- 8 minutes ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:03There is something missing from our world.
00:07The amazing animals that time has left behind.
00:13But what if we could bring them back?
00:16What if extinction didn't have to be forever?
00:24We'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.
00:47This time he's going back to prehistoric South America in search of giant killer birds and ferocious saber-tooth cats.
01:02Welcome to the ultimate wildlife sanctuary.
01:06Welcome to Prehistoric Park.
01:24Prehistoric Park is a huge reserve with a wide range of habitats to house the animals that Nigel brings back.
01:32After several successful rescue missions, the park is filling up nicely with creatures not seen for millions of years.
01:47Most of them have adjusted to their new environment, though a few have had some, uh, TV problems.
02:02At least the park's newest residents, a herd of giant titanosaurs, seem to be settling in well.
02:09For the moment.
02:14Now Nigel's got cats on his mind.
02:17Not your household tabby variety, but big ones like this cheetah.
02:22Cats might be some of nature's most efficient killers, but even they need protecting.
02:27And that's got Nigel thinking about what animals to bring back next.
02:33The sad thing is the populations of cheetahs, they're minuscule in comparison to the past.
02:39They've been overhunted, their habitats destroyed, and it's important to build up breeding populations in captivity.
02:45But in the past there were 30 species of big cats, and I would love to have one or two
02:52species for Prehistoric Park.
02:54Maybe we can even breed an extinct cat.
03:02Despite such a huge selection of big cats, it doesn't take Nigel long to narrow down his choices.
03:10This is a giant cheetah, the same size and weight as a lion.
03:15Imagine seeing that running at full pelt.
03:18And this, the thylacolio, a marsupial lion, a lion with a pouch.
03:23The babies actually grew in a pouch.
03:25And this thing was a brilliant climber.
03:27What it did, it actually climbed in the trees, and when prey walked underneath, it would leap down and ambush
03:34them.
03:34But for me, there's one choice. The cat I must say from extinction is this, the most famous prehistoric cat
03:42of all.
03:42This has been my prized possession since I was a little kid.
03:46Of course, it's the skull of a sabre-toothed cat, the most famous extinct cat of all.
03:51Those teeth are awe-inspiring.
03:53And paleontologists are pretty certain how sabre-tooths use them.
03:57They got onto their prey's throat and sliced through all the major blood vessels, crushed the windpipe in one devastating
04:04bite.
04:05That meant the prey couldn't attack back, couldn't kick them with hooves, couldn't injure them.
04:10This is a really ingenious killing technique.
04:13To find a living sabre-toothed cat, Nigel needs to go back to a very different world.
04:19A million years ago, sabre-tooths were the top predators throughout North America.
04:24As they spread down to South America, they were fast taking over from one of the strangest predators the world
04:31has ever known.
04:32A ten-foot-tall killer bird.
04:36Have a look at this.
04:39Look at this.
04:41A forest rocket.
04:43A group of flesh-eating birds, nicknamed terror birds.
04:47This is a life-size representation.
04:50It dwarfs me.
04:52And if I can go back a million years, I may be able to get sabre-toothed cats and one
04:57or two of these.
04:58And imagine having this at Prehistoric Park.
05:05Even for bird-lover Nigel, catching the ten-foot terror bird could be a very tall order.
05:12But when Nigel has a mind to do something, nothing will stop him.
05:19An outlook shared by the park's largest residents, the Titanosaurs.
05:34No fence will hold a hungry Titanosaur in search of his next meal.
05:40Over to control room. Come in control room.
05:43Well, I'm not going to get that fixed in a hurry.
05:46I'm just going to have to let them roam around the park for a bit, but that's all right.
05:50My main worry is they don't get too close to the main gate, which is exactly where they're headed now.
05:54So I've got to go. Sorry.
06:01Oblivious to the Titanosaur breakout, Nigel's getting ready to go.
06:06Bob, do you read over?
06:08Come in, Bob.
06:10What is it now, Nigel?
06:12Look, as well as the sabre-tooths, I'm bringing back something more.
06:16And we need a big birdcage.
06:19Nigel, I can hardly hear you. I've got a serious problem here.
06:27The Titanosaurs are heading to the park gate. I've got to turn the road.
06:31It's a big bird. Stands ten feet, over three metres tall.
06:36Nigel, I can hardly hear you.
06:40I'm down, mate. Birdcage.
06:43Birdcage, right, right?
06:44A ten-foot bird. It stands ten feet tall.
06:47You'll need a cage for it.
06:52There's no need for that.
06:59Oh, are you getting this, Bob?
07:07I hope you got that.
07:11It seems not all modern plants agree with the Titanosaurs' prehistoric stomachs.
07:19As they find some more tasty treetops to chew on, Nigel finally discovers what's happened.
07:28Hello.
07:29What are you doing? Hello there.
07:32What are you doing now?
07:41Hey!
07:42Hey!
07:48Obviously Bob's enclosure didn't hold the Titanosaurs.
07:51Get up back, you great lomis!
07:53He seems to be coping though.
08:03Nigel's about to leave on his mission
08:05to save South America's top prehistoric predators,
08:10the saber-toothed cat and the giant terror bird.
08:13But park keeper Bob seems to have taken one of Nigel's requests
08:18for equipment rather too literally.
08:20Hold up, Nigel.
08:21Got that birdcage for you.
08:23What's that?
08:25I thought you didn't hear properly.
08:26I mean, the bird I'm going for,
08:27you probably wouldn't fit one of its eggs in that.
08:29I mean, it's ten feet, three meters tall.
08:31It towers above me, but it can't fly,
08:34so it doesn't need a top.
08:36All right, look, I'll build a pen for it.
08:38As quick as possible.
08:41So I'm going.
08:42All right, Nigel, have a good trip.
08:43Okay, thanks, mate.
08:47By going back one million years,
08:49he will arrive at a time when the saber-toothed cats
08:52are in their prime.
08:53But the terror birds are on their last legs.
08:57What other creatures will he run into
08:59as he enters this extraordinary time
09:02in South America's distant past?
09:10Oh, my God, be present.
09:12Oh, my God, be present.
09:29Ha, ha.
09:36Whoa, he arrives slap-bang in the middle of a herd,
09:40and these are big animals, too.
09:47Colliding with one of those would really spoil your weekend.
09:50They're getting out of the way,
09:51and I've seen these somewhere before,
09:53I just can't remember what they're called.
09:54But they are so strange.
09:58Big, big things.
10:02And so peculiar.
10:04Let's follow them and see what they're up to.
10:14South America has been cut off
10:16from the rest of the world for 30 million years.
10:20In this time,
10:22all sorts of huge, outlandish creatures
10:24have been able to evolve.
10:27Animals not found anywhere else on the planet.
10:50I know what these are.
10:53I'm pretty sure these are Toxodon.
10:55And Charles Darwin found their fossils
10:57when he came to South America in the 1800s.
11:01He was the greatest naturalist that's ever lived.
11:04I've got his journal here.
11:07And what did he say about them?
11:10He never saw them alive like this, of course.
11:13He just found a fossil skull.
11:16And he says,
11:17The Toxodon, perhaps one of the strangest animals ever discovered.
11:21Judging from the position of its eyes, ears and nostrils,
11:24it was probably aquatic,
11:25like the dugong and manatee.
11:28But I think
11:30these are much more like hippopotamuses.
11:35There's one sniffing there, scenting the air.
11:41I think we'd better move out before they notice us.
11:48My first herd of Toxodon.
11:50They really remind me of hippos,
11:52the way they're wallowing like that.
11:53And they could be dangerous like hippos.
11:55They're the most dangerous animals in Africa.
11:57If you get between a hippopotamus and the water,
11:59they charge.
12:02But I've got to have one last look.
12:04They are superb.
12:07Must need to wallow in the heat of the day like this,
12:09and it's just like hippos.
12:14Quick, get in!
12:15Quick!
12:18Quick!
12:21He's preparing to charge.
12:22Get in.
12:28Look at the speed of that.
12:31Look at the speed of that.
12:35The speed.
12:36My knee is accelerating now.
12:39Must be two tons.
12:41We should go on top, won't it?
12:45Well, that is a prehistoric all-terrain vehicle.
12:48But he's not as fast as us.
12:55And he's given up.
12:56He's given up now.
13:00They're just as dangerous as a saber-tooth.
13:03If you frighten a vegetarian like that,
13:06and they come for you.
13:08Whoa!
13:09If the plant-eaters are this friendly,
13:12what will the predators be like?
13:18Back at the park,
13:19something wonderful is happening.
13:21It looks like Nigel's dream of breeding dinosaurs
13:24is about to become true.
13:27The female Ornithomimus,
13:29an ostrich-like dinosaur,
13:31has now laid a large clutch of eggs.
13:33Vet Suzanne has been monitoring her progress.
13:37I've actually been swatting up,
13:38so I know quite a lot about all this
13:39and I'm not nesting now.
13:41It's interesting.
13:41They're much more like birds
13:42than they are reptiles.
13:45And it kind of mimics what an ostrich does,
13:47which it lays a really large brood of eggs.
13:49And the ones on the perimeter,
13:51they're the ones that become sacrificial eggs
13:52and get eaten by predators.
13:54So the ostrich can't possibly breed them all.
13:56That's what she's done.
13:57She's laid lots of eggs.
13:59But there's actually two that have rolled out.
14:01She's going to reject those.
14:02She's not going to hatch them.
14:03So I might see if I can go and get them.
14:10Without heat,
14:11the two rejected eggs
14:13have no chance of hatching naturally.
14:15So Suzanne is going to use modern technology
14:18to give them a helping hand.
14:21That is, if the Ornithomimus mum lets her.
14:37A successful egg poaching.
14:39Now mum's calmed down,
14:42it's over to Bob for the next stage
14:44of the incubation process.
14:45But we've not got long.
14:48We've got to keep them warm.
14:49But choosing the right temperature,
14:51that's the main thing.
14:53Right.
14:54Now,
14:55what I don't know
14:57about incubating eggs
14:58isn't worth knowing.
15:00But,
15:01I have to admit,
15:03I've never incubated the dinosaur egg before.
15:07But I'll tell you this,
15:08if we don't try something,
15:10that pear will never hatch.
15:13Right.
15:23Back in South America,
15:25one million years ago.
15:27It used to be that the terror birds
15:30ruled the roost here.
15:31Now the saber-toothed cats
15:33are in their prime.
15:35And it doesn't take Nigel long
15:36to spot one.
15:40Look,
15:41down there,
15:44it's a saber-toothed cat.
15:46The first one.
15:48What a magnificent animal.
16:01God,
16:02they remind me so much
16:03of lions.
16:05And there's one hunting there.
16:07I think it's a female.
16:09In lion society,
16:11at least,
16:11the females do 90%
16:13of the hunting.
16:15And it looks like
16:16she's using
16:16a similar technique.
16:20They've got to get close.
16:21They've got an amazing burst of speed,
16:23but only over short distances.
16:31And you can see she's got really stocky front legs.
16:35And that's because of this big megafauna,
16:37animals like Toxodon,
16:39that they have to bring down.
16:40They've got the big front legs
16:42and those massive teeth.
16:47they've got to get close to the ground.
16:47And he's charging.
16:51She erupted out of the grass then.
16:55Those saber-tooth slashing at the throat.
16:58So quick.
17:03It's those huge incisor teeth which makes the saber-tooth such a successful, specialised
17:10killer. One bite to the throat crushes the windpipe and severs the jugular. For the poor
17:16Toxodon, it's all over very quickly. And there's other, other saber-tooth cats coming
17:25out and they didn't help with the hunt. They're coming for their share of the meal now. I wonder
17:31how close we can get them.
17:52There's so much squabbling and some little cubs in there too. Look at that, six to eight
18:00weeks old, based on lion cubs. And that's the time when lionesses first take them to
18:06a kill. And they are bolting down huge chunks of flesh. And lions, they can take 110 pounds,
18:1550 kilograms at a single sitting. That's half my weight in meat. Even with so many of them,
18:25that Toxodon is so big, I think they're going to take a long time to polish that off.
18:49At last. They're leaving. Sabre-tooth cats, they must be doing really well at the moment.
18:55There's so much meat left on that carcass.
18:59Leaving a ton of fresh Toxodon unattended is the surest way of attracting South America's
19:05other top predator, the terror bird.
19:14What a magnificent creature.
19:22He must be three meters over ten feet tall. And that bird looks so hungry.
19:33And there's a sabre-tooth. A terror bird has dropped the food. And this is what happens.
19:43The mammals out-compete the birds. And that's why the terror birds became extinct.
19:54It's great. We've come back to a point in prehistory where the balance of an ecosystem is changing.
20:00The terror bird evolved when South America was an isolated continent.
20:04Now it's nudged up closer to North America. The mammals, the sabre-tooth cats have come down.
20:10They're out-competing the birds, knocking them off their perches.
20:13So the terror bird is a perfect candidate to take back to prehistoric park.
20:25But now, how will he get a ten foot tall killer bird back to the park without a cage?
20:38We've got to get that meat the terror bird dropped. Here it goes.
20:49Getting this close to a sabre-tooth cat is at best daft. At worst, deadly.
20:56But it's a risk Nigel must take if he wants to get that terror bird back to prehistoric park.
21:14There's nothing like a juicy piece of steak for grabbing the attention of a hungry terror bird.
21:20And now he's got the bait, it's time for Nigel to put the final touches to his ingenious plan.
21:28Come on, Mr. Terror Bird. Here's dinner.
21:36Here he comes.
21:40Come on. Come close to the bait.
21:48Come on.
21:48It's close enough.
21:50Come on.
22:03I'm gonna go fast enough so he doesn't get it.
22:06So I need to miss them.
22:22Come on.
22:33I knew you said it would be big, Nigel, but this is a bit over the top, isn't it?
22:36I know. You see why he needs a big cage.
22:39I mean, he's nearly ten feet tall. Incredible thing.
22:42What we're gonna feed him on?
22:43Well, in the wild he was gobbling down huge chunks of flesh and bone and hide.
22:49All predatory birds, owls and birds of prey, they need roughage, feathers and fur and stuff like that.
22:54So I think we've got to give him that sort of stuff and he should be fine.
22:57There's no point in putting a piece of cuttlefish in.
22:59You need a big cuttlefish.
23:07The following morning, there's a buzz of excitement as the park awakens to the pitter-patter of tiny three-toed
23:15feet.
23:15So exciting, Nigel. All the eggs are packed.
23:17Nobody's seen a baby dinosaur for 65 million years.
23:22And there's a surprise in store for Nigel and Suzanne.
23:26What I didn't expect is that they're covered in sort of fluffy down like you get with baby chicks, like
23:31baby birds.
23:32I guess it's to keep them warm.
23:35Dinosaurs and birds are closely related.
23:38And just like birds, some baby dinos have downy feathers.
23:43And it seems they react like birds, too.
23:47So curious to see the reflections or something.
23:51Let's go in. Come on.
23:54They could easily escape, couldn't they, through the fence.
23:57But I don't think they're going to try. They're going to stay with the mum.
24:01Look at them. They remind me of little parches or grouse. Let's try something.
24:07And they just completely freeze.
24:10I think what they'd do is, if there was a predator, they'd run in the grass, freeze, be stocked still
24:14and then wait till the mum calls them.
24:16They've got to have some defence, though, haven't they?
24:17They've got to have some protection systems.
24:19Yeah, they're so, so vulnerable. I mean, tiny, tiny dinosaurs.
24:23Pretty cute, though, really, aren't they? Well, the dinosaurs.
24:27They're so lovely.
24:35Bob, meanwhile, is still brooding over the eggs he put in the incubator.
24:42All the other eggs hatched within a few hours of each other.
24:45But so far, with this pair, not a thing. Not a diggy bird.
24:51Suzanne doesn't think they'll hatch, but I'm not giving up on them just yet. They're too precious.
25:08Nigel has already rescued one of South America's most ferocious predators from the brink of extinction.
25:16But the mission's not over yet.
25:19There's one final puzzle Nigel needs to solve.
25:22If sabre-toothed cats were once America's top predators, how did they end up fighting for survival?
25:30I'm going back to when the last sabre-tooth threw a round on Earth, about 10,000 years ago.
25:35And I'm wondering why they became extinct. Is it because, like the cheetah, they were too specialised?
25:40I mean, look at the cheetah running, but there's a price to pay for that speed.
25:44Being fast means that the cheetah is a lightweight.
25:48It can't defend itself against tougher animals like lions or even hyenas.
25:52So when food is scarce, the cheetah often loses out.
25:56Its specialisation of running fast can actually become its weakness.
26:02And maybe the sabre-tooth are over-specialised too.
26:05I'm going to go back 10,000 years now and find out if that's true.
26:11Nigel's travelling back to a time when sabre-tooths were dying out.
26:15So he's invited big cat expert Sabah Douglas Hamilton to join them.
26:24Together, they'll try to track down the last survivors of this magnificent species.
26:37Almost one million years after his first visit, Nigel was expecting sabre-tooth cats to be thin on the ground.
26:45But he didn't expect South America's vast plains to be empty of all the large animals that used to live
26:51here.
26:52There are no terror birds, no Toxodon.
26:57There have been big climate changes since Nigel was last here.
27:02And many animals have died out as a result.
27:10Nothing.
27:12Searching all day.
27:13I mean, it's completely different.
27:14I came to this precise location.
27:16Big herds of Toxodon.
27:18By this time, I'd seen a big family group of sabre-tooth cats.
27:22I mean, maybe they're so little prey they've spread out their hunting individually.
27:27Is there a chance of that, do you think?
27:28Well, I think when you've got that kind of intensive selective pressure,
27:32the animals will have been forced to spread out, have huge animals.
27:35They're in hugely extended territories and probably hunting on their own by now.
27:38I mean, even lions, when there's not much food around, have territories that can be up to 150 square miles.
27:44So I reckon, if that is the case, we're going to have to change our plan now.
27:48We're not covering enough ground, so maybe if we split up, get out of the car and start looking on
27:53foot,
27:53we've got a better chance.
27:58Travelling on foot is the only way to explore some of the tougher terrain.
28:03But now, it will have to wait till morning.
28:17The following day, Sabur makes an early start to see if she can pick up the trail of the last
28:23sabre-tooth cats.
28:24I'm hoping that we'll dissect some animal trails, maybe see some footprints.
28:29But most importantly, I can hear the sound of alarm calls from other animals.
28:36The only problem is that with sabre-tooths in this state, they are right on the brink of extinction.
28:42It's really a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.
28:49Elsewhere, the eerie lack of large animals is beginning to get to Nigel.
29:05I've heard it a million years ago.
29:07At least there were sabre-tooths around all the time you knew where you stood.
29:11But now, they're so scarce.
29:16Where are they?
29:23Meanwhile, Sabur gets a whiff of her first clue.
29:27Hey, look at this.
29:29This has got to be sabre-tooth, Scat.
29:31Yes, over here.
29:33It's been scraping the ground to try and cover it up.
29:35I bet the sabre-tooths love this place.
29:37Look at all the shade there and high rocks so they can sit up and look out over the plain
29:43if there's any prey.
29:44It's full of hide, all bits of hair and bone as well.
29:49I think this cat's had to scavenge, eating whatever little bits and pieces it can get from any old carcass
29:55it finds.
30:00On the other trail, Nigel's definitely being stalked.
30:05But by what?
30:09They're rustling.
30:11No, I can see it's not a sabre-tooth.
30:19An armadillo.
30:21And a million years ago, there would have been giant ones of these.
30:25But of course, they're extinct now.
30:28And these smaller armadillos are the only things around.
30:32But what an extraordinary creature looks really prehistoric anyway.
30:38Let's let you go now.
30:41Off you go.
30:52When sabre makes a discovery of her own, sadly, it's not the one she was hoping for.
30:59There's something in the grass up ahead.
31:02Oh no, I hope that's not what I think it is.
31:09Oh.
31:11Oh no.
31:24Poor thing.
31:26He's only about two months old.
31:28There's no sign of disease or anything like that.
31:30He's just skin and bones, isn't he?
31:32So he just died of starvation.
31:34So if the mother can't provide enough milk for a tiny cub like this, I mean, she must be in
31:39a really bad way.
31:40Doesn't bode at all well.
31:43Poor little guy.
31:48Although distressing, the discovery of the dead cub has given Nigel and Sabah a valuable clue.
31:55The cub's mother must be around here somewhere.
31:58But where?
31:59As dusk approaches, it will become too dangerous to continue tracking her.
32:04But Nigel's got another trick up his sleeve.
32:08This could work.
32:09Big cats are nocturnal.
32:11This is a camera.
32:12It's got a motion sensor in it.
32:14So if a cat walks along this trail, it looks pretty well used.
32:17We may catch it on tape.
32:19Big cats can see six times better than we can at night.
32:23That's when they do most of their hunting.
32:25So a camera like this that can see through the darkness, that gives us our best chance.
32:39Well, whatever happens with the camera trap, I think I should get up tomorrow morning at first light and see
32:44if I can track down the mother of the cub.
32:46My concern is, considering what's happened to the cub, I think she's going to be in pretty poor condition.
32:52We've got to be really careful because I've seen sabre-toothed cats hunting and they are formidable predators and that's
32:58when they had full stomachs.
33:00So if there's one that's injured, if there's one that's really hungry, we've really got to watch our backs.
33:06Later in the night, a sensor on the camera trap picks up some movement.
33:14Something is definitely out there.
33:25The camera's toppled over so it looks like something's been here.
33:32And there's a musky mammalian smell, so it could be a cat and if we're lucky, it's a sabre-tooth.
33:45This is fantastic stuff.
33:48It is checking out this camera.
33:52Right into the lens there.
33:56Wow, it just swiped the camera with its paw. That's why it was toppled over like that.
34:03And it's not a female, it's a male.
34:06And it's spraying all over the camera. You see the family jewels there.
34:11That's terrific news. Sabre's tracking a female.
34:14If we can get the male as well, that means we can get a pair back to Prehistoric Park.
34:20The mission is back on track.
34:23And the trail is about to get very warm for Sabre.
34:29She's definitely hunting.
34:32Look, here we've got fresh tracks. Very fresh tracks.
34:38She must have gone up onto higher ground here somewhere.
34:44Okay, just don't move. Keep looking her in the eye.
34:49She's looking pretty upset.
34:52Okay.
34:53She's pretty angry.
34:55I think we're gonna have to start thinking about getting out of here.
35:03Right, we're in trouble. The mood's changing.
35:06She's thinking about hunting us, so we're gonna have to start backing away slowly now.
35:13Sabre?
35:15Sabre, come in, Sabre.
35:18She's gone.
35:21Oh, phew.
35:23That was close.
35:25Sabre, do you read over?
35:27Nigel, come in.
35:30How's it going with the female?
35:31Are you still tracking her?
35:32Yep, you could say that. It's been pretty interesting up here.
35:36Do you think you can come up and join me?
35:38Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can. Will you do?
35:43As Nigel catches up with Sabre,
35:45she's already pinpointed the female's saber-tooth to a lower ridge,
35:50where it's stalking some unusual prey.
35:53Hi.
35:53What's happening?
35:54We've got the female down there, and she's hunting, I think, a deer of some species.
36:00But she's got about as close as she's gonna get now.
36:04I can see.
36:05I think she's gonna go for it any minute.
36:06Just near that tree. I mean, it's such strange prey for them.
36:09Those big, sturdy legs, those amazing teeth.
36:12And they're designed for catching big animals like Toxodon.
36:15So this isn't what she'd normally go for at all?
36:17No, definitely not. I mean, they were hunting really big, mega-herbivores.
36:21I mean, she hasn't paid any attention to wind direction either,
36:24so it's gonna smell her any minute.
36:26She's getting close, though.
36:28Okay, it's caught her scent, but she's going for everything.
36:35Missed it. She was totally outcast. I mean, totally out-sprinted.
36:39I mean, they're just not designed to catch fast-moving prey like that.
36:44Poor thing.
36:52It's finally become clear why the sabre-toothed cats are on the brink of extinction.
37:00There's no big prey animals around. No Toxodon anymore.
37:04None of these mega-herbivores.
37:06And the sabre-toothed, those huge weapons for slicing through the jugular,
37:11crushing the windpipe,
37:11they're specialized to take out really big prey,
37:15weighing way more than they do,
37:17and they are not designed to outrun small deer and gazelle.
37:33Nigel and sabre follow the exhausted female back to her den,
37:38and another discovery.
37:42She's sniffing.
37:44I don't think she's got owl scent.
37:47Looks like she's looking for something.
37:50Liz, did you hear that?
37:52She's calling.
37:53When lions make that call right in the back of their throats like that,
37:57it's often for their cubs.
37:59I wonder if she's calling for the dead one, I don't know.
38:04No, she's not. Look.
38:06There's a tiny head in the grass.
38:09Look, she's picking up another cub.
38:11Another cub. He's in a bad way, though.
38:16The cub's calling back, but I can't hear any other sounds.
38:19I think she's only got one living one.
38:29Oh, look, it's nursing.
38:31But it doesn't look like it's getting any milk at all from her.
38:34I think she must be dry.
38:39They're in such a pitiful state.
38:49What's happening? This is so distressing to watch.
38:54We've got to try to dart her, get the cub,
38:57get them back to prehistoric parks.
38:59Suzanne, the vet, may be able to pull them round.
39:02That's all we need to do.
39:08But as they fetch the jeep and prepare to tranquilize
39:11the stricken sabre-tooths,
39:13there's an unexpected change of plan.
39:16It's the young male that Nigel saw on the camera trap,
39:19and his presence is an unsettling one.
39:23Do you think he's going to be a danger to the cub, Sebba?
39:26Yeah, this is really bad news.
39:29If sabre-tooths are anything like modern lions,
39:32this young male being so far inside the female's territory
39:35means that he won't have any qualms at all about killing her cub.
39:38It brings the female back into season again if he can kill them,
39:41so he can mate with her, have cubs of his own immediately.
39:44My worry is that the female's very close by
39:46and she's in no condition to protect her cub.
39:48I think they're in real danger.
39:50Do you think we should change the plan, try to dart the male first?
39:53Absolutely. I don't think we've got any other option at the moment.
39:55Okay.
40:05To be able to tranquilize the male's sabre-tooth,
40:09they need to get much closer.
40:12If they fail, the lives of the female and her only cub
40:16will hang in the balance.
40:18He's coming straight towards us.
40:21Just time check.
40:29Good shot.
40:31Got him.
40:34How long do you think the tranquilizer will take to work?
40:36Well, I gave him a small desk because of his size,
40:39so about ten minutes, give or take.
40:42But we've really got to watch him now.
40:45He's going, he was moving in that direction.
40:48Whoa, something's over there.
40:54Whoa!
41:12Back at Prehistoric Park, there have been some disagreements
41:16among some of the residents.
41:23Last week, the two teenage T-Rex clashed over territory
41:28and had to be forced apart.
41:31Three, two, three.
41:33Now Bob is putting the finishing touches to a dividing wall
41:36in their enclosure to keep them apart.
41:38Nice and steady.
41:40Although exactly the same age, Matilda, the sister,
41:44is larger and more aggressive than her brother Terence.
41:49Now the dividing wall is complete,
41:51Terence is being let back into the enclosure.
42:02On his return, Matilda appears to be even more hostile.
42:09It looks like the wall could be a potential lifesaver
42:12for poor Terence.
42:25In Bob's shed, there are still no signs of life from the incubator.
42:37Back in South America, the tranquilised saber-toothed male
42:42is safely loaded onto the jeep.
42:44Now Nigel and Sabah plan to tranquilise the female and her cub
42:49so that all three cats can enjoy a better life at Prehistoric Park.
42:54But as they near the female's den,
42:57they realise something is tragically wrong.
43:02The cub, it's not moving at all.
43:08The mum's nuzzling it.
43:11No, there's absolutely no response.
43:15I think we're too late.
43:17Just too late.
43:19The cub's gone.
43:32Starvation has killed her cubs, and it's killing her too.
43:37Sabah must act fast to save her.
43:54Once the female is tranquilised,
43:56Nigel and Sabah are ready to take both the adults
44:00back to the sanctuary of Prehistoric Park.
44:04But it's not quite the happy ending they were hoping for.
44:16Back at the park, vet Suzanne has been working round the clock for two weeks,
44:21nursing the female saber-tooth back to health.
44:24And she's cautiously optimistic about the future.
44:30She seems to be okay.
44:31She's got a bit of a way to go.
44:33She was really emaciated when she arrived.
44:34When Nigel found her, she was feeding her cubs and producing milk.
44:38It's a really energy-demanding process on the body, so it took a lot out of her.
44:42So hopefully now that she's eating okay, she's not feeding her cubs,
44:46she'll put some weight back on and she'll be okay.
44:48I mean, what we really hope is that she's still a reproductively active female.
44:52She's not too old, which is a real concern.
44:56We're really hoping that, you know, that they do manage to mate successfully
45:01and then we'll get some cubs.
45:03That's what we really hope for.
45:07Meanwhile, someone else in the park is celebrating the joys of parenthood.
45:12What a racket!
45:14Hey, look!
45:14Will you two pipe down?
45:16Now behave yourselves!
45:18Come on!
45:19I knew what they were doing.
45:21I think I had the temperature too low.
45:23But these two have finally hatched out.
45:25Come on, quick sharp.
45:27Now the little rascals are following me everywhere.
45:32The trouble is, I was the first thing they saw when they broke out of their shells.
45:36So now they think I'm their man.
45:38They're imprinting on me.
45:39You what?
45:40Some more?
45:41Oh, all right then.
45:42Just a little bit.
45:43You must have hollow legs, the pair of you.
45:45Hey, come on, don't grab them.
45:46There you are.
45:47Imprinting is common in many modern-day bird species.
45:51It's a survival mechanism which ensures that chicks stay close to the first thing they see after they hatch,
45:57normally their mother.
45:58But in this case, Bob.
46:02It's not easy being a mother, you know.
46:05Go on.
46:13It's been a time of upheaval, but calm has returned once more to prehistoric park.
46:20The titanosaurs are happy with their newfound freedom and are taking advantage of Bob having more important things to worry
46:28about.
46:31The South American predators, the sabre-toothed cats and the giant terror bird, are regaining their former strength and healthy
46:39appetites.
46:42Well done, Bob. They're sticking to you like grill, aren't they, the Ornith and Mimus?
46:45They're really impressed.
46:46And the park's latest arrivals seem very happy with their new mum, Bob.
46:54Next time, Nigel travels back further than he's ever gone before, to a time when giant creepy crawlies rule the
47:01world.
47:03And Suzanne plays Cupid to two very reluctant sabre-tooths.
47:09Where are these guys?
47:10But for now, all eyes are on the T-Rex pen.
47:14Unless Matilda calms down, things are going to get very dangerous at prehistoric park.
47:26Not too late as a movie at night.
47:33The title is for SESOT, and we'll be back in a long history of the world.
47:36Thank you, Bob.
47:37We're here for now.
47:37All right.
47:43All right.
47:51This is from SESOT.
47:51BROADCAST, the park and the map was 21.
Comments