Arabia episode 2
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00For centuries, we've known Arabia as a desolate and forbidding land, a vast and barren desert
00:28where little survives. But there's one corner of Arabia where life thrives. A mountain range
00:50that rises dramatically from the ocean below. Once a year, this coast undergoes an amazing
01:05transformation, making it home to more wildlife than anywhere else in Arabia.
01:35In the far south of Arabia, on the border between Oman and Yemen, lies the Dhofar coast.
01:46Here, beside the Indian Ocean, a range of mountains rises 1,000 metres from the shore.
02:05This remote region is home to an amazing variety of wildlife.
02:11It's January in Dhofar, the start of a year in which a team of biologists will try to
02:38discover what makes Dhofar so rich. Hadi and Khalid al-Hikmani grew up on this escarpment.
02:50Now, as Omani government researchers, they want to find out just how many species live here.
03:01Using remote cameras, triggered by an infrared beam, they hope to film as many animals as they
03:18can, including one so rare, locals call it a living ghost, the Arabian leopard. These cameras
03:27will run throughout the year, opening a window onto the private life of Dhofar's most elusive
03:33animals. But not all the creatures here are so shy. A female Verose eagle is on patrol.
04:03She's a fussy eater. A pygmy owl won't do. Her diet is so specialised, she needs a partner to help
04:19capture it. They're searching for a prey whose nearest living relative is the African elephant.
04:34The tusks are a giveaway. A rock hyrax. They feed on bushes on the cliff face,
04:47safe from most predators. But these eagles use a tactic rarely seen in the bird world.
04:55They go to work as a team. It won't be easy. Fantailed ravens don't like eagles in their
05:10airspace. This is a test of aerobatic skills. And nesting kestrel doesn't want the eagles around
05:32either.
06:00The eagles split up. The female hugs the cliff edge, while the male soars in front of the sun,
06:15hiding in the blinding light. But the hyrax have a unique blue-tinted retina that acts
06:27like sunglasses, allowing them to stare directly back. They don't let the male eagle out of their
06:36sight. But the male was merely a decoy. His partner has already made the kill. By working
06:57together, they've captured their favorite meal. To feed themselves and a hungry chick,
07:23the pair must kill over 10 hyrax a week. These little cousins of the elephant are part of a
07:37rich food chain. But it's not only the mountains of Dhofar where wildlife thrives.
07:51Just offshore is the Indian Ocean, home to one of the rarest animals on Earth.
08:14It's February, and the waters echo with a song heard nowhere else.
08:24An Arabian humpback whale.
08:54There are less than 100 left on the planet. They're so special, they've become targets.
09:24Researchers are now on the hunt for whale DNA.
09:54The dart merely pricks the skin, and the whale barely feels a thing. But the scientists have
10:10the sample they need. The DNA results have revealed something amazing about this population.
10:24These humpbacks have not bred with any other whales for over 60,000 years.
10:39The last time they met with others of their kind, saber-toothed cats roamed the earth,
10:50and the Arabian Peninsula was still joined to Asia by land.
10:54Using underwater microphones, scientists are recording whale songs never heard before,
11:06and think they may have discovered a new race of whales.
11:20Perhaps the most remarkable discovery about these whales is that they're the only humpbacks
11:29in the world that don't migrate. All other humpbacks breed in warm oceans,
11:38then travel to polar waters to feed. Only cold water carries the nutrients they need.
11:50But in 60,000 years, these humpbacks of the Arabian Sea have never left.
12:06For these giants to survive here year-round, cold water full of food must arrive from somewhere.
12:19This holds the key, not just for the humpbacks' survival, but for all life in these coastal mountains.
12:36But for now, these waters remain warm and barren, just like the Arabian coastline.
12:41It's April, and not a drop of rain has fallen in the mountains for over six months.
13:01Arabia is so dry that not a single river flows permanently on this entire subcontinent.
13:07The daytime temperature reaches 45 degrees Celsius.
13:30Shamal winds from the north bring no relief for those living in the Dhofar mountains.
13:38Hadi and Khalid's families have herded goats here for generations.
13:47They are Jabali people, originally from Africa. At this time of year,
13:56they travel far and wide to find grazing for their animals.
13:59Hadi and Khalid's village sits on top of the Dhofar escarpment.
14:07Khalid's mother carries a weapon to protect her flock.
14:19In these remote mountains, their livestock are exposed to predators.
14:30And in the heat of early summer, it seems the predators are becoming more bold.
14:38A neighbor has called for Khalid's help.
14:43As a government researcher, he's first on call when wildlife comes into the village.
14:51Once a predator breaks in, there's usually only one outcome.
15:13The teeth marks suggest a large carnivore.
15:17Losing one goat is bad. The loss of eight goats will hit the family very hard.
15:24In the past, Khalid's village would have set out to hunt this killer.
15:32Now Khalid wants to hunt for answers.
15:38He suspects the killer will return to the scene of the crime.
15:44He sets a trap with remote-control cameras.
15:50An image of the culprit may help efforts to compensate farmers.
16:08Khalid is a goat herder himself, as well as a biologist.
16:18On the one hand, he hopes to protect rare carnivores in these hills.
16:22On the other, his family rely on him to keep their goats safe.
16:52It's a clear, starry night, but there's no moon.
17:03When the village lights go out, it's pitch black.
17:07Only by using a special heat-sensitive camera can we witness the night's drama.
17:16The thermal camera shows a cold, dark night dotted with warm-blooded mammals.
17:26To the human eye, there's nothing but darkness.
17:37The night watchman can't see the predators gathering.
17:49Arabian wolves.
17:53The Jabali often hear wolves, but no one knew they came so close to the village.
18:06They have rarely been seen in groups bigger than four.
18:12This pack numbers 12 individuals, the largest ever recorded.
18:17A clear sign there's more food for them in the Dhofar mountains than anywhere else in
18:20Arabia.
18:23But they may not be the only ones feasting tonight.
18:33The party's over.
18:38There's only one beast not afraid to take on 12 wolves.
18:45A female striped hyena moves into position.
18:53The scout can't see the intruder in the darkness.
19:01But the hyena makes her move.
19:09One on one, a wolf is no match for a hyena.
19:17She's not quick, but she's immensely strong.
19:21With one bite, she could crush a wolf's skull.
19:45In the darkness, the wolves lose their nerve, and the thief helps herself.
20:04Dhofar is one of the few places on earth where wolves and hyenas come face to face.
20:15But it won't be the rivalry between the two species that affects their survival.
20:27It's the conflict between predators and Jabali farmers that Hadi and Khalid are most concerned
20:32about.
20:46At dawn, Hadi and Khalid download their cameras.
20:52The villagers heard wolves, but the appearance of a striped hyena is a surprise.
21:07The video will be a useful first step in resolving the locals' conflict with predators.
21:24If they can identify individual culprits, it may prevent indiscriminate revenge.
21:43The cameras not only capture the behavior of large carnivores, they shed light on some
21:48more obscure night hunters.
22:02Honey badgers usually forage alone.
22:11In the mountains, it appears they roam in packs.
22:20And then, a sight of one of the rarest animals in the world, an Arabian leopard.
22:36These are the shots they're after.
22:40They set out to check their cameras, covering over 100 miles of the Dhofar mountains.
23:03Cameras are capturing a rich food chain from top to bottom.
23:23Hadi and Khalid's results are revealing a remarkable web of life.
23:28But what is the one thing that connects all this wildlife?
23:32What makes the Dhofar mountains so rich?
23:38The answer lies in their position, right by the Indian Ocean.
23:51It's May, the hottest month of the year.
24:01And one predator knows that Dhofar's riches come from the sea, an Arabian fox.
24:13Tonight, this predator from the mountains will come face to face with a creature from
24:18the Indian Ocean.
24:27An ancient mariner has brought treasure ashore to bury.
24:34An animal that's changed little since the time of the dinosaurs.
24:44A female green sea turtle.
24:51She is here to do what her ancestors have done for over 100 million years.
24:59With her hind flippers, she carefully digs a hole of just the right depth.
25:06Her tears excrete salt and keep sand out of her eyes as she lays over 100 eggs.
25:15This is the only activity that will ever bring her ashore.
25:22And it has not gone unnoticed.
25:26Once her eggs are buried, her job as mother is done.
25:47She returns to the sea for another year.
25:52And it's her buried treasure that the thief is after.
26:06An egg is a nutritious meal for this skinny fox.
26:19A second female arrives to take her chances.
26:24Two more, and the turtles are improving their odds.
26:32But the fox isn't alone either.
26:46These foxes can dig up eggs quicker than turtles can bury them.
26:51Theirs is the most specialized diet of any fox.
26:55Ninety percent of everything they eat in their whole life will be turtle eggs.
27:01There is little the turtles can do to defend their clutch.
27:05But they have one strategy the foxes can never match.
27:09Numbers.
27:13Each year, over 10,000 female turtles lay over 3 million eggs along this coast.
27:21It would take the foxes over 50 years to eat this season's batch alone.
27:44Riches from the Indian Ocean are feeding the Arabian land.
27:51Ultimately, all of Dhofar's riches are sustained by the sea.
27:57And the sea itself is undergoing a radical transformation.
28:05Warm surface waters are being dragged away,
28:10sucked to the north by the mighty Indian monsoon.
28:17An oceanic vacuum is created, and something must fill the space.
28:27Cold water wells up from the depths, bringing nutrients from the seafloor with it.
28:46Chilled water also holds more oxygen, and more oxygen means more life.
28:55As the temperature drops, these seas are transforming into some of the richest in the world.
29:05Microscopic plankton flourish, and an explosion of life begins.
29:15Fish from every corner of the Indian Ocean have come to feed.
29:21Fusiliers.
29:24Blue triggerfish.
29:31And graceful devil rays.
29:36Some have traveled from as far as Australia to enjoy these riches.
29:46This is why the humpbacks never leave.
29:51They don't need to migrate to cold waters to feed. Cold water comes to them.
30:01And this bounty attracts one species that arrives not in thousands, not even millions.
30:11The Indian oil sardine arrives in billions.
30:18A single shoal can be over three miles long.
30:25By moving in unison, they confuse predators.
30:32Rays are too slow.
30:37And the fish are too slow.
30:42And the fish are too slow.
30:47And the fish are too slow.
30:52Rays are too slow.
30:57Socotra cormorants struggle to pick a target.
31:05But synchronized swimming won't protect them from the ocean's most voracious predator.
31:13Man.
31:17The arrival of the sardines means the Jabali mountain men become part-time fishermen.
31:28Over half a million tons of fish will be brought in.
32:17For the sardines, it's brought hard times for the resident corals.
32:24The water temperature has dropped ten degrees in a matter of weeks.
32:30Tropical species are now being overrun by a cold water bully.
32:39Kelp grows up to 50 centimeters per day, smothering the reef.
32:49Most warm water residents have no choice but to stay put.
33:00A lone clownfish.
33:04He has made his home in a small anemone, a tiny tropical island in a sea that's turned cold.
33:20For these tropical species, their world has been turned upside down.
33:34The Indian monsoon has struck the Dhofar coast.
34:05The monsoon brings with it the magic ingredient that sustains life in these mountains.
34:13The chilled waters cool the air above them,
34:21creating clouds which pour inland.
34:30Music
34:36Music
34:42Music
34:48Music
34:54Music
35:00The air is so humid, the clouds need only touch an object to release their moisture.
35:16The mist is about to work miracles.
35:25Condensation settles on everything.
35:31Music
35:37Music
35:43Music
35:49Music
35:53Some homes are waterlogged.
35:59A female golden orb spider.
36:05Her oily exoskeleton helps keep water out, but shedding the droplets isn't easy.
36:16Music
36:22Music
36:28Her male is one-tenth her size, and even less skilled at drying off.
36:46Through June, the monsoon builds into one of the biggest weather systems on earth.
36:58Cool ocean winds meet warm Arabian air, creating vast cloud banks.
37:09Music
37:24The Dhofar escarpment provides the perfect barrier,
37:30trapping the clouds and hijacking their precious moisture.
37:39There is more rainfall here than the rest of Arabia combined.
37:47In July, the monsoon's blanket rests heavy on the land, and mist turns to rain.
38:00Music
38:11Plants grow on other plants to gain height and steal as much moisture as they can.
38:19Even the animals here have amazing methods of catching rain.
38:26The Arabian chameleon absorbs water directly through his skin,
38:31and the head shield funnels raindrops to his mouth.
38:37Perhaps a little too much today.
38:44Music
38:54Down below, the ground is now so sodden that others are emerging from months underground.
39:03Snails have been avoiding the heat, but now conditions are just right and there's lots to catch up on.
39:12Snails are seeking other snails.
39:20And the tree trunks have become singles bars.
39:28Music
39:36Within a few short months, the monsoon moisture has worked its magic,
39:43turning the once parched hills into a green paradise.
39:51Music
39:59This is a side of Arabia that few of us could imagine.
40:07A practically hidden ecosystem springs to life.
40:16Music
40:37The Dhofar coast has become the jewel of Arabia.
40:44By August, the earth cannot soak up any more water,
40:49and the Dhofar mountains drain what they can't hold.
40:58Music
41:11When creeks turn to rivers, some opt for a spot of fishing.
41:16There are beginners and experts.
41:24A few fish have clung on through the dry season in tiny pools, and now their numbers explode.
41:32Each pond contains species different to the next, some found nowhere else on earth.
41:43Millions of litres of water have permeated the mountains.
41:49A treasure that will trickle out all year round in the form of springs,
41:54sustaining life for another year.
42:07Many animals rely on the summer monsoon to build fat reserves for the lean times ahead.
42:20Music
42:26In the final days of greenery, the Jabali gather their camels together to graze in their thousands.
42:35Music
42:55Hadi and Khalid continue their research through the wet season.
43:04Music
43:08After a few short months, the monsoon begins to fade.
43:16September gives way to October, and the Arabian sun regains control.
43:27Music
43:38Arabia is once again a land without rivers.
43:47Music
43:55Her mountains face the Indian Ocean, awaiting next year's gifts.
44:17By December, Hadi and Khalid's cameras have been running in isolation for a year.
44:27Their persistence has paid off. Their holy grail appears closer than expected.
44:47Technology has brought them face to face with one of the most elusive predators on the planet.
44:56Leopard
45:10Their cameras are not only capturing images, but the first ever sound recordings of the leopard's mating call.
45:25Leopard
45:33Leopard
45:48Hadi and Khalid will use this footage to raise awareness of the Arabian leopard.
45:54With support from the Oman government, they hope to ensure the cat's survival in these mountains by the sea.
46:03For the Arabian leopard, the Dhofar mountains are their last stronghold.
46:13Caves in these cliffs provide shelter for these secretive creatures.
46:24Music
46:33Music
46:45For the first time ever, we have a glimpse into the private life of these elusive animals.
46:54And we know now that the leopards share these mountains with some equally remarkable predators.
47:09The story of the striped hyena is intricately linked with that of the Arabian wolf.
47:18All these large carnivores sit at the top of a fragile food chain.
47:24A web of life that relies on the spectacular setting of their mountain fortress.
47:48As long as the Indian monsoon sweeps past each summer, Dhofar will remain home to the greatest diversity of life in Arabia.
48:01Music
48:16There are less than 200 Arabian leopards left in the world.
48:22They are critically endangered.
48:30And yet, a simple mist is all that's needed to sustain this living ghost, and everything that lives in these Arabian mountains.
48:43Music
48:57For the Wild Arabia team, one animal above all posed their greatest filming challenge.
49:05Deep in the remote mountains of Oman, these animals are notoriously elusive.
49:11Spotting an Arabian wolf in daylight is tricky enough, but it's only after the sun goes down that they hunt.
49:20By braving the Arabian nights, the team got a lot more than they bargained for.
49:28Music
49:36Cameraman Mateo Willis grew up in Oman, and since an early age has been intrigued by the Arabian wolf.
49:44To find them, he will need the help of biologist Hadi Al-Hikmani.
49:50Hadi, have you got the laptop?
49:54Mateo has known Hadi for over 20 years, and between them, they know these mountains extremely well.
50:01Whose idea was it to bring so much luggage?
50:04And there's one spot where Hadi's camera traps have had a lot of success.
50:08Hey, porcupines.
50:17Large packs of wolves are known to patrol this canyon.
50:22Mateo has a lot to set up before the sun sets.
50:38This ledge will be Mateo's bedroom for the foreseeable future, and he won't be getting much sleep.
50:47Mateo has illuminated the track with infrared lights.
50:53The camera can capture an image, but infrared is invisible to the wolves.
50:58He's hoping they won't spot him.
51:03We've had a lot of luck with the remote cameras, and we've got some great stuff.
51:07But the problem is, there are only ever snapshots of animals.
51:09What's really great about being back here, behind the camera,
51:12is that for the first time, we're hoping that we're going to be able to follow them in greater detail,
51:16and to reveal a bit more about their behavior.
51:22It has now been days, and Mateo hasn't filmed a thing.
51:34There's just nothing coming through.
51:37And yet we know from the remote cameras that animals come through here almost every night.
51:45It's very frustrating. I can hear the wolves, I just can't see them.
51:49Our lights are so concentrated that the wolves just have to be ten feet to the left or to the right,
51:54and I just can't see them at all.
52:00It's time to head back to the drawing board.
52:04To get any footage of these shy animals, the team will need a camera that sees much further into the darkness.
52:22After two months, the crew return with a possible solution.
52:27In the last few weeks, Khalid's family have heard wolves howling at night.
52:34He suggests that they set up their hide on the edge of his village.
52:40The night crew are now armed with a completely new system,
52:44a camera they hope will let them film wolves without the use of any lights at all.
52:50Camerawoman Sue Gibson and assistant Dave Mothershaw are the first to try it out.
52:59This camera sees heat. On a cold night, warm-blooded animals can be seen up to a mile away.
53:07Oh, he's turned around.
53:09Can you see through my clothes?
53:12Can you see through my clothes?
53:15Is that why he's facing the other way?
53:18Yeah, that's why he thinks I asked him to turn the other way.
53:23God, it's incredible.
53:25It's an amazing piece of cat. It's unbelievable.
53:27Yeah, such a cool thing.
53:34Filming village life may pass the time on long nights, but three weeks in and still no wolves.
53:42One of Arabia's other nocturnal hunters has come to them.
53:48Oh, ****.
53:50Oh, God.
53:52I've got one in the bag.
53:54He is massive.
53:56Massive.
54:01Oh, my God.
54:03I've been kneeling here all night.
54:06Oh, look at him.
54:08Oh, look at him.
54:09The death stalker scorpion is one of the most dangerous animals in Arabia.
54:13There he goes.
54:15Watch your feet. I'm going to flick him high.
54:17No, I'm joking.
54:19Here we go. Ready?
54:21Oh, Christ.
54:24Right. Okay.
54:26Big guy.
54:28Don't worry about it, guys. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing.
54:30I know what I'm doing. I know what I'm doing.
54:32Here we go.
54:35Easy, big guy. Easy, big guy.
54:37Oh, look at him.
54:39Wowee.
54:41There we go.
54:43Man, he is off. Look at the speed he's going.
54:50Nocturnal filming is exhausting work.
54:53The team rotate, and now it's cameraman Rolf Steinmann's turn to take on the challenge.
54:58Just outside Khaled's village, Rolf is filming the jabali.
55:04While retrieving a stray goat, Khaled spots something in the dust.
55:10You see the hyena here?
55:13Hyena tracks.
55:14Hyena tracks here. You see?
55:16It's going this direction.
55:20Later that day, Khaled is called to the other side of the village, where eight goats have been killed.
55:27Khaled is sure that the predators will return tonight.
55:31Yeah, but we can't go there because we have these rocks in the view.
55:38Rolf must pick his spot carefully.
55:41Once set up, he won't be able to move position.
55:44All he can do now is wait.
55:48Finally, a glimpse.
56:02At last, their patience has paid off.
56:05And not just one, twelve Arabian wolves.
56:09This is the first time in the history of the world,
56:12and not just one, twelve Arabian wolves.
56:16This is the largest pack ever recorded.
56:23But no one on the team was expecting what happened next.
56:33A striped hyena.
56:36There are very few places on our planet where hyena from the south overlap with the wolves from the north.
56:46This is the first time these two formidable carnivores have ever been filmed side by side.
56:55It was very risky to try this.
56:57And I have these twelve wolves in front of my hide and I simply couldn't believe it.
57:02But then this hyena shows up and chases away all the wolves from the kill.
57:07I mean, that was spectacular.
57:10These images have a greater value.
57:13Local farmers do lose goats to predators.
57:16And this footage might help establish a system of compensation.
57:21And in the long run, that will help Hadi and Khaled's quest
57:25to protect the wildlife in these spectacular mountains of Arabia.
57:51Next time, we discover how animals have adapted to the huge changes
57:56that have swept Arabia since the discovery of oil.
58:00Today, extraordinary animals live alongside technology
58:04in the fastest changing place on earth.
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