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Documentary, Ben Fogle New Lives in the Wild S050E2 Ruaha National Park Tanzania

#BenFogleNewLivesInTheWild #NewLivesInTheWild
Transcript
00:00I'm Ben Fogel and over the next few weeks I'm going to live with different people who
00:08inhabit some of the most remote locations on earth there is nothing here from the mountain
00:14forests of Northwest USA to the freezing Mongolian tundra the barren Hungarian
00:21countryside to the wild African bush a Mediterranean island and the deep Canadian
00:28wilderness these are the people who decided to make a massive life change I said so what do you
00:35think should we just do it give up everything and she said okay are they daring or just downright
00:43crazy come on being we didn't even know where Mongolia was this is who I am it's not who you
00:51want me to be I want to find out what happens when you quit the rat race it's the whole world folds up
00:57my pension is here and create a new life in the wild
01:01today I'm in Tanzania living nomadically in an unexplored African landscape
01:13my hosts Yorkshire born Molly and California Noel swapped city life for this vast wilderness
01:21I owned a convertible I would drive everywhere in my high heels I'll discover why this intrepid
01:27couple live in the bush that's your salty hat I can't go back to the to the normal way of life with
01:35danger at every turn to us and keep company with some of the most fearsome animals on earth I love it
01:43usually my journey begins over 11,000 kilometers away in Tanzania's largest city Dar es Salaam it's an
02:02hour-and-a-half flight to water one of the wildest and least visited parks in Tanzania I touched down
02:21at a tiny unmanned airstrip and pick up a vehicle sent by my hosts along with some pretty vague directions
02:31I've been told to go east hugging as close as I can to the great Ruaha River and I'm supposed to do
02:41this for a couple of hours until I get to an abandoned Rangers post and then I go up the hill and I'll
02:48arrive at their their place wow look at this Ellie's oh it's a baby as well what a treat
03:02after three hours bouncing along a dirt track I'm almost at my destination now that looks like an
03:09abandoned Ranger post just there so left here at the big tree hello hello wow what a place is this you
03:26must be Molly I am very nice to meet you and Noel hi hi how are you I don't know whether to look here or here
03:33it's quite stunning that's our home our view yeah notice the gun over there of course presumably uh that's
03:39that's just a reminder that we're not alone well exactly we are sharing this with dangerous animals they
03:45are around they don't want to mess with us but you can never take too many precautions
03:48three seven-year-old British born Andrew Molinaro Molly to his friends and 31-year-old Californian Noel
03:58Herzog met in 2009 while working at a Safari Lodge Molly was an experienced bush guide but city girl
04:07Noel arrived from San Francisco just a year before once a couple Molly and Noel decided that their dream
04:16was to live nomadically in the remote reaches of Ruaha.
04:21The park warden granted them permission on the condition that they cater for tourists.
04:26So Molly and Noel set up private walking safaris for up to six guests.
04:32They now split their time between a semi-permanent base camp
04:35and a more mobile camp, allowing them to venture out into unexplored terrain.
04:43The couple have only just moved to this spot.
04:46Of the six large tents, one is their living quarters.
04:50So this is our little humble abode here, Ben.
04:53A humble abode? This is amazing though.
04:56So how long have you actually been here?
04:58We've been here for about a week, week and a half.
05:00And why did you move here?
05:01Before, we were always on the river and one day we woke up
05:05and our entire camp was two metres under water.
05:09Do you mean, are you being serious, like literally water, everything floating around?
05:12Everything completely floated downstream. I mean, Molly and I had to swim out of the camp for safety.
05:19I mean, crocodiles on one side, hippos on the other. It was seriously dangerous.
05:25Now it kind of makes sense that you couldn't get much higher here.
05:28I think we're pretty much... Are you now guessing why?
05:31That would be one serious flood to take this out.
05:36Hunting, foraging and agriculture abandoned Roaha.
05:39So the couple buy in supplies from the nearest town, almost 250 kilometres away.
05:47Meat and fish are kept in freezers, powered by solar energy.
05:51But storing other goods is a little trickier.
05:53This is where our honey badger, again, has attacks and he created chaos in there.
06:01I've always heard the rumours the honey badger is supposed to be one of the most feared animals
06:04because they go for the willy.
06:04Well, why do you think Molly sends me?
06:06Yeah, that's what it is, I see.
06:09Tomorrow, we're off on a three-day expedition into the wilderness.
06:14But for tonight, at least, a comfy bed awaits.
06:17And this is going to be home. This is mine.
06:19I hope it's adequate. By the way, I'm feeling...
06:21It might only be canvas, but Molly tells me it will keep predators out.
06:26What happens if I need the loo in the middle of the night? Am I okay just going out?
06:29Uh, yeah, but again, alertness. So in your tent, you'll find a nice bright flashlight.
06:34Put your torch against the mesh. Have a look. See who's there.
06:36If there's no eyes glinting back at you and you can't miss them, it's safe to use the loo.
06:41If there are eyes and it's an impala, it's safe to use the loo.
06:44If it's a lion, I'd give him a few minutes to let him move on.
06:47I hope no lions have their eyes on me now as I collect wood for tonight's fire.
06:57Big cats are one thing, but I know that elephants are a bigger threat to humans here.
07:03And Molly's bushwalks are famed for close encounters with Earth's largest land mammal.
07:09Have the elephants ever got aggressive here?
07:11Oh, yeah. One in the previous camp I used to work at, he threw me into bushes.
07:16What, with his tusks?
07:17Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What he did is he put his head down and he put his tusk under my arm here.
07:22I do have the rifle like this, but it's quite useless at this moment. And that's when, you know,
07:27the, you know you're about to die. This elephant's about to kill you. So my last resort was,
07:33I did have a round in the chamber, so I just squeezed the trigger. And because it was so close
07:37to his ear, he didn't like it very much. So he turned his head to run, but the tusk was still under
07:43here. So it flipped me several meters into a bush. But I got up, dusted myself off, and I look at the
07:49guests, who's like guppy fish. He continued the whole safari. And we went on. So that was a,
07:56that was a hairy moment. I'm glad you've just told me that because you've set the tone for the next
07:59week. That is, that is quite a wildlife encounter. After dinner, it's too risky to walk back to my
08:07tent alone. So Molly escorts me.
08:17We're in the middle of nowhere surrounded by some extraordinary wildlife. I can't help but wonder
08:25maybe that that excitement, the danger here is part of what keeps them here.
08:34We shall find out more tomorrow. Good night.
08:43I'm in Ruaha, Tanzania's largest national park.
08:49The size of Wales, most of it is uncharted territory.
08:53Making it a magnet for my intrepid hosts, Molly and Noel.
09:01It's my first morning at base camp.
09:05I've got a bucket for a loo just outside my tent.
09:09But I've got a little further to go for my shower.
09:14Off we go.
09:16The great Ruaha river slices its way through south central Tanzania.
09:23For the couple, it's a lifeline.
09:26All righty.
09:27All out?
09:27Yep.
09:28Yeah.
09:29Out in the bush, water isn't on tap.
09:32There we go.
09:35So we need to pump 1,000 litres.
09:37Okay.
09:38Enough for cooking and washing for two weeks.
09:46Okay.
09:47Yep.
09:49Perfect.
09:50Thanks so much.
09:51There you go.
09:51The water now, presumably you're not just going to use it as is.
09:55We do.
09:55You do?
09:55Yeah, yeah.
09:56This is one of the cleanest river systems on earth.
09:59Wow.
10:00So is it time for a shower now?
10:01I think so.
10:01We got ourselves nice and muddy, so let's go cool off in the water.
10:04I love the fact we're going for a shower, by the way, with a gun.
10:12Just to be clear, there are crocs in here.
10:14Yes, yeah.
10:16What over there?
10:16Lots of crocs.
10:17Right, come on then.
10:18All right.
10:19Let's get in.
10:21Molly and Noel choose their bathing spots carefully.
10:26They assure me the crocs won't bother us in these shallow waters.
10:31I keep getting little nibbles on my feet.
10:32Yeah, it's nice, isn't it?
10:33What kind of fish is that?
10:34Yeah, it's mainly bottom dwellers, so part of the catfish family.
10:37Are they exfoliating me?
10:39They are.
10:42The river seems peaceful today, but it recently washed away their entire base camp.
10:49I've never seen a river in my life anywhere else in Africa behave the way this one did.
10:54It just came, didn't it? It started swelling and swelling.
10:57And so we just had to pile stuff higher and higher on beer crates and tables, hoping the water would stop.
11:03But it didn't.
11:04The fridges went and the tents went.
11:07It was crazy.
11:08And when it was about here, I gave the order, everyone out.
11:12But me being the captain, I'm going to go down with my ship.
11:15And so I was ready to do that until it got to about here, then I chickened out.
11:19And I went swimming down to the...
11:20Don't you think that's called chickening out?
11:24What about emotionally?
11:25How did you feel when your life is washed away down a river?
11:29We realized, okay, everything we've worked for for the last five years is gone.
11:33It doesn't really matter.
11:34We'll pick up the pieces and start again.
11:36We're each other's strength.
11:38Does it leave you...
11:39Does it leave you...
11:40What was it?
11:42Are you sure it was a fish?
11:43Yeah, yeah.
11:44You know the guys...
11:45Oh, yeah.
11:45You're bleeding.
11:46With the spines.
11:47Oh, really?
11:47Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:49I think I'm done.
11:52Last thing, was it a reality check that the environment really can bite back?
11:56Very much so, be it wildlife, be it fire, be it water.
12:00It's what we've chosen.
12:01So we can't really get pissed off about it.
12:03It's what happens.
12:04That's nature and we'll never control it.
12:06He says sitting in a crocodile-infested river.
12:08So if a croc comes down and takes you out while you're washing your armpits.
12:11That's the risk you take.
12:12That's just the risk you take for having clean pits.
12:14It's a bad day.
12:19But today, it's not the crocs we need to worry about.
12:23This hippo's right there.
12:24He is.
12:26He is coming this way, so we'd better just give him his space.
12:29Usually, I get out when I'm starting to wrinkle and prune.
12:32No, no.
12:33Here, it's when the hippos come at you.
12:35It's when the hippo comes.
12:41That's a pretty unique bathing experience.
12:43You know, hippos all around.
12:45Aware there are hippos somewhere behind me, so I've got to keep an eye out for that.
12:50Crocs around.
12:52They quite like flirting with danger.
12:54It's part of the appeal of being out here.
12:56I do have to go now because the hippo is coming.
13:01I'm not hanging around.
13:02Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal.
13:10This is a world away from Noel's urban upbringing in San Francisco.
13:13With a large family of seven brothers and three sisters, money wasn't in abundance.
13:23So their father took them on expeditions in the local area.
13:26These adventures inspired Noel to travel and come to Africa as part of a degree course.
13:37At the end of her stay, she visited Ruaha.
13:40She was hooked.
13:42And returned after her graduation in 2008.
13:45I want to know how she copes being so far away from her family.
13:52So when did you last actually see them?
13:56Five years ago.
13:57Five years ago.
13:57Wow.
13:58Yeah, I do miss them so much.
14:01Your parents, are they both still alive?
14:03No.
14:03Sadly, my father passed away also while I was in Africa.
14:07That must have been hard.
14:08That was extremely hard.
14:10That was extremely hard.
14:13But, you know, he still is the reason that I am the person I am today.
14:20And, um, I love him so much.
14:27And he made me into this adventurous person who felt that, um,
14:34I could do anything that I set my mind to.
14:39I could tell him the craziest dream I've had and he'd just be like,
14:43if anyone could do it, you could.
14:44Do you often think about him when you're out in the bush?
14:48Oh, all the time.
14:50He's always been that voice kind of in the background for me.
14:54Encouraging me.
14:56Yeah.
14:59You know, I miss my family when I'm away for just a couple of weeks.
15:02So this place must be pretty special to be willing to give that up.
15:09The other amazing thing is just the power, the influence,
15:12her father still has on her.
15:14Maybe this is for him now.
15:17You know, she says that that's where her passion for wildlife,
15:21for the wilderness came.
15:24Maybe it's one of the things that keeps her rooted
15:26to this extraordinary part of Tanzania.
15:28Noelle's strong bond to this landscape extends far beyond their base camp.
15:42Every week, she and Molly head on an expedition to chart unexplored areas of this vast wilderness.
15:48And with a little apprehension, I'm joining them.
15:56This is the fun part. Fun or risky.
16:00Yeah, fun!
16:01Fun!
16:02Around base camp, animals are used to our presence.
16:06But out there, it's impossible to know how they'll react.
16:09Have you got the gun?
16:10I do have the gun, yes.
16:12I'm happy with that.
16:17But it looks like we might fall at the first hurdle.
16:20I left the fridge on last night.
16:22Are you serious?
16:24Oh my gosh, we're not going to be able to start the car.
16:26The onboard fridge has drained the battery.
16:31So we're going to have to jump start it.
16:33Right.
16:34Once we're out in the middle of nowhere, there's no way of jumping it.
16:37It is one of the risks you do take going into the unknown.
16:40Ready?
16:40Yeah.
16:43Ah, there she purls!
16:47Let's go exploring!
16:49Second time lucky!
16:50To set up their safari business, Molly sold two cars,
16:59which, together with Noel's savings, raised £35,000.
17:04They started small, channeling any profits into safari vehicles and tents.
17:10The couple still can't pay themselves a wage,
17:13and the flood's destruction of their camp has set them back further.
17:17Aside from food, fuel for wilderness driving is their biggest expense,
17:24but £400 a month.
17:29After several hours off-roading, the eagle-eyed Noel spots a horde of vultures.
17:36This is a definite sign that something has met its maker.
17:39Oh, dead giraffe.
17:40Oh, yeah, it's a giraffe. There you go.
17:41And it looks pretty fresh.
17:44I see something right there, Molly.
17:45Yeah, I've got it.
17:46Under the catelabra?
17:46Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
17:47I think it's a lion.
17:48Good spot.
17:48Yeah.
17:50As we're in a vehicle, Molly thinks it's safe to get a closer look.
17:55Hello, boy.
17:57See, he likes to keep his eyes on us.
18:02Now, the amazing thing is that this is, you know, one of the most feared,
18:06respected predators in the world. We're 15 metres away from it in an open-sided car.
18:12It does lull you into a bit of a false sense of security thing. It's a great big teddy bear.
18:17Why don't I go out and scratch his belly? But to be a non-threatening vehicle, to suddenly,
18:23you appearing there inside his personal space, that's a recipe for disaster.
18:27We'll leave him to digest his lunch in peace.
18:32It's a big giraffe, isn't it?
18:34It's a big boy, yeah. But there's still plenty left, huh?
18:39So I was thinking, this is a nice camping spot.
18:41Yes. We are at our destination.
18:45Yeah.
18:46This mount.
18:46I wouldn't put it past you.
18:53We continue our drive through the bush to find somewhere a little safer to set up camp.
19:00We're really going over land here.
19:03Bushwhacking.
19:03Bushwhacking.
19:04Yeah.
19:06It's definitely quicker than using a machete.
19:08Oh, yeah.
19:09I think this will do nicely.
19:12I do wish you could have come up with a prettier spot, though.
19:17That is ludicrous.
19:18You see, who needs Zanzibar? We've got beautiful white beaches here.
19:22In fact, Molly hails from somewhere else with sandy beaches, albeit slightly less exotic.
19:32He was born in the Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough to a British mother and Italian father.
19:38In 1980, his father's job in the casino industry moved the family to Nairobi, Kenya.
19:47Nairobi is quite unique in that it's very close to a major national park.
19:53And so at every opportunity, I'd be sneaking in there through a hole in the fence and trying to
19:57catch snakes or track rhinos sometimes. And that's how I developed my deep love for the bush.
20:03And did your parents know about this? Did they encourage this?
20:05Eh, certainly not. They are city people. They love the city way of life. They're not into this
20:11stuff at all. So I'd sneak off whenever I could. They weren't happy about it, but they left me be.
20:15It was a very, uh, free upbringing, yeah.
20:18What gave you the confidence to sneak into a national forest and chase snakes, for goodness sake?
20:23Um, again, just from a young age, from when you'd catch frogs in a pond or, you know,
20:29walk home with a grasshopper in your pocket, I've just been fascinated by the natural world.
20:34And I've kind of revolved my life around. I got my zoology degree because of that.
20:37I started guiding because of that. The minute I had a lion encounter myself on foot,
20:42or an elephant encounter myself on foot, I can't go back to the, to the normal way of life.
20:48So in some ways, do you think you were born in the wrong period?
20:51Very much so. Uh, a lot of people say I was born 50 years too late or a hundred years too late.
20:57I was born 13,000 years too late. To have gone and lived in that time with simple things and know
21:03our place and our role in the environment, our proper role. Um, for me, that's how I want to live my life.
21:10This place certainly has a prehistoric feel to it.
21:13And it's time for us nomads to set up camp before sundown.
21:20Would I be right in thinking that this is, this is what you, you guys do really? You know,
21:25the camp that I've been at is very nice and everything.
21:27No, this is what we enjoy. Especially if it's an area no one's ever been to before.
21:31You know, it's pioneer stuff. So despite that being a temporary camp,
21:35that's as close as you guys kind of have to bricks and mortar. That's, that's your city home.
21:39Yeah. And we're now, this is our holiday cottage. Yeah.
21:43How do you feel it when you ever do have to go to the city, which you must do,
21:46you must have to visit occasionally. Begrudgingly, very, very begrudgingly,
21:50but we sort of get this deep feeling of doom and dread the minute we leave the gate of that park.
21:56Yeah. And again, our true motto is never leave Ruaha National Park. No one's gonna bomb it.
22:03It's just your safety place. It's our safety zone. It's what we know. Yeah.
22:06Which is interesting, isn't it? Because for a lot of people,
22:08this, this is so far from their seat, their world of safety. Bushwise,
22:14they are streetwise. If we swap, if you put me in New York, I will be lost, beaten up and mugged
22:20in hours. Without doubt. That reminds me of Crocodile Dundee. Pretty much, yeah.
22:24This is why I haven't taken him home yet. Are you really scared of doing that?
22:27Yes, I'm just so nervous. Because he's gonna have a big knife. That's not a knife.
22:30This is a knife. You'll be there with a gun. That's not a gun. This is a gun.
22:34I must work on my Australian accent. Yeah, you do.
22:39This is what I think is the real them. This is why they're here in Ruaha. This is their way
22:47of enjoying the wilderness, of getting the most from it.
22:50They're nomads. They like to experience the unexpected, having unique encounters along the
22:57way with dead giraffes, with lions. All of these things only come really when you scratch beneath
23:04the surface of the wilderness. I think it'll be interesting to find out the negatives of
23:09living this lifestyle. Living and working together 24 hours a day, high-pressure environment really.
23:18I'm curious to see how they make it work as a couple.
23:27I'm on an expedition in the unexplored wilderness of Ruaha National Park in Tanzania.
23:32My hosts, Molly and Noel, swapped city life for a raw existence in the bush, living amongst the wildlife.
23:48I've just spent my first night camping on the banks of the Great Ruaha River.
23:54Not as peaceful as you might think.
23:56Yeah, you hear all sorts of things. I heard elephants, hippos laughing.
24:05And probably the most disconcerting, because I am quite close to the edge, is that
24:08if you listen, this is what you hear all night.
24:15I kind of had an image that I was going to just end up floating like a raft down the river.
24:19Today will be my first full day on foot in the wilds of Ruaha.
24:27So, a hearty breakfast is important.
24:31But out here, if you want bread, you've got to bake it yourself.
24:35Perfect.
24:37Just ten minutes in the African sun is all that's needed to get a good rise.
24:40A couple of ants.
24:42Oh, that's okay. More protein.
24:43And more protein. I like that.
24:47I have to remind myself that Noel comes from the bright lights of San Francisco.
24:54Were you the typical kind of Californian girl?
24:57Oh, yeah. I owned a convertible. I would drive everywhere in my high heels.
25:00I'd go grocery shopping in, um, yeah, wearing Gucci.
25:04How does the, the conversable driving Californian chick adapt to this?
25:09Oh, at first it was really difficult for me.
25:14The one thing I could never really get my hands on was feeling safe in the bush.
25:20But then one day Molly was out on a drive and I was sat down.
25:24I had a few minutes to wait for the guests.
25:26And so I sat down on my lounge chair and I was reading this book,
25:29but I heard this crunching of leaves.
25:32So I just didn't look up because I was in such a good paragraph.
25:35But when I did, I was looking straight into the eyes of a leopard.
25:41No way.
25:41Straight into the eyes of a leopard.
25:43And usually in these instances, I have Molly around me.
25:46But I did have him kind of in my, this voice in my head.
25:51So either I had to stand up and let him know,
25:55Hey, listen, I'm here. Don't come any closer. I am a human.
25:59Or I had to sink back into my chair.
26:03And you just have a split second to make these decisions.
26:06So I jumped up in front of this leopard, stood my ground,
26:11and I'll never forget the sound that he made.
26:13This growling and this and then he creeped off.
26:18And that for me was the moment that I deserved to wear the color khaki.
26:22But that was the moment you became a bush girl.
26:24That was the moment.
26:29When I first saw Noelle, I was convinced she was going to be the stereotypical California chick.
26:35You know, a bit ditzy. Apologies to all California chicks.
26:39But the more time I spend with her and the more stories I hear, she is a tough girl.
26:46She's not just doing this because it's kind of a cool dream.
26:50She's doing this because she loves it. Whoever needed that was a very, very good chef.
27:02After breakfast, I head out on foot for the first time into Ruaha's endless wilderness.
27:11For Molly and Noelle, the walking safari is fundamental to their life here.
27:15Contributing to tourism in this way allows them to live in and roam throughout the national park.
27:24But even without guests, this is how they like to spend their time.
27:31I want to find out why.
27:34Right there is a Nephila. Oh, wow, yeah.
27:37A garden orb-web spider. Are they poisonous?
27:40She looks the real deal, doesn't she? Oh.
27:43But she's totally harmless. Isn't she lovely? Look at the yellow. Wow. Easy girl.
27:52Whoops.
27:54When I come to Africa, I'm expecting to see the big lions, the elephants, but I get the impression
27:59that you're just as excitable when you see a little spider. Even more so, you know. And again,
28:04that's the joy of walking. You'll get to see things that you will never know even exist when you're just
28:09stuck in a car. And when you're in a car, you do look for the big stuff. But the walking lets you
28:12get close to these smaller things, and you'll often find they can be infinitely more interesting.
28:21Molly is one of Tanzania's most experienced and knowledgeable bush guides.
28:27And he truly seems in his element.
28:30This is dug by the elusive Aadvar. Oh, yeah, look at that.
28:33He's one of the holy grails of the bush. I do this every day. I've seen eight in my life. But with a
28:39basic grasp of tracking, without even seeing the animals, we know what is existing here. All those
28:45distribution maps you see of all the species, it's all from data being sent in. And now we have a
28:50positive record of an aardvark in the area. So you're sort of pioneers in these unexplored places,
28:55then? Very much so. I mean, we'd like to contribute. And even the authorities of the park themselves,
28:59they like to call us their pioneers.
29:05I'm beginning to see how walking in these unexplored territories can be rewarding when
29:10your tracking skills are as honed as Molly's. And his keen eye has led us to this dry riverbed.
29:20Look at the activity around here. We've got waterbuck. We've got lots of impala.
29:25Things have been utilizing this area. They don't congregate for no reason.
29:28And I'll wager, if we just dig down a little bit into here, we will be able to get to surface water.
29:33Seriously? Yeah, should we give it a go? Just start digging down.
29:40It's getting moister. Can you feel it getting colder?
29:42It's definitely getting colder down there. And this water is so sand filtered,
29:47we can drink directly from this with no ill effects whatsoever.
29:52You're just sponging it up? Yeah, you just let it soak in. And then you'll get...
29:59Oh, I might. That's your salty hat. No disrespect. I don't know that I really want to...
30:05It replenishes your lost salt. Thanks for the life-saving tip there.
30:08Survival skills like this are all very well.
30:11I couldn't access it.
30:12But I want to know what happens if you get seriously ill out here.
30:16Have you had malaria? Lots of times.
30:18How many?
30:19Uh, 18.
30:2018 times.
30:21Yes. I mean, what can you do when you're out here and you're suffering?
30:25So malaria is actually not that bad. You take your pills two days in bed. It's actually a bonus.
30:30What about the unexpected? This is the essence of your life, isn't it? What if,
30:34heaven forbid, you get bitten by a snake?
30:36We do have emergency medical evacuation that can get us to a hospital probably within about four,
30:44five hours. Yeah.
30:45And does that bring quite a loss of comfort to you knowing that that's there?
30:49Definitely. I mean, I would probably wouldn't be able to do this job if we didn't have that.
30:54And we are quite blessed. We can afford the insurance. And so that does make life out here much easier.
30:59I, for one, am relieved that safety is just a satellite phone call away.
31:06Especially as Molly is determined to track and find elephants.
31:12But as he looks for their prints, he discovers something else.
31:18This is human activity. This is poachers. How can you know that's poachers though? I mean,
31:24that's, it's a human print. That's a bit of an assumption to jump to, isn't it?
31:27Well, we know everyone who's authorized to be in these areas. Us and rangers. Rangers wear boots.
31:34These guys are barefoot. These aren't serious poachers. These are just fish poachers. You know,
31:38they're trying to get a few fish and things like that. So not bad people. You've still got to keep
31:43on it though, because when they go back to those villages, information can be leaked.
31:48Where are elephants? There was a big tusker over there. It's like, you know, marijuana being a gateway
31:53drug to nastier stuff. It's the same with this kind of thing. So again, we'll make a small report
31:58about this. The more data we collect, the more information we send back. It does spread to those
32:02villages and they know, whoo, there's activity there. Don't go there. And it protects everything
32:06in the park from the fishes to the elephants.
32:13No elephants here, but Molly promises me I'll have a close encounter before I leave.
32:21As the nomadic lifestyle dictates, we drive deeper into the wild country and are rewarded
32:27with a rare sighting. Cheetah! Cheetah! Cheetah! Cheetah! Cheetah!
32:31Shh! Shh! Keep your voices down. He's hunting. He's hunting. The cheetah's hunting the cunu.
32:36Two! Two! Two! Two! Three! Three! Shh! Wow. What a privilege. There are fewer than 7,000
32:45cheetah left in the world. I mean, they're so skittish, aren't they? It's possible that we could be the
32:52first car they've ever seen. Which is a wonderful feeling in itself.
33:00After our brief encounter, we set up our next camp.
33:08Spending all day out in the heat and moving camp every night would test even the strongest of
33:13relationships. Cheers, guys. Cheers! But Molly and Noelle are still smiling. I wonder if there's a side to
33:21their relationship that I'm not seeing. You guys have quite an intense lifestyle, don't you? Because
33:28you're working together and you're living together 24 hours a day. How do you make it work? The great
33:34thing is that, um, we were working like this before we even got together. We knew we worked well together
33:41and then we ended up having a relationship, which was a bonus. Do you guys ever argue? Oh yeah,
33:47absolutely. We're a normal couple. We go through our fights. Most of our lives are spent in front of
33:53other people. So Molly and I have acquired this way of communication. Not telepathy. I've seen it.
33:58I've seen it. You look at each other. Yeah, absolutely. Just communicate with just a little
34:01look of the eyes. We need our way to kind of just say, hey, hey, if you continue telling that story,
34:06you know you're going to get an LIB. Do you know what an LIB is? What's an LIB? This is, um, a lecture in bed.
34:12So after the lights go out, you come back, it's just me and Molly back home. That's when the lecture
34:19starts. That's when I'll delay my return to the room. I'll sit and drink with the guests and hope
34:23she forgets by the morning. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Can you guys imagine life without
34:29one another now? Never. Not at all. God, up until my early thirties, I always considered myself very
34:36much a loner. Um, and I was very proud of it. Um, but it was Noelle that inspired me, um, or gave me
34:44the courage to break away and try start something by ourselves. If I hadn't had Noelle, I'd never taken
34:51that step. Without her, I'm actually quite useless and hopeless. I think too much in life,
35:00we take our partners for granted. We become complacent. They constantly remind one another
35:06about how much they value one another. And I think that's the only way you can survive out here.
35:15They're in this extraordinary environment. And despite coming from two very different worlds,
35:20it's almost like they were meant to be.
35:28I'm in Ruaha National Park in Tanzania. Look at my view this morning. It's not bad, is it?
35:40My expedition with Molly and Noelle in one of Africa's most remote landscapes is drawing to a close.
35:45Before I go, Molly wants me to encounter elephants on foot.
35:54This experience draws in the paying guests, which ultimately allows the couple to pursue their life here.
36:00All right. You've got a lovely pan of water there. I don't know where they are, but they're in there somewhere.
36:11Now, when you're walking elephant, essentially, if you cannot be seen, heard or smelt, you don't exist.
36:19With the elephant, number one, smell. Okay.
36:22You know they say a dog is a thousand times more powerful than a human? Well, um, an elephant is probably
36:28a thousand times more powerful than a dog. One molecule of human scent touches that trunk,
36:35that trunk, and he's onto us. So that's why I got my little ash bag here.
36:38So it's just got ash in it? It's just ash from a fire, but this thing will save your life.
36:42It will disguise our smell, will it? No. We just find out which way the wind is going.
36:46Oh, I see. So that we can always stay downwind. We have a perfect wind this way, there over there.
36:52We've taken out the nose. Worst case scenario, what happens if they start charging?
36:56We hold our ground, we stand him down, and we'll break the big guy's courage very easily.
37:03I'm hoping between the sock of ash and the rifle, I'll be protected from that eventuality.
37:08Let's see what we can do. Let's go walking with elephants.
37:12I can't help but feel vulnerable. And the fact Molly has been walking with elephants for 13 years
37:22offers scant comfort.
37:32Just wait here, see what he does.
37:34Molly pushes forward for a better view.
37:49Wow.
37:52That's incredible.
37:55The first glimpse reveals it's a young adult bull.
37:58He's up to us. He smelt us.
38:06You see the change in his behaviour there? He's got a bit of a crosswind.
38:13My instinct is to retreat.
38:14And luckily so is Molly's.
38:26But I'm mistaken. He's going in for a closer look, and I've no choice but to stick by his side.
38:32Stay very still.
38:43I'm in awe of this magnificent creature, and all too aware he could crush me in a heartbeat.
38:48But just as he seems to be losing interest, something spooks him.
39:02And he charges.
39:10Oh, boy.
39:13Oh, boy.
39:13All right. Slow as you like.
39:22Time to beat a hasty retreat.
39:31Wow.
39:33That was... Did you enjoy that?
39:34That was just... I've never had a wildlife encounter quite like that.
39:38Very different to being in a vehicle, huh?
39:40Well, it's... I had no idea.
39:42You feel really at his mercy.
39:44Yeah.
39:44But he's well behaved. He was a nice guy.
39:46So he was testing us, though.
39:48He was testing us. We didn't push him.
39:50We came to a sort of mutual agreement.
39:52And he went back to doing his own thing.
39:54He tried.
39:55And if we'd have started backing out at that moment when he started coming forward,
39:59again, he'd know he's the winner.
40:01He would push home his advantage.
40:02Let's really give these humans a run for their money.
40:06But you just stay there.
40:07Let him do his thing.
40:08And did you see how well he behaved?
40:09He kicked a bit of sand at us and then went to dusting himself.
40:13You don't get better than that.
40:17It was amazing.
40:18My adrenaline is just pumping through my body.
40:21I can see why he does it.
40:22I see the flirting with danger.
40:25So I think where he gets the extra little adrenaline kick is
40:28seeing someone like me and seeing my reaction to it.
40:32That's his little drug for the day.
40:33God, that was amazing.
40:35I think that single moment, that encounter, has almost summed up what they do here.
40:41And yeah, of course, there's an element of being a thrill seeker and an adventurer.
40:45But actually, it's about being a purist in my mind.
40:48And you can't get much simpler than a little bag of ash between you and a five-ton elephant.
40:55This is a person who truly understands this environment.
40:57And there's something very beautiful about that.
40:59It was perfect the way it just came to us.
41:01Yeah, and out of the bush, so we had a good view.
41:13After what has been a memorable trek into true African wilderness,
41:16we return to the relative civilisation of base camp.
41:27It's my final evening.
41:29That's beautiful.
41:30And my last chance to find out what lies ahead for this spirited couple.
41:34If I came back here in ten years' time, what do you think I'll find?
41:39Well, we'll still be here.
41:40We'll definitely be here.
41:42A little gray, a little bolder.
41:44With little Molly's and little Noel's? Is that an aspiration?
41:47Hopefully. I'd like to think so.
41:50Family is extremely important to me, and I would love to recreate what I had such fond memories of.
41:57Can you carry on your way of life with kids?
42:00Molly and I would not be able to live the nomadic lifestyle that we love so much,
42:05because a small child is a target in nature.
42:10So, I mean, kind of what we've been doing, going on expeditions and things like that,
42:14that would have to be placed on hold, which is a sacrifice.
42:20Can either of you ever imagine actually leaving Ruaha?
42:23No, I'd come out in cold sweats if I even thought of it.
42:28It's my first love, and I really do hope that it will also be my last love.
42:34So, I couldn't imagine, I couldn't imagine life without her, or without Molly.
42:41The next morning, it's time for me to reluctantly leave Ruaha.
42:55Good boys. I hate these.
42:57I know. We hate them as well.
42:58It is that time. Give me a hug. I know you are.
43:00Molly and Noel are a pretty special couple.
43:03Bye, Noel.
43:04It's almost like they've become a part of the fabric of the landscape here.
43:08You know, I've visited a lot of people around the world.
43:11You've almost created perfection here.
43:13Oh, thank you very much.
43:14Oh, my goodness. Wow. Well, thank you.
43:15You're going to have to keep me a tent. I'm going to be back.
43:17Well, you know where we are now.
43:19I live a slightly nomadic life, because I'm chasing. I'm looking for my dream.
43:22This is a magical place. Don't be a stranger.
43:24Ultimately, it's a search for the perfect place.
43:29You'll make it.
43:30And what's interesting is that I don't think I've ever found mine.
43:33You'll make it. Thank you, guys.
43:34Okay. Travel safely, then.
43:36Bye, guys. But Noel and Molly have.
43:42They've found their paradise.
43:46I think if I came back in 10 years, I'll find them.
43:49Whether their family has grown, I think I'll still find them.
43:56They'll be somewhere out there.
43:56Next time, I'm in Hungary, living with newlyweds who bought an abandoned farmhouse three months ago.
44:09The first time we saw it was when we stepped foot on the land and went, oh, shit.
44:14As they race to get on their feet before money runs out.
44:17I haven't cried in this experience, but this could do it.
44:20To prove to their families it was worth the risk.
44:23Why would you come to a place like this?
44:25And that's same time next week for more new lives in the wild.
44:31Adele spoke out about postnatal depression this week.
44:33And tomorrow night, a mum-to-be is terrified she has the same symptoms.
44:37She turns to her GP behind closed doors at eight.
44:39And we're continuing to raise awareness about mental health next tonight.
44:43As Alastair Campbell and Frank Bruno talk candidly about me and my mental illness.
44:48As Alastair Campbell and Frank Bruno talk candidly about mental health next week for more new lives in the world.
45:00And we'll see you next week.
45:04Bye-bye.
45:06Bye-bye.
45:08Bye-bye.
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