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The decision to adopt is never easy.
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But just imagine if your
new baby needs to grow up
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in a completely different
world from you.
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Carolina Vargas
studies giant otters.
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But nothing has prepared her
for raising an orphaned cub.
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CUB SQUEALS
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Just keeping him
alive will be difficult.
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Returning him to the wild will lead
them both into uncharted waters.
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No one in Brazil
has attempted this before.
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Raising baby Sancho
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will bring Carolina joy,
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00:00:57,940 --> 00:00:59,100
frustration
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00:00:59,100 --> 00:01:00,540
and heartbreak.
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SANCHO SQUEALS
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But it will also give her
extraordinary insight
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into the lives of these
endangered animals.
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SANCHO SQUEAKS
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In south-west Brazil lies the
world's largest wetland,
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the Pantanal.
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It's a vast, ever-changing
landscape of impenetrable swamps
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and forgotten backwaters.
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And one of the last remaining
strongholds of the giant otter.
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These charismatic animals
have had an almost magnetic effect
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on one woman.
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Carolina Vargas had embarked on
a career as a city vet,
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but when she discovered
this maze of waterways
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and the endearing nature
of wild otters,
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it was love at first sight.
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BRAZILIAN ACCENT: Since the first
time I saw a group of giant otters,
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I got completely
in love with them.
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And I really appreciate the way
they live, the social behaviour
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and the care and respect
they have between them in a group.
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And I think they are really
beautiful and expressive.
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I like the way they show
their feelings in their faces.
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And, I think I'll never get tired
of watching them.
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Carolina left her home,
her job and her family
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and moved to the Pantanal,
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eager to take on a new role as
Giant Otter Researcher.
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They are inquisitive animals,
but that has led them into trouble.
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It's made them easier to hunt,
and demand for their soft fur
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has pushed them to near extinction
in many parts of South America.
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But they seem to be doing well
here because it's so remote.
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Carolina wants to understand
how they live
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and what they need to survive.
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But, just two years
into her research,
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life took an unexpected turn.
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A local fisherman found a baby
otter, alone and destitute.
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He was clearly too young
to make it on his own.
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No one knew what to do with him,
so rangers called on Carolina.
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Without her immediate help,
he would die.
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Even though she had no experience
of raising otters,
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Carolina decided she could
not let him down.
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She named him Sancho,
put her research on hold,
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and became his surrogate mother.
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It's been hands-on
right from the start.
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Sancho was very small when I
took him off the local rangers.
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He had the eyes still closed,
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so I think he was about 20 days old.
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Very small and he usually
spent most of the time sleeping.
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It was very hard
because, in the beginning,
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he had to be bottle fed.
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Each took two hours, night and day.
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He just woke up to feed and sleep
again and I got this routine,
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so I had to to wake up to feed him
and after that I slept again,
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00:05:02,900 --> 00:05:04,780
to recover my energy.
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00:05:07,900 --> 00:05:09,660
SANCHO SQUEAKS
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00:05:13,860 --> 00:05:16,300
We kept him in a dry place in the
first two months
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and gradually we put him
in the water,
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just to make him swim and...
get used to the water.
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SANCHO SQUEALS
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We didn't know how to deal
with him, cos it's the first time
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this work was done in Brazil,
and we got the information we had
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about giant otters in the wild
and tried to copy that routine.
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So, we stimulated him to do things
the giant otters do in the wild.
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Sancho's made a good start, but now
he's a lot more active
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00:05:55,100 --> 00:05:58,540
and Carolina will have to
work hard to keep up.
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Each phase of his development
throws up new problems
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which he will have to solve
along the way.
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00:06:06,180 --> 00:06:08,180
SANCHO SQUEAKS
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00:06:15,300 --> 00:06:19,020
If she's to give Sancho any real
chance of returning to the wild,
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00:06:19,020 --> 00:06:22,900
she's going to have to think back to
what she's observed along the river.
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00:06:31,660 --> 00:06:33,540
Her field notes on wild otters
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will have to serve as
a makeshift parenting manual.
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This is turning out to be the
biggest challenge of her life.
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One of the main problems
Carolina faces,
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00:06:53,740 --> 00:06:55,900
is bringing up Sancho on his own.
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In the wild, he would be part
of a large, intimate family.
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00:07:04,580 --> 00:07:07,420
One group she's been studying
is a family of ten,
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00:07:07,420 --> 00:07:10,860
with three young cubs about
the same age as Sancho.
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Everything she's learnt about
the dynamics of this family
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00:07:17,740 --> 00:07:20,580
will now help her work out
what Sancho needs.
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This is Italo, the dominant
male of this group,
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and he's always the first one
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to approach the boat and say hello.
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Understanding the subtle
relationships between each member
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of the group has required many
hours of patient observations.
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Fortunately, there's a
relatively easy way
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00:08:12,780 --> 00:08:14,780
of telling each giant otter apart.
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In order to identify them, I use the
white marks they have on their neck,
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and when they do this kind of
movement, the periscoping,
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it's the best time I
have to catch the mark.
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OTTER SNORTS
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00:08:40,740 --> 00:08:42,500
Now Carolina knows who's who,
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she can start to work out
their roles within the family.
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00:08:48,140 --> 00:08:52,140
It's very important to identify them,
to know exactly what they are doing,
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like Italo. It's part of the job.
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He's taking care of the group and...
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00:08:59,500 --> 00:09:02,340
OTTER SNORTS LOUDLY
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00:09:03,340 --> 00:09:05,420
Italo, the dominant male,
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00:09:05,420 --> 00:09:08,220
is constantly communicating
with everyone else.
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00:09:08,220 --> 00:09:10,820
OTTERS SNORT AND CALL
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00:09:12,860 --> 00:09:16,740
Compared with other otters,
giants are highly articulate
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and have an extraordinary
repertoire of noisy calls.
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00:09:22,700 --> 00:09:25,740
Alarm snorts, screams of excitement
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and hums of reassurance, all help
maintain cohesion in the troop.
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And the cubs learn a lot from
these elaborate vocalisations.
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OTTERS SQUEAL
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Carolina has picked up
some basic otter language,
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00:09:50,500 --> 00:09:55,500
but she's far from understanding the
complexities of giant otter society.
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00:09:55,620 --> 00:10:00,540
And she's concerned this could be
a major disadvantage for Sancho.
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She has no idea whether she
can teach a solitary otter
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how to survive in the wild.
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00:10:14,060 --> 00:10:17,020
But she knows that that's
the best place for him,
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00:10:17,020 --> 00:10:19,940
and wants to return him
as soon as she can.
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00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:25,340
For now though, she concentrates
on getting him into a routine.
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00:10:26,660 --> 00:10:29,220
Giant otters are active
during the day,
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00:10:29,220 --> 00:10:31,980
so at first light, Carolina
wakes Sancho from his den.
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00:10:33,740 --> 00:10:36,380
Giant otters live in family groups
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00:10:36,380 --> 00:10:41,380
and the cubs spend two years or
three years with the parents.
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00:10:41,660 --> 00:10:44,940
And so, I believe they need this
contact with their parents,
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just to learn...how to be
a giant otter.
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Sancho hasn't got that.
But at least he's got Carolina.
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SHE CALLS: Come, come, come.
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And because he's such
a sociable little thing,
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he's already very close to her.
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Come, come, come, come.
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Sancho recognises me as his mother.
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That's why I believe he's
very bonded with me.
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00:11:19,540 --> 00:11:22,820
Actually, I feel like
he's my son, too.
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00:11:22,820 --> 00:11:26,540
SANCHO SQUEALS
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00:11:26,540 --> 00:11:31,460
At four months old, Sancho is
already a very demanding cub.
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He's now weaned off milk
and has a growing appetite.
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SQUEALS EXCITEDLY
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The excitement with which he
handles his first fish of the day
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is something Carolina has never
seen before in the wild.
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It's time to introduce
him to his real home.
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The pulse of life in the Pantanal
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is driven by a seasonal cycle
of floods and droughts.
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October storms herald the
onset of the wet season.
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Heavy rain swells
the Paraguay River,
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until she bursts her banks and
floods an area the size of England.
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For the next six months, savannahs
and forests are transformed
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into a land of swamps,
pools and channels.
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The slow-flowing water
is rich in nutrients,
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nurturing forests of aquatic plants.
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This is the perfect nursery for
more than 300 species of fish.
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It's a giant aquarium,
bursting with life.
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And that's why giant
otters do so well.
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But they aren't the
only predators here.
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And for an inexperienced otter,
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the Pantanal can be a
very treacherous place.
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It's up to Carolina to help
steer Sancho away from danger.
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But even she can't always see
what's lurking below the surface.
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And he's already had one
very close call.
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When Sancho was younger,
he was very vulnerable
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and I had to watch out
for him all the time.
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Probably, he was good prey for
cayman, anacondas, maybe jaguars,
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and he was, in fact,
attacked by a cayman.
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It was just after the feeding.
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Sancho was playing
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and the cayman just came
to him and bite his head.
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But in a few seconds,
the cayman just...
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..let Sancho go and
he was very afraid.
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He was scared about it.
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And after that, Sancho
started to be scared
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of that place where he was attacked.
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Carolina has to help him
get over his fear
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00:15:01,140 --> 00:15:03,780
and encourage him back
into the water.
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00:15:06,580 --> 00:15:08,780
HE SQUEALS
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00:15:08,780 --> 00:15:11,460
Her commitment to him is so strong,
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00:15:11,460 --> 00:15:16,100
she finds herself drawn more and
more into the giant otters' world.
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HE SQUEAKS
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00:15:38,060 --> 00:15:42,060
When we are swimming,
it's very funny when he approaches me
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00:15:42,060 --> 00:15:46,020
and he starts playing with my feet
and sometimes he bites me.
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I do believe he's
really enjoying swimming
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00:15:50,780 --> 00:15:55,780
and I can see it in his face, cos
he shows that he's having fun.
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With huge webbed feet
and a strong, flattened tail,
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Sancho is built for swimming.
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00:16:04,980 --> 00:16:09,140
His instinct and ability are there,
but he's still a little clumsy.
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00:16:12,820 --> 00:16:16,980
It's very important to him
we swim together, cos I think
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00:16:16,980 --> 00:16:21,940
he's more confident to explore
and search for new things underwater,
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00:16:21,940 --> 00:16:24,980
cos, in the wild, he would
probably be doing that now.
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00:16:27,020 --> 00:16:29,620
Even though Carolina's
research is on hold,
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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,
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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00:17:38,740 --> 00:17:41,180
by being at the very heart
of the family.
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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
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00:17:52,900 --> 00:17:54,860
of everyone else in the group.
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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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