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All around the planet,

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billions of animals are
on the move...

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...making incredible journeys.

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The most amazing
of these are the smallest.

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This series uses
the latest camera technology

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to follow six tiny animals on the
biggest adventures of their lives...

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...as they travel through
extraordinary landscapes...

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...where every little step counts.

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In this episode,

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a Madagascan chameleon makes the
journey of her lifetime.

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And a Scottish water vole faces
Highland Giants to find a new home.

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The greatest adventures
are the smallest.

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Kirindy Forest, Madagascar.

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This tiny chameleon is
a few minutes old.

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Half the size of a matchstick,

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she has spent seven months
underground,

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developing inside her egg.

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And now her own eggs are already
growing inside her.

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She's starting a journey
to find a male.

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These chameleons only live
for a matter of months.

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Her instincts drive her to climb.

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Built for the ascent,

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her feet can swivel...

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...helping her cling to cracks.

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She heaves her way upwards.

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The climb is 150 times her body
length,

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like a human scaling
the Empire State Building.

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Five metres up,

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she's in a very different world.

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A dense network of branches
that give shade

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and create aerial highways.

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She's hungry.

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BUZZING APPROACHES

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She has never eaten before,

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but knows food when she sees it.

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Flies.

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They have split-second reflexes...

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...but she's born with the skills
of an assassin.

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Her eyes search almost 360 degrees.

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A target.

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Both eyes lock on
with binocular vision.

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She fires her lightning-fast tongue.

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It's twice the length of her body
and as sticky as honey.

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She catches up to 100 flies a day.

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It takes two weeks to double
in size.

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BUZZING APPROACHES

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The fading light
and decreasing accuracy

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is her cue to get some sleep.

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Being light, she can reach places
where most predators can't.

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The thinnest branches
are the safest.

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Her pincer-like feet clamp
onto the branch.

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It's like sleeping on a tightrope.

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A cat-eyed tree snake.

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A metre long.

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Over ten times bigger than she is.

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It's still light enough
to reach her.

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Deep in slumber,

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the chameleon is
at her most vulnerable.

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The snake's approach causes
tiny vibrations along the branch,

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that the chameleon can sense
even when asleep.

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And when the snake is too close...

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...they wake her up.

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All she can do...

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...is let go.

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Her radical move is a deliberate
escape strategy.

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HOOTS

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But it has put her right back
on the dangerous forest floor

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in the middle of the night.

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6,000 miles away...

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...the Cairngorms of Scotland.

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Home to one of Britain's
shyest animals...

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...a water vole.

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This female is three months old

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and small enough to fit
in the palm of a human hand.

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She is busy preparing her small
territory by digging burrows,

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ready to raise a family.

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She must eat two thirds of
her body weight every day

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to stay in prime condition.

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There's just a few weeks
left to mate and raise pups...

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...before the first signs of winter.

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To attract a suitor,

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she strategically leaves
droppings around her territory.

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Today, they've got some attention.

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A vole's worst nightmare.

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An invasive American mink.

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Its ultrasonic hearing can detect
the slightest squeak.

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SQUEAKS
To a water vole,

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its odour is a trigger to run.

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Just one mink could wipe out
every vole in this glen

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in just a few weeks.

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She's lost her riverbank home.

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She must now travel into
the unknown to find a new territory

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in which to have her first pups.

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Two miles into the glen...

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...she's alone, homeless
and exhausted.

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She needs a place to rest.

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A burrow.

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She could make it her new home.

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SQUEAKING

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It's occupied.

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A pregnant water vole.

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This is her burrow.

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And she will fight to the death
to defend it.

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FRANTIC SQUEAKING

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Being less experienced,

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the best option is to flee.

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But the path ahead...

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...is blocked.

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In Madagascar,

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with her biological clock rapidly
ticking away,

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the chameleon is searching for
a way into the trees.

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She's unaware of the predators
that lurk in the dark.

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A way back up.

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Things are not as they seem.

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As she travels,
her cover disappears.

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She's on a dirt track,

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cut through the forest by humans.

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Drawn towards a tree trunk,

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she hauls herself upwards with
every ounce of energy she has left.

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Finally, she can get back to sleep.

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Dawn reveals a harsh reality.

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Once there were trees
all the way to the horizon.

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Now there is nothing.

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It's a long way back.

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Finally in the safety of a tree.

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But she's facing another problem.

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Being shaken off
is the last thing she needs.

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Red-fronted lemurs.

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Feeding on the fruit
in this neem tree,

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they've created a sticky mess.

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A magnet for flies.

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FLIES BUZZ

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A chance to get her energy back

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before she continues her journey
to find a mate.

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The vole's search for a new home

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has taken her three miles
into a glen.

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Ahead of her lies water.

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She's spent her entire life
around streams.

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But with poor eyesight,

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she has misjudged how far it is
to the other side.

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This loch...

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...is vast.

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In the cold waters beneath her...

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...monsters lurk.

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Giant pike,

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four times her size,
could swallow her whole...

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...if she doesn't drown first.

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She's never swum more than
a few metres from land before.

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The further she swims from shore,

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the more likely
she will be detected.

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Once a pike senses ripples...

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...most prey don't stand a chance.

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But this water vole
has made it to the other side.

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For now, she's safe.

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Running water.

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It's the sound of home.

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If she follows it, she might find
the habitat that she's looking for.

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The higher she climbs,

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the rockier it becomes.

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200 metres up,

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there's trouble.

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BIRD CALLS

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A golden eagle.

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30 times bigger than a water vole.

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With vision five times
more powerful than a human,

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it could spot a vole
from over a mile away.

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EAGLE CALLS

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She will have to sleep here tonight.

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In Madagascar,

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four months have passed,

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and the chameleon has reached
a pivotal moment in her short life.

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She has undergone the most
extraordinary transformation.

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She has become an adult.

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Now as long as a human finger,

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her skin is a kaleidoscope
of colour...

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...created by special
light-reflecting nanocrystals

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in her skin cells.

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A chameleon's colour is primarily
used for communication,

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and it changes with her mood.

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Her most important signal
is a crimson spot...

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...indicating that she is ready
to mate.

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Her eggs are fully grown
and visible through her skin.

183
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Now she needs to find a male
to fertilise them.

184
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She needs to secure an area
to show off her colours.

185
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But every female of her species
is on the same biological clock...

186
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...all vying for the attention
of a male.

187
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Already, she has competition.

188
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Females can't risk damage
to their delicate eggs.

189
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They rarely make contact.

190
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Instead they rely on
elaborate warning displays.

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CHAMELEON CROAKS FIERCELY

192
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She attacks from below.

193
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Having forced her rival away...

194
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...she's claimed this area
as her own.

195
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She can now dazzle her colours.

196
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She's attracted a male.

197
00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:21,855
There's two.

198
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They must prove their worth.

199
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They are twice the size of her.

200
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Built for combat.

201
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The bigger the nose horn,
the more attractive the male.

202
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And the taller the head crest,
the more powerful the bite.

203
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These two gladiators
are evenly matched.

204
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She monitors every movement
from a safe distance.

205
00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:16,135
The most dominant male
will pass on the strongest genes.

206
00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,975
They must fight it out
to win her favour.

207
00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,815
Unlike females,

208
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they don't hold back.

209
00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:03,935
This could be the last battle
of their lives before they die.

210
00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:31,095
It will only end
when one backs down...

211
00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:41,975
...and falls.

212
00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:57,855
She allows the victor to approach.

213
00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:30,495
After mating, they will never
see each other again.

214
00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:38,695
With her eggs fertilised,

215
00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:42,935
there is only one more stage
of her journey to complete.

216
00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:52,215
To find a safe place to lay them
before her life comes to an end.

217
00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:06,495
The water vole is five miles
from her old river bank home.

218
00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:20,975
Her search has taken her
to altitude.

219
00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,415
She's in alien territory...

220
00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:39,135
...but keeps climbing.

221
00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:08,695
She's 700 metres up.

222
00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:20,615
Before her lies a new frontier.

223
00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,695
With the threat of the eagle,

224
00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:32,535
she must move on quickly.

225
00:35:56,640 --> 00:36:00,855
She's lost a lot of weight
and is depleted of minerals.

226
00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:12,455
She'll need more than just grass
to get her strength back.

227
00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:26,295
Red deer.

228
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,935
They may provide
just what she needs.

229
00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:55,455
An old stag's antler,
packed with minerals.

230
00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,295
100 times more calcium than milk.

231
00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:11,735
A few nibbles is all she needs.

232
00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:26,455
This is prime water vole habitat.

233
00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:36,135
Further into the glen,
there's a burrow.

234
00:37:56,240 --> 00:37:57,975
There is something here.

235
00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:09,815
It's just a harmless toad
taking shelter.

236
00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:19,455
With no sign of
a resident water vole,

237
00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:21,135
she's found a new home.

238
00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:27,735
If she can find a mate,

239
00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:31,015
she will still have time
to raise a family.

240
00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:37,055
With darkness falling,

241
00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:38,735
she can rest.

242
00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:55,455
The chameleon is five months old...

243
00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,535
...and has reached old age.

244
00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:13,375
Nearing the end of her journey,

245
00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,975
she must find the perfect spot
to lay her eggs.

246
00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:29,015
She has no time to waste
on an approaching male.

247
00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:38,695
He's too late.

248
00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:55,815
Puffing up her body
and expanding her skin cells,

249
00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:58,895
she turns from green to black.

250
00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:16,255
A clear signal to back off.

251
00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:32,055
Instinct drives her towards
the forest floor.

252
00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:55,455
Now a beacon of colour,

253
00:40:55,480 --> 00:40:58,255
she stands out
amongst the leaf litter...

254
00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:09,935
...and is slower,

255
00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,535
weighed down by eight eggs,

256
00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:15,295
a third of her body weight.

257
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:22,015
She needs to head away
from tree roots

258
00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:24,135
to a place where she can dig...

259
00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:35,895
...and with just the right amount
of sunlight to incubate her eggs.

260
00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:47,695
With every step,
she could be spotted.

261
00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:00,575
A giant hognose snake,

262
00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:02,735
almost two metres long.

263
00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:12,975
Her only defence
is to rock gently...

264
00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:21,255
...to try to look like
a leaf in the breeze.

265
00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:54,055
This snake is an egg-eater.

266
00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:06,335
The chameleon needs to wait
for the coast to be clear

267
00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:08,135
before she can start laying.

268
00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:19,095
She's found the perfect spot.

269
00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:36,815
Her whole short life has been about
getting to this moment...

270
00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:50,735
...and her time has almost run out.

271
00:44:01,320 --> 00:44:04,335
With her last ounce of energy,

272
00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:06,615
she covers her eggs.

273
00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:18,455
Her life's journey is now complete.

274
00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:48,695
In her last moments,

275
00:44:48,720 --> 00:44:51,255
her skin erupts with colour...

276
00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:01,135
...as if uttering her last words.

277
00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:35,575
She's not the only one to have made
such an incredible journey.

278
00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:38,695
BUZZING

279
00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:45,135
Every chameleon of her species
is now dead.

280
00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:06,055
BUZZING

281
00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:15,855
All that remains
are thousands of eggs

282
00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:19,735
buried beneath the soil
of Kirindy Forest.

283
00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:24,735
Time capsules,

284
00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:28,095
evolved to survive
the deadly dry season...

285
00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:34,015
...until they hatch en masse

286
00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:38,055
when the wetter weather returns
in seven months' time.

287
00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:53,855
Having found perfect habitat,

288
00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:58,655
the water vole is scent marking
the boundaries of her new territory.

289
00:47:08,200 --> 00:47:11,655
But she needs to mate
within the next few days

290
00:47:11,680 --> 00:47:14,815
to ensure any pups
survive the winter.

291
00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:22,815
100 metres from the burrow,

292
00:47:22,840 --> 00:47:25,255
she sniffs a distinctive odour.

293
00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:31,175
A latrine.

294
00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:43,895
There's a well-trodden path...

295
00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:53,055
...and the chopped up
leftovers of a meal.

296
00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:37,255
At last - a male.

297
00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:40,975
BUZZING

298
00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:50,775
The voles here have
lighter coloured fur.

299
00:48:53,160 --> 00:48:56,415
A sign that they have
different ancestors.

300
00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:12,495
But attractiveness has little
to do with fur colour.

301
00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:19,615
The most important thing
to her is his fitness.

302
00:49:21,240 --> 00:49:26,415
Crucial if her offspring are
to inherit genes essential

303
00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:28,975
for survival in the Highlands.

304
00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:41,975
A game of chase is
a good test of his stamina.

305
00:49:55,280 --> 00:49:57,935
She leads him to her new burrow.

306
00:50:04,640 --> 00:50:06,695
Her journey is complete.

307
00:50:10,280 --> 00:50:14,055
She's found a mate and a new life

308
00:50:14,080 --> 00:50:17,015
eight miles from where she was born.

309
00:50:23,560 --> 00:50:28,295
Three weeks later
and a new journey begins.

310
00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:29,495
SQUEAKS

311
00:50:32,360 --> 00:50:34,055
BABY VOLES SQUEAK

312
00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:38,815
SQUEAKS

313
00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:42,895
Motherhood.

314
00:50:49,760 --> 00:50:51,055
SQUEAKS

315
00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:08,015
Filming six little animals required
a collaboration between TV crews

316
00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:10,215
and scientists around the world.

317
00:51:10,240 --> 00:51:13,175
Wow. Oh, wow. Look.

318
00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:17,535
Over two years, the team filmed
on five continents in order

319
00:51:17,560 --> 00:51:19,375
to follow these journeys.

320
00:51:21,360 --> 00:51:26,735
The most remote location was western
Madagascar's Kirindy Forest,

321
00:51:26,760 --> 00:51:30,935
the home of one of the most
extraordinary journeys of all.

322
00:51:33,800 --> 00:51:36,455
Travelling in the cyclone season,

323
00:51:36,480 --> 00:51:39,615
the first challenge was
getting to the forest.

324
00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:49,375
But the team's journey comes
to a halt when a fallen tree

325
00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:51,295
blocks their only way in.

326
00:51:56,520 --> 00:51:59,255
It's a long way back for help.

327
00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:01,415
At least someone brought an axe.

328
00:52:02,960 --> 00:52:06,255
Yeah, it looks like pretty tough
going, so could be here a while.

329
00:52:07,360 --> 00:52:09,575
Four hours later,

330
00:52:09,600 --> 00:52:11,735
progress is slow.

331
00:52:14,520 --> 00:52:17,375
With the tree finally
chopped into pieces,

332
00:52:17,400 --> 00:52:19,415
they must still drag it out the way.

333
00:52:26,600 --> 00:52:28,895
There are several miles to go yet.

334
00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:39,255
We've just arrived after
13 hours of driving.

335
00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:42,815
I'm amazed that the car's actually
made it through the amount of water.

336
00:52:44,680 --> 00:52:48,335
We've no electricity
and it's absolutely torrential rain.

337
00:52:48,360 --> 00:52:49,575
THUNDER CRASHES

338
00:52:53,560 --> 00:52:55,175
With a break in the rain,

339
00:52:55,200 --> 00:52:58,335
the team can finally start
searching for the chameleons.

340
00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:06,655
One of the scientists studying
the forest's chameleons

341
00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:08,735
is Ludo Raoelina.

342
00:53:11,800 --> 00:53:15,575
During the day,
it's so difficult to find them.

343
00:53:15,600 --> 00:53:18,255
It's better to search at night.

344
00:53:20,240 --> 00:53:25,095
Finding a reptile no bigger than
a human finger is challenging.

345
00:53:25,120 --> 00:53:28,695
Luckily, chameleons turn pale
at night and sleep

346
00:53:28,720 --> 00:53:33,335
at the end of branches, making them
easier to find by spotlighting.

347
00:53:36,560 --> 00:53:38,255
Cameras at the ready,

348
00:53:38,280 --> 00:53:41,575
things finally seem to be
going well for the team.

349
00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:42,815
THUNDER CRASHES

350
00:53:44,360 --> 00:53:45,535
RAIN POURS

351
00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:47,015
whoa!

352
00:53:47,040 --> 00:53:48,335
Did you see that?

353
00:53:49,400 --> 00:53:52,695
We were just about to start
filming and just, yeah.

354
00:53:54,160 --> 00:53:55,855
Just torrential.
THUNDER RUMBLES

355
00:53:55,880 --> 00:53:57,215
Just so wet.

356
00:53:59,720 --> 00:54:01,135
You could literally wring me out.

357
00:54:01,160 --> 00:54:02,735
Literally wring me out.

358
00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:05,895
Filming has to stop.

359
00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:12,975
After several days,
the storm passes,

360
00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:16,295
but the fleeting life cycle
of the Kirindy chameleons

361
00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:17,935
is moving fast.

362
00:54:20,560 --> 00:54:24,535
Ludo is joined by
Christopher Raxworthy,

363
00:54:24,560 --> 00:54:28,215
who has been studying chameleons
in Kirindy for decades.

364
00:54:31,200 --> 00:54:33,575
I have been fascinated
with chameleons

365
00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:35,975
since I was a young boy and
Madagascar was always

366
00:54:36,000 --> 00:54:37,615
a special place.

367
00:54:38,880 --> 00:54:41,495
IN FRENCH:

368
00:54:45,360 --> 00:54:49,335
If you want to see these chameleons,
Kirindy is the place to come to.

369
00:54:49,360 --> 00:54:52,975
Kirindy isn't just
a haven for chameleons.

370
00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:54,535
This forest is incredible.

371
00:54:54,560 --> 00:54:56,495
Loving all of the amazing animals

372
00:54:56,520 --> 00:54:58,055
that we're finding in the forest.

373
00:54:58,080 --> 00:55:02,495
We've seen sifakas and brown lemurs
and loads of beautiful birds,

374
00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:04,255
beautiful butterflies.

375
00:55:06,560 --> 00:55:11,055
Some of the wildlife has taken
a shine to one member of the team.

376
00:55:12,160 --> 00:55:15,615
So, Owen and I are currently
in a tornado of flies.

377
00:55:15,640 --> 00:55:17,015
LOUD BUZZING

378
00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:19,335
You having fun, Owen? No.

379
00:55:19,360 --> 00:55:21,495
Why are you not having fun?
OWEN COUGHS

380
00:55:21,520 --> 00:55:23,895
Cos the flies like me too much.

381
00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:28,215
Despite the challenges, the team are
able to document every element

382
00:55:28,240 --> 00:55:30,815
of this extraordinary life cycle

383
00:55:30,840 --> 00:55:32,615
for the very first time.

384
00:55:54,680 --> 00:55:58,735
But they may also be filming
this for the very last time.

385
00:56:08,720 --> 00:56:11,815
These chameleons hatch, grow up,

386
00:56:11,840 --> 00:56:14,575
and die during one season.

387
00:56:18,840 --> 00:56:22,495
This unique life cycle has left
them very vulnerable.

388
00:56:24,320 --> 00:56:26,015
It seems like a very risky strategy

389
00:56:26,040 --> 00:56:28,775
to actually put literally
all your eggs in one basket.

390
00:56:28,800 --> 00:56:31,015
You could imagine
if the eggs didn't hatch,

391
00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:34,295
then there's no backup generations
to keep the population going.

392
00:56:34,320 --> 00:56:38,135
with their lives so intimately
in sync with the seasons,

393
00:56:38,160 --> 00:56:41,815
a shift in the climate
could be devastating.

394
00:56:41,840 --> 00:56:45,735
The rainy season now starts in
Madagascar perhaps as late as

395
00:56:45,760 --> 00:56:49,695
two months later than when I first
started working in Madagascar.

396
00:56:52,120 --> 00:56:54,975
And it's not just the climate
that is changing.

397
00:56:57,080 --> 00:57:00,215
The environmental pressures
on Kirindy have increased

398
00:57:00,240 --> 00:57:02,335
over the last 20 or 30 years.

399
00:57:02,360 --> 00:57:05,175
And so the great news is we have
a lot more forest now

400
00:57:05,200 --> 00:57:08,175
which is protected with inside
reserves, but we also can tell

401
00:57:08,200 --> 00:57:11,655
from satellite images and from
personal experience that we can

402
00:57:11,680 --> 00:57:16,375
still see ongoing declines in
terms of the total forest area.

403
00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:18,375
Over the last 70 years,

404
00:57:18,400 --> 00:57:22,255
half of Madagascar's forests have
been destroyed, putting much

405
00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:25,655
of its unique wildlife,
including the chameleons,

406
00:57:25,680 --> 00:57:28,375
at risk of extinction.

407
00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:31,775
Sadly, I have seen forests
that I worked in and love

408
00:57:31,800 --> 00:57:33,695
being degraded and cleared,

409
00:57:33,720 --> 00:57:37,215
and so that's a very painful
experience to sometimes see

410
00:57:37,240 --> 00:57:39,295
that kind of biodiversity loss.

411
00:57:58,680 --> 00:58:02,855
Ludo and many other local
scientists are determined

412
00:58:02,880 --> 00:58:05,175
to preserve the remaining wildlife.

413
00:58:16,080 --> 00:58:19,735
The work of dedicated
conservationists around the world

414
00:58:19,760 --> 00:58:23,415
is helping the tiny animals
featured in this series

415
00:58:23,440 --> 00:58:28,055
to continue their journeys for
many generations to come.