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:30,880 and they eat far less of it than people in higher income countries. 295 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,360 With the odds often against them, 296 00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:36,440 perhaps it's not surprising there aren't many traditional San hunters 297 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:39,600 left in the Kalahari, but Tui and the trackers believe 298 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,080 hunting is about even more than putting food on the table. 299 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,200 Should we be worried there are so few master trackers left? 300 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:33,480 Across the wild Kalahari, 301 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:36,520 it's getting harder for the San to live traditionally. 302 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,120 In some areas they've been banned from hunting. 303 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:49,840 Many youngsters are being drawn and driven away to towns and cities. 304 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:55,440 Old Tui could be one of the last great master trackers 305 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:56,760 of the Kalahari. 306 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:58,880 Come on, mate. 307 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,200 It's been an honour. 308 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,840 I've loved every moment I've spent in your company. 309 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:07,000 You've got an infectious joy. - Yeah. 310 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:11,600 - Oh! 311 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:13,320 Thank you very much. 312 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,440 It's been an absolute joy. 313 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:29,960 I'm travelling on across the Kalahari, 314 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,760 from Namibia into Botswana 315 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:36,960 heading towards the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, 316 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,440 one of the largest protected wildlife reserves 317 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:41,840 in the whole of Africa. 318 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,320 A vast wilderness of more than 20,000 square miles. 319 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,000 - If you don't have the room then you can come. 320 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,720 - I know, I'm going to be trapped in here, in the luggage compartment! 321 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:03,560 - Yeah, we need you outside. 322 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:06,840 - This is Ali and Robson... - One last bag. 323 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:11,240 - ..and they're going to be taking me a fair old distance 324 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:14,240 across the Kalahari. - Yes. 325 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:16,160 Let's do this, Simon. 326 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,160 - Let's get running. 327 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:33,720 - So, this track takes us into the very heart of the Kalahari. 328 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:38,640 We're heading into the CKGR - the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. 329 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,080 ELEPHANT TRUMPETS 330 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:48,680 The CKGR brims with wildlife. 331 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,720 This part of the Kalahari was turned into a wilderness reserve 332 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:55,520 in the 1960s. 333 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:01,920 Originally it was set up to protect the people here, not animals. 334 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:06,000 The idea was to provide a wild land and sanctuary for the San... 335 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:10,880 ..but since the 1990s, that's changed. 336 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:23,360 This area of the Kalahari has been home to the San 337 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,600 for tens of thousands of years. 338 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:27,640 But in the last few decades, 339 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:33,360 the San have been relocated or transferred out of the reserve. 340 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,960 It's been hugely controversial in Botswana, in Southern Africa 341 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:41,400 and around the world because one of the oldest of human 342 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:45,680 civilisations has been moved from one of its core historic areas. 343 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:52,560 The Botswanan government banned hunting and blocked drinking wells. 344 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:56,600 Many of the San were moved here to a purpose-built settlement 345 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:57,960 called New Kandwane. 346 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:01,080 It has roads and small concrete dwellings 347 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:03,480 and is now home to more than 1,000 people. 348 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:05,840 Some officials said the San shouldn't be 349 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:09,280 living in the wilderness without access to schools and health care. 350 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:14,160 Good morning. - Hey, good morning. 351 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:15,680 - Sorry. 352 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,320 Where are you off to? 353 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:21,760 - She's going home. 354 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:24,280 - Marsao Harasemi was just five years old 355 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:29,320 when she and her mother Mantisho left the Central Kalahari. 356 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:31,000 Can I sit here, Mum? 357 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:34,920 You don't remember the bush... - Yes. 358 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:36,280 - ..the way she does, of course. 359 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:40,320 - I grew up in New Kandwane and she grew up in the Kalahari. 360 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:43,360 - What were you feelings and emotions 361 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:47,000 when you were required to leave the Kalahari? 362 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,160 It sounds as if you find quite difficult here? 363 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:23,040 Can the San people be San 364 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:27,280 without hunting and tracking in the CKGR? 365 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:50,760 Does it feel to you as though the San were seen as less important 366 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:52,960 than the wildlife in the Kalahari? 367 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:03,120 Moving out of the wilderness hasn't been easy for the San. 368 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:05,400 Many adults here are unemployed, 369 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:08,560 living from subsistence farming and state welfare benefits. 370 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:14,000 Many claim they've lost their way of life without being given 371 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,040 new purpose and meaning through enough jobs or training. 372 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:20,120 It's clear the wilderness still holds a powerful allure. 373 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,640 But I am quite struck coming here 374 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,400 by how many of the homesteads 375 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:37,040 have still got a traditional hut, effectively, built outside them. 376 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,160 - That shows that we are still a cultural people, 377 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:42,720 and we are still into our culture. 378 00:35:42,720 --> 00:35:46,120 Even if you put a bushman or a San in this house, 379 00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:49,120 he or she is not going to change anyhow... - Yeah. 380 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:52,480 - The change, it's that structure, 381 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:56,200 but the heart of a bushman is not easy to just change. 382 00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:02,720 - Marsao doesn't remember life out in the bush. 383 00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:04,880 She's had a formal education 384 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:07,920 and became one of relatively few San to go to university. 385 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:14,560 - I got the inspiration right here in New Kandwane 386 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:17,280 because that's where we met different people here. 387 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:21,280 We met the teachers, we met the police, the nurses. 388 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,040 That's where we got the inspiration. - Mmm. 389 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:28,200 Marsao believes there have been advantages to life in New Kandwane. 390 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:31,560 She's keen for more of the San to have the same access to schools, 391 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:35,120 jobs and modern health care that the rest of Botswana enjoys. 392 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:38,160 So, this is the clinic? - Yes. 393 00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:41,000 - Yeah, that's a much more modern facility, isn't it? - Yes. 394 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,800 As you can see, that side is there, 395 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:47,160 the maternity ward, and here's the consultancy area. 396 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:52,120 I believe, even as San, there is a time that we also have to 397 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:54,440 adapt to the life of today. 398 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:00,800 - The Botswanan government has been accused of human rights abuses 399 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:03,320 for evicting the San, 400 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:04,720 some campaigners say 401 00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:08,400 because they thought there were diamonds in the Kalahari. 402 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:10,680 The government denies this 403 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:14,200 and insists the San were moved to provide them with modern facilities 404 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:16,640 they can't get out in the bush. 405 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:20,080 But at times they have also claimed the growing San population 406 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:24,080 was destroying wildlife in the Central Kalahari 407 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:27,960 and that conservation should come first. 408 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:33,320 Whatever the reason or reasons why the San were moved out of the CKGR, 409 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:38,960 it did spark a wider debate about what are wild places for. 410 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:45,840 Is a wilderness only a wilderness if there are no humans living there? 411 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:50,960 Often, indigenous people are absolutely central to a wilderness. 412 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:55,600 Often, they're the ones who help to shape it, create it, 413 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:58,440 tend it and protect it. 414 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:00,960 But here, I think there was a feeling 415 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:05,280 that to have a proper conservation area, that required the human beings 416 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:10,960 who'd lived there for thousands of years to be moved out. 417 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:18,560 However, on my wilderness journeys I've been realising that 418 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:23,400 humans are actually an integral part of many remote areas. 419 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:27,080 I'll see that more as I travel further across the Kalahari 420 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:31,880 towards a giant oasis in this great desert - the Okavango Delta. 421 00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:38,520 Robson grew up in the Kalahari, 422 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:41,280 absorbing everything there is to know about the landscape 423 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:43,040 and wildlife around him. 424 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:45,960 He's like a walking guidebook. 425 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:47,640 - Aardwolf, you see it? It's here. 426 00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:49,080 Oh, my God! 427 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,200 - It's a hyena. - No, aardwolf. 428 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:53,040 - Aardwolf? 429 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:55,760 It's an aardwolf, very rare. 430 00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:57,880 - OK, the head is up there. 431 00:38:57,880 --> 00:38:59,560 You can see two. 432 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:00,760 So, this is a pair. 433 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:03,440 You don't often see two. 434 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:07,840 - The aardwolf is a species of hyena which eats mainly insects. 435 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:10,320 Its favourite snack is the termite. 436 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:15,200 A single aardwolf can gobble down 300,000 in a day. 437 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:18,800 Have you seen these before? - Well, I only have seen them twice. 438 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:22,480 But that is after 18 years of guiding. This is very rare. 439 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:25,960 So, I'm so impressed that you get to see two. 440 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:29,840 And these are often more active at night. 441 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:34,000 Oh, look, wow! 442 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:35,840 I am a touch impressed. - Hey! 443 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:38,040 - It's hard to believe. 444 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:39,640 Very nice. 445 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:58,120 - So, this case should be safe out here. 446 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:01,640 Hyenas are not going to get into that, 447 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:04,280 but I need to take my shoes inside, cos apparently they like 448 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:07,360 stealing them from outside tents and having a chew. 449 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:27,840 I'm sure I can hear lions. 450 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:37,480 LOW GROWLS 451 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:43,320 There are lions going past my tent. 452 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:51,560 ENGINE STARTS 453 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:54,320 - We are going to the water hole. 454 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:56,360 Thank you. 455 00:40:57,760 --> 00:40:59,800 - Lions. 456 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:02,840 They're here...at the water hole. 457 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:15,160 There he is. 458 00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:19,120 The king of the Kalahari. 459 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:29,520 HE ROARS 460 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:41,160 You feel it so deep within you, 461 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:44,520 that primal, terrifying, 462 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:47,200 awe-inspiring roar. 463 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:51,120 HE ROARS 464 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:59,200 Kalahari lions are magnificent creatures. 465 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:03,600 The sheer volume of all wildlife here is truly awe-inspiring. 466 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:06,080 - That's a young jackal. 467 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:13,680 - Species that face near extinction in other parts of Africa 468 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:16,600 are still common here in this area of Botswana. 469 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:21,120 ELEPHANT TRUMPETS 470 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:23,040 - There are elephants, elephants on the left 471 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:26,280 and at ten o'clock or 11, there's a herd of elephants. 472 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:28,680 - There's a herd of elephants! 473 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:30,280 - It's so unique. 474 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:33,240 The grassland is amazing. 475 00:42:33,240 --> 00:42:37,120 - There were once 25 million elephants in Africa. 476 00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:39,800 Now that's down to just 400,000 477 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:42,880 because of habitat loss and ivory poaching. 478 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:46,560 Across the continent, the population is still shrinking 479 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:50,320 but Botswana has almost a third of all the African elephants 480 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:52,320 left on the planet. 481 00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:56,120 Botswana is home to the world's largest population of elephants 482 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:58,880 and that is such an achievement when you think how poachers have 483 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:01,480 targeted this animal in recent decades. 484 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:15,840 But conservation here has come at a cost. 485 00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:19,160 The treatment of the San - truly the people of the wilderness - 486 00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:21,600 is hugely controversial. 487 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:23,400 And on the edges of the Kalahari, 488 00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:27,640 wildlife is coming into direct conflict with people. 489 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:33,240 As human populations grow, and areas that were once wild in the Kalahari 490 00:43:33,240 --> 00:43:38,600 become farmland, the frontiers of the wilderness area can become 491 00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:40,640 something of a battleground. 492 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:42,880 I've left the Central Kalahari 493 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:46,800 and arrived in one of the frontier areas where human/wildlife conflict 494 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:50,440 is having dramatic, even tragic consequences. 495 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:53,360 - How are you? - Very nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you, Simon. 496 00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:55,720 - Ooh, let's go. - All right. 497 00:43:55,720 --> 00:43:57,840 - This is Tata Monsentwa, 498 00:43:57,840 --> 00:44:00,560 a conservationist who's tried to help keep the peace. 499 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:05,880 - And this is where the river passes when we get floods. 500 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:10,680 It's the river that separates the community with the wildlife. 501 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:15,120 - So, the community here is right on the edge of the wild? 502 00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:17,440 - Yeah, true. - The wilderness? - Yeah, true. 503 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:20,360 It's a village called Kumaka Village. 504 00:44:21,480 --> 00:44:24,080 - Are you from this community? - Yeah, I'm from this community. 505 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:27,000 - You grew up here? - I grew up here. - Hey! 506 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:30,360 - And we have cows and we have goats. 507 00:44:30,360 --> 00:44:34,200 - Yeah. - Yeah, and also we do crops too. 508 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:36,640 It's more like a family, a family thing. 509 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:37,960 - COWS MOO 510 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:39,400 Cows. 511 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:41,360 There's cows wandering around. 512 00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:46,000 So, Tata's taking me to see a farmer 513 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:49,040 whose lost some of her crops to elephants. 514 00:44:50,240 --> 00:44:51,720 Are we here? - Yeah. 515 00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:53,960 - We're here. 516 00:44:57,520 --> 00:44:59,440 Oh, bloody hell! 517 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:01,320 It's a bit barren, isn't it? - Yeah. 518 00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:10,520 - Ancoletsan Bablalefee is typical of many farmers here. 519 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:12,800 She grows crops to feed her family 520 00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:16,000 and sells what she has left over for just a few pounds a day. 521 00:45:42,840 --> 00:45:45,080 Oh, my goodness. 522 00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:58,320 How do you feel about elephants now? 523 00:46:10,960 --> 00:46:15,320 To protect their crops, farmers have been known to shoot elephants. 524 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:19,280 But Tata works for the charity Elephants for Africa, 525 00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:22,200 and he tries to stop conflicts from escalating. 526 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:26,960 He helps farmers like Ancoletsan keep elephants out of their fields 527 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:29,920 using some pretty unorthodox methods. 528 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:31,880 He's cooking up a chilli bomb. 529 00:46:44,640 --> 00:46:46,960 That is a lot of chilli. 530 00:47:08,080 --> 00:47:11,120 So, that is now in operation, working? - Yeah. 531 00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:15,000 - And, look, you can see the smoke spreading out across the field. 532 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:16,320 - Yeah. 533 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:20,400 - How effective is this at clearing a field of elephants? 534 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:22,560 - Imagine how you can feel it. 535 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:26,000 Elephants do feel it ten times more than you do. 536 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:29,560 So, that's why it is very effective against elephants. 537 00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:33,160 - Local farmers are being encouraged to grow chillies 538 00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:36,480 which produce the same chemical you find in pepper spray. 539 00:47:36,480 --> 00:47:38,240 We're a good 20 metres away and I... 540 00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:39,440 HE COUGHS 541 00:47:39,440 --> 00:47:42,440 ..can definitely feel the effects. 542 00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:44,440 And imagine if they've got... 543 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:45,560 HE COUGHS 544 00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:47,440 ..several of them set up around the... 545 00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:50,080 HE COUGHS AND SPLUTTERS 546 00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:52,520 ..set up around the field. 547 00:47:52,520 --> 00:47:54,680 HE COUGHS 548 00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:57,640 If I'm an elephant, I'm getting out of here. 549 00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:03,920 The population of Africa is growing rapidly. 550 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:09,120 It's predicted to almost double by 2050 to around 2.5 billion people. 551 00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:12,720 Providing food for everyone while conserving wildlife 552 00:48:12,720 --> 00:48:15,720 and wilderness will be a huge challenge. 553 00:48:15,720 --> 00:48:18,560 For Tata, it's an issue that's deeply personal. 554 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:21,480 An amazing scene here 555 00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:25,560 with the elephants moving off as the sun sets. 556 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:27,280 - Yeah, it's a beautiful view. 557 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,040 - So, we've got within our sight at the moment 558 00:48:30,040 --> 00:48:33,280 two, four, five, six, seven, eight, 559 00:48:33,280 --> 00:48:36,200 nine, ten, 11, I think, elephants. 560 00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:37,920 - Yeah. 561 00:48:40,160 --> 00:48:43,000 - So, they are watching us quite warily, aren't they? 562 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:46,440 - Yeah, and you have to think of them as wild animals 563 00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:48,120 because they are killing people. 564 00:48:48,120 --> 00:48:51,400 - So it's not just elephants raiding crops, 565 00:48:51,400 --> 00:48:53,480 it's taking lives? - Yeah. 566 00:48:53,480 --> 00:48:57,960 - How many elephant fatalities have you had in your community? 567 00:48:57,960 --> 00:49:00,600 - I would say around... 568 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:04,560 ..maybe around four or five. 569 00:49:04,560 --> 00:49:06,400 - Wow! 570 00:49:06,400 --> 00:49:09,640 Elephants can be highly protective of their young, 571 00:49:09,640 --> 00:49:12,080 fighting off predators. 572 00:49:12,080 --> 00:49:15,520 When they're startled, they can see people as a threat, 573 00:49:15,520 --> 00:49:18,080 and they can really lash out. 574 00:49:18,080 --> 00:49:19,640 - My cousin was, er... 575 00:49:19,640 --> 00:49:25,280 He went to see his friends and he unfortunately met an elephant 576 00:49:25,280 --> 00:49:29,760 which... It was unfortunate that he saw it from a short distance. 577 00:49:29,760 --> 00:49:33,400 He tried to run away from it 578 00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:35,000 but because elephant is big, 579 00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:38,760 it was able to see him running away even behind the bushes. 580 00:49:38,760 --> 00:49:42,520 So, it kept chasing him until, you know, 581 00:49:42,520 --> 00:49:45,400 it was able to hit him. 582 00:49:49,400 --> 00:49:51,320 - I'm so sorry. 583 00:49:56,160 --> 00:49:59,640 Tata's cousin died from his injuries. 584 00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:03,080 In Botswana, elephants now kill more people than lions. 585 00:50:04,280 --> 00:50:06,880 I think some people, perhaps many people, 586 00:50:06,880 --> 00:50:09,960 would turn against elephants as a result. 587 00:50:09,960 --> 00:50:13,480 - Yeah, they will. - But you don't? 588 00:50:13,480 --> 00:50:17,760 - Er, I don't because it's a wildlife area. 589 00:50:17,760 --> 00:50:20,360 You don't want to see elephants killing people, 590 00:50:20,360 --> 00:50:23,400 but, you know, we can't push them away, 591 00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:27,480 so it's more of finding a way to co-exist with them. 592 00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:54,440 - I've travelled for weeks through this dry, parched wilderness 593 00:50:54,440 --> 00:50:56,840 and I've hardly seen a drop of water. 594 00:50:56,840 --> 00:50:58,880 But I hope that's about to change. 595 00:51:01,400 --> 00:51:06,440 I'm leaving the arid areas of the Kalahari behind now 596 00:51:06,440 --> 00:51:10,600 and heading towards the end of this part of my journey. 597 00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:13,600 We're on our way towards the Okavango Delta. 598 00:51:17,040 --> 00:51:20,600 The Okavango Delta is the largest freshwater wetland 599 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:22,400 in Southern Africa. 600 00:51:22,400 --> 00:51:25,200 It's home to one of the most spectacular concentrations of 601 00:51:25,200 --> 00:51:27,120 wildlife on Earth. 602 00:51:27,120 --> 00:51:30,200 That draws in visitors to upmarket safari lodges, 603 00:51:30,200 --> 00:51:34,760 creating a whole tourism industry in this area of the Kalahari 604 00:51:34,760 --> 00:51:37,240 that I'm keen to understand. 605 00:51:40,240 --> 00:51:41,800 Well, we've arrived... 606 00:51:43,520 --> 00:51:46,880 Oh! ..somewhere very fancy. 607 00:51:47,920 --> 00:51:49,800 My goodness. 608 00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:51,640 All right, well, I'm knackered. 609 00:51:51,640 --> 00:51:56,040 I'm going to get a good night's sleep tonight and I'll have a wash. 610 00:51:57,360 --> 00:51:59,760 I will see you in the morning. 611 00:52:09,400 --> 00:52:11,400 Ah, flipping heck. 612 00:52:12,640 --> 00:52:16,200 So, this is the Okavango Delta. 613 00:52:18,440 --> 00:52:21,720 It's known as the Jewel of the Kalahari. 614 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:28,360 Each year when the Kalahari is at its driest, 615 00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:31,800 rain in the north flows downriver and empties into a huge 616 00:52:31,800 --> 00:52:35,680 inland delta, transforming this part of the Kalahari Desert 617 00:52:35,680 --> 00:52:40,560 into a lush, waterlogged oasis packed with wildlife. 618 00:52:40,560 --> 00:52:44,520 It's been described as the closest thing to Eden left on the planet. 619 00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:50,440 It's like a vast shallow bathtub 620 00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:54,560 into which a river flows, and then wildlife comes 621 00:52:54,560 --> 00:52:57,760 from across Southern Africa to drink and eat here, 622 00:52:57,760 --> 00:53:02,920 which means it is a destination for seriously high-end tourism. 623 00:53:02,920 --> 00:53:07,360 Some lodges in the Delta charge more than £1,000 a night 624 00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:08,960 for a room. Ooh! 625 00:53:08,960 --> 00:53:12,480 The tourism industry can be hugely damaging, but here, 626 00:53:12,480 --> 00:53:15,160 like in so many other wild areas I've visited, 627 00:53:15,160 --> 00:53:17,680 it provides thousands of jobs. 628 00:53:17,680 --> 00:53:21,360 Rather than clearing land for farming or poaching, 629 00:53:21,360 --> 00:53:25,720 tourism can give locals an economic incentive to look after landscapes 630 00:53:25,720 --> 00:53:27,480 and wildlife. 631 00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:32,400 Unless we're all going to start donating billions to provide jobs 632 00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:34,720 and preserve wildernesses, 633 00:53:34,720 --> 00:53:37,720 perhaps responsible tourism has a crucial role. 634 00:53:39,240 --> 00:53:40,960 Is it stable? 635 00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:42,400 - Got it. - Stable enough. 636 00:53:42,400 --> 00:53:46,120 The tourism industry has helped make Botswana one of the richer countries 637 00:53:46,120 --> 00:53:49,520 in Africa and helps preserve the wildlife of the Kalahari. 638 00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:54,680 Koki Makodi is a Botswanan campaigner and conservationist. 639 00:53:56,000 --> 00:53:58,680 - This is called a macuro. 640 00:53:58,680 --> 00:54:00,840 It's actually a dugout canoe 641 00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:04,320 which, traditionally, the people of the Okavango Delta have relied on 642 00:54:04,320 --> 00:54:07,120 as a mode of transport to get from island to island. 643 00:54:08,440 --> 00:54:11,640 - This is exceptional. 644 00:54:11,640 --> 00:54:16,920 Here we are quietly, without an engine, 645 00:54:16,920 --> 00:54:21,640 gently sliding towards two giant elephants close to us 646 00:54:21,640 --> 00:54:23,720 and another three down there. 647 00:54:23,720 --> 00:54:26,240 We've got more in the bushes here. 648 00:54:26,240 --> 00:54:29,560 - I think we're very, very blessed, Simon, to be able to witness this 649 00:54:29,560 --> 00:54:31,560 in our lifetimes. 650 00:54:38,680 --> 00:54:42,720 - One of Koki's concerns is that tourism here hasn't done enough 651 00:54:42,720 --> 00:54:44,080 for ordinary people 652 00:54:44,080 --> 00:54:47,680 and that the indigenous people of the Kalahari have often been 653 00:54:47,680 --> 00:54:50,760 marginalised in favour of the wildlife and the tourists. 654 00:54:52,080 --> 00:54:57,120 How can we protect wild places, wildernesses, 655 00:54:57,120 --> 00:55:01,200 whilst still providing jobs, opportunities 656 00:55:01,200 --> 00:55:03,240 for the people who live there 657 00:55:03,240 --> 00:55:06,200 and are a fundamental part of those places? 658 00:55:06,200 --> 00:55:08,200 - I think tourism could do a better job. 659 00:55:08,200 --> 00:55:11,080 When you have profit to make, 660 00:55:11,080 --> 00:55:13,760 you don't want that profit to be challenged 661 00:55:13,760 --> 00:55:18,800 and it served certain operators to enter this business at a time 662 00:55:18,800 --> 00:55:22,600 when the people surrounding the old indigenous peoples of that area 663 00:55:22,600 --> 00:55:25,120 were not highly educated. 664 00:55:25,120 --> 00:55:29,040 So, it benefitted them in that they could pay cheaper wages. 665 00:55:29,040 --> 00:55:33,440 - So, understanding that indigenous people 666 00:55:33,440 --> 00:55:36,360 who have lived in a place, for sometimes thousands, 667 00:55:36,360 --> 00:55:38,600 tens of thousands of years, they know stuff. 668 00:55:38,600 --> 00:55:41,880 - Yes, and they need to be appreciated for knowing that stuff. 669 00:55:41,880 --> 00:55:46,200 I mean, we've gone long enough without recognising 670 00:55:46,200 --> 00:55:50,480 the importance of the people 671 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:53,960 who have kept the balance in these spaces, 672 00:55:53,960 --> 00:55:56,440 and we need to listen to them. 673 00:55:58,640 --> 00:56:01,760 - Don Joseph comes from a village where many people make 674 00:56:01,760 --> 00:56:04,600 a living punting travellers around the Okavango Delta. 675 00:56:06,560 --> 00:56:09,480 They've tried to build their business by working independently 676 00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:11,560 from big tour operators. 677 00:56:11,560 --> 00:56:14,880 - I'm part of the Poler's Association. 678 00:56:14,880 --> 00:56:18,960 - So, I've been doing it, like, three years now. 679 00:56:18,960 --> 00:56:20,840 Are you on social media, Don? 680 00:56:20,840 --> 00:56:24,680 - Yes. - And so you get direct bookings that way? 681 00:56:24,680 --> 00:56:27,920 - Yes. You just book to the community. 682 00:56:27,920 --> 00:56:31,200 They will pay those people with them callers. 683 00:56:31,200 --> 00:56:34,080 - So, you're earning the money directly? 684 00:56:34,080 --> 00:56:37,720 It's not going through a tour operator in Europe or somewhere? 685 00:56:37,720 --> 00:56:40,080 - No, it's just going to the community. 686 00:56:40,080 --> 00:56:43,760 - That sounds pretty vital, that local people can have local companies 687 00:56:43,760 --> 00:56:46,880 and earn direct from tourism or any other... 688 00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:49,960 - Absolutely. - ...business. - Absolutely. 689 00:56:49,960 --> 00:56:54,040 It's proving to be possible, but we need to band together to 690 00:56:54,040 --> 00:56:58,320 kind of support one another to make sure that it is long lasting. 691 00:56:58,320 --> 00:57:01,880 - What Koki is campaigning for is a system that could really help 692 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:05,840 to preserve wilderness areas around the world. 693 00:57:05,840 --> 00:57:08,720 Wildernesses aren't empty. 694 00:57:08,720 --> 00:57:15,080 They are full of life and often very full of people as well. 695 00:57:15,080 --> 00:57:18,320 I think what I've learnt on this journey is that if we are going 696 00:57:18,320 --> 00:57:22,280 to protect this wilderness - the Kalahari - 697 00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:25,760 we're all going to have to get better at protecting 698 00:57:25,760 --> 00:57:31,160 and looking after, educating and engaging with the people 699 00:57:31,160 --> 00:57:33,400 who live here and know it best. 700 00:57:35,240 --> 00:57:39,120 Our remaining great wilderness areas face many threats. 701 00:57:40,840 --> 00:57:44,480 On my journeys I've seen how climate change is disrupting 702 00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:47,600 these eco-systems on which we all depend. 703 00:57:49,760 --> 00:57:54,400 Remote areas are also being targeted by ranchers, loggers and miners. 704 00:57:55,640 --> 00:57:59,200 Our increasing human population is encroaching on the wilderness. 705 00:58:01,200 --> 00:58:05,000 Surely, these wild areas are worth protecting. 706 00:58:11,480 --> 00:58:15,560 They're home to our most spectacular and important wildlife... 707 00:58:18,160 --> 00:58:20,400 ..and we need them. 708 00:58:20,400 --> 00:58:22,120 We're not separate from nature... 709 00:58:22,120 --> 00:58:23,480 Whoa! 710 00:58:23,480 --> 00:58:25,800 ..we're part of it. 711 00:58:25,800 --> 00:58:29,160 We need to know wilderness exists 712 00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:31,200 and we need it in our lives... 713 00:58:33,160 --> 00:58:36,400 ..because living on an extraordinary, wild planet... 714 00:58:38,640 --> 00:58:41,840 ..is part of what makes us truly human. 715 00:58:44,040 --> 00:58:46,200 It's been an honour.