Guardians of the Wild (2017) s02e04 Episode Script
Operation Rhino
1
NARRATOR: The black rhino
Across Africa, 97% have
been killed for their horns.
Zambia has a small population,
but there's a bounty
on their heads.
A crack team is coming together
to protect them.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
With remarkable skill [GRUNTS]
and dedication [OPERATION
RHINO TEAM GRUNTING]
NARRATOR: There's only a
small window of time to get the
job done.
They will go to extraordinary
lengths to keep the rhinos safe.
But the future
hangs in the balance.
Conservation doesn't
get tougher than this.
[HELICOPTER WHIRRING OVERHEAD]
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: North
Luangwa National Park
Some of the wildest
bush in Africa.
[ELEPHANT TRUMPETS SOFTLY]
But for Ed Sayer, Claire Lewis,
and their three
children, this is home.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
AND GIGGLING]
yeah. It's just the way we live,
middle of the national
park. Camped out in the We're
just, kind of,
don't wear shoes,
CLAIRE LEWIS: You know,
most of the time. Kids
don't wear clothes.
NARRATOR: But
this is no safari holiday.
They are leading a
battle against poaching
and the trade in rare animal
parts. [SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
The animal suffering on the
frontline is the elusive black
rhino.
[GRUNTS]
Its story in Zambia,
from the 1970s
to today, is tragic.
CLAIRE: This place is
lawless, and Zambia went
fromtheir national
population
of about 12,000 animals to zero.
I mean, it's quite an
extraordinary, wholesale
slaughter of a species.
NARRATOR: By 1997,
the black rhino was
declaredofficially extinct in
Zambia.
But a handful of passionate
people didn't give up.
A reintroduction
programme began.
And in 2003,
a small number of animals
werebrought in from South
Africa.
Black rhinos were now
back on Zambian soil.
But poaching didn't go away.
Their horn is still
prized in Asian medicine.
and their team And
today, Claire, Ed,
these new rhinos safe.
Are fighting to keep
got the potential North
Luangwa's CLAIRE: We know
rhino population.
To hold a decent.
The question mark, however,
of what we can do here
rests with the poaching threat.
Unless the demand
for rhino horn hits zero,
that can never be a reality.
I can't imagine a world
where our three grow up,
and rhinos aren't wild.
That would just destroy me.
In the wild, to see rhinos
here I was lucky enough to,
as a little boy,
in the early 80s
meant a lot. And so Luangwa
back in Luangwa
was And rhinos, er,
a major, erm
[STUTTERS] Was also.
Major ambition to work with.
NARRATOR: Claire and Ed have
increased security for the
park's rhino population
by fitting radio
transmittersinside the animals'
horns.
The rhinos can now be tracked
24/7, 365 days a year.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
NARRATOR: If they
stray into dangerous areas,
armed scouts can
head out to protect them.
[RADIO STATIC, RHYTHMIC BEEPING]
NARRATOR: Once a year,
the team needs to make sure
that their state-of-the-art
technology has their rhinos
covered.
Young animals need to be
fitted with transmitters for the
first time.
And broken ones need to
be replaced on adult rhinos.
With 14 animals on
this year's to-do list,
it's a mammoth undertaking.
Claire and Ed need help.
They've brought in acrack
team from across Africa.
Marcus Hofmayr
is from South Africa,
and is one of the
world's top rhino vets.
30 years' time,
Hopefully, in, in 20,
source population
this will be a serious
and other projects.
For elsewhere in Zambia
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
NARRATOR: Glenton Combes is
specialist bush pilot from
Kenya.
a team effort. And it is really
that I really love about it,
And that's another aspect
doing this stuff. Working with
these people, is, you know,
NARRATOR: The last
preparations are being made.
They have just one week
to locate and process 14 rhinos
in an area of over
3,900 square kilometres.
This is the most importantweek
of the yearfor Zambian rhinos.
[OPERATION RHINO TEAM
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Tomorrow,
Operation Rhino will begin.
NARRATOR: There's
a huge task ahead.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
It's one of the mo It
is exhilarating for me.
The best week of the year,
behind the office,
because I'm not stuck
or looking for
funding, writing reports,
or answering donors' questions.
It's It's out
there, in the field,
erm, no email. Just the radios,
working on the
ground with the scouts,
working on the
ground with the rhinos.
That's just what, er That's
what the job is all about.
NARRATOR: The first rhino
they find, is a young female
called Sungani.
Lead vet, Marcus, must
immobilise her from the air.
Chopper pilot, Glenton, needs
to get him into just the right
position.
It's a huge test
of a pilot's skill.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
The dart hits home.
They back off to give time
for the drug to take effect.
[MALE TRACKER 1
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: To the
north, the team's trackers
are already on the
trail of another rhino.
A five-year-old
bull called Hugo.
His transmitter is broken,
and needs replacing.
They will have to
rely on skill alone.
Black rhino like
dense wooded areas,
and can be difficult
to spot from the air.
These units are the
infantry of the operation
And the first crucial stage
in finding the animals.
[MALE TRACKER 1 SPEAKING]
[MALE TRACKERS
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Footprints,
urine, and half-eaten food
offer clues to when the rhino
was there and where it's going.
These signs are
referred to as "spoor."
[MALE TRACKER 2
SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: The rhino
has just been sleeping here.
It's close.
They must be careful,
stay downwind,
and move quietly.
Black rhino will
charge if spooked,
a result of living
in dense woodland
where it's difficult
to see predators.
Hugo hasn't been
seen for several months.
The trackers have done well.
They'll stay close, and
will call in the chopper
when the team's
ready for the next rhino.
[MACHINERY WHIRRING]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
NARRATOR: The chopper team is
now on the ground with the first
rhino,
a six-year-old female
called Sungani.
[WHIRRING]
NARRATOR: They
have around 25 minutes
before the drug
begins to wear off.
It's a rare opportunity to
getthis close to a wild rhino.
There's a lot to do.
They take blood samples,
which they'll analyse later
to check her general health.
Key body parts are measuredto
chart the animal's growth.
And they take samples
of hair and ticks.
Sungani is constantly
sprayedwith water to keep her
cool.
But the radio transmitter is
the most important part of the
operation.
It's designed to fit
directlyinside her horn,
which is made of keratin,
the same substance
as our fingernails.
The horn has no nerve endings,
so Sungani feels no discomfort.
She now has her own
built-in security system.
With the tracking
device in place,
the horn the poachers
would kill her for
will now keep her safer.
MALE SCOUT 1: We don't
have much longer, eh? No.
[INDISTINCT TALKING]
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
MAN: [ON RADIO]
So, you're good to go.
NARRATOR: The
procedure has gone well.
Marcus has given Sungania
drug to reverse the sedative
and she is quickly
back on her feet.
Jackson Katampi, a local vet,
is new to the team this year.
[INDISTINCT] He's never
worked with black rhinos before.
It's important
that a Zambian vet
learns how to work
with these animals
to help secure their
future in the country.
JACKSON KATAMPI: I'm partof
this rhino team forthe first
time, and, er,
my experience has
been with white rhino.
But working with black rhino
a rhino expert, you know?
I can call myself, now,
[CHUCKLES]
NARRATOR: By
mid-afternoon on day one,
they've managed to process Hugo
and four other
animals on their list.
Another bull, two
females and a calf.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: Operation
Rhino is ahead of schedule.
ED SAYER: Yeah, there.
NARRATOR: It's late in the day.
The trackers have found a
four-year-old female called
Tazzazo.
This year, her horn should
bebig enough to takeher first
transmitter.
As a future breeding female,
she is especially
important to protect.
Marcus begins to
make up the dart
that will immobilise her.
It takes a steady hand.
The drug he uses,
will put Tazzazo to
sleep for 30 minutes.
But for Marcus, just a prickof
the needle would be deadly.
It's not just about
getting a good shot.
North Luangwa has many
steep gullies and riverbanks.
If Tazzazo falls
off one of these,
she could be seriously injured.
[RIFLE FIRES]
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: The chopper moves away
but guides her in a safe
direction as the drug takes
effect.
Something's wrong.
It's been six minutes.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
Tazzazo isn't going down.
The dart may have malfunctioned.
They'll have to try again.
[RIFLE FIRES]
This time, the drug
seems to be working.
But there's another problem.
She's heading straight
for a narrow gully.
It's exactly what they
were trying to avoid.
She could be injured.
They must get to her quickly.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
Tazzazo has fallen
through a tree.
Her legs are
crushed beneath her,
which could cause nerve damage,
and her airway might be impeded.
They move her safely
into a special rhino
recovery position
and she seems to be OK.
[OPERATION RHINO TEAM
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[ED BLOWS]
NARRATOR: Tazzazo is
small for a four-year-old.
Her horn is only just big
enough to house the transmitter.
Despite her size, she's
an important little rhino.
Her skin is in good condition.
She has few ticks, and
her vital signs are good.
She's in great health, and in
only a few months she could
begin to breed,
and add to the park's
rhino population.
The transmitter's in place,
so Marcus gives
her the reversal drug.
It will only take a few minutes
to bring her back to her feet.
NARRATOR: It's been a
long but productive first day.
than that, really. You can't
do more Six animals in a day.
Good day. Good day. Gone
better. Great day. All in all,
couldn't have.
We win. [CHUCKLES]
NARRATOR: Day two starts early.
NTracking teams have beenworking
since before sunrise. [BEEPING
RYTHMICALLY]
But signs of rhinos are
proving thin on the ground.
The trackers need
some extra help.
[ENGINE STARTING]
[ENGINE REVS] Roule
Du Toit is an expert pilot
and works on rhino
conservation in Zimbabwe.
has been the top cover
This particular plane
of rhino dartings.
For literally thousands
thousands. I mean,
not just hundreds,
NARRATOR: He's not only
an expert at locating rhino,
he also directs the
chopper team from above,
and feeds back intelligence.
North Luangwa National
Park covers a huge area,
and Roule has his work cut out.
[TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: With no rhinos, the
chopper team is grounded, and
valuable time is being lost.
This is just one
of many setbacks.
Ed and Claire have experienced.
Working with
rhinos is never easy,
especially when
they've been introduced
from a different country.
For some animals, settling
into a new home is hard.
CLAIRE: And there's
well-documented evidence of
social bonds of rhinos,
and how they very
much form associations
and bonds with
who they live next to,
and who's around, who they
smell, it makes a difference.
And then you pick up unrelated,
disassociated animals and you
dump them in North Luangwa.
No wonder they all,
kind of, freak out, and go,
"What was that all about?
Why did you put me here?"
"I don't know who you are, and I
don't know where to find water,"
"and I don't know
what that plant is to eat."
NARRATOR: These are South
African rhinos on Zambian soil.
ED: There, Kango, is
a, er What is he now?
He's a fourteen-year-old
bull, who we've got, er
Who was really
struggling in the bush here.
He struggled to adapt.
Erm, and then he
got knocked about
by some big boys,
either side of him.
And his condition was
deteriorating actually,
year on year on year.
Well, I think it's
the realities of, er,
reintroduction and adaptation
from a South African
In fact, he was from
the Eastern Cape.
It's a very different
habitat type to here.
NARRATOR: Ed and Claire
decided to move Kango
into a large enclosed
area of the park.
They supplement his food.
And he no longer has to
put upwith the local bullies.
After a year of special care,
Kango is now in great shape.
[GRUNTS]
Soon he will be released
backinto a quieter areaof the
national park.
These animals are pioneers.
It hasn't been easy for them.
Ed and Claire hope that
therhinos will continue to
adaptto their Zambian home.
It's a process that
can take many years.
The trackers have finally
located another rhino.
It's a huge male called Bwatcha.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: His
transmitterstopped working some
time ago,
and he's been off
the project's radar.
MAN: [ON RADIO]
This is a good
place There's gullies on the
sides.
NARRATOR: They're relieved
to see he's still alive.
Weighing more than a ton,
Bwatcha is a black
rhino in his prime.
Running through dense tree cover
makes things tough
for the chopper.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
[RIFLE FIRES]
NARRATOR: It's a tricky
shot, but the dart is in.
The drug takes effect.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
But Bwatcha is heading
towards a steep riverbank.
MAN: [ON RADIO]
Er, he's, he's giving up.
NARRATOR: A big
fall could be fatal.
Marcus makes a startling call.
MARCUS HOFMAYR: [ON RADIO]
I
think so If you watch my
tail.
NARRATOR: He will go in
on foot to bring Bwatcha down.
[INDISTINCT TALKING
THROUGH RADIO]
NARRATOR: It's dangerous, but
Bwatcha's life could depend on
it.
Marcus approaches with caution.
He's gauging the
effect of the drug.
He can't get this wrong.
Bwatcha's finally down.
He signals to the chopper
it's now OK to land.
Marcus's bold move
has kept Bwatcha safe.
But it takes six fully-grown men
to put this heavyweight
into his recovery position.
little riverbed There's a nasty
of this little incline here,
just on the other side
want him to enter.
Which we didn't.
MARCUS: If they're
sleeping enough,
you can actually
grab them and other
Walk them in a circle,
or actually trip them
up against themselves.
That's basically what I
did there with this guy.
NARRATOR: Ed has to drill
a new hole in Bwatcha's horn
for the replacement transmitter.
CLAIRE: The number is, er
NARRATOR: The old one has
moved upwards as the horn has
grown.[CLAIRE SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Rhino horn can growup
to five centimetres a year.
It's been four years since
the last transmitter was fitted.
ED: He's a big bull, isn't
he? Isn't he? Nice, big
The biggest we've
done so far, I think.
MARCUS: You can tell him
too when we wake him up, eh?
Yeah, yeah, he's a very big boy.
NARRATOR: The chopper needs
to shuttle some of the team back
to the airfield,
leaving Ed, Marcus, and
Jackson on the ground.
They can't delay giving
the revival drug to Bwatcha.
But waking him up while they're
on foot could be dangerous.
They must take to
the trees for safety.
[LEAVES RUSTLING]
The reversal drug takes effect.
Black rhinos are
notoriously bad tempered.
But most will avoid
a confrontation,
moving away when they
smell humans close by.
Bwatcha, however, doesn't leave.
The team keep quiet and still.
[SNORTS]
[CRASHING]
[INDISTINCT TALKING, CHUCKLING]
[SNORTS]
NARRATOR: It's a stark reminder.
Nthat black rhino are
powerfuland unpredictable.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
He saw
the yellow, reflective jacket,
Er, and obviously,
that distance,
he came with immediate speed,
and you don't have
time to reach or act
I was up in the tree
when he came and hit it.
So I was out of the way,
but then I slipped and fell out.
So, if he'd stayed, it
would've been a bit of an issue,
and that's why you actually
need to be up the tree.
You know? So
[HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING]
NARRATOR: The team was lucky.
Bwatcha is the park's top bull
and will hopefully pass on
his highly-charged genes to new
offspring
for many years to come.
As the helicopter nearsthe
airfield, a call comes in.
[MAN SPEAKING ON RADIO]
NARRATOR: Kango
is getting bullied again.
A large bull elephant
haslearnt how to step overthe
fence into his enclosure.
He wants Kango's special food.
They must use the chopper
to try to drive
out the intruder.
With the elephant,
GLENTON COMBES:
Putting extreme pressure,
if you spend too long,
and they'll call your bluff.
They just get used to it,
NARRATOR: The bull
is reluctant to leave.
Once an elephant's
called your bluff, that's it.
You'll never be able to fully
control, or work with him again.
They just know,
"If I just go straight",
"I'm done. I can
do what I want."
[TRUMPETING]
NARRATOR: Glenton
applies a little more pressure
[TRUMPETING]
Finally, the elephant gets the
message and leaves. [TRUMPETING]
Order is restored,
and Kango can now enjoy
his room service in peace.
But soon it will end.
Next year, he'll be
moved outof the enclosure
and will have to
make his own way
in North Luangwa National Park.
The team was lucky
no one was injured
during Bwatcha's charge.
[OPERATION RHINO TEAM
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Unfortunately, the
same can't be said for their
equipment.
MAN: See, if you look
along the barrel here
Yeah, we're going to have to,
actually, put a bit of
force here. MAN: Yeah.
NARRATOR: Their only
dart gunnow has a bent barrel.
MAN: So
Bring that hardwood one, Ed.
And I'd put it That
it's pushing there.
NARRATOR: Flying to collect a
new rifle could cost them a day
of operations.
A day they can't afford.
Every hour of this week counts.
The more rhinos they
can fit with transmitters,
the more secure the
population becomes.
But that's not all.
The black rhinos have
nowbecome the park's protectors.
The military operation
protecting them also protects
other wildlife.
CLAIRE: If you can protect
an endangered species
such as the black rhino,
then everything
else is protected.
The elephant numbers here,
have at least, doubled
in the last decade.
It's a very vibrant
lion population.
Wild dogs have certainly,
erm, improved in numbers here.
We have very big
herds of buffalo.
NARRATOR: Rhinos have
been here for millions of years.
They've sewn their
presence into the landscape.
They love to eat the
fruit of the sausage tree.
Coming across an old sausage
tree in the middle of nowhere
could mean its seed
was put there by
one of the 3,000
original black rhinos
that once called
this place home.
The North Luangwan, reintroduced
rhinos are pioneers,
forging a new life.
Their kind has a
long heritage here.
Claire and Ed are trying
to make sure it continues.
[INDISTINCT TALKING]
MARCUS: Yeah, I think that's
That's quite all right then.
MAN 2: Yeah.
NARRATOR: At the
workshop, the team has done
what they can to correct
Bwatcha's handiwork.
Er I think that's about as
good as we're going to get it
then.
All right, we need to get going.
Thank you. Thank you.
NARRATOR: The vets musttest
the rifle to make sureit now
shoots straight. MAN: Yeah.
[CLAIRE SPEAKING]
[OPERATION RHINO TEAM CHUCKLE]
[RIFLE FIRES]
Looks OK. All right, now
You try. JACKSON KATAMPI: Yeah.
NARRATOR: After learning
from Marcus all week,
Zambian vet, Jackson, will take
the lead on the next darting.
He needs to be sure
of a straight shot.
Er, sure thing, but, er
ED: Needs pressure?
This little bit of it? Huh?
Oh, you know what?
Try it Probably Great.
[RIFLE FIRES]
Yeah, it's not bad, huh?
NARRATOR: It will be quite a
responsibility for the young
vet.
The dart gun is working.
And just in time.
Roule and the trackers
have found two rhinos
the team has been
looking for all week.
A large female called Twikatanee
and her three-year-old
male calf.
This is the most important
operation of the week.
Working with a mother
and calf together
will be their toughest
challenge yet.
They can only work
on one rhino at a time.
The only way to do this safely
is to briefly separate them,
dart them individually.
Then, while the chopper
teamworks on one rhino,
Roule will fly overhead
withsafety updates on the
positionof the other.
[PEOPLE IN HELICOPTER
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Jackson will
takethe lead on Twikatanee.
Glenton gives him a pep talk.
JACKSON: [ON RADIO] Yeah.
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
JACKSON: All right.
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
JACKSON: Sure.
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
NARRATOR: There's
too much turbulence.
Jackson waits to take the shot.
He sees his moment.
[RIFLE FIRES]
The dart is good.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
[BEEPS] [MAN
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: The chopper must
nowtry to separate the pair.
Glenton drives the calf off.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: Twikatanee
becomes increasingly drowsy.
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
NARRATOR: The calf is still
close by, so Glenton doesn't
land.
Even a small rhino could
causeserious damage to the
chopper.
ED: Pull towards
you now. Like this?
NARRATOR: Twikatanee has come
down awkwardly between two
trees.
They need to get
her free quickly.
She is a very large female,
and they won't be able to
move her without extra help.
A spotter, Ed?
ED: No, we need manpower.
NARRATOR: Despite
the risk posed by the calf,
Glenton brings
in reinforcements.
ED: This is the problem, here.
NARRATOR: They
need to manoeuvre her
around the tree
and onto flat ground.
What about What
about rolling her that way,
putting a bag of
ropes against her,
and then pushing her over?
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[ALL GRUNTING]
CLAIRE: That's In
a bit. That'll hold. OK.
MARCUS: OK. We try
and go the other way now?
One, two, three! [ALL GRUNTING]
NARRATOR: The
extra help is just enough.
Twikatanee is into the recovery
position and out of danger.
ED: [BREATHING DEEPLY] Thanks.
We're not taking these animals
away from their native area so
they know the terrain. And, er,
they're actually incredibly good
JACKSON: That one went well.
The animal is down, so, er,
it wasn't the perfect
dart I would want,
but, er, I think,
er, it still worked.
So it's quite good for me.
"Four 4-C-3-D."
Er, this here's Twikatanee.
She's quite elusive.
Erm, so she's, er It's
really important to get her.
Erm, and it'll help our
monitoring efforts a lot.
NARRATOR: Twikatanee
could live until she's 40,
and produce many more calves.
Now the team can track
her, and keep her safe.
With the mother done,
it's time to find her calf.
They quickly find him.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: He hasn't gone far.
The calf is far more nimble
on its feet than the adults.
Glenton must be just as
nimble with the chopper.
[INDISTINCT RADIO
CHATTER] [RIFLE FIRES]
NARRATOR: The calf runs straight
into an area with dense
vegetation.
This could put him in danger.
Marcus will once againtry
to bring him down safely.
The calf may be less
than three years old,
but he already
weighs half a ton.
[SNORTING]
He's down and safe.
Glenton can drop
the rest of the team.
Above them, Roule
has spotted Twikatanee.
She's back on her feet,
and looking for her calf.
The chopper team on the
groundnow relies on Roule
to monitor her position
and make sure she
doesn't become a danger.
[DRILL WHIRRING]
The young calf has
yet to be given a name.
And there's a reason for that.
CLAIRE: We don't name them for a
long time, because we're too
nervous
that they're not
going to survive.
That's one of the
reasons they're not named.
NARRATOR: In North
Luangwa, an adult rhino
has little to fear
apart from humans.
Lions will rarely take them on.
[GROWLING]
But for a young calf,
the story is very different.
CLAIRE: We've got high densities
of lions and hyenas here.
We've seen lion
claw marks and scars,
and relatively fresh wounds of
lion attempts on adult rhinos.
[PEOPLE SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: His mum
could soon have a new calf,
and he will have
to fend for himself.
[INDISTINCT]
[ALL CHUCKLING]
NARRATOR: Implanting
a transmitter into his horn
will enable Claire and Ed
to watch him more closely
when mum's not
around to protect him.
From the air, Roule spots
Twikatanee heading directly
towards them.
She won't be happy if
she finds them with her calf.
The team has to move quickly.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: As they
leave, calf and mum reunite.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: Operations
are complete for this year.
The rhino population originally
brought in from South Africa
is now safer from poachers.
Signs are good that they are
continuing to thrive in their
new Zambian home.
But North Luangwa has one more
surprise in store for the team.
Below, they spot
something very special.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: A female.
And with her, a baby calf,
probably only six months old.
It's a new animal in the
North Luangwa population.
[MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: They may have comefrom
South African bloodlines,
but these new
animals are thriving.
There's no turning back.
They're Zambians now.
[CAMERA CLICKING]
NARRATOR: The team's
work in North Luangwa
is protecting thisnew
population of black rhino.
These animals will hopefully
form a source population
for introductions
elsewhere in Zambia.
MARCUS: For me, this is
one of the most satisfying
aspects of my job,
is to just actually
see a project
where rhinos literally
were hunted to extinction,
getting back off its feet.
If I had to stop this job, I
think I would stop flying.
And, and I mean that.
JACKSON: As a
Zambian, it gives us pride.
We had rhinos here, and
they ran into extinction,
and then this introduction,
just seeing it work,
you know, makes us feel
like, "Wow, we can do more?"
Another story to tell at home.
I say, "OK, I darted a black
rhino from a helicopter."
That was good for me. Yeah.
NARRATOR: The
dedication of people like these
is holding back
the tide of poaching.
Having thousands
and thousands of rhinos
is still many, many,
many decades
Hundreds of years away, if ever.
CLAIRE: But it's got a
mega-herbivore back in the
ecosystem,
which had once
been exterminated.
NARRATOR: Claire and Ed dream
of a large and secure black
rhino population.
Not just in North Luangwa, but
throughout the Zambian bush.
Operation Rhino has brought
that dream one step closer.
NARRATOR: The black rhino
Across Africa, 97% have
been killed for their horns.
Zambia has a small population,
but there's a bounty
on their heads.
A crack team is coming together
to protect them.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
With remarkable skill [GRUNTS]
and dedication [OPERATION
RHINO TEAM GRUNTING]
NARRATOR: There's only a
small window of time to get the
job done.
They will go to extraordinary
lengths to keep the rhinos safe.
But the future
hangs in the balance.
Conservation doesn't
get tougher than this.
[HELICOPTER WHIRRING OVERHEAD]
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: North
Luangwa National Park
Some of the wildest
bush in Africa.
[ELEPHANT TRUMPETS SOFTLY]
But for Ed Sayer, Claire Lewis,
and their three
children, this is home.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
AND GIGGLING]
yeah. It's just the way we live,
middle of the national
park. Camped out in the We're
just, kind of,
don't wear shoes,
CLAIRE LEWIS: You know,
most of the time. Kids
don't wear clothes.
NARRATOR: But
this is no safari holiday.
They are leading a
battle against poaching
and the trade in rare animal
parts. [SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
The animal suffering on the
frontline is the elusive black
rhino.
[GRUNTS]
Its story in Zambia,
from the 1970s
to today, is tragic.
CLAIRE: This place is
lawless, and Zambia went
fromtheir national
population
of about 12,000 animals to zero.
I mean, it's quite an
extraordinary, wholesale
slaughter of a species.
NARRATOR: By 1997,
the black rhino was
declaredofficially extinct in
Zambia.
But a handful of passionate
people didn't give up.
A reintroduction
programme began.
And in 2003,
a small number of animals
werebrought in from South
Africa.
Black rhinos were now
back on Zambian soil.
But poaching didn't go away.
Their horn is still
prized in Asian medicine.
and their team And
today, Claire, Ed,
these new rhinos safe.
Are fighting to keep
got the potential North
Luangwa's CLAIRE: We know
rhino population.
To hold a decent.
The question mark, however,
of what we can do here
rests with the poaching threat.
Unless the demand
for rhino horn hits zero,
that can never be a reality.
I can't imagine a world
where our three grow up,
and rhinos aren't wild.
That would just destroy me.
In the wild, to see rhinos
here I was lucky enough to,
as a little boy,
in the early 80s
meant a lot. And so Luangwa
back in Luangwa
was And rhinos, er,
a major, erm
[STUTTERS] Was also.
Major ambition to work with.
NARRATOR: Claire and Ed have
increased security for the
park's rhino population
by fitting radio
transmittersinside the animals'
horns.
The rhinos can now be tracked
24/7, 365 days a year.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
NARRATOR: If they
stray into dangerous areas,
armed scouts can
head out to protect them.
[RADIO STATIC, RHYTHMIC BEEPING]
NARRATOR: Once a year,
the team needs to make sure
that their state-of-the-art
technology has their rhinos
covered.
Young animals need to be
fitted with transmitters for the
first time.
And broken ones need to
be replaced on adult rhinos.
With 14 animals on
this year's to-do list,
it's a mammoth undertaking.
Claire and Ed need help.
They've brought in acrack
team from across Africa.
Marcus Hofmayr
is from South Africa,
and is one of the
world's top rhino vets.
30 years' time,
Hopefully, in, in 20,
source population
this will be a serious
and other projects.
For elsewhere in Zambia
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
NARRATOR: Glenton Combes is
specialist bush pilot from
Kenya.
a team effort. And it is really
that I really love about it,
And that's another aspect
doing this stuff. Working with
these people, is, you know,
NARRATOR: The last
preparations are being made.
They have just one week
to locate and process 14 rhinos
in an area of over
3,900 square kilometres.
This is the most importantweek
of the yearfor Zambian rhinos.
[OPERATION RHINO TEAM
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Tomorrow,
Operation Rhino will begin.
NARRATOR: There's
a huge task ahead.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
It's one of the mo It
is exhilarating for me.
The best week of the year,
behind the office,
because I'm not stuck
or looking for
funding, writing reports,
or answering donors' questions.
It's It's out
there, in the field,
erm, no email. Just the radios,
working on the
ground with the scouts,
working on the
ground with the rhinos.
That's just what, er That's
what the job is all about.
NARRATOR: The first rhino
they find, is a young female
called Sungani.
Lead vet, Marcus, must
immobilise her from the air.
Chopper pilot, Glenton, needs
to get him into just the right
position.
It's a huge test
of a pilot's skill.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
The dart hits home.
They back off to give time
for the drug to take effect.
[MALE TRACKER 1
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: To the
north, the team's trackers
are already on the
trail of another rhino.
A five-year-old
bull called Hugo.
His transmitter is broken,
and needs replacing.
They will have to
rely on skill alone.
Black rhino like
dense wooded areas,
and can be difficult
to spot from the air.
These units are the
infantry of the operation
And the first crucial stage
in finding the animals.
[MALE TRACKER 1 SPEAKING]
[MALE TRACKERS
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Footprints,
urine, and half-eaten food
offer clues to when the rhino
was there and where it's going.
These signs are
referred to as "spoor."
[MALE TRACKER 2
SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: The rhino
has just been sleeping here.
It's close.
They must be careful,
stay downwind,
and move quietly.
Black rhino will
charge if spooked,
a result of living
in dense woodland
where it's difficult
to see predators.
Hugo hasn't been
seen for several months.
The trackers have done well.
They'll stay close, and
will call in the chopper
when the team's
ready for the next rhino.
[MACHINERY WHIRRING]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
NARRATOR: The chopper team is
now on the ground with the first
rhino,
a six-year-old female
called Sungani.
[WHIRRING]
NARRATOR: They
have around 25 minutes
before the drug
begins to wear off.
It's a rare opportunity to
getthis close to a wild rhino.
There's a lot to do.
They take blood samples,
which they'll analyse later
to check her general health.
Key body parts are measuredto
chart the animal's growth.
And they take samples
of hair and ticks.
Sungani is constantly
sprayedwith water to keep her
cool.
But the radio transmitter is
the most important part of the
operation.
It's designed to fit
directlyinside her horn,
which is made of keratin,
the same substance
as our fingernails.
The horn has no nerve endings,
so Sungani feels no discomfort.
She now has her own
built-in security system.
With the tracking
device in place,
the horn the poachers
would kill her for
will now keep her safer.
MALE SCOUT 1: We don't
have much longer, eh? No.
[INDISTINCT TALKING]
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
MAN: [ON RADIO]
So, you're good to go.
NARRATOR: The
procedure has gone well.
Marcus has given Sungania
drug to reverse the sedative
and she is quickly
back on her feet.
Jackson Katampi, a local vet,
is new to the team this year.
[INDISTINCT] He's never
worked with black rhinos before.
It's important
that a Zambian vet
learns how to work
with these animals
to help secure their
future in the country.
JACKSON KATAMPI: I'm partof
this rhino team forthe first
time, and, er,
my experience has
been with white rhino.
But working with black rhino
a rhino expert, you know?
I can call myself, now,
[CHUCKLES]
NARRATOR: By
mid-afternoon on day one,
they've managed to process Hugo
and four other
animals on their list.
Another bull, two
females and a calf.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: Operation
Rhino is ahead of schedule.
ED SAYER: Yeah, there.
NARRATOR: It's late in the day.
The trackers have found a
four-year-old female called
Tazzazo.
This year, her horn should
bebig enough to takeher first
transmitter.
As a future breeding female,
she is especially
important to protect.
Marcus begins to
make up the dart
that will immobilise her.
It takes a steady hand.
The drug he uses,
will put Tazzazo to
sleep for 30 minutes.
But for Marcus, just a prickof
the needle would be deadly.
It's not just about
getting a good shot.
North Luangwa has many
steep gullies and riverbanks.
If Tazzazo falls
off one of these,
she could be seriously injured.
[RIFLE FIRES]
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: The chopper moves away
but guides her in a safe
direction as the drug takes
effect.
Something's wrong.
It's been six minutes.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
Tazzazo isn't going down.
The dart may have malfunctioned.
They'll have to try again.
[RIFLE FIRES]
This time, the drug
seems to be working.
But there's another problem.
She's heading straight
for a narrow gully.
It's exactly what they
were trying to avoid.
She could be injured.
They must get to her quickly.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
Tazzazo has fallen
through a tree.
Her legs are
crushed beneath her,
which could cause nerve damage,
and her airway might be impeded.
They move her safely
into a special rhino
recovery position
and she seems to be OK.
[OPERATION RHINO TEAM
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[ED BLOWS]
NARRATOR: Tazzazo is
small for a four-year-old.
Her horn is only just big
enough to house the transmitter.
Despite her size, she's
an important little rhino.
Her skin is in good condition.
She has few ticks, and
her vital signs are good.
She's in great health, and in
only a few months she could
begin to breed,
and add to the park's
rhino population.
The transmitter's in place,
so Marcus gives
her the reversal drug.
It will only take a few minutes
to bring her back to her feet.
NARRATOR: It's been a
long but productive first day.
than that, really. You can't
do more Six animals in a day.
Good day. Good day. Gone
better. Great day. All in all,
couldn't have.
We win. [CHUCKLES]
NARRATOR: Day two starts early.
NTracking teams have beenworking
since before sunrise. [BEEPING
RYTHMICALLY]
But signs of rhinos are
proving thin on the ground.
The trackers need
some extra help.
[ENGINE STARTING]
[ENGINE REVS] Roule
Du Toit is an expert pilot
and works on rhino
conservation in Zimbabwe.
has been the top cover
This particular plane
of rhino dartings.
For literally thousands
thousands. I mean,
not just hundreds,
NARRATOR: He's not only
an expert at locating rhino,
he also directs the
chopper team from above,
and feeds back intelligence.
North Luangwa National
Park covers a huge area,
and Roule has his work cut out.
[TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: With no rhinos, the
chopper team is grounded, and
valuable time is being lost.
This is just one
of many setbacks.
Ed and Claire have experienced.
Working with
rhinos is never easy,
especially when
they've been introduced
from a different country.
For some animals, settling
into a new home is hard.
CLAIRE: And there's
well-documented evidence of
social bonds of rhinos,
and how they very
much form associations
and bonds with
who they live next to,
and who's around, who they
smell, it makes a difference.
And then you pick up unrelated,
disassociated animals and you
dump them in North Luangwa.
No wonder they all,
kind of, freak out, and go,
"What was that all about?
Why did you put me here?"
"I don't know who you are, and I
don't know where to find water,"
"and I don't know
what that plant is to eat."
NARRATOR: These are South
African rhinos on Zambian soil.
ED: There, Kango, is
a, er What is he now?
He's a fourteen-year-old
bull, who we've got, er
Who was really
struggling in the bush here.
He struggled to adapt.
Erm, and then he
got knocked about
by some big boys,
either side of him.
And his condition was
deteriorating actually,
year on year on year.
Well, I think it's
the realities of, er,
reintroduction and adaptation
from a South African
In fact, he was from
the Eastern Cape.
It's a very different
habitat type to here.
NARRATOR: Ed and Claire
decided to move Kango
into a large enclosed
area of the park.
They supplement his food.
And he no longer has to
put upwith the local bullies.
After a year of special care,
Kango is now in great shape.
[GRUNTS]
Soon he will be released
backinto a quieter areaof the
national park.
These animals are pioneers.
It hasn't been easy for them.
Ed and Claire hope that
therhinos will continue to
adaptto their Zambian home.
It's a process that
can take many years.
The trackers have finally
located another rhino.
It's a huge male called Bwatcha.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: His
transmitterstopped working some
time ago,
and he's been off
the project's radar.
MAN: [ON RADIO]
This is a good
place There's gullies on the
sides.
NARRATOR: They're relieved
to see he's still alive.
Weighing more than a ton,
Bwatcha is a black
rhino in his prime.
Running through dense tree cover
makes things tough
for the chopper.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
[RIFLE FIRES]
NARRATOR: It's a tricky
shot, but the dart is in.
The drug takes effect.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
But Bwatcha is heading
towards a steep riverbank.
MAN: [ON RADIO]
Er, he's, he's giving up.
NARRATOR: A big
fall could be fatal.
Marcus makes a startling call.
MARCUS HOFMAYR: [ON RADIO]
I
think so If you watch my
tail.
NARRATOR: He will go in
on foot to bring Bwatcha down.
[INDISTINCT TALKING
THROUGH RADIO]
NARRATOR: It's dangerous, but
Bwatcha's life could depend on
it.
Marcus approaches with caution.
He's gauging the
effect of the drug.
He can't get this wrong.
Bwatcha's finally down.
He signals to the chopper
it's now OK to land.
Marcus's bold move
has kept Bwatcha safe.
But it takes six fully-grown men
to put this heavyweight
into his recovery position.
little riverbed There's a nasty
of this little incline here,
just on the other side
want him to enter.
Which we didn't.
MARCUS: If they're
sleeping enough,
you can actually
grab them and other
Walk them in a circle,
or actually trip them
up against themselves.
That's basically what I
did there with this guy.
NARRATOR: Ed has to drill
a new hole in Bwatcha's horn
for the replacement transmitter.
CLAIRE: The number is, er
NARRATOR: The old one has
moved upwards as the horn has
grown.[CLAIRE SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Rhino horn can growup
to five centimetres a year.
It's been four years since
the last transmitter was fitted.
ED: He's a big bull, isn't
he? Isn't he? Nice, big
The biggest we've
done so far, I think.
MARCUS: You can tell him
too when we wake him up, eh?
Yeah, yeah, he's a very big boy.
NARRATOR: The chopper needs
to shuttle some of the team back
to the airfield,
leaving Ed, Marcus, and
Jackson on the ground.
They can't delay giving
the revival drug to Bwatcha.
But waking him up while they're
on foot could be dangerous.
They must take to
the trees for safety.
[LEAVES RUSTLING]
The reversal drug takes effect.
Black rhinos are
notoriously bad tempered.
But most will avoid
a confrontation,
moving away when they
smell humans close by.
Bwatcha, however, doesn't leave.
The team keep quiet and still.
[SNORTS]
[CRASHING]
[INDISTINCT TALKING, CHUCKLING]
[SNORTS]
NARRATOR: It's a stark reminder.
Nthat black rhino are
powerfuland unpredictable.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
He saw
the yellow, reflective jacket,
Er, and obviously,
that distance,
he came with immediate speed,
and you don't have
time to reach or act
I was up in the tree
when he came and hit it.
So I was out of the way,
but then I slipped and fell out.
So, if he'd stayed, it
would've been a bit of an issue,
and that's why you actually
need to be up the tree.
You know? So
[HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING]
NARRATOR: The team was lucky.
Bwatcha is the park's top bull
and will hopefully pass on
his highly-charged genes to new
offspring
for many years to come.
As the helicopter nearsthe
airfield, a call comes in.
[MAN SPEAKING ON RADIO]
NARRATOR: Kango
is getting bullied again.
A large bull elephant
haslearnt how to step overthe
fence into his enclosure.
He wants Kango's special food.
They must use the chopper
to try to drive
out the intruder.
With the elephant,
GLENTON COMBES:
Putting extreme pressure,
if you spend too long,
and they'll call your bluff.
They just get used to it,
NARRATOR: The bull
is reluctant to leave.
Once an elephant's
called your bluff, that's it.
You'll never be able to fully
control, or work with him again.
They just know,
"If I just go straight",
"I'm done. I can
do what I want."
[TRUMPETING]
NARRATOR: Glenton
applies a little more pressure
[TRUMPETING]
Finally, the elephant gets the
message and leaves. [TRUMPETING]
Order is restored,
and Kango can now enjoy
his room service in peace.
But soon it will end.
Next year, he'll be
moved outof the enclosure
and will have to
make his own way
in North Luangwa National Park.
The team was lucky
no one was injured
during Bwatcha's charge.
[OPERATION RHINO TEAM
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Unfortunately, the
same can't be said for their
equipment.
MAN: See, if you look
along the barrel here
Yeah, we're going to have to,
actually, put a bit of
force here. MAN: Yeah.
NARRATOR: Their only
dart gunnow has a bent barrel.
MAN: So
Bring that hardwood one, Ed.
And I'd put it That
it's pushing there.
NARRATOR: Flying to collect a
new rifle could cost them a day
of operations.
A day they can't afford.
Every hour of this week counts.
The more rhinos they
can fit with transmitters,
the more secure the
population becomes.
But that's not all.
The black rhinos have
nowbecome the park's protectors.
The military operation
protecting them also protects
other wildlife.
CLAIRE: If you can protect
an endangered species
such as the black rhino,
then everything
else is protected.
The elephant numbers here,
have at least, doubled
in the last decade.
It's a very vibrant
lion population.
Wild dogs have certainly,
erm, improved in numbers here.
We have very big
herds of buffalo.
NARRATOR: Rhinos have
been here for millions of years.
They've sewn their
presence into the landscape.
They love to eat the
fruit of the sausage tree.
Coming across an old sausage
tree in the middle of nowhere
could mean its seed
was put there by
one of the 3,000
original black rhinos
that once called
this place home.
The North Luangwan, reintroduced
rhinos are pioneers,
forging a new life.
Their kind has a
long heritage here.
Claire and Ed are trying
to make sure it continues.
[INDISTINCT TALKING]
MARCUS: Yeah, I think that's
That's quite all right then.
MAN 2: Yeah.
NARRATOR: At the
workshop, the team has done
what they can to correct
Bwatcha's handiwork.
Er I think that's about as
good as we're going to get it
then.
All right, we need to get going.
Thank you. Thank you.
NARRATOR: The vets musttest
the rifle to make sureit now
shoots straight. MAN: Yeah.
[CLAIRE SPEAKING]
[OPERATION RHINO TEAM CHUCKLE]
[RIFLE FIRES]
Looks OK. All right, now
You try. JACKSON KATAMPI: Yeah.
NARRATOR: After learning
from Marcus all week,
Zambian vet, Jackson, will take
the lead on the next darting.
He needs to be sure
of a straight shot.
Er, sure thing, but, er
ED: Needs pressure?
This little bit of it? Huh?
Oh, you know what?
Try it Probably Great.
[RIFLE FIRES]
Yeah, it's not bad, huh?
NARRATOR: It will be quite a
responsibility for the young
vet.
The dart gun is working.
And just in time.
Roule and the trackers
have found two rhinos
the team has been
looking for all week.
A large female called Twikatanee
and her three-year-old
male calf.
This is the most important
operation of the week.
Working with a mother
and calf together
will be their toughest
challenge yet.
They can only work
on one rhino at a time.
The only way to do this safely
is to briefly separate them,
dart them individually.
Then, while the chopper
teamworks on one rhino,
Roule will fly overhead
withsafety updates on the
positionof the other.
[PEOPLE IN HELICOPTER
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: Jackson will
takethe lead on Twikatanee.
Glenton gives him a pep talk.
JACKSON: [ON RADIO] Yeah.
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
JACKSON: All right.
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
JACKSON: Sure.
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
NARRATOR: There's
too much turbulence.
Jackson waits to take the shot.
He sees his moment.
[RIFLE FIRES]
The dart is good.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
[BEEPS] [MAN
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: The chopper must
nowtry to separate the pair.
Glenton drives the calf off.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: Twikatanee
becomes increasingly drowsy.
[GLENTON SPEAKING]
NARRATOR: The calf is still
close by, so Glenton doesn't
land.
Even a small rhino could
causeserious damage to the
chopper.
ED: Pull towards
you now. Like this?
NARRATOR: Twikatanee has come
down awkwardly between two
trees.
They need to get
her free quickly.
She is a very large female,
and they won't be able to
move her without extra help.
A spotter, Ed?
ED: No, we need manpower.
NARRATOR: Despite
the risk posed by the calf,
Glenton brings
in reinforcements.
ED: This is the problem, here.
NARRATOR: They
need to manoeuvre her
around the tree
and onto flat ground.
What about What
about rolling her that way,
putting a bag of
ropes against her,
and then pushing her over?
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[ALL GRUNTING]
CLAIRE: That's In
a bit. That'll hold. OK.
MARCUS: OK. We try
and go the other way now?
One, two, three! [ALL GRUNTING]
NARRATOR: The
extra help is just enough.
Twikatanee is into the recovery
position and out of danger.
ED: [BREATHING DEEPLY] Thanks.
We're not taking these animals
away from their native area so
they know the terrain. And, er,
they're actually incredibly good
JACKSON: That one went well.
The animal is down, so, er,
it wasn't the perfect
dart I would want,
but, er, I think,
er, it still worked.
So it's quite good for me.
"Four 4-C-3-D."
Er, this here's Twikatanee.
She's quite elusive.
Erm, so she's, er It's
really important to get her.
Erm, and it'll help our
monitoring efforts a lot.
NARRATOR: Twikatanee
could live until she's 40,
and produce many more calves.
Now the team can track
her, and keep her safe.
With the mother done,
it's time to find her calf.
They quickly find him.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: He hasn't gone far.
The calf is far more nimble
on its feet than the adults.
Glenton must be just as
nimble with the chopper.
[INDISTINCT RADIO
CHATTER] [RIFLE FIRES]
NARRATOR: The calf runs straight
into an area with dense
vegetation.
This could put him in danger.
Marcus will once againtry
to bring him down safely.
The calf may be less
than three years old,
but he already
weighs half a ton.
[SNORTING]
He's down and safe.
Glenton can drop
the rest of the team.
Above them, Roule
has spotted Twikatanee.
She's back on her feet,
and looking for her calf.
The chopper team on the
groundnow relies on Roule
to monitor her position
and make sure she
doesn't become a danger.
[DRILL WHIRRING]
The young calf has
yet to be given a name.
And there's a reason for that.
CLAIRE: We don't name them for a
long time, because we're too
nervous
that they're not
going to survive.
That's one of the
reasons they're not named.
NARRATOR: In North
Luangwa, an adult rhino
has little to fear
apart from humans.
Lions will rarely take them on.
[GROWLING]
But for a young calf,
the story is very different.
CLAIRE: We've got high densities
of lions and hyenas here.
We've seen lion
claw marks and scars,
and relatively fresh wounds of
lion attempts on adult rhinos.
[PEOPLE SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: His mum
could soon have a new calf,
and he will have
to fend for himself.
[INDISTINCT]
[ALL CHUCKLING]
NARRATOR: Implanting
a transmitter into his horn
will enable Claire and Ed
to watch him more closely
when mum's not
around to protect him.
From the air, Roule spots
Twikatanee heading directly
towards them.
She won't be happy if
she finds them with her calf.
The team has to move quickly.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: As they
leave, calf and mum reunite.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: Operations
are complete for this year.
The rhino population originally
brought in from South Africa
is now safer from poachers.
Signs are good that they are
continuing to thrive in their
new Zambian home.
But North Luangwa has one more
surprise in store for the team.
Below, they spot
something very special.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
NARRATOR: A female.
And with her, a baby calf,
probably only six months old.
It's a new animal in the
North Luangwa population.
[MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
NARRATOR: They may have comefrom
South African bloodlines,
but these new
animals are thriving.
There's no turning back.
They're Zambians now.
[CAMERA CLICKING]
NARRATOR: The team's
work in North Luangwa
is protecting thisnew
population of black rhino.
These animals will hopefully
form a source population
for introductions
elsewhere in Zambia.
MARCUS: For me, this is
one of the most satisfying
aspects of my job,
is to just actually
see a project
where rhinos literally
were hunted to extinction,
getting back off its feet.
If I had to stop this job, I
think I would stop flying.
And, and I mean that.
JACKSON: As a
Zambian, it gives us pride.
We had rhinos here, and
they ran into extinction,
and then this introduction,
just seeing it work,
you know, makes us feel
like, "Wow, we can do more?"
Another story to tell at home.
I say, "OK, I darted a black
rhino from a helicopter."
That was good for me. Yeah.
NARRATOR: The
dedication of people like these
is holding back
the tide of poaching.
Having thousands
and thousands of rhinos
is still many, many,
many decades
Hundreds of years away, if ever.
CLAIRE: But it's got a
mega-herbivore back in the
ecosystem,
which had once
been exterminated.
NARRATOR: Claire and Ed dream
of a large and secure black
rhino population.
Not just in North Luangwa, but
throughout the Zambian bush.
Operation Rhino has brought
that dream one step closer.