Primal Survivor (2016) s09e05 Episode Script

1
[theme music playing]
[screeches]
HAZEN AUDEL:
Pretty soon this estuary
is gonna be filled with water,
so the time to cross is now.
Otherwise,
it's gonna be impossible.
Once the water starts to rise,
then the hippos come,
and you know
how dangerous they are.
I've gotta cross
this as soon as I can.
Within a few minutes,
the water is gonna be
coming in like a raging river.
It's not gonna
be much longer now.
Look at all these prints.
Hippos are all over this place.
- Big ones.
- [honking]
[grunting]
The mud is too deep
to walk across.
[honking]
[grunts]
[bleep].
It's starting to get scary now.
[grunting]
The minute I stand up
I just sink
[grunts]
right up to my waist.
I have to just get on my shins,
they act like skis.
It's the only way
to get across this.
The minute I do that,
it does that.
[grunts sharply]
Whatever gets me across.
All kinds of hippos
live out here.
Look at that.
Big ones.
But they're all
in the water now.
I can see their heads.
[low honking]
I didn't like that.
I did not like that.
Never had to cross stuff
like this before.
And I learned a new thing.
Mud skiing.
It had to be done.
I'm Hazen Audel.
Survival expert
and wilderness explorer.
I'm on an arduous solo journey
across East Africa.
On my extreme safari
through Africa's
Great Rift Valley,
I've come face-to-face
with iconic wildlife.
Pushing hundreds of miles south,
over some
of the most challenging
and diverse
environments on Earth.
[groans]
Getting ever closer
my ultimate goal,
the legendary savannas
of the Serengeti
where I hope to witness
the Great Migration.
First, there's
one final challenge.
A quest down Africa's
rugged coastline
to experience a truly unique
subterranean spectacle
found in a network
of coral caves.
I need to utilize
the trade winds
that'll carry me
all the way south
down into
a very specific location.
It's home to the largest
multi-species colony
of bats in the world.
I have this sick love for bats.
I wanna really see
what's going on in there.
There it is, the Indian Ocean.
From here,
I go south.
[sighs]
Breaking from
the thick African bush,
it's a relief
to feel sand under my feet
[grunts]
Way more fun going down than up.
but ahead I face
a new set of challenges.
I must make it
through the thick mangroves
to reach the ocean beyond.
[grunts]
Starting to get
really tricky in here.
Navigating these tangled roots
is all arms and feet and focus.
Only the most nimble creatures
survive here.
There's a snake there.
Hold on.
Right here.
Oh, you are a good climber.
I did not expect to find
a blue speckled bush snake.
It's a she.
It's this turquoise blue
that if it's way up high
blends in with
the blueness of the sky.
This beautiful snake
isn't venomous,
so It makes it easier
to get a closer look.
Most snakes have an underbelly
that's really smooth
and can slither
across the ground,
um, like silk.
But this snake
on the other hand,
it needs a belly
that can grip branches,
grip my skin like that.
And I'm not sure
where it's going right now.
Where are you going?
Uh
I Uh
Where did you go?
Oh, there, I can
I can't see it,
but I can feel it.
it's right up there.
I mean,
talk about a snake
that's such a good climber.
Oh, okay, okay. So here it is.
Are you gonna climb
onto this branch?
Yeah, go on up there.
[laughs]
It's like it defies gravity, right?
How are snakes able to do that?
So incredibly well adapted
for living up in the trees.
I doubt I'll find
another snake like that
ever in my entire life.
Oh, very cool.
Very, very cool.
[grunts]
Following natural tidal channels
should be my fastest route
through to the ocean.
But progress on foot
over these exposed roots
is painstaking.
When you're walking
through here,
you have to be careful
because of these
razor-sharp oysters.
They're horrible,
but they can be tasty.
It's a chance
to get something to eat,
but I need a steady hand.
[grunts]
The peel is off.
A lot of people are usually
wedging their knife into that,
trying to get those
two sides of the shell open
and then they miss,
and, yeah, they jab a knife
or a chisel right
through their hand.
With this muck in this place,
and being this remote,
that's the last
thing you'd want.
So, being a little bit more
more careful than usual
break off these edges
that are so razor sharp.
They say eating raw oysters
is sort of like an aphrodisiac,
which
does me no good out here.
But it's a quick little snack.
It's very fresh.
Kinda like a swirling ocean
of mucus-y meat.
I know better
than things that look gross,
doesn't mean
that they taste gross.
Mm. [chuckles]
So good.
This little hit of protein
is enough
to keep me going for now.
Time to get a move on.
I've reached the mangrove's
deeper-flowing channels.
It's a chance
to speed up my journey.
Tide's going out now.
So I guess I'm doing this.
I'm gonna ride the current
through the mangroves
to the coast.
This driftwood raft will keep
my pack out of the water.
The current's already taking me.
I can feel it.
[sighs]
So I'll just let it
do its thing.
Not far down the channel,
I spot something.
Look at that.
A fish trap.
So that's obviously
the Mijikenda.
Descended from tribes
whose ancient ancestors
migrated out of
the Great Rift Valley,
the Mijikenda people are found
all along this coast.
Expert fisherman and sailors,
their knowledge
of this coastline will be key
if I'm to make it
all the way south
to the coral cave bat colony.
They're using this mangrove
as a place to fish.
The Mijikenda set traps
to take advantage of fish
brought in through the tides.
So they have a trap
for high tide
and a trap for low tide.
Seeing these means I'm close.
I should be running into people
once they get to get to,
get to the coast.
Until then, I've gotta avoid
getting trapped by
a snags beneath the surface
and ride the current.
I'm getting carried down.
Pulling me towards the ocean.
Whoa.
Okay.
Fully committal now.
[grunts]
I've made it
through the mangroves.
But with the current showing
no sign of slowing down
I now risk being
dragged dangerously far out.
I'm gonna get swept
into the ocean.
HAZEN: The current
is too strong to fight.
I've got to swim over there.
Getting my way out
of the river's flow,
I can finally make it to shore.
Okay.
Made it.
Alright.
I got brought
all the way to the ocean.
Out here, there should
be some folks around.
I'm heading south in search
of a unique coastal cave system,
home to
a massive colony of bats.
But, of course,
East Africa's coast
teems with diverse
marine wildlife as well.
Look at that.
Oh, it just inked.
Ooh.
Cool. An octopus.
Alongside the weird
and the wonderful
also lurks
the potentially dangerous.
Oh, wow.
Look, look, look, look.
Look, it's gonna
come out that way.
Wow.
It's a moray eel.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
There's a bunch of 'em.
They're all hunting
like a pack of wolves.
They're just coming out
of every single little hole.
Being so close to a moray eel,
that initial pair of jaws is
just full of needle-sharp teeth.
And then it has another jaw
that's in its throat.
It's called a pharyngeal jaw.
So, these two jaws
work with one another.
So, an animal like this
will grab ahold of its prey,
and then
with this pharyngeal jaw,
this jaw that's like something
that an alien might have,
it'll-it'll come out
of its initial jaw
and then grab it
and then pull the meat
into the body of the eel.
Morays mainly feed on
crabs and small fish,
but can easily tear off
a human finger or toe.
Whatever they grab ahold of,
nothing's gonna
be able to escape.
Look at this big monster
right there.
To make my way down
this gnarly tropical coast,
I'm gonna need help.
And in the distance
I can see people.
I think they're fishermen
right here.
OMAR: Good morning.
HAZEN:
Good morning to you. [chuckles]
Salaam alaikum.
OMAR: Walaikum salaam.
Salaam alaikum.
Walaikum salaam.
HAMIS: Peace be upon you.
HAZEN: I love it.
It's the Mijikenda
I've been looking for.
Father-and-son fishing team
Omar and Hamis
are collecting their daily catch
from a traditional homemade
fish trap called an uzio.
HAMIS:
HAZEN: This is
from the coconut leaf.
Wow. [laughs]
It's all been
figured out based on
their understanding
of this ecosystem.
When the current is coming in
and the water is rising,
the fish come
in into the mangroves
and the current
simply pushes this fence down.
The-the fish all come in,
they feed.
And then as the water recedes,
the water goes down.
This, the current
brings this back up.
HAMIS:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
HAZEN: And then all of the fish
come in and get trapped.
That's so amazing.
And the little fish can escape.
They can go through there,
but they're
after the big meaty fish,
the ones that they
can take home and
feed the rest of the village.
Look at this.
It's a porcupine fish.
Obviously they can
defend themselves.
What these fish eat
are things like clams and crabs
and they just, they just
crunch open the shells.
You put your finger in there
and you're gonna get
the end of your finger
just bitten right off.
There you go.
Yeah, they look
like a basketball
and they swim about
and swim kind of about the same.
Some of the quirkier fish
aren't too easy to eat,
so Omar lets 'em go.
- Oh, man! The coolest things.
- HAMIS [off screen]: Ah, look.
HAZEN: This is great! Aah!
It's a little trunkfish
or a cowfish.
The only moveable part
is its little tail
that it uses like
a little rudder on the boat,
and its little flippy fins.
- Oh, my gosh, yes!
- HAMIS: A squid.
HAZEN:
Look at this great little squid.
Look at how cool he is.
Ow!
- HAMIS [off screen]: Ow.
- [laughter]
HAZEN: It bit me.
HAMIS:
HAZEN: It bit me right there.
HAMIS: Sorry, sorry.
HAZEN:
It-it was cool enough to see
HAMIS:
HAZEN:
Well, I guess, I guess so.
- I'm learning.
- HAMIS: Okay.
HAZEN: [laughs] That's cool.
But my initiation isn't over.
Omar invites me
into the holding pen
where the bigger
fish are trapped.
Yep, lock me in.
[laughs]
There's so many fish in here.
I can feel 'em
all around my legs.
Looks like I'll need
some protection.
Tie it around your neck
and then use this like a sheet.
Okay, good idea.
Yeah.
That's why you
use those as glove.
- Oh.
- OMAR: Ah!
- [Omar speaks native language]
- HAZEN: Yeah.
He says be very
careful because
these ones are bad.
Those spines are really sharp
on a lot of the fish
that are in here.
Not only are they spiny,
but they're attached
to venom glands.
Let's see who else is in here.
Lots of crabs.
I can't see all of 'em
that are in here,
but I can definitely feel 'em.
Oh, there we go.
Another Oh, it's a snapper.
That is a tasty fish.
Yeah. That-that-that's
good dinner, right?
Here you go, Omar.
You're feeding the family today,
that's for sure.
HAMIS:
- HAZEN: Well, I'm learning.
- [Omar laughs]
Fish haul complete,
Omar and Hamis
are heading to market
with their catch of the day,
but also offer to drop me off
at a nearby island,
which is a Mijikenda settlement.
I met the right people.
So we're almost there right?
- HAMIS: Yeah.
- HAZEN: Good.
They say the village elders
will have
the best local knowledge
on how to reach the bat colony
I'm searching for.
[speaking native language]
- [laughter]
- Thank you.
Yeah, there's a bunch of people.
I'll introduce myself.
I am definitely
in the right place.
What a cool place.
I-I was told by Omar
to come visit.
Hello. Hello.
Jambo, jambo. I'm Hazen.
These elders know the coastline
better than anyone.
He's the one
that discovered this island?
- MAN: Yeah! He is Atman.
- HAZEN [off screen]: Yeah.
- Atman. Okay.
- MAN: Atman.
HAZEN: It's late in the day,
village preparations
for the evening meal
are already underway.
Already I think everybody's
kinda settling down
for the evening.
Just everybody's getting on
with their business.
I'm invited to stay the night
and I'd like
to do my fair share.
Baraka has one
of the most important
and dangerous jobs
of anyone in the village.
BARAKA:
- HAZEN: Ooh.
- BARAKA: Yeah.
HAZEN: You climb up there?
BARAKA:
HAZEN: Seriously?
BARAKA:
HAZEN: Sap collected
high in the tree's crown
makes a much-prized
alcoholic drink.
Wow.
Oh, cool.
But reaching it
is a death-defying task.
Look at the steps
that have been cut.
The grooved footholds
cut as the palm tree grows
are the only help
the climber gets.
- And
- BARAKA: Yeah.
HAZEN: there goes Baraka.
Okay.
Lookit.
He just goes right up there.
Baraka has broken bones
falling from these trees.
But palm beer is
a vital part of village life.
BARAKA:
HAZEN: Yeah.
You think I should go up there?
BARAKA:
HAZEN: Okay.
He's telling me
I should go up there, too.
BARAKA:
HAZEN: You think so?
[sighs]
Okay. Alright.
Coming.
Okay. Okay.
Alright.
[grunts]
I hope I don't get
stuck up here like a cat.
These coconut palm trees
grow up to 80 feet tall.
I'm coming, Baraka.
How come the steps get harder
as you go higher?
- [Baraka laughs]
- [Hazen gasps]
Oh, it's sketchy up here.
The the breeze, just,
you can feel it swaying.
It's insanely high up here.
A fall could certainly be fatal.
Woo-hoo-hoo.
[grunts]
[bleep].
Where'd the steps go?
HAZEN: Whee.
- Well, I'm up here.
- BARAKA: That side.
HAZEN: So get up here?
BARAKA:
[Hazen laughs nervously]
BARAKA: Yeah. Here, here, here.
HAZEN: I'm being taught
by the best I'm sure.
- BARAKA: Yeah.
- HAZEN: There we go.
BARAKA:
HAZEN: It's definitely
a nice view up here.
- BARAKA: Yeah.
- [Hazen laughs]
HAZEN:
Finally at the top
it's time to harvest.
BARAKA:
HAZEN: Uh-huh. You have to
climb this tree twice a day?
BARAKA:
BARAKA:
BARAKA:
HAZEN: Mm-hmm.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
BARAKA:
HAZEN:
Yeah, it's like It is wet.
BARAKA:
HAZEN:
You can just-just taste it?
Mm. It's sweet.
- BARAKA: Hmm?
- HAZEN: Yeah, it's like
Like sugar cane water, right?
- [laughs]
- Yeah, it's very sweet.
So then that sweet juice,
once it's left,
it just begins
to ferment. Mm-hmm.
BARAKA:
HAZEN: Wow! Wow!
BARAKA: Yeah.
HAZEN: A nice,
nutritious fermented drink.
But trust me, um
you gotta have guts
[laughs] to make the beer
BARAKA:
HAZEN: Where I live,
we don't have coconut trees,
so we don't make beer this way.
Once we've gathered the sap,
the container is tied back on
ready for the next batch.
- HAZEN: And then it's finished?
- BARAKA: Yeah.
HAZEN: Now we go back down?
I'm next.
[Hazen grunts]
Whoo.
You do not wanna
miss a step up here.
Okay. [laughs]
Yeah, sketchy place
to grab a beer with a friend.
- Yeah, nice.
- BARAKA: Yes.
HAZEN: That's cool.
After a long day,
it's time to enjoy a meal.
And look at this
beautiful village.
Everybody has food
in front of them.
Everybody is celebrating the day
as the sun is going down.
And, um
Boy, I couldn't ask
for any better company.
You grow the beans here too?
- Wow. And this?
- MAN 1: Chicha.
HAZEN: Chicha.
MAN 1: Hmm. Chicha.
- MAN 2: M'chicha.
- HAZEN: Yeah.
Everybody here knows exactly
where their food comes from.
And where their beer
comes from, too.
Over a hard-earned beverage,
I share my mission
of reaching the bat colony.
And the elders
know its location well.
MAN 1 [off screen]:
They live along the coast.
HAZEN: It's in a cave system
sacred to the Mijikenda.
Known locally
as the Three Demon Sisters.
Still 100 miles to the south.
A journey that distance
is going to require a boat.
And they offer to help.
Great. Yeah, asante.
This is great.
Tomorrow is going to be
a crash course in learning
about the winds and the currents
and all the phenomenons
that happen
south of here on the coast.
I'm gonna press
the stop button and go to bed.
Good night.
At first light,
I head down to the beach
to team up with the village's
master boat builder Jonathan.
- HAZEN: This boat?
- JONATHAN: Yeah.
HAZEN:
Alright. And I can use this?
- JONATHAN:
- HAZEN: Great.
Jonathan is going to help me
turn this old run-about canoe
into an ocean-going vessel.
This is one of the older boats.
Uh, the village
has a bunch of 'em around,
and I think we're gonna try
to figure out how
to put a sail on this.
And this is what's gonna
get me further down south.
JONATHAN:
Okay. [speaks indistinctly]
HAZEN: Uh-huh.
We cut cloth
and stitch it with guide ropes
to build a rig.
Pull it tight.
JONATHAN:
HAZEN: Okay.
JONATHAN:
HAZEN: I've done a little bit
of sailing in my life,
but, uh, I still have
a lot more to learn.
JONATHAN: Okay.
HAZEN: Jonathan tells me
that this stretch of coast
has powerful seasonal winds.
JONATHAN:
- HAZEN: Heavy, heavy wind?
- JONATHAN: Yeah.
JONATHAN:
HAZEN:
The winds that blow south,
known as the kaskazi,
are my best chance of
reaching the bat colony.
If the winds are just right,
I should be able
to make it in a few days.
But Jonathan gives me a warning.
The kaskazi
will only blow for so long.
JONATHAN:
HAZEN: It's followed by
a long period of dead calm
known as the matalai.
I have to sail
before the matalai comes.
JONATHAN: Yes.
HAZEN: So the time
is now to make it there.
JONATHAN: Yeah.
HAZEN:
I need to get on the water
and start pushing south
as soon as possible.
Okay, yeah,
let's just tie this up.
Okay, this is
ready for its maiden sail.
Alright, push, three.
[grunts]
JONATHAN:
HAZEN:
- JONATHAN: Yeah.
- HAZEN: Alrighty.
Whew.
Thank you, Jonathan.
JONATHAN:
HAZEN: The tropical coast
can look idyllic,
but it's wracked
by dangerous riptides
and unpredictable weather.
With the fierce African sun
beating relentlessly overhead,
it's going to be
a real test of endurance.
[♪]
HAZEN: This is what's gonna be
taking me further down south,
many miles down the coastline.
It's not the most
comfortable rig,
but if it gets me there,
that's really all I need.
The village elders told me
that to reach
the enormous bat colony,
I'll need to sail over
100 miles south
down the coast
and then head inland
to a network of coral caves.
But for now,
navigation simply means
keeping the land to my right
and making sure
I don't drift out too far.
If I go out away from the shore,
the predominant current
is northbound.
If I stay close to the shore,
it'll continue to take me south.
So I've got the current
assisting me
as well as this as this wind,
the kaskazi wind,
all taking me southbound.
We are going places.
But with the winds picking up,
it's quickly
becoming a balancing act.
I am figuring out now
that this boat is very tippy.
It weighs
a couple hundred pounds.
If this thing
decides to flip over,
tip over, there's no way
I'm gonna upright it.
So it's just gonna be me
in a boat bobbing in the ocean.
And me with the sharks.
Something I need
to avoid at all costs.
Tiger sharks,
oceanic whitetips,
and bull sharks
prowl the Indian Ocean
making these waters
potentially perilous.
The kaskazi winds
can get up to about 20 knots,
which is way too fast
for this boat.
The winds are getting stronger,
and there's a real risk
of capsizing my boat.
[bleep].
It's about time
I put my sails down.
With the sails down
I'm less likely to roll.
But I'm still exposed.
So it's best
I head for the shallows.
It's a struggle.
But I make it
into sheltered waters.
And I spot an opportunity.
Crystal-clear water.
I'm gonna have a look.
This inshore reef looks like
the perfect place
for a free dive.
A way to find dinner.
It's full of seagrass
and places to hide.
And that attracts life.
I'm on the lookout
for antennae and claws
poking out of holes
and crevices.
Catching them requires
a keen eye
breath control,
and quick, tough hands.
[gasps]
Yeah, this place
is full of lobsters.
Spiny lobsters are abundant
if you hit the right spots.
You just have to know
where to look.
You can grab a hold of 'em,
but they just swim away
at the very last minute.
But if you can catch 'em
right by the body,
you can get 'em.
A couple more and I'll be set.
Okay, this is
gonna be the last one.
It's a great haul.
But my success comes at a cost.
[groans]
[groans]
I got a bunch of urchins
in my feet.
[groans]
[grunts]
They're gonna be in there
a long time.
Ay-ay-ay.
Uh
It's progressively getting
more and more painful.
And there's a toxin
in those little spines
that's really starting
to take effect right now.
I've picked off all I can
with my bare fingers
and the minute
I try to pick deeper,
those spines
just keep breaking off inside.
So, it is
the end of the day for me
as far as getting food.
I can't afford to stop and rest.
I have to make miles
while I still have the wind.
I have a long ways to go.
Smooth sailing.
But as the day draws on
things take a turn
for the worse.
Yep.
Here you have it. The doldrums.
Just as Jonathan warned me,
the matalai period
of dead calm has arrived.
There's no wind helping
me out right now.
And this could go on for days.
I've no option
but to head for land.
But continuing my journey
on foot won't be easy.
My foot.
I can't really walk on it.
[winces]
[exhales]
The venom in the spines
has really taken effect.
If I can't find a fix
[winces]
this could be
the end of my journey.
[groans] Ay-ay-ay.
The wind is really died down.
And with my foot,
I'm just gonna call it a day.
I'll collect what I need
for camp in the nearby scrub.
So I'll have a look around.
And I spot
an unlikely lifeline
papaya.
Its fruit is more
than just food.
Papaya fruit has
some interesting properties.
It has these enzymes
that naturally exist.
That I can actually use
to try to help
remedy my foot right now.
Most of the spines
have really gone in deep,
but our human bodies
are amazing at what they do.
They're pretty good
at getting out foreign bodies,
but having the papaya
helps speed up the process.
The enzymes help
soften your skin
and it already kinda
starts to digest
whatever is in your skin
that's not meant to be there,
and it just helps your body
just push that stuff out.
I'm gonna take this
and bring it with me to camp
and then take a bandana
that I have
and just strap a good slice
of that to the bottom of my foot
and just let it work
and then draw out those spines.
You know, it might might take
a couple, a couple sessions,
but anything helps.
Time to settle down
for the evening.
It's been a day.
Coconuts provide
much-needed hydration.
But they're quite useful
in other ways too.
These coconut seeds
come with their own life jacket,
and that is this
very buoyant fiber.
These flammable fibers
are my ticket
to a cooked dinner.
Using a method
called the fire roll.
Okay.
That's a pretty good match.
Take this.
Pulling out
some of these fibers.
I'm gonna add some force.
Apply pressure.
Go faster and faster.
And the friction
between all those fibers
starts rubbing together
creating more and more heat
and if it works okay,
I'm gonna get an ember.
It's gonna start smoking.
Oh! I think it's working.
I smell smoke,
but I don't see it.
Actually
Oh, my gosh. Yeah, it's working.
It's working. Great.
Wow. Wow. Cool.
Great. See how it's growing?
Now I have this set aside.
Look at that. Right?
Working good.
Sweet!
Cooked lobster tonight.
Okay.
There we go. Fire.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
I had some really
crummy parts of my day
and some really great parts.
This is one of the highlights.
Looks about ready.
Just put these just right,
right on the hot coals,
just like so.
They'll turn bright red
and tasty.
This one's almost ready.
I think they're ready to go.
Ooh. Ooh-ooh-ooh.
Oh-oh-oh! [laughs]
So good. So good.
It's a delicious end
to a challenging day.
Time to rest up and see if
my foot will get a bit better.
But even at night,
this place is alive
with more spiny hazards.
Oh. Ooh. Look at this.
Though this one seems friendly.
There you go.
A little African hedgehog.
Okay, where you going?
Okay, so now it's back
to its own business,
running around,
covering all kinds of ground,
looking for critters to eat,
little bugs, little crabs.
You have so much energy.
You're unstoppable.
Where are you going?
Look at this one.
And it just swims.
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doop.
[laughs]
They love beetle grubs.
And they love adult beetles
and spiders and scorpions.
They don't have any problem
eating stuff like that.
Even little snakes.
Wild hedgehogs
have excellent hearing,
and sense of smell
to avoid predators
and find food.
You are a cutie. [laughs]
I'm up at first light.
The papaya seems
to have worked its magic.
Oh, my foot is feeling
a little bit better.
The Mijikenda told me
I'd find the bat colony
deep within this coastal forest.
This is a good-sized trail.
And it looks like
I'm on the right track.
This will be the spot
where I head back inland.
As I travel on,
I find myself walking on
clumps of ancient coral.
It's a good sign.
The caves I'm after
were formed by coral beds
millions of years ago
when this land
was part of the seafloor.
Pushing on, I spot more clues.
You see these
openings like this,
these are small ones,
and they just go down
[rock thuds]
Yeah, it goes down there.
I must be getting closer.
But this cave system is complex.
I've gotta
find the right way in.
Yeah,
this is just the beginning.
Bunch of caves up here.
Finally
I find the entrance to the caves
the Mijikenda told me about.
Yeah, this is it.
Oh.
The hair on the back of my neck
is just already coming up.
HAZEN: This is the beginnings
of an enormous cave system.
I'm descending
into a hidden world.
These are sketchy stairs,
but there's a lot of care
put in to accessing these caves.
Because this is a place where
a lot of the local cultures
perform ceremonies
and sacrifices.
These caves,
known as
the Three Demon Sisters,
have a sinister past.
The Mijikenda warned me
that some practice
dangerous witchcraft here.
But that's not the whole story.
These caves
are important culturally,
but they also
have a grim history.
This cave here
was used to imprison
African slaves.
During the 19th century,
many thousands of people
were held in this
coastal cave network.
Arab, African
and European slavers
used the caves
as a subterranean prison.
They would have made
this place inescapable.
At low tide,
the caves natural tunnels
were used to move
the enslaved to the coast.
They would be led
for many kilometers
deep underground
until finally
they'd reach the ocean
to where there
would be a cargo ship.
Entire lineages
were never to be the same.
You can
You can feel it in here.
I head deeper
into the caverns
and find signs I'm nearing
the heart of the colony.
The smell of the bats
is getting pretty intense now.
This is about
as good of protection
as I can figure out right now.
with that many animals
all in one space
there is a lot of
potential for diseases.
So I think it's just best
that I cover up.
Look at this.
This is all bat guano
and it's just crawling.
Look at this.
Ugh!
[bats squeaking]
You can really hear
quite a commotion over there.
[squeaking continues]
To see the bat colony
in full flight,
I need to push through
the caves winding passages.
In the darkness, I get
a taste of what awaits me.
Look at all the eyes up there.
[squeaking]
I'll go through here.
Further on, the narrow passage
opens into a wide cavern.
Okay, let's go.
Finally
I can see what
I've come so far to find.
This is awesome.
[laughs]
This is
the largest bat colony,
the highest number
of individual bats in one place
than anywhere else
in East Africa.
There are millions of bats here.
And with at least
ten different species,
from heart-nosed bats
to African long-fingered bats,
it's believed to be
the largest multi-species colony
in the world.
Wow!
Wow.
It is dizzying.
[screeching]
The sound is piercing.
Once your eyes adjust,
you cannot see cave ceiling.
All you see
is covered with bats.
Seeing this much
life in one place
just means
that there is hope in the world.
It means that these bats
can go out and forage
and eat the insects
that they need,
they can eat the fruits
that they need to support
this much biomass of life.
You might not like bats,
but they're an indicator
of just
how awesome the world is,
how truly healthy it can be.
This is one of those
amazing spectacles
on planet Earth right here.
Incredible.
Next time,
I hit the epic final stage
of my extreme African safari.
I've waited a lifetime
to be here.
A journey through
a land of apex predators
Look, look, look,
look, look, look.
aided by one of Africa's
last hunter
and gatherer tribes
I'm with the best of the best.
to try and witness
one of the greatest
natural spectacles in the world.
Look at that.