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In Rwanda (S2E7), Ed is dropped at high altitude on the grasslands of Africa, among the giants: elephants, giraffes, warthogs. Food is scarce. The environment is peaceful yet dangerous. He must tread carefully, forage for roots and insects, avoid predators, and manage hydration at altitude.

This episode tests savanna survival: awareness of large mammals, foraging low-nutrition land, balancing energy in thin air, and risk mitigation.

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Botswana survival, Okavango Delta, Wetland survival, Flood survival, Predator threats, Crocodile danger, Hippo territory, Africa bushcraft, Botswana challenge, Survival in Africa, Ed Stafford Marooned Botswana,

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Transcript
00:00This time on Marooned, I'm in the heart of Africa.
00:07That is terrifying.
00:10I'm battling to survive alongside the world's biggest and deadliest game.
00:19I'm surrounded by hippos.
00:21I'm Ed Stafford.
00:25I've walked the length of the Amazon and survived on a desert island with only a camera to film my adventure.
00:33Now, I've set myself a new challenge to prove I can make it in some of the world's toughest environments.
00:42Using only what I find around me.
00:46I'll be left completely alone for ten days with nothing.
00:51Words cannot describe how I feel right now.
00:54No film crew. No food. No water.
00:58The sun is directly overhead. It's boiling hot.
01:00Not even a knife.
01:02Right, come on, Ed. Go and move on.
01:04This time, it's about more than survival. I want to see if I can thrive.
01:08Yes!
01:09Anywhere.
01:11About to be dropped in to the middle of the African savannah.
01:23The adrenaline's catering already. Every sense is firing.
01:29I'm in Rwanda, just a few degrees south of the equator.
01:35This is the heart of Africa.
01:39After a civil war in the 1990s that killed nearly a million people, Rwanda is now reestablishing itself as a wildlife refuge.
01:50Rare gorillas can be found in the west.
01:54But my home for the next ten days will be the remote wetlands and grasslands of Akagera.
02:02I want to do more than just survive in this alien environment amongst dangerous animals.
02:08I want to see if I can thrive alongside this iconic wildlife.
02:16I'm dropping into a high plateau with no rations, no survival equipment, not even any clothes.
02:24All I have with me are my cameras.
02:28I'll be relying on what's around me for all of my needs.
02:38Wow, look where I am.
02:42I'm up at about 2,000 meters. The sun already is hot.
02:48Here, near the equator, the African midday sun can reach 30 degrees Celsius.
02:54And with every thousand meters of altitude, the sun's intensity increases by up to 10%.
03:01Clearly, immediately, I'm survival priorities.
03:07It's Africa.
03:09Heat is a big one, getting out of the sun, but also predominantly water.
03:15I can already see water, but those lakes are miles away.
03:21The nearest lake is seven kilometers away, and two steep hills lie in my path.
03:27Walking that distance barefoot in the midday sun without water would be crazy.
03:33But maybe there's another option.
03:39This whole place is criss-crossed, criss-crossed with, um, with animal paths.
03:43Which leads me to think that there could be a source of water up here.
03:48Looks a little bit like zebra scat.
03:51This really is Africa, isn't it?
03:53Everything is out there.
03:55There's something, something else.
03:59There's nothing.
04:00There's nothing.
04:01There's nothing.
04:02Although dehydration and heat stroke remain my most immediate threat, the Rwandan savanna
04:09is home to hippos, elephants, and up here in the highlands, African buffalo.
04:16Known as the Widowmaker, these mountains of mussel gore and kill over 200 people a year.
04:25As we came over, I could see buffalo in that direction.
04:30Quite a big herd of buffalo.
04:32The senses tell me there'll be a source of water up here.
04:35I've got to be so careful because these tree areas where there's long grass is where buffaloes
04:46could easily be escaping from the midday sun.
04:49And if I stumble upon them in the long grass, that's when they're dangerous.
04:56I'm right to be cautious.
04:58They can't be far away.
05:00I think you can see where the buffalo have been sleeping.
05:05Big, flat areas of grass where animal tracks converge.
05:10That's often where you find a source of water.
05:17Walking towards something that is potentially so dangerous.
05:21Just having to keep my eyes so peeled.
05:26That's a watering hole.
05:31That is a watering hole.
05:33That is what I was hoping I would find.
05:36Drinking from a potentially stagnant mud wallow without boiling or purifying the water is a risk.
05:43But I have no other option.
05:46It's somewhat muddy tasting, but it's good. It's fresh.
05:52And the mud will serve another vital purpose.
05:57Just give myself a little bit of protection immediately from the sun.
06:04It might crack and flake off, but it's going to create some sort of barrier, isn't it?
06:09I've combated my two immediate threats of dehydration and heat stroke.
06:15But I still have no protection from the wildlife.
06:22I can't afford to get complacent for a second.
06:25There is some grunting down there.
06:27There's a buffalo.
06:33Lone, older males that have split from the herd are known to be particularly dangerous.
06:38First encounter with a buffalo.
06:40On foot, naked, ever, in my life.
06:44With no weapons or escape route, I'm taking a punt on aggression being my best form of defence.
06:51There!
06:52There!
06:53There!
06:54There!
06:55There!
06:56There!
06:57Okay, he's dropping off.
07:03Part of me is going, hmm.
07:05Shouldn't have shoot him off, but he's a danger, Ed.
07:07He is a threat.
07:08He is a threat.
07:09And you need to get on with stuff, too.
07:11Having a lone male buffalo lurking around.
07:14And you don't know whether he's a grumpy one or not.
07:17No, it was the right decision.
07:19The long elephant grass may hide potential dangers, but it allows me to cover myself up.
07:28Something that always helps me to feel I'm taking control of a new environment.
07:34It's the dry season, with little threat of rain.
07:38I don't need to build a shelter, but I still need protection.
07:44I'm going to sleep underneath this tree.
07:46Partly, I figure, because, um, obviously, if I base myself somewhere where I've got shade, that's good.
07:53And obviously, in terms of escaping from animals, I can escape up into the tree, if that's necessary.
07:59The other thing, clearly, I would like to do on day one is, um, is get a fire going.
08:05If I can get a fire going, I'm going to discourage any animals coming towards me at night.
08:09Dusk falls at around 6pm every day near the equator, and the light is fading fast.
08:16Thistle has this lovely pithy core in the middle of it.
08:24It's, um, it's hard around the edges, and it's soft in the middle, which is perfect for, perfect for fire draw.
08:29I've used this bushman technique countless times before, but even in the dry African savannah, there's no guarantees at work.
08:41I can't get an ember out of it, so I might have to change the hard score of that heat.
08:50To get enough friction for fire, I need the board and the drill to be the right mix of wood.
08:55I've got an ember. I've got an ember.
09:09After nearly an hour, fire, at last.
09:25Yes! Yes, yes, yes.
09:29On night one, I've got myself a fire.
09:33And relax, not too much, obviously, because I'm in Africa.
09:40Now, I have to ready myself for my first night alongside some of Africa's deadliest game.
09:49This is certainly an environment where I feel exposed.
09:54So, if I wasn't by my fire, I have to admit, I would be, um, very apprehensive at this stage.
10:16Most definitely.
10:18Buffalo, I don't know.
10:24I have to be extraordinarily careful.
10:34They are there.
10:36Because I can hear them.
10:38But they're out of sight.
10:40If it charged you, you're pretty much dead.
10:43If you run away, you're pretty much dead.
10:45The local bushman guy said to me, if a buffalo ever does charge you and you're nowhere near a tree, lie down on the floor.
10:55Because it will trample you and it will break a few bones.
10:59But at least there's a possibility you'll live.
11:01I'm Ed Stafford, and I've survived my first night alone in the Rwandan savannah, surrounded by some of Africa's biggest killers.
11:14Buffalo in the watering hole.
11:15But it's a lone buffalo.
11:16Come on, wait a bit to go for my, uh, morning drink.
11:20Okay, that's four more buffalo that are approaching from downhill.
11:21That's probably the same red as it was here last night.
11:22Another buffalo out there.
11:23There's a lot of buffalo that are approaching from downhill.
11:27They're probably the same red as it was here last night.
11:28Another buffalo out there.
11:32A morning drink.
11:36Okay, that's four more buffalo that are reaching from downhill.
11:43It's probably the same road as it was here last night.
11:47Another buffalo out there.
11:51And they're very aware I'm here.
11:53They're looking over here.
11:56And then just let them move on.
12:02I want to find a way to survive up here in the high savannah in harmony with the wildlife.
12:11But when it comes to the watering hole, I'm learning my place in the pecking order.
12:19That's not actually brilliant news. Look at that.
12:22Buffalo seemed to have drank most of this water source.
12:26That's nothing more than a very thin puddle now.
12:30Robbed of water, my survival priority must now be to find a new supply fast.
12:37And some neighbours further up the hill might give me a lead.
12:41Some war hogs.
12:43They didn't come down to this pool to drink.
12:47There could be something else up there.
12:49I need to go up there and explore and see whether there's another water source, maybe.
12:53I need to be very careful.
12:57Very careful now.
13:04Whoa.
13:07This is what they've been looking for.
13:09I'm just going to get a handful of grass and mop up all that agar off the surface so that I can get a clean drink.
13:25This natural well should provide an endless supply of fresh water.
13:29If I'm to live long-term up here in the Highlands and perform more than the most basic tasks,
13:50I'll need a reliable source of vitamins, carbohydrates and protein for a balanced diet.
14:00Food is next on the agenda.
14:04At the moment, I'm running on the energy of the food that I ate before I came in.
14:09That's going to run out very soon.
14:11Ultimately, I plan to set traps, but for now, I'm going to gather and forage what I can.
14:21A shard of this giraffe bone will make an ideal digging tool.
14:28Yes!
14:30That is going to be perfect just to hack away at this hard ground.
14:36I've sought advice from the local bushman on what I might find up here.
14:44I've found what I'm looking for.
14:47This very inconspicuous little plant here.
14:49It has very tubish roots.
14:52And by tubish, I mean they're like sort of potatoes.
15:02The ground is incredibly hard.
15:06The idea is that I literally have to follow the stem of the plant down
15:10until I get to the little tube at the bottom.
15:22This here is my, uh...
15:25my produce for my digging.
15:29I've now been digging for 15 minutes on this single plant
15:34and burnt around 100 calories.
15:37But I don't reckon my calorie intake from each one can be more than about 70.
15:42I'm starting to worry that surviving on these tubers may not be sustainable.
15:46Yeah, it's number two.
15:57It is labour-intensive.
15:58This ground is so hard.
16:00That's lunch, isn't it?
16:02That is now lunch.
16:05Despite the fact that I might have spent more energy
16:08than that's going to provide digging it,
16:10at least there's calories going through me,
16:12at least there's nutrients going through me.
16:13It doesn't mean that I won't be losing weight.
16:15I think I can afford to lose weight.
16:17What I can't afford to do is I have absolutely nothing going into my stomach
16:20and nothing passing through my digestive system.
16:22I want to say slightly burnt.
16:35Oh, but that is good.
16:37That's like a real...
16:39starchy potato.
16:43Hmm.
16:45But they're not abundant
16:47and they're not easy to dig out of the ground.
16:49And it's just making me think
16:53how long I should stay up here
16:56in this high savannah.
16:58And it's actually making me wonder
17:00whether I should
17:01go down to the lake.
17:03There'll be life in more abundance.
17:06It just feels a little bit exposed
17:08up here.
17:10It's cold at night
17:11and there's not much to eat.
17:14My mind's made up.
17:16If I'm going to live here in the long term,
17:18I need to tap into the more abundant food supply
17:21down by the lake.
17:23But I'll be trekking barefoot
17:25in the burning African sun
17:27and running on empty
17:28with new dangers all around.
17:34It's day three
17:35and I'm preferably to make good headway
17:38to the lake
17:38before the heat of the day kicks in.
17:41I need to protect myself
17:42from heat stroke
17:43and dehydration.
17:45But I have no way to carry water.
17:48I'm going to have to
17:49glug down as much of water as possible
17:51and then go at a fair pace, really,
17:54because I don't want to be too long
17:56out in the savannah
17:58without any water.
17:59And the last thing I'll want to do
18:06after a full day's trek
18:07is to make fire.
18:10I'm using a neat trick.
18:12By binding dry grass tightly
18:14within a cone of fresh grass,
18:16I can keep the embers smouldering
18:18and take my fire with me.
18:21It's burning nicely.
18:22This is a massive risk.
18:28I'm leaving a trusted water source
18:30and the relative safety of my camp
18:33and heading into the unknown.
18:45It's not just buffalo in the long grass.
18:49Rwanda is home to 30 species of snake
18:52including the boom slang,
18:54the puff adder
18:55and the infamous black mamba.
19:00I've got to tread carefully.
19:06An hour in, I'm already thirsty
19:09but two steep hills lie in my path.
19:14I need to reach the lake
19:15as quickly as I can.
19:19But choosing the straightest route
19:21isn't always the best option.
19:24I know that for every metre
19:26of altitude gained,
19:28I could walk eight on the flat.
19:32Dog-legging around the hills
19:33down this valley
19:34will half my journey time.
19:36After six gruelling hours,
19:56I'm descending to the lakeside.
19:58Oh, wow, there it is, open water.
20:05Already, I can see there's more birds around.
20:08There's potentially fish in there.
20:10Look, you can see the...
20:11Can you hear that?
20:16That is the sound of a hippo.
20:20Adult males tip the scales at over two tons.
20:23Hippos are territorial
20:26and are believed to kill
20:27over 300 people a year.
20:30Right, okay.
20:32So it's a trade-off.
20:33I might be coming down here
20:35to get a more abundant
20:37and concentrated food source.
20:41However,
20:42it's not just buffaloes now.
20:45I've got a hippo
20:45and there'll be probably crocodiles as well.
20:51Crikey, that is not far away.
20:54Right, let's drop the bag
20:55and get the fire going.
20:57I'm desperate to quench my thirst,
21:03but I have new threats all around me.
21:10Fire is still my only protection.
21:13At least, I can light one quickly.
21:22So satisfying having carried that thing
21:25for probably six hours now.
21:27So simple,
21:28you wouldn't think that would work.
21:29But it does.
21:30It works a treat.
21:31And there's proof.
21:34I'm clearly not the only one
21:36drawn to this access point
21:38to the lake.
21:40This is a hippo run.
21:41It's got quite a distinctive belt
21:43cut out of it,
21:44cutting straight through there,
21:45which is obviously
21:45where the hippos trample down
21:46on the rushes.
21:47Oh, that tastes amazing.
22:05Utterly knackered.
22:07Already, I'm reaping the rewards
22:09of the move.
22:10Here we go.
22:14Is that edible?
22:16Oh my God, that's edible.
22:18It's like a really sweet raspberry.
22:21Oh, where's another black one?
22:25These berries are vital sources
22:27of vitamins, carbohydrates,
22:29and sugars.
22:31Fruit.
22:31Ah, blackberries.
22:34Wow, that tastes good.
22:38Already, I don't care what else I find.
22:41That has made the move worthwhile.
22:42This is going to make me
22:48like a natural boma.
22:51A boma is where you pull
22:52brambles and thorns
22:53and branches all around you.
22:55So you've got a big circle
22:56and that provides your
22:58protection from the animals.
23:02It feels in my gut
23:03like the right decision
23:05to move down here already.
23:06And I know I've not trapped anything
23:07or seen any small animals
23:09apart from birds.
23:11Only time will
23:12tell if I'm right
23:13but already
23:14those little berries
23:16they're a godsend.
23:20Ah, re-established
23:21now that I've locked off
23:22the walls to the boma.
23:24It's not daytime
23:25I need to worry about.
23:25It's the nighttime.
23:26Hippos stay in the water
23:28during the day
23:28and then at night
23:30they come up onto the land
23:31to graze.
23:32And it's at nighttime
23:34that I need to be careful.
23:42Hippos can graze
23:43up to ten kilometers
23:44inland after dark.
23:47My worst fear
23:48is getting trampled
23:49in my sleep.
23:50That sounded more like
24:01a dinosaur than a hippo.
24:05They ain't far away
24:06that's for sure.
24:07The most dangerous place
24:09to be is between
24:10a hippo
24:11and the water.
24:13You're now splashing
24:14and coming onto the shore.
24:19It's not just a hippo.
24:21I'm surrounded by hippos
24:22protected by some
24:25thorn bushes
24:26and a fire
24:27but with a big tree
24:29to climb.
24:36You're so close.
24:38So, so close.
24:40I'm Ed Stafford.
24:47I'm four days in
24:48to my bid to survive
24:49in the Rwandan savannah.
24:53So far
24:54I've struggled
24:55to find enough food
24:56and I've been living
24:57more in fear
24:58of the wildlife
24:59than in harmony with it.
25:01Now it felt
25:02felt
25:04busy
25:06and noisy
25:08and
25:08uncomfortable
25:10and
25:11blah.
25:13My body's getting
25:14enough energy
25:15from my fat reserves
25:16but soon
25:17it's going to start
25:18breaking down
25:19my muscles.
25:21I need to find out
25:22what my new surroundings
25:23here by the lake
25:24have to offer.
25:30Just picking my way
25:31down the trails
25:31that are clearly
25:32bashed out
25:34by the hippos.
25:35Behind me
25:36he's got these
25:36huge runs.
25:40I've got to keep
25:41my wits
25:41about me.
25:47Wow.
25:49Look at that.
25:51He is
25:5230 meters away
25:54from my camp.
25:56Just lying down there
25:57in the rushes.
26:00On land
26:01hippos can reach speeds
26:02of up to 30 kilometers
26:03an hour.
26:06He's just
26:07spoilt me.
26:12Here he is.
26:13He's standing up
26:14and facing me.
26:19He was down by the water.
26:21He's got his escape route.
26:22He's changed the water
26:23and he saw me
26:24and I'm
26:2410 meters away
26:26and he disappeared
26:28off into the
26:29into the water
26:31into the lake.
26:33It's a close encounter
26:35but I'm beginning
26:36to feel more at ease
26:37with my night tormentors.
26:40I don't feel
26:41there's any threat
26:41from these animals
26:42at all.
26:44It's more just
26:45sort of wonder
26:46and awe.
26:51I want to prove
26:52that I can thrive
26:53alongside Africa's
26:54wildlife
26:54and I'm only
26:56going to do that
26:56if I can track down
26:57a reliable source
26:58of food.
27:04That is an amazing
27:05find.
27:06Crickly pear.
27:08And look how
27:09abundant they are.
27:09That is just
27:10ridiculous.
27:11Prickly pears
27:12aren't native
27:13to Rwanda
27:14but they've been
27:15used as natural
27:16cattle enclosures
27:17because of their spikes.
27:18Prickly pear
27:19have very, very
27:20massive spikes
27:22but they have
27:22very, very fine
27:23hairs on the
27:24actual pear
27:25as well
27:25and need to be
27:26quite cautious
27:27and careful
27:28when I'm taking
27:29the pear off
27:30so that I don't
27:31get spiked.
27:33Talk about
27:33well defended.
27:34This place
27:35has fought
27:36knocks of
27:37thorns and
27:38spines.
27:42The flesh
27:45in the middle
27:46is very similar
27:46to kiwi.
27:47Incredibly nutritious
27:48delicious and
27:50and I've got
27:52three.
28:03That is quite
28:05superb.
28:07By coming down
28:07here I've opened
28:09up a whole larder
28:10of food.
28:12You know, berries,
28:14prickly pears.
28:15I think it was
28:17definitely a good
28:17move.
28:18I can survive
28:19on what I've
28:20already found
28:20but in order
28:22to live a long
28:24term I'd need
28:25some protein
28:25so that's what
28:26I need to focus
28:26on now
28:27is protein.
28:30I'm over
28:30halfway through
28:31my time in Rwanda
28:32and now I'm
28:33going to turn
28:34hunter as well
28:35as gatherer
28:36but to do that
28:37I need to tool up.
28:38This bush here
28:41with the huge
28:42flat leaves
28:43is excellent
28:47for making
28:47cordage out
28:48of.
28:50Very flexible,
28:52very strong.
28:55My first target
28:57will be the bird
28:57life down at
28:58the lake.
29:02I've made
29:03snares.
29:05One,
29:06two,
29:07three.
29:09And they'll
29:10form part
29:10of my
29:11bushman's
29:11bird trap.
29:16The snare
29:17is spring
29:17loaded by
29:18bending this
29:19branch.
29:20The tension
29:20is held
29:21by a trigger
29:22stick
29:22delicately
29:23balanced
29:23on the
29:23top of
29:24the bait.
29:25The slightest
29:26movement
29:27will release
29:28the spring
29:28and tighten
29:29the snare
29:30around my
29:30prey.
29:33So the bird
29:33has to go
29:34over the top
29:34through the
29:35nose,
29:35pecked
29:36the berries
29:37and these
29:38titans,
29:39it's caught.
29:42I'm quite
29:42happy with that
29:43but it's
29:44taken all
29:45afternoon.
29:49I'm pretty,
29:50pretty sure
29:51that that was
29:52a big fish
29:53that just
29:53flapped.
29:55there must
29:58be an abundant
29:58source of
29:59protein in
30:00the lake.
30:01So with my
30:02next trap,
30:03I'm hoping
30:03to catch
30:04fish.
30:08I'm making
30:09a standard
30:09funnel trap,
30:11a technique
30:11used by
30:12indigenous
30:12cultures all
30:13over the
30:13globe.
30:13I'm going
30:16to draw
30:17the fish
30:17in through
30:18this wide
30:18opening
30:19with bait
30:19and trap
30:21them in
30:22the surrounding
30:22shallow reedbed
30:24that I'll bolster
30:24with mud walls.
30:27Once in,
30:28they'll struggle
30:28to find the
30:29narrow escape
30:29route.
30:34That was just
30:35a very,
30:36very loud
30:37hippo grunt.
30:38Us,
30:39the other side
30:39of this papyrus,
30:40maybe 10 meters
30:41away.
30:44I've made
30:45traps like this
30:46countless times
30:47before,
30:47but never in
30:48the territory
30:49of such
30:49dangerous animals.
30:52I need to
30:53get this
30:53finished and
30:55bait it up
30:55with termites
30:56as quickly
30:56as I can.
30:59Now,
31:00it's just
31:01a waiting
31:01game.
31:05Trap's
31:06still set.
31:07So far,
31:07I've not got
31:08anything.
31:10Patience,
31:10Ed,
31:10patience.
31:11They'll come.
31:14I spend
31:14the next day
31:15foraging
31:16around my
31:16camp,
31:17but the more
31:18time passes,
31:20the more
31:20I'm beginning
31:21to crave
31:21protein.
31:27And my
31:28traps
31:28just aren't
31:29paying off.
31:33Nothing.
31:36Nothing
31:36again.
31:38Ooh.
31:39I'm at the
31:44stage where
31:45my brain
31:46has started
31:46to slow down
31:47a little bit.
31:47I'm stumbling
31:48over my words.
31:49I'm having to
31:50really think
31:51what the words
31:52are for certain
31:53things.
31:54There's a distinct
31:54lack of variety
31:55of nutrients,
31:56and I think,
31:57you know,
31:57I've had no
31:58fats going,
31:59and I think
32:00your brain
32:00needs fats,
32:02and my muscles
32:02need protein
32:03in order to
32:04function.
32:05and I'm
32:08slightly
32:09starting
32:10not to
32:11function.
32:11I can feel
32:12it.
32:13Getting out
32:14and exploring,
32:15I think that'll
32:15be beneficial.
32:17Psychologically,
32:17I think it's
32:18important to
32:18explore what's
32:19around you,
32:20and it'll give
32:20me, obviously,
32:21more options to
32:22see stuff that
32:23I haven't seen
32:23before.
32:25I think it's
32:25time to do
32:26that.
32:26I really do.
32:27Good morning.
32:33It's another
32:34overcast day,
32:35which is quite
32:35good for me
32:36because I'm
32:37going to go
32:38walkabout.
32:49Let's baboon
32:50open this tree.
32:53Baboons have
32:54powerful jaws
32:55and can be
32:56aggressive.
32:58Startling them
32:58from their
32:59sleep up in
32:59the trees
33:00isn't normally
33:01a good idea.
33:03Incredibly,
33:05incredibly
33:06timid.
33:07Just over
33:08there in
33:08the long
33:09road.
33:11I'm barely
33:12two kilometers
33:13away from
33:13camp, but it
33:15feels like the
33:15baboons have
33:16led me to a
33:16whole new
33:17world.
33:18That is
33:19unbelievable.
33:21I've just
33:22spilled into
33:22an area
33:23where I can
33:25see.
33:27buffalo
33:28zebra,
33:28zebra,
33:29find it out.
33:34That buffalo
33:35definitely knows
33:36I'm here.
33:38I'm not sure I
33:39massively want to go
33:40too much closer than
33:41this to it.
33:41I'm vulnerable, but
33:47everywhere I turn here
33:49I'm treated to a
33:50visual feast of
33:51African wildlife.
33:53It's amazing to be so
33:54close to these
33:55animals.
33:55animals.
33:56This is the sight you
33:58imagine, isn't it,
33:58when you come to
33:59Africa.
34:00Herds of zebra,
34:01herds of antelope,
34:03buffalo intermixed
34:04between them.
34:06It's breathtaking.
34:08But up ahead,
34:09something catches my
34:10eye that gets my
34:11heart pounding.
34:12scene.
34:18I'm Ed Stafford,
34:19and in a bid to
34:20coexist with
34:21Rwanda's wildlife,
34:23I found myself on
34:24an extraordinary
34:25safari.
34:29Look at this.
34:30I can't quite
34:31believe that I'm
34:32actually stumbling
34:34across fresh,
34:36fresh elephant
34:37loot.
34:39I'm sharing my
34:40habitat with
34:41elephants.
34:42And look.
34:46You can see this
34:48huge trampled
34:49area.
34:51This.
34:53This is still
34:54wet from an
34:55elephant chewing on
34:56it.
34:58It's been
34:58dribbled on.
35:09That was
35:10definitely the
35:11sound.
35:12of an elephant
35:13over there.
35:20If there's
35:20elephant around
35:21here,
35:23I need to be
35:23super vigilant.
35:27A bull elephant
35:28can weigh over
35:29six tons.
35:32In the wild,
35:33they're prone to
35:34charging if spooked.
35:35but I have to get
35:38eyes on these
35:39most majestic of
35:40neighbors.
35:41No way.
35:45Listen to me.
35:49I've never seen
35:51that before.
35:51I want to get
35:54closer, but I've got to
35:56be really careful.
36:00They've not got good
36:01eyesight.
36:04So I'm creeping
36:05through the grass.
36:06there must be
36:13about eight or nine
36:14elephants here.
36:15There must be about eight or nine elephants here.
36:15I'm just not going to go any closer than this tree.
36:34That is quite
36:42incredible.
36:49Nine elephants.
36:50That one
36:53is raising its trunk
36:56and turning towards me.
37:01That means she's caught wind of me.
37:03If she puts her ears out,
37:05she'll charge
37:06and she could cover the ground
37:07between us
37:08in seconds.
37:10That is terrifying.
37:15Fully admit
37:16I am
37:17scared.
37:19That is one of the most
37:21extraordinary experiences
37:23of my life.
37:30Oh, my God.
37:33My heart was
37:34thumping.
37:37Absolutely thumping.
37:40Right, let's go.
37:44And just when I thought
37:45this incredible landscape
37:47had given up
37:47all its wonders.
37:55Oh, my God.
37:57There's a giraffe.
38:03A majestic beast.
38:06Absolutely.
38:07Just such a feeling
38:08of peace.
38:12Amazing.
38:14Absolutely extraordinary.
38:17This is the Africa
38:18that I wanted to experience.
38:19This is the Africa
38:20that I wanted to live
38:21alongside.
38:22The feeling
38:39of sharing
38:40this environment
38:41with them,
38:42of living
38:42off the land
38:43amongst animals
38:46as big
38:47and as beautiful
38:47and as majestic
38:48as these giraffes.
38:49that takes
38:55my breath away.
38:56I have to say
38:57that takes
38:57my breath away.
38:58What a day.
39:11What an amazing day.
39:12I've been too focused
39:13on my own little world
39:14and surviving
39:15on eating
39:17praying mantises
39:18and berries
39:19and prickly pears
39:20and keeping
39:21my fire going.
39:22But stop all that worry.
39:24Stop all that
39:25small world
39:26mentality
39:27go out there
39:28and explore
39:29and what
39:30what benefits.
39:34But if one thing
39:35is going to bring me
39:36back down to earth
39:37as I reach my camp
39:38it's checking my traps.
39:41I can see already
39:42that my bird trap
39:44hasn't sprung.
39:46Now
39:47all my hopes
39:48for a decent meal
39:48hang on my fist trap.
39:50there's something in there.
40:01And finally
40:04after days
40:05of waiting
40:06a huge catfish.
40:12Look at that!
40:14Look at the size of it!
40:16I'm sure
40:19there was another one
40:19in there.
40:21Oh no!
40:25They're huge!
40:26I knew they were there.
40:28I just knew
40:29they were there.
40:32The fish trap
40:33works
40:34a brace
40:36of catfish.
40:38Fish for supper.
40:39Fish for supper.
40:42They must weigh
40:43at least two kilograms
40:44each
40:44after a diet
40:46of fruit and berries
40:47it's going to be
40:48quite some
40:49protein fix.
40:54I've just been
40:55sitting here
40:56thinking
40:57I can't eat
40:57those two fish
40:59in one sitting.
41:00No way!
41:01So I'm going to make
41:01a little smoking rat
41:02and kipper one of the catfish
41:04to make catfish jerky.
41:06Could life
41:07actually get better
41:08at this point
41:08in time?
41:11Now my traps
41:12are paying off
41:13at last
41:14that I've proven
41:14that I can sustain
41:15myself here
41:16long term.
41:23That is what
41:24my body needed.
41:25for me
41:32there's Mark's
41:34success
41:35and
41:37suddenly
41:39life isn't
41:41about survival
41:42life is about
41:43enjoyment.
41:46this meat
41:50it's incredible
41:51I've just eaten
41:52half a fish
41:53in a matter of
41:54seconds.
41:58Perfect
41:59perfect way
42:00to end the day
42:00and what a day.
42:02living alongside
42:11such magnificent
42:12creatures
42:13has been a privilege
42:14I shall never forget.
42:21Some of these experiences
42:22I've come into
42:23and
42:23it's all gone my way.
42:26I've been able to thrive
42:27I've been able to thrive
42:27almost
42:28as soon as I've got a fire
42:30that some of them
42:31it's been harder.
42:33Some of them
42:33I've really had to
42:35scrabble around
42:36to even just survive
42:37to put the basic calories
42:39in me
42:40to get myself
42:41to a basic standard
42:42of living.
42:42here I would say
42:44we've had the full evolution
42:46it's been hard
42:47I've been
42:49really really struggling
42:50to put enough calories
42:52in me initially
42:53and then
42:54it's clicked
42:56and
42:58one thing has led
42:59to another
42:59and I've had fish
43:02and I've been able
43:03to cure it
43:04and I've seen
43:05the most incredible
43:07wildlife
43:08I could live here
43:10long term
43:11I could survive
43:12but I am so
43:17looking forward
43:17to some nice food
43:19a hot bath
43:20and going home.
43:23Hey Luke
43:24good to see you.
43:42good to see you.
43:43Good to see you.
43:44Good to see you.
43:45Good to see you.
43:46Good to see you.
43:47Good to see you.
43:47Good to see you.
43:48Good to see you.
43:49Good to see you.
43:49Good to see you.
43:49Good to see you.
43:50Good to see you.
43:51Good to see you.
43:51Good to see you.
43:51Good to see you.
43:52Good to see you.
43:53Good to see you.
43:53Good to see you.
43:54Good to see you.
43:54Good to see you.
43:55Good to see you.
43:55Good to see you.
43:56Good to see you.
43:56Good to see you.
43:57Good to see you.
43:57Good to see you.
43:58Good to see you.
43:58Good to see you.
43:59Good to see you.
43:59Good to see you.
44:00Good to see you.
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