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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:18,420 The decision to adopt is never easy. 2 00:00:18,420 --> 00:00:21,340 But just imagine if your new baby needs to grow up 3 00:00:21,340 --> 00:00:24,340 in a completely different world from you. 4 00:00:26,380 --> 00:00:29,860 Carolina Vargas studies giant otters. 5 00:00:31,700 --> 00:00:35,260 But nothing has prepared her for raising an orphaned cub. 6 00:00:37,180 --> 00:00:38,420 CUB SQUEALS 7 00:00:40,220 --> 00:00:44,100 Just keeping him alive will be difficult. 8 00:00:44,100 --> 00:00:48,140 Returning him to the wild will lead them both into uncharted waters. 9 00:00:49,300 --> 00:00:53,300 No one in Brazil has attempted this before. 10 00:00:53,300 --> 00:00:55,060 Raising baby Sancho 11 00:00:55,060 --> 00:00:57,940 will bring Carolina joy, 12 00:00:57,940 --> 00:00:59,100 frustration 13 00:00:59,100 --> 00:01:00,540 and heartbreak. 14 00:01:00,540 --> 00:01:02,380 SANCHO SQUEALS 15 00:01:04,580 --> 00:01:07,860 But it will also give her extraordinary insight 16 00:01:07,860 --> 00:01:10,260 into the lives of these endangered animals. 17 00:01:19,460 --> 00:01:21,660 SANCHO SQUEAKS 18 00:01:29,020 --> 00:01:32,940 In south-west Brazil lies the world's largest wetland, 19 00:01:32,940 --> 00:01:35,540 the Pantanal. 20 00:01:37,660 --> 00:01:41,780 It's a vast, ever-changing landscape of impenetrable swamps 21 00:01:41,780 --> 00:01:43,340 and forgotten backwaters. 22 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:48,260 And one of the last remaining strongholds of the giant otter. 23 00:01:51,540 --> 00:01:54,700 These charismatic animals have had an almost magnetic effect 24 00:01:54,700 --> 00:01:56,660 on one woman. 25 00:01:58,660 --> 00:02:02,420 Carolina Vargas had embarked on a career as a city vet, 26 00:02:02,420 --> 00:02:05,140 but when she discovered this maze of waterways 27 00:02:05,140 --> 00:02:08,180 and the endearing nature of wild otters, 28 00:02:08,180 --> 00:02:09,980 it was love at first sight. 29 00:02:12,060 --> 00:02:15,660 BRAZILIAN ACCENT: Since the first time I saw a group of giant otters, 30 00:02:15,660 --> 00:02:17,780 I got completely in love with them. 31 00:02:17,780 --> 00:02:21,820 And I really appreciate the way they live, the social behaviour 32 00:02:21,820 --> 00:02:25,060 and the care and respect they have between them in a group. 33 00:02:25,060 --> 00:02:28,020 And I think they are really beautiful and expressive. 34 00:02:28,020 --> 00:02:32,380 I like the way they show their feelings in their faces. 35 00:02:32,380 --> 00:02:35,380 And, I think I'll never get tired of watching them. 36 00:02:36,420 --> 00:02:39,620 Carolina left her home, her job and her family 37 00:02:39,620 --> 00:02:41,500 and moved to the Pantanal, 38 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:45,340 eager to take on a new role as Giant Otter Researcher. 39 00:02:47,820 --> 00:02:51,900 They are inquisitive animals, but that has led them into trouble. 40 00:02:53,180 --> 00:02:57,180 It's made them easier to hunt, and demand for their soft fur 41 00:02:57,180 --> 00:03:00,980 has pushed them to near extinction in many parts of South America. 42 00:03:04,020 --> 00:03:07,380 But they seem to be doing well here because it's so remote. 43 00:03:12,100 --> 00:03:14,780 Carolina wants to understand how they live 44 00:03:14,780 --> 00:03:16,740 and what they need to survive. 45 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:21,140 But, just two years into her research, 46 00:03:21,140 --> 00:03:23,420 life took an unexpected turn. 47 00:03:25,020 --> 00:03:30,020 A local fisherman found a baby otter, alone and destitute. 48 00:03:33,020 --> 00:03:36,380 He was clearly too young to make it on his own. 49 00:03:40,140 --> 00:03:45,180 No one knew what to do with him, so rangers called on Carolina. 50 00:03:45,900 --> 00:03:48,940 Without her immediate help, he would die. 51 00:03:53,740 --> 00:03:57,340 Even though she had no experience of raising otters, 52 00:03:57,340 --> 00:04:00,660 Carolina decided she could not let him down. 53 00:04:00,660 --> 00:04:03,900 She named him Sancho, put her research on hold, 54 00:04:03,900 --> 00:04:06,060 and became his surrogate mother. 55 00:04:08,980 --> 00:04:11,460 It's been hands-on right from the start. 56 00:04:18,220 --> 00:04:21,700 Sancho was very small when I took him off the local rangers. 57 00:04:23,700 --> 00:04:26,580 He had the eyes still closed, 58 00:04:26,580 --> 00:04:31,060 so I think he was about 20 days old. 59 00:04:31,060 --> 00:04:36,100 Very small and he usually spent most of the time sleeping. 60 00:04:42,660 --> 00:04:45,180 It was very hard because, in the beginning, 61 00:04:45,180 --> 00:04:47,380 he had to be bottle fed. 62 00:04:47,380 --> 00:04:50,060 Each took two hours, night and day. 63 00:04:52,540 --> 00:04:57,580 He just woke up to feed and sleep again and I got this routine, 64 00:04:58,380 --> 00:05:02,900 so I had to to wake up to feed him and after that I slept again, 65 00:05:02,900 --> 00:05:04,780 to recover my energy. 66 00:05:07,900 --> 00:05:09,660 SANCHO SQUEAKS 67 00:05:13,860 --> 00:05:16,300 We kept him in a dry place in the first two months 68 00:05:16,300 --> 00:05:19,260 and gradually we put him in the water, 69 00:05:19,260 --> 00:05:24,260 just to make him swim and... get used to the water. 70 00:05:28,180 --> 00:05:32,060 SANCHO SQUEALS 71 00:05:32,060 --> 00:05:35,180 We didn't know how to deal with him, cos it's the first time 72 00:05:35,180 --> 00:05:40,140 this work was done in Brazil, and we got the information we had 73 00:05:40,140 --> 00:05:44,300 about giant otters in the wild and tried to copy that routine. 74 00:05:44,300 --> 00:05:49,380 So, we stimulated him to do things the giant otters do in the wild. 75 00:05:51,180 --> 00:05:55,100 Sancho's made a good start, but now he's a lot more active 76 00:05:55,100 --> 00:05:58,540 and Carolina will have to work hard to keep up. 77 00:05:58,540 --> 00:06:02,300 Each phase of his development throws up new problems 78 00:06:02,300 --> 00:06:04,540 which he will have to solve along the way. 79 00:06:06,180 --> 00:06:08,180 SANCHO SQUEAKS 80 00:06:15,300 --> 00:06:19,020 If she's to give Sancho any real chance of returning to the wild, 81 00:06:19,020 --> 00:06:22,900 she's going to have to think back to what she's observed along the river. 82 00:06:31,660 --> 00:06:33,540 Her field notes on wild otters 83 00:06:33,540 --> 00:06:37,100 will have to serve as a makeshift parenting manual. 84 00:06:42,420 --> 00:06:46,140 This is turning out to be the biggest challenge of her life. 85 00:06:51,020 --> 00:06:53,740 One of the main problems Carolina faces, 86 00:06:53,740 --> 00:06:55,900 is bringing up Sancho on his own. 87 00:06:58,140 --> 00:07:01,620 In the wild, he would be part of a large, intimate family. 88 00:07:04,580 --> 00:07:07,420 One group she's been studying is a family of ten, 89 00:07:07,420 --> 00:07:10,860 with three young cubs about the same age as Sancho. 90 00:07:14,500 --> 00:07:17,740 Everything she's learnt about the dynamics of this family 91 00:07:17,740 --> 00:07:20,580 will now help her work out what Sancho needs. 92 00:07:36,540 --> 00:07:40,380 This is Italo, the dominant male of this group, 93 00:07:40,380 --> 00:07:43,220 and he's always the first one 94 00:07:43,220 --> 00:07:46,420 to approach the boat and say hello. 95 00:07:50,860 --> 00:07:54,220 Understanding the subtle relationships between each member 96 00:07:54,220 --> 00:07:58,060 of the group has required many hours of patient observations. 97 00:08:10,340 --> 00:08:12,780 Fortunately, there's a relatively easy way 98 00:08:12,780 --> 00:08:14,780 of telling each giant otter apart. 99 00:08:18,540 --> 00:08:23,580 In order to identify them, I use the white marks they have on their neck, 100 00:08:24,780 --> 00:08:28,580 and when they do this kind of movement, the periscoping, 101 00:08:28,580 --> 00:08:32,260 it's the best time I have to catch the mark. 102 00:08:34,260 --> 00:08:37,260 OTTER SNORTS 103 00:08:40,740 --> 00:08:42,500 Now Carolina knows who's who, 104 00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:46,580 she can start to work out their roles within the family. 105 00:08:48,140 --> 00:08:52,140 It's very important to identify them, to know exactly what they are doing, 106 00:08:52,140 --> 00:08:55,340 like Italo. It's part of the job. 107 00:08:55,340 --> 00:08:59,500 He's taking care of the group and... 108 00:08:59,500 --> 00:09:02,340 OTTER SNORTS LOUDLY 109 00:09:03,340 --> 00:09:05,420 Italo, the dominant male, 110 00:09:05,420 --> 00:09:08,220 is constantly communicating with everyone else. 111 00:09:08,220 --> 00:09:10,820 OTTERS SNORT AND CALL 112 00:09:12,860 --> 00:09:16,740 Compared with other otters, giants are highly articulate 113 00:09:16,740 --> 00:09:19,740 and have an extraordinary repertoire of noisy calls. 114 00:09:22,700 --> 00:09:25,740 Alarm snorts, screams of excitement 115 00:09:25,740 --> 00:09:30,180 and hums of reassurance, all help maintain cohesion in the troop. 116 00:09:31,820 --> 00:09:35,220 And the cubs learn a lot from these elaborate vocalisations. 117 00:09:35,220 --> 00:09:38,300 OTTERS SQUEAL 118 00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:50,500 Carolina has picked up some basic otter language, 119 00:09:50,500 --> 00:09:55,500 but she's far from understanding the complexities of giant otter society. 120 00:09:55,620 --> 00:10:00,540 And she's concerned this could be a major disadvantage for Sancho. 121 00:10:07,620 --> 00:10:11,180 She has no idea whether she can teach a solitary otter 122 00:10:11,180 --> 00:10:12,980 how to survive in the wild. 123 00:10:14,060 --> 00:10:17,020 But she knows that that's the best place for him, 124 00:10:17,020 --> 00:10:19,940 and wants to return him as soon as she can. 125 00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:25,340 For now though, she concentrates on getting him into a routine. 126 00:10:26,660 --> 00:10:29,220 Giant otters are active during the day, 127 00:10:29,220 --> 00:10:31,980 so at first light, Carolina wakes Sancho from his den. 128 00:10:33,740 --> 00:10:36,380 Giant otters live in family groups 129 00:10:36,380 --> 00:10:41,380 and the cubs spend two years or three years with the parents. 130 00:10:41,660 --> 00:10:44,940 And so, I believe they need this contact with their parents, 131 00:10:44,940 --> 00:10:49,580 just to learn...how to be a giant otter. 132 00:10:52,020 --> 00:10:54,980 Sancho hasn't got that. But at least he's got Carolina. 133 00:10:54,980 --> 00:10:56,740 SHE CALLS: Come, come, come. 134 00:10:56,740 --> 00:10:59,660 And because he's such a sociable little thing, 135 00:10:59,660 --> 00:11:01,860 he's already very close to her. 136 00:11:11,100 --> 00:11:13,100 Come, come, come, come. 137 00:11:13,100 --> 00:11:16,260 Sancho recognises me as his mother. 138 00:11:16,260 --> 00:11:19,540 That's why I believe he's very bonded with me. 139 00:11:19,540 --> 00:11:22,820 Actually, I feel like he's my son, too. 140 00:11:22,820 --> 00:11:26,540 SANCHO SQUEALS 141 00:11:26,540 --> 00:11:31,460 At four months old, Sancho is already a very demanding cub. 142 00:11:33,060 --> 00:11:37,500 He's now weaned off milk and has a growing appetite. 143 00:11:37,500 --> 00:11:40,540 SQUEALS EXCITEDLY 144 00:11:42,780 --> 00:11:46,460 The excitement with which he handles his first fish of the day 145 00:11:46,460 --> 00:11:49,860 is something Carolina has never seen before in the wild. 146 00:11:52,380 --> 00:11:55,780 It's time to introduce him to his real home. 147 00:12:01,860 --> 00:12:04,220 The pulse of life in the Pantanal 148 00:12:04,220 --> 00:12:08,300 is driven by a seasonal cycle of floods and droughts. 149 00:12:10,420 --> 00:12:14,180 October storms herald the onset of the wet season. 150 00:12:14,180 --> 00:12:16,820 Heavy rain swells the Paraguay River, 151 00:12:16,820 --> 00:12:21,380 until she bursts her banks and floods an area the size of England. 152 00:12:25,460 --> 00:12:29,380 For the next six months, savannahs and forests are transformed 153 00:12:29,380 --> 00:12:32,940 into a land of swamps, pools and channels. 154 00:12:36,060 --> 00:12:39,100 The slow-flowing water is rich in nutrients, 155 00:12:39,100 --> 00:12:42,100 nurturing forests of aquatic plants. 156 00:12:45,620 --> 00:12:50,380 This is the perfect nursery for more than 300 species of fish. 157 00:12:54,100 --> 00:12:56,980 It's a giant aquarium, bursting with life. 158 00:13:00,020 --> 00:13:02,700 And that's why giant otters do so well. 159 00:13:13,700 --> 00:13:16,660 But they aren't the only predators here. 160 00:13:25,820 --> 00:13:27,660 And for an inexperienced otter, 161 00:13:27,660 --> 00:13:31,100 the Pantanal can be a very treacherous place. 162 00:13:37,140 --> 00:13:41,060 It's up to Carolina to help steer Sancho away from danger. 163 00:13:45,620 --> 00:13:49,940 But even she can't always see what's lurking below the surface. 164 00:13:52,180 --> 00:13:55,060 And he's already had one very close call. 165 00:13:58,900 --> 00:14:01,580 When Sancho was younger, he was very vulnerable 166 00:14:01,580 --> 00:14:05,660 and I had to watch out for him all the time. 167 00:14:05,660 --> 00:14:10,700 Probably, he was good prey for cayman, anacondas, maybe jaguars, 168 00:14:11,740 --> 00:14:15,340 and he was, in fact, attacked by a cayman. 169 00:14:25,380 --> 00:14:27,660 It was just after the feeding. 170 00:14:27,660 --> 00:14:29,620 Sancho was playing 171 00:14:29,620 --> 00:14:34,300 and the cayman just came to him and bite his head. 172 00:14:34,300 --> 00:14:39,260 But in a few seconds, the cayman just... 173 00:14:39,260 --> 00:14:44,220 ..let Sancho go and he was very afraid. 174 00:14:44,220 --> 00:14:46,260 He was scared about it. 175 00:14:46,260 --> 00:14:49,820 And after that, Sancho started to be scared 176 00:14:49,820 --> 00:14:53,700 of that place where he was attacked. 177 00:14:58,460 --> 00:15:01,140 Carolina has to help him get over his fear 178 00:15:01,140 --> 00:15:03,780 and encourage him back into the water. 179 00:15:06,580 --> 00:15:08,780 HE SQUEALS 180 00:15:08,780 --> 00:15:11,460 Her commitment to him is so strong, 181 00:15:11,460 --> 00:15:16,100 she finds herself drawn more and more into the giant otters' world. 182 00:15:20,980 --> 00:15:23,620 HE SQUEAKS 183 00:15:38,060 --> 00:15:42,060 When we are swimming, it's very funny when he approaches me 184 00:15:42,060 --> 00:15:46,020 and he starts playing with my feet and sometimes he bites me. 185 00:15:47,940 --> 00:15:50,780 I do believe he's really enjoying swimming 186 00:15:50,780 --> 00:15:55,780 and I can see it in his face, cos he shows that he's having fun. 187 00:15:59,340 --> 00:16:02,500 With huge webbed feet and a strong, flattened tail, 188 00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:04,980 Sancho is built for swimming. 189 00:16:04,980 --> 00:16:09,140 His instinct and ability are there, but he's still a little clumsy. 190 00:16:12,820 --> 00:16:16,980 It's very important to him we swim together, cos I think 191 00:16:16,980 --> 00:16:21,940 he's more confident to explore and search for new things underwater, 192 00:16:21,940 --> 00:16:24,980 cos, in the wild, he would probably be doing that now. 193 00:16:27,020 --> 00:16:29,620 Even though Carolina's research is on hold, 194 00:16:29,620 --> 00:16:32,260 she's learning more about giant otters 195 00:16:32,260 --> 00:16:34,820 than she could ever have imagined. 196 00:16:34,820 --> 00:16:37,260 I'd never dived with a giant otter, 197 00:16:37,260 --> 00:16:41,460 so Sancho is teaching me a lot of things about giant otters, 198 00:16:41,460 --> 00:16:46,060 the way they swim and the underwater behaviour. 199 00:16:47,060 --> 00:16:50,060 At the same time he's learning, I'm learning with him. 200 00:16:52,420 --> 00:16:54,980 I feel like my work is doing well 201 00:16:54,980 --> 00:16:58,540 cos his behaviour is just like a wild giant otter. 202 00:17:05,420 --> 00:17:08,700 I'm proud cos each day, I'm very pleased 203 00:17:08,700 --> 00:17:12,060 with his behaviour and his progress. 204 00:17:15,460 --> 00:17:18,180 Together, they have conquered Sancho's fear 205 00:17:18,180 --> 00:17:21,060 and he's now much more at home in the water. 206 00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:27,820 But Carolina knows he's still got a long way to go. 207 00:17:36,100 --> 00:17:38,740 Wild otter cubs gain their confidence 208 00:17:38,740 --> 00:17:41,180 by being at the very heart of the family. 209 00:17:48,540 --> 00:17:50,780 At the head is a dominant couple. 210 00:17:50,780 --> 00:17:52,900 Together for life, they are the parents 211 00:17:52,900 --> 00:17:54,860 of everyone else in the group. 212 00:17:58,820 --> 00:18:00,940 In the safety of such a large family, 213 00:18:00,940 --> 00:18:03,900 the cubs have plenty of time to play. 214 00:18:12,860 --> 00:18:16,100 They're also free from the pressures of finding their own food 215 00:18:16,100 --> 00:18:19,460 because every member of the family helps provide for them. 216 00:18:38,220 --> 00:18:41,820 Carolina has seen how a constant supply of live piranha 217 00:18:41,820 --> 00:18:44,900 is delivered to the cubs, while they wait on the bank. 218 00:19:02,860 --> 00:19:05,580 Everyone has a duty to help rear these cubs 219 00:19:05,580 --> 00:19:08,500 and teach them how to tackle their food. 220 00:19:23,020 --> 00:19:25,740 Carolina knows that somehow she is going to have to 221 00:19:25,740 --> 00:19:28,220 recreate this lesson for Sancho. 222 00:19:32,260 --> 00:19:35,140 She isn't just a surrogate mother to him now, 223 00:19:35,140 --> 00:19:38,900 she has to stand in for every missing member of his family. 224 00:19:43,460 --> 00:19:47,100 It's a tall order but Carolina is prepared to rise to the challenge. 225 00:19:48,100 --> 00:19:52,060 Every day means getting up at 5am to catch piranha. 226 00:20:02,940 --> 00:20:06,580 So far, Sancho hasn't shown any interest in catching his own fish. 227 00:20:09,460 --> 00:20:12,460 But now's the time for him to start to pull his own weight. 228 00:20:12,460 --> 00:20:14,020 Come, come, come, come, come. 229 00:20:17,580 --> 00:20:20,620 HE GROWLS 230 00:20:22,820 --> 00:20:27,100 In the wild, he will have to use all his senses to catch fish. 231 00:20:29,340 --> 00:20:33,220 And Carolina has decided that a paddling pool full of muddy water 232 00:20:33,220 --> 00:20:36,780 is the best way for him to get used to murky river conditions. 233 00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:54,060 Not only does this work, 234 00:20:54,060 --> 00:20:58,340 but some of his natural instincts are starting to kick in. 235 00:21:08,220 --> 00:21:11,540 He uses his whiskers to sense where the fish are. 236 00:21:13,620 --> 00:21:15,260 And when he's almost full, 237 00:21:15,260 --> 00:21:18,260 he tests himself further by playing with his food. 238 00:21:32,980 --> 00:21:36,940 Refining his skills like this seems to boost his confidence. 239 00:21:39,020 --> 00:21:41,500 But Sancho will need more fishing lessons 240 00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:43,660 before he's totally self-sufficient. 241 00:21:46,620 --> 00:21:50,820 The trouble is, the more Carolina prepares him for independence, 242 00:21:50,820 --> 00:21:53,820 the more attached she becomes to him. 243 00:21:56,140 --> 00:21:59,740 HE SQUEALS 244 00:22:00,340 --> 00:22:02,020 Ow! 245 00:22:19,460 --> 00:22:23,780 At six months old, Sancho is now totally at ease in the water 246 00:22:23,780 --> 00:22:27,540 and his natural curiosity is blossoming. 247 00:22:55,020 --> 00:22:57,620 Sancho is now more confident 248 00:22:57,620 --> 00:23:02,260 to spend more time diving and searching for things. 249 00:23:02,260 --> 00:23:04,500 He dives so deep. 250 00:23:04,500 --> 00:23:08,620 It's very nice to see him doing that. 251 00:23:11,540 --> 00:23:15,420 And he always comes back to me, just to check if I'm here. 252 00:23:15,420 --> 00:23:20,340 And, so, he feels safe to go out again and keep searching for things. 253 00:23:21,820 --> 00:23:25,700 But I have to be close to him, cos he's always checking. 254 00:23:27,580 --> 00:23:30,700 He's becoming much more aware of his surroundings, 255 00:23:30,700 --> 00:23:32,980 and, perhaps most importantly, 256 00:23:32,980 --> 00:23:36,380 he's started to take a keen interest in fish. 257 00:23:44,340 --> 00:23:48,020 Using his feet to steer and his tail for propulsion, 258 00:23:48,020 --> 00:23:51,020 he can now reach high speeds underwater, 259 00:23:51,020 --> 00:23:54,220 and has more chance of escaping his old enemies. 260 00:24:07,100 --> 00:24:10,420 But he still looks to Carolina for reassurance. 261 00:24:13,620 --> 00:24:17,900 She provides the protection he would expect from his family in the wild. 262 00:24:24,540 --> 00:24:27,180 Giant otters do everything together. 263 00:24:29,860 --> 00:24:32,820 Whenever they travel, the adults surround the cubs, 264 00:24:32,820 --> 00:24:34,780 always on the lookout for danger. 265 00:24:40,660 --> 00:24:44,620 Like Sancho, they are still vulnerable. 266 00:24:44,620 --> 00:24:49,580 And despite the family's care, only one in three cubs will survive. 267 00:24:55,140 --> 00:24:58,340 When the group finds fish, they begin to hunt. 268 00:25:00,900 --> 00:25:03,220 The chaos created by ten otters 269 00:25:03,220 --> 00:25:06,700 confuses the fish and makes them easier to catch. 270 00:25:13,820 --> 00:25:15,460 But it's each otter for itself, 271 00:25:15,460 --> 00:25:18,380 strictly hunting and eating alone. 272 00:25:21,180 --> 00:25:25,020 The cubs pester the grown-ups and constantly call for food. 273 00:25:32,180 --> 00:25:35,220 CUB SQUEAKS 274 00:25:43,020 --> 00:25:47,260 The adults eat first before tending to the youngsters. 275 00:25:47,260 --> 00:25:49,700 Then they offer smaller fish 276 00:25:49,700 --> 00:25:52,940 and encourage the cubs to play with and chase them. 277 00:25:52,940 --> 00:25:56,340 All good practice for tackling their own slippery prey. 278 00:26:05,980 --> 00:26:07,900 On each fishing trip, 279 00:26:07,900 --> 00:26:11,860 the cubs must learn an enormous amount from the adults. 280 00:26:11,860 --> 00:26:14,220 But this is where Carolina's abilities 281 00:26:14,220 --> 00:26:17,700 as an otter mother reach their natural limit. 282 00:26:17,700 --> 00:26:20,140 She can only guess how young otters 283 00:26:20,140 --> 00:26:23,060 learn to hunt from what she's witnessed at the surface. 284 00:26:25,860 --> 00:26:30,540 Somehow, she's got to encourage Sancho to catch his own food. 285 00:26:30,540 --> 00:26:33,340 And this is proving to be the trickiest part 286 00:26:33,340 --> 00:26:35,220 of his rehabilitation so far. 287 00:26:37,820 --> 00:26:40,100 Carolina has had to think long and hard 288 00:26:40,100 --> 00:26:42,460 about a training programme for Sancho. 289 00:26:44,020 --> 00:26:46,940 But, in the end, it's down to trial and error. 290 00:27:36,420 --> 00:27:40,180 This is going to take a lot of practise. 291 00:28:09,420 --> 00:28:11,740 Once he starts to fish by himself, 292 00:28:11,740 --> 00:28:15,820 I will start to...break the bond he has with me 293 00:28:15,820 --> 00:28:18,020 and that will be hard as well. 294 00:28:19,580 --> 00:28:24,620 At the same time, I really want him to go and become a wild giant otter, 295 00:28:26,540 --> 00:28:28,940 but when this moment comes, 296 00:28:28,940 --> 00:28:32,740 I'll be proud of that, but, for sure, I will miss him. 297 00:28:34,220 --> 00:28:36,460 Bringing up Sancho hasn't been easy, 298 00:28:36,460 --> 00:28:38,700 but Carolina is beginning to realise 299 00:28:38,700 --> 00:28:41,180 that the hardest part is yet to come. 300 00:28:42,180 --> 00:28:44,540 She is going to have to let him go, 301 00:28:44,540 --> 00:28:48,220 and the moment of separation is edging ever closer. 302 00:28:59,380 --> 00:29:02,860 The rains have stopped and the Pantanal is drying out. 303 00:29:06,940 --> 00:29:10,540 As the water levels fall, fish become trapped. 304 00:29:17,900 --> 00:29:20,820 Life gets easy for abundant water birds. 305 00:29:35,660 --> 00:29:39,020 But birds aren't the only ones to take advantage 306 00:29:39,020 --> 00:29:41,340 of the glut of easy food. 307 00:29:47,980 --> 00:29:51,340 It's a perfect time for Sancho to head off on his own, 308 00:29:51,340 --> 00:29:54,340 but Carolina still has to think carefully 309 00:29:54,340 --> 00:29:56,220 about where she can release him. 310 00:29:58,380 --> 00:30:01,500 Wild giant otters are aggressively territorial. 311 00:30:03,260 --> 00:30:07,020 Their home ranges can be over 12 miles 312 00:30:07,020 --> 00:30:09,180 and they patrol them constantly. 313 00:30:09,180 --> 00:30:12,740 The giant otters have different ways to mark their territory. 314 00:30:12,740 --> 00:30:17,780 They can use the smell, scent glands and visual marking. 315 00:30:18,420 --> 00:30:20,420 They scratch the river bank. 316 00:30:22,100 --> 00:30:25,100 And sometimes they use their voice to mark that place. 317 00:30:27,420 --> 00:30:31,380 These are clear signs to all other otters that this land is taken. 318 00:30:33,060 --> 00:30:36,220 They have a special care with the scent marking 319 00:30:36,220 --> 00:30:40,380 because it's very important to keep their territory 320 00:30:40,380 --> 00:30:43,180 and avoid fights with other giant otters. 321 00:30:52,100 --> 00:30:56,620 But she has no idea whether a close-knit family like this 322 00:30:56,620 --> 00:30:58,900 would accept him or kill him. 323 00:31:04,820 --> 00:31:07,380 If Sancho enters into another group territory, 324 00:31:07,380 --> 00:31:11,900 the group may not accept Sancho and have a fight. 325 00:31:11,900 --> 00:31:14,940 So...it's so important for me 326 00:31:14,940 --> 00:31:18,940 to know the groups and their territory in this area. 327 00:31:18,940 --> 00:31:22,420 CUBS SQUEAL AND CALL 328 00:31:22,420 --> 00:31:25,020 This is going to be a tense time for Carolina. 329 00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:28,260 She can point Sancho in the right direction, but ultimately, 330 00:31:28,260 --> 00:31:33,180 it will be up to him to find and defend his own territory. 331 00:31:44,140 --> 00:31:47,820 Sancho is now eight months old and Carolina thinks she has found 332 00:31:47,820 --> 00:31:51,540 a stretch of no-man's land fit for his fresh start in the wild. 333 00:32:05,940 --> 00:32:07,860 She continues to help him fish, 334 00:32:07,860 --> 00:32:11,700 but she knows this is the beginning of the end of motherhood. 335 00:32:11,700 --> 00:32:14,780 SANCHO SQUEALS 336 00:32:20,020 --> 00:32:23,620 I decided to move Sancho in order to break the human contact 337 00:32:23,620 --> 00:32:28,660 and show him another territory for him to start to explore. 338 00:32:28,940 --> 00:32:30,740 In the first few days, 339 00:32:30,740 --> 00:32:33,340 he was not confident to travel further, 340 00:32:33,340 --> 00:32:38,380 but now, I can see that he's showing more interest in exploring new places 341 00:32:40,900 --> 00:32:43,940 and he's spending more time on his own, which is good. 342 00:32:46,220 --> 00:32:49,260 HE SQUEALS 343 00:33:06,220 --> 00:33:09,460 Despite the great strides he has made, Sancho is still young 344 00:33:09,460 --> 00:33:12,940 and Carolina knows she will always worry about him. 345 00:33:17,980 --> 00:33:20,100 But the mothering will have to stop, 346 00:33:20,100 --> 00:33:22,780 if Sancho is ever going to be self-reliant. 347 00:33:42,020 --> 00:33:45,220 She decides to leave him for most of the day 348 00:33:45,220 --> 00:33:48,540 in the hope that he will start searching for his own food. 349 00:33:52,900 --> 00:33:55,220 This really is tough love. 350 00:33:58,060 --> 00:34:01,220 For the first time, Sancho is on his own. 351 00:34:06,220 --> 00:34:09,380 SANCHO SQUEALS 352 00:34:09,380 --> 00:34:13,500 I'm not sure that Sancho is 100% able to defend himself. 353 00:34:13,500 --> 00:34:16,220 When he's by himself, 354 00:34:16,220 --> 00:34:19,100 he shows that he's not comfortable, 355 00:34:19,100 --> 00:34:22,540 and he spends some time calling his mother. 356 00:34:23,620 --> 00:34:26,420 So, I don't believe he feels safe all the time. 357 00:34:26,420 --> 00:34:29,740 SANCHO SQUEALS 358 00:34:29,740 --> 00:34:32,100 He cries for Carolina constantly. 359 00:34:33,100 --> 00:34:35,580 Something no wild otter would do, 360 00:34:35,580 --> 00:34:37,940 as it could attract unwanted attention. 361 00:34:37,940 --> 00:34:40,420 HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL 362 00:34:47,940 --> 00:34:51,420 Unwittingly, he has called in a pair of wild otters. 363 00:34:59,300 --> 00:35:02,380 OTTER SNORTS 364 00:35:04,220 --> 00:35:06,860 Sancho has never seen another giant otter before 365 00:35:06,860 --> 00:35:09,100 and has no idea how to react. 366 00:35:10,740 --> 00:35:14,340 On the first day, Sancho was a little bit afraid of the couple 367 00:35:14,340 --> 00:35:19,300 and he stayed most part of the time close to me, just watching. 368 00:35:37,940 --> 00:35:39,940 HE SQUEALS 369 00:35:41,620 --> 00:35:43,420 It's a new experience for Sancho. 370 00:35:43,420 --> 00:35:45,980 At the same time he's losing human contact, 371 00:35:45,980 --> 00:35:48,700 I think it will be very stimulating for him. 372 00:35:48,700 --> 00:35:53,820 Maybe it will help him to... 373 00:35:53,980 --> 00:35:57,580 ..finally find his way. 374 00:36:03,420 --> 00:36:04,980 Over the next few weeks, 375 00:36:04,980 --> 00:36:08,860 Carolina watches as the couple visit Sancho regularly. 376 00:36:37,780 --> 00:36:41,740 His initial nervousness begins to dwindle 377 00:36:41,740 --> 00:36:44,740 as he realises he speaks their language. 378 00:36:46,780 --> 00:36:49,420 OTTERS SQUEAK 379 00:37:00,140 --> 00:37:02,820 Luckily for Sancho, this couple seems friendly. 380 00:37:04,940 --> 00:37:08,100 In fact, their meetings help to build his confidence. 381 00:37:12,100 --> 00:37:15,820 All of a sudden, Sancho seems ready to take the final plunge 382 00:37:15,820 --> 00:37:18,260 into the giant otters' world. 383 00:37:50,140 --> 00:37:52,860 Carolina starts to reduce his fish rations. 384 00:37:54,940 --> 00:37:58,940 Until one day, she discovers he doesn't need her any more. 385 00:38:00,140 --> 00:38:03,140 SANCHO SCREAMS 386 00:38:06,500 --> 00:38:08,860 We just found him eating a big fish, 387 00:38:08,860 --> 00:38:13,340 so, we realised that he'd just caught his first fish. 388 00:38:13,340 --> 00:38:16,980 Actually, I think he was already catching his own fish 389 00:38:16,980 --> 00:38:18,660 but hiding from us. 390 00:38:20,900 --> 00:38:23,660 It's great and after this day, he's started to fish 391 00:38:23,660 --> 00:38:26,500 almost every single day. 392 00:38:30,620 --> 00:38:33,820 Sancho has finally proved he can look after himself. 393 00:38:42,940 --> 00:38:45,260 Torn between pride and sorrow, 394 00:38:45,260 --> 00:38:49,060 Carolina seeks solace in her role as a researcher. 395 00:38:50,580 --> 00:38:54,740 There's a lack of information about this period of giant otters' lives - 396 00:38:54,740 --> 00:38:57,140 when they leave the family 397 00:38:57,140 --> 00:39:01,020 and start to travel to find a mate and a territory. 398 00:39:01,020 --> 00:39:04,780 So, I think Sancho will be very important 399 00:39:04,780 --> 00:39:07,780 and he will give us a lot of information about this period. 400 00:39:11,620 --> 00:39:14,100 Although the separation will be hard for her, 401 00:39:14,100 --> 00:39:17,580 Carolina's confident she will continue to learn from him. 402 00:39:31,500 --> 00:39:35,380 But then, the moment every mother dreads. 403 00:39:44,660 --> 00:39:48,460 SHE CALLS: Come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come. 404 00:39:50,980 --> 00:39:53,380 Come, come, come. 405 00:39:56,860 --> 00:39:58,940 Come, come, come. 406 00:40:05,900 --> 00:40:10,940 I've arrived here this morning and Sancho was not here. 407 00:40:29,260 --> 00:40:34,260 He hasn't travelled far from here and...that's why I am concerned, 408 00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:41,340 cos what happened to him to just decide to go away, 409 00:40:41,340 --> 00:40:44,020 if he doesn't know this place? 410 00:40:46,900 --> 00:40:51,140 It could be that Sancho has grown up quicker than Carolina realises. 411 00:40:54,100 --> 00:40:56,700 Come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come. 412 00:40:56,700 --> 00:40:58,180 In the wild, 413 00:40:58,180 --> 00:41:02,140 giant otter cubs do become independent at nine months old. 414 00:41:02,140 --> 00:41:03,900 But they're still at risk. 415 00:41:06,220 --> 00:41:10,100 I think he is still potential prey for cayman, a big cayman. 416 00:41:11,060 --> 00:41:12,620 And if... 417 00:41:12,620 --> 00:41:17,620 ..if he was sleeping on the ground, he was potential prey for a jaguar. 418 00:41:24,500 --> 00:41:27,420 I have to look for him. 419 00:41:27,420 --> 00:41:30,780 So, I'll take the canoe and... 420 00:41:30,780 --> 00:41:33,420 ..and try to find... 421 00:41:33,420 --> 00:41:38,460 ..try to go to the places I have already been with him. 422 00:41:38,660 --> 00:41:40,700 And... 423 00:41:40,700 --> 00:41:43,140 Unfortunately, I have to look for, erm... 424 00:41:51,260 --> 00:41:55,140 SHE SOBS 425 00:41:55,140 --> 00:42:00,140 I have to say that I have to look for his body, 426 00:42:06,660 --> 00:42:09,220 I have to do this, 427 00:42:10,900 --> 00:42:15,180 but I'm still thinking positive about it. 428 00:42:18,460 --> 00:42:20,500 He's just a rebel. 429 00:42:20,500 --> 00:42:23,340 Maybe he's trying to... 430 00:42:26,460 --> 00:42:30,580 ..show he's angry about us 431 00:42:30,580 --> 00:42:34,260 leaving him alone for a long time, 432 00:42:34,260 --> 00:42:38,020 or giving him less food, I don't know. 433 00:42:38,020 --> 00:42:41,220 But I'm still thinking he'll come back, soon. 434 00:42:46,900 --> 00:42:48,980 Come, come, come, come, come. 435 00:42:50,860 --> 00:42:53,940 Come, come, come, come, come. Sancho? 436 00:43:00,500 --> 00:43:02,940 Sancho? 437 00:43:07,620 --> 00:43:11,260 Come, come, come, come, come, come, come. 438 00:43:14,660 --> 00:43:18,020 Come, come, come, come, come, come, come. 439 00:43:18,020 --> 00:43:19,500 Sancho? 440 00:43:21,300 --> 00:43:24,300 Come, come, come, come, come, come, come. 441 00:43:24,300 --> 00:43:26,620 Sancho? 442 00:43:34,860 --> 00:43:38,500 Three months have now passed since Carolina last saw Sancho. 443 00:43:41,900 --> 00:43:44,020 He's left a huge hole in her life. 444 00:43:49,340 --> 00:43:52,660 She has found some comfort in resuming her research project, 445 00:43:52,660 --> 00:43:56,340 even though she spends a lot of time looking for him. 446 00:44:02,940 --> 00:44:06,500 But Sancho has left her with more than just memories. 447 00:44:14,100 --> 00:44:17,940 Wild otters are normally very shy and difficult to get close to. 448 00:44:19,740 --> 00:44:23,380 But this is the pair that Sancho befriended all those months ago. 449 00:44:32,340 --> 00:44:35,540 So used to seeing her with Sancho, they have accepted her. 450 00:44:36,580 --> 00:44:40,140 She is rewarded with an exceptional front row seat. 451 00:44:40,140 --> 00:44:42,220 OTTER SQUEAKS 452 00:45:11,140 --> 00:45:15,580 She's trusted enough to have a rare glimpse of their newborn cubs. 453 00:45:27,740 --> 00:45:29,580 I'm monitoring this couple 454 00:45:29,580 --> 00:45:32,860 since they started visiting Sancho a few months ago, 455 00:45:32,860 --> 00:45:34,820 and I'm following all the process 456 00:45:34,820 --> 00:45:38,660 since they copulated and showed the first signs of pregnancy. 457 00:45:38,660 --> 00:45:42,100 So, seeing them now with the cubs is very special. 458 00:45:42,100 --> 00:45:47,100 I feel like part of their family and I am very happy to know that 459 00:45:47,700 --> 00:45:50,540 they are living fine here. 460 00:45:55,140 --> 00:45:58,700 Deep down, Carolina hoped that Sancho might have joined forces 461 00:45:58,700 --> 00:46:01,500 with this young couple. 462 00:46:03,420 --> 00:46:05,380 Evidently, that was not to be. 463 00:46:10,060 --> 00:46:13,140 But Sancho gave Carolina a real insight, 464 00:46:13,140 --> 00:46:16,780 a deeper understanding of what it actually takes to be an otter. 465 00:46:19,220 --> 00:46:22,860 Seeing cubs reminds me of Sancho all the time, 466 00:46:22,860 --> 00:46:27,620 and I'm glad in seeing in these cubs the same behaviour I saw in Sancho. 467 00:46:27,620 --> 00:46:29,660 The whole process with Sancho 468 00:46:29,660 --> 00:46:33,420 is helping me now to understand what's going on here. 469 00:46:37,140 --> 00:46:41,260 Carolina's relationship with Sancho also changed her life. 470 00:46:45,980 --> 00:46:49,060 Raising Sancho was a special experience in my life. 471 00:46:49,060 --> 00:46:53,980 Being in touch with such a beautiful and lovely animal was amazing, 472 00:46:54,740 --> 00:46:57,820 and at the same time challenging. 473 00:46:57,820 --> 00:47:00,460 And I tried to teach Sancho lots of things 474 00:47:00,460 --> 00:47:02,900 but I'm sure I learned much more from him, 475 00:47:02,900 --> 00:47:06,740 and now all these things I learned are helping me to understand 476 00:47:06,740 --> 00:47:08,620 the cubs' behaviour in nature. 477 00:47:12,460 --> 00:47:14,940 Carolina did everything she could for Sancho, 478 00:47:14,940 --> 00:47:17,660 but she still doesn't know if it was enough. 479 00:47:20,580 --> 00:47:23,980 Perhaps the hardest part for Carolina is the not knowing. 480 00:47:25,540 --> 00:47:29,100 But now, as she travels the waterways of the Pantanal, 481 00:47:29,100 --> 00:47:31,980 her research has an extra dimension, 482 00:47:31,980 --> 00:47:36,980 a glimmer of hope that he could be out there, somewhere. 483 00:47:36,980 --> 00:47:41,660 I have now one special reason to keep my monitoring work. 484 00:47:41,660 --> 00:47:44,500 I have to look for Sancho and I'm sure, one day, 485 00:47:44,500 --> 00:47:47,500 I will find him with his family. 486 00:48:04,660 --> 00:48:08,500 Next week, Natural World goes on a spiritual journey, 487 00:48:08,500 --> 00:48:13,540 spending a year exploring the wildlife of the moors, woodlands and rivers of Dartmoor 488 00:48:15,940 --> 00:48:20,980 with Satish Kumar, ecologist, former Jain monk, and pilgrim for peace. 40959

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