1 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:18,680 NARRATOR: Primates. 2 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:25,520 Countless faces. 3 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,640 One extraordinary family. 4 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,240 Right now, across the planet... 5 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,560 ...remarkable new discoveries are being made... 6 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:49,320 Right there. 7 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,240 ...about primate intelligence... 8 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,080 OK. Good start. 9 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,760 ...their complex relationships... 10 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,440 - ...and secret lives. - Wow! 11 00:01:05,320 --> 00:01:10,680 Today, over half of the world's primates are under threat. 12 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,000 Our number one objective is zero extinctions. 13 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,240 It's very risky. 14 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,320 NARRATOR: The more we understand them... 15 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,080 OVER RADIO: We are launching in about 30 seconds. 16 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,080 ...the better we can protect them. 17 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:26,560 It'd be incredibly sad to lose them. 18 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,840 I have to focus on protecting these mountain gorillas, 19 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,960 because I love them. 20 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,800 NARRATOR: Now more than ever, it's us 21 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:39,960 that will decide the future... 22 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:45,280 ...for the primates. 23 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,440 Primates are the ultimate social animal. 24 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,320 Living in groups means they need to communicate constantly. 25 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,480 (MONKEY CALLS) 26 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,560 None more so than chimpanzees. 27 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,200 Now ground-breaking research 28 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,880 is revealing that chimps 29 00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:33,400 have a secret language. 30 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:48,760 Cat Hobaiter has spent 13 years studying chimps in Budongo Forest, Uganda. 31 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,440 CAT: We know that chimpanzees are really vocal. 32 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,800 They're vocalising all the time! But what I'm really interested in 33 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,120 is a whole other system of communication they have, which is their gestures. 34 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,000 NARRATOR: Gestures are a vital part 35 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,680 of human communication. We use them constantly. 36 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,400 But Cat is the first person 37 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,640 to study the use of gestures 38 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,160 in wild chimpanzees... 39 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:20,840 ...and to understand their meaning. 40 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,880 It's essentially like trying to decode almost alien communication, 41 00:03:24,920 --> 00:03:28,080 because you're really starting from scratch. 42 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:32,280 NARRATOR: She worked out a way to decipher this alien language. 43 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,480 The trick is to spot what stops a chimp from gesturing. 44 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,560 If I desperately need a coffee - as I do most mornings! - 45 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,000 then if I'd asked you to pass it to me 46 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,680 and you passed me a cup of water, 47 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:49,840 then I would probably ask for coffee again. 48 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,520 If you passed me the decaf, I would definitely ask for the coffee again. 49 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,920 And the one thing that will stop me from asking you for coffee 50 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:57,640 is when you pass me the coffee. 51 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,680 So that ultimately gets us at what I meant, 52 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:02,800 what I was trying to communicate to you, 53 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,840 and we do exactly the same with the chimps. 54 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,200 NARRATOR: So by looking at what happens 55 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,360 before and after each gesture, 56 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,440 Cat can work out their meaning. 57 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,800 This is Melissa, who's one of our female chimpanzees, 58 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,600 and her little boy is currently up at the top of this tree. 59 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,560 And then she gives this very obvious little hand raise. 60 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:25,000 Now, if that was a human, 61 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,840 we do that all the time, right, to get some attention in class? 62 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,440 But for the chimps, it actually means something very different. 63 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:33,600 So chimpanzees give an arm raise 64 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:35,880 when they want somebody else to move themselves. 65 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,920 And in this case, what she wants is her little boy to come down the tree 66 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,480 so that they can move off and find a new feeding patch together. 67 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,880 NARRATOR: It can take Cat hours and hours of watching the footage to spot 68 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,280 and decode a gesture. 69 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,800 We've got Jenny and her two young children, so James and Janet. 70 00:04:56,840 --> 00:04:58,880 Jenny walks in front of James 71 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,840 and she looks back at him, and then... 72 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,080 ...right there she just kind of shows the heel of her foot 73 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,760 and kind of gives it a little wiggle. 74 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,320 And this foot present gesture, it's not a very obvious one, right? 75 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,040 Once we'd seen it a few times, 76 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,000 we actually worked out that what it means is 77 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,840 "jump on board so that we can travel off together". 78 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:23,600 Sort of a piggyback gesture. 79 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,120 NARRATOR: Cat soon discovered gestures are used 80 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,480 in almost every aspect of chimpanzee life. 81 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,440 We've got the big group of males on the ground here, 82 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,720 and Musa is going to grab a couple of leaves off the nearest tree, 83 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,480 pops them in his mouth and he starts to tear them. 84 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:43,240 (CHIMP CHUNTERS) 85 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:45,200 And you can hear this very distinctive 86 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,560 sort of ch-ch-ch kind of noise when they do this. 87 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,280 It's called a leaf clip gesture. 88 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:53,000 This is chimpanzee flirtation. 89 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,240 There is a female chimp who's just up the tree from him, 90 00:05:56,280 --> 00:05:58,920 and this is all about getting the girl's attention. 91 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:02,160 This is kind of, um, a chimpanzee pick-up line, basically! 92 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:05,560 Starts to climb down. 93 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,040 And...yep, that seems to have done the trick. 94 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,080 A little bit of chimpanzee action going on. 95 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:15,240 So, just as humans do with language, there are words that you don't use every day, 96 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:19,040 so there are words that you might only use on a special occasion 97 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,160 or when you're meeting somebody for the first time, 98 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,240 so we're still picking up these kind of new occasional, 99 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:26,040 really special gesture types. 100 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,920 NARRATOR: So far, Cat has decoded more than 80 distinct gestures. 101 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:43,960 But there are some that remain a mystery. 102 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:57,360 Now Cat's research extends beyond the forests of Uganda... 103 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:00,960 ...and she's discovering that there is 104 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,640 even more to chimpanzee gestures. 105 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,400 CAT: We're looking at gestural communication 106 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:09,960 in chimpanzees right across Africa. 107 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:15,960 What we're starting to see is that 108 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,800 the different groups of chimpanzees seem to share most of the same gestures... 109 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:22,920 ...but there are subtle differences 110 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,160 in how often they do it or quite how they do it. 111 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:31,680 It's more like having a different accent or a different dialect. 112 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,880 NARRATOR: This is a crucial discovery. 113 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:43,080 It supports the idea that different chimpanzee groups 114 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,760 have distinct cultures. 115 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:48,080 (CHIMP SCREECHES) 116 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:51,440 CAT: I am in a race against time 117 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:55,360 to try and find out about these different cultures 118 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,280 and the communication, because we're losing 119 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,160 so many different groups and populations of chimpanzees every day. 120 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,320 When we're talking about conservation, it's not just about numbers. 121 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:13,720 It's about losing 122 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,280 the characters and the cultures and the individuals. 123 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,760 If you lose a whole community, that's a whole culture you'll never get back. 124 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,840 Imagining the forest without them, it wouldn't be... 125 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:29,680 ...it wouldn't be this forest. 126 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:35,400 Yeah, it would be... it'd be incredibly sad to lose them. 127 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,880 NARRATOR: Primates are not just one of the most social animals. 128 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,560 They're also some of the most accomplished 129 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,040 - tool users. - (MONKEY CALLS) 130 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:13,080 This is Koram Island, off Thailand's east coast, 131 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,520 home to beachcombing long-tailed macaques. 132 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:22,320 They've mastered the art of a particular type of tool use... 133 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:28,960 ...using rocks to crack open shellfish. 134 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,680 Amanda Tan has been observing this unusual behaviour 135 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:43,080 for seven years. 136 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:44,560 The tool use in macaques is really, really rare. 137 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,600 You find macaques all over Southeast Asia, 138 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,360 but it's really only a few populations living out on islands 139 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:52,360 that we see tool-use behaviours. 140 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:58,880 It's just a culture that's really unique only to some groups of macaques. 141 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:03,720 NARRATOR: Amanda discovered these monkeys use tools in two distinct ways. 142 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,000 The monkey in front of me here is doing what we call axe hammering. 143 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,720 That's when they use the sharp point of the tool to crack open 144 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,760 oysters that are stuck on rocks. 145 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:21,520 They also crack open 146 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:23,840 sea snails and clams and take a pound hammer 147 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,920 to smash that open. 148 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,400 NARRATOR: Choice of hammer 149 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:33,840 and the ability to use it 150 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:35,440 have to be learned. 151 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:41,520 AMANDA: The young ones learn to use tools by staying really close to the tool users. 152 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:44,840 So when they're really little, like that one, they stay really close to their mum, 153 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:47,720 then that's when they get their first taste of seafood. 154 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:58,880 NARRATOR: The beach monkeys seemed like such exceptional tool users, 155 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:00,200 Amanda wondered 156 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,440 if their skills were unique... 157 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,680 ...or if they were shared by neighbouring troupes. 158 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:17,280 So she decided to carry out an experiment. 159 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:22,800 Just inland, there's another group of macaques 160 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,240 that also have access to a seafood-lined shore. 161 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,640 And so what I'm trying to do is just to put some block of oysters down 162 00:11:32,680 --> 00:11:36,320 with some stones that I collected from the island and see 163 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:38,640 if these monkeys know what to do with it. 164 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,880 NARRATOR: Amanda wants to test for herself 165 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,160 if these monkeys know how to use the stones as tools. 166 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:55,960 (SNIFFS) 167 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,080 It's not looking hopeful. 168 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,440 He seemed to pick up a stone 169 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,600 and just sniff it and not know what to do with it and walk off. 170 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,040 NARRATOR: Despite having shellfish nearby, 171 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:12,760 they don't know they can use stones as tools to get to the food. 172 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:14,240 (SNIFFS) 173 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:20,120 It doesn't mean they can't eventually work it out for themselves. 174 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,280 But what would that take? 175 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,400 It's a bit of luck and then a bit of learning. 176 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:29,320 You need one of the monkeys to be an innovator, 177 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:32,840 and this behaviour will slowly spread throughout the group 178 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,560 so they learn from each other sort of a tradition or a culture. 179 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,280 NARRATOR: So once one monkey learns how to use a tool, 180 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,960 they'll all pick up the skill. 181 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:54,120 For this troupe, it looks like learning to use tools could take some time. 182 00:12:58,680 --> 00:13:02,480 But for the macaque groups that can use tools, 183 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:04,200 life is easier. 184 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,880 But there is a twist to this tale. 185 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,800 On Koram Island, Amanda has discovered 186 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:26,240 that their highly developed skills are having some surprising consequences. 187 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,400 By using tools, these macaques 188 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:34,840 are able to target the largest, juiciest oysters. 189 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,000 And they can get through as many as 40 a day. 190 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,480 AMANDA: We do see evidence that they are depleting the shellfish on the island. 191 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,240 So when we compare the shellfish here 192 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:48,920 versus an island just next to us, 193 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,240 we see that the shellfish here are less abundant 194 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:54,880 and they're also smaller in size. 195 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,600 NARRATOR: This is the first reported case 196 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:02,200 of a tool-using animal other than us 197 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,600 overexploiting a natural resource. 198 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:08,080 AMANDA: We know for sure that humans 199 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,800 are depleting the natural resources on the planet 200 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,880 and we never really thought that any other animal was doing it as well. 201 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,960 NARRATOR: If these monkeys continue to overexploit their environment, 202 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:24,880 the shellfish could disappear... 203 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:31,880 ...ironically meaning that this extraordinary tool-using behaviour 204 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,720 would also disappear. 205 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,800 When it comes to surprising new discoveries, 206 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:44,760 secret language and skilled tool use are just the tip of the iceberg. 207 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:49,680 In Brazil... 208 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:56,240 ...researchers have recorded female bearded capuchins flirting... 209 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,280 ...by throwing stones. 210 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:07,880 After weeks of pursuing the alpha male, 211 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:11,800 females catapult rocks at him in a bizarre last attempt 212 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:13,440 to win him over. 213 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:20,520 In Central Africa, 214 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:25,960 remote cameras filmed the first-ever shots of chimps pond-dipping... 215 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:30,680 ...for algae. 216 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:34,840 During the harsh dry season, 217 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:39,360 algae becomes a precious and succulent source of food. 218 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,000 And in China, 219 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,320 scientists have just discovered a brand-new primate... 220 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,400 ...the Skywalker hoolock gibbon... 221 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:57,360 ...already one of the world's most endangered species. 222 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,600 In the white forests of north-east Brazil... 223 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,440 ...researcher Vedrana Slipogor is investigating 224 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,480 the lives of some of the world's tiniest monkeys... 225 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,120 Vama, vama, vama. 226 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,120 (WHISTLES) 227 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,440 ...common marmosets. 228 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:54,560 One... 229 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:55,720 ...two... 230 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:56,920 ...three. 231 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,160 Vedrana is trying to prove... 232 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,520 - Just now, he's looking now. - ...that these monkeys 233 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,280 - have personalities... - And he's approaching. 234 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,280 And then got a bit scared and moved away. 235 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:22,840 ...from the cautious... 236 00:17:24,120 --> 00:17:25,760 ...to the curious. 237 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:28,640 And now Carl is coming. 238 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:33,280 NARRATOR: Identifying personality is harder than it sounds. 239 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:37,480 Vedrana has devised her own unique way to investigate. 240 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:42,040 She reveals a strange object 241 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,000 and then records their responses. 242 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,480 VEDRANA: As with humans, some humans are more bold 243 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,480 or more shy in a certain situation. 244 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:52,120 The same thing is with marmosets. 245 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,840 NARRATOR: After hundreds of tests, 246 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,480 Vedrana has found each marmoset shows 247 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:00,640 consistent individual responses. 248 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,160 In other words, they each have 249 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,080 their own personality traits. 250 00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:08,520 VEDRANA: Some of them are very explorative 251 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:10,400 and some of them are not, 252 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:12,800 but, actually, this is quite interesting, 253 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:15,080 because this is exactly how they behave in their day-to-day lives. 254 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:26,280 NARRATOR: Having recognised individual personalities, 255 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:31,480 Vedrana suspects that those different individuals learn differently, too. 256 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,600 Learning is super important in marmoset societies, 257 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,880 because they are highly social. 258 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,960 So it's not only important for them to learn from their mothers and fathers 259 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,440 but also from other members of their family groups. 260 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:49,640 NARRATOR: Social learning is crucial for marmoset survival, 261 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:51,680 from knowing where to find food 262 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:53,680 to how to mob predators. 263 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:00,000 And Vedrana wonders 264 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,280 if certain personalities are better at learning from others. 265 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:08,480 So she's trialling a new experiment. 266 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:15,400 The monkeys are given two banana-filled cups, 267 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:16,680 one black and one white. 268 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:19,320 The picture of the banana just gets their attention. 269 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,360 This is where it gets complicated. 270 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:26,360 They're shown a video of a monkey 271 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,800 opening the white cup using its mouth. 272 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,880 Will the marmosets learn from the video 273 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:35,880 or do it their own way? 274 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:51,520 He's looking at the video. 275 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:55,600 NARRATOR: And does personality make a difference? 276 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,400 Some monkeys do seem to copy the video. 277 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,160 So they managed to open it with the right technique. 278 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:02,840 The correct cup, as well. 279 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:13,840 NARRATOR: But others seem to ignore it completely. 280 00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:18,200 Tarsilla now came... 281 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:22,920 ...and is manipulating the black box... 282 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:24,440 ...with her mouth. 283 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:26,680 And she opened it. 284 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:28,760 NARRATOR: Tarsilla is one of the boldest in the group 285 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:33,000 and she'd much rather work out this task for herself. 286 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:50,640 Vedrana's research is still in its early days. 287 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,600 But it's clear that even the smallest monkeys 288 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,120 can have a big personality. 289 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:08,520 Being able to study primates up close allows us to better understand 290 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:10,440 and conserve them. 291 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,560 But that's not always possible. 292 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:22,000 This vast, dense network of reed beds surrounds Madagascar's largest lake. 293 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:30,920 Lac Alaotra spans an area twice the size of London... 294 00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:37,200 ...and is home to a shy and elusive creature. 295 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,560 The Lac Alaotra gentle lemur is the only primate 296 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,760 to live its entire life over water. 297 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:58,880 This marshland is the only place it can survive. 298 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:06,360 Malagasy conservationist Heri Andrianandrasana 299 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:10,320 has dedicated his life to protecting these vulnerable lemurs. 300 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,400 But out here his problem 301 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:16,160 is actually finding them. 302 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:22,640 HERI: We have 23,000 hectares of reed beds here, 303 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,680 so most of them are not accessible. 304 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:27,600 And that is a challenge. 305 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,680 NARRATOR: The reed beds might be huge... 306 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:36,840 ...but they were once much bigger. 307 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:43,120 They are being cleared for fishing and rice farming on a massive scale. 308 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,480 So Heri wants to know how many lemurs are left 309 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:54,600 and exactly where they are, 310 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,520 so they can concentrate conservation efforts. 311 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:03,480 But in a canoe, it's a near-impossible task... 312 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,000 ...which is why he's enlisted the help 313 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,720 of some cutting-edge technology. 314 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,400 It's being pioneered by Serge Wich, 315 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,000 a conservationist with a fascination 316 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:18,680 for drones. 317 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:24,320 Drones can show us a visual image that is usually very strong, 318 00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:28,200 and that helps to facilitate conservation. 319 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:34,840 NARRATOR: With him, a group of engineers, an astrophysicist and computer scientist, 320 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:38,080 all world experts in drone technology. 321 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:42,960 They've used drones for everything 322 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:44,640 from mapping archaeological sites 323 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,600 to finding dolphins in the Amazon. 324 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:54,280 Now they've come to Madagascar 325 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:58,360 to see whether their custom-made drone can spot the lemurs. 326 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:08,800 To have the best chance of detecting the secretive lemurs, 327 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:10,880 they're using a powerful thermal camera. 328 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,240 It's very sensitive to body heat. 329 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,680 But the lemurs are so small, 330 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:25,520 no-one knows if the camera will be able to spot them in such a vast marshland. 331 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:27,520 So they need to do a test. 332 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:29,360 Heri, I copy. Over. 333 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:32,840 Hello, Serge. I copy you. 334 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:34,040 NARRATOR: Heri guides the drone 335 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,680 to where he knows there are definitely lemurs. 336 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,560 SERGE OVER RADIO: We are launching in about 30 seconds. Over. 337 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:44,320 (DRONE WHIRS) 338 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:11,480 SERGE: Heri, we're almost there. I'm sure you hear it by now. Over. 339 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:16,880 NARRATOR: Serge is flying blind, and has no idea what the camera can see. 340 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:23,960 Heri uses a hand-held camera 341 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,720 to capture a reference of the lemurs' thermal fingerprint so they can compare. 342 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,200 Yeah, we are on our way back home. Over. 343 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:52,120 NARRATOR: It's only now that Serge will find out 344 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,920 if the drone camera has really worked. 345 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:19,040 You can quite clearly see three individuals. 346 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:23,720 So, three in a very tiny spot. 347 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:28,160 NARRATOR: These minuscule dots don't look like much until they're matched 348 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:30,240 with the images from the canoe. 349 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:35,240 Even though it's quite small, 350 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,480 you see it fairly clearly. We even see its tail a little bit. 351 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:39,560 So we're sure that it's a lemur. 352 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,000 To finally see results is incredible. 353 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,480 That's very helpful for us 354 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:49,680 to develop a system in the future 355 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:53,080 that will hopefully be able to detect the lemurs 356 00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:55,920 while we fly over them. 357 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,920 NARRATOR: These results could make all the difference. 358 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,560 If the drone can survey the entire lake, Heri can focus efforts 359 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:07,400 where the lemurs need it most. 360 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:09,280 The drone can help 361 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:14,320 better understand the Alaotran gentle lemur and its habitat. 362 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:20,000 But also, it helps control the illegal activities, 363 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,680 such as the illegal rice farming, 364 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,560 the illegal fishing. 365 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:29,840 So all of this can be sorted if we have enough information. 366 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,200 NARRATOR: There's still a long way to go, 367 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,760 but Serge and Heri have taken an important step to safeguard the future 368 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:41,280 of the Lac Alaotra gentle lemur. 369 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,360 For some, a passion for primates 370 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,480 knows no bounds, 371 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,760 and world-renowned primate conservationist 372 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:04,920 Russell Mittermeier is obsessed. 373 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:14,320 Now he's in Tanzania on a mission. 374 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:25,640 With 50 years' experience, Russ has a unique perspective 375 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:27,680 on primate conservation. 376 00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:34,960 And he's witnessed their numbers decline first-hand. 377 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,000 Primates are in a pretty dire situation worldwide. 378 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:47,120 More than 60% of all primates 379 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,440 are considered either critically endangered, endangered 380 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:52,000 or vulnerable. 381 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:55,600 NARRATOR: But Russ believes there is 382 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:57,280 at least one solution. 383 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:04,280 To me, ecotourism is perhaps the best tool that we have 384 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:08,800 for ensuring the long-term survival of these animals and their natural habitats. 385 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,600 NARRATOR: When tourists visit wilderness areas in search of primates, 386 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:18,720 they generate income that's put back into protecting the animals 387 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,240 and their forests. 388 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:29,400 Now, in his seventieth year, Russ wants to become the first person 389 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,480 to see every kind of primate in the wild... 390 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:35,360 ...inspiring others 391 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,200 to follow in his footsteps. 392 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:45,760 My main objective here in Tanzania is to see the last of the 79 different types 393 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,520 of primates that exist on the planet. 394 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:51,120 I'm here to see 395 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:55,360 the kipunji, which is this very unusual monkey, 396 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,400 and it was not described by science until 2005, 397 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:01,760 so that's really quite remarkable. 398 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:09,360 NARRATOR: Scientists divide primates into 79 different categories, known as genera. 399 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:14,440 The kipunji is in a genera all of its own. 400 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:19,120 Restricted to just a few forest patches in southern Tanzania, 401 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:23,240 it's now considered to be one of the most endangered primates on Earth. 402 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:41,880 For Russ to find his final primate, he'll need local expertise. 403 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:49,360 Noah Mpunga and Tim Davenport are from the Wildlife Conservation Society. 404 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:54,440 They were the first to report the existence of the kipunji 405 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,680 and now protect them and their forest home. 406 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:14,440 - Welcome to the camp! - Thank you! 407 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:17,080 Finally we're going to get to see kipunji...I hope! 408 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,280 The weather's got to co-operate a little. 409 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,680 NARRATOR: But shortly after arriving at their forest camp, 410 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,360 things take a turn for the worse. 411 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:35,800 Severe and unseasonal rainstorms 412 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:39,240 soon make conditions in the forest treacherous... 413 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,360 ...and the kipunji much harder to find. 414 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,080 I'm very anxious to get out tomorrow. I don't care if it's raining, 415 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,080 I don't care if it's muddy. 416 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,240 NARRATOR: Hopefully, conditions will improve by morning. 417 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:02,880 Dawn... 418 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:04,880 ...and it's not really much better. 419 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,200 But Russ decides to risk it 420 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,480 and get going before the monkeys do. 421 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:14,040 Local ranger Atu has been tracking the kipunji. 422 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:16,240 (SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE) 423 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:19,320 She saw them yesterday. 424 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,000 - OK. - It's, like, two kilometres. 425 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:22,640 Two kilometres. OK. 426 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,160 So presumably they're still there, 427 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:26,440 - cos it's still raining! - NOAH: Yeah, could be. 428 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:27,880 - Hopefully! - TIM: We will see. 429 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:40,120 NARRATOR: Russ has been waiting for this morning for years. 430 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,000 But no sighting is guaranteed. 431 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:50,680 2.29 kilometres so far, but... 432 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,800 ...it's up and down, up and down. 433 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,320 I can smell them! 434 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:12,160 NARRATOR: While the kipunji can move quickly through the open canopy, 435 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:16,800 for Russ, the dense undergrowth is near impossible to navigate. 436 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,040 Yeah! 437 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:33,160 Like most African monkeys, they're very good at hiding! 438 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:42,040 Oh, wow! 439 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:52,520 Whoa! Cool! 440 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:55,880 Wow! 441 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:00,600 Yes! 442 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:06,240 Number 79! Good spot! (CHUCKLES) 443 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:09,720 Been working on that for...49 years! (LAUGHS) 444 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:13,880 Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Look at him. Wow! 445 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:19,040 Funny face! 446 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:22,240 Funny-looking monkey. 447 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,880 It feels great! I mean, this morning, I'd just about given up, 448 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:30,800 with all the rain. But... 449 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:32,520 ...we got him! 450 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,120 These trackers are amazing. They're really good. 451 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:38,800 This woman is fantastic. 452 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:45,320 This is a really special animal. 453 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:52,440 NARRATOR: Russ is the first person to see every type of primate. 454 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,280 But he hopes he won't be the last. 455 00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:02,240 RUSS: I like stimulating people to go to remote places and... 456 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:04,440 ...engage with the communities... 457 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,760 ...benefit the local economies. 458 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,160 That's what it's all about. 459 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:13,920 NARRATOR: Ecotourism and primate watching can provide 460 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,360 a new income for local communities 461 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:21,280 and an incentive to protect primates and their home. 462 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:25,000 RUSS: It's clearly demonstrating to local communities the importance of 463 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:30,560 these intact forests and the key species that occur within them. 464 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:32,880 Our number one objective is to maintain 465 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:36,640 the current diversity of the order primates, zero extinctions. 466 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:41,000 If we can replicate models like this across the world, 467 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:44,640 we can save these species from extinction. 468 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,640 NARRATOR: Across the planet, dedicated people are going to great lengths 469 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:03,800 to save the world's most endangered primates. 470 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:10,240 This orphaned chimpanzee's family were killed by poachers. 471 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:16,040 Now he's being evacuated by Virunga's anti-poaching unit 472 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,560 and transferred 400 miles 473 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,240 to a primate rehabilitation centre... 474 00:36:22,720 --> 00:36:27,680 ...a safe haven where he'll be cared for alongside other orphans. 475 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,640 In Guatemala, rescued spider monkeys are on their way back to the wild. 476 00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:41,560 Many were originally kept as pets, 477 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:44,880 requiring five years in rehabilitation. 478 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:49,600 They're being released together... 479 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:53,880 ...a whole new troupe to boost the wild population. 480 00:36:57,720 --> 00:37:02,240 In Brazil, cocoa plantations are providing a new home 481 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:04,360 for endangered golden-headed lion tamarins. 482 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:11,320 Much of their natural forest is now gone, but they thrive here. 483 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:15,880 Locals benefit from the new income... 484 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:20,720 ...and help save tamarins, too. 485 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:31,440 All over the world, the future of primates is increasingly 486 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,720 in our hands... 487 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,520 ...including these charismatic residents 488 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:47,280 of Malaysia's Penang peninsula... 489 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,200 ...dusky langurs. 490 00:37:55,720 --> 00:37:58,120 Their once-pristine forests 491 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:00,800 are now bisected by busy roads. 492 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:18,760 To move through their territory, they must risk 493 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:22,120 crossing amongst dangerous traffic every single day. 494 00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:47,440 Local researcher Jo Leen Yap has seen them run this gauntlet many times. 495 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:51,720 It's very risky, and you feel very heartache, 496 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:54,920 because the infants or the juveniles, they will try to cross the road. 497 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:57,200 And you can see that they are really struggling. 498 00:38:58,440 --> 00:38:59,800 NARRATOR: The langurs have found 499 00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:02,120 what might appear to be a good solution. 500 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,160 But these are power cables. 501 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:12,320 They pose a real risk of electrocution. 502 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:16,040 And they're too thin for the monkeys to balance on safely. 503 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:24,000 Many struggle to make it across... 504 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,160 ...especially mothers and babies. 505 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,160 JO LEEN: When the mom and the infant try to cross along the cable wire, 506 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:39,760 they can't really balance themself well. 507 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:54,360 We've got cases of roadkill. All have been below the cable wire. 508 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:16,360 NARRATOR: Jo Leen felt she had to act. 509 00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:18,920 JO LEEN: After so many months and years 510 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:22,680 of looking at them walking along the cable wire, 511 00:40:22,720 --> 00:40:25,400 the things in my heart is trying to help them to cross safely. 512 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,640 NARRATOR: Jo Leen knows the monkeys prefer crossing overhead, 513 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:33,200 so she's decided to install 514 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:35,160 a monkey bridge. 515 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,640 JO LEEN: So today is the day we're going to build 516 00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:39,520 the first bridge in peninsular Malaysia 517 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:41,680 to assist langurs to cross the road. 518 00:40:41,720 --> 00:40:45,200 NARRATOR: The team are using upcycled old fire hoses, 519 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:49,280 much thicker and easier to cross than electric wires... 520 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:50,680 Ini, ini, ini! 521 00:40:50,720 --> 00:40:54,680 ...and hopefully allowing monkeys and other wildlife to cross 522 00:40:54,720 --> 00:40:57,880 between forest fragments much more safely. 523 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:02,720 As the bridge nears completion, 524 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:07,280 it seems the monkeys are already keen to check out their new walkway. 525 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:08,320 Stay here. 526 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:10,560 Stay here, stay here. Stay here. 527 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:20,080 So it might take days or even weeks and months 528 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:22,920 for them to get used to the fire hoses bridge, 529 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:24,720 so we just have to hope for the best. 530 00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:31,080 NARRATOR: Elsewhere, primate walkways have already been a great success. 531 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:33,760 In India, 532 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:37,680 fire-hose ladders have been installed for lion-tailed macaques. 533 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:40,720 And in Thailand, 534 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:43,680 gibbons take to new crossings with ease. 535 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:52,360 Given time, it's hoped that these dusky langurs 536 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:55,720 will soon be crossing safely, too. 537 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:09,520 The passion people feel for primates 538 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:12,960 is now perhaps their best hope for survival... 539 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:18,880 ...especially for the world's last remaining... 540 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:21,840 ...mountain gorillas. 541 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:23,760 (RAIN POURS DOWN) 542 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:35,960 (GROWLS SOFTLY) 543 00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:51,360 Their stronghold is the Virunga Mountains. 544 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:57,440 (HUFFS) 545 00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:02,280 Innocent Mburanumwe grew up here, 546 00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:04,640 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 547 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:08,000 Now he's the deputy chief ranger 548 00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:11,720 of Virunga National Park, 549 00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:14,480 and he has a special bond with its gorillas. 550 00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:17,160 (HE IMITATES GORILLA'S GROWLING) 551 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:28,640 INNOCENT: I love to spend time with gorillas. You know, 552 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:31,120 we consider them like our second families. 553 00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:39,240 This is Nyakamo, a silverback. 554 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:42,520 He's playing with his son, Balingene. 555 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:50,920 NARRATOR: Innocent has dedicated his life to these primates. 556 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:54,520 His fascination started at a young age. 557 00:43:56,920 --> 00:44:00,960 INNOCENT: The first time I saw the gorillas, I was about 11. 558 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:06,400 What inspired me to become a ranger, it's because 559 00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:10,120 my father was a ranger, my brother and my uncle. 560 00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:20,240 NARRATOR: Now Innocent is a world-leading authority on these gorillas... 561 00:44:21,720 --> 00:44:24,280 ...and knows their lives intimately. 562 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:26,920 He's just come to smell me. 563 00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:28,600 Once he touch me, 564 00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:33,280 he just put his hand on his nose to smell. (LAUGHS) 565 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:41,000 (HE TUTS LIKE A GORILLA) 566 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:45,120 NARRATOR: These precious moments may seem idyllic... 567 00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:50,680 ...but in reality, being a ranger in the Virunga National Park 568 00:44:50,720 --> 00:44:53,960 is one of the most dangerous jobs in conservation. 569 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:55,760 NEWS REPORT: ...has been extremely intensive... 570 00:44:57,360 --> 00:44:58,680 (SCREAMING) 571 00:44:58,720 --> 00:45:01,040 (GUNFIRE) 572 00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:05,360 NARRATOR: The park is in one of the most politically unstable places on the planet. 573 00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:07,080 NEWS REPORTS: Four million people have been uprooted. 574 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:10,600 ...village after village destroyed by fighting. 575 00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:14,000 It's a battle for survival. 576 00:45:16,240 --> 00:45:18,720 NARRATOR: Over 20 years, conflict, 577 00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:22,440 militias, genocide and Ebola have plagued the region. 578 00:45:25,040 --> 00:45:30,240 For those protecting the park, the conflict is a direct threat. 579 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:33,120 NEWS REPORT: The ongoing civil war and poaching have become 580 00:45:33,160 --> 00:45:35,720 the deadliest threats to the mountain gorillas. 581 00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:43,800 NARRATOR: In 2007, seven gorillas were gunned down. 582 00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:51,520 INNOCENT: It was a hard time 583 00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:56,000 to see gorillas being killed by people, 584 00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:57,640 like a sabotage. 585 00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:05,920 NARRATOR: And it's not just the gorillas that Innocent has had taken from him. 586 00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:07,880 I lost one of my family. 587 00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:10,920 My brother, who died in the line of duty. 588 00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:18,640 NARRATOR: Innocent's brother is one of more than 180 rangers 589 00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:21,360 who have been killed protecting the gorillas 590 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:23,440 and Virunga Park itself. 591 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:25,600 (OFFICER SHOUTS ORDERS) 592 00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:35,840 (OFFICER SHOUTS ORDERS) 593 00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:42,920 The Virunga park was founded primarily to protect mountain gorillas. 594 00:46:45,720 --> 00:46:49,760 But it has a role in bringing stability to the region. 595 00:46:53,040 --> 00:46:54,800 In recent years, 596 00:46:54,840 --> 00:46:58,200 tourists have returned, raising precious funds... 597 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:03,560 ...allowing the park to create opportunities for local communities 598 00:47:03,600 --> 00:47:08,080 and oversee the building of schools and clinics. 599 00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:18,680 And all of this helps to ensure the gorillas remain protected too. 600 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:23,360 In the 1980s, there were as few 601 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:27,160 as 250 mountain gorillas in the Virunga region. 602 00:47:30,680 --> 00:47:35,920 After years of efforts to protect them, their numbers have now 603 00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:38,920 more than doubled to over 600. 604 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:45,040 But for Innocent and his team... 605 00:47:46,080 --> 00:47:47,400 ...the battle continues. 606 00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:51,480 I don't want to lose any gorillas. 607 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:55,920 I have to focus on protecting these mountain gorillas, 608 00:47:55,960 --> 00:47:57,840 because I love them. 609 00:48:05,080 --> 00:48:07,840 NARRATOR: The gorillas will need protecting 610 00:48:07,880 --> 00:48:09,360 for generations to come. 611 00:48:10,560 --> 00:48:12,320 INNOCENT: I have one son 612 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:14,880 who wants to be a ranger like me. 613 00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:28,240 NARRATOR: The remarkable recovery of mountain gorillas 614 00:48:28,280 --> 00:48:33,760 is thanks to those who are willing to go to great lengths to protect primates. 615 00:48:42,240 --> 00:48:46,920 The conservation of the world's primates is a long-term commitment... 616 00:48:48,720 --> 00:48:52,080 ...not least because they live such long lives. 617 00:49:00,280 --> 00:49:04,320 The rainforests of Indonesia are home... 618 00:49:07,160 --> 00:49:09,080 ...to orang-utans. 619 00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:21,960 An infant orang-utan can grow to live 620 00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:24,880 for another 50 years or more. 621 00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:31,760 They stay with their mother up to the age of nine... 622 00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:39,120 ...learning all they need to survive. 623 00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:46,320 Today, all orang-utans face an uncertain future. 624 00:49:50,800 --> 00:49:52,520 Since 2001, 625 00:49:52,560 --> 00:49:57,120 Indonesia has lost more than nine million hectares 626 00:49:57,160 --> 00:49:59,200 of primary forest... 627 00:50:01,960 --> 00:50:03,520 ...much to satisfy 628 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:07,480 the demand for timber, mining and palm oil. 629 00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:19,360 The equivalent of one thousand football pitches are cleared every single day. 630 00:50:20,720 --> 00:50:26,600 This destruction means that orang-utans are in serious need of help. 631 00:50:28,800 --> 00:50:35,080 Signe Preuschoft felt she had to help save orang-utans in need. 632 00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:45,920 These young orang-utans are orphans, 633 00:50:45,960 --> 00:50:49,520 being prepared for a life back in the wild. 634 00:50:56,720 --> 00:51:00,760 SIGNE: So in this forest school programme, 635 00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:03,840 we have a total at the moment of eight orang-utans. 636 00:51:06,640 --> 00:51:10,880 NARRATOR: Each vulnerable orphan has gone through the trauma of losing 637 00:51:10,920 --> 00:51:12,320 his or her mother. 638 00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:18,560 And this one here, Gerhana, that's the youngest. 639 00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:26,480 In Gerhana's case, it was just amazing that he would live. 640 00:51:26,520 --> 00:51:31,000 Ja? He was so starved. 641 00:51:31,040 --> 00:51:34,640 He looked like a stick insect! 642 00:51:37,240 --> 00:51:40,880 So it was really touch and go whether he would make it. 643 00:51:49,120 --> 00:51:51,920 NARRATOR: Since coming into the forest school programme, 644 00:51:51,960 --> 00:51:57,040 Gerhana, like the other rescued orphans here, has made a remarkable recovery. 645 00:52:00,480 --> 00:52:05,040 Each is cared for by a dedicated human surrogate parent. 646 00:52:10,440 --> 00:52:13,800 The long-term goal is to release them 647 00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:16,640 into protected forests and boost wild populations. 648 00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:21,520 But rehabilitation can often fail. 649 00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:27,960 Many orang-utans do not survive in the wild after release. 650 00:52:31,000 --> 00:52:33,160 They often lack vital skills 651 00:52:33,200 --> 00:52:36,120 which they would have learned from their mothers high in the treetops. 652 00:52:38,480 --> 00:52:41,480 The canopy is where orang-utans find food, 653 00:52:41,520 --> 00:52:43,840 shelter and safety from predators. 654 00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:46,920 And that's part of the problem. 655 00:52:51,120 --> 00:52:54,960 SIGNE: There is always a big attraction 656 00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:57,360 for the orphans to come down to the ground. 657 00:52:59,800 --> 00:53:03,400 So as long as we have many caretakers on the ground, 658 00:53:03,440 --> 00:53:09,120 it's almost impossible to get the orang-utans all up in the trees. 659 00:53:10,520 --> 00:53:14,800 NARRATOR: In the wild, orang-utans rarely, if ever, come to the ground. 660 00:53:25,720 --> 00:53:28,160 Signe had an idea. 661 00:53:28,200 --> 00:53:32,440 Their caregivers would have to lead the way... 662 00:53:32,480 --> 00:53:34,240 ...into the trees. 663 00:53:39,400 --> 00:53:43,920 James Reed is a highly experienced rope access specialist. 664 00:53:43,960 --> 00:53:48,120 OK, so, this is called the throw line, and this is called 665 00:53:48,160 --> 00:53:49,800 the throw pouch. 666 00:53:49,840 --> 00:53:51,640 (HE TRANSLATES) 667 00:53:51,680 --> 00:53:53,320 NARRATOR: The idea? 668 00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:54,760 If the carers can climb, 669 00:53:54,800 --> 00:53:57,800 then their orang-utans should follow. 670 00:54:00,120 --> 00:54:02,880 Once it starts swinging, lower it down. 671 00:54:02,920 --> 00:54:04,000 There you go. 672 00:54:08,760 --> 00:54:11,800 NARRATOR: But some humans find it easier than others. 673 00:54:11,840 --> 00:54:14,760 (LAUGHS) I have too much rope now! 674 00:54:14,800 --> 00:54:16,920 No, it's OK. 675 00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:18,000 Is it? 676 00:54:18,040 --> 00:54:19,920 Yeah, too much is better than not enough. 677 00:54:21,120 --> 00:54:22,920 That's it. 678 00:54:22,960 --> 00:54:25,960 NARRATOR: Long training hours are needed 679 00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:27,560 to become certified climbers. 680 00:54:28,680 --> 00:54:30,080 But the real test will come 681 00:54:30,120 --> 00:54:34,560 when boisterous young orang-utans are added to the mix. 682 00:55:03,640 --> 00:55:05,600 JAMES: Yeah. Yeah. 683 00:55:09,840 --> 00:55:12,480 NARRATOR: When the caregivers take to the ropes, 684 00:55:12,520 --> 00:55:16,640 even Gerhana, with a little encouragement, 685 00:55:16,680 --> 00:55:19,400 discovers he climbs like a natural. 686 00:55:32,720 --> 00:55:37,280 Up here, they can really strengthen their climbing skills... 687 00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:41,360 ...explore new heights... 688 00:55:42,560 --> 00:55:44,600 ...and discover new foods... 689 00:55:46,960 --> 00:55:50,640 ...all with the safety of their caretaker nearby. 690 00:55:52,960 --> 00:55:57,800 Signe started seeing a promising change in the orphans right away. 691 00:56:00,440 --> 00:56:04,440 SIGNE: When we first climbed with Gerhana... 692 00:56:05,680 --> 00:56:09,440 ...I had never seen Gerhana climb so high as on that day. 693 00:56:13,400 --> 00:56:16,720 NARRATOR: This is a positive first step towards 694 00:56:16,760 --> 00:56:19,800 these infants becoming truly at home in the canopy. 695 00:56:21,120 --> 00:56:23,240 SIGNE: As soon as they don't need us, 696 00:56:23,280 --> 00:56:26,320 we just let them go as much as they want... 697 00:56:27,680 --> 00:56:30,360 ...and give them the self-confidence, 698 00:56:30,400 --> 00:56:32,240 "OK, I can handle that." 699 00:56:34,240 --> 00:56:36,920 NARRATOR: Signe hopes she's giving these orang-utans 700 00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:39,840 the tools they need to survive... 701 00:56:43,520 --> 00:56:45,880 ...and that she can release them one day 702 00:56:45,920 --> 00:56:48,280 where they belong... 703 00:56:48,320 --> 00:56:49,480 ...in the wild. 704 00:56:56,080 --> 00:56:58,320 Primates... 705 00:56:58,360 --> 00:57:00,360 ...are our closest relatives. 706 00:57:02,840 --> 00:57:05,680 They need us now more than ever. 707 00:57:11,720 --> 00:57:14,000 It's only by understanding them 708 00:57:14,040 --> 00:57:17,280 that we can help safeguard their future. 709 00:57:22,440 --> 00:57:23,800 Across the world... 710 00:57:25,320 --> 00:57:29,120 ...people are dedicating their lives to finding the answers.... 711 00:57:31,640 --> 00:57:36,200 ...and making sure the future always has a place... 712 00:57:39,360 --> 00:57:40,960 ...for the primates.