1 00:00:01,134 --> 00:00:03,203 (growling) 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 3 00:00:03,770 --> 00:00:07,073 NARRATOR: 30 years ago, elephant Mwana Nzo and 4 00:00:07,140 --> 00:00:10,076 her family were running for their lives. 5 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 6 00:00:10,343 --> 00:00:11,945 (rapid gunfire) 7 00:00:12,012 --> 00:00:15,815 Then a young calf, she could only watch in fear as 8 00:00:15,882 --> 00:00:19,552 the animals of Gorongosa National Park became 9 00:00:19,619 --> 00:00:24,491 tragic casualties of Mozambique’s 16 years of war. 10 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:29,529 Flash forward almost two decades. 11 00:00:29,596 --> 00:00:31,898 DOMINIQUE: Oh, the other ones are coming, too. 12 00:00:31,965 --> 00:00:34,267 Mwana Nzo is still there, right? 13 00:00:34,334 --> 00:00:35,235 Oh. 14 00:00:35,301 --> 00:00:38,805 NARRATOR: This is Mwana Nzo and her family now. 15 00:00:38,872 --> 00:00:41,107 JOYCE: Oh, now they’re getting our wind. 16 00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:46,246 DOMINIQUE: Oh, wow, Mwana Nzo is coming! 17 00:00:49,749 --> 00:00:53,686 NARRATOR: Mwana Nzo is a survivor, but they say 18 00:00:53,753 --> 00:00:56,423 elephants never forget. 19 00:00:56,489 --> 00:01:01,094 And this elephant’s memories have left her with three-tons of attitude. 20 00:01:01,761 --> 00:01:05,231 JOYCE: These elephants have a culture of fear and aggression 21 00:01:05,298 --> 00:01:09,469 toward people based on bad experiences and it’s going to 22 00:01:09,536 --> 00:01:12,539 take time for them to change their perspective. 23 00:01:14,007 --> 00:01:16,543 I mean it’s terrifying but I’m not afraid because 24 00:01:16,609 --> 00:01:19,345 the behavior is so fantastic. 25 00:01:20,580 --> 00:01:23,950 That’s why you have to just stay and film while they’re charging you, 26 00:01:24,017 --> 00:01:25,785 otherwise you wouldn’t get your answers. 27 00:01:25,852 --> 00:01:28,521 PAOLA: What’s going on here is a large-scale, 28 00:01:28,588 --> 00:01:33,193 a grand experiment in, in a, in a thriving ecosystem that's 29 00:01:33,259 --> 00:01:36,162 coming back after a major disturbance. 30 00:01:36,229 --> 00:01:39,232 That’s a very rare thing to be happening. 31 00:01:40,233 --> 00:01:44,404 (theme music playing) 32 00:01:46,172 --> 00:01:48,041 {\an8}NARRATOR: On the continent of Africa, 33 00:01:48,108 --> 00:01:52,078 {\an8}on the south-eastern coast, is the nation of Mozambique. 34 00:01:53,913 --> 00:01:57,851 Here, Gorongosa National Park is a million acres of some of 35 00:01:57,917 --> 00:02:00,820 the most diverse ecosystems on earth. 36 00:02:01,654 --> 00:02:04,057 PIOTR: One of the most amazing things about this park, 37 00:02:04,124 --> 00:02:07,961 {\an8}we have here almost every type of natural habitat that 38 00:02:08,027 --> 00:02:09,095 {\an8}you would find in this type... 39 00:02:09,162 --> 00:02:11,331 {\an8}In this part of Africa. 40 00:02:12,932 --> 00:02:15,568 NARRATOR: They range from Afromontane meadows 41 00:02:15,635 --> 00:02:18,037 to rainforests, 42 00:02:20,140 --> 00:02:21,975 to Savannahs, 43 00:02:23,076 --> 00:02:26,779 to a vast network of rivers, lakes, and marshes. 44 00:02:28,882 --> 00:02:34,254 Many years ago, it was an Eden so filled with animals it was called, 45 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,322 “The place Noah left his ark.” 46 00:02:44,931 --> 00:02:46,766 In the 1950s and ‘60s, 47 00:02:46,833 --> 00:02:49,269 Gorongosa was a popular tourist destination 48 00:02:49,335 --> 00:02:51,070 for the rich and famous. 49 00:02:52,739 --> 00:02:54,073 (rapid gunfire) 50 00:02:54,140 --> 00:02:58,144 But in the mid-1970s, everything changed. 51 00:02:58,211 --> 00:03:01,114 A war for independence from Portugal began, 52 00:03:01,181 --> 00:03:05,485 followed by a civil war that raged until 1992. 53 00:03:06,986 --> 00:03:09,856 For almost two decades, the combatants used the park 54 00:03:09,923 --> 00:03:12,158 as a bank and a larder. 55 00:03:13,626 --> 00:03:18,798 Of 2,000 elephants, they killed 90% for ivory to buy guns, 56 00:03:18,865 --> 00:03:20,800 leaving a terrible void. 57 00:03:22,101 --> 00:03:23,870 PEDRO (off-screen): I knew this Gorongosa National Park 58 00:03:23,937 --> 00:03:25,605 before restoration. 59 00:03:25,672 --> 00:03:32,078 We used to spend three weeks to come across with a elephant, 60 00:03:32,145 --> 00:03:33,446 single elephant. 61 00:03:37,116 --> 00:03:39,586 NARRATOR: They slaughtered the herbivores for their meat. 62 00:03:40,954 --> 00:03:45,291 From 3,500 hippos, there were fewer than 100. 63 00:03:45,992 --> 00:03:50,296 Cape buffalo plunged from 14,000 to below 50. 64 00:03:51,631 --> 00:03:55,969 Zebras from 3,300 to not even 20. 65 00:03:58,571 --> 00:04:03,676 And wildebeest from 6,400 to barely more than a dozen. 66 00:04:06,679 --> 00:04:10,683 The predators in the ecosystem fared just as badly. 67 00:04:11,384 --> 00:04:13,453 {\an8}PAOLA: Before the war, there were a couple hundred lions 68 00:04:13,519 --> 00:04:15,888 {\an8}in the park, in Gorongosa. 69 00:04:15,955 --> 00:04:20,693 So, we went from a couple of hundred lions to under ten. 70 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,998 We saw multiple generations of lions lost over that time, 71 00:04:25,064 --> 00:04:27,567 so it was pretty devastating to the population. 72 00:04:29,769 --> 00:04:31,371 NARRATOR: Hyenas, wild dogs, 73 00:04:31,437 --> 00:04:34,674 and leopards were all but wiped out completely. 74 00:04:36,809 --> 00:04:40,046 The word Gorongosa means “Place of danger,” 75 00:04:40,113 --> 00:04:43,416 in the Mwani language and for the animals, 76 00:04:43,483 --> 00:04:45,218 it had become just that. 77 00:04:47,086 --> 00:04:49,289 When the guns finally went silent, 78 00:04:49,355 --> 00:04:52,625 so too had the sounds of thundering hooves, 79 00:04:52,692 --> 00:04:55,595 trumpeting elephants, and roaring lions. 80 00:04:55,662 --> 00:04:57,563 GREG (off-screen): I first saw Gorongosa National Park 81 00:04:57,630 --> 00:05:03,436 in about 2004 and I could drive all day long, 82 00:05:03,503 --> 00:05:05,805 and it was eerie because there, there... 83 00:05:05,872 --> 00:05:08,741 {\an8}There weren’t even birds in the trees. 84 00:05:08,808 --> 00:05:12,445 {\an8}The park had truly lost its wildlife. 85 00:05:17,450 --> 00:05:19,252 (clapping) 86 00:05:19,319 --> 00:05:21,120 NARRATOR: So, in 2008, 87 00:05:21,187 --> 00:05:24,691 Greg Carr, in cooperation with the government of Mozambique... 88 00:05:24,757 --> 00:05:26,392 GREG: Okay! 89 00:05:26,459 --> 00:05:30,330 NARRATOR: Began to breathe new life into this land of the dead. 90 00:05:30,396 --> 00:05:31,931 GREG: Congratulations, you made it. 91 00:05:31,998 --> 00:05:34,767 MAN: Long trip. GREG: Yeah, a long trip. 92 00:05:34,834 --> 00:05:36,969 MAN: Say hi. GREG: A long trip. 93 00:05:37,036 --> 00:05:38,471 Oh, I can see a trunk. 94 00:05:38,538 --> 00:05:40,373 MAN: Yeah. GREG: Wow. 95 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:41,841 I am, uh, so excited that you made it. 96 00:05:41,908 --> 00:05:43,443 This is history for Gorongosa. 97 00:05:43,509 --> 00:05:45,478 MAN: Yeah, they are beautiful animals. 98 00:05:50,216 --> 00:05:53,453 NARRATOR: He started the Gorongosa Restoration Project, 99 00:05:53,519 --> 00:05:57,056 a 20-year commitment to help restore the park to 100 00:05:57,123 --> 00:06:00,593 its former glory, one species at a time. 101 00:06:01,027 --> 00:06:07,567 (speaking in native language) 102 00:06:07,633 --> 00:06:09,302 (trumpets) 103 00:06:11,371 --> 00:06:14,507 GREG (off-screen): One might think of the restoration of Gorongosa Park as 104 00:06:14,574 --> 00:06:17,243 an extraordinary natural experiment. 105 00:06:18,444 --> 00:06:22,849 What I mean by that is almost all the wildlife were removed here. 106 00:06:25,818 --> 00:06:29,989 Now, scientists from around the world get to follow the process 107 00:06:30,056 --> 00:06:32,058 of the recovery of all that wildlife. 108 00:06:32,125 --> 00:06:33,693 (speaking in native language) 109 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,063 PIOTR: I, I do believe that the Gorongosa Restoration Project is 110 00:06:37,130 --> 00:06:40,032 one of the most ambitious, and largest, uh, 111 00:06:40,099 --> 00:06:41,901 definitely on the African continent and 112 00:06:41,968 --> 00:06:44,504 probably on the, one the global scale. 113 00:06:48,775 --> 00:06:51,444 NARRATOR: It takes the work of many scientists, 114 00:06:51,511 --> 00:06:53,846 but just as importantly, 115 00:06:53,913 --> 00:06:57,417 the commitment of the people living around the park. 116 00:06:57,717 --> 00:06:59,919 PAOLA (off-screen): We are co-existing with human communities in 117 00:06:59,986 --> 00:07:00,787 this landscape. 118 00:07:00,853 --> 00:07:02,588 Lions and people live together. 119 00:07:02,655 --> 00:07:06,259 And what impacts people eventually impacts lions. 120 00:07:06,325 --> 00:07:08,694 And, uh, that’s why we have the approach that we do 121 00:07:08,761 --> 00:07:11,130 at the Gorongosa Restoration Project. 122 00:07:17,537 --> 00:07:19,906 NARRATOR: Now, about 15 years in, 123 00:07:19,972 --> 00:07:23,142 the grand experiment is succeeding. 124 00:07:23,743 --> 00:07:26,179 (singing in native language) 125 00:07:31,217 --> 00:07:32,385 (snorting) 126 00:07:32,685 --> 00:07:36,389 NARRATOR: But there are challenges and mysteries lurking around every bush. 127 00:07:41,894 --> 00:07:44,263 Take the elephants, for example. 128 00:07:44,330 --> 00:07:46,799 From just 300 after the war, 129 00:07:46,866 --> 00:07:51,170 their numbers have more than tripled to almost 1,000. 130 00:07:52,605 --> 00:07:54,841 They’re coming back strong. 131 00:07:54,907 --> 00:07:58,411 The trouble is, sometimes too strong. 132 00:08:00,513 --> 00:08:03,749 (trumpeting) 133 00:08:05,218 --> 00:08:06,285 JOYCE: It’s all right, girl. 134 00:08:06,352 --> 00:08:07,720 It’s all right, it's all right. 135 00:08:07,787 --> 00:08:10,490 NARRATOR: Elephant behavior biologist Joyce Poole 136 00:08:10,556 --> 00:08:15,194 began studying the Gorongosa elephants in 2011. 137 00:08:15,261 --> 00:08:20,666 JOYCE (off-screen): These elephants are more aggressive than other elephants 138 00:08:20,733 --> 00:08:22,034 I’ve experienced. 139 00:08:22,101 --> 00:08:23,569 They’re more fearful. 140 00:08:23,636 --> 00:08:25,972 They have a lot of reasons to be that way. 141 00:08:26,038 --> 00:08:28,407 (trumpeting) 142 00:08:28,474 --> 00:08:31,811 But these elephants would have seen terrible things, 143 00:08:31,878 --> 00:08:33,279 terrible things. 144 00:08:33,346 --> 00:08:34,614 I mean... 145 00:08:34,680 --> 00:08:35,381 (sighs) 146 00:08:35,448 --> 00:08:37,550 Mortars and automatic weapons 147 00:08:37,617 --> 00:08:41,954 and helicopters, bad, as bad as it gets. 148 00:08:42,989 --> 00:08:45,658 NARRATOR: Because elephants are so long-lived, 149 00:08:45,725 --> 00:08:49,529 many remember the violent deaths of their beloved family members 150 00:08:49,595 --> 00:08:52,265 and that’s left deep scars. 151 00:08:53,533 --> 00:08:57,336 JOYCE (off-screen): Part of what I’m here to do is to think through what 152 00:08:57,403 --> 00:09:01,440 should be the strategy for visitors to the park. 153 00:09:01,507 --> 00:09:04,477 How should they, uh, react to elephants? 154 00:09:04,544 --> 00:09:06,445 How should they behave around elephants? 155 00:09:06,512 --> 00:09:12,318 DOMINIQUE: Well we just, we just saw some elephants that we were looking for. 156 00:09:12,385 --> 00:09:13,953 JOYCE: Well, you spotted them. 157 00:09:14,020 --> 00:09:17,456 Well done because they’re pretty camouflaged there. 158 00:09:17,523 --> 00:09:19,525 NARRATOR: Joyce and fellow elephant expert, 159 00:09:19,592 --> 00:09:24,597 Petter Granli, were teaching Dominique Gonçalves to identify 160 00:09:24,664 --> 00:09:27,433 and interpret elephant behavior. 161 00:09:27,500 --> 00:09:31,404 Dominique has since become the park’s elephant ecologist. 162 00:09:31,470 --> 00:09:35,808 Mwana Nzo is one of her best-known residents. 163 00:09:35,875 --> 00:09:37,710 JOYCE: What do you think of her? 164 00:09:37,777 --> 00:09:40,413 DOMINIQUE: Wow, I... 165 00:09:40,479 --> 00:09:44,317 Well, she’s very strong and I mean she leads everyone else. 166 00:09:44,383 --> 00:09:49,221 And when she, I just get a little bit worried when she comes. 167 00:09:49,288 --> 00:09:51,724 But then it was fine. 168 00:09:51,791 --> 00:09:54,327 And, well, what else should I say? 169 00:09:54,393 --> 00:09:56,028 She’s wild! 170 00:09:56,095 --> 00:09:58,564 I like her a lot, yeah. 171 00:09:58,631 --> 00:10:00,633 DOMINIQUE (off-screen): My first impression of Mwana Nzo 172 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:03,302 it was a huge surprise. 173 00:10:03,369 --> 00:10:06,505 Mwana Nzo is a, is a beautiful elephant. 174 00:10:06,572 --> 00:10:08,240 She’s actually tuskless. 175 00:10:08,307 --> 00:10:09,475 She has no tusks. 176 00:10:09,542 --> 00:10:14,347 The left ear has big hole or notch, 177 00:10:14,413 --> 00:10:16,816 a very prominent characteristic that 178 00:10:16,882 --> 00:10:18,918 really helps us recognize her. 179 00:10:18,985 --> 00:10:22,088 But even without that, I think we would really recognize 180 00:10:22,154 --> 00:10:24,490 {\an8}Mwana Nzo just because of her behavior. 181 00:10:24,557 --> 00:10:26,025 {\an8}She’s fierce. 182 00:10:26,092 --> 00:10:29,161 {\an8}She’s very protective, defensive and she would 183 00:10:29,228 --> 00:10:33,866 basically bring everyone with her to charge you. 184 00:10:33,933 --> 00:10:36,035 So, that’s Mwana Nzo. 185 00:10:38,904 --> 00:10:42,174 NARRATOR: Mwana Nzo is a member of the Mabenzi family, 186 00:10:42,241 --> 00:10:46,078 a close-knit, multi-generational group of about 40 elephants. 187 00:10:48,247 --> 00:10:52,318 Like all elephant families, it’s led by a matriarch, 188 00:10:52,385 --> 00:10:56,288 and composed of grandmothers, moms, daughters, and aunts. 189 00:10:58,391 --> 00:11:00,259 (trumpeting) 190 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,496 Charging, and other aggressive behaviors, 191 00:11:03,562 --> 00:11:05,464 are defensive mechanisms shared with 192 00:11:05,531 --> 00:11:08,834 other traumatized elephants in Africa. 193 00:11:08,901 --> 00:11:12,872 But can the Gorongosa elephants learn to trust people and relax? 194 00:11:13,239 --> 00:11:14,807 (trumpets) 195 00:11:14,874 --> 00:11:17,610 DOMINIQUE (off-screen): It’s going to take a lot of time and work and 196 00:11:17,677 --> 00:11:21,247 most importantly it’s going to take a lot of good behavior and 197 00:11:21,313 --> 00:11:27,553 respect on our side towards elephants for them to heal and maybe forgive us. 198 00:11:28,788 --> 00:11:29,822 Beautiful. 199 00:11:29,889 --> 00:11:33,959 JOYCE (off-screen): So, our approach has been to stay much further away 200 00:11:34,026 --> 00:11:40,332 from them and, uh, hope that that's gonna keep them from charging us, 201 00:11:40,399 --> 00:11:43,536 and also allow them to get used to us. 202 00:11:45,104 --> 00:11:47,707 It hasn't necessarily worked with everybody. 203 00:11:47,773 --> 00:11:49,475 We're on a learning curve still. 204 00:11:50,309 --> 00:11:52,912 NARRATOR: Finding answers is a challenge, 205 00:11:52,978 --> 00:11:55,815 but it’s a chance to understand behaviors that could 206 00:11:55,881 --> 00:11:58,818 help distressed elephants throughout Africa. 207 00:12:03,355 --> 00:12:08,894 ♪ ♪ 208 00:12:08,961 --> 00:12:11,363 NARRATOR: Keeping Gorongosa’s elephants healthy 209 00:12:11,430 --> 00:12:15,101 and happy is important for many reasons. 210 00:12:15,167 --> 00:12:19,405 One is that the forests and grasslands depend on them. 211 00:12:20,072 --> 00:12:21,974 DOMINIQUE: Because of the quantities they consume, 212 00:12:22,041 --> 00:12:24,443 they keep this forest or savannah in check. 213 00:12:26,412 --> 00:12:28,447 They are the ones who keep it as gardeners, 214 00:12:28,514 --> 00:12:33,085 trimming the trees and, you know, allowing other species to grow, 215 00:12:33,152 --> 00:12:36,355 {\an8}and that’s why we call them gardeners of the park. 216 00:12:39,759 --> 00:12:43,796 NARRATOR: Just as important to the ecosystem are the other herbivores. 217 00:12:48,367 --> 00:12:51,203 Wildfires took a terrible toll after the war, 218 00:12:51,270 --> 00:12:53,639 because there were too few browsers and 219 00:12:53,706 --> 00:12:56,175 grazers to keep the plants in check. 220 00:13:06,519 --> 00:13:09,121 Some species were so devastated, 221 00:13:09,188 --> 00:13:11,957 it required special measures to bring them back. 222 00:13:14,593 --> 00:13:16,328 Take the zebra. 223 00:13:16,395 --> 00:13:19,532 If elephants are the gardeners of the forests, 224 00:13:19,598 --> 00:13:22,835 zebra are the lawnmowers of the plains. 225 00:13:22,902 --> 00:13:27,506 They crop tall grasses into short lawns that other herbivores prefer. 226 00:13:28,974 --> 00:13:32,244 But zebra took a major hit during the war, 227 00:13:32,311 --> 00:13:34,313 and they just weren’t recovering. 228 00:13:34,713 --> 00:13:37,783 MATEUS (off-screen): So we would hope that the zebra would have, uh, 229 00:13:37,850 --> 00:13:40,019 come back themselves. 230 00:13:40,085 --> 00:13:41,554 {\an8}And it hasn’t. 231 00:13:41,620 --> 00:13:46,659 {\an8}The numbers are stagnant, so we have to intervene. 232 00:13:47,626 --> 00:13:49,395 NARRATOR: One way to build up their numbers and 233 00:13:49,461 --> 00:13:53,899 improve their gene pool was to move some zebra from a nearby location 234 00:13:53,966 --> 00:13:56,969 that had plenty into Gorongosa. 235 00:13:57,937 --> 00:14:01,140 But there’s no simple way to do that. 236 00:14:01,207 --> 00:14:04,310 They’d first have to gather them using helicopters, 237 00:14:04,376 --> 00:14:07,646 then herd them into a boma, or corral, 238 00:14:07,713 --> 00:14:10,249 before shipping them cross-country. 239 00:14:10,316 --> 00:14:13,085 (speaking in native language) 240 00:14:13,152 --> 00:14:15,187 NARRATOR: Working with flighty prey animals 241 00:14:15,254 --> 00:14:18,591 comes with risks as well as rewards. 242 00:14:22,728 --> 00:14:27,199 MATEUS: To introduce animals is not a decision that one makes lightly. 243 00:14:27,266 --> 00:14:32,438 There is always a risk that the animals may get injured or may die. 244 00:14:32,504 --> 00:14:35,541 So it’s not an easy decision to make. 245 00:14:44,216 --> 00:14:47,086 So we put a lot of time and effort, planning, 246 00:14:47,152 --> 00:14:51,924 and research into preparing to make such a decision because 247 00:14:51,991 --> 00:14:56,061 there is no manual to restoring a park like Gorongosa. 248 00:15:00,132 --> 00:15:03,269 NARRATOR: They carefully loaded them onto trucks to move them 249 00:15:03,335 --> 00:15:06,772 to Gorongosa, hoping their plan would pay off. 250 00:15:07,506 --> 00:15:09,642 RUI: If we want to bring the numbers up fast, 251 00:15:09,708 --> 00:15:12,278 it increases the chances of survival, 252 00:15:12,344 --> 00:15:15,547 better genetic, uh, mix. 253 00:15:17,549 --> 00:15:21,287 So, there are a lot of, of pros by using these techniques. 254 00:15:30,262 --> 00:15:32,398 NARRATOR: The move was a success. 255 00:15:32,464 --> 00:15:37,002 Gorongosa’s zebra now number around 50 and counting. 256 00:15:41,307 --> 00:15:45,444 Gorongosa has also translocated other grazers to begin coloring 257 00:15:45,511 --> 00:15:48,948 in the blank spaces on the canvas of the savannah. 258 00:15:49,982 --> 00:15:53,185 {\an8}GREG: So to get things going, we did reintroduce 200 buffalo. 259 00:15:53,252 --> 00:15:55,354 {\an8}We did reintroduce 200 wildebeest. 260 00:15:59,358 --> 00:16:01,026 NARRATOR: And in 2013, 261 00:16:01,093 --> 00:16:05,297 35 eland made a dramatic entrance into the park. 262 00:16:14,373 --> 00:16:18,143 Thanks to the rich habitat, there are now over 100. 263 00:16:19,178 --> 00:16:20,980 RUI (off-screen): Every operation that we are having, 264 00:16:21,046 --> 00:16:23,082 we are getting good results. 265 00:16:23,148 --> 00:16:25,351 It’s not as fast as a lot of people want, 266 00:16:25,417 --> 00:16:28,187 but this is nature, it takes its time to recover. 267 00:16:28,253 --> 00:16:30,689 We're just giving a bit of a boost. 268 00:16:35,694 --> 00:16:40,165 NARRATOR: Gorongosa again has vast herds of antelope. 269 00:16:40,232 --> 00:16:44,937 One grazer is doing so well, it has scientists mystified, 270 00:16:45,004 --> 00:16:46,672 and intrigued. 271 00:16:47,873 --> 00:16:53,112 {\an8}JEN: Waterbuck went from about 3,500 before the war to only 100 272 00:16:53,178 --> 00:16:56,582 {\an8}that were left in the first post-war census. 273 00:16:58,217 --> 00:17:00,619 Now, after almost 15 years of restoration, 274 00:17:00,686 --> 00:17:03,655 waterbuck numbers are above 50,000, 275 00:17:03,722 --> 00:17:06,125 which means that they're more than ten times more abundant 276 00:17:06,191 --> 00:17:08,027 than they were before the war. 277 00:17:09,161 --> 00:17:13,032 NARRATOR: In fact, there are now more waterbuck in Gorongosa 278 00:17:13,098 --> 00:17:16,001 than anywhere else in Africa. 279 00:17:16,068 --> 00:17:17,903 But why? 280 00:17:17,970 --> 00:17:22,074 To find out, ecologist Jen Guyton has a plan. 281 00:17:23,375 --> 00:17:26,745 JEN: Right now, we're out on the floodplain, 282 00:17:26,812 --> 00:17:28,080 we’re following the helicopter, 283 00:17:28,147 --> 00:17:31,350 as it, uh, as the guys up there dart, uh, 284 00:17:31,417 --> 00:17:32,851 waterbuck from the air. 285 00:17:37,389 --> 00:17:39,591 [BREAK]. 286 00:17:39,658 --> 00:17:41,460 MAN (over radio): Okay, we landed. 287 00:17:42,928 --> 00:17:45,464 JEN: Okay, we're on our way. 288 00:17:45,531 --> 00:17:48,200 So, they've just darted a waterbuck and, uh, 289 00:17:48,267 --> 00:17:50,235 we're driving over to meet them. 290 00:17:51,236 --> 00:17:54,573 NARRATOR: Jen and her team will not only collar a waterbuck but 291 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:59,244 fit her with a small camera to learn more about the species and 292 00:17:59,311 --> 00:18:02,881 why their numbers have skyrocketed in recent years. 293 00:18:03,982 --> 00:18:06,718 But the waterbuck has some objections. 294 00:18:06,785 --> 00:18:10,656 JEN: I'm working on cutting this waterbuck's beard, uh. 295 00:18:10,722 --> 00:18:14,159 They've got quite long hair on their throat and 296 00:18:14,226 --> 00:18:18,130 it can actually obscure the camera on the collar. 297 00:18:18,197 --> 00:18:19,398 Yeah, I know. 298 00:18:19,465 --> 00:18:20,165 I know. 299 00:18:20,232 --> 00:18:21,366 MAN: Popped in the nose there. 300 00:18:21,433 --> 00:18:22,568 JEN: Almost. 301 00:18:22,634 --> 00:18:24,303 She's really fighting. 302 00:18:24,369 --> 00:18:26,805 Hey lady, some people pay for their haircuts, you know? 303 00:18:26,872 --> 00:18:29,007 She looks so fabulous. 304 00:18:29,074 --> 00:18:32,077 NARRATOR: With the haircut complete, 305 00:18:32,144 --> 00:18:35,814 they collar her and put the camera in place. 306 00:18:38,717 --> 00:18:42,554 It’s time for this waterbuck to rise and shine. 307 00:18:44,756 --> 00:18:45,791 JEN: Oh. 308 00:18:45,858 --> 00:18:47,126 And she's off. 309 00:18:48,961 --> 00:18:49,962 Wow, she is fat. 310 00:18:50,028 --> 00:18:51,263 Look at her. 311 00:18:51,330 --> 00:18:52,364 Yeah, that's amazing. 312 00:18:52,431 --> 00:18:53,565 MAN: A nice fat one. 313 00:18:53,632 --> 00:18:54,566 (laughs) 314 00:18:54,633 --> 00:18:59,438 NARRATOR: This healthy waterbuck cow is now a kind of citizen scientist, 315 00:18:59,505 --> 00:19:02,107 helping researchers understand her species’ 316 00:19:02,174 --> 00:19:04,910 overwhelming success in Gorongosa. 317 00:19:06,245 --> 00:19:09,214 One explanation seems obvious. 318 00:19:09,281 --> 00:19:10,949 JEN (off-screen): In a healthy African ecosystem, 319 00:19:11,016 --> 00:19:15,621 you have a lot of large predators like lions and leopards and hyenas. 320 00:19:15,687 --> 00:19:18,557 {\an8}Here in Gorongosa, without those predators, 321 00:19:18,624 --> 00:19:20,325 {\an8}some of the prey species, 322 00:19:20,392 --> 00:19:23,195 {\an8}like waterbuck, are exploding in number. 323 00:19:23,262 --> 00:19:27,432 NARRATOR: But all that’s changing and it’s part of restoration leader 324 00:19:27,499 --> 00:19:30,202 Greg Carr’s grand plan. 325 00:19:30,269 --> 00:19:32,037 GREG (off-screen): In the first few years of the restoration, 326 00:19:32,104 --> 00:19:34,139 we didn't worry too much about carnivores. 327 00:19:34,206 --> 00:19:37,709 We were watching the, uh, the herbivores grow in number. 328 00:19:37,776 --> 00:19:42,281 {\an8}But there came a point where we realized that we needed to turn 329 00:19:42,347 --> 00:19:45,017 {\an8}our attention to carnivore reintroductions. 330 00:19:45,317 --> 00:19:49,188 NARRATOR: Like every step in Gorongosa’s pioneering journey, 331 00:19:49,254 --> 00:19:52,491 this is a step into the unknown. 332 00:19:52,558 --> 00:19:54,893 PAOLA (off-screen): Ten years ago, I landed in Gorongosa to begin 333 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:58,530 the first research ever on lions in this landscape. 334 00:19:58,597 --> 00:20:02,801 {\an8}And our team was expecting to find a pretty robust lion recovery 335 00:20:02,868 --> 00:20:06,138 {\an8}to have kicked in already, but we found quite the opposite. 336 00:20:07,206 --> 00:20:09,942 You know, while large mammals such as impala, 337 00:20:10,008 --> 00:20:11,677 and waterbuck, and buffalo, 338 00:20:11,743 --> 00:20:14,313 and others had recovered to some degree, 339 00:20:14,379 --> 00:20:18,984 what we found was that lions were still at 30% of their carrying capacity. 340 00:20:19,051 --> 00:20:21,186 So that was a surprise. 341 00:20:21,253 --> 00:20:23,589 And we began to dig deeper as to why lions 342 00:20:23,655 --> 00:20:26,892 were really not kicking in as much as we had expected. 343 00:20:27,793 --> 00:20:32,264 NARRATOR: So, Paola’s team began putting GPS collars on key lions 344 00:20:32,331 --> 00:20:36,335 so they could follow their movements and study their family groups. 345 00:20:37,903 --> 00:20:41,373 One of the most successful is the Sungue pride, 346 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:45,877 named for the Sungue river on whose banks they make their home. 347 00:20:50,549 --> 00:20:53,852 The king of the pride was a lion named Nginga. 348 00:20:54,620 --> 00:20:56,488 PAOLA (off-screen): He's, he's a bit of an intense lion, 349 00:20:56,555 --> 00:21:00,392 he's pretty mature, he's completely full of scars. 350 00:21:00,459 --> 00:21:05,797 He's a rough beast of a lion, and very confident in his place. 351 00:21:07,432 --> 00:21:09,201 (roars) 352 00:21:09,268 --> 00:21:13,372 NARRATOR: Nginga, and lioness sisters Helena and Flavia, 353 00:21:13,438 --> 00:21:18,010 became the royalty of the Sungue pride when the park began 354 00:21:18,076 --> 00:21:20,979 to rebound around 2015. 355 00:21:22,347 --> 00:21:27,419 But despite having many cubs, they lived in constant peril. 356 00:21:27,486 --> 00:21:32,958 Gorongosa’s lions were falling prey to the only hunter deadlier than they. 357 00:21:33,825 --> 00:21:37,162 PAOLA (off-screen): What we very quickly picked up on is that snaring 358 00:21:37,229 --> 00:21:39,765 was basically killing our lions. 359 00:21:39,831 --> 00:21:43,235 One in three of our lions were either being killed or actually maimed, 360 00:21:43,302 --> 00:21:47,105 losing entire limbs in these wire snares and steel jaw traps 361 00:21:47,172 --> 00:21:48,840 that were being set in the park. 362 00:21:50,676 --> 00:21:53,745 NARRATOR: Lions weren’t actually the intended target. 363 00:21:53,812 --> 00:21:56,415 Poachers set snares on game trails, 364 00:21:56,481 --> 00:21:58,417 hunting animals they could eat. 365 00:21:58,483 --> 00:22:02,220 Lions followed the same prey and triggered the traps. 366 00:22:03,655 --> 00:22:06,825 {\an8}RUI: When you see snares, it's bad, 367 00:22:06,892 --> 00:22:10,095 {\an8}but when you see the actual effect that it causes, 368 00:22:10,162 --> 00:22:13,165 animal in total suffering and pain. 369 00:22:16,401 --> 00:22:22,007 And it's really revolting and you feel hopeless at that moment 370 00:22:22,074 --> 00:22:25,444 but it also gives you strength that there's a lot more to do. 371 00:22:26,745 --> 00:22:29,481 NARRATOR: As lion experts looked for solutions, 372 00:22:29,548 --> 00:22:32,818 the elephants again took center stage. 373 00:22:32,884 --> 00:22:36,188 And not Mwana Nzo’s family this time. 374 00:22:36,254 --> 00:22:39,925 Too often, a bull elephant’s GPS collar would signal 375 00:22:39,991 --> 00:22:43,562 park officials that he and his buddies were heading across 376 00:22:43,628 --> 00:22:49,167 the Pongue river to raid crops in a village on the outskirts of the park. 377 00:22:49,468 --> 00:22:53,004 {\an8}DOMINIQUE: With the growing populations especially of elephants and 378 00:22:53,071 --> 00:22:58,944 {\an8}also growing number of people around the areas that elephants use, 379 00:23:00,011 --> 00:23:03,215 it’s more likely for conflict to occur. 380 00:23:03,281 --> 00:23:08,487 It’s a constant game between people and elephants trying to coexist. 381 00:23:12,924 --> 00:23:15,694 GREG (over radio): Yeah, they’re getting really close to that house now. 382 00:23:15,761 --> 00:23:19,030 NARRATOR: Typically, when elephants invaded croplands in 383 00:23:19,097 --> 00:23:23,068 Gorongosa park’s buffer zone, farmers and rangers tried to 384 00:23:23,135 --> 00:23:26,304 frighten them off with fireworks and gunshots. 385 00:23:26,905 --> 00:23:32,043 MAN: Right now we’re going to see if we can’t intervene 386 00:23:32,110 --> 00:23:34,880 to scary away the animals that are disturbing the crops. 387 00:23:34,946 --> 00:23:36,982 Buffalo and elephants. 388 00:23:43,455 --> 00:23:46,558 NARRATOR: It was dangerous work and the elephants 389 00:23:46,625 --> 00:23:48,326 just kept coming back. 390 00:23:53,932 --> 00:23:57,869 So, elephant expert Dominique Gonçalves tested a novel deterrent, 391 00:23:57,936 --> 00:23:59,704 pioneered in Kenya. 392 00:24:02,974 --> 00:24:04,142 Beehives. 393 00:24:04,209 --> 00:24:08,046 {\an8}DOMINIQUE: The way we do is that we close these entry passages of 394 00:24:08,113 --> 00:24:10,115 {\an8}elephants that come from the park, 395 00:24:10,215 --> 00:24:12,684 {\an8}cross the river, entering the communities. 396 00:24:14,853 --> 00:24:19,157 We closed these entering areas with these beehive fences, 397 00:24:19,224 --> 00:24:22,961 which is basically beehives hanging together and, uh, 398 00:24:23,028 --> 00:24:25,063 linked by a rope and poles. 399 00:24:25,897 --> 00:24:28,934 (buzzing) 400 00:24:38,944 --> 00:24:40,712 NARRATOR: When the elephants push the rope... 401 00:24:40,779 --> 00:24:42,814 (buzzing) 402 00:24:42,881 --> 00:24:44,549 They disturb the bees, 403 00:24:44,616 --> 00:24:49,354 who make a beeline for their eyes, trunks and ears, 404 00:24:49,421 --> 00:24:54,860 sensitive areas where their stingers have the most effect. 405 00:24:54,926 --> 00:24:57,996 It’s worked, and there’s a side-benefit. 406 00:24:58,063 --> 00:25:01,099 DOMINIQUE: It’s not only about stopping the elephants getting 407 00:25:01,166 --> 00:25:02,868 to the mashambas or farms, 408 00:25:02,934 --> 00:25:07,105 but it’s also about providing alternative livelihoods. 409 00:25:07,172 --> 00:25:10,542 That sweet reward that is the honey really goes back to 410 00:25:10,609 --> 00:25:15,514 the people in the community who are working for the beehives fences. 411 00:25:21,887 --> 00:25:24,756 NARRATOR: Across the park, there are many winners. 412 00:25:24,823 --> 00:25:27,325 Baboons are everywhere. 413 00:25:27,392 --> 00:25:30,262 Some say they’re as common as squirrels. 414 00:25:32,497 --> 00:25:36,268 There are monkeys 415 00:25:36,968 --> 00:25:39,738 and the mountain caves are bursting with bats. 416 00:25:40,372 --> 00:25:42,240 PIOTR (off-screen): During one of our, uh, expeditions, 417 00:25:42,307 --> 00:25:44,776 we were able to document 26 species of bats 418 00:25:44,843 --> 00:25:45,810 in a single cave system. 419 00:25:45,877 --> 00:25:47,746 {\an8}So that’s, that's unheard of. 420 00:25:47,812 --> 00:25:49,781 {\an8}These are some of the highest numbers, uh, 421 00:25:49,848 --> 00:25:51,483 {\an8}on the globe. 422 00:25:51,550 --> 00:25:54,786 NARRATOR: There are civet cats, 423 00:25:54,853 --> 00:25:56,454 porcupines, 424 00:25:56,521 --> 00:25:59,491 warthogs, 425 00:25:59,558 --> 00:26:01,159 and pangolins. 426 00:26:02,460 --> 00:26:06,264 Pangolins are solitary, mainly nocturnal mammals, 427 00:26:06,331 --> 00:26:09,401 covered in sharp scales made of keratin, 428 00:26:09,467 --> 00:26:11,703 much like fingernails. 429 00:26:11,770 --> 00:26:14,839 They use their long, sticky tongues to lap up 430 00:26:14,906 --> 00:26:17,175 termites and ants. 431 00:26:17,242 --> 00:26:21,046 Pangolins look and act a lot like anteaters and armadillos, 432 00:26:21,112 --> 00:26:25,884 but they’re actually more closely related to bears, cats, and dogs. 433 00:26:25,951 --> 00:26:29,354 They’re also the world’s most trafficked mammal. 434 00:26:29,821 --> 00:26:33,358 Tens of thousands are poached every year. 435 00:26:33,425 --> 00:26:35,226 Killed for their meat and scales, 436 00:26:35,293 --> 00:26:38,530 wrongly believed to have medicinal qualities. 437 00:26:39,764 --> 00:26:44,269 Gorongosa is home to the first pangolin rescue unit in Mozambique. 438 00:26:44,769 --> 00:26:47,839 ANTONIO: We here in Gorongosa have already started a new project, 439 00:26:47,906 --> 00:26:51,810 which is to rehabilitate the pangolins, 440 00:26:51,876 --> 00:26:56,247 and also to count all the pangolins we come across. 441 00:27:01,286 --> 00:27:05,590 NARRATOR: The pangolin rescue is headed by husband-and-wife veterinarians: 442 00:27:05,657 --> 00:27:07,993 Tonecas and Mercia. 443 00:27:08,827 --> 00:27:11,262 In the few years since the rescue started, 444 00:27:11,329 --> 00:27:15,033 they’ve rehabilitated and released about 60 pangolins 445 00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:17,669 like this one, named Boogli. 446 00:27:18,737 --> 00:27:25,010 MERCIA: The Gorongosa National Park rangers have been working 447 00:27:25,076 --> 00:27:32,350 on recovering pangolins that got caught by the illegal trade, 448 00:27:32,417 --> 00:27:34,386 and are being sold on the black market, 449 00:27:34,452 --> 00:27:38,990 So one day they found Boogli, 450 00:27:39,057 --> 00:27:45,797 during this work that they usually do, and they brought her to us. 451 00:27:48,500 --> 00:27:55,006 Over the time, Boogli was no longer just a wild animal in our eyes, 452 00:27:55,073 --> 00:27:58,677 we take care of her with such love, she's like a child, 453 00:27:58,743 --> 00:28:01,346 she's a member of our family. 454 00:28:03,882 --> 00:28:08,753 We give her a bath. She likes play in the water. 455 00:28:09,554 --> 00:28:11,723 (speaking in native language) 456 00:28:11,790 --> 00:28:13,525 NARRATOR: Under their loving care, 457 00:28:13,591 --> 00:28:15,393 Boogli is getting stronger. 458 00:28:17,095 --> 00:28:19,431 She should soon be ready for release. 459 00:28:24,135 --> 00:28:28,239 But survival in the wild is never a certainty for any animal. 460 00:28:30,942 --> 00:28:35,080 Tragically, beautiful Helena and her mate, Nginga, 461 00:28:35,146 --> 00:28:37,582 lost their lives to snares. 462 00:28:38,883 --> 00:28:43,521 MATEUS (off-screen): The death of Helena meant a lot to the park. 463 00:28:43,588 --> 00:28:45,457 We not only lost 464 00:28:45,523 --> 00:28:51,429 {\an8}one of our most beautiful, uh, lionesses, uh, 465 00:28:51,496 --> 00:28:55,600 {\an8}one that was giving a contribution to, uh, 466 00:28:55,667 --> 00:28:59,804 the growth of the population, but, uh, 467 00:28:59,871 --> 00:29:05,176 we also lost a, an animal we were all attached to. 468 00:29:07,479 --> 00:29:11,216 NARRATOR: The only bright spot is that their daughter, Tonhinga, 469 00:29:11,282 --> 00:29:15,420 is becoming a powerful young lioness in her own right. 470 00:29:16,321 --> 00:29:18,656 PAOLA: In fact, uh, Tonhinga, 471 00:29:18,723 --> 00:29:21,092 {\an8}who is now one of our adult lionesses 472 00:29:21,159 --> 00:29:24,863 {\an8}in the Sungwe pride, is herself having cubs, 473 00:29:24,929 --> 00:29:27,031 and her cubs are having cubs. 474 00:29:27,098 --> 00:29:31,369 So even though we lost Helena and Nginga the generations have continued on. 475 00:29:32,370 --> 00:29:34,739 NARRATOR: One reason these lions are thriving 476 00:29:34,806 --> 00:29:37,275 is that park conservationists have 477 00:29:37,342 --> 00:29:41,946 hit upon a winning strategy in the war on illegal poaching. 478 00:29:42,013 --> 00:29:43,948 They’ve combined high-tech, 479 00:29:44,015 --> 00:29:46,351 GPS collars that alert rangers and 480 00:29:46,417 --> 00:29:49,654 veterinarians as soon as a lion is in trouble, 481 00:29:49,721 --> 00:29:52,190 with low-tech boots on the ground, 482 00:29:52,257 --> 00:29:54,359 an army of rangers, 483 00:29:54,425 --> 00:29:59,798 comprised of local men and women, including reformed poachers, 484 00:29:59,864 --> 00:30:03,067 who undergo seal team-style training. 485 00:30:03,134 --> 00:30:04,769 PAOLA (off-screen): You know, these are wildlife rangers, 486 00:30:04,836 --> 00:30:08,173 law enforcement officers from the communities themselves that 487 00:30:08,239 --> 00:30:10,275 go out into the wilderness areas, 488 00:30:10,341 --> 00:30:12,911 and actually sweep through the wilderness, 489 00:30:12,977 --> 00:30:15,280 and collect snares and traps, and, 490 00:30:15,346 --> 00:30:17,248 and protect these animals. 491 00:30:17,315 --> 00:30:20,051 We had no lions snared for almost two years. 492 00:30:20,118 --> 00:30:21,519 That was a record. 493 00:30:21,586 --> 00:30:23,888 NARRATOR: As for elephant queen Mwana Nzo, 494 00:30:23,955 --> 00:30:26,224 she still has an attitude. 495 00:30:26,291 --> 00:30:29,160 But there’s something happening in elephant families here 496 00:30:29,227 --> 00:30:31,563 that offers hope for their future. 497 00:30:34,532 --> 00:30:35,767 ♪ ♪ 498 00:30:35,834 --> 00:30:38,636 NARRATOR: Joyce Poole has observed the Gorongosa elephants 499 00:30:38,703 --> 00:30:41,472 doing something unusual: 500 00:30:41,539 --> 00:30:44,309 nursing two calves at once. 501 00:30:44,375 --> 00:30:46,444 And she has an idea why. 502 00:30:46,511 --> 00:30:48,146 JOYCE: That, you see, 503 00:30:48,213 --> 00:30:54,018 that’s a sign of how, how good the, uh, habitat is here. 504 00:30:54,085 --> 00:30:56,254 DOMINIQUE: Yes. 505 00:30:56,321 --> 00:30:58,756 JOYCE: It’s very rare to see but I’ve seen it here a lot. 506 00:30:58,823 --> 00:31:00,058 Look at that! 507 00:31:00,124 --> 00:31:01,392 That’s so wonderful! 508 00:31:03,528 --> 00:31:07,932 NARRATOR: Also, some elephant mothers here are having babies every two years, 509 00:31:07,999 --> 00:31:09,901 rather than every four, 510 00:31:09,968 --> 00:31:14,272 as in other areas, another sign of Gorongosa’s rebirth. 511 00:31:15,540 --> 00:31:17,609 DOMINIQUE (off-screen): It’s nice to see new babies, 512 00:31:17,675 --> 00:31:21,613 new numbers coming, so this is all big actually 513 00:31:21,679 --> 00:31:26,317 {\an8}big wins that I, I, I'm happy to be here seeing all this. 514 00:31:28,186 --> 00:31:31,856 NARRATOR: All over the park, the rivers, floodplains, and 515 00:31:31,923 --> 00:31:34,692 lake Urema support a wealth of life. 516 00:31:39,430 --> 00:31:44,235 This is one of the largest water bird nesting colonies in Africa, 517 00:31:44,302 --> 00:31:47,939 where more than 300 species make their home. 518 00:31:48,673 --> 00:31:52,410 And this ancient reptile is also a survivor: 519 00:31:52,477 --> 00:31:56,147 the Nile crocodile actually flourished during the war. 520 00:31:57,615 --> 00:31:59,217 (bellowing) 521 00:31:59,284 --> 00:32:02,120 The hippos didn’t fare as well. 522 00:32:02,186 --> 00:32:04,155 They were almost wiped out. 523 00:32:05,456 --> 00:32:06,824 MAN: Okay. 524 00:32:06,891 --> 00:32:10,728 NARRATOR: So in 2009, the park imported a hippo family, 525 00:32:10,795 --> 00:32:12,630 including a pregnant mom, 526 00:32:12,697 --> 00:32:16,334 whose baby would contribute to the species’ success. 527 00:32:20,772 --> 00:32:23,141 (bellowing) 528 00:32:23,207 --> 00:32:28,579 Now, there are almost 800 hippos in the park’s waterways, 529 00:32:28,646 --> 00:32:33,685 a great improvement, but a lake that once supported 3,500 530 00:32:33,751 --> 00:32:35,553 can use a few more. 531 00:32:39,691 --> 00:32:43,962 When it comes to waterbuck, the park can use a few less. 532 00:32:46,097 --> 00:32:49,667 One answer might be the re-introduction of predators who 533 00:32:49,734 --> 00:32:53,538 haven’t roamed these grasslands in force for many years: 534 00:32:55,073 --> 00:32:59,177 wild dogs also known as painted wolves. 535 00:33:00,945 --> 00:33:02,747 (yipping) 536 00:33:07,452 --> 00:33:08,920 In the past few years, 537 00:33:08,987 --> 00:33:13,191 Gorongosa has flown some in from areas in South Africa where 538 00:33:13,257 --> 00:33:16,627 they’ve lost the big, wild spaces they need. 539 00:33:18,429 --> 00:33:21,733 Once they’re gradually acclimated to each other, 540 00:33:21,799 --> 00:33:26,270 they’re released to the rich hunting grounds of Gorongosa. 541 00:33:27,438 --> 00:33:30,141 PAOLA (off-screen): We started with 28 painted wolves that 542 00:33:30,208 --> 00:33:33,011 we translocated into the park, two different packs. 543 00:33:33,077 --> 00:33:35,313 So currently we have four different packs, 544 00:33:35,380 --> 00:33:39,384 {\an8}a few dispersal groups, and close to 110 painted wolves 545 00:33:39,450 --> 00:33:40,251 {\an8}roaming in the park. 546 00:33:40,318 --> 00:33:42,754 {\an8}So they've done really, really well here. 547 00:33:43,554 --> 00:33:45,790 NARRATOR: For park warden Pedro Muagura, 548 00:33:45,857 --> 00:33:48,459 painted wolves have special meaning. 549 00:33:48,526 --> 00:33:51,295 They’re his family’s spirit animal. 550 00:33:51,362 --> 00:33:54,532 PEDRO: In Portuguese, we call them mabekos, 551 00:33:54,599 --> 00:33:56,367 wild dogs. 552 00:33:56,434 --> 00:33:59,971 My family is Muagura family and 553 00:34:00,038 --> 00:34:04,075 we do respect this mabeko, uh, 554 00:34:04,142 --> 00:34:08,813 because it's believed that they're protectors because when 555 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:12,450 lions want to attack members of my family, 556 00:34:12,517 --> 00:34:15,620 mabekos used to attack lions. 557 00:34:15,686 --> 00:34:18,456 {\an8}GREG: And he said that until we had reintroduced 558 00:34:18,523 --> 00:34:23,227 {\an8}the painted wolf into Gorongosa Park he hadn't seen one in 30 years. 559 00:34:23,294 --> 00:34:27,098 So in his words, the restoration of Gorongosa 560 00:34:27,165 --> 00:34:29,500 is restoring the soul of his family. 561 00:34:30,835 --> 00:34:33,538 NARRATOR: As it turned out, they’ve also zeroed in on 562 00:34:33,604 --> 00:34:36,874 a species that’s been out of balance in the park. 563 00:34:36,941 --> 00:34:39,210 PAOLA (off-screen): You know, we never expected painted wolves to 564 00:34:39,277 --> 00:34:41,446 prey so heavily on waterbuck. 565 00:34:41,512 --> 00:34:43,347 Waterbuck are not even their preferred, 566 00:34:43,414 --> 00:34:45,383 one of their preferred prey species. 567 00:34:46,551 --> 00:34:48,886 Um... 568 00:34:49,587 --> 00:34:51,956 They’re creeping up on this herd. 569 00:34:52,023 --> 00:34:53,157 So they’re skulking. 570 00:34:53,224 --> 00:34:57,195 The head, front of the heads are down and they’re creeping in. 571 00:34:57,261 --> 00:35:00,598 So they’re laser-focused on that herd of waterbuck. 572 00:35:00,665 --> 00:35:02,133 Here they go. 573 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,435 They’re running. They’re now running. 574 00:35:04,502 --> 00:35:06,537 Here they go. 575 00:35:06,604 --> 00:35:08,806 They’re going after these waterbuck. 576 00:35:10,341 --> 00:35:13,578 The herd is split and they’re going after one. 577 00:35:18,182 --> 00:35:20,384 Okay. 578 00:35:22,220 --> 00:35:23,721 They got a waterbuck. 579 00:35:24,622 --> 00:35:27,458 This is probably one of the first confirmed waterbuck kills 580 00:35:27,525 --> 00:35:30,294 we’ve seen, and it’s happening right now. 581 00:35:30,361 --> 00:35:32,029 Okay. 582 00:35:33,297 --> 00:35:37,001 This is a way a small predator like a pack of wild dogs could 583 00:35:37,068 --> 00:35:38,336 kick in pride, uh... 584 00:35:38,402 --> 00:35:40,438 Population control. 585 00:35:40,505 --> 00:35:44,275 Yeah, this is, this is ecology living and breathing. 586 00:35:45,676 --> 00:35:47,345 GREG: Well, sad for the waterbuck, 587 00:35:47,411 --> 00:35:49,380 of course, and I guess happy for the painted wolf, 588 00:35:49,447 --> 00:35:53,918 but the point is that this ecosystem did need to find a rebalance. 589 00:35:55,686 --> 00:35:59,056 We actually have now seen the waterbuck numbers start to go down and 590 00:35:59,123 --> 00:36:03,594 the numbers of some of these other gorgeous species going up. 591 00:36:03,661 --> 00:36:07,098 And I just thought, wow, that was exciting to see. 592 00:36:13,004 --> 00:36:15,706 NARRATOR: An even newer addition is another predator 593 00:36:15,773 --> 00:36:18,042 long missing from Gorongosa. 594 00:36:19,844 --> 00:36:23,347 In recent years, a lone male leopard has been spotted 595 00:36:23,414 --> 00:36:27,351 only on camera traps, in and around the park. 596 00:36:30,555 --> 00:36:32,723 (clapping) 597 00:36:32,790 --> 00:36:36,360 Today could be the start of a much happier life for 598 00:36:36,427 --> 00:36:40,865 the lonely leopard and for a leopardess who’d lost her home. 599 00:36:41,866 --> 00:36:43,768 PAOLA (off-screen): Aircraft just took off from Beira carrying 600 00:36:43,834 --> 00:36:47,905 our first female leopard to be reintroduced into 601 00:36:47,972 --> 00:36:49,807 Gorongosa National Park. 602 00:36:49,874 --> 00:36:52,810 Uh, we waited three years for this moment and 603 00:36:52,877 --> 00:36:55,413 overcome many, many hurdles. 604 00:36:55,479 --> 00:36:58,049 So, this is a very exciting day for us in the park. 605 00:37:03,154 --> 00:37:07,158 She is from an area where leopards are sometimes unwanted. 606 00:37:07,225 --> 00:37:10,428 Sometimes they’re perceived as a risk and a threat, 607 00:37:10,494 --> 00:37:12,830 so she didn’t have a home anymore, and, 608 00:37:12,897 --> 00:37:16,267 but now she has the wilderness of Gorongosa to, 609 00:37:16,334 --> 00:37:18,035 to live in and thrive in. 610 00:37:22,206 --> 00:37:25,943 NARRATOR: Before the now-named Sena can enjoy her new home, 611 00:37:26,010 --> 00:37:28,446 she has to come out of her travel crate. 612 00:37:35,786 --> 00:37:37,221 PAOLA: Oh my God. 613 00:37:38,155 --> 00:37:41,859 (overlapping chatter) 614 00:37:42,893 --> 00:37:45,363 (laughs) 615 00:37:45,429 --> 00:37:47,665 PAOLA: Wow! MAN: How's that? 616 00:37:47,732 --> 00:37:49,533 PAOLA (off-screen): We’re very joyful right now. 617 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:53,671 We just saw one of the most beautiful animals on this planet, uh, 618 00:37:53,738 --> 00:37:56,440 freed into Gorongosa National Park. 619 00:37:56,507 --> 00:37:59,143 We've worked three years to get to this stage so 620 00:37:59,210 --> 00:38:01,145 we hope she’s the first of many. 621 00:38:01,212 --> 00:38:02,913 And, um, she's... 622 00:38:02,980 --> 00:38:04,548 Welcome to paradise! 623 00:38:06,017 --> 00:38:08,753 NARRATOR: The hope is that Sena and the male will find 624 00:38:08,819 --> 00:38:11,489 each other, and the sparks will fly. 625 00:38:17,295 --> 00:38:19,463 As for the park’s elephant families, 626 00:38:19,530 --> 00:38:22,833 Joyce and Dominique are still trying to bring them into 627 00:38:22,900 --> 00:38:25,503 a state of peaceful coexistence. 628 00:38:25,936 --> 00:38:27,371 (trumpets) 629 00:38:27,438 --> 00:38:31,142 DOMINIQUE: Wow, that was powerful. 630 00:38:32,510 --> 00:38:35,713 JOYCE: That’s called a trumpet blast. 631 00:38:35,780 --> 00:38:38,683 Okay. It’s meant to frighten you. 632 00:38:38,749 --> 00:38:40,251 DOMINIQUE: Yeah. It did! 633 00:38:40,318 --> 00:38:42,720 LEE: It kinda worked. DOMINIQUE: Yeah! 634 00:38:44,188 --> 00:38:47,558 NARRATOR: And then, Mwana Nzo herself appears. 635 00:38:48,559 --> 00:38:51,228 JOYCE: Oh, for goodness sakes. 636 00:38:53,998 --> 00:38:56,467 NARRATOR: What is she up to today? 637 00:38:58,302 --> 00:38:59,537 (trumpets) 638 00:39:03,908 --> 00:39:07,178 NARRATOR: Joyce Poole and Dominique Gonçalves struggle to 639 00:39:07,244 --> 00:39:09,613 read Mwana Nzo’s body language. 640 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:12,350 JOYCE: Okay, so she’s rumbling. 641 00:39:12,416 --> 00:39:15,052 NARRATOR: Will she charge? 642 00:39:15,119 --> 00:39:16,587 (rumbles) 643 00:39:16,654 --> 00:39:21,659 It seems Mwana Nzo has something else on her mind. 644 00:39:21,726 --> 00:39:24,795 She’s more interested in the two male admirers 645 00:39:24,862 --> 00:39:27,598 who’ve turned up, than in chasing cars. 646 00:39:28,799 --> 00:39:32,703 She has to make the right choice to be sure she mates with 647 00:39:32,770 --> 00:39:34,739 the highest-ranking male. 648 00:39:35,506 --> 00:39:37,675 For Gorongosa’s elephants, 649 00:39:37,742 --> 00:39:41,979 shifting the culture of aggression depends on their mothers. 650 00:39:42,580 --> 00:39:46,717 {\an8}DOMINIQUE: It’s really going to depend of how certain females or matriarchs, 651 00:39:46,784 --> 00:39:49,787 {\an8}or family members behave now towards us. 652 00:39:49,854 --> 00:39:53,090 {\an8}And then that is what is going to be passed through to 653 00:39:53,157 --> 00:39:55,493 the younger generation and other elephants. 654 00:39:56,193 --> 00:39:58,396 JOYCE: Oh, look at what he’s doing with his trunk. 655 00:39:58,462 --> 00:40:00,297 Okay. 656 00:40:00,364 --> 00:40:02,199 Well, I think they’re starting to learn, 657 00:40:02,266 --> 00:40:07,505 I think they're starting to learn that there’s a new era in Gorongosa. 658 00:40:08,339 --> 00:40:11,375 An era in which they are safe. 659 00:40:11,442 --> 00:40:14,378 That people don’t mean them any harm. 660 00:40:14,445 --> 00:40:17,982 And if they can’t forget, maybe they can forgive. 661 00:40:18,983 --> 00:40:21,385 MERCIA: Ready to go, my Boogli. 662 00:40:21,452 --> 00:40:23,888 NARRATOR: For Mercia, Tonecas, 663 00:40:23,954 --> 00:40:26,991 and Boogli, today is bittersweet. 664 00:40:27,358 --> 00:40:29,326 MERCIA: Now when we release her, 665 00:40:29,393 --> 00:40:32,029 it will be a bit sad. 666 00:40:33,130 --> 00:40:35,966 ANTONIO: I hope they will multiply a lot, 667 00:40:36,033 --> 00:40:38,536 and that anyone who comes here in Gorongosa 668 00:40:38,602 --> 00:40:43,340 can have access during safaris and can see a pangolin. 669 00:40:44,842 --> 00:40:47,545 (sniffing) 670 00:40:49,146 --> 00:40:51,749 NARRATOR: The new cat on the block has already shown 671 00:40:51,816 --> 00:40:54,418 the park’s impala she’s boss. 672 00:40:55,386 --> 00:40:59,957 She’s looking fat and happy with a belly full of antelope meat. 673 00:41:00,991 --> 00:41:04,528 There’s still been no sighting of her with the park’s male, 674 00:41:04,595 --> 00:41:07,598 but there are promising signs. 675 00:41:07,665 --> 00:41:09,400 PAOLA (off-screen): If Sena meets up with the male, 676 00:41:09,467 --> 00:41:12,102 and it looks like she is overlapping with his home range 677 00:41:12,169 --> 00:41:16,474 {\an8}at the moment, they are very likely to have cubs together. 678 00:41:16,540 --> 00:41:21,011 {\an8}And then that would kickstart the recovery of leopards here. 679 00:41:21,078 --> 00:41:24,048 And these would be probably the first cubs born on the park 680 00:41:24,114 --> 00:41:25,349 in many decades. 681 00:41:27,885 --> 00:41:31,655 NARRATOR: The new pack of painted wolves has acquired a fan club. 682 00:41:31,722 --> 00:41:33,824 They’ve charmed these children, 683 00:41:33,891 --> 00:41:36,360 who live on the outskirts of the park. 684 00:41:37,661 --> 00:41:40,498 (laughter) 685 00:41:40,564 --> 00:41:42,233 (speaking in native language) 686 00:41:42,299 --> 00:41:45,636 NARRATOR: These young ecologists are part of a larger effort 687 00:41:45,703 --> 00:41:49,373 to help local communities enjoy Gorongosa. 688 00:41:50,341 --> 00:41:54,645 MAN: First, I would like to say this is the best eco club that we’ve had. 689 00:41:54,712 --> 00:41:57,248 (applause) 690 00:41:57,348 --> 00:41:59,350 GREG (off-screen): The philosophy we operate on here 691 00:41:59,416 --> 00:42:01,118 is this is not a competition 692 00:42:01,185 --> 00:42:04,355 between the people and the animals for the land. 693 00:42:04,421 --> 00:42:06,257 It’s just the opposite. 694 00:42:06,323 --> 00:42:10,995 And this intact wilderness is what provides the opportunity 695 00:42:11,061 --> 00:42:13,531 for the people to have a sustainable lifestyle and 696 00:42:13,597 --> 00:42:16,901 to have employment and in turn the people love the park. 697 00:42:18,469 --> 00:42:23,874 PEDRO: Conservation, if we do not fulfill people's needs, 698 00:42:23,941 --> 00:42:26,744 conservation will not have success. 699 00:42:27,645 --> 00:42:31,048 NARRATOR: There’s no question Gorongosa’s grand experiment is 700 00:42:31,115 --> 00:42:33,684 succeeding on a grand scale. 701 00:42:34,451 --> 00:42:38,322 The latest aerial census reveals an increase in large animals 702 00:42:38,389 --> 00:42:43,994 from 10,000 in 2008 to more than 100,000 today. 703 00:42:44,695 --> 00:42:47,998 {\an8}GREG: I’m most excited about and, and actually most surprised about, 704 00:42:48,065 --> 00:42:52,570 {\an8}was how quickly the wildlife bounced back from almost nothing. 705 00:42:53,971 --> 00:42:57,841 NARRATOR: In fact, Gorongosa has so many of some species that 706 00:42:57,908 --> 00:43:00,344 they can give them away to other parks. 707 00:43:03,247 --> 00:43:05,082 The Gorongosa project has become 708 00:43:05,149 --> 00:43:07,985 such an international conservation model, 709 00:43:08,052 --> 00:43:10,854 that it’s been extended from a 20-year plan 710 00:43:10,921 --> 00:43:13,290 to a 35-year plan. 711 00:43:14,758 --> 00:43:17,194 And the park itself is expanding. 712 00:43:17,261 --> 00:43:22,166 With more wild areas, it may soon compare in size to the Serengeti. 713 00:43:26,403 --> 00:43:29,607 PAOLA: It is a real privilege to be working with such vision. 714 00:43:29,673 --> 00:43:30,574 You know? 715 00:43:30,641 --> 00:43:34,478 In, in a day and age where we see so much destruction across the planet, 716 00:43:34,545 --> 00:43:36,680 I think Gorongosa turns that around and 717 00:43:36,747 --> 00:43:40,517 {\an8}shows the potential for recovery and restoration with 718 00:43:40,584 --> 00:43:45,422 {\an8}a very clear vision of bringing people and ecosystems together. 719 00:43:47,725 --> 00:43:50,227 {\an8}GREG: Oh, what’s that? 720 00:43:54,131 --> 00:43:55,899 {\an8}This is, this is lion paradise. 721 00:43:55,966 --> 00:43:57,434 {\an8}This is elephant paradise. 722 00:43:57,501 --> 00:44:00,104 {\an8}And ten years from now, 100 years from now, 723 00:44:00,170 --> 00:44:03,874 {\an8}1,000 years from now, I just want this to be like this. 724 00:44:03,941 --> 00:44:07,211 {\an8}I want this to be the paradise and I think it can be. 725 00:44:07,911 --> 00:44:09,013 {\an8}Captioned by Cotter Media Group.