- 31 minutes ago
Documentary, Prehistoric Park -Episode 3 - Dino-Birds
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00There is something missing from our world.
00:08The amazing animals that time has left behind.
00:13But what if we could bring them back?
00:17What if extinction didn't have to be forever?
00:25We're going back in time on a safari with a difference.
00:28As wildlife adventurer Nigel Marvin plunges into prehistory to rescue creatures on the brink of extinction.
00:37His plan is to bring them back to the safety of the present and give them a second chance.
00:45This time Nigel travels to the perilous forests of prehistoric China to track down one of the most bizarre dinosaurs ever.
00:54And there are some big surprises on the way.
01:03Welcome to the ultimate wildlife sanctuary.
01:05Welcome to the prehistoric park.
01:06Nigel's dream of creating a park full of prehistoric creatures has become a reality.
01:14There are now over two dozen prehistoric animals ranging from the quiet ostrich like Ornithomimus to Theo, the teenage Triceratops prone to tantrums.
01:24Pride of the park are the two Tyrannosaurus Rex.
01:25The pride of the park are the two Tyrannosaurus Rex, brother and sister Terence and Matilda.
01:33They seem to be settling in well, and growing up fast.
01:40Pride of the park are the two Tyrannosaurus Rex, brother and sister Terence and Matilda.
01:48They seem to be settling in well and growing up fast.
01:56But in the intense summer heat, Martha the Mammoth is finding the adjustment to 21st
02:02century, living a little, well, hairy. Hello Martha. Such a joy, Martha, she's really
02:15integrating with the African elephant herd. But we had to put prehistoric park where it
02:19was warm because of all the reptiles and the dinosaurs that we're having here. And
02:23that's not ideal for an Ice Age mammal. They're close cousins but when you see them like this
02:30they're as different as chalk and cheese. The African elephants, look, they're constantly
02:35flapping their ears all the time. And those are perfect for losing heat. There's a lot
02:39of blood in there, they move them, create air currents and they dissipate heat in that way.
02:44But Martha's got these tiny ears. Everything about her is designed for conserving it. She's
02:48got thick blubber, she's got this massive shaggy coat. So you're really struggling Martha, aren't
02:54you?
02:57Luckily, Nigel has a cunning plan to cool Martha down. But it will have to wait, because he's
03:04getting ready for his next prehistoric rescue mission.
03:09For bird lover Nigel, it's going to be a very special adventure. He's going to search for
03:15an amazing new fossil discovery. A dinosaur with four wings.
03:22I've been sent these pictures of a revolutionary kind of fossil. It's a tiny dinosaur called
03:27Microraptor. But if you look closely there, look, there's impressions in the rock and those
03:32impressions are of feathers. So evidence is building that birds are the direct descendants
03:37of dinosaurs. And what I want to do is go back and find your ancestors. Find the dinosaurs
03:45that led to birds.
03:48It won't be easy. He'll have to go back 125 million years to find one. Microraptor is only
03:55known in one remote corner of prehistoric China. A place of mysterious dinosaurs and deadly volcanoes.
04:08Nigel would need all the help he can get from his team to track down the strange four winged
04:14dinosaur and rescue it from this forbidding world. It's a world more hostile than Nigel had imagined.
04:31We've got to get away from here as quick as we can. Up onto the high ground, there's a forest there.
04:36That's a good place for Microraptors as well. Let's get the equipment and go.
04:44This is a really worrying situation. The perils of a volcanic area aren't just explosions and molten lava.
04:51An active volcano like that is going to be seeping gas all of the time. Carbon dioxide,
04:56it's invisible. You can't smell it. It's heavier than air, so it gathers in a sort of invisible carpet
05:02that is deadly. So the best thing is for us to get up to higher ground.
05:06It's OK, guys. Everyone OK? Yeah. There's just a tremor. We've really got to keep an eye on that volcano.
05:21Let's go. We can't hang around here. Fast as you can. Let's move.
05:24The team head away from the volcano, up into the apparent safety of the forest.
05:41But is it a case of out of the frying pan, into the fire?
05:45Nigel's come here to find the Microraptor, but he's no idea what other creatures are lurking in the forest.
06:00The freshwater lake seems the safest place to make camp.
06:15And it's not long before they get their first sighting of prehistoric life.
06:28Quickly, come over here. Have a look at these.
06:34Come on. Come on. Up there. They are magnificent.
06:40These certainly aren't the four-winged Microraptors. They're not dinosaurs at all.
06:45They're a type of flying reptile called pterosaurs.
06:50They're part of an exclusive group of back-boned animals.
06:52Only three groups of them have the ability to do powered flight.
06:56These, the birds and the bats. Bats haven't evolved yet.
07:00These pterosaurs, wow.
07:02They've been masters of the air for 100 million years.
07:06And there's a group fishing out there, skimming low to the surface.
07:10They're putting their lower jaws in the water.
07:12When they feel something moving, the jaws close just like a snap track.
07:17Wow.
07:22And you can see how they fly.
07:23They've got a membrane that goes between their limbs and their body.
07:27And that's what gives them the ability to do these amazing aerobatics.
07:31He's swooping down to the water there.
07:49But as unexcited Nigel returns to camp, he's in for a nasty shot.
07:54Tent gone over there.
08:02Everything has been pulled out of the tent.
08:06Look at this.
08:07Sleeping bags destroyed. Most of the tents have been wrecked.
08:12The creatures that came in here, that's what they were looking for.
08:15They've gone right into the food bag.
08:18There's hardly anything left, just a few slivers of meat.
08:20So we know that the creatures that raided the campsite, we know that they eat meat.
08:25I've looked around for tracks.
08:27There's no other evidence.
08:28I've no idea what they are.
08:30Has anyone else got any food or anything?
08:32Yeah, I had this bag with me, so they didn't get it.
08:35I've got some food in here, some bread and dried meat, I think.
08:40Hardly enough to keep the team going for long.
08:43The expedition will have to be cut short.
08:46There are worrying signs that Nigel may have bitten off more than he can chew.
08:52Oh, no.
09:01Nigel's mission to save the Microraptor has not started well.
09:11His camp has been wrecked and most of the food stolen.
09:15By what, no one knows.
09:19Nigel is still upbeat.
09:24For a zoologist, it doesn't get much better than this.
09:27I'm in pursuit of a creature that no one has ever set eyes on before.
09:31We've got an idea of what Microraptor looks like.
09:34I've got the artist's impression here.
09:36One of the smallest dinosaur fossils ever found.
09:39Four wings, feathers.
09:40But what colour was it?
09:41How did it behave?
09:42Nobody...
09:46There!
09:51And there, listen.
09:52Can you hear that?
09:57It's over there!
10:02In the ferns there, look.
10:04There's stuff moving all around us.
10:06Guys!
10:22Come this way.
10:22The rest of you, keep close together.
10:27And that's keep moving uphill.
10:29Whatever they were, they've gone now.
10:41Come on.
10:42There we go.
10:46Back at the park, Martha the mammoth is still feeling the heat.
10:51So it's time for the staff to carry out Nigel's cunning plan to cool her down.
10:55A bit further.
10:56Good girl, Martha.
10:57You're okay.
10:58Good girl.
10:58Okay, cool.
10:59That's great.
10:59That's great.
10:59Stop her there.
11:00Excellent.
11:02Good girl, Martha.
11:04Well done.
11:05Good girl.
11:06Just stay there.
11:08Hey, can I get those?
11:10Great.
11:10Excellent.
11:11Good girl.
11:15Martha's an ice age creature so everything about her has evolved to make her able to cope with really cold temperatures.
11:21I think she might just be overheating.
11:24So Nigel had the idea to give her a haircut which I think is a really good idea.
11:27I think it's going to make her feel much, much better.
11:31You're okay, sweetie.
11:31You're going to feel much happier.
11:36You're a lucky mammoth, Martha.
11:37It's not every girl that gets a summer makeover.
11:42Martha!
11:43Thanks very much.
11:47Oh, great.
11:49It's not that bad.
11:53Meanwhile, in prehistoric China, Nigel and his team are on the trail of the Microraptor.
12:01But something is on their trail too.
12:10Look at that.
12:13Again, it's gone.
12:22Scurrying down there.
12:23Let's keep going.
12:27I don't like this.
12:29Back in the 21st century, I just need to get a glimpse of an animal and I've got some idea of what it is.
12:35But here, this time in prehistory, there's so many strange and bizarre creatures.
12:41I've no idea what's following us, and that really is disconcerting.
12:47But surely not everything in this forest is dangerous.
12:51I wonder if this is L-10, Wrecker.
12:58I'm going to try to get a bit closer.
13:04I wonder if this is L-10, Wrecker.
13:10I'm going to try to get a bit closer.
13:12I'm going to try to get a bit closer.
13:23I'm going to try to get a bit closer.
13:33I'm going to try to get a bit closer.
13:36I'm going to try to get a bit closer.
13:39a smear of dinosaur snot I think that was a mock charge though that was like a warning shot
13:46he wasn't attacking us I don't think this is a predator this isn't the tent wrecker I mean look
13:53at him he's a vegetarian like me see him nibbling away at the ferns and I'm certain this isn't the
14:02creature that ripped through our tents not microraptor either those big buck teeth microraptor
14:11doesn't have teeth like that but this creature does have feathers though and the feathers are
14:18on the front limbs and I'd like to see what he does with those come on then let's put these
14:25through your paces show us what you're made of hey you are fast
14:32brave little beggar
14:40that really ruffled his feathers and that's all he can do with them when he jumped into the air he
14:49didn't use them to try to stay airborne for longer those feathers aren't for flight
14:53are they it's an exquisite reptile this is a rare
15:01god
15:09are they
15:10are they
15:11oh
15:12are you
15:14are you
15:15are you
15:17are you
15:19are you
15:21They're away. We've lost the food, only you.
15:28I'm okay, I think.
15:31It's not as bad as I thought. They've just strafed you with their claws.
15:35If they'd bitten you it would be much worse than that.
15:37I'm sure they were the creatures that wrecked the campsite.
15:40But now we haven't got any food they won't follow us around anymore.
15:44You could have a little scar there but that's a badge of courage for a zoologist.
15:51But this forest has a few surprises in store yet.
16:05Back at the park headkeeper Bob is checking to see if the ornithomimus are enjoying their new home.
16:11I built this hide so I could keep a careful eye on them.
16:14But there's no need. They're happy here.
16:17Look at them. They're dabbling about like ducks.
16:21We've given them a real home from home.
16:29Oh, they love it.
16:32Well, except for that one. I'm very worried about it.
16:36It's gone completely bonkers.
16:38It's not lying sulking in the shade, it's creeping round the undergrowth.
16:42It's keeping well out of the way of all the others.
16:45While Bob ponders over that mystery, in prehistoric China, Nigel's stumped.
16:53There's still no sign of the Microraptor.
16:56The mission's falling apart.
17:04We've got to find the Microraptors quickly.
17:07And the thing is, I'm not even too sure where to look.
17:10They've got features of dinosaurs. Could they be scurrying on the ground?
17:14Features of birds. Could they be up there in the tree canopy?
17:18Look up there. Right in the tree top.
17:28That's a Microraptor.
17:30And when it glided, I saw the four wings.
17:32This is definitely a Microraptor.
17:35And it's off.
17:38He's got to keep up now.
17:41It's hard. He's going from tree to tree.
17:47He's just jumping across that gap there.
17:54Is it gone?
17:56I think there's more.
17:58There's another one trying across that gap there.
18:02It's so aerobatic.
18:04And this is a group.
18:05There's four.
18:06Three or four of them.
18:08They're moving that way.
18:14They are fantastic.
18:17And they're all crawling together.
18:20They're all moving in the same direction.
18:23I wonder where they're going.
18:28They're all moving in the same direction.
18:32I've seen fossils of these.
18:59These are titanosaurs.
19:00They're in the sauropod dinosaur group.
19:02Some of the biggest that ever lived harmless vegetarians unless they tread on you.
19:07But the strange thing is big animals like that, you wouldn't normally find them in dense
19:11forests.
19:12But I don't know what they're doing here.
19:14And they are magnificent.
19:16Listen to them crashing through the vegetation.
19:25Those titanosaurs can weigh over 20 tons.
19:27It takes a lot to stop them and look at the mess that they leave behind.
19:31They turn over the earth and the footprint is full of creatures.
19:35Look at this.
19:36Loads of earthworms there.
19:38A big beetle grub.
19:39And there, a primitive cricket.
19:41And I wonder if all this food explains what's going on.
19:47Look up there.
19:51When the dinosaurs move through the forest, they turn over the soil, trample on wood.
19:54And then the microraptors feast on the insects.
19:58It's just like birds on a cloud field.
20:04It's an irony.
20:05You wait all day for one microraptor.
20:06Now I'm watching a dozen.
20:07This is breathtaking stuff.
20:08But you never see them flap their wings.
20:09This isn't powered flight.
20:10But they are superb gliders.
20:11It's a great way to keep above ground predators.
20:13A great way to cover vast areas looking for food.
20:33With the microraptors busy feeding on the ground, this could be the chance Nigel's looking for.
20:39The microraptors really don't disappoint.
20:42They're so strange and peculiar.
20:45A species that will soon become extinct unless we can get some back to prehistoric park.
20:50And I can't muck around anymore.
20:52I'm going to see how easy they are to catch.
20:58Okay, so they're faster than me.
21:25At least we learned something from that.
21:28The microraptors, they use their claws like grappling irons.
21:30They can shin up trees like squirrels.
21:32But they can't take off from the ground like birds.
21:35They need a launch platform.
21:36And that's given me an idea.
21:38And all we need is a bigger area than this.
21:41The microraptors are wilier than he first thought.
21:46But with his knowledge of bird behaviour, Nigel's confident he can outwit his new feathered friends.
22:05My idea with this trap is to exploit the aerial limitations of the microraptors.
22:10We've seen them in these trees.
22:12Hopefully we could lure them to glide down into the trap.
22:15And then, because they can't do powered flight like birds, they can't take off from a standing stop.
22:20These wolves will keep them in.
22:23And how are we going to track them down?
22:25Well, what I've done here is dug some soil.
22:27There's plenty of earthworms.
22:29And if I break some rotting wood like this, this is what the titanosaurs do.
22:37And hopefully, there's some insects inside.
22:40And there, there's some grubs.
22:43There's one of those crickets again.
22:45And with a whole variety of moving insects, the trap is now set.
22:52Let's hope the microraptors understand the plan.
22:57There's one brave one.
23:00This will work because the others will follow.
23:15Come on, this time.
23:19They're all interested in the food, but they're just suspicious of the trap.
23:26There's another just about to come now.
23:33So close.
23:34Surely Nigel must net something soon.
23:38Sooner than he thinks, in fact.
23:40What are they doing here?
23:41It's a couple of those buck-two things.
23:42They're coming straight for us.
23:44What are they doing here?
23:45What are they doing here?
23:46It's a couple of those buck-two things.
23:47They're coming straight for us.
23:49With the trap ruined, the microraptors discover there is such a thing as a free lunch.
24:01This is so disheartening.
24:02Microraptors in the trees.
24:04It's like they're taunting us.
24:05It's like they're taunting us.
24:06The trap's been knocked down.
24:07An hour or so it's going to be dark.
24:08I mean...
24:09It's like they're taunting us.
24:10The trap's been knocked down.
24:11An hour or so it's going to be dark.
24:12I mean, I think we've just got to go back to Prehistoric Park and work out a new strategy.
24:16This is just a big mess.
24:17The microraptors discover there is such a thing as a free lunch.
24:18I'm not going to leave it.
24:25This is so disheartening.
24:27Microraptors in the trees.
24:30It's like they're taunting us.
24:32The trap's been knocked down.
24:34An hour or so it's going to be dark.
24:36I mean, I think we've just got to go back to Prehistoric Park and work out a new strategy.
24:41This is just hopeless.
24:47Who would have thought that a tiny dinosaur could cause such a big headache?
25:00Back at the park, the heat wave is getting worse.
25:05Now Nigel's back, he wants to know how the creatures are holding up in the extreme weather.
25:11Some of the animals are beginning to get a bit bad tempered.
25:27And as for the Ornithomimus, she's still just acting plain daft.
25:31To be honest, I'm very worried about one of the Ornithomimus.
25:35I mean, they seem to be very sociable creatures, but there's one of them.
25:37It's just cut herself off from all the rest.
25:38She's lying in the shade.
25:39She's just, you know, seems to have lost the plot completely.
25:40Yeah, everything you're describing, I don't know what's going on.
25:41Ornithomimus, it means bird-like.
25:42And I've seen this in birds before.
25:43She's actually getting broody.
25:44So what we need to do is have an ultrasound scan.
25:45Ultrasound?
25:46Yeah, and if there's a clutch of eggs developing, we can see them.
25:47And this will be our first pregnant dinosaur.
25:48Hey, wouldn't that be something?
25:49Nigel is eager to get back to his latest mission.
25:53He's confident he can catch the microraptor with the help of a new toy.
25:54I wasn't properly prepared to catch a microraptor last time.
25:55I was disappointed.
25:56But I've done some research.
25:57I've done some research.
25:58And it's been a suspect.
25:59And the thing is, I think, is a huge question.
26:00It's a huge question.
26:01I'm not the biggest question.
26:02I'm not the biggest question.
26:03I'm not the biggest question.
26:04Well, I've got a big question.
26:05But she's got a big question, but I'm not the biggest question.
26:07She's getting broody.
26:08So what we need to do is have an ultrasound scan.
26:09Ultrasound?
26:10Yeah.
26:11And if there's a clutch of eggs developing, we can see them.
26:12And if there's a clutch of eggs developing, we can see them, and this will be our first pregnant
26:23And this is the thing to help me. There's a scientist in Florida, he studies birds of prey, and he catches them using this.
26:29It's a net gun, and microraptor is very delicate. I don't want to damage it.
26:34So this is the perfect catching device. Watch!
26:38What the... Nigel!
26:41I'm sorry, Bob.
26:46It's back to prehistoric China, and this time Nigel means business.
26:53But this is a dangerous place, and he'll have to watch out for ever-increasing levels of volcanic activity.
27:17As we found when we came back before, these volcanic landscapes can be perilous.
27:22So this time, I'm much better prepared. I've got this, which is a carbon dioxide monitor.
27:27If levels of the gas get toxic, this will detect them.
27:31And we've all got a gas mask in our backpacks.
27:33In case there's a cloud of volcanic ash, you don't want to breathe that in, that will lacerate your lungs.
27:39So hopefully, we've got everything covered.
27:41It's not long before Nigel meets an old acquaintance.
27:48Quick, quick.
27:51Have a look at this.
27:58It's that peculiar creature we saw earlier, the one that wrecked the microraptor trap.
28:03I think he's got a girlfriend. I'm going to try to get closer.
28:06I research these back at Prehistoric Park, and like microraptors, they're another strange creature that's only found in this place in time.
28:26It's called Incisivosaurus because of those protruding front teeth, incisor-like teeth at the front.
28:34It looks to me like they're halfway between dinosaurs and birds, and that would make sense because this male is displaying to a female, just like some modern birds do to their mates.
28:44That's why he's got those beautiful colours, to flaunt them to females.
28:49And when he attacked us, when he was aggressive, raised his crest, ruffled his feathers, he thought we were competing for his females.
28:57And remember when he wrecked the trap, he was chasing a competitor all the way through.
29:01Maybe he thought that male was going to take his mate away.
29:04So it's likely the first function of feathers was to keep dinosaurs warm, and some of them, like Incisivosaurus, use them for display.
29:17Flight evolved much later, a sort of accidental benefit for some of the animals that hugged them.
29:25He'd watch you for hours, but we've got to go.
29:29Come on, let's go and catch the microraptor.
29:34At the park, it's time for vet Suzanne to give the ornithomimus her ultrasound scan to determine whether she really is the park's first expectant mum.
29:45Okay, she looks fairly calm. Can I get that probe?
29:49Okay, got some gel on there.
29:52How's her head? Is she okay?
29:55Great.
29:56Okay, I'll just talk to her. Let's just put this probe on and see how she goes.
30:00Good girl.
30:01Okay, just let her be. Let her be. Let her be.
30:05Shh.
30:06Put a bag on her head, which is what we do with ostriches to try and make them calm.
30:10I think the gel was just a bit cold. It was a bit of a shock, so let me just...
30:13That's where I'm going to be.
30:15That's it.
30:17Okay, just get her used to it.
30:19Okay, let's try that again.
30:22Good girl.
30:25Good?
30:26Yeah, it's good.
30:26All right, so there's one overduck there with an egg.
30:33That's good. Excellent. Let's see what else we've got.
30:38And we look. It looks like another one.
30:40Another overduck, another egg. Hang on, let me just see. It's not the same.
30:44No, it's a different one.
30:45That's great.
30:48So she's got two overducks with two eggs, which is really different from modern birds.
30:52They have one functioning overduck.
30:54That's an evolutionary thing to make them lighter so they can fly.
30:58She lays two eggs a day and she does what birds do, which is lay eggs on consecutive days.
31:03It might mean we end up with loads of new dinosaurs at Prehistoric Park, which would be fantastic.
31:08I know. It's great news.
31:10One problem solved.
31:13But as frequently happens at Prehistoric Park, another is about to begin.
31:20Temperatures are still rising on T-Rex Hill.
31:23Back in Prehistoric China, Nigel's hot on the trail of the Microraptors.
31:42This is what we've been searching for.
31:44It's like a convoy of trucks has been down here.
31:47You don't have to be a master tracker to follow a herd of titanosaurs.
31:50And when we find them, we should find the Microraptors.
31:58The problem is, the trail heads downhill, towards the volcano.
32:08And on the way, some of the forest's less welcoming residents.
32:12Some of those creatures that make their life a menace before they're sleeping, I think.
32:25I researched them.
32:27They name the fossil Mei Long, which means sleeping dragons.
32:32And what we'll do is we'll skirt round here so we don't wake them up.
32:38Something not right here, though.
32:40Something not right.
32:42They're not moving at all.
32:47They're not responding.
33:03Common dioxide!
33:05Get to higher ground!
33:06Move!
33:06Move, move, move!
33:08Move!
33:12Move, move, move!
33:13Move, move!
33:14Move, move!
33:14Move, move!
33:15Move, move!
33:16Move, move!
33:17Move, move!
33:18Move, move!
33:19Move, move!
33:20Move, move!
33:21Move, move, move!
33:22As things hot up for Nigel in China, back at the park they've reached boiling point.
33:27The team wrecks are at each other's throats.
33:34And it's up to head keeper Bob to cool them down before it's too late.
33:42Open the gate!
33:43Come on!
33:44Open the gate!
33:45Come on!
33:46Come on!
33:47Get moving now!
33:48Quick!
33:49Come on!
33:50Quick as you can, lads!
33:51Right!
33:52As soon as you're clear, get the gate shut!
33:53That's it, lads!
33:54Get that water pumping through!
33:55Come on!
33:56Up besides it, that's it!
33:57That's it!
33:58That's it!
33:59That's the way!
34:00Higher!
34:01Try and get the piece a bit higher!
34:02Hurry, lads!
34:03Come on!
34:04Pump!
34:05Come on!
34:06Quick as you like!
34:07That's it!
34:08That's it!
34:09That's it!
34:10That's it!
34:11Keep the pressure up!
34:13The drama's over with no major injuries.
34:15But Terence and his sister Matilda will have to be separated for their own good.
34:34They're being moved to holding pens while a dividing wall is built.
34:43Terence doesn't seem too impressed with his new accommodation.
34:49And Matilda, for once, seems to be in agreement.
34:56Wow, guys!
34:59In prehistoric China, Nigel and his team have safely reached high ground, narrowly avoiding suffocation by the gas cloud.
35:09God, that was a close one.
35:11Those poor little Mei Long choked to death.
35:13I think what happened there was a burst of carbon dioxide from the volcano.
35:18It seeped through the forest, killed the little dinosaurs in their sleep.
35:25His narrow escape has confirmed his fears about the dangers here.
35:29This really isn't looking good.
35:32You can see the trees being knocked over.
35:34The titanosaurs, they're plowing through the forest.
35:37The microraptors will be following them.
35:39But the trouble is they're going straight towards that toxic lake and the volcano.
35:43Following the trail back down seems a big risk for a very small dinosaur.
35:50But after all he's been through, Nigel's not giving up now.
35:55Some freshly turned soil here.
36:01And this is a nest.
36:02This explains why the titanosaurs have come deep into the forest and towards the volcano.
36:08Eggs here and fill the soil.
36:10It's been warmed by the volcanic activity.
36:13So that's a perfect incubator for these eggs.
36:16And reptiles rely on the heat of the sun, heat of the ground to hatch their eggs.
36:21And let's gently take this.
36:23I've got to be careful I don't turn the egg.
36:26If I twist it, the embryo inside will die.
36:29Reptiles don't turn their eggs like birds do.
36:33And there.
36:35It's always extraordinary to me.
36:37A relatively tiny egg like this.
36:40The embryo inside will increase in weight by 30,000 times.
36:44This egg will lead to an animal that weighs 30 tonnes.
36:49Let's put it back very carefully.
37:02Another tremor.
37:06And that was the strongest yet you could feel the whole ground shake.
37:13Listen.
37:14Can you hear that?
37:18Coming from over here.
37:24Unmistakable sound.
37:25Splintering wood.
37:27Titanosaurs on the move.
37:28And as I thought, there's another egg laying site.
37:32The microraptors won't be far behind.
37:35Let's move. Skirt round this way.
37:46Can you hear them?
37:48There they are.
37:50And this is what we came back for.
37:52And there's one in the tree up there.
37:54They are such strange creatures.
37:57Soon to be extinct.
37:59I think probably because they'll be outcompeted by birds.
38:03Microraptors are strange evolutionary experiment.
38:06Dinosaurs with four feathered wings.
38:09And to this population here, and to all the animals that live here,
38:13there's an imminent threat.
38:15The volcano is very volatile.
38:17We've got to move fast to save these microraptors.
38:24The moment has come for Nigel to put his plan into action.
38:36And this time, he thinks he's got the right equipment to finish the job.
38:40Got you.
38:41I'm just going to go out on the wall.
39:12If you get him in there, he'll calm down in the dark.
39:20It's not too big for him so he won't flash around.
39:22He'll be fine in there.
39:25But what I'm going to do, I'm going to get some more.
39:30At last, Nigel's persistence has paid off.
39:34He just needs to net a few more and he'll have a breeding colony of micro-raptors to take back to the park.
39:40Yes, got him!
39:57One more should do it.
39:59Nigel's on a roll.
40:05Surely it can't last.
40:10Got you!
40:11That was a massive tremor.
40:22And look at the volcano.
40:24In fact, it's not just a tremor this time.
40:27The volcano is erupting.
40:31And it's spooking all the animals, even the big ones.
40:35That was a close one.
41:00A titanosaur clipped his wing.
41:04It's a minor injury, so I think he's okay.
41:07You're okay, aren't you?
41:13Wow.
41:14Oh, no, there's a huge cloud of volcanic ash.
41:18Volcanic ash is made of tiny, sharp crystals.
41:22It can be deadly if breathed in and is best avoided, even by the largest of dinosaurs.
41:29The titanosaurs, they're heading straight for it.
41:31Can you take this?
41:31Yes, pal, it's coming this way.
41:48Yes, it's coming!
41:51Most people would see a volcanic eruption, and 300 tons of dinosaurs stampeding towards them
41:58as a problem.
41:59Nigel, however, sees this as an opportunity.
42:03If only he can get the time portal up and running quickly enough.
42:06Run!
42:31Run!
42:31Run!
42:36You got the Michael Raptor, then?
42:57I don't believe it.
43:03Nigel!
43:06Hey, now. Watch these beds.
43:10Hey!
43:22There's another one.
43:23Look at the size of that.
43:26Is that you, Nigel?
43:27How many have come through?
43:29So far, three.
43:31How many are there altogether?
43:32Well, there's four.
43:34Oh, nine.
43:36Oh, my word.
43:40Look at the size of them, Nigel.
43:42Where am I going to put these?
43:49As Bob is left to round up the park's surprise guests,
43:53vet Suzanne gets to work on the Microraptor's injured wing.
43:58Gosh.
43:59It's amazing how similar the Microraptor's wing is to a common bird's.
44:05It's got a little fracture of this bone here, and it's not too unstable, so I'm just going
44:09to put a splint on it.
44:11Okay.
44:11Can I just do it?
44:12Thanks.
44:12This is the same technique I'd use to repair a bird's wing.
44:16What I'm going to do is actually just stitch it in place, though, just around the actual
44:21soft tissue, which will make it much more stable.
44:23It's good.
44:31Okay, let's just put a bandage around there.
44:33All right, hopefully that should keep us still enough, and it should be fine in a few weeks.
44:43With the Microraptor on the mend, Nigel's keen to see how one of Suzanne's other patients
44:50is getting on.
44:52You want to remind me, she's been pretty secretive.
44:54She must be laying now.
44:56I haven't seen her for a few days.
44:59And there, look.
45:06We knew it was going to happen from the ultrasound.
45:09Eight eggs, I think it's eight, one, two, there's one hidden there.
45:11Eight eggs in there, and it's not just haphazardly thrown about like the sauripods.
45:17There's a sort of semblance of a nest here.
45:21Okay.
45:23Okay, mom, I'm just looking at your eggs.
45:25Okay.
45:39Oh, she's so tender with them.
45:41With luck, it won't be long before the park is home to the first baby dinosaurs for 65 million years.
45:51Two weeks later, and the injured Microraptor's wing is healing well.
46:09Hello, you two.
46:11How you doing?
46:13Hello.
46:14Smells for you.
46:15You want a peanut?
46:16There you go.
46:17Must be lovely for you to meet the ancestors, mustn't it?
46:20Ha, ha, ha, that's enough.
46:22You're hungry, aren't you?
46:24It's been a long, hot fortnight, but everything at Prehistoric Park at last seems to be cooling down.
46:31Martha, the mammoth, is comfortable with her new haircut.
46:34The strange behavior of the Ornithomimus turned out to be pretty normal.
46:41Still an expectant mom.
46:43And for the time being, the T-Rex are no longer trying to kill each other.
46:49Next time, Nigel's on a mission to rescue the predators of Prehistoric South America,
46:54including the legendary Sabretooth Cat.
46:57And the park wakes up to the pitter-patter of tiny three-toed feet.
47:04But now Bob's rounded up the park's latest residence, the Titanosaurs,
47:10and he's confident his newly built fence will keep them out of trouble.
47:15The Titanosaurs, however, beg to differ.
47:19Come on, should we be?
Be the first to comment