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The Wild Ones (2025) Season 1 Episode 5
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00:00our planet is under threat like never before this shouldn't happen it breaks my heart we
00:14lose up to 150 different species every single day oh my god that's actually crazy and a million more
00:23are threatened with extinction but we are on a mission to try and change that that is a big drop
00:32off with your rights forward mate this is gonna be some ride entering the unknown our job to find
00:42and film some of the rarest animals on the planet and help scientists to save them
00:52that's the last one yeah this is beautiful before it's too late that is destroying the entire
01:01ecosystem look at that I'm dead and I specialize in getting cameras into places where no one else can
01:08well it's pretty tight in it if a bear comes now I'm a goner I'm Vianney I connect to these animals
01:17through my camera lens this is extraordinary it's looking straight at me and I'm Aldo a
01:24former Royal Marines commando and team leader it's my job to keep Vianney and deck safe you
01:34this might be my toughest challenge yet welcome to Gabon temperatures roughly about 45 degrees Celsius an
02:00African nation that's roughly the size of the UK but with a population 28 times smaller this is a
02:08sweat on deck this is me losing weight vehicles are packed and we are heading oh that way to find and
02:20film guerrillas I love these bread our throats it just like adventure inbound
02:30he's back I mean of these roads when you be this is at my back garden and that's because I was born
02:40here in central Africa as you know we are in a French-speaking country Jim Apple Aldo Jack don't
02:52the goalie who's a tool legory where are the grillers and they're gonna blow I don't know let's look for
02:59her there are four subspecies of gorilla and they all live in the tropical forests of Africa
03:09we're in Gabon searching for the western lowland
03:14it's home to a quarter of all gorillas on earth so to help save them is the perfect place to start
03:26there's the odd little village but the rest of it is just pure green that's one thing that makes Gabon
03:32so important it's going incredible intact English system it's the Eden of Africa yes but even here
03:42they're struggling sixty percent of the population has vanished in just 25 years due to hunting disease
03:51and habitat loss we've passed so many of these blogging trucks truck after truck after truck
04:05I don't know this is their cover I'll descend keep seeing a lot of big big lorries full of logs and
04:13yeah just kind of bring home to trouble to the gorillas yeah I mean it's all legal logging but
04:19still impacts the the gorilla's habitat Gabon actively promotes sustainable logging yet many
04:32companies here still fall short of internationally agreed standards leaving these forests and the
04:44gorillas at risk
04:50stop stop stop bridge hey deck we should go and have a look at that just make sure it's cool for driving over
05:00I don't know if that will take my way let alone the cars
05:09the next bridge is over a day's drive away
05:14that's some drop isn't it look at that that's one beam
05:19so what do you reckon get a couple of planks and fill those gaps yeah heavy
05:26amateurs balance that's how you do it
05:30back in outdoors paper rock scissors see who goes first well V you do you're driving okay
05:37hang on hang on hang on one two three sure mind games yeah that's it mate you're going first
05:49i nearly went down watch yourself safety man i've stumbled upon something worrying
05:55look at this that's all the debris from the water level being up here during the rainy season the water gets right up to here
06:04this high this whole jungle will change
06:09that's scary isn't it
06:10the rainy season is due in just two weeks time if we don't get in and out of the jungle before then
06:18we could be in serious trouble i'm going to keep the belt off just in case we've got to jump
06:28don't look down
06:36you're good you're good plank's not screwed in i feel that's the hard bit done didn't speak too soon
06:42these are very old planks here there we go now it's time for v
06:53to test his driving skills it's a simple thing but look i'm sweating
07:01you're nearly there nearly there you're a top man top man
07:15our destination
07:16dusala a remote village nestled between a national park on one side and a logging concession on the other
07:30we're quite glad to get out of the car
07:32and the people here have a surprising plan to protect gorillas tourism
07:42in countries like uganda it generates millions of dollars a year
07:48making their forest home worth more standing than logged but it's a solution that not all
07:55conservationists oh that's good are entirely comfortable with it's not often you hear about
08:04tourism being the main thrust of conservation you know usually it's get into an area shut it down to
08:09tourism whereas this is very much about bringing humans in as how this may seem all across africa
08:18gorillas have been saved because of these tourist projects otherwise they'd be gone by now
08:25in this village they're launching the world's only community-led gorilla tourism project
08:31to do that they need to find wild gorillas which is where we come in bonjour
08:38je m'appelle aldo i'm etienne okay you're the big boss no i'm i'm not so big etienne como
08:46is a zoologist specializing in primates he's working with the people of dusala on their plan
08:53to protect gorillas i'm deck deck hi welcome and we'll be using his research center as our base
09:03here is rest room and shower room then turn around we will enjoy our sleep here nice looks very
09:11porsche yeah tiens on parle en français comme ça ils vont pas comprendre oui moi je vais prendre
09:16je comprends moi je vais prendre la meilleure chambre d'accord
09:18je comprends un peu français tu comprends beaucoup beaucoup oui oui aussi comme bien sûr bonjour bonjour
09:29come on to tapen uh good in the jungle in a four poster bed which makes me feel like a bit of a prince look at that
09:48that. It's been an amazing day. I just feel back home.
09:58Bonne nuit.
10:08Oi, are you in? Come check this out. It's a spider. Look at his eyes in it.
10:13That's amazing. She's beauty.
10:15You know, we just started moving some bags and then we found this beast of a thing.
10:22Guarantee if that bit you, it would hurt.
10:26It's not just the wildlife we have to deal with. It's the heat.
10:31Temperature 100% humid.
10:35So we're going to need to stay hydrated.
10:37Feels like you are in a sauna.
10:40To have any chance of finding gorillas somewhere in all of this.
10:46And the community has no idea how many are living in the forest.
10:51So we'll be using Dex camera traps.
10:57And my tracking skills to locate them.
11:01Luckily for us, V&A has been filming gorillas for nearly a decade.
11:07They are very dominating and you've got to put your eyes down.
11:12Be submissive.
11:14They all trust you. They feel like you want to be one of them.
11:18If you're vocalising a bit like them, that...
11:21Like clearing your throat.
11:23Yeah.
11:24Are you telling me that because it's an aggressive noise and going to get me in trouble?
11:29No, that is actually a gentle noise. It might save your life.
11:36Those that are used to human contact are known as habituated gorillas.
11:42Glad they're not getting their feet wet on the very first day.
11:46We're heading to a troop that's already been habituated in the neighbouring National Park.
11:53Let's do it.
11:59These gorillas are not part of Dusala's planned tourism project.
12:05But it's a chance to see how close we can get when they've grown used to visitors.
12:10We've just got ourselves into the last hundred metres or so of where the gorillas are.
12:20And we've had to put our masks on so that we don't communicate any diseases or viruses.
12:28While they're used to humans, the troop is always on the move.
12:32And Etienne's team still needs to find them daily.
12:40Not noises. The gorilla's communicating.
12:53There's a gorilla chugger.
13:03Yes.
13:04The first gorilla we see is a silver bag. It's amazing.
13:10Big boss with this group.
13:14These gentle giants are often called the gardeners of the forest.
13:19Seeds in the food they eat get spread far and wide.
13:24And this helps new plants to grow, benefiting all the animals that call this place home.
13:31Home.
13:34He's counting the number of people around him.
13:37They're so tuned into the world around them.
13:40The baby.
13:51When you saw us, you were so excited. Is that baby?
13:57Yes.
13:59You saw a lot back with us.
14:01Just blown away by how similar they are to us.
14:06Their eyes.
14:08That's amazing.
14:10That's why they're so, so important to save.
14:13You know, this is our cousins.
14:16If we can't save these guys, what can we save?
14:19We share over 98% of our DNA with gorillas.
14:26And that special connection is why tourists pay good money to see them.
14:33To be surrounded by animals that really don't mind us being here is pretty special.
14:38Habituating gorillas can take a decade, but Dusala's project has only just begun.
14:50So to help kick start it, we need to find gorillas that have never seen people before.
14:57In the back of my head, I've had this thing.
15:10Should we even be trying to habituate gorillas?
15:14I mean, they're wild. We could just leave them alone.
15:17I think if the habituation makes it look like a zoo exhibit, I would feel uncomfortable.
15:23But they're not going to do that.
15:26They will do what they can and the experience will be very organic.
15:30I feel like it's the best thing that can happen to the community here and the gorillas.
15:38I guess ecotourism really is a way that these guys can survive.
15:45Because it's harsh out here.
15:47If they then have an interest in protecting the gorillas,
15:50then they'll be more inclined to not let logging come in,
15:54more inclined to protect and conserve the forest.
15:58Yeah, the gorillas help them and they help protecting the gorillas.
16:02Coffrey's ready.
16:14It's time to go deeper into the jungle.
16:18Coffrey's on.
16:20Cheers, Ryan.
16:22To search for truly wild gorillas for Dusala to habituate.
16:25I'm going to find a new silverback.
16:29I like that confidence.
16:30I'm going to call them in.
16:38Etienne has caught glimpses of a potential troop on camera traps he rigged in the forest.
16:43And the community decided to name the silverback Papa Itou.
16:50Because Itou means hope in the local language.
16:56But the trip's exact location remains a mystery.
17:01So, to try and find them, Vy and I are entering the forest from opposite sides.
17:07Habituation really only begins if the silverback let us get close.
17:14This lens will capture at least a bit of the fast-moving of gorillas across the forest.
17:23Let's go. On y va, les gars.
17:26I'll be working with local trackers to try to win over Papayitu's trust.
17:32It marches a bit vite.
17:37Rodrigues leads the project for the people of Dusala.
17:40I can't be more excited because I've actually never been involved in this very beginning of arbitration.
17:55It's hot.
17:57Very, very, very humid.
17:58Two miles west of V&A, I'm using tracking skills honed during ten years of military service.
18:08We're moving super, super quietly.
18:12Looking, listening, smelly.
18:15Searching for signs of where Papayitu's troop might be hiding.
18:20Gorilla pool right there and a well-worn track on the other side.
18:27Like a regular bridge for gorillas.
18:30This might be an absolute gold mine.
18:33So, we've just found a site with three gorilla nests.
18:40You can tell by how dead the leaves are, roughly how old it is.
18:43Over three weeks, more likely four or five weeks old.
18:48Gorillas build a new nest every night as they're constantly on the move.
18:54Lots of signs of gorilla here in the forest.
18:58These are completely wild, never been habituated, and probably no one has ever seen them before.
19:09We're on the right track, but it's time to head back to camp.
19:15What's that in there?
19:21It's like a graveyard.
19:35It's huge.
19:38These ruins belong to a company that logged this forest.
19:43How many people worked here?
19:465,000.
19:485,000 here?
19:50How many people lived in Dusala?
19:53About 1,000 people here in Dusala.
19:57Yes, Dusala was big.
20:00Wow.
20:025,000 people that were living and working here, surely for logging.
20:07Logging, in my head, I'm like, it's bad, that needs to stop.
20:11But then when you see a community like this that's got absolutely nothing and they've got absolutely tons of resources, then who are we to say that they shouldn't be doing that?
20:24Ecotourism here potentially could be the answer, because I guess the other answer is go back to logging.
20:37The forest just north of Dusala has been sold to a timber company, which continues to cut down trees.
20:51What are you up to?
20:55Take a load off.
20:56Yeah?
20:58Rodrigues showed me the logging station.
21:00Yeah.
21:01He said most of this area has been logged.
21:03I want to show you a map of logging area in Gabon.
21:07Okay.
21:08This is all this area here with all these different colours, they're being logged and mined.
21:14Exactly.
21:15That's a lot of the country.
21:17How much of Gabon has been sold off for mining and logging concessions?
21:24Over 50%.
21:25Wow.
21:26Yeah, really, yeah.
21:27It seems like a lot of your country is going to change.
21:29Yeah.
21:30During logging, going now go far away from the logging area.
21:35Okay.
21:36Part of the threats to gorillas is the habitat loss.
21:40You know, if you can habituate one or two groups of gorillas in this area.
21:45Yeah.
21:46If you've got tourists coming here, then these animals and the forest are more valuable together and alive than animal logging.
21:54That's why our project is very important here at Dusala.
21:59Yeah.
22:00Yeah.
22:01ê³¼
22:29We've got a lot to get out today
22:33One group alone can't sustain guerrilla tourism for the village. They need more
22:39But we have no idea where they might be so I need to cast the net wider
22:46To find guerrillas deep in uncharted forest
22:51So edge of the area we're heading into have you ever really explored it or is it quite new to you?
22:57Yeah, you already explore. Okay, but where we are going you will be the first to set up camera top there. That's cool. Yeah
23:06I'm going to rig 50 cameras across an area forest
23:10But it's almost 20 times bigger than New York Central Park
23:17It's dense jungle, but luckily there's plenty of trails we can use
23:23So we're moving through the forest now and it's shaped by elephants
23:26They create these wicked walkways, which are like so big that I don't have to crouch down. I can just walk
23:34I'd never bang my head in this type of forest. So it's great
23:38Forest elephants are easily startled though and can be aggressive
23:43It's a huge elephant poo right there and this is on the trail we're using
23:48So we got to tread real carefully
23:54And that's not all
23:56Pieces of a gorilla
23:57Wow, how old do you think that is?
23:59Maybe one week
24:01Really? Yeah
24:02So we've got gorilla poo here, which is great stuff. We've got an elephant running around not too far
24:07So I think this is a really cool spot to get some cameras up. Yeah, all right. Let's do it
24:14Etienne, do you want to put this camera on?
24:16Yeah
24:20Remote cameras are the best way to discover new gorillas
24:24This is a quality spot Etienne
24:27But to make our job harder, we need to find a family, not just individuals
24:33For arbitration, we need at least 11 members
24:35Okay
24:36The bigger the group, the better
24:37Yeah
24:38But for sustainability, we hope not only one group to be habituated
24:43But two or three groups
24:44Okay
24:45Why is that?
24:46If during the process, for example, we lost the silver bark
24:51We can shift and focus on another group
24:55Okay
24:56Yeah
24:57That one's ready
25:05Right here
25:12Elephant
25:14This will be calm
25:20Now, we change for direction
25:23That Ellie's smell, wasn't it? Absolutely ran away
25:26You can smell where it's just been here
25:29So we're gonna move this way
25:35This place is off the hook
25:41Job done
25:44My network of cameras is up and running
25:47Now we've just gotta hope they discover new gorillas
25:55But before we head back for the night, Etienne wants to show me something
26:00So we've got a little, uh...
26:02Yeah, you know what, I'll let Etienne tell what we're gonna be doing
26:05Now we will burn the savannah
26:08Why we burn the savannah?
26:10We burn the savannah because we want to keep savannah ecosystem
26:15It's a big burn
26:16Yeah
26:17The fire will increase and increase and...
26:20We will burn this area
26:22Yeah
26:23We've done the fire, now we better get out
26:24Look how quickly that burn is
26:27Ayoy, that is mighty hot
26:31Animals like buffalo, waterbuck and countless species of birds rely on these savannahs for food
26:38Whoa, that is so hot
26:41Whoa
26:44Wow
26:46That fire back there was a planned burn
26:51At the end of the dry season they burn all the grass
26:54You've got these new shoots that come up with grass
26:58These fresh shoots are good food
27:02It's quite clever
27:04The savannah burn happens when the grass is at its driest
27:11And that's just before the rainy season
27:14Hibbons have absolutely opened and it is tipping down
27:30It's a welcome chance to cool off
27:36But bad weather could kill the mission
27:44As soon as the rains clear, we get back to work
27:48Searching for Papayitu
27:50Now the elephants are going from which side?
28:03This is exciting
28:05Ok, ok, but where can we go?
28:11Roderick has just been radioed by his team
28:15They spotted the gorillas
28:17But they got charged by a herd of elephants
28:20So now they've lost track
28:22But at least we know where we can enter the forest
28:25V&A is off to the gorillas' last known location
28:28And I'm going to approach from the opposite direction
28:31This pincer movement should give us the best chance of finding them
28:36Devon you see? Look, it's huge
28:38It's fresh
28:40Fresh
28:42Check this out
28:44A couple of absolutely ginormous
28:45Knuckle prints
28:49V&A, V&A, this is Aldo
28:51Just to let you know that we are
28:53One to two hours behind a group of gorillas
28:57Great
28:59But the trail
29:01Suddenly goes cold
29:03We've been going for nearly two hours
29:05And not seen any sign of gorillas
29:07Um
29:09But that's the game
29:11We're on a wild gorilla chase
29:14The troop has vanished
29:20Everybody's a little bit on edge
29:26And we're pushing, pushing, pushing
29:28And that could create a lot of stress
29:32Especially for wild gorillas
29:34The last thing we want to do is to stress these gorillas
29:38What is it about gorillas we love so much?
29:39When I film, I can see a lot of elements that resemble as
29:41Seen this big silver bag lying down and the baby coming and using his back as a trampoline
29:44Daddy, wake up, wake up, wake up
29:47Have you not done that with yourself?
29:49Lots, yeah
29:51Exactly, so these are the thing that just makes me fall in love with gorillas
29:54And they are critically indented
29:57And I just love to give them a voice as well
29:59And I just love to give them a voice as well
30:01As well
30:03Oh, yeah
30:05So this is a thing that just makes me
30:07Fall in love with gorillas
30:09And they are critically indented
30:11Hmm
30:13And I just love to give them a voice as well
30:15my voice that's all it's been three days since the trackers last saw any signs of gorillas
30:35I'm worried we're scaring them away so we're streamlining the tracking team which frees me
30:44up to help deck check his camera traps oh that feels good it's almost a crime not getting in there
30:53should I check this one yeah let's see what we got
31:05it looks like my cameras have been busy a night vision shot of a leopard
31:11chimpanzees
31:18and the family of elephants
31:23but there's more
31:24oh my word
31:30guerrilla guerrilla guerrilla
31:33it's exactly what we were hoping for whoa and another oh my word
31:38a new guerrilla family never filmed before
31:47proof that the forest surrounding dusala is home to other troops
31:51he's a beast yeah really big
31:59thank you thank you you showed me the spot thank you
32:05these guerrillas are a great find
32:07and on the other side of the forest the trackers have also found fresh signs of papa eaters troop
32:17so that's where v's heading
32:27it's a new plan the trackers have split it up and taken different directions
32:34to go and find gorillas
32:36so i've been left alone
32:42and wait until
32:44they come back
32:45but look at this
32:56what a place to wait
33:01v's got his strategy
33:03and deck and i also have a plan to help find papa eatu
33:07these tessies are rowing aren't they yeah yeah yeah they are the one good thing we've got on this mission
33:13is tessie fly bashing sticks i don't like killing insects but tessies
33:22we're packing some cutting edge technology that's never been tested before in the rain forest
33:31so this is the log bridge i found the other day
33:34so this is a good spot definitely a good spot there's a lot of animals in this jungle don't
33:40like getting wet including me and me we're using special fixed cameras that beam images straight
33:48back to camp via satellite
33:53i shouldn't be on here this is dodgy
33:57normally we have to collect the memory cards to see what the cameras have recorded and by then
34:07the gorillas will be long gone but not with this system if they walk across this bridge
34:14we should be notified live we have to get the satellite antenna up that tree yeah good luck with
34:22that one thankfully aldo's brought a slingshot to get his climbing ropes into the canopy
34:30ready oh geez that weren't far essentially i'm a little bit short well we know that
34:41attempt 28. if we just keep doing this long enough we'll see the gorillas
34:45right this is the one oh get in did it now for one of aldo's favorite things
34:54tree climbing that's fine technique you got there sir thanks
35:00these are trees that gorillas and chimps climb and now me
35:05we managed to get the battery and the base station up here so that we've got three antennas up above just
35:16there and then that's the bridge where we're going to put some camera traps and hopefully see gorillas
35:24crossing it seems to be working
35:27this system could speed up gorilla tracking massively both here and in rainforests all over africa
35:42and that's not all the trackers ahead of us have sent back a message the trackers have heard the gorilla
35:51the adrenaline is starting to kick in this might be our own chance of getting even a tiny little glimpse
36:09we are filming a while to gorillas
36:39a troop that would rig has only glimpsed on camera traps
36:47until now
36:54this is my very first time filming a wild gorilla
37:09it's incredibly rare for uninhabiturated gorillas to let people get this close to them
37:15but there's still no sign of the silverback
37:26it seems like it trusts us he's allowing us to spend time with his family
37:42it's still a complete papayito
37:50mrs hope isn't it
37:56it's a major breakthrough
38:04it's so important for their habituation
38:08helping to protect them and their rainforest home
38:12gorillas sometimes they like to play a game of fighting sick
38:20and they know you're there
38:23they'll make it hard for you just to taste your patience
38:26and then and we'll give you what you want
38:44this here was a group of six or seven gorillas this was a nesting site five nests
38:49that feeling
38:59i think they've found gorillas
39:00how did it feel i mean i'm speechless no one i know has filmed wild gorillas with
39:22the community in the rain forest
39:27well yeah i was expecting flashes yeah when papayito is always he didn't they knew
39:33so they let you film with papayito he's up for an arbitration wow i guess that's the start of the
39:39process of getting tourists here good in five years time those guys will be in a good position
39:45that's cool yeah everyone's buzzing dancing yeah yeah yeah if it succeeds this will be the world's
39:53only gorilla tourism project run and owned by the community itself benefiting both the animals
40:01and the people who live here
40:07and with over half of all gorillas living on land not protected by governments
40:11this could be a blueprint for saving these amazing great apes across africa
40:41next time we're off the coast of canada here we go searching for one of the most endangered whales
41:05in the world oh there we go but nothing prepares us
41:13that's pretty scary for what happens next i have guys on the wheel there she is that's our entangled
41:20whale she's gonna read out us guys she's coming up it tears up
41:35so
41:43so
41:45so
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