Survival of the Beast Season 1 Episode 6

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00:00I've come to Sri Lanka to learn from the Sri Lankan leopard, one of the greatest nocturnal

00:16survivalists of all time. I want to find out how and why they've become the apex predator

00:24within this environment and what they can teach me about survival. Specifically, what can they

00:30teach me about camouflage? What can they teach me about stealth? This is going to be one of the

00:35hardest expeditions yet. Wish me luck. My name is Max and I may be mad, but I'm going really wild.

00:47This is where we start picking up their secrets. I'm going to learn from the greatest teachers in

00:52the world. Perfect. The animals themselves. Animals have evolved to thrive in just about every

01:03environment. As a survivalist, that's pretty much all you need. Their survival skills perfected

01:09over millions of years. This is a living dinosaur. The tougher the habitat, the clever the adaptation.

01:17Oh, there he goes. I've been honing my own survival skills my entire life. That's magic right there.

01:24But now I'm enrolling as a student at the University of Wildlife. There's so much I can learn from a snake

01:31like this. I'm going to try to move. Stalk. She's staring straight at me. Eat. Is that an earthworm?

01:39Sleep. Look at that. Survive. Just like they do. I've been able to mimic a weaver ant. So cool.

01:50All in a quest to better understand the planet we share. Well, that's the hope anyways.

01:56Thank you. Hi, Max. How are you? I'm good. How are you? I'm not too bad. Good to see you.

02:19Me too. My mission here is to try to learn as much as I can from the leopard, from the ultimate

02:25nocturnal predator. Yes, exactly. If you are really, really lucky, you will get a hunt.

02:30That's the goal. If I could see a hunt, that would be massive. Yes. I try my best to show you

02:35the leopards. Okay, let's do it. Samatar has been working around leopards for years.

02:44And he's just welcomed me to Kumana National Park on the east coast of Sri Lanka. Kumana is home to one

02:54of the densest populations of leopards on the planet. Nearly 80 of these incredible big cats

03:01eke out in existence in this park. But surviving here is not without its challenges. Extreme heat

03:09and limited rainfall can lead to heat stress and dehydration. And getting enough food can

03:17be tricky. The prey here have cleverly evolved to work together to elude the leopards.

03:28And finally, the open ground makes it even more difficult for an ambush predator. But somehow,

03:37leopards manage to thrive here. And I want to learn how they do it.

03:47The plan is for Samatar to drop me off near a large lake where prey gather to drink and

03:53where leopards are known to hunt. I want to camp out there on my own for the next few days

04:00and experience this harsh landscape for myself and hopefully see a big cat in action.

04:08Before Samatar leaves me, I'm keen to get as many tips as possible on how to survive out here.

04:14So what's one thing you think I need to look out for while I'm out here?

04:18It's not one thing. So many things you have to look out.

04:20Okay.

04:21Yeah. So many elephants.

04:23Okay.

04:23They are unpredictable. How? There's an elephant.

04:26Well, there you have it. I can't believe you just said that.

04:30Yeah.

04:31And there's an elephant right there.

04:32Apart from the elephants, you have to concern about the buffaloes, sloth bears,

04:39so unpredictable animals.

04:41Okay. That's good to know.

04:43It seems like everything out here can get you one way or another.

04:47Including my leopards.

04:50Known in these parts to be man-eaters, I'll need to keep a safe distance from them.

04:57Especially at night when their superior eyesight means they'll be able to see me

05:01and I won't be able to see them.

05:06Leopards are opportunistic hunters and will eat just about any prey, including people.

05:13But despite their reputation as killing machines,

05:16they actually have to work very hard for their meals.

05:20So how many hunts per year are leopards successful?

05:24If he flies 30 times, he will get a watch.

05:27So out of 30 hunts, they're getting one successful hunt?

05:31Yes, exactly.

05:32Wow.

05:32That's why it's difficult to see.

05:34And usually they stalk and they run and it can't get that.

05:40So it's about it.

05:42It's all about energy conservation.

05:44Yes.

05:45So it sounds like we had a 1 in 30 chance of seeing a hunt.

05:49I like my odds.

05:53Despite my low chance of witnessing a leopard hunt,

05:56I'm super excited to get to the lake and out into this habitat.

06:02But just a few kilometers from the drop-off point,

06:05we spot a pair of eyes in the undergrowth.

06:08Oh, oh, oh.

06:10Oh, leopards.

06:11Leopards.

06:14Don't be panic.

06:16Don't be panic.

06:19Oh, my God.

06:26Look how beautiful her face is.

06:29She's perfect.

06:30Under Samitar's watch, I carefully get onto her level.

06:46I can hear her growling.

06:50So she's got her eyes locked on me.

06:53My heart is pounding.

06:57She's about 10 feet into this very sparse undergrowth.

07:02And you can hardly see her.

07:06She blends in so well.

07:07Those rosettes just make her effortlessly disappear within this underbrush.

07:13It's hard to see her.

07:15I was trying to punch in with the camera,

07:16and the camera wouldn't even pull focus.

07:18That's how well she camouflages.

07:20She's just masters of disguise.

07:25The ultimate predator.

07:29Absolutely beautiful.

07:38I can't believe I spotted a leopard from the vehicle

07:41within the first few hours of being here.

07:45It goes to show this park really is a leopard hotspot.

07:50And seeing firsthand how well she can camouflage,

07:53I can understand why being dropped off at the lake is a good plan.

07:59Without so much vegetation around,

08:01I should have a better chance of keeping one in sight.

08:03And with any luck, seeing a hunt.

08:12Looks like we're getting pretty close.

08:16Seeing water buffalo everywhere.

08:18Yes.

08:19Everywhere, the water buffalo.

08:20So that means I know there are lots of calves also.

08:22Yeah.

08:22So that means this is a perfect place for leopard.

08:25Leopard zone.

08:25Yeah.

08:26Yeah, exactly.

08:28Yeah, maybe we pull up in the shade right there,

08:30and I'll just start walking.

08:31Yeah.

08:34Thank you, brother.

08:35Yeah.

08:35I'll give you a shout on the radio.

08:37Yeah.

08:37I think we'll rendezvous maybe a little bit up the way.

08:40Yes, yes.

08:40Be careful.

08:43All right.

08:44Let's go.

08:45On foot and without Samitar,

08:55I'm definitely feeling pretty vulnerable.

08:59So the first thing I want to do is set up an animal-proof camp.

09:03I have about three hours till it starts getting dark,

09:07so the clock is ticking.

09:12Oh, wow.

09:13I've stumbled upon these crazy claw marks of the leopard.

09:21Scratch right there, scratch right there,

09:24and as you make your way around the tree,

09:26there's just this huge scratch running all the way up the tree.

09:33Leopards are mostly solitary and are very territorial,

09:38and claw marks this severe are a sure sign

09:42of leopards fighting for space.

09:46For me, being in confirmed leopard territory is great news

09:49and the perfect place to set up camp.

09:55I'm going to try to make this my base camp,

09:58and then I can sneak up on that watering hole

10:00and hopefully catch some leopards moving in and out of this terrain.

10:03I'm looking to set myself up a boma.

10:06I've done a lot of survival challenges in Africa,

10:08and a boma is essentially a corral for myself

10:10to keep me safe from the outside.

10:14I have these natural barriers with these trees,

10:18and the thicker, the better.

10:19The higher, the better.

10:20The more thorns, the better.

10:22All I have to do is cover this entrance

10:25and then cover the back entrance,

10:27and then I have created myself a nice little dome.

10:29Most predators will go with the path of least resistance,

10:33and if I have a little fire, that'll also scare them away.

10:37Dude, look how sharp this is.

10:39All this stuff is great to keep predators out.

10:50So just plug in every hole.

10:55As I'm building my boma,

10:57I realize it's not just me using nature's razor wire to keep safe.

11:04So I've been watching all the spotted deer

11:07kind of camp out next to these really thorny occasion-like bushes,

11:12and they're using that as a natural protection and barrier

11:15from predators while they're grazing.

11:17So I'm essentially going to do the same thing.

11:31Usually in Africa when I've set these up,

11:33I'll make them six feet wide and about six feet tall.

11:37But in this case, I need to worry about leopards,

11:39the apex predator who can pretty much jump 10 feet up in the air

11:42on a full sprint.

11:44So to make sure that that doesn't happen,

11:47I have coverage above and coverage all the way around.

11:51I'm feeling pretty safe about it.

11:52And once I get a fire going in the middle tonight,

11:55I should be safe as sound.

11:58And, yeah, I'm going to just bed down for a little bit,

12:02taking a little siesta.

12:03It's now starting to cool down,

12:19and this is when the animals begin to move around.

12:22I am at this high, kind of deciduous dry zone.

12:30There's this big lake.

12:31I see a bunch of water buffalo,

12:33and I see pelicans flying overhead.

12:36I'm just going to work my way over towards the water

12:41and hopefully get to a spot where I can just stake out

12:47and look over this watering hole

12:50and see if I see any leopards starting to make their move.

12:54All right, so I'm on the search for leopards,

13:01but I just ran into a massive Asian elephant.

13:09The Sri Lankan elephant is the largest of all Asian elephants

13:13and probably has my favorite Latin name of all.

13:16It's the Elephus maximus maximus.

13:18How fitting is that?

13:20This is pretty special,

13:23but these guys are formidable throughout this entire area.

13:29They are probably the culprit

13:32for the most animal-human interaction

13:36and incidences throughout the entire island,

13:39so I have to always be paying attention

13:41to where the elephants are

13:44while I'm simultaneously looking for the leopard.

13:48It only takes a second for these guys to charge

13:52and squash you in a heartbeat.

13:55That's like two tons worth of mass

13:57that I want nothing to do with.

14:00Yeah, I don't know if I feel super safe

14:03hanging around here for very long.

14:06So to avoid any type of conflict with the elephant,

14:09I'm going to head back to my boma for the evening.

14:18End of day one, massive day today.

14:34I'm in my boma,

14:36pretty much encapsulated

14:38and cocooned

14:40in a thorny bush.

14:44Got my fire started.

14:48Most animals don't like the smell of smoke.

14:51You know,

14:52animals try to stray away

14:55from human establishments if they can.

14:59There's elephants around here,

15:01so that's a little unnerving.

15:03But today was amazing.

15:07I'm just ecstatic

15:11to be able to have seen

15:13a leopard on my first day.

15:15Easily the most majestic

15:17and elegant animal

15:19I think I've ever seen.

15:20And to really get a glimpse

15:22of that beautiful coat,

15:24like that's a massive win.

15:27Predators are hard to track.

15:29They make their living

15:30not being able to be seen

15:31or tracked

15:33over the moon right now.

15:37Nice.

15:38I'm going to get some sleep.

15:49What the hell was that?

15:52I definitely just heard something.

15:55Where's my knife?

15:58Something just right outside my shelter.

16:01There's massive elephants around here.

16:09Leopards.

16:10Jackals.

16:13Crocs.

16:16I'm probably not going to get my sleep tonight.

16:19I have to stay awake.

16:21Tend this fire and

16:22not get muched.

16:31Oh, I definitely overslept.

16:45Uh, day two.

16:48I barely got any sleep last night.

16:51Pfft.

16:53Like a wink.

16:54I was hearing stuff

16:55throughout the entire night.

16:56I think I heard a leopard.

16:59Definitely some elephants

17:00crunching around.

17:03So, I need some sleep.

17:06But my boma

17:07held it together

17:08all night.

17:10Still completely encased in here.

17:13So that's nice.

17:15Tempters rise here so quickly

17:17that I've missed

17:18dawn rush hour

17:18at the water hole.

17:19Apart from the birds,

17:22there's nothing else

17:23moving around out here.

17:26All the other animals

17:28are keeping cool

17:28and won't come out again

17:30until this evening.

17:34So this is the perfect time

17:35to mimic one of the special

17:37survival adaptations

17:38of the leopard.

17:39So, I grab some charcoal

17:43from my fire.

17:44So I'm essentially

17:45going to make myself

17:46some rosettes.

17:48Rosettes are basically

17:49this rose pattern

17:50that these leopards have.

17:54They're not actually spots.

17:57They're individual

17:58rose-shaped camouflage,

18:02which is pretty amazing

18:04because every single one

18:06is that individual

18:08as a fingerprint.

18:12So, essentially,

18:13it's all about making

18:15these rosettes

18:16as sporadic as possible.

18:20If I can break up my silhouette,

18:22basically my shoulders,

18:24any part that's going to be able

18:25to be contrasted

18:26on any sort of rock,

18:28any sort of grass,

18:29I need to try to break that up.

18:31Yeah, it's pretty amazing

18:32just to think and contemplate

18:35on the pure adaptation

18:37and evolutionary natural selection

18:39that has occurred

18:40through these spots

18:42and these rosettes.

18:43Like, it's amazing

18:45that they've been able

18:46to evolve to a point

18:47where they can literally blend in

18:49in any terrain.

18:51Like, they are the most widespread

18:52predatory cat

18:54on planet Earth.

19:00All right, check it out.

19:02Got my upgraded outfit.

19:06I made myself some leopard rosettes.

19:09All right, let's see

19:09if this thing works.

19:16I'm thinking that a perfect way

19:18to test this out

19:19is to set up my camera

19:22kind of in a line

19:24and see if I can blend in

19:27and sneak up on the camera,

19:29which would be the prey animal.

19:30So it's all about testing.

19:33Will this work?

19:34And I think it will.

19:35So I'm going to set this guy up.

19:37Boom.

19:38All right.

19:38I'm going to walk way over there,

19:40out of sight,

19:41and then I'm going to try

19:42to sneak up on my camera,

19:44and then I'll review it

19:45to see if I was able

19:46to minimize my shape.

19:51Might look a little crazy,

19:53but the Army military

19:55has used animal camouflage

19:58like leopards, chameleons,

20:02snakes, you name it,

20:03to blend in

20:04and try to be

20:06as inconspicuous

20:07and as stealth as possible.

20:10I don't know if this is working,

20:12but hopefully you couldn't see me

20:15until I was too close.

20:16How's it looking?

20:21It looks pretty good.

20:23I mean, from far away,

20:25you can sort of see

20:26the silhouette of my hat,

20:28and that's one of the key things

20:30is silhouette,

20:31trying to reduce your silhouette

20:33so animals can't see.

20:38Not until I got within

20:40probably 30 yards,

20:42you couldn't see me at all.

20:43It definitely works.

20:46The rosettes break out my outline.

20:49It really makes it hard

20:50to make out exactly where I am.

20:53You can see my silhouette

20:54just barely,

20:55only because I have my black hat.

20:58I guess that's why

20:59leopards don't wear caps.

21:07It's mid-afternoon,

21:10and it is ridiculously hot.

21:14It's easy to understand

21:15why most of the animals

21:16around here are nocturnal

21:18and move around

21:19in the cover of the darkness

21:21and when it's much cooler,

21:23especially when you have fur

21:25like the sloth bear

21:26or you need to stock up on prey

21:27like the leopard.

21:30I know leopards rest

21:31during this part of the day,

21:33so my plan for the afternoon

21:35is to try to track one down

21:37while it's sleeping.

21:39That way, I can stick with it

21:41as it heads out to hunt.

21:42But before I begin the search,

21:46it would be better

21:47if I didn't smell quite

21:48so much like a fire pit.

21:51All right, I'm gonna rinse my kit off.

21:54I have all these leopard spots.

21:56They're starting to fade,

21:57so I might as well just clean my kit,

22:00cool myself down,

22:01and then keep walking.

22:02Once I'm cleaned up,

22:07I head for the scrub near my boma.

22:12But within minutes,

22:13I get a reminder

22:14of just how effective

22:15camouflage can be.

22:21Oh, my God.

22:23I just stumbled upon

22:25a viper of some sort.

22:28You can hardly see him

22:30because he blends in

22:31with the leaf litter.

22:32Absolutely spectacular.

22:35This Russell's viper

22:36is one of the most ferocious vipers

22:38in the world.

22:41Luckily, I didn't actually stumble upon it

22:43because if I would have stepped on this guy,

22:45it would be game over for me.

22:46That camouflage

22:52is absolutely perfect.

22:56A lot like the leopard.

22:59In this dappled light,

23:00you could walk right by it

23:02and not even see it whatsoever.

23:09I'm just gonna make my way around him

23:11and go our separate ways.

23:16All right, let's keep pushing.

23:17We gotta catch up

23:18with this leopard.

23:26All right, I found this nice

23:27game trail,

23:29and it's all about

23:31moving slower than usual.

23:35It's about using all your senses

23:37when you're in the bush

23:38because, really,

23:39you gotta be trying to look

23:41through the bush

23:42using your senses,

23:43your hearing,

23:44your smell.

23:46All right,

23:47so I'm smelling this whiff.

23:49It smelled like a carcass.

23:54It's fresh leopard scat.

23:58It smells horrible.

24:01Just full of hair and maggots

24:02and just all the nastiest things

24:04you could imagine.

24:05Look at this thing.

24:07But it's really, really fresh,

24:09so that means

24:10that I'm getting

24:12closer and closer.

24:24Whoa.

24:27There's a leopard

24:28right over here.

24:30amazing.

24:36So, right now,

24:40she looks incapacitated,

24:41passed out.

24:43Looks like she had

24:43a long night last night.

24:45She's conserving her energy.

24:50Look at those markings.

24:52You can just see how she blends in

24:55effortlessly

24:55with this tree.

24:58Beautiful.

25:02Leopards use trees

25:03not just to rest in,

25:05but for somewhere

25:06to store their kills.

25:08Dragging a carcass up high

25:10somewhere like this

25:11keeps it away

25:12from other predators

25:13on the lookout

25:14for a free meal.

25:15The good news is

25:19my leopard

25:20doesn't seem to have

25:20a carcass,

25:21so I'm hoping

25:22she'll wake up hungry

25:23and ready to hunt.

25:34Oh, yeah.

25:36Yeah.

25:42Wow.

25:45She just hopped

25:46down the tree.

25:52Oh.

25:54She's headed

25:54towards the water hole.

26:06Oh, I think she's

26:07going to get

26:07some water here.

26:15She's taking

26:16a drink of water

26:17just really, really low

26:19in that leopard stance,

26:21lapping up the water.

26:24She knows

26:25that the animals

26:26are going to come

26:27and drink

26:28from this watering hole.

26:32Just see how soft

26:34she can walk.

26:37Those beautiful whiskers.

26:39You can see

26:40how she's sniffing.

26:41She can feel

26:42different wind patterns

26:44just with her whiskers.

26:47I see there's

26:48access deer

26:49right over there,

26:51and I think

26:52that's exactly

26:53what the leopard's

26:55waiting for.

26:59You can see

27:00her stalking.

27:03Wow.

27:04The wind is

27:13perfectly

27:13blowing in

27:15from the side.

27:16Anything that's

27:17coming from

27:18this direction

27:19will have no idea

27:20that she's here.

27:25Leopards,

27:25they have so much

27:26patience.

27:27The way they stalk,

27:28as soon as they see

27:29their prey animal

27:29looking away,

27:30they'll move forward.

27:31Wow.

27:31she's getting

27:35down low

27:36into this

27:38very,

27:38very low crouch.

27:42Oh, yeah.

27:43Here we go.

27:44What's going to

27:45happen next?

27:52Sadly for her,

27:53she's been spotted.

27:56Oh, they're running.

27:57They're running.

27:58Oh, wow.

28:09She's just

28:10disappeared.

28:12There's no hunt

28:13to be done.

28:15It's now

28:16almost completely

28:17dark,

28:18so as much

28:19as I want to

28:20stay here longer

28:20and see if she

28:22comes back,

28:23I head back

28:24to my boma.

28:24All right.

28:33Got a nice

28:34bonfire going

28:35and

28:36it's a pretty

28:38successful day.

28:39It was pretty

28:40special to be

28:41able to embed

28:41with that female

28:43today,

28:44but I still

28:45haven't seen

28:45a night hunt

28:46yet,

28:46so

28:47I'm still

28:48holding out.

28:50I hope

28:51for that.

28:51so

29:00up bright

29:01and early,

29:03just about

29:04probably 10,

29:0515 minutes

29:06till the lights

29:07all lay up.

29:08This is the

29:09prime time

29:10to see a hunt

29:12or capture

29:13a leopard.

29:14what was that?

29:23Definitely

29:24something moving

29:24over here.

29:28With this

29:29early morning

29:29light,

29:30it's definitely

29:31still hard

29:32to see.

29:33You can hear

29:34stuff moving

29:35around.

29:37You just feel

29:39pretty vulnerable,

29:41especially

29:41knowing that

29:43these leopards

29:45can see me

29:46and I

29:46can't see

29:47them.

29:54All right.

29:55The light's

29:56up,

29:57so

29:58I'm embedding

29:59with these

30:01water buffalo.

30:01But it

30:09looks like

30:10they are

30:10a little

30:11on edge

30:11and I'm

30:12right next

30:12to them.

30:18Looks

30:18like they're

30:18taking off.

30:19You can see

30:20them all

30:20running.

30:25Well,

30:25there they

30:26go.

30:27I'm going

30:27to head

30:28the opposite

30:28direction

30:28because those

30:30guys are

30:30the boss

30:31around here.

30:32There is

30:33power and

30:33safety in

30:34numbers and

30:36I am much

30:36more like a

30:37leopard right

30:37now,

30:39solitary and

30:41alone.

30:44With no

30:45buffalo and

30:46no other

30:47prey around,

30:48there's little

30:49chance a leopard

30:50will turn up

30:50now.

30:52I'll stake

30:52out the

30:53water hole

30:53again in the

30:54evening.

30:56But in the

30:56meantime, I'm

30:58just going to

30:58do what a

30:59leopard does

30:59at this time

31:00of the day.

31:02All right.

31:03Absolutely

31:04cooking out

31:05here.

31:06The earth

31:07is scorched

31:07and it

31:09feels like

31:10I'm about

31:10to be if I

31:12stay in the

31:13sun any

31:13longer.

31:16I'm going to

31:16get up in

31:17this tree.

31:19Relax.

31:23It's perfect.

31:25Perfect leopard

31:26tree here.

31:30I have this

31:31really lovely

31:31cross breeze

31:32in the shade

31:34getting out

31:35of the

31:35midday heat,

31:36taking a page

31:37out of the

31:38leopard's book

31:38and conserving

31:39my energy,

31:41my hydration.

31:42I would say

31:48it's probably

31:49maybe 37

31:51degrees right

31:51now.

31:52So it's

32:18starting to get

32:18to leopard

32:19o'clock

32:20when all the

32:21leopards start

32:22hunting.

32:25And I've

32:26just been

32:27watching all

32:28the animals

32:28of prey on

32:29this nice

32:30open savannah

32:31prairie here.

32:33I see some

32:34wild boar over

32:34to the left

32:35and just on

32:36the backside

32:37of that big

32:38stump looks

32:39like water

32:39buffalo and

32:40spotted deer

32:41and there's

32:42some more

32:42over on the

32:43right-hand side.

32:44this is a

32:46leopard

32:46smorgasbord.

32:48So I'm

32:48really hoping

32:49the one from

32:50yesterday

32:50is going to

32:51show up

32:52and hunt.

33:00But after

33:0115 minutes

33:02here,

33:03I realize

33:03all the

33:04animals appear

33:05to be

33:05very calm.

33:08Leopards can

33:08travel upwards

33:09of 10 kilometers

33:10a day

33:10in search of

33:11food.

33:11And I have

33:13a feeling

33:13my female

33:14has gone

33:15elsewhere

33:15to hunt.

33:19I've only

33:20got about

33:20half an hour

33:21of light left

33:22so with no

33:23leopard in sight,

33:24I'm going to

33:24take her place

33:25to practice

33:26what I've

33:26already learned

33:27from her.

33:29Alright,

33:29so I'm

33:30going to

33:30start stalking

33:31these animals

33:33and I've

33:34been watching

33:35the leopards

33:36and the way

33:37they move

33:37is they have

33:38really,

33:39really soft

33:39peeps,

33:40soft pads

33:41in order

33:41to slow

33:42myself down.

33:44It's essential

33:44to be slow.

33:46I'm going to

33:46take my shoes

33:47off so I

33:48can just

33:49roll my feet

33:50and be as

33:50quiet as

33:51possible.

33:53I don't want

33:54to actually

33:54catch anything,

33:55but I'm

33:56curious to see

33:57if I can

33:57move like

33:58the leopard

33:58I saw

33:58yesterday

33:59and get

34:00close.

34:01Like,

34:02would I be

34:02able to

34:03make a kill

34:03in a survival

34:04situation

34:05by acting

34:06like a

34:07leopard?

34:12You can see

34:13I'm landing

34:14my left foot

34:15down on the

34:16outside

34:16and then

34:17rolling it

34:18down,

34:19concentrating

34:20my weight

34:20on that

34:21next foot.

34:23Boom.

34:24And then

34:25just like

34:26a leopard

34:27paw,

34:28I'm using

34:29the soft

34:29pads

34:30of my feet

34:30to minimize

34:32the noise

34:34I'm creating.

34:38Just like

34:39a leopard,

34:40never take

34:41your eyes

34:42off the

34:43prey because

34:44as soon as

34:45they look

34:45up, you

34:46want to

34:47freeze and

34:48stop in

34:48motion.

34:49Don't try

34:49to duck

34:49or do

34:50anything

34:50because these

34:51animals sense

34:52motion and

34:53that's the

34:53biggest giveaway

34:54of your

34:55position.

34:56So as soon

34:56as they go

34:57back to

34:57doing what

34:58they're doing,

34:58that's when

34:59you start

35:00moving again.

35:00It seems

35:04to be

35:04working and

35:06I'm within

35:07100 meters

35:07of the

35:08wild boar.

35:11All right,

35:12so this is a

35:13perfect time

35:13to do a

35:14leopard crawl

35:14because they're

35:15all over there.

35:17If I get low

35:18enough,

35:18they won't be

35:18able to see

35:19me.

35:23Wild boar

35:24have an

35:24incredible

35:25sense of

35:25smell but

35:26they literally

35:27cannot see

35:28worth

35:28deadly.

35:31That's why

35:32they're always

35:32around these

35:33deer.

35:34The deer,

35:35they have the

35:35eyes on the

35:36side of their

35:36head, pretty

35:37much 360

35:38vision.

35:39And between

35:40those two,

35:41they work

35:42together to

35:43make sure

35:43that they

35:44don't get

35:44picked off

35:45by leopards

35:45or other

35:46predators.

35:48I'm going

35:49to go

35:49underneath

35:49right here

35:50and see

35:51how close

35:51I can get.

35:56It's like

35:57spotlight,

35:57red light,

35:59but in a

36:00survival

36:00scenario.

36:09Oh,

36:10spotted deer

36:11are too

36:11good.

36:14Now I've

36:15experienced

36:15firsthand how

36:16hard it is for

36:17a leopard to

36:18make a kill.

36:20But it's so

36:21thrilling to

36:22feel like you're

36:23the predator

36:24using what I

36:25employed and

36:26learned from the

36:27leopard, but

36:28a stalking

36:29situation.

36:36This morning,

36:37after once

36:38again not

36:38seeing a

36:39single leopard

36:40around the

36:40waterhole,

36:41I've made the

36:42decision to

36:43get some

36:43help.

36:46All right,

36:47so I just

36:48pinged my

36:49point-and-contact,

36:50Samatar.

36:52He's a local

36:53biologist,

36:53scientist, and

36:54he's the best

36:55person to

36:56embed with to

36:57try to find

36:58these leopards

36:59and hopefully

37:00capture a

37:01hunt.

37:03So I'm

37:04going to hop

37:04in the jeep

37:05and hopefully

37:06we can see

37:08the leopards do

37:09something.

37:09These guys are

37:11masters of

37:11disguise, and

37:12predators are

37:13really hard to

37:14embed with.

37:15It is one of

37:16the tougher

37:17experiences and

37:18expeditions I've

37:19been on.

37:19Thanks for

37:28picking me up.

37:29How are you

37:30feeling?

37:30I'm feeling

37:31pretty good.

37:32A little

37:32dehydrated.

37:33It's very,

37:33very hot during

37:34the day.

37:35It's difficult

37:35to go by foot.

37:36Yeah.

37:37My time here

37:38is running out.

37:40Samatar has

37:41asked some of

37:41the other

37:42rangers to

37:42spread out

37:43and search

37:44for a leopard

37:44that looks like

37:45it could be

37:45getting ready

37:46for a hunt.

37:49And it sounds

37:51like they've

37:51already spotted

37:52one.

37:54So...

37:54Shall we go

37:55there?

37:55Yeah, yeah, yeah.

37:58The good news

37:59is the leopard

37:59that has been

38:00found is the

38:01one that

38:01Samatar knows

38:02well.

38:03His name

38:04is Richter,

38:05and he's the

38:06perfect leopard

38:06for me to

38:07try to embed

38:08with.

38:10So what's

38:11special about

38:11Richter?

38:11This guy,

38:13it's exceptional.

38:15Two and a half

38:15years old.

38:17Each and every

38:17five hunts,

38:18it gets over.

38:19Wow.

38:20So it sounds

38:20like Richter

38:21is a very,

38:22very efficient

38:23hunter.

38:24That's pretty

38:25good odds.

38:25Yes.

38:33Stop, stop,

38:33stop, stop,

38:34stop, stop,

38:34stop, stop.

38:34Right there,

38:35right there,

38:35right there.

38:36Is that him?

38:37Yes.

38:37So, I linked

38:51up my boy Samatar

38:52here, local

38:54biologist, also

38:55local legend.

38:57He's put me into

38:58a perfect position.

38:59This is the

39:00famous Richter.

39:07He's staring

39:08straight at me.

39:12Not worried

39:13at all.

39:17He's cool

39:18as a cucumber.

39:19time for a nap.

39:31Leopards often

39:32sleep for around

39:3218 hours a day,

39:34and Richter

39:35is clearly

39:36comfortable

39:37with us

39:37being so close.

39:41He's the

39:41perfect leopard

39:42to stick with

39:43and see if he

39:44might head out

39:45to hunt

39:45when he wakes

39:46up.

39:49Oh, man.

39:51Beautiful.

40:05The sun

40:06has set

40:06by the time

40:07Richter begins

40:08to stir.

40:09But luckily,

40:11I have a camera

40:11that can see

40:12in the dark.

40:15It's able

40:16to shoot

40:17with IR

40:19infrared

40:19night vision.

40:21If you look

40:22right there,

40:23there he is.

40:26So cool.

40:28Without

40:29this tool,

40:31there's no way

40:31I could see

40:32that leopard

40:33in the darkness

40:35like 50 yards

40:36away.

40:37There's just

40:38no humanly

40:40possible way.

40:41I don't have

40:42enough rods

40:43in my eyes,

40:43and he does.

40:47A leper's

40:48night vision

40:48is seven times

40:50more powerful

40:50than ours,

40:52thanks to

40:53the specialized

40:53tissue and

40:54those extra rods

40:55that absorb

40:56more light.

41:02Oh, look,

41:03he's starting

41:03to move.

41:03He just walked

41:20around the corner.

41:23He went off

41:24into here.

41:25It was somewhere

41:26in there.

41:26right there,

41:36right there,

41:36right there.

41:39So if you

41:39drive around

41:40the corner,

41:40she'll be right

41:40there.

41:48He's just

41:49right in front

41:49of the car.

42:01Oh,

42:01no way.

42:05Did he just

42:06get something?

42:07Yeah.

42:07Quiet, quiet, quiet.

42:08No way.

42:09No, no, no.

42:09Please, quiet.

42:09Yeah, it's a rabbit.

42:11It is a rabbit?

42:12Yeah, it's a rabbit.

42:15Just

42:15caught a hunt.

42:16Yes, definitely

42:21not what I was

42:21expecting.

42:22I was hoping

42:23for a big kill

42:24like a somber

42:25deer or a spotted

42:26deer or even

42:27a water buffalo

42:28calf, but I

42:30came here to

42:31learn from the

42:31leopard.

42:32If there's one

42:33thing I was able

42:34to learn just now

42:35is that take

42:36what's available,

42:37the easy pickings,

42:38and build off

42:39of that.

42:40It was able

42:41to snag a rabbit,

42:44get that meal,

42:45get energy,

42:46and then be able

42:48to hopefully

42:48get a bigger

42:49win.

42:51That was awesome.

42:52It's all about

42:53adapting and

42:54taking what you

42:55get.

42:57Yes.

43:01Samatar doesn't

43:01think Richter

43:02will hunt again

43:03tonight, so we

43:04head off in

43:05search of another

43:05leopard.

43:08But on the

43:08way, we find

43:09something that

43:10literally stops

43:11us in our

43:12tracks.

43:12Oh, my God.

43:16He's huge.

43:19All right, so we

43:21were trying to do

43:21a night hunt,

43:22trying to stalk

43:22some leopards,

43:23but we ran into

43:25this guy.

43:26Indian rock

43:27python, the

43:29largest snake in

43:30all of Sri Lanka.

43:32He's easily 12

43:34feet.

43:35He's out

43:36perdating on

43:37small fawns

43:39of spotted deer,

43:41even leopards.

43:50Listen to him.

43:52He's letting us know

43:53that he means business.

43:54That's what

44:03dragons sound

44:03like.

44:06Just like the

44:07leopard.

44:08He's an ambush

44:09predator.

44:10He will sit

44:11completely still

44:12until something

44:13comes upon him,

44:14and boom.

44:16Wow.

44:24Tracks right

44:30here.

44:31New tracks.

44:32Yep.

44:33We got some

44:34leopard tracks,

44:35super fresh,

44:36in the middle

44:37of the road.

44:39You see those

44:40prints right

44:40there?

44:42Those are

44:42pretty recent,

44:44within the last

44:4530 minutes to

44:45an hour.

44:47And look

44:47at the size

44:48of that leopard.

44:51That's bigger

44:52than my fists.

44:53and then they

44:54dissipate.

44:56You can see

44:57right there

44:58he takes a

44:59hard right.

45:01Somewhere in

45:02there.

45:03Guarantee

45:04he sees us,

45:05and we can't

45:06see him.

45:07Classic.

45:10Night hunt,

45:10baby.

45:20We've tracked

45:21the prints

45:21to an open

45:22area where

45:22a herd of

45:23spotted deer

45:23are grazing.

45:28During the

45:28day,

45:29there's often

45:29monkeys nearby

45:30helping keep

45:31a lookout.

45:35But at

45:36night,

45:37the primates

45:37sleep,

45:38so the deer

45:39are alone.

45:41This is the

45:42perfect hunt

45:43scenario for

45:43a leopard who

45:44can basically

45:45see in the

45:46dark.

45:47But tonight,

45:49so can I.

45:50I guess the

45:53good thing

45:53about being

45:54in a car

45:54is I got

45:55all the

45:56gadgets.

45:57Night vision

45:57I got

45:58and a

46:00thermal

46:00scanner.

46:01leopard.

46:06Oh, my God.

46:09Leopard.

46:12His silhouette

46:13is perfectly

46:14blending in.

46:16Amazing

46:17camouflage.

46:17Oh, he's headed

46:30for the deer.

46:30Oh, he's headed for the deer.

46:32There's about

46:33ten access deer

46:34over here,

46:36spotted deer,

46:37and a leopard

46:38that we were just

46:40viewing a split

46:42second ago

46:42who started making

46:43his way

46:44to somewhere

46:46within striking

46:48distance of these

46:49access deer.

46:56Okay.

46:57It looks like the

46:58spotted deer on

46:58alert.

46:59What we came

47:01here for

47:01was to watch

47:02a leopard

47:03hunt.

47:05And I think

47:06it's about to

47:07happen.

47:07Their tails

47:08are up.

47:08They're staring

47:09straight at

47:10where the leopard

47:11was or it

47:12might be.

47:14But it's

47:15hard to

47:16see a leopard

47:19that can

47:21blend in

47:21within 20

47:22feet of you.

47:25So that was

47:26an alarm

47:26call.

47:26Oh, yeah,

47:35he's stamping.

47:38Deer stamp

47:38their feet

47:39to alert

47:39the rest

47:40of the herd

47:40that there

47:40might be

47:41danger nearby.

47:44But they

47:44can't seem

47:45to figure out

47:45exactly where

47:46it's coming

47:46from.

47:48But with

47:49my camera,

47:50I can see

47:51what's headed

47:52their way.

47:55Oh, yeah,

47:55yeah,

47:56look,

47:56look.

47:56He's walking

47:58straight towards

47:58them.

47:59Oh, yeah.

48:00I'm freaking

48:01fired up right

48:01now.

48:02I'm seeing

48:03a leopard

48:05stalking

48:06these access

48:08deer over

48:08here.

48:09who do you root

48:19for in this

48:19situation?

48:20It's getting

48:22close.

48:25I think he's

48:26about to

48:26strike.

48:29It's going

48:30down.

48:33Oh, they're

48:34running.

48:35They're running.

48:36there.

48:37Oh, yeah.

48:40Here we go.

48:41Yes, yes,

48:42yes, yes,

48:42yes.

48:47Oh.

48:51Did he just

48:51get something?

48:56Where?

48:56Oh, my God.

49:10Oh, my God.

49:10Did you see that?

49:17Yes, this is what I

49:18came here for.

49:19That was probably one of the

49:24cooler things I've ever

49:26experienced.

49:28Oh, man.

49:30A night hunt.

49:31Oh, just experiencing

49:35that was

49:35electric.

49:38What a way to end

49:40the expedition.

49:41I've learned

49:42so much from

49:44these leopards.

49:45I've learned

49:46camouflage,

49:47patience,

49:48stealth,

49:49adaptability.

49:51These animals

49:52are the

49:53masters

49:53of their

49:54environment.

49:55Time to wrap up

49:56this expedition.

49:58Survivor the Beast.

50:00Yes.

50:01Oh, my God.

50:02Oh, my God.

50:03Oh, my God.

50:04Oh, my God.

50:05Oh, my God.

50:06Oh, my God.

50:07Oh, my God.

50:08Oh, my God.

50:09Oh, my God.

50:10Oh, my God.

50:11Oh, my God.

50:12Oh, my God.

50:13Oh, my God.

50:14Oh, my God.

50:15Oh, my God.

50:16Oh, my God.

50:17Oh, my God.

50:18Oh, my God.

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