Original subtitles

The Dynasties crew spent two years capturing the story

of these chimpanzees.

This is how every day begins.

Walking over 1,500 miles...

You know it's steep when the chimps are being careful.

...carrying around 80 kilos each day in some of the hottest

temperatures on Earth.

It's got to be 46, 47 degrees right now.

I think it's fair to say filming a blazing fire,

when it's 40 degrees wasn't probably my best idea.

It's crazy, it's the second time we've had to run away

from bees this morning.

I got stung, and as you might be able to tell,

it's swollen up a little bit.

Oh, my God.

How stuck is it?

It's pretty stuck.

But the hardest challenge of all is understanding

the complexities of the lives of these chimps.

This is only possible thanks to scientist Jill Pruetz

and her team, who have been studying this troupe for nearly 20 years.

One of the reasons I think I like to have people see the chimps

is, it is almost like a soap opera.

It really is this social group that is not that different

from humans. So you have relationships change

and you have different personalities.

Jill's insights helped the team get to know all the different characters

she has given names to over the years.

But right from the start, one chimp named David,

grabs everyone's attention.

We've only been here a few days but immediately David stood out.

He's really recognisable.

He's a bit of a game player, but also he's often on his own.

He's very, very charismatic.

He's got a real kind of swagger to him.

He reminds me of Marlon Brando, actually, he's got this real kind

of presence to him.

David is one of my favourite chimps.

I maybe a little biased, I think he's quite clever.

I think of him as a very strong, you know, strong willed chimp,

a very dominant chimp and he was very ambitious

when he first became a young adult, and he rose up the hierarchy

really quickly for his age.

So he became alpha, actually, when he was a teenager.

He's constantly having to fend off challenges from other younger males.

And it just goes to show it's tough being alpha.

It's tough being at the top.

After following David for so many months,

he seems almost like family to the crew.

So when he's violently attacked its a real shock.

Coming out this morning, it's sort of heartbreaking to see

this chimp that was so powerful...

...just looking so weak.

Oh, he doesn't look good, he's covered in flies.

And he's looking, looking really bad, actually.

It's like a frail old man, suddenly.

Like he's ready to die, almost.

The following day their concerns deepen.

We arrived at 5am and leave not been able to find any of the chimps.

So we've no idea what condition David's in,

and he's in a bad way already.

We wish him luck.

I'm sort of worried about him, and his state.

I just really hope he's OK.

So we're still looking.

They check the remote camera at the water hole,

where they hope David might have gone to drink.

I've just gone from the beginning...

...and it looks like David hasn't been to drink here.

Michelle has just found some tracks.

How he finds these things I don't know, but there's a chance

we might catch up with him. Good find, let's go.

Luckily, the tracks do indeed lead to David.

We've been really worried with the extent of his injuries,

we didn't know if he was alive, or if he was ever coming back.

He came right back in and maintained that alpha status.

David has been alpha for almost double what we've seen

with other alphas.

He's been challenged a few times, but he's been able to hold on.

We saw him, not only nearly lose his position in the hierarchy,

but we saw him nearly lose his life.

The injuries he sustained in the last coup,

would have been enough to kill me.

David has been able to overcome the many challenges

that have come from within,

but there's a greater threat that he and his group face.

In Senegal right now, I'd say the main threat to chimpanzees

is the gold rush, which just obliterates huge areas.

Less than a decade ago, the prices of gold rose,

and people have intensified gold mining, so that really has increased

the number of people here.

Chimps here have lived alongside people for thousands of years.

David's group has so far adapted to life alongside humans

in a remarkable way.

But, with such demand for these minerals,

and ever more people searching for gold in this region,

habitat destruction and poaching is inevitable.

You know, there's not that many chimpanzees left.

The West African chimp here in Senegal,

and in west Africa in general, has been upgraded

to critically endangered because so many have been lost.

In Senegal, the number of chimpanzees is now

just in the hundreds.

In the last 25 years, 80% of Western chimpanzees

have disappeared.

And in the future, studies like Jill's

will become increasingly important to help conservationists

and local governments protect the surviving chimpanzees,

not only in Senegal, but across the whole of Africa.

Next time...

A dynasty of thousands.

A great march into the frozen wastes of Antarctica,

to face the coldest and cruellest winter on earth.