- 1 week ago
Travels to the Dominican Republic to explore the region's diverse ecosystems, which range from salt lakes and deserts to high mountain peaks. Key highlights includes...
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AnimalsTranscript
00:03dream of the Caribbean and you might imagine palm-fringed islands and endless
00:10sunshine but stretching over a million square miles with over 7,000 islands this
00:21is the home of extraordinary natural wonders I want to show you the wild heart
00:29of the Caribbean I'm Liz Bonin the Caribbean shaped my childhood and inspired me to explore
00:43the natural world it's a place of incredible variety that was mind-blowing I'll be traveling
00:56across the Caribbean's four distinct regions this place is so surreal to celebrate its
01:04astonishing and awe-inspiring creatures everything about this animal speaks to highly sophisticated
01:11evolution their remarkable habitats are under threat I'll meet the people protecting these
01:19precious ecosystems it's just a beautiful thing to watch an animal going back to its home and
01:26discover the relationship between life land and sea that you can find nowhere else on earth
01:36there's more to this place than meets the eye so much more
01:52I'm embarking on a journey across the Caribbean where nature seeps into almost every aspect of culture
02:01and identity it's a connection that's celebrated on the streets of a Caribbean island every year
02:10this is Trinidad this is where my mother was born and where I've spent much of my life visiting family
02:16over the years now it's 2 a.m. in the morning I'm in Corte Spain the capital and everybody here
02:22is
02:23getting ready for Jouvet a colorful muddy messy joyful chaos of a night that kicks off carnival here
02:30the best party in the world
02:36can you feel it the energy is electric here
02:44huge banks of paint that are going to be thrown everywhere
02:57covering themselves in paint and mud
03:00and revelers reconnect with deep ancestral roots and with nature
03:04and so it begins
03:15much of the art music and stunning carnival costumes is inspired by the thousands of different species
03:22that call this island home
03:25it's all part of the remarkable relationship between wildlife and people that I'm in the Caribbean to explore
03:38the first stop on my journey is the greater Antilles an archipelago with the largest islands of the Caribbean
03:48islands that are home to some of the most ancient species on earth
04:05I've come to the second largest island and to the Dominican Republic to find them
04:18I'm heading to Los Haitises a protected area larger than the size of greater London made up of spectacular limestone
04:27landscapes
04:31blanketed in tropical forests
04:33it teems with life including almost 200 species of birds and one in particular has captured the hearts of the
04:42locals
04:53I've come to the village of Los Limones near the center of the Dominican Republic and when you enter the
04:58village
04:59this is the first thing you see a gorgeous mural of a hawk
05:03and apparently the kids baseball team is also named after this bird of prey
05:07so obviously it means a lot to the people here and I've come here to find out why
05:15The Ridgeway's Hawk or El Gavilan as it's locally known can only be found on this island and with less
05:22than 500 left in the wild
05:24It's one of the most critically endangered raptors in the world
05:28Just 40 centimeters tall. It's a compact stealth hunter perfectly adapted to catch prey in dense forest
05:38Unlike most hawks that hover and soar it sits on low branches waiting to dive on unsuspecting snakes and small
05:46reptiles below
05:49Thomas
05:49Hi, I'm Liz. Hi, Liz. How are you? Nice to meet you. It's so nice to meet you, too
05:57Thomas Hayes an ornithologist from the Peregrine Fund has spent 13 years working with a local team to help recover
06:05the hawk's population
06:06We're gonna go check out a Ridgeway's hawk nest that the nestling is ready to be banded
06:12I heard a rumor that there was a nest
06:16Oh, it's right here
06:20Oh
06:21Hola, muchachos
06:22Hola
06:23Liz, this is my team
06:25Mucho gusto. Hola
06:27Hola
06:48Chivero
06:48At the beginning, it was very difficult
06:50The gavilans' survival of the gavilans with the farmers and so on
06:54They said, oh, don't eat the chickens
06:55But then people have created consciousness
06:57And now everyone protects them
07:00And when they see a gavilans over the mountains, they say, there's a group of gavilans
07:06We're going and we're going to follow them depending on the place
07:10Before this work began, the hawks had been in steep decline for over a century because of hunting and habitat
07:18loss
07:19This is actually the tree that the nest is in
07:22Oh, okay
07:23Who's climbing the tree?
07:24Which one?
07:24It'll be Killeen with the red hat on here
07:28Good luck to everyone
07:30Thank you
07:33Ridgeway's hawks only breed once a year and typically lay just two eggs
07:38To help protect the future of the population, the team monitor the hatchlings
07:43And today, it's the turn of a five-week-old chick in a nest at the top of a 20
07:48-metre-tall palm tree
07:51But the danger that we've been able to actually do something about
07:56Is a species of parasite, nest fly, that we found have been infesting the young Ridgeway's hawks
08:04And causing 70-90% mortality of young in the nests
08:09Okay, and so is this what you concentrate on now with your work here?
08:13So just by treating the nest for this parasite, we can actually increase productivity by about four-fold
08:21So four times the number of young survive, even maybe up to five
08:29We climb while there's eggs, typically, to treat the nest
08:33Okay
08:34And then we climb one last time just to put bands on the young
08:37So that we can continue to monitor the population
08:39Okay
08:40My eye is being distracted to this cool dude
08:43Just hanging, looking very comfortable
08:49What is it, 32 degrees or something?
08:52I'm standing here in the shade sweating
08:53He's wearing a long-sleeved jacket
08:55If the hawks decide to be a little bit aggressive, they just like to have that extra protection
09:01Do the hawks like to have a little peckety-peck?
09:04Forming strong family bonds, the hawks will fiercely protect their chicks from any threat
09:10Be it snakes, larger birds of prey or humans
09:17Go, go, go, go, come, come, come, come
09:20Oh my god
09:22Two of them came in kamikaze style, swooping in
09:26That was quite impressive
09:31Oh there everything is
09:36Do you know what?
09:37Do you know what?
09:39Your heart skips a beat, doesn't it?
09:41When you see them right overhead
09:45Because he's getting closer to the nest, they're obviously more active now
09:49But he's lifting the platform
09:56Oh my god
10:01This is the part that I'm the most nervous about right here
10:06Just him getting his hands safely on this nestling
10:08So we can bring it down to the ground and work on it
10:11The parents are going crazy, they're swooping in all the time
10:14Here we go, here we go
10:15Oh my god
10:16The birds are coming so close to him
10:18Two of them, they're not giving up
10:23Just the birds, I've not
10:27Tarantula
10:30Baby tarantula right there
10:31It's all kicking off here, isn't it?
10:33There it is
10:35Yes, that is a tarantula
10:37This is one of the most
10:39Here we go again, here we go again, the two of them together
10:42It's only when you see what it takes
10:44To get a nestling out of a palm tree
10:48That you appreciate just how much work
10:52And dedication goes into protecting these birds
10:56It might seem invasive
10:58But it won't lead to any lasting stress
11:01Or affect the survival of the chicks or its parents
11:03Without this intervention
11:05The last remaining population is in very real danger
11:09Of becoming extinct
11:11Okay, the bag's coming down
11:13The bag's coming down
11:14What do we have to get ready to do?
11:16Where's that tarantula?
11:17Seriously, where's the tarantula?
11:18Where is it? There it is
11:20Okay, thank you
11:23Okay, so we work fast
11:24I'll get the bird out
11:26And we'll do just a quick health check
11:29So the main thing with these raptors
11:32Is trying to have control of their feet
11:34Yeah
11:35Ridgeway's hawks, like most birds
11:37Are not attuned to human scent
11:39So handling this chick
11:40Won't cause the parents to desert the nest
11:42So what I would normally do
11:44Is just extend the wings
11:47And just filling for lumps
11:49That wing feels good
11:51So no parasites there
11:53And then again, just around the legs
11:56And around the chest
11:58And this bird feels good
11:59So what I'm going to do
12:01Is I'm going to go ahead and pass you the hawk
12:04And wrap your hand around the bat
12:05Okay, there you go
12:07And then that foot in there
12:09And then just try your best to keep your fingers
12:12From getting in those talons there
12:15So, and what we'll do is
12:17We'll grab each leg
12:20As we do the banding
12:21I can feel its heart beating in my hands
12:24Mhm
12:27At five weeks old
12:29This chick will soon be fully fledged
12:31And ready to fly for the first time
12:34Over the next few weeks
12:35Its parents will teach it to hunt
12:37And fend for itself
12:38The team will continue to monitor it
12:41And other hatchlings around the park
12:43To ensure they remain free of parasites
12:46There's her tag
12:48She's healthy, she has no bot fly larvae in her
12:51The only thing left to do is
12:53We've got to put her
12:54Back in the nest
12:55Back in this bag
12:56And send her back up to the nest
12:58Are we ready?
12:59Not really
13:02Okay, good luck little one
13:04Head first
13:05Try not to squish the tail on the bag
13:07And other than that
13:08It doesn't matter too much
13:09And I'll just kind of go ahead and let go
13:11There we go
13:14Thank you for that
13:15You're welcome
13:15Thank you for letting me hold her
13:17So now she's hoisted back up
13:20Into her nest
13:21By keeping chicks free from this disease
13:24Thomas and the team have helped to increase
13:26The number of birds that survive to adulthood
13:37What a treat, honestly, to see all of this in action
13:41It's a celebration of wildlife and humans
13:45When they're at their best
13:46Giving nature a helping hand
13:48Risking life and limb
13:50As the nestling has been hoisted up
13:52Back into its nest
13:59Both of them
14:01Relentlessly dive bombing Colleen
14:03Even though he's coming out of the nest
14:05And moving his way down
14:07They're still giving him grief
14:09And rightly so
14:10Protecting their chick
14:14It won't be long before this healthy chick
14:17Will fly the nest for good
14:22The hope is that in time
14:24She'll successfully rear chicks of her own
14:27So that the Ridgeway's hawk population
14:29Can continue to grow
14:32Where are we heading to now?
14:33We're going to head to the baseball field here
14:36In Los Limones
14:37And watch the local baseball team
14:39The Gabilans
14:40The Gabilans, so they're named after the hawk?
14:43Exactly
14:44Look at this
14:46Thomas spent many years living in Los Limones
14:49Even moving his wife and baby here
14:52He's become a beloved member of the community
14:55And the biggest supporter of the baseball team
14:58The next generation of hawk protectors
15:01Look at that
15:04Hola, como estas?
15:06So, Franklin
15:07Me llamo Liz
15:08Franklin is one of the leaders of the baseball team
15:12And we actually have something for you
15:15Your own baseball uniform
15:17Does that mean I'm part of the familia?
15:20Muchas gracias
15:22Oh, but
15:24With my name on it
15:27I am not going to perpetuate the science nerd situation
15:30But I have never held a baseball bat in my mind
15:33I actually haven't
15:35Now, muy calme
15:37Muy, muy calme
15:38Now just look at the ball
15:40And when that ball comes just
15:43Yes!
15:43Yes!
15:55The Ridgeway's hawk still faces threats
15:58But thanks to local support
15:59And the extraordinary efforts of the team here
16:02The population has almost doubled
16:05And for the first time in decades
16:07Three nesting sites have been established
16:09In different regions of the country
16:11Helping to improve the health, resilience and future
16:15Of these magnificent birds of prey
16:33Having encountered a baby tarantula
16:36I am on the search for an adult
16:39As much as I don't want to get bitten by one
16:43I do love these spiders
16:44I find them incredibly beautiful
16:50Come on, where are you?
16:58They don't scurry away
17:00So you can get a nice look at them
17:05It's not long before an adult makes its presence known
17:14This is the Hispaniola giant tarantula
17:20It's endemic to this island
17:22It can only be found here
17:24And they can grow as big as 20 centimetres across
17:27This one is a female
17:29She's about 10 centimetres across
17:31So she's halfway there
17:32You know it's a female
17:33Because they have slightly wider abdomens
17:36Than the males
17:37Now during the day they hide under rocks
17:40And wait for night to fall
17:42Because they're nocturnal hunters
17:44And that's when they head out to hunt
17:46For the insects they prey on
17:50They have these two centimetre long venomous fangs
17:53Now if you get bitten by one of these
17:55It's incredibly painful
17:57But you will survive
17:58They use them to paralyse the insects they feed on
18:02Now when they are defending themselves from predators
18:06They'll either play dead
18:08Or when they're feeling really threatened
18:09They will flick these barbed hairs
18:12That are all over their legs and their bodies
18:15Now those barbed hairs are very irritating
18:18If they get into your mucous membranes especially
18:21So your mouth, your nose or your eyes
18:23That is incredibly uncomfortable
18:26The good news is you'll get a sign before they flick those hairs
18:30They'll adopt this threat posture
18:32So they'll raise their abdomen
18:34The rear part of their body towards you
18:36Before they flick the hairs
18:37So if you know what to look out for
18:39You're pretty safe
18:58From Los Limones I'm making my way six hours down the coast with our local guide Tito
19:04To find one of the greatest survivors on the planet
19:09The Hispaniolan Selenodon
19:13A distant relative of shrews and moles
19:16Its ancestors evolved 75 million years ago
19:20And shared the earth with the dinosaurs
19:23One of the very few mammals to inject venom into its prey
19:27It was once the apex predator here
19:30Now it's one of the last surviving mammals native to the Caribbean islands
19:36Ancient, rare and elusive
19:38They're almost impossible to find
19:44Have you ever seen a Selenodon?
19:47It's a night time animal
19:49Regular people don't see them though
19:51I am desperate to see one
19:53In the flesh, in the fur
19:54Because they are so unusual, they are so rare, they are so precious
19:58I learnt about it during my Masters
20:00And the thought of actually setting eyes on one is just, yeah, super exciting
20:07To increase my chances of seeing one
20:10I'm meeting a local who's become a renowned Selenodon expert
20:17Tell me about this legend that is Nicolas
20:20Nicolas Corona, yeah
20:22He's this environmentalist to the heart
20:25Is he?
20:25Yes, and he has close to 30 years working on the field with Selenodons
20:30We're heading to meet him now, but nothing's going to happen until sunset, right?
20:34We wait at night and try to hear them as they come out of the burrows
20:37Okay
20:43Hispaniolan Selenodons have been studied by a relatively small number of scientists
20:47Nicolás
20:48But Nicolás has devoted his entire life to monitoring and protecting them
20:54Tonight he's attempting to carry out another survey
20:57And I've been offered the chance to join him
21:02So, here we are
21:05We're going to look for the Selenodon
21:07Yes
21:09Before it gets dark, can you show me around this place
21:13And the signs that you look for
21:16What I do is look for the Selenodon
21:23The Selenodon to work in the night
21:24If they visit this night one place
21:27The next night they return to the same place
21:30I've been 34 years old and I've failed
21:33Let's go!
21:34Let's go!
21:40And what signs can you find of the Selenodon
21:43The Selenodon in the day that help you to find them again at night?
21:48Look, these little holes
21:51What, these little holes?
21:54Yes
21:54Is that the nose poke?
21:57Yes, this one is one
21:59I've always wanted to see a nose poke
22:01I learned about their incredible noses that they use to burrow and to find the insects that they feed on
22:08And one of the most exciting bits of evidence of their presence is the nose pokes
22:13The literally nose poke holes left by Selenodons
22:17I mean, how gorgeous is that?
22:18I have to explain this
22:19As long as you look for them at night
22:22They are not walking naturally
22:24They are digging
22:27They are digging
22:28So, after you put them in the reflector
22:31They are running
22:32Under cover of darkness
22:35Nicolas is able to track them down
22:38Just by the sound of their digging
22:40Look, this is a madriguera with two mouths
22:43They enter and before they enter the madriguera
22:47They enter slowly
22:49To not move the leaves
22:50To not leave the rastro on the depredators
22:53We are making a lot of noise
22:54I didn't realise it was the burrow that was being used
22:57I am a bit excited
22:58Yes
23:01Hispaniol and Selenodons have become the prey of introduced species like mongooses, cats and dogs
23:08Living in burrows offers them protection
23:10A strategy their ancestors also benefited from
23:14One of the things that I want to tell you
23:16Because the solorodontes survived to the meteorites fall
23:22They have their natural bunker
23:25And they are at 7 or 10 meters and more deep
23:29That's why they live
23:30And they can survive
23:33That's just incredible, isn't it?
23:35Because they evolved from all the other mammals
23:3875 million years ago
23:40They roamed the planet with T-Rex
23:43And then the asteroid hit
23:4675% of species were wiped out
23:48It was a mass extinction event
23:49But the Selenodon survived
23:52Because it was a scurrying little mammal
23:54That lived in these deep burrows
23:56And the modern day form isn't much different
23:58From those ancestors 75 million years ago
24:03The Selenodons of today have been in danger of extinction
24:07Predominantly due to habitat loss
24:09Since the 19th century
24:12And yet these plucky little mammals and their plight
24:15Remain largely unknown to Dominicans
24:23Why did you choose to put so much time and dedication into this animal?
24:27Why are you so passionate about it?
24:29What happened was that my father
24:31When he taught me the Selenodonte dead
24:34A me it gave me a lot of sadness
24:35To see the animal
24:36I looked at the nose
24:38And I said, no, but I have to know more about this animal
24:42So I started taking all those data
24:45To walk in the forest and look at it
24:46So I learned to look at it
24:48I learned to look at the traces
24:49I learned to look at the SFK
24:51And from there to go
24:53My dedication to that fossil alive
24:57My legacy with the Selenodonte
24:59While I have a life
25:00I will not stop working with him
25:01Or studying
25:02I have three children
25:04Who follow my legacy
25:06Without Nicolas driving the effort
25:09To monitor the population
25:10The Hispanic Selenodon
25:12Could well have been lost forever by now
25:16Head torches at the ready
25:18We wait for darkness to fall
25:19And the search to begin
25:22So it's 8.15
25:23It's nice and dark
25:25Perfect time
25:27To find a Selenodonte
25:29In the middle of a forest
25:31In the Dominican Republic
25:33And this man
25:34Is already walking too fast
25:36For me
25:37Wait, wait, wait
25:43Shhh!
25:44Nicolas can hear them
25:46Moving around in the dry undergrowth
25:50Hmm?
25:51He's running off
25:59Can you hear them?
26:09Ow!
26:09Something's biting
26:13Hmm...
26:14I'm definitely less comfortable
26:16In the dark
26:18Who?
26:19Am I supposed to run after him?
26:25Oh man!
26:28I can't keep up with him so
26:31I tend to just stand still and wait for him to come back
26:34Hope that he comes back
26:36Because I have no idea where I am
26:42Oh, he's going to disappear on me again
26:49Mastering the art of stealth is crucial when it comes to finding Selenodons
26:54And my camera crew and I are failing miserably
26:59I have no idea where he is
27:06Um...
27:07Um...
27:09Oh!
27:10Light!
27:13In another part of the forest
27:15Nicolas's son has joined the search
27:17So Nicolas heads off to hunt with him
27:21We were making too much noise
27:23It doesn't work for him to really listen out for the tiny little sounds of the Selenodon
27:28It's fine
27:29The stars are out
27:30It's lovely
27:32Take in the sounds of nature
27:47It is just past midnight
27:49We've been here for over four hours
27:52And we heard over the radio that Nicolas and his son are on their way back
27:57With...
27:58I think it's good news
27:59I think they have a Selenodon
28:01I can't believe I'm actually going to see one
28:04There they are
28:06Nicolas
28:08Hola
28:09How are you?
28:10Good, good
28:11I've got it
28:12Solenodon?
28:13Yes
28:14Oh my gosh
28:16I can't believe it
28:18Nice to meet you Liz
28:20How are you?
28:21Gimel
28:22How are you?
28:23Gimel
28:23Gimel
28:25Okay
28:27Oh wow
28:30Female
28:31Female?
28:32Yes
28:33By catching Selenodons, Nicolas keeps an eye on the health of the population
28:38It's a very rare occurrence that I feel incredibly lucky to witness
28:44Apparently holding them by the tail is the best way to move them
28:49They are their calmest
28:50If you try and hold them like this, they scream like banshees, I've read in one account
28:53I'm definitely buzzing at seeing this incredibly rare animal with my own eyes
28:59It's all a bit surreal at the moment, but she's in the dry pool now
29:04It's in good condition, it's a healthy little female, yes?
29:08Very strong
29:08Very strong
29:09Very strong
29:10Yes, strong
29:10Look at that
29:12I never thought I'd get such a close-up look at a Selenodon, I really didn't
29:17They've got such a beautiful fur
29:20If you see that I catch one, it's only for scientific studies
29:27You have been studying, taking care of these Selenodons for over 30 years
29:33How does it feel to see one, considering it is so rare that you catch them?
29:39I'm very excited, I'm very excited
29:42When I see them, I say, let's catch one
29:44And if we catch them, I'm excited
29:46Would you like to see more people joining you to protect this incredibly beautiful animal?
29:55Of course, yes, of course
29:56It's important to take care of the animal as we take care of it
30:00Because it's unique on the planet
30:04You know, at first glance, she looks a little bit like a rodent
30:07Small little inconsequential animal that lives in the forest and burrows
30:11But she represents one of the feistiest, most resilient animals on the planet
30:19I mean, her species has survived 75 million years
30:24And she's still here
30:29Look at that nose
30:31That famous, very unique nose
30:35It's long and pointed, as it should be for a little mammal that burrows into the earth
30:40To find the beetles and the millipedes and the insects that it needs to feed on
30:45But what's really, really special about Selenodons' nose is
30:48At the very tip is this little ball
30:52And it's basically part of this ball and socket joint
30:55Which allows this round tip of the nose to move around almost 360 degrees
31:01So that it can burrow and find all the food it needs
31:08And she's so beautiful
31:11Look, look, she's digging
31:12And she's sticking her nose in
31:14She's doing a nose poke
31:15I can't bear it
31:16This is too good
31:22I can't thank you enough
31:24For letting me come
31:26To see you on this very special and rare occasion
31:29When you do catch them
31:30To have a good look at them
31:32Before you release them back into the forest
31:33This is an experience I will never forget
31:37Even if I had to wait until half past midnight to see one
31:44The future for the Hispaniol and Selenodon is uncertain
31:49Their secretive lives have even made it difficult to know exactly how many are left
31:54But Nicolas' work raises awareness
31:57Helping to inspire more Dominicans to protect their unique and precious mammal
32:16I'm on the road again
32:17Travelling through this country's hugely contrasting landscapes
32:21And their diverse array of life
32:33My next destination has taken me inland
32:36And to dramatic scenery
32:38Salt-encrusted trees rise from the crystalline waters of Lake Enriqueo
32:47Wow, this place is so surreal
32:50It's like being on another planet
32:51This is the driest place with the biggest lake
32:55At the lowest elevation in the whole of the Caribbean
32:58We're currently at 40 metres below sea level
33:02And the lake is three times saltier than seawater
33:05Now, ten million years ago
33:07This entire space was actually a narrow channel of the Caribbean Sea
33:12That separated the two islands we now know as Haiti
33:15And the Dominican Republic
33:16And then lots of geological activity resulted in two tectonic plates colliding
33:22And raising the floor of the channel to create a massive long basin
33:27In which the lake now sits
33:29And everywhere you look
33:30You can see evidence of this place's ancient marine past
33:36All of this stuff is coral
33:38A coral beach on a lake
33:45And even though this place looks pretty much uninhabitable
33:50A magnificent reptile has eked out a living here for thousands of years
33:59This is the home of the American crocodile
34:04Usually found along Caribbean and American coastlines
34:08The crocodiles here are much more isolated
34:11With only a few wetland channels to connect them to the Caribbean Sea
34:17Growing as big as four metres in length
34:21And living for up to 100 years
34:23They survive the hypersaline waters
34:26By secreting excess salt through glands on their tongues
34:33In the Dominican Republic
34:35The American crocodile is critically endangered due to hunting
34:40So today there are only around 70 adults left here
34:45Local scientists Sixto Inchaustegui and Joel Espinal
34:49Are working to reverse their decline
34:52Encantada mia molise
34:54Joe?
34:55Oh, mucho gusto
34:59Sixto has studied these crocodiles ever since he first encountered them as a child
35:04And Joel, an old student of his, is following in his footsteps
35:08Their extensive knowledge of the lake has taken us to the perfect spot
35:12Where after a cool night, the crocodiles warm themselves in the water
35:17Yes, there is one there
35:19There, there, there, there
35:20That's its face, look, its two eyes
35:22And look, there are two there
35:23Yes, two there, three, three
35:25Three?
35:26Really close to us, really close
35:29That's a beauty
35:32As ambush predators, crocodiles lurk underwater
35:36Waiting for unsuspecting fish to come within reach of their powerful jewels
35:45What's that noise you're making?
35:47The distress call made by the hatchlings
35:49By mimicking a hatchling's distress call, Sixto hopes more crocodiles might surface
35:54This one is a male, a small male
35:58Look, you can see his full body now, glistening in the sun
36:03Look at how stunning these animals are
36:06Primordial beasts, aren't they?
36:08Yeah
36:09Everything about them, I mean they're ancient, ancient creatures
36:13Crocodiles are some of the oldest living animals on the planet
36:17Their earliest ancestors evolved about 95 million years ago
36:22During the time of the dinosaurs
36:25Every now and then you see a glimpse of their teeth
36:31And to think that he's one of 70 left on this lake
36:37It really does feel like a privilege to set eyes on it
36:48The sounds of the morning
36:51Wildlife everywhere
36:53And a crocodile slowly swimming
36:56Through a hypersaline lake
37:00It doesn't get much better than this
37:09Hunting has reduced crocodile numbers here so dramatically
37:12That the team need to give every offspring the very best chance of survival
37:18Sixto and Joel are carrying out vital checks on crocodile eggs
37:22As part of their programme to recover the population
37:37We've arrived at the island of Cabritos in the middle of the lake
37:43Sixto heads off to find a crocodile nest
37:46But Joel's trained eye has spotted something
37:49Look, this is the footprint
37:51This is the, the, the trace they let on the sand
37:55Sorry, what am I looking at? I can't really tell
37:57Okay, look at this
37:58This part
38:01Oh, that's, so that's the body
38:03Yeah, yes
38:03And there is a foot
38:05Look at this
38:07Look at this
38:08From here to here
38:10Oh my gosh
38:11Yeah
38:11Is this the hind foot?
38:12Yes
38:13Front?
38:14Back foot
38:14She's going like this
38:15Yes
38:16The head will be in this place
38:17She's going towards the nest
38:18Yeah
38:19How fresh is this track?
38:21This is from last night
38:22Let's go
38:23We follow the traces
38:24We follow her
38:25The traces
38:26This is amazing
38:28Sixto's kind of giving it away
38:29I presume that's where the nest is
38:32Look, this is the trace again
38:34Hiya, Sixto
38:36I don't even know what I'm looking at
38:37There is a nest
38:38The nest we are looking for is
38:40But how, how do you know that this is a nest?
38:42It just looks like
38:44The rest of the environment
38:46We got a tool
38:47But we push on the sand
38:48When the sand is soft
38:50Then we find the nest
38:52So show me, what do we do now?
38:54Now we're
38:54And look, the mum isn't anywhere around, is she?
38:56No, she isn't
38:57She isn't?
38:58No
38:58Okay, good
38:58And this doesn't in any way
39:02Threaten the viability of the eggs?
39:04No, if you do it carefully, no
39:05What you should not do is to rotate the eggs
39:10Because a bird's eggs needs to be rotated frequently
39:15And that in nature is done by the mother
39:17But crocodilian eggs never move once they are laid
39:21And so the embryo start growing in a position
39:24If you turn it around then it breaks
39:27Oh my god
39:28If you pick it up
39:29Yes, the same, the same position
39:32Okay, okay, so what do we do now?
39:33Now we put on our knees
39:36And then we start to uncover the eggs
39:39Exactly here
39:40I can't believe I'm doing this
39:45The eggs are like 10 centimeters away from the top
39:50Oh
39:50Yeah
39:57I'm going more gently than you because I'm nervous
40:07Okay, I say I talk to the eggs
40:09They are here
40:13Be careful
40:15They're there, they are
40:17Here they are
40:18Oh my gosh
40:19Now we have to do it carefully
40:22Oh my gosh
40:23Oh, this is incredible
40:28Crocadile eggs
40:30How many?
40:31One
40:31Two
40:32Three
40:32Four
40:33Five
40:34Six
40:34Seven
40:35Eight
40:38Nine
40:38When they have that
40:40White band means that they are felt
40:45These crocodile eggs are three weeks old
40:49Fertile eggs with an embryo inside develop a white band around the shell
40:55As the embryo grows, the band expands until the whole shell becomes bright white
41:01I'm not sure if this one has a white band
41:03It has a white band?
41:04Yeah
41:06I'm having a bit of a mad moment
41:10This one doesn't have the band
41:12Oh no
41:13So you take it out?
41:15Yeah, look
41:16This is an unfertile egg
41:19Each nest will inevitably have a small percentage of eggs that aren't viable
41:24But there are still ten fertile eggs to check
41:28Okay, let's get to work
41:30So we just mark the up part with a line here
41:33Like this
41:35Because that's crucial
41:36We know that this part of the egg is going to be up
41:40We try and keep it always orientated this way
41:43That's really important, isn't it?
41:45Okay
41:45We're going to meet the width, we're going to meet the length and we're going to wave it also
41:50By measuring the eggs, Joel can assess how well they're developing and so how healthy they are
41:57This also gives him information about the condition of the mother
42:00And an indication of the number of eggs that will hatch successfully
42:05You can pull it out, you can take it out
42:07I'm nervous about touching it because I don't want to mess it up
42:10Don't worry, don't worry
42:11You're going to take the eggs
42:12I am literally shaking
42:15Okay, that's perfect
42:17Okay, you're doing it perfectly
42:19Oh, you are a crocodile
42:22Look at it
42:23So I'm going to measure the length of the egg
42:26And it's 8.1
42:30Okay
42:30So now it's 4.4
42:35So how much?
42:3695
42:37Is that a good weight for the egg?
42:40Yeah, it's also bigger than some of them
42:42Nice, healthy egg
42:44So we're going to place it again
42:47You want to do it?
42:48Yes
42:53Okay
42:55So we've done all our measurements
42:57Are you happy with what you're seeing?
42:59Do they look promising?
43:01Because this is the first egg we uncovered this year
43:04Yes
43:04We've got more nests located
43:05But we haven't seen the eggs yet
43:07So this is the first
43:08And you were here with us
43:10So I'm so happy
43:11Thank you so much for letting me help you
43:13Shall we cover them up?
43:15Yep, please
43:16Yep, please
43:17The eggs will continue to develop for four to five weeks
43:21As they get closer to hatching
43:23The mother will spend more time here
43:25Listening in on them
43:26Ready to uncover the nest as soon as she hears her hatchlings' calls
43:31So you're happy with the mound?
43:32Yes
43:33That looks good?
43:33I'm happy
43:34Thank you
43:36How do you feel about the future of the crocodiles here on Lake Enriquejo?
43:41I hope that the population will be increasing
43:44That it gets well during the year coming
43:48And I'll be here working on it and making it happen
43:58Over the next few months Joel and Sixto will take some hatchlings to raise in artificial pools
44:04Only releasing them once they're larger and safer from predators like herons and even adult crocodiles
44:12It's hard work in an unforgiving place and with ongoing threats
44:16But it's testament to their dedication to bring the crocodiles back from the brink of extinction
44:31Last year, the Dominican Republic was the most visited holiday destination in the world
44:36I'm on my way to the popular resorts lining the East Coast
44:41Where many tourists seek out hotels that offer an extra attraction
44:46Flamingos
44:51Flamingos are highly social birds
44:53Gathering in flocks of up to 10,000 individuals
44:57They mate for life and can live up to 60 years
45:04But the captive flamingos in these resorts are kept in small groups of just four birds on average
45:10Spending the majority of their lives on the hotel grounds
45:14With most visitors completely unaware of the reason why they never fly away
45:20A new government-led project is bringing this practice to an end
45:25It's early in the morning in the south-east of the Dominican Republic
45:28And I'm on the grounds of a hotel
45:31To meet up with a group of biologists
45:33Who are doing some very important work
45:37Oh!
45:39So the action
45:42Is already happening
45:44There are two flamingos
45:47On the edge of a hedge
45:49And five human beings approaching them gingerly
45:56Okay
45:57That's quite gentle
46:03Beautiful flamingos
46:06Who are getting taken out of the hotel
46:10By these biologists and vets
46:12It's part of a big operation going on
46:15In many hotels in this part of the country
46:18And I'm here to find out exactly why it's happening
46:23Buen dia!
46:24Oh my gosh, look at this
46:27There's already one in the travel crate
46:31Lying down
46:32These flamingos were taken from the wild illegally
46:36And have spent the last 23 years of their lives
46:39Essentially trapped on this hotel lawn
46:42But thanks to the ongoing Pink Rescue project
46:45This is their last day at the resort
46:48So once the birds are captured
46:50We stick one of these tights basically around the body
46:55So that the bird is nice and secure
46:58And doesn't harm itself inside the crate
47:01I have never been this close to a flamingo
47:04And they are absolutely magnificent
47:08With the feet in
47:11And then I sort of make a knot
47:15Obviously not too tight
47:16But this will secure the bird
47:18So that it doesn't harm itself or the others in the crate
47:21And actually it remains nice and calm
47:24Bueno
47:26Okay
47:34The birds will be driven two hours to Santo Domingo Zoo
47:38For health checks and rehabilitation
47:42The tests carried out there will ultimately determine
47:45If the flamingos are in good enough condition
47:47To be released back into the wild
47:54I'm wondering how the three flamingos are doing in their little cage at the moment
47:58I mean the tights go a long way to sort of restraining them
48:01And keeping them calm so they don't damage themselves or each other
48:04But obviously it's a stressful situation for a wild animal
48:08But a necessary one to hopefully get them back out into the wild
48:22Here we are
48:24The zoo
48:26Last press report
48:31Eladio
48:32Hello
48:32Hi Liz
48:33Hi Liz
48:33Nice to meet you
48:35Same
48:35How are you?
48:36Wildlife and conservation photographer
48:39Eladio Fernandez
48:40Has been working with the government to rescue and release captive flamingos
48:44Since he first discovered the problem three years ago
48:48Working alongside the Ministry of the Environment and the Zoo
48:52Eladio is documenting the entire process
48:54And the aim is to remove all flamingos from hotels
48:58Perfecto
48:59Yes
49:00Okay
49:02They did well on their journey over
49:05The health checks start straight away
49:08Straight away
49:08And yes
49:09You are going to help us
49:11Put gloves to be able to work all
49:19Now we are massaging
49:21Because they come from the hotel
49:25So we massage them to stimulate the circulation
49:29Look at
49:31Take them again to review the plumes
49:34We are going to review the plumes
49:36What's going on?
49:38No, this is not good
49:41No, this is not good
49:45The flight feathers have been cut off
49:48The keepers will constantly clip the wings
49:52Exactly
49:52The flight feathers to stop them from taking off
49:54Every few months
49:55And this male's right wing is completely hacked
49:58I mean, they cut off a lot
50:00Enough for it not to take off
50:03How long does it take for the flamingo to regrow its flight feathers?
50:06Months
50:06You are documenting all of this, aren't you?
50:09Yes, because we need the photographs to explain to everybody what's going on here
50:13And this is a story, you know, it's a big story
50:18He will put it in the pile
50:22Where he will spend the time of quarantine
50:27After spending 23 years on hotel grounds
50:31The flamingos are quarantined to ensure they are free of disease
50:35And are healthy enough to survive in the wild
50:38What are you doing?
50:41Now?
50:42Massage
50:42Ah, but it's poop poop
50:44Yes, it doesn't matter
50:45Massage
50:46But it's clean
50:48Listen, I'm a biologist, I'm only joking
50:50I can totally do this
50:54I love that I'm giving him a little massage
50:57And like getting his legs circulation going again
51:00And I get to massage his feet
51:02Look at them
51:04What an honor to massage a flamingo's feet
51:07Look at this
51:08Okay, no, I'm getting lost in the feet massage
51:10We need to move on
51:11Right, what's happening now?
51:12I'm going to give you a massage
51:16They are much more red though than this in the wild, right?
51:19Yes
51:20For me it's quite bad to see how pale most of their feathers are
51:23But that's actually not as bad as it gets
51:25No, it can be almost white
51:28Any sort of colouring red or pink is lost in captivity
51:34So why is it that they didn't cut this individual's feathers off?
51:38Look at that
51:39That's surprising
51:41They form groups very tightly like families
51:44So sometimes we'll see in a hotel that just one individual has the cut wings
51:50And then the rest just stay with him because they form a very tight bond with that animal
51:57Momento
52:00You're so strong
52:01Look at his wings, at least his feathers aren't clipped
52:10Forming long-lasting close social bonds, flamingos support each other, helping each other to find food and ward off predators
52:19This little group will need to stay here for two months to build up their strength
52:24Once blood tests show they're healthy and their flight feathers have grown, they'll be returned to the wild together
52:48We've traveled two hours southwest of Santo Domingo Zoo
52:52Where Eladio has invited me to take part in a very special event
52:58Eight flamingos, who had previously been rescued from another resort, are about to be set free after 20 years of
53:06living in captivity
53:10So Eladio, what is this place?
53:12So this is Salinas
53:14It's a salt mine
53:15And this area over here is where the flamingos come
53:20There's a wild population here
53:22So our flamingos can be introduced to their old habits
53:27Is this place safe for these flamingos?
53:29It's safe
53:29We have a community, mostly fishermen
53:32They're not interested in the flamingos, there's a lot of tourism here
53:35So they know they can make money from observation of flamingos
53:39They actually take boats across the bay to see the flamingos
53:43Okay
53:43It's a money-generating enterprise
53:45From ecotourism
53:47Exactly
53:47Not from selling flamingos to hotels
53:49That's right
53:51It's very exciting, there's a whole bunch of people up ahead who've shown up
53:55This is a really important moment for everyone
53:58It's incredible
54:03Local news teams, government representatives, conservationists and dedicated zoo staff have all come to witness this release
54:11How long have the flamingos been here?
54:13They've been here 24 hours
54:15They're getting used to the scent, the smell, the place
54:22Okay, so they're going to take the stakes out and this is the exit from the pen
54:26You want me to undo the knot?
54:30Okay, here we go
54:34They are sticking to the back of the pen right now
54:40Oh, here they come
54:41Here they come
54:43They're scared, they're nervous
54:52After 20 years on a hotel lawn, it's probably not surprising that the flamingo is a little bit unsure of
55:02its new wild home
55:06It's coming
55:07Here we go
55:08Yeah, there he goes
55:11For the first time in decades, these flamingos are flying free
55:17Sorry, this is really emotional
55:20This is a sight for sore eyes
55:23In comparison to flamingos on a hyper manicured lawn
55:28With tourists coming up in their faces to take selfies
55:33This is where flamingos belong
55:40Imagine what's going through their minds right now
55:42I mean, they're reconnecting with all that instinct
55:45You know, they're going in the water
55:47The smells probably remember from when they were wild at some point
55:52They're still very pale
55:53But soon enough, they will recover that extra, extra bright red, pink color
55:59That is the Caribbean flamingo
56:01They're the reddest, aren't they?
56:03Because of the food that they get here
56:04It's their beauty and their curse, both at the same time
56:08It's been their curse, but thanks to you and the ministry
56:10And all the organizations that are here taking these flamingos in
56:13They're getting another chance at being wild flamingos
56:17Look at that
56:23All wildlife is perfectly adapted and evolved to suit this environment
56:27But flamingos particularly have so many aspects of their anatomy and biology
56:33That allows them to live in extreme environments
56:36You've got salt glands in their heads that deal with all of the salt that they're drinking
56:41So that they can extract that from their bodies
56:42They've got a third eyelid, a nictitating membrane
56:45That protects their eyes from the caustic water when they're feeding
56:49And the feeding itself is nothing short of superb
56:53So they'll dance around in circles, stirring up the mud
56:57Then they will dip their heads in and chatter their beaks open and close, open and close
57:02So sticking their tongues in and out to create suction
57:05For the microscopic algae and crustaceans to get into their mouths
57:10And they will also every now and then just dart their heads in and out
57:13Really, really quickly
57:15To create this sort of swirling tornado that drags the food up
57:20I mean, how clever is all of that?
57:23This is how everyone should see flamingos
57:28Look at them, against the mangroves, in a salt pan lake
57:39As this inspirational project continues
57:43The hope is that all hotels will give up their flamingos
57:46So that the only way to see these magnificent birds
57:49Will be in their natural environment
57:56Next time
57:58I'm in Belize
58:00To encounter one of the loudest animals on earth
58:03That reverberates in your chest
58:06And I meet two of Costa Rica's most iconic animals
58:10Oh, wow
58:12The colours of her
58:15As I travel to the Central American Caribbean coast
58:19Oh, somebody!
58:21I got trashed by a manatee and it was worth every second
58:28More travelling from the comfort of your own couch
58:31Why not lend your ears to Your Place or Mine with Sean Kenevy
58:35Going absolutely nowhere on BBC Sounds
58:38To be continued...
58:46To be continued...
58:52To be continued...
58:54To be continued...
58:55To be continued...
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