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Filming begins on Disneynature's
cinematic release, Born in China.
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Disneynature's most ambitious film yet.
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00:00:54,471 --> 00:00:57,891
This is a country that holds
many wildlife secrets.
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00:00:59,768 --> 00:01:02,687
Home to a remarkable number
of rarely-seen animals
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and remote wildernesses that only
a handful of film crews
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have been fortunate enough
to get access to.
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The film will capture the landscapes of
China and the creatures that live here.
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Iconic animals will be filmed
as they raise their families
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through their first months of life.
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But the greatest challenge of all
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00:01:48,233 --> 00:01:51,569
is an attempt to accomplish
the near-impossible.
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An international team of filmmakers
are about to embark on a mission
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to try and film the intimate story
of a snow leopard family,
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one of the most beautiful and elusive
creatures on the planet,
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00:02:08,461 --> 00:02:10,797
in a feat never achieved before.
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That's a big cat. Damn.
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I'm climbing the mountain
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to see if there's any track.
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Film crew nil. Cat one.
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00:02:26,604 --> 00:02:30,066
Hey, we'll just go again tomorrow.
We'll try again tomorrow.
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The snow leopard team are three days
into a 10-day, 2,000-mile journey
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00:02:58,511 --> 00:03:00,889
to their high-altitude filming location.
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00:03:14,319 --> 00:03:17,906
Just getting there
is a formidable adventure.
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The team leave from Beijing,
the capital of China.
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00:03:27,498 --> 00:03:30,543
The first leg of the journey involves
flying to Yushu,
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their first high-altitude stop at over
12,000 feet above sea level.
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00:03:38,092 --> 00:03:43,431
The remaining 250 miles by road,
up to over 16,000 feet,
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00:03:43,514 --> 00:03:46,226
will take a week
and will be much trickier.
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Now at over 13,000 feet, the team
hit the road to their final destination.
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00:03:58,947 --> 00:04:02,492
But after every 1,600 feet gained
in altitude,
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00:04:02,575 --> 00:04:07,288
they must rest for 24 hours
to keep altitude sickness at bay.
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00:04:10,667 --> 00:04:14,504
Traveling over 16,000 feet
is an expedition
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that must be taken seriously.
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00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,050
Altitude sickness can be deadly.
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00:04:20,927 --> 00:04:23,179
We just passed 4,600 meters
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and the air is definitely getting
thinner up here.
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I can feel it when I get out of the car
and run around a little bit.
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I think we're doing all right, though.
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00:04:31,020 --> 00:04:32,855
But we definitely need to keep an eye
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00:04:32,939 --> 00:04:35,108
on how everyone's reacting
to the elevation here.
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00:04:36,192 --> 00:04:38,987
Shane is the team's
director of photography.
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00:04:39,070 --> 00:04:42,699
Used to tough adventures in mountains
and a brilliant animal tracker,
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he's dreamt of having the chance
to film snow leopards for years.
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Is it normal for people to get sick
when they come up here?
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If somebody come from the lower place
then they get a headache.
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And very difficult to eat food
and then difficult to walk.
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00:05:03,177 --> 00:05:06,139
If you stay then maybe you can die.
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00:05:07,015 --> 00:05:09,267
Sonam is a local guide and mechanic,
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his humor infectious to the team.
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They journey on,
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00:05:20,653 --> 00:05:23,990
the long road made no easier
by repeated stops.
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We just had a puncture on the road.
The road is getting a bit bumpier.
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Ed is one of the team's field directors.
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He's managed wildlife film crews
in remote regions all over the world.
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00:05:53,811 --> 00:05:56,272
The stones are obviously
quite sharp up here.
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00:05:56,981 --> 00:06:01,069
It's just one more reminder
as we go to our final destination
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that we have to be very careful.
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00:06:03,863 --> 00:06:07,075
And we rely completely
on the equipment that we've got
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and the decisions that we make.
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Yeah, I worry about the film crew.
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00:06:16,584 --> 00:06:19,629
If they get sick,
it might get very serious.
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00:06:21,047 --> 00:06:24,842
Dondrub is a Buddhist monk
who's traveled extensively in this area.
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00:06:26,761 --> 00:06:29,097
He's one of the few people
to have seen snow leopards
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in this part of China.
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00:06:31,724 --> 00:06:36,771
It's hard to recover from cold
in high altitude.
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00:06:38,147 --> 00:06:42,235
We have a doctor with us
and we have a lot of medicines.
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We have also an oxygen tank,
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which would be very helpful
if anyone gets sick.
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00:06:56,415 --> 00:07:01,712
Finally, after 2,000 miles
and nearly two weeks of flights,
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00:07:01,796 --> 00:07:05,258
adapting to the altitude
and isolated roads,
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00:07:05,341 --> 00:07:07,927
the crew arrives
in snow leopard territory.
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Just around the next few corners
will be our camp site.
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They are the first international
film crew ever
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to reach this remote location.
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Ten days to get here,
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to acclimate to the elevation,
but we made it.
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Sanjiangyuan, in northwest China,
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the heart of China's
snow leopard habitat,
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is chosen as the filming location.
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At almost 400,000 square kilometers,
it protects not only snow leopards
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00:07:55,141 --> 00:07:59,687
but is also the starting point
for three of the world's mightiest rivers,
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the Yangtze, Yellow and Mekong.
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00:08:04,442 --> 00:08:08,779
The world's highest wetland provides
water for more than a billion people.
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00:08:12,241 --> 00:08:13,868
A truly vast landscape
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00:08:14,827 --> 00:08:16,537
almost the size of California,
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dwarfing the entire British Isles
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and home to the largest nature reserve
in China.
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This is a remote, daunting location,
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but China has about 60% of the total
snow leopard habitat on Earth
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00:08:37,975 --> 00:08:41,771
and the largest number of wild
snow leopards on the planet.
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But getting more than a brief glimpse
of these ghosts of the mountains
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is all but impossible.
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Due to their extreme altitude
and remote home,
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few film crews have taken on
the challenge.
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00:09:02,041 --> 00:09:06,212
No one has achieved the hours
of footage needed to make a movie.
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00:09:06,295 --> 00:09:09,006
The cats are just too hard to find.
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00:09:10,758 --> 00:09:12,009
To succeed,
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this team will need endurance,
dedication and perseverance
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00:09:16,889 --> 00:09:17,890
in spades.
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Their mission,
not just to film snow leopards,
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but to capture what life is like
for a family of them
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and tell their story
for the very first time.
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00:09:29,110 --> 00:09:30,861
Here's our little part of the world.
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00:09:31,696 --> 00:09:34,448
I've never worked in a place where
the mountains don't have names,
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the rivers apparently
don't even have names.
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Amongst this vast landscape,
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the team find the perfect base
next to a monastery.
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Everyone is excited about
the adventure ahead.
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00:10:05,021 --> 00:10:08,274
Living a couple hundred kilometers
from the nearest city,
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a two-day round trip means
meticulous planning
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00:10:12,111 --> 00:10:13,362
for the crew to survive.
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00:10:17,116 --> 00:10:20,786
Without a working generator,
there would be no power.
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00:10:23,122 --> 00:10:25,625
Whenever possible,
natural resources are used.
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00:10:26,626 --> 00:10:29,795
The team find a spring
where they can source water
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00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:31,464
for cooking and drinking.
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00:10:50,983 --> 00:10:52,860
A toilet is dug in the frozen earth.
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00:10:55,321 --> 00:10:57,823
Stoves and coal are brought in
to keep everyone warm.
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00:10:58,949 --> 00:11:02,078
When the coal gets wet,
piles of yak dung are used.
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00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,253
It's amazing how reliant you become
on the fire up here.
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00:11:11,671 --> 00:11:15,508
The warmth and... It's the first moment
it's gone out and everyone's distraught.
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00:11:17,802 --> 00:11:19,136
Need to get this fire going.
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00:11:19,553 --> 00:11:24,058
Staying in a house with no insulated
walls when the outside temperature
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00:11:24,141 --> 00:11:28,979
is almost minus 20 is as cold
as living in a domestic freezer.
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00:11:31,774 --> 00:11:34,276
Although very basic living conditions,
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00:11:34,402 --> 00:11:37,780
they are hugely appreciated by
an international team
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00:11:37,863 --> 00:11:41,117
working in one of the highest
and harshest locations on Earth.
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00:11:42,326 --> 00:11:44,870
-It's to the right.
-Exactly.
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00:11:46,747 --> 00:11:49,166
The snow leopard challenge is on.
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00:12:13,524 --> 00:12:16,235
The team get up in the freezing
darkness before dawn.
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00:12:19,780 --> 00:12:22,992
With little proof of exactly
where the snow leopards are,
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00:12:23,075 --> 00:12:26,203
they set out to look for any evidence
they can of a big cat.
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00:12:32,585 --> 00:12:34,962
When searching for any predator,
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00:12:35,045 --> 00:12:37,882
finding its prey is a great first step.
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00:12:38,799 --> 00:12:42,595
There are at least five groups
of blue sheep
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00:12:42,678 --> 00:12:47,766
with between 10 and 40
individuals in each herd.
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00:12:48,434 --> 00:12:52,480
I think that's quite a lot of prey
for a snow leopard,
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if it did decide to live around here.
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00:12:55,357 --> 00:12:58,277
But they're still so hard to find.
139
00:12:58,444 --> 00:13:01,280
Brown cat in a brown landscape.
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00:13:01,989 --> 00:13:03,407
It's very difficult.
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00:13:03,991 --> 00:13:05,701
Ben is one of the team's field directors.
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00:13:06,744 --> 00:13:08,287
He's worked all over China,
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00:13:08,370 --> 00:13:11,332
from its highest mountains
to remotest forests.
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00:13:11,415 --> 00:13:14,877
It's probably extremely likely that
there's one watching me now.
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00:13:16,045 --> 00:13:17,546
But I'm not going to be able to see it.
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Slightly unnerving.
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00:13:22,218 --> 00:13:24,094
Yeah, and it's cold.
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And it's 16,000 feet up.
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00:13:34,605 --> 00:13:37,608
This might be a great habitat
for snow leopards,
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00:13:37,775 --> 00:13:41,862
but finding them, let alone filming them,
is a whole new challenge.
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00:13:44,823 --> 00:13:48,744
Up here in the thin air, where it's
exhausting just to walk 10 yards,
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00:13:48,827 --> 00:13:51,705
excitement quickly turns to realization.
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00:13:59,004 --> 00:14:03,300
It's a sobering reminder
of the enormity of the task ahead.
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00:14:15,062 --> 00:14:19,400
There are lots of signs from
the various wild animals around here,
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00:14:19,483 --> 00:14:21,318
some of which will be snow leopards.
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00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:24,864
And then scattered around are
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00:14:26,615 --> 00:14:32,204
bones, skulls of blue sheep,
the prey of the snow leopard.
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00:14:33,706 --> 00:14:35,124
So there's lots of signs here.
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00:14:35,916 --> 00:14:39,211
And so, although we haven't seen
a snow leopard in the flesh,
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00:14:39,378 --> 00:14:41,005
we've seen almost everything but.
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To make any success of this,
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the film crew has to try and get
the local yak herders
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that live here on their side.
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Yak are the equivalent of cattle,
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essential to human life here.
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00:15:02,318 --> 00:15:04,820
The herders are masters
of their environment,
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00:15:04,904 --> 00:15:06,488
and living here year around,
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they are a good source for any scraps
of information there might be
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about the cats.
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00:15:14,914 --> 00:15:19,043
The perfect chance to break the ice
comes soon after arriving at camp.
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00:15:23,589 --> 00:15:28,010
Well, we found a baby yak beside
the road in a very dangerous place,
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probably about to get eaten
by predators,
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and we tracked down the owners.
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00:15:33,265 --> 00:15:34,266
Yeah.
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For its human owner,
the yak is beyond value.
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They're a source of food, drink,
clothes and shoes.
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So important are they, the families
here give them individual names
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like they do their children.
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It's very cute.
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00:15:59,166 --> 00:16:02,211
Amazingly, just minutes before,
we saw a golden eagle
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eating a young baby animal.
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00:16:04,922 --> 00:16:06,715
We saw foxes in the area.
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00:16:06,799 --> 00:16:09,760
So, I'm very happy
that this guy survived.
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00:16:09,843 --> 00:16:11,178
He wouldn't have lasted much longer.
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00:16:11,261 --> 00:16:15,474
Plus it's hailing, it's cold,
and he needs to go home.
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00:16:15,557 --> 00:16:17,309
So we roll up to this house
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00:16:17,393 --> 00:16:20,854
and tell them we want one of them
to come with us, jump in.
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00:16:20,938 --> 00:16:22,690
We can't communicate with them.
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00:16:22,773 --> 00:16:26,485
And the result is, our baby yak is saved.
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00:16:28,654 --> 00:16:33,033
The crew have reunited this family
with their most prized possession.
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00:16:35,035 --> 00:16:38,831
So the baby yak is back with his family,
it's in a warm place.
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00:16:38,998 --> 00:16:43,877
And our treat is getting to see these
amazing people in their home.
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00:16:47,715 --> 00:16:51,135
And they gave us yak tea and some
great bread and some meat.
194
00:16:51,218 --> 00:16:53,012
And it's a big ol' time.
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00:16:53,887 --> 00:16:57,641
This act of kindness will go a long way
to cement relations
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00:16:57,725 --> 00:17:00,644
with the locals who have snow leopard
experiences to share.
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00:17:03,731 --> 00:17:06,191
With these stories fresh in their minds,
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00:17:06,275 --> 00:17:08,652
it's time for the team
to bring out the technology.
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00:17:17,536 --> 00:17:20,205
In remote regions
where helicopters can't reach,
200
00:17:24,126 --> 00:17:28,714
drones are a great way of filming
vast landscapes from the air.
201
00:17:36,180 --> 00:17:39,391
Shane has spent many months
designing and building this drone,
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00:17:39,475 --> 00:17:42,728
specifically adapted
to fly at extreme altitude.
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00:17:47,566 --> 00:17:51,945
It also offers the team further clues as
to where the snow leopards might be.
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00:17:55,324 --> 00:17:59,661
Any well-worn paths or caves
could be visited by the cats
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00:17:59,745 --> 00:18:01,914
and will be easier to spot from the air.
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00:18:13,467 --> 00:18:16,595
With a much better idea
of the lay of the land,
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00:18:16,678 --> 00:18:19,056
the team turn to their next bit
of technology,
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00:18:19,932 --> 00:18:20,933
camera traps.
209
00:18:21,809 --> 00:18:27,231
Yeah, it's based on the Panasonic GH4,
the new 4K SLRs.
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00:18:27,773 --> 00:18:29,691
All the electronics for controlling
the triggers,
211
00:18:29,775 --> 00:18:33,195
picking up the signals from the
sensors, are in the lid here and...
212
00:18:33,278 --> 00:18:34,321
I love the color.
213
00:18:34,404 --> 00:18:35,739
And how many of these do we have?
214
00:18:35,823 --> 00:18:39,034
Yeah, we've got eight. So, we can
spread these far and wide
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00:18:39,201 --> 00:18:40,953
and hopefully cover a lot of ground
with them.
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00:18:41,954 --> 00:18:44,414
Dave is a remote camera trap expert.
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00:18:45,124 --> 00:18:48,293
He helped design the cameras
that will go into the field.
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00:18:50,045 --> 00:18:54,550
It's a huge landscape. How do we know
where to put them, I guess is the...
219
00:18:54,633 --> 00:18:57,886
Yeah, if you just looked at the math,
you'd give up
220
00:18:57,970 --> 00:19:02,432
'cause even the smaller territories
of a female are, you know,
221
00:19:03,058 --> 00:19:05,102
40 kilometers at a minimum.
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00:19:05,185 --> 00:19:09,439
And you need to find the exact place,
probably within a foot,
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00:19:09,523 --> 00:19:13,110
to have that cat in that kind of range.
And, of course, the males have
224
00:19:13,193 --> 00:19:15,821
territories that are
three or four times that size.
225
00:19:16,321 --> 00:19:17,656
But don't look at it that way
226
00:19:17,739 --> 00:19:20,993
because they are somewhat
predictable and they'll funnel through
227
00:19:21,076 --> 00:19:25,956
these valleys and work the bases
of cliffs, so I think you can do it.
228
00:19:26,081 --> 00:19:27,166
Yeah.
229
00:19:28,709 --> 00:19:33,755
These state of the art 4K camera traps
could be left in the field for days
230
00:19:33,839 --> 00:19:37,885
to hopefully capture images of
snow leopards without disturbing them.
231
00:19:40,679 --> 00:19:44,099
So we found this... What looks like
a great place for a camera trap.
232
00:19:44,183 --> 00:19:46,059
You can see how nice it is.
233
00:19:47,060 --> 00:19:51,481
Animal trails come here between
the frozen river and the rock there.
234
00:19:52,357 --> 00:19:53,817
Reckon it's gonna be a good place
for a camera trap,
235
00:19:53,901 --> 00:19:56,195
but the problem is this river.
236
00:19:57,237 --> 00:19:59,781
It was frozen a week ago
237
00:19:59,865 --> 00:20:02,743
and is now already melting,
as you can see from the heat.
238
00:20:03,076 --> 00:20:04,828
James, we're gonna have to work out
how to cross it.
239
00:20:04,912 --> 00:20:05,913
Yeah.
240
00:20:05,996 --> 00:20:07,456
-You wanna go first?
-Sure.
241
00:20:07,539 --> 00:20:08,582
Let's go.
242
00:20:08,665 --> 00:20:09,666
He's going first.
243
00:20:11,001 --> 00:20:14,463
James, the team's field assistant,
is a bit more confident
244
00:20:14,546 --> 00:20:17,007
about any potential risks than Ben.
245
00:20:19,218 --> 00:20:20,219
Jump up and down.
246
00:20:21,970 --> 00:20:22,971
Okay?
247
00:20:23,055 --> 00:20:24,223
All right, we're gonna go for it.
248
00:20:32,064 --> 00:20:34,524
Don't break, ice.
249
00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:36,902
Please, please.
250
00:20:37,569 --> 00:20:38,820
Don't break, ice.
251
00:20:50,582 --> 00:20:52,501
There's actually some
snow leopard hair in here,
252
00:20:53,585 --> 00:20:57,839
so this must be a real important scent
post for them coming through here.
253
00:20:57,923 --> 00:20:59,549
I mean, there's a couple in here.
254
00:21:00,968 --> 00:21:03,387
They may even be fresh,
so this is gonna be an exciting spot.
255
00:21:04,263 --> 00:21:06,515
We'll set it up
and come back in a few days,
256
00:21:06,598 --> 00:21:08,392
see if we can get our ghost on camera.
257
00:21:09,309 --> 00:21:13,355
So at the moment we're just trying to
set the focus in such a way
258
00:21:13,438 --> 00:21:16,275
that as the light conditions change,
259
00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,487
the focus point remains
somewhere relevant in the image
260
00:21:20,570 --> 00:21:22,864
so that hopefully when our leopard
comes through the shot,
261
00:21:22,948 --> 00:21:24,116
he'll be nice and sharp
262
00:21:24,199 --> 00:21:25,367
and we'll get
a really good image of him.
263
00:21:25,450 --> 00:21:28,704
These are our sensors,
they're passive infrared.
264
00:21:28,870 --> 00:21:31,081
There's a little infrared beam
that comes out of here.
265
00:21:31,164 --> 00:21:33,542
And hopefully as soon as the leopard
walks past it,
266
00:21:33,625 --> 00:21:36,211
this will send a signal to the trap
and set our cameras recording.
267
00:21:38,213 --> 00:21:39,214
-Happy with that?
-Yeah.
268
00:21:39,464 --> 00:21:40,465
Great.
269
00:21:41,633 --> 00:21:42,634
It's hazardous work,
270
00:21:45,804 --> 00:21:48,932
not helped by unpredictable
and dangerous weather.
271
00:21:50,142 --> 00:21:55,105
Jacky, a member of the camera team,
needs to set this camera trap quick.
272
00:21:58,442 --> 00:22:00,944
Up here at over 16,000 feet,
273
00:22:01,028 --> 00:22:03,530
electrical storms appear
out of nowhere.
274
00:22:06,908 --> 00:22:09,661
Getting caught in them
can be life-threatening.
275
00:22:24,843 --> 00:22:26,094
During a storm,
276
00:22:26,178 --> 00:22:30,474
lightning can strike at
any time and anywhere up here.
277
00:22:30,557 --> 00:22:34,728
And out in the open, three miles up,
Jacky could get hit.
278
00:22:46,656 --> 00:22:48,742
That was scary. Oh, God.
279
00:22:58,460 --> 00:22:59,795
Over the next few weeks,
280
00:22:59,878 --> 00:23:03,048
the team put all their time and energy
placing the camera traps
281
00:23:05,759 --> 00:23:09,304
in a desperate bid to find out
where the snow leopard territories are
282
00:23:09,387 --> 00:23:10,847
in this vast landscape.
283
00:23:13,558 --> 00:23:16,394
The equivalent of searching
for a needle in a haystack.
284
00:23:18,647 --> 00:23:22,234
Every few days, the camera trap
recordings are retrieved...
285
00:23:23,527 --> 00:23:25,654
-Do you want to sit in the hot seat?
-No, go for it, Ed.
286
00:23:26,279 --> 00:23:27,405
Okay, well, let's...
287
00:23:27,823 --> 00:23:30,033
...to see if there are any hits.
288
00:23:30,117 --> 00:23:31,785
-Actually a pretty nice image.
-Yeah.
289
00:23:47,217 --> 00:23:49,136
But no snow leopards are spotted.
290
00:23:50,011 --> 00:23:52,722
You'd think a few weeks,
a cat would walk by.
291
00:23:54,099 --> 00:23:57,435
The camera traps were checked
and rechecked endlessly.
292
00:24:14,703 --> 00:24:16,329
Then one day...
293
00:24:32,637 --> 00:24:35,807
The team's first snow leopard
on camera.
294
00:24:35,974 --> 00:24:37,017
Great.
295
00:24:37,809 --> 00:24:42,105
And it's not just one,
another cat follows behind.
296
00:24:44,149 --> 00:24:45,984
-All right.
-Sweet.
297
00:24:52,991 --> 00:24:55,452
Snow leopards are mainly
solitary creatures.
298
00:24:56,912 --> 00:24:58,914
To film one is astonishing.
299
00:25:00,457 --> 00:25:03,168
For it to have company, incredible.
300
00:25:29,569 --> 00:25:33,156
It's definitive proof the cats are here.
301
00:25:39,204 --> 00:25:43,375
There's now a real sense of the team
being able to get into position
302
00:25:43,458 --> 00:25:45,961
to film the cats on the main camera.
303
00:25:46,044 --> 00:25:48,129
Do you guys wanna
drive around to the west?
304
00:25:48,213 --> 00:25:49,506
Might want to drive around to the west.
305
00:25:50,215 --> 00:25:52,968
To get everyone searching
as much as possible,
306
00:25:53,051 --> 00:25:56,221
a snow leopard spotting
competition begins.
307
00:25:56,388 --> 00:25:58,223
Dondrub, six points.
308
00:25:58,890 --> 00:26:02,394
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Mine.
That's my point.
309
00:26:04,062 --> 00:26:07,399
One point for spotting a snow leopard,
two points for if you actually film it.
310
00:26:07,565 --> 00:26:09,693
Sonam, two points.
311
00:26:10,193 --> 00:26:13,113
There are two snow leopards,
so we split two points.
312
00:26:13,196 --> 00:26:14,698
-Thank you very much.
-So you get a point each.
313
00:26:17,033 --> 00:26:19,995
He thought he saw something
and then I saw two snow leopards.
314
00:26:21,413 --> 00:26:22,414
-Yes.
-Congratulations.
315
00:26:25,041 --> 00:26:26,668
The team are now clearly bonding
316
00:26:26,835 --> 00:26:29,671
in their mission to get snow leopards
on the main camera.
317
00:26:30,422 --> 00:26:31,923
Okay, thank you, everybody.
318
00:26:32,007 --> 00:26:33,508
-Thank you.
-No points.
319
00:26:47,939 --> 00:26:50,108
I love to track these cats.
320
00:26:50,775 --> 00:26:53,778
But most of the time the cats here
are either on rocks,
321
00:26:53,862 --> 00:26:54,904
where they leave no tracks,
322
00:26:57,073 --> 00:27:00,452
or they're on this grass,
where they also leave no tracks.
323
00:27:00,535 --> 00:27:03,621
So our only opportunity really for
tracking is when we have snow.
324
00:27:04,456 --> 00:27:07,375
And this place does not get
a lot of snow
325
00:27:07,459 --> 00:27:09,377
and it usually melts off fairly quickly.
326
00:27:09,461 --> 00:27:12,505
So that means the animals don't have
a lot of time to leave tracks.
327
00:27:12,589 --> 00:27:15,425
But we have had some really good
tracking situations
328
00:27:15,508 --> 00:27:19,512
and honestly, that's one of
my greatest thrills.
329
00:27:19,596 --> 00:27:23,308
Fresh snow, fresh tracks and you know
there's a cat at the other end of that.
330
00:27:24,976 --> 00:27:25,977
Bingo.
331
00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:29,105
And with some snow on the ground,
332
00:27:29,189 --> 00:27:32,150
the tracking skills of the team
become crucial.
333
00:27:33,610 --> 00:27:35,528
Beautiful snow leopard tracks.
Beautiful.
334
00:27:41,368 --> 00:27:42,410
Look at this.
335
00:27:45,580 --> 00:27:49,209
That's a big cat. Damn.
336
00:27:53,588 --> 00:27:55,423
Yeah, that's a male.
337
00:27:56,132 --> 00:27:58,343
This is the perfect spot,
a little overhang
338
00:27:59,719 --> 00:28:04,057
so they can spray here and scent mark
and then the rain won't wash it away.
339
00:28:05,141 --> 00:28:06,142
It'll last longer.
340
00:28:06,226 --> 00:28:08,395
I assume that's why they do it
in all these overhangs,
341
00:28:08,478 --> 00:28:09,938
seem to be the perfect place.
342
00:28:10,688 --> 00:28:14,275
So there are times I've been on the
cat tracks and I see it go into
343
00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,487
really thick cover
where I couldn't tell...
344
00:28:17,570 --> 00:28:19,155
Thick rocks where you couldn't...
345
00:28:19,239 --> 00:28:21,241
It's a possibility
of surprising the animal.
346
00:28:21,866 --> 00:28:23,952
And in that case, I don't track them
347
00:28:24,035 --> 00:28:27,414
because the last thing I wanna do
is have these animals paranoid
348
00:28:27,497 --> 00:28:28,706
that we're sneaking up on them.
349
00:28:31,418 --> 00:28:34,212
But for now the cats remain hidden,
350
00:28:34,295 --> 00:28:36,965
largely thanks to their
incredible camouflage.
351
00:28:38,091 --> 00:28:41,511
If the military were trying
to design camouflage,
352
00:28:41,594 --> 00:28:44,222
they could really learn a lot
from snow leopards.
353
00:28:50,019 --> 00:28:51,896
I don't know how to describe
a snow leopard
354
00:28:51,980 --> 00:28:56,443
other than it almost seems to occupy
like a negative space.
355
00:29:05,368 --> 00:29:06,411
You don't look for an animal,
356
00:29:06,494 --> 00:29:10,415
you look for something that's just
not completely like the background.
357
00:29:12,375 --> 00:29:15,253
It's just incredible camouflage.
358
00:29:16,755 --> 00:29:18,923
And even their underpart is lighter,
359
00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:20,967
so when they're sitting on a hill
and looking down,
360
00:29:21,050 --> 00:29:22,510
it looks more like the sky.
361
00:29:28,892 --> 00:29:31,644
Biggest thing is believing
that they're there,
362
00:29:31,728 --> 00:29:35,648
and then you look through binoculars
and spotting scopes
363
00:29:35,732 --> 00:29:39,486
until your eyes bleed,
and maybe you actually see one.
364
00:29:41,780 --> 00:29:44,991
It's really surprised me
how often we'll find a cat,
365
00:29:45,074 --> 00:29:46,868
we'll have it in the spotting scope,
366
00:29:46,951 --> 00:29:49,579
some of the locals come by
and they'll want to have a look.
367
00:29:49,662 --> 00:29:51,956
And even though they know it's
in the spotting scope,
368
00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:53,124
they can't see it.
369
00:29:57,879 --> 00:30:00,632
It just does not get any better
than their camouflage
370
00:30:00,715 --> 00:30:02,133
and their ability to hide.
371
00:30:12,101 --> 00:30:13,269
Weeks have passed
372
00:30:13,353 --> 00:30:15,814
with no luck
since the camera trap success.
373
00:30:17,982 --> 00:30:21,110
But then the team receives news
from one of the locals.
374
00:30:22,153 --> 00:30:23,905
Signs of predator activity
375
00:30:24,072 --> 00:30:25,698
close to precious livestock.
376
00:30:26,407 --> 00:30:28,076
And it might be snow leopard.
377
00:30:30,411 --> 00:30:33,081
It's another chance
for the filming team to help out
378
00:30:33,331 --> 00:30:35,208
and tap into more local knowledge.
379
00:30:35,834 --> 00:30:37,377
We are headed to
380
00:30:37,710 --> 00:30:40,171
Dorje's house to try to help them out.
381
00:30:41,631 --> 00:30:43,466
They've had... Four nights in a row,
382
00:30:43,550 --> 00:30:46,010
they've had problems
with snow leopards sneaking in.
383
00:30:46,177 --> 00:30:48,972
And they've taken two of their lambs
and I think one goat.
384
00:30:49,722 --> 00:30:51,432
We have some remote cameras in here
385
00:30:51,516 --> 00:30:54,936
so, hopefully we can
determine exactly what it is.
386
00:30:55,019 --> 00:30:56,187
They don't know
that it's a snow leopard.
387
00:30:56,271 --> 00:30:57,438
They haven't seen it.
388
00:30:57,730 --> 00:31:01,025
Could be a wolf or a fox,
it could be a bear.
389
00:31:02,151 --> 00:31:03,403
The Himalaya blue bear
390
00:31:03,570 --> 00:31:06,364
is one of the rarest
bear subspecies on Earth.
391
00:31:08,157 --> 00:31:09,784
Bears break into most of these houses.
392
00:31:09,868 --> 00:31:12,161
His winter house
was sort of destroyed.
393
00:31:12,453 --> 00:31:15,456
They've learned that they can
find food in these houses,
394
00:31:15,540 --> 00:31:18,251
so they just destroy them,
and it's really...
395
00:31:20,753 --> 00:31:23,548
Getting more and more tension
between the locals
396
00:31:23,631 --> 00:31:25,383
and the animals that live here.
397
00:31:26,092 --> 00:31:28,511
We're trying to help them out.
They've been very helpful to us
398
00:31:29,012 --> 00:31:30,555
and we're hoping to return a favor.
399
00:31:31,472 --> 00:31:32,682
It's Dorje himself.
400
00:31:34,392 --> 00:31:37,186
The family have just suffered
another loss.
401
00:31:37,687 --> 00:31:39,105
What time did the cat come?
402
00:31:42,901 --> 00:31:44,903
4:00, something.
403
00:31:45,737 --> 00:31:47,280
Dog, dog, dog, dog. It's running.
404
00:31:49,073 --> 00:31:51,451
A dog. Not the likely culprit.
405
00:31:52,118 --> 00:31:53,202
Let's try the other camera.
406
00:31:53,286 --> 00:31:54,954
See if there's anything on that one.
407
00:31:56,664 --> 00:31:59,417
No. They escaped us as well.
408
00:32:00,043 --> 00:32:01,044
Well, should we keep trying?
409
00:32:10,428 --> 00:32:12,889
He thinks the snow leopards walk
410
00:32:13,306 --> 00:32:15,475
and attacking every time one way.
411
00:32:16,309 --> 00:32:18,436
-The same way?
-Yes, same way every time.
412
00:32:18,603 --> 00:32:20,772
So he'd like to put...
You find some tracks.
413
00:32:21,064 --> 00:32:22,148
-Okay.
-So he can...
414
00:32:22,231 --> 00:32:23,983
-He can put one there.
-Okay.
415
00:32:27,612 --> 00:32:30,198
Shane heads out
to place the camera traps again.
416
00:32:32,450 --> 00:32:33,660
I think the cat...
417
00:32:34,452 --> 00:32:36,037
They had fresh tracks here yesterday,
418
00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,122
so it might be going up this crack.
419
00:32:39,123 --> 00:32:41,376
It feels like a nice...
Maybe sneak route out,
420
00:32:41,459 --> 00:32:43,294
that the dogs wouldn't follow right away.
421
00:32:44,128 --> 00:32:45,213
Give it a try.
422
00:32:47,006 --> 00:32:48,091
Okay.
423
00:32:48,841 --> 00:32:50,510
Let me look at the angle.
424
00:32:54,097 --> 00:32:55,139
That looks good.
425
00:32:56,474 --> 00:32:58,309
So when it walks across...
426
00:33:02,230 --> 00:33:04,524
The team have done
all they can for now.
427
00:33:13,116 --> 00:33:14,867
Just a few days later, they return.
428
00:33:16,452 --> 00:33:18,997
The camera traps have been triggered
many more times.
429
00:33:20,289 --> 00:33:21,624
So we have 60 files.
430
00:33:22,166 --> 00:33:23,918
Hopefully, some of those are
snow leopard.
431
00:33:27,672 --> 00:33:29,674
Straight away, a snow leopard.
432
00:33:34,846 --> 00:33:36,472
So, here's some good evidence.
433
00:33:36,556 --> 00:33:38,641
There's definitely a snow leopard
in this region.
434
00:33:39,475 --> 00:33:40,852
Unfortunately, at the moment,
435
00:33:40,935 --> 00:33:43,062
he's preying on
these poor folks' livestock.
436
00:33:51,279 --> 00:33:53,364
The team continue
their relentless mission
437
00:33:53,948 --> 00:33:56,034
to get footage on the main cameras.
438
00:34:02,415 --> 00:34:04,709
Some of them
resorting to wacky humor
439
00:34:04,917 --> 00:34:07,670
in a bid to get any information they can.
440
00:34:26,856 --> 00:34:27,940
The view's nice.
441
00:34:30,568 --> 00:34:32,653
Only thing we need...
442
00:34:33,488 --> 00:34:34,572
Get the snow leopard.
443
00:34:35,073 --> 00:34:36,491
That'll make this even better.
444
00:34:44,499 --> 00:34:46,918
With endless perseverance
and endurance,
445
00:34:47,126 --> 00:34:49,420
the team continue on, until...
446
00:34:53,466 --> 00:34:54,592
You see it?
447
00:35:05,770 --> 00:35:07,355
Hey, Dondrub.
448
00:35:07,438 --> 00:35:10,358
-Ask Hu to tell me if she moves.
-Okay.
449
00:35:11,609 --> 00:35:14,112
She's walking,
she's walking towards the left.
450
00:35:24,956 --> 00:35:26,290
Dondrub, the rock star,
451
00:35:26,374 --> 00:35:28,126
just spotted a snow leopard up there.
452
00:35:28,209 --> 00:35:30,378
Allowed some great filming opportunity.
453
00:35:31,045 --> 00:35:32,088
That's me.
454
00:35:34,090 --> 00:35:35,216
Very good eyes.
455
00:35:51,315 --> 00:35:52,483
As the weeks pass,
456
00:35:52,817 --> 00:35:54,652
both the crew and snow leopards
457
00:35:55,069 --> 00:35:56,445
get used to each other's presence.
458
00:35:57,196 --> 00:35:59,866
The cats are becoming
more and more filmable.
459
00:36:24,390 --> 00:36:25,933
The team even film
460
00:36:26,017 --> 00:36:28,269
four snow leopards
hanging out together.
461
00:36:37,820 --> 00:36:39,447
A unique opportunity.
462
00:36:47,205 --> 00:36:48,873
And the successes keep coming.
463
00:36:52,752 --> 00:36:56,339
One day, the team get into
an even better spot.
464
00:36:57,423 --> 00:36:59,300
A few days ago, I had an opportunity
465
00:36:59,634 --> 00:37:01,719
to follow a cat that was hunting,
466
00:37:04,847 --> 00:37:07,391
and I was within about 50 meters.
467
00:37:10,353 --> 00:37:11,646
The sheep saw me.
468
00:37:11,771 --> 00:37:13,814
They knew I was there.
They're not worried about me.
469
00:37:13,898 --> 00:37:15,274
They have become used to us,
470
00:37:15,358 --> 00:37:18,903
because we've respected
their space as well.
471
00:37:23,950 --> 00:37:25,576
The cat knew I was there.
472
00:37:28,496 --> 00:37:31,123
I can move where I need to,
to line up a shot.
473
00:37:33,084 --> 00:37:34,543
And everybody's tolerating it.
474
00:37:36,087 --> 00:37:38,381
And I'm not interfering
with what's going on.
475
00:37:40,174 --> 00:37:41,259
I'm part of this.
476
00:37:42,593 --> 00:37:45,513
And I have to say, it's one of the
greatest honors I've had,
477
00:37:45,721 --> 00:37:47,556
you know, with these animals.
478
00:37:48,015 --> 00:37:50,893
It was a real special moment for me.
479
00:38:03,906 --> 00:38:06,450
One of the sheep spot the cat
just in time.
480
00:38:15,167 --> 00:38:16,836
It leaves to hunt another day.
481
00:38:20,006 --> 00:38:21,799
But the cats are behaving naturally.
482
00:38:22,967 --> 00:38:25,219
For the team, it's confirmation
483
00:38:25,303 --> 00:38:28,055
of the trust that the snow leopards
now have with them.
484
00:38:33,853 --> 00:38:35,479
All are in high spirits.
485
00:38:51,329 --> 00:38:53,956
Coming down is much easier
than climbing up.
486
00:39:03,466 --> 00:39:04,550
With so much success,
487
00:39:04,884 --> 00:39:07,553
the snow leopard spotting
competition heats up again.
488
00:39:10,014 --> 00:39:11,390
Zhang is the best.
489
00:39:13,976 --> 00:39:17,563
Five, 10, 15, 20, 33.
490
00:39:17,772 --> 00:39:19,023
Thirty-three?
491
00:39:19,982 --> 00:39:22,109
And the second is Hu, the driver.
492
00:39:22,651 --> 00:39:24,570
Chinese driver. Beijing. Nineteen.
493
00:39:25,821 --> 00:39:28,449
So now he's going to third position.
494
00:39:30,034 --> 00:39:31,035
Eighteen.
495
00:39:33,704 --> 00:39:35,790
The team have overcome one hurdle
496
00:39:35,873 --> 00:39:37,666
by getting the cats onside.
497
00:39:37,792 --> 00:39:39,877
Now they're ready for the ultimate,
498
00:39:40,419 --> 00:39:42,838
filming a snow leopard family.
499
00:39:46,050 --> 00:39:47,343
If they can find them,
500
00:39:47,635 --> 00:39:49,845
the cubs will have just emerged
from their den
501
00:39:49,929 --> 00:39:52,056
and their mother will be very wary.
502
00:39:52,390 --> 00:39:54,892
So it's back to the
remote camera traps.
503
00:39:58,187 --> 00:39:59,730
After months in the field,
504
00:40:00,231 --> 00:40:02,400
the grueling process
has to begin again.
505
00:40:04,193 --> 00:40:05,945
But the team now have the advantage
506
00:40:06,028 --> 00:40:08,572
of knowing the best spots
to place the cameras.
507
00:40:09,740 --> 00:40:11,033
Is there anything?
508
00:40:14,245 --> 00:40:15,371
Nothing on these ones.
509
00:40:28,717 --> 00:40:31,762
We have no footage of
snow leopards in here.
510
00:40:32,221 --> 00:40:34,306
It's not an easy cat to trap.
511
00:40:35,474 --> 00:40:37,143
But we won't give up.
512
00:40:45,276 --> 00:40:46,485
And then, news from camp
513
00:40:46,902 --> 00:40:49,697
of an intriguing hit
on one of the camera traps.
514
00:40:51,115 --> 00:40:52,741
-Cubs? Oh, man.
-Yeah!
515
00:40:56,162 --> 00:40:57,288
That's nice.
516
00:40:57,621 --> 00:40:59,748
-Got to be the cub.
-Yeah.
517
00:41:04,295 --> 00:41:06,005
But is it a snow leopard cub?
518
00:41:06,797 --> 00:41:08,007
We don't know.
519
00:41:10,176 --> 00:41:12,428
We need confirmation.
It needs to back up.
520
00:41:12,636 --> 00:41:13,804
Yeah.
521
00:41:14,263 --> 00:41:16,307
Oh, no. Camera got knocked over.
522
00:41:19,143 --> 00:41:21,020
The team wait anxiously.
523
00:41:22,730 --> 00:41:24,732
We know that there's
a cub-like thing there.
524
00:41:32,114 --> 00:41:33,199
Sweetness.
525
00:41:36,744 --> 00:41:37,953
It's a video of one minute.
526
00:41:38,913 --> 00:41:39,997
Now we got...
527
00:41:41,707 --> 00:41:42,791
That's a leopard.
528
00:41:43,834 --> 00:41:46,003
-That's a leopard cub.
-Yep.
529
00:41:46,837 --> 00:41:50,174
Finally, the confirmation
they're waiting for.
530
00:41:51,675 --> 00:41:52,676
That was cute.
531
00:41:55,179 --> 00:41:57,890
-We got two of them.
-Yeah, there's two.
532
00:41:58,349 --> 00:41:59,475
That's sweet.
533
00:42:04,188 --> 00:42:05,689
And you were thinking there were none.
534
00:42:06,232 --> 00:42:07,316
I thought there were none.
535
00:42:09,777 --> 00:42:11,820
Come on. Give me some good ones.
536
00:42:17,284 --> 00:42:18,911
The camera traps have paid off.
537
00:42:19,745 --> 00:42:20,746
Yeah.
538
00:42:23,374 --> 00:42:24,542
Over the next few weeks,
539
00:42:24,708 --> 00:42:26,377
the hits keep coming.
540
00:42:31,882 --> 00:42:35,386
Rare shots of a young,
wild snow leopard family
541
00:42:35,553 --> 00:42:37,429
playing completely undisturbed
542
00:42:37,638 --> 00:42:39,390
in their stunning natural home.
543
00:43:02,621 --> 00:43:05,082
The crew finally have their stars.
544
00:43:07,209 --> 00:43:08,836
They now need to get close enough
545
00:43:08,919 --> 00:43:11,547
to film the snow leopard family
on the main cameras.
546
00:43:14,091 --> 00:43:15,843
Hours and hours are spent
547
00:43:15,926 --> 00:43:18,220
scoping and hiking the mountains,
548
00:43:20,347 --> 00:43:23,267
until 90 days after arriving at camp...
549
00:43:23,851 --> 00:43:27,479
I'll never forget the day that we
first found the snow leopard cubs.
550
00:43:28,731 --> 00:43:31,483
I mean, our whole goal
was to find a mother with cubs.
551
00:43:52,630 --> 00:43:54,715
We'd been out here for three months
552
00:43:54,798 --> 00:43:56,550
and I looked up on a mountain
553
00:43:56,634 --> 00:43:59,011
and just a little bit of mist
blew through.
554
00:43:59,303 --> 00:44:03,182
It was just enough to give
a hint of a silhouette
555
00:44:03,265 --> 00:44:04,475
to the cat on the mountain
556
00:44:04,558 --> 00:44:06,685
when she wasn't actually on the skyline.
The cat...
557
00:44:07,269 --> 00:44:09,146
It was just a brief glimpse.
558
00:44:09,229 --> 00:44:10,439
It was a gift, honestly.
559
00:44:11,398 --> 00:44:12,733
And I looked through the binoculars
560
00:44:12,816 --> 00:44:15,819
and I was sure I could see
two little things at her feet, too,
561
00:44:16,070 --> 00:44:18,322
and I thought,
"It just can't be. It can't be."
562
00:44:18,781 --> 00:44:21,659
And it looked like a place where if we
563
00:44:22,117 --> 00:44:24,578
tried to get close to them
and let her see us,
564
00:44:24,662 --> 00:44:25,996
she'd probably run away.
565
00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:27,247
So it was one of the few times
566
00:44:27,331 --> 00:44:29,750
where I thought we really had to
hide from this cat.
567
00:44:31,835 --> 00:44:34,713
So I judged what's
the best way to use the land,
568
00:44:34,797 --> 00:44:35,964
how to get in close.
569
00:44:36,757 --> 00:44:39,343
And I really didn't get to see the mother
most of the day
570
00:44:39,426 --> 00:44:42,179
because all I did was stick the lens
of the camera above a rock
571
00:44:42,429 --> 00:44:43,681
and I was actually down.
572
00:45:03,075 --> 00:45:04,201
But, sure enough, it was.
573
00:45:04,368 --> 00:45:05,536
It was a mother with cubs.
574
00:45:05,994 --> 00:45:08,205
These shots are the first time
575
00:45:08,372 --> 00:45:09,998
that such young snow leopard cubs
576
00:45:10,082 --> 00:45:11,875
have ever been filmed in the wild.
577
00:45:14,169 --> 00:45:16,880
It's a remarkable and unique
achievement for the team
578
00:45:16,964 --> 00:45:19,216
after 12 grueling weeks in the field.
579
00:45:22,052 --> 00:45:24,388
Of course, I mean,
I was just giddy all day long.
580
00:45:24,638 --> 00:45:25,764
To see these cubs,
581
00:45:26,390 --> 00:45:28,308
to see them, you know,
playing with the mother,
582
00:45:28,392 --> 00:45:30,477
biting her tail, pulling her ears,
583
00:45:30,561 --> 00:45:34,064
and to see her patience
and great care with the cubs...
584
00:46:09,516 --> 00:46:11,059
125 meters or so,
585
00:46:11,643 --> 00:46:12,978
she knew something wasn't right.
586
00:46:13,061 --> 00:46:14,313
She could see that lens.
587
00:46:25,365 --> 00:46:26,825
But she was just comfortable enough,
588
00:46:26,909 --> 00:46:28,076
'cause we didn't move at all
589
00:46:28,619 --> 00:46:29,953
and she got used to that lens,
590
00:46:30,162 --> 00:46:31,413
you know, peering over the rock,
591
00:46:31,997 --> 00:46:33,499
that they went on about their business.
592
00:46:49,806 --> 00:46:53,143
It was just such an amazing day.
593
00:47:12,704 --> 00:47:13,830
A snow leopard...
594
00:47:34,434 --> 00:47:37,271
The team now
have the amazing chance
595
00:47:37,521 --> 00:47:39,940
to follow a wild snow leopard family.
596
00:47:42,192 --> 00:47:45,070
Two adorable cubs, just months old.
597
00:47:53,579 --> 00:47:55,914
-Two cats?
-I can only see one from here.
598
00:47:59,084 --> 00:48:03,088
And a mother, doing all she can
to keep her family safe.
599
00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:16,893
Snow leopard with baby,
they sleep whole night.
600
00:48:17,060 --> 00:48:18,103
Whole day, today.
601
00:48:18,353 --> 00:48:20,564
They moved and then, okay,
602
00:48:20,647 --> 00:48:23,358
when I looked down on the ridge
at 50 meters,
603
00:48:23,734 --> 00:48:25,819
little bit of snow filtering down,
604
00:48:25,986 --> 00:48:28,155
I can see the cubs curled together,
605
00:48:28,238 --> 00:48:29,990
I can see half of the mom,
606
00:48:30,073 --> 00:48:31,742
and I wanted to take a picture badly,
607
00:48:32,367 --> 00:48:33,660
but I said, "No."
608
00:48:34,369 --> 00:48:35,495
'Cause if they see me,
609
00:48:35,829 --> 00:48:37,956
I'll lose their trust
and they'll be gone.
610
00:48:41,627 --> 00:48:43,086
Over the next few weeks,
611
00:48:43,629 --> 00:48:45,672
the crew capture unique footage
612
00:48:45,922 --> 00:48:47,424
of the snow leopard family.
613
00:49:33,220 --> 00:49:34,471
But as the weather warms,
614
00:49:34,971 --> 00:49:37,140
the cats become harder to find.
615
00:49:43,146 --> 00:49:46,441
A complete lack of fresh snow
making it even harder
616
00:49:46,608 --> 00:49:49,236
for the film crew
to track the snow leopard family.
617
00:49:59,663 --> 00:50:02,290
Weeks pass without a single sighting.
618
00:50:10,841 --> 00:50:13,260
We haven't found
the mother snow leopard
619
00:50:13,552 --> 00:50:14,594
for so long.
620
00:50:14,678 --> 00:50:16,388
And now, I'm climbing.
621
00:50:16,847 --> 00:50:18,014
Climbing the mountain
622
00:50:18,348 --> 00:50:21,393
to see if there is any track
623
00:50:21,518 --> 00:50:22,978
of her and her cubs.
624
00:50:26,565 --> 00:50:27,899
It's really difficult for us
625
00:50:28,567 --> 00:50:30,736
to climb the mountains around here.
626
00:50:31,403 --> 00:50:32,946
The elevation is just too high.
627
00:50:33,530 --> 00:50:34,990
If our mandate was to film
628
00:50:35,365 --> 00:50:37,701
any snow leopards,
it would be challenging enough.
629
00:50:38,034 --> 00:50:40,871
But we're trying to film
one needle in this haystack.
630
00:50:41,496 --> 00:50:43,832
And our star is gone. She's taken off.
631
00:50:43,915 --> 00:50:45,417
We don't have a clue where she is.
632
00:50:46,001 --> 00:50:49,045
You know, their average home range
is 40 square kilometers.
633
00:50:49,546 --> 00:50:52,174
And we don't know which side of that.
634
00:50:52,257 --> 00:50:54,009
It could be left, right, north, south.
635
00:50:56,052 --> 00:50:58,138
We've had all sorts of things
during this.
636
00:51:00,849 --> 00:51:02,184
Crazy weather,
637
00:51:05,395 --> 00:51:07,564
extreme attitude,
638
00:51:08,231 --> 00:51:10,525
and trying to film an animal that's
basically a ghost.
639
00:51:12,194 --> 00:51:13,403
I'm working up here
640
00:51:13,904 --> 00:51:16,239
at 16,000 feet for months on end.
641
00:51:16,490 --> 00:51:18,742
I think he... I think he gave up.
642
00:51:21,870 --> 00:51:23,246
You know, it does test
643
00:51:24,372 --> 00:51:25,665
the nerves and the emotions.
644
00:51:30,420 --> 00:51:31,421
Jeez.
645
00:51:40,096 --> 00:51:42,682
And then things get even worse.
646
00:51:56,655 --> 00:51:59,407
The octocopter
started spinning in circles,
647
00:51:59,491 --> 00:52:01,284
which means you have
no directional control.
648
00:52:01,743 --> 00:52:03,411
I saw smoke, the fire went up the...
649
00:52:03,745 --> 00:52:05,205
Up the food chain, so to speak.
650
00:52:05,664 --> 00:52:07,541
And then it just shot off at
a great rate of speed.
651
00:52:07,749 --> 00:52:09,417
I didn't know if I'd ever see it again.
652
00:52:09,501 --> 00:52:10,627
It was flying over there,
653
00:52:10,794 --> 00:52:12,337
into snow leopard country.
654
00:52:12,921 --> 00:52:14,214
But I saw the...
655
00:52:14,673 --> 00:52:16,591
I saw the fireball
when it hit the ground, so...
656
00:52:17,634 --> 00:52:19,970
I mean, this is probably
an all-time low for me.
657
00:52:20,136 --> 00:52:22,848
I haven't seen our star,
the mother and cubs, in ages.
658
00:52:23,306 --> 00:52:24,432
Helicopter's crashed.
659
00:52:24,516 --> 00:52:26,184
Camera traps aren't working.
660
00:52:26,434 --> 00:52:27,644
Snow leopards are gone.
661
00:52:27,853 --> 00:52:29,020
So...
662
00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:31,857
We're at a low point, for sure.
663
00:52:32,566 --> 00:52:33,817
Nowhere to go but up.
664
00:52:34,693 --> 00:52:35,902
I really feel for Shane.
665
00:52:35,986 --> 00:52:38,321
Shane has been
working on that octocopter
666
00:52:38,989 --> 00:52:41,741
in his garage for months
and months and months.
667
00:52:41,992 --> 00:52:43,159
He's spent
668
00:52:44,661 --> 00:52:45,829
a lot of hard work,
669
00:52:46,454 --> 00:52:47,497
fine-tuning,
670
00:52:47,873 --> 00:52:49,374
making sure that it can fly.
671
00:52:49,708 --> 00:52:53,587
And within seconds today,
all of that work
672
00:52:54,004 --> 00:52:55,130
has gone down the pan.
673
00:52:55,922 --> 00:52:57,883
It must be very hard for him to take.
674
00:52:58,717 --> 00:53:00,135
I feel very gutted for him.
675
00:53:00,343 --> 00:53:03,221
We are at least two days away
from any help.
676
00:53:03,930 --> 00:53:06,558
And in terms of technical help,
like a helicopter,
677
00:53:07,017 --> 00:53:08,518
probably two weeks.
678
00:53:09,019 --> 00:53:10,604
It's just a really hard place to work.
679
00:53:15,025 --> 00:53:17,193
The team make a very brave decision.
680
00:53:19,404 --> 00:53:21,448
The last month, we've had no luck,
681
00:53:21,531 --> 00:53:22,949
we've had no snow.
682
00:53:25,744 --> 00:53:27,579
We arrived here with fresh snow
683
00:53:27,662 --> 00:53:30,665
and I thought, it was, you know,
a wildlife cameraman's dream.
684
00:53:31,666 --> 00:53:34,336
We haven't had any snow
in about five weeks,
685
00:53:34,419 --> 00:53:36,880
so it's turned into
a bit of a nightmare, actually.
686
00:53:38,048 --> 00:53:40,717
I think we've seen the mother six times.
687
00:53:41,718 --> 00:53:43,053
That's a hard way to make a film.
688
00:53:44,638 --> 00:53:46,806
The plan now
is to monitor the conditions
689
00:53:46,890 --> 00:53:48,642
and come back if we get snow
690
00:53:48,725 --> 00:53:50,936
and if the female and cubs return.
691
00:53:51,186 --> 00:53:52,646
Otherwise, there's not much point.
692
00:53:54,564 --> 00:53:57,734
I'm going to let the fire
just die by itself.
693
00:54:00,570 --> 00:54:02,989
We've been doing it for two months.
I guess it'll...
694
00:54:13,959 --> 00:54:15,085
Sad day.
695
00:54:17,921 --> 00:54:19,589
The crew are at a crucial point.
696
00:54:20,173 --> 00:54:21,800
So much has been achieved,
697
00:54:22,258 --> 00:54:25,345
but they know
the story is far from complete.
698
00:54:27,472 --> 00:54:29,391
They're desperately hoping to return,
699
00:54:30,058 --> 00:54:31,226
but they need snow
700
00:54:31,309 --> 00:54:32,560
to stand any chance
701
00:54:32,644 --> 00:54:34,854
of finding
the snow leopard family again.
702
00:54:50,537 --> 00:54:53,081
Two months later, the team return
703
00:54:55,458 --> 00:54:57,460
to a much snowier scene.
704
00:54:58,962 --> 00:55:01,881
We're now headed toward a
mother snow leopard and cubs.
705
00:55:02,048 --> 00:55:03,633
And I couldn't be more excited.
706
00:55:04,968 --> 00:55:06,177
The team has been out here.
707
00:55:06,261 --> 00:55:07,929
They've been seeing
them somewhat regularly.
708
00:55:08,221 --> 00:55:10,807
And I'm thrilled at the opportunity.
709
00:55:10,890 --> 00:55:12,392
We have some snow
on the ground now,
710
00:55:12,475 --> 00:55:15,353
so we should be able to track them
and see them more easily.
711
00:55:15,895 --> 00:55:17,063
Conditions are perfect.
712
00:55:21,526 --> 00:55:23,069
So now we're getting some fresh snow.
713
00:55:23,153 --> 00:55:25,155
I hope we get
another couple inches tonight.
714
00:55:26,072 --> 00:55:27,741
Ideally, it stops about midnight.
715
00:55:27,824 --> 00:55:29,784
Then we have, you know,
eight hours for animals
716
00:55:29,868 --> 00:55:31,286
to lay down tracks.
717
00:55:31,828 --> 00:55:34,497
And tomorrow,
they're much more visible
718
00:55:34,622 --> 00:55:36,124
and much easier to track.
719
00:55:36,374 --> 00:55:38,001
So this is perfect for us.
720
00:55:38,084 --> 00:55:39,169
I'm very excited.
721
00:55:47,802 --> 00:55:49,262
Having an egg sandwich.
722
00:55:50,722 --> 00:55:53,683
It's just kind of
the default breakfast because,
723
00:55:55,351 --> 00:55:58,521
you know, vegetables for breakfast
don't really work for me.
724
00:55:59,773 --> 00:56:01,024
But eggs do.
725
00:56:01,775 --> 00:56:04,152
Eggs saved my life here, actually.
726
00:56:15,246 --> 00:56:17,415
Think you're gonna be all right?
You'll find the road?
727
00:56:17,707 --> 00:56:18,958
Yeah, we'll try to find the road.
728
00:56:19,417 --> 00:56:20,668
Tsultrim,
729
00:56:20,752 --> 00:56:23,004
one of the team's
local guides and drivers,
730
00:56:23,338 --> 00:56:24,881
confident enough in his knowledge
731
00:56:25,048 --> 00:56:27,175
to get the team
wherever they need to be.
732
00:56:40,063 --> 00:56:43,024
So I guess we'll carry on
to try and find mum and cubs.
733
00:56:44,275 --> 00:56:45,443
Correct?
734
00:56:45,735 --> 00:56:46,903
Copy.
735
00:56:57,122 --> 00:56:58,581
The other half of the team
736
00:56:58,790 --> 00:57:00,416
are the first to spot them.
737
00:57:00,959 --> 00:57:02,544
I think that might be the mother.
738
00:57:02,710 --> 00:57:03,711
Yeah.
739
00:57:18,726 --> 00:57:21,104
The team are back
with the snow leopard family.
740
00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:25,942
The film crew's knowledge
of this remote location
741
00:57:26,025 --> 00:57:28,445
and their trusting relationship
with the cats
742
00:57:28,528 --> 00:57:29,779
is paying off.
743
00:57:32,115 --> 00:57:33,324
To everyone's relief,
744
00:57:33,616 --> 00:57:35,785
the family look in great health.
745
00:57:36,453 --> 00:57:38,788
We're not in this
to film on any given day.
746
00:57:38,872 --> 00:57:40,290
We're in this for the long haul.
747
00:57:40,707 --> 00:57:43,042
To try and stay with these cats,
748
00:57:43,460 --> 00:57:44,627
learn what they're doing.
749
00:57:44,794 --> 00:57:47,839
When we started, I mean, the cats,
they would see us and...
750
00:57:48,673 --> 00:57:49,883
You know, if...
751
00:57:50,425 --> 00:57:51,968
If they were close, they were gone.
752
00:57:52,469 --> 00:57:54,429
And now, they've learned that...
753
00:57:55,221 --> 00:57:56,639
That they can trust us, you know.
754
00:57:56,723 --> 00:57:58,933
We haven't done anything
to violate their trust.
755
00:57:59,309 --> 00:58:02,479
Even at the expense of some shots
that we'd like to get on a given day,
756
00:58:02,645 --> 00:58:04,689
it's like,
"No, take your time, be patient."
757
00:58:05,315 --> 00:58:07,442
And hopefully it'll pay off,
758
00:58:07,525 --> 00:58:09,152
and I think it really has now.
759
00:58:51,277 --> 00:58:52,862
As the filming progresses,
760
00:58:53,196 --> 00:58:55,657
the team follow the family
as often as they can
761
00:58:56,157 --> 00:58:59,285
and gain more insight into how
this population of snow leopards
762
00:58:59,369 --> 00:59:00,745
survive here.
763
00:59:02,830 --> 00:59:04,040
They're absolute masters,
764
00:59:04,123 --> 00:59:07,252
but not only is it
the right color and shape
765
00:59:07,335 --> 00:59:08,711
to blend with the environment,
766
00:59:10,213 --> 00:59:11,756
but their movements are.
767
00:59:12,090 --> 00:59:15,927
If I'm going around looking for
a deer, for example, or a sheep
768
00:59:16,010 --> 00:59:17,762
and I surprise one, it runs away
769
00:59:18,304 --> 00:59:19,639
and you see it, you know it's there.
770
00:59:20,723 --> 00:59:22,559
But a cat? You know, no.
771
00:59:22,642 --> 00:59:24,143
And I've watched this so many times.
772
00:59:24,227 --> 00:59:25,812
When they see something
they don't like,
773
00:59:25,895 --> 00:59:27,355
they'll go in a reverse stalk.
774
00:59:31,859 --> 00:59:33,653
So they can still see what they want.
775
00:59:38,283 --> 00:59:40,743
They'll creep back up over the horizon
and take off.
776
00:59:40,827 --> 00:59:42,245
And you never see them.
777
00:59:49,002 --> 00:59:50,753
So, you know, they're just
778
00:59:51,212 --> 00:59:52,880
masters at using the terrain.
779
00:59:52,964 --> 00:59:54,632
They move so slowly.
780
01:00:01,639 --> 01:00:03,641
They turn
and have a head look this way.
781
01:00:04,267 --> 01:00:05,602
And then that way.
782
01:00:05,768 --> 01:00:07,645
Never do they move rapid enough
783
01:00:07,729 --> 01:00:10,273
for something to catch that movement.
784
01:00:14,527 --> 01:00:16,404
But even with these skills,
785
01:00:16,487 --> 01:00:19,616
life for the top predator here
is extremely tough.
786
01:00:33,588 --> 01:00:36,799
It's a wildlife cameraman's dream,
having a chase
787
01:00:36,883 --> 01:00:38,676
come right to camera.
788
01:00:38,885 --> 01:00:40,178
It's just... How can it go wrong?
789
01:00:40,261 --> 01:00:44,140
There are 62 sheep for this cat to hunt
and it sits there.
790
01:00:45,808 --> 01:00:47,393
Jeez.
791
01:00:49,145 --> 01:00:50,563
I don't know what that cat wants but...
792
01:00:52,065 --> 01:00:53,816
It looked perfect to me
but obviously not to him.
793
01:01:11,125 --> 01:01:13,336
Got a snow leopard sneaking up
on blue sheep.
794
01:01:13,419 --> 01:01:15,463
It doesn't get any better than this.
795
01:01:57,422 --> 01:02:00,007
There's no way that cat can sneak
on those sheep.
796
01:02:00,967 --> 01:02:02,719
It's wide open.
797
01:02:17,734 --> 01:02:19,068
So, we wait.
798
01:02:32,165 --> 01:02:34,751
Tough life of a snow leopard,
that's for sure.
799
01:02:37,920 --> 01:02:38,921
You know, you...
800
01:02:39,380 --> 01:02:43,259
We've seen 'em be close to sheep,
close to food so many times
801
01:02:43,342 --> 01:02:45,887
but it just doesn't seem to happen.
802
01:02:46,262 --> 01:02:48,139
I can't imagine what it's
like to wander around.
803
01:02:48,222 --> 01:02:49,766
We can see their belly, they're skinny,
804
01:02:50,600 --> 01:02:52,810
they're obviously very hungry,
very motivated.
805
01:02:57,774 --> 01:03:00,443
But it's just hard to get a meal out here.
806
01:03:06,783 --> 01:03:10,119
A fact the snow leopard mom
knows only too well.
807
01:03:36,354 --> 01:03:39,398
The team now have a unique
and incredible understanding
808
01:03:39,482 --> 01:03:42,985
of this remote area
and the wildlife that lives here.
809
01:03:45,947 --> 01:03:48,407
Most of the time,
we don't spot the cats.
810
01:03:48,491 --> 01:03:50,868
Other animals spot the cats
and lead them to us.
811
01:03:52,328 --> 01:03:54,831
The lammergeiers have been
the biggest help for me.
812
01:03:54,914 --> 01:03:56,457
They're beautiful,
813
01:03:56,541 --> 01:04:00,294
elegant, soaring bird here that lives off
the snow leopard kills.
814
01:04:00,378 --> 01:04:04,257
And the vultures, occasionally,
when we see them on the ground,
815
01:04:04,340 --> 01:04:06,676
or landing near a kill,
816
01:04:06,759 --> 01:04:09,428
then often they're waiting
for the snow leopard to leave and...
817
01:04:09,512 --> 01:04:11,430
And that's our cue,
818
01:04:11,514 --> 01:04:13,641
so, there's lots of things
that are leading us to snow leopards.
819
01:04:14,183 --> 01:04:16,269
Sometimes we just get lucky
and see them.
820
01:04:16,352 --> 01:04:18,813
The skyline is a good place
to pick 'em up.
821
01:04:18,896 --> 01:04:22,441
But basically this whole team
has become
822
01:04:22,525 --> 01:04:26,529
so dialed in now
that it's really amazing to see.
823
01:04:26,612 --> 01:04:30,366
Just get this call on the radio and boom,
there's another cat, off we go.
824
01:04:31,492 --> 01:04:34,120
Sure enough, in the sky above,
825
01:04:34,203 --> 01:04:37,039
a vulture reveals
the location of a carcass.
826
01:04:42,545 --> 01:04:46,799
The snow leopard mom finally
has an easy meal for her and the cubs.
827
01:04:55,224 --> 01:04:57,059
She calls them in.
828
01:05:09,530 --> 01:05:12,867
But only one is brave enough
to venture into the open.
829
01:05:15,077 --> 01:05:17,914
Mom looks to the other cub
to encourage it down
830
01:05:18,414 --> 01:05:20,082
but it's too timid.
831
01:05:23,461 --> 01:05:26,380
She's going to have to fetch instead.
832
01:05:57,954 --> 01:06:00,498
Mom now has two cubs alone.
833
01:06:00,581 --> 01:06:03,459
She's torn between which to go to.
834
01:06:13,886 --> 01:06:16,430
She heads up to protect the timid one,
835
01:06:16,514 --> 01:06:19,392
leaving the other cub out in the open,
836
01:06:19,475 --> 01:06:21,477
unaware of the danger he's in.
837
01:06:45,543 --> 01:06:47,211
This is not good.
838
01:06:48,504 --> 01:06:50,214
She's calling for the other cub.
839
01:06:51,340 --> 01:06:52,758
It's not good.
840
01:06:56,679 --> 01:07:00,057
It's really sad and hard to watch this,
she's calling and calling.
841
01:07:00,725 --> 01:07:04,103
The other cub seems to try and
go to the mother to comfort her.
842
01:07:06,022 --> 01:07:08,858
-It's not good.
-Where's the other cub?
843
01:07:09,692 --> 01:07:11,694
I don't know where the other cub is.
844
01:07:11,777 --> 01:07:14,864
Unfortunately, the other cub stayed
near the carcass,
845
01:07:14,947 --> 01:07:16,407
which could be a bad move
846
01:07:16,490 --> 01:07:19,952
'cause we know there are other cats
moving around and other predators.
847
01:07:20,036 --> 01:07:22,705
I don't know why
it stayed by that carcass.
848
01:07:25,332 --> 01:07:27,460
I hope it's in a cave somewhere.
849
01:07:31,922 --> 01:07:36,010
I really wanna leave right now
'cause I don't want our presence
850
01:07:36,093 --> 01:07:38,929
to keep the mother from coming back
and searching for that cub,
851
01:07:39,013 --> 01:07:40,931
so, it's time to go.
852
01:07:41,015 --> 01:07:43,684
I'd like to see how this resolves
853
01:07:44,894 --> 01:07:47,271
but it's not right.
854
01:07:49,774 --> 01:07:51,567
I'm worried for that little guy.
855
01:07:55,488 --> 01:07:56,947
Let's get outta here.
856
01:08:04,622 --> 01:08:05,956
As of tonight,
857
01:08:06,290 --> 01:08:08,000
he's not reunited with his mother,
858
01:08:08,084 --> 01:08:11,212
the mother was calling
and looking for him,
859
01:08:12,630 --> 01:08:14,965
but I hope he's all right, hope he's okay.
860
01:08:15,049 --> 01:08:17,843
Scary world out there
for such a little guy.
861
01:08:42,952 --> 01:08:46,163
After a nervous night,
the team head out at dawn
862
01:08:46,247 --> 01:08:48,999
in the hope of finding
the family together.
863
01:08:56,423 --> 01:08:57,716
-You found them?
-Found them.
864
01:08:57,800 --> 01:08:59,802
That's great.
865
01:09:00,469 --> 01:09:02,429
The freshest tracks
went around the corner
866
01:09:02,513 --> 01:09:05,057
and I was very tempted to follow them
but I thought, no, if I do that,
867
01:09:05,141 --> 01:09:07,017
I'll probably bump them out
and frighten them away.
868
01:09:07,101 --> 01:09:10,396
-Yeah.
-So I took a big circle around to look...
869
01:09:11,021 --> 01:09:12,940
And sure enough, look right in that cave
870
01:09:13,023 --> 01:09:15,985
and here's a set of eyes
and ears poking out.
871
01:09:16,861 --> 01:09:18,070
Man, that's great.
872
01:09:36,797 --> 01:09:39,508
The snow leopard family,
back together.
873
01:09:41,260 --> 01:09:43,721
Her family is still intact,
874
01:09:44,305 --> 01:09:47,016
and life's good, it's good news, though.
875
01:09:49,351 --> 01:09:53,606
The remote snow leopard
location of Sanjiangyuan,
876
01:09:53,689 --> 01:09:57,651
a beacon of hope for the survival
of the endangered snow leopard.
877
01:10:26,138 --> 01:10:28,974
A wilderness
that offers them some protection.
878
01:10:31,560 --> 01:10:33,437
And they do need help.
879
01:10:35,481 --> 01:10:38,025
Across their vast Asian range,
880
01:10:38,108 --> 01:10:41,654
the impact of climate change,
habitat loss
881
01:10:41,737 --> 01:10:45,866
and conflict with humans
could threaten their very existence.
882
01:10:48,369 --> 01:10:51,163
Snow leopards seem to be
doing pretty well here,
883
01:10:51,247 --> 01:10:53,374
but the future is not guaranteed.
884
01:10:54,458 --> 01:10:57,878
They survive because
the locals are tolerant.
885
01:10:57,962 --> 01:11:00,422
And if anything should happen
to change that,
886
01:11:00,506 --> 01:11:02,508
I think it would be very hard
for these snow leopards
887
01:11:02,591 --> 01:11:05,135
and probably those across the range.
888
01:11:05,219 --> 01:11:09,473
So, it's very encouraging to see
how well it's working now,
889
01:11:09,556 --> 01:11:12,101
but it's a pretty fragile balance here.
890
01:11:14,770 --> 01:11:17,273
A balance helped
by the presence here
891
01:11:17,356 --> 01:11:20,484
of some very special human guardians.
892
01:11:28,617 --> 01:11:31,704
In this vast region,
the cats are watched over
893
01:11:31,787 --> 01:11:34,540
by hundreds of Buddhist monasteries.
894
01:11:37,501 --> 01:11:40,629
The monks practice love, respect
895
01:11:40,713 --> 01:11:43,173
and a compassion for all living beings,
896
01:11:43,257 --> 01:11:46,593
resulting in the protection
of all life here.
897
01:11:48,971 --> 01:11:51,098
Half of the monasteries in this region
898
01:11:51,181 --> 01:11:53,809
are found very close
to snow leopard habitat,
899
01:11:54,601 --> 01:11:57,396
and conservation organizations
are working with monks
900
01:11:57,479 --> 01:12:00,733
to teach them how to monitor
and protect wildlife.
901
01:12:25,674 --> 01:12:29,178
The snow leopard in its habitat
is considered sacred.
902
01:12:32,973 --> 01:12:35,809
The monks serve as wildlife guardians
903
01:12:35,893 --> 01:12:39,438
not only for snow leopards
but for all life here.
904
01:12:49,990 --> 01:12:52,576
The numerous and scattered
monasteries serving
905
01:12:52,659 --> 01:12:54,453
as conservation stations.
906
01:12:57,623 --> 01:13:01,001
The endangered snow leopard
has surprising allies
907
01:13:01,085 --> 01:13:02,961
in unexpected places.
908
01:13:26,026 --> 01:13:29,279
The crew have enjoyed a privileged
and rare insight
909
01:13:29,363 --> 01:13:32,658
into the life of snow leopards in China.
910
01:13:33,283 --> 01:13:36,245
I do feel very privileged
911
01:13:37,079 --> 01:13:38,455
to come to a place like this.
912
01:13:38,539 --> 01:13:40,416
There's only a handful of filmmakers
913
01:13:40,499 --> 01:13:44,002
that have had the magical opportunity
to work with snow leopards.
914
01:13:45,462 --> 01:13:48,757
Much of this success
due to the local team.
915
01:13:50,551 --> 01:13:52,719
Good luck for your film.
916
01:13:53,220 --> 01:13:57,182
These people are certainly
some of the toughest people
917
01:13:57,266 --> 01:14:01,103
I've ever encountered
anywhere in the world,
918
01:14:01,186 --> 01:14:04,440
and fortunately, they had
the endurance that was required
919
01:14:04,523 --> 01:14:06,650
to make this film a reality,
920
01:14:06,733 --> 01:14:09,236
and the persistence,
and the dedication...
921
01:14:09,319 --> 01:14:13,073
We couldn't have worked
with a more wonderful local crew.
922
01:14:17,703 --> 01:14:19,288
A multicultural team
923
01:14:19,371 --> 01:14:22,791
who spent more than
250 days in the field
924
01:14:22,875 --> 01:14:27,546
defying the odds to successfully
capture the first-ever footage
925
01:14:27,629 --> 01:14:30,299
of a young, wild snow leopard family.
926
01:14:33,302 --> 01:14:37,764
It's something I'll treasure
for the rest of my life, I have no doubt.
927
01:14:48,734 --> 01:14:52,112
For Shane and the team,
it's time to go home.
928
01:14:53,822 --> 01:14:57,743
The footage they've captured in one
of China's greatest wildernesses
929
01:14:58,785 --> 01:15:02,122
reveals much
about the elusive snow leopard,
930
01:15:02,581 --> 01:15:05,042
a ghost in the mountains.
931
01:15:05,584 --> 01:15:08,128
A cat that fires our imagination
932
01:15:08,212 --> 01:15:10,964
perhaps more than any other on Earth.
73803
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