WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.465 --> 00:00:09.384 - As human population's boom 2 00:00:09.426 --> 00:00:11.136 poaching for profit and sustenance 3 00:00:11.136 --> 00:00:14.389 erode what's left of Africa's last wild places 4 00:00:14.431 --> 00:00:18.435 and now our nearest relatives have fallen under threat. 5 00:00:18.476 --> 00:00:21.187 If something isn't done, some of the rarest, 6 00:00:21.229 --> 00:00:25.400 smartest animals on the planet will disappear forever. 7 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:29.362 (suspenseful music) 8 00:00:32.490 --> 00:00:37.328 When people and animals collide things are never simple. 9 00:00:37.328 --> 00:00:39.497 (roaring) 10 00:00:40.790 --> 00:00:43.168 In this wildlife human conflict 11 00:00:43.209 --> 00:00:45.795 I'm often called in to seek out the truth. 12 00:00:45.837 --> 00:00:48.715 To find out what's really happening on the front lines 13 00:00:48.757 --> 00:00:52.927 and identify the heroes who are making a difference. 14 00:00:55.847 --> 00:00:59.726 My name is Ivan Carter, hunter, conservationist 15 00:00:59.768 --> 00:01:02.395 and wildlife investigator. 16 00:01:02.437 --> 00:01:05.440 (suspenseful music) 17 00:01:10.820 --> 00:01:13.031 In Africa the poaching of wild animals 18 00:01:13.073 --> 00:01:16.242 has had disastrous effects on the ecology of the continent. 19 00:01:16.284 --> 00:01:19.079 As many as 60% of the large wild animals 20 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:21.831 have been wiped out in the last 50 years. 21 00:01:21.873 --> 00:01:23.374 In the Congo Basin alone 22 00:01:23.416 --> 00:01:26.586 a million tons of illegal bush meat is poached every year 23 00:01:26.628 --> 00:01:28.088 and a large percentage of that 24 00:01:28.129 --> 00:01:31.716 comes from national parks like this, the Kahuzi-Biega, 25 00:01:31.758 --> 00:01:34.094 a vast and awe inspiring rain forest 26 00:01:34.135 --> 00:01:35.386 along the eastern border 27 00:01:35.428 --> 00:01:38.014 of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 28 00:01:41.726 --> 00:01:44.104 I've wanted to come here all my life 29 00:01:44.145 --> 00:01:48.149 and today I'll be making my first ever visit to the park 30 00:01:48.191 --> 00:01:49.651 which has now become a battle ground 31 00:01:49.692 --> 00:01:52.403 in the fight to save what remains of wild Africa. 32 00:01:52.403 --> 00:01:56.533 We're definitely in a very rural part of the country now. 33 00:01:56.574 --> 00:01:58.368 Coming towards the national park, 34 00:01:58.409 --> 00:02:01.454 we're climbing and climbing and climbing 35 00:02:01.496 --> 00:02:02.956 and I'm hoping to find out what they do here 36 00:02:02.997 --> 00:02:04.958 to protect the forest. 37 00:02:04.999 --> 00:02:06.626 From not just bush meat hunters, 38 00:02:06.668 --> 00:02:10.088 but any other threats that might be here. 39 00:02:11.506 --> 00:02:14.592 Even on the outskirts of this 2,000 square mile park 40 00:02:14.592 --> 00:02:17.595 the root of the conflict is all too easy to see. 41 00:02:17.637 --> 00:02:19.931 And as you drive through rural Congo 42 00:02:19.931 --> 00:02:22.559 the thing that strikes me the most 43 00:02:22.600 --> 00:02:25.103 is that every square inch of land 44 00:02:25.103 --> 00:02:29.482 that can possibly be cultivated has been cultivated. 45 00:02:29.524 --> 00:02:33.528 The human element here is certainly expanding rapidly 46 00:02:33.570 --> 00:02:36.781 and using every bit of ground they can get their hands on. 47 00:02:36.823 --> 00:02:39.284 The crush of humanity on the park's doorstep 48 00:02:39.284 --> 00:02:40.827 is placing critical pressure 49 00:02:40.869 --> 00:02:42.745 on the wildlife that lives here. 50 00:02:42.787 --> 00:02:44.372 Life's not easy here, 51 00:02:44.414 --> 00:02:46.082 and when you're living on the bread line 52 00:02:46.124 --> 00:02:48.710 a wildlife reserve is often a source of food, 53 00:02:48.751 --> 00:02:50.670 not a source of beauty. 54 00:02:54.591 --> 00:02:57.594 A UNESCO World Heritage site Kahuzi-Biega 55 00:02:57.635 --> 00:02:59.679 is home to many endangered species 56 00:02:59.721 --> 00:03:02.724 including some of the world's only remaining Grauer's, 57 00:03:02.765 --> 00:03:04.601 or eastern lowland gorillas. 58 00:03:04.642 --> 00:03:07.395 Seeing theses rare primates with my own eyes 59 00:03:07.437 --> 00:03:09.772 would be a personal dream come true, 60 00:03:09.814 --> 00:03:12.150 but no sooner do I pull through the park gates 61 00:03:12.192 --> 00:03:15.361 that I find something resembling a military parade drill 62 00:03:15.403 --> 00:03:17.155 already in progress. 63 00:03:17.197 --> 00:03:21.659 (speaking in a foreign language) 64 00:03:21.659 --> 00:03:25.663 (singing in a foreign language) 65 00:03:30.001 --> 00:03:32.337 These are some of the 230 park rangers 66 00:03:32.378 --> 00:03:35.465 of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation, 67 00:03:35.506 --> 00:03:37.467 or ICCN for short. 68 00:03:37.508 --> 00:03:39.844 A proud an historic institution, 69 00:03:39.844 --> 00:03:42.513 I'm told it's their tradition to begin every morning 70 00:03:42.555 --> 00:03:44.724 with a march and a song. 71 00:03:44.766 --> 00:03:47.727 I also learn that I've arrived on a very busy day. 72 00:03:47.769 --> 00:03:49.687 Poaching is a major problem in the park 73 00:03:49.687 --> 00:03:52.565 and my host asks if I'm prepared to accompany these rangers 74 00:03:52.607 --> 00:03:54.651 on an early morning operation. 75 00:03:54.692 --> 00:03:56.819 This kind of boots on the ground conservation 76 00:03:56.861 --> 00:03:59.864 is precisely what I've come here to see. 77 00:03:59.864 --> 00:04:02.408 (speaking in a foreign language) 78 00:04:02.450 --> 00:04:03.952 This is the anti-poaching team 79 00:04:03.993 --> 00:04:05.870 that we're going to be going to be going out with today. 80 00:04:05.870 --> 00:04:08.206 We're going to be setting a road block. 81 00:04:08.206 --> 00:04:10.375 This is what it takes to protect a park like this. 82 00:04:10.416 --> 00:04:12.418 (speaking in a foreign language) 83 00:04:12.460 --> 00:04:16.047 An organized dedicated team of people that's well equipped. 84 00:04:16.047 --> 00:04:19.550 (speaking in a foreign language) 85 00:04:19.550 --> 00:04:21.803 So everybody's had their briefing, 86 00:04:21.844 --> 00:04:23.972 and getting ready to get into the vehicles. 87 00:04:24.013 --> 00:04:25.515 They've identified an area 88 00:04:25.556 --> 00:04:28.017 where they're gonna set up a road block or a check point 89 00:04:28.059 --> 00:04:29.894 and hopefully catch somebody 90 00:04:29.894 --> 00:04:31.688 that might be moving with bush meat. 91 00:04:31.729 --> 00:04:34.232 These rangers are well armed for a reason. 92 00:04:34.274 --> 00:04:38.945 Since 1994 140 of them have been killed in the line of duty. 93 00:04:38.987 --> 00:04:43.157 Protecting wildlife in the Congo is a deadly business. 94 00:04:45.076 --> 00:04:46.828 As we go off into the forest as I look around me 95 00:04:46.869 --> 00:04:50.081 I realize that this is not a group of people 96 00:04:50.081 --> 00:04:51.791 that I'd want to have trying to catch me. 97 00:04:51.833 --> 00:04:54.085 Heavily armed, well trained 98 00:04:55.878 --> 00:04:58.381 and very passionate about protecting their forest. 99 00:04:58.423 --> 00:05:00.091 And I'm about to get my first look 100 00:05:00.133 --> 00:05:01.968 at the kind of courage it takes 101 00:05:02.010 --> 00:05:05.596 to maintain law and order in this forest. 102 00:05:05.596 --> 00:05:09.684 (shouting in a foreign language) 103 00:05:17.108 --> 00:05:19.319 I'm Ivan Carter and I've joined an armed patrol 104 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:21.446 in the Kahuzi-Biega national park, 105 00:05:21.446 --> 00:05:26.242 a protected wildlife preserve in the eastern Congo. 106 00:05:26.284 --> 00:05:28.244 With an ever expanding human population 107 00:05:28.286 --> 00:05:31.289 on the park's boundaries poverty stricken citizens 108 00:05:31.289 --> 00:05:33.875 frequently rely on the resources here 109 00:05:33.916 --> 00:05:35.710 for profit and sustenance. 110 00:05:35.752 --> 00:05:39.505 It's a complex issue and a nightmare for these park rangers 111 00:05:39.547 --> 00:05:43.217 who are sworn to protect this wilderness at all costs. 112 00:05:43.259 --> 00:05:45.178 Today we're looking for poachers 113 00:05:45.219 --> 00:05:48.848 or anyone trying to smuggle bush meat our of the park. 114 00:05:48.890 --> 00:05:50.475 So we're deep into the park now, 115 00:05:50.516 --> 00:05:53.311 we've come on the main access road 116 00:05:53.353 --> 00:05:56.481 with the idea of setting up a road block here, 117 00:05:56.481 --> 00:05:59.942 this is serious, this is the real deal. 118 00:05:59.984 --> 00:06:02.028 Here comes the first motor bike past 119 00:06:02.070 --> 00:06:04.322 that they're gonna stop. 120 00:06:04.322 --> 00:06:06.657 Most of the traffic here is local villagers 121 00:06:06.699 --> 00:06:09.160 coming home from a nearby market. 122 00:06:09.160 --> 00:06:11.454 These people have such low incomes 123 00:06:11.496 --> 00:06:13.664 that the opportunity to procure extra food 124 00:06:13.664 --> 00:06:15.375 or resources from the park 125 00:06:15.416 --> 00:06:17.502 is difficult to turn down. 126 00:06:17.543 --> 00:06:19.003 And they're looking for anything, 127 00:06:19.003 --> 00:06:20.880 they're looking for bush meat, any wildlife products, 128 00:06:20.922 --> 00:06:23.341 any illegal goods that could be passing through 129 00:06:23.341 --> 00:06:24.884 this national park or that could've been hunted 130 00:06:24.926 --> 00:06:27.845 or killed in this national park. 131 00:06:27.887 --> 00:06:31.015 All they're finding is normal food. 132 00:06:31.057 --> 00:06:33.726 Some bananas, some cassava root. 133 00:06:35.103 --> 00:06:36.604 But that's the thing, these guys, you never know, 134 00:06:36.646 --> 00:06:40.400 in any of these sacks could be anything. 135 00:06:40.441 --> 00:06:42.944 Protecting wildlife in a park 136 00:06:42.985 --> 00:06:45.822 surrounded by people right on the bread line 137 00:06:45.863 --> 00:06:47.782 is no easy task. 138 00:06:47.824 --> 00:06:50.034 When these people see wildlife, 139 00:06:50.034 --> 00:06:53.162 they don't see beauty, they see food. 140 00:06:55.415 --> 00:06:58.084 This roadblock is a reminder to all villagers 141 00:06:58.126 --> 00:07:00.837 that the animals in this park are off limits. 142 00:07:00.878 --> 00:07:03.381 (speaking in a foreign language) 143 00:07:03.381 --> 00:07:06.384 But there are always those who are willing to take a risk. 144 00:07:06.384 --> 00:07:08.219 (speaking in a foreign language) 145 00:07:08.219 --> 00:07:09.720 So for the first time there's somebody 146 00:07:09.762 --> 00:07:12.223 who doesn't want to get off the motorbike. 147 00:07:12.265 --> 00:07:14.058 They don't want to get off the motorbike. 148 00:07:14.100 --> 00:07:17.103 (suspenseful music) 149 00:07:18.771 --> 00:07:21.232 She's just saying that there's maize meal there, 150 00:07:21.232 --> 00:07:22.900 there's nothing else. 151 00:07:22.900 --> 00:07:24.235 No one else has reacted like this 152 00:07:24.235 --> 00:07:27.697 they've all been very comfortable to show. 153 00:07:27.738 --> 00:07:32.034 (speaking in a foreign language) 154 00:07:32.076 --> 00:07:33.536 She says they don't need to open it, 155 00:07:33.578 --> 00:07:35.371 "just feel here, you can feel there's nothing in here. 156 00:07:35.413 --> 00:07:37.331 "I don't need to open it." 157 00:07:37.373 --> 00:07:38.583 This is definitely not maize meal, 158 00:07:38.583 --> 00:07:39.834 she still doesn't want to open it, 159 00:07:39.876 --> 00:07:43.171 she's still insisting it's just maize meal. 160 00:07:44.297 --> 00:07:47.717 The delay tactic is suspicious and hopeless. 161 00:07:49.177 --> 00:07:53.264 And that's exactly what we're looking for with the service. 162 00:07:53.306 --> 00:07:55.475 We've got what looks like a cloven hoofed animal, 163 00:07:55.516 --> 00:07:57.935 probably a duiker of some sort. 164 00:07:57.935 --> 00:07:59.770 It's been smoked here. 165 00:08:02.064 --> 00:08:03.399 And a porcupine. 166 00:08:05.443 --> 00:08:07.945 Even though this may seem like just two small animals. 167 00:08:07.987 --> 00:08:09.447 It may seem like a pitiful amount 168 00:08:09.489 --> 00:08:12.575 but it's amazing how much of this goes on under the radar. 169 00:08:12.617 --> 00:08:13.993 If every family in the area 170 00:08:14.035 --> 00:08:16.746 took just a couple of animals like this each week 171 00:08:16.787 --> 00:08:19.749 it would have devastating effects on the park's ecosystem. 172 00:08:19.790 --> 00:08:22.793 Thanks to people like the ICCN, 173 00:08:22.793 --> 00:08:24.295 it makes it very difficult for people 174 00:08:24.295 --> 00:08:26.631 to freely move with bush meat like this. 175 00:08:26.631 --> 00:08:28.466 But this woman was not just carrying meat 176 00:08:28.466 --> 00:08:29.717 back to her family. 177 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:32.428 In fact she's part of a much bigger problem. 178 00:08:32.470 --> 00:08:33.804 So what they're telling me 179 00:08:33.846 --> 00:08:36.933 is that she's carrying all of this money. 180 00:08:36.974 --> 00:08:38.351 'Cause she's not actually a poacher, 181 00:08:38.392 --> 00:08:39.977 she's just a transport. 182 00:08:39.977 --> 00:08:42.313 With meat protein scarce and valuable 183 00:08:42.313 --> 00:08:43.689 large poaching syndicates 184 00:08:43.731 --> 00:08:45.942 have organized all throughout these forests. 185 00:08:45.983 --> 00:08:49.445 So she doubles her money, she buys from the poachers, 186 00:08:49.487 --> 00:08:52.448 she buys from the poachers for just a few dollars 187 00:08:52.490 --> 00:08:54.200 and by the time she gets into town 188 00:08:54.242 --> 00:08:56.118 she's selling it for a lot more money. 189 00:08:56.160 --> 00:08:57.620 These illegal poaching networks 190 00:08:57.662 --> 00:09:00.081 have been known to stretch across the whole country 191 00:09:00.122 --> 00:09:02.208 and when it comes to conservation enforcement 192 00:09:02.250 --> 00:09:04.585 they are the real prize for these rangers. 193 00:09:04.627 --> 00:09:08.339 But by capturing her, what the commander tells me is that 194 00:09:08.381 --> 00:09:11.425 they'll be able to hopefully catch some others. 195 00:09:11.467 --> 00:09:15.513 (speaking in a foreign language) 196 00:09:18.724 --> 00:09:20.643 Under the threat of jail time 197 00:09:20.685 --> 00:09:22.728 the woman decides to cooperate. 198 00:09:22.770 --> 00:09:24.897 They've managed to get some information from this lady 199 00:09:24.939 --> 00:09:26.232 as to where she buys her meat 200 00:09:26.274 --> 00:09:27.775 and there's two places she buys meat 201 00:09:27.817 --> 00:09:29.944 and one of them is deeper into the park. 202 00:09:29.986 --> 00:09:31.362 As she's bought this meat this morning, 203 00:09:31.362 --> 00:09:33.364 she's told them exactly the place 204 00:09:33.364 --> 00:09:35.366 and they're going to go and try to track very slowly 205 00:09:35.408 --> 00:09:39.495 and very quietly and see if we can catch these poachers. 206 00:09:39.537 --> 00:09:42.373 (suspenseful music) 207 00:09:42.373 --> 00:09:45.585 We now have the opportunity to catch a much bigger fish 208 00:09:45.626 --> 00:09:48.713 so we redeploy deeper into the forest. 209 00:09:48.713 --> 00:09:50.715 The lady that we caught earlier, 210 00:09:50.756 --> 00:09:52.925 what she did is explain to him 211 00:09:52.967 --> 00:09:55.553 that there's a place on the edge of the road. 212 00:09:55.595 --> 00:09:57.430 He thinks that that place is right here. 213 00:09:57.471 --> 00:10:00.474 (suspenseful music) 214 00:10:01.809 --> 00:10:04.604 It means taking the team into the thick bush 215 00:10:04.645 --> 00:10:06.355 where it's difficult to see 216 00:10:06.397 --> 00:10:08.608 and almost impossible to keep silent. 217 00:10:08.649 --> 00:10:09.900 I'm not sure what's going on 218 00:10:09.900 --> 00:10:12.403 but everybody's just squatted down here. 219 00:10:12.403 --> 00:10:15.364 I'm now smelling smoke from what could be a camp fire. 220 00:10:15.406 --> 00:10:18.909 We've got the signal to carry on. 221 00:10:18.909 --> 00:10:20.578 This year alone two rangers 222 00:10:20.578 --> 00:10:21.996 have been killed in this very park 223 00:10:22.038 --> 00:10:24.915 during raids just like this one. 224 00:10:24.915 --> 00:10:26.375 Stay back, stay back, stay back. 225 00:10:26.417 --> 00:10:29.253 (suspenseful music) 226 00:10:29.253 --> 00:10:33.758 Once again the commander orders everyone down and quiet. 227 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:37.970 Something's going on in front of us, something's going on. 228 00:10:41.015 --> 00:10:41.932 Two people. 229 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:45.436 Two scouts move ahead of the group. 230 00:10:45.436 --> 00:10:47.229 Stay down, stay down. 231 00:10:49.690 --> 00:10:51.275 Then moments later, 232 00:10:52.943 --> 00:10:54.612 a signal to advance. 233 00:11:00.910 --> 00:11:03.537 And then suddenly, it's all chaos. 234 00:11:03.579 --> 00:11:07.667 (shouting in a foreign language) 235 00:11:13.005 --> 00:11:15.549 I'm in the middle of Kahuzi-Biega national park 236 00:11:15.591 --> 00:11:18.260 with a platoon of Congolese Conservation rangers. 237 00:11:18.302 --> 00:11:19.512 Expansive poaching networks 238 00:11:19.553 --> 00:11:21.514 are a huge problem in this country 239 00:11:21.555 --> 00:11:25.059 and the criminals are often armed and dangerous. 240 00:11:25.101 --> 00:11:26.852 (suspenseful music) 241 00:11:26.894 --> 00:11:29.855 On the outskirts of what we believe is a poaching camp 242 00:11:29.897 --> 00:11:31.315 we lay in ambush. 243 00:11:33.567 --> 00:11:35.695 Until the commander signals the attack. 244 00:11:35.736 --> 00:11:39.824 (shouting in a foreign language) 245 00:11:48.374 --> 00:11:50.626 By the time the camera crew and I catch up 246 00:11:50.626 --> 00:11:53.796 the rangers already have two people down on the ground. 247 00:11:53.838 --> 00:11:56.132 We're looking at a camp of some sort. 248 00:11:56.173 --> 00:11:58.884 And there are lots of weapons scattered around. 249 00:11:58.926 --> 00:11:59.927 A big spear. 250 00:12:01.637 --> 00:12:03.806 A lot of machetes, they haven't camped here for long, 251 00:12:03.848 --> 00:12:04.807 but the fire is fairly big. 252 00:12:04.849 --> 00:12:08.978 (speaking in a foreign language) 253 00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:13.733 I see that. 254 00:12:13.774 --> 00:12:17.069 (speaking in a foreign language) 255 00:12:17.111 --> 00:12:21.282 It's like an old homemade shotgun, look at this thing. 256 00:12:22.658 --> 00:12:26.162 Hunger and poverty have always motivated resourcefulness. 257 00:12:26.162 --> 00:12:27.705 Look at all these wire snares. 258 00:12:27.747 --> 00:12:29.665 But many homemade poaching implements 259 00:12:29.707 --> 00:12:33.753 are simply barbaric when put into practice. 260 00:12:33.794 --> 00:12:37.965 These leg hole traps snap on anything that moves. 261 00:12:38.007 --> 00:12:42.178 Breaking bones, suffocating animals indiscriminately. 262 00:12:43.554 --> 00:12:46.807 There's nothing soft about these people that are, 263 00:12:46.849 --> 00:12:49.310 living in the forest like this, poaching. 264 00:12:49.351 --> 00:12:51.020 Thank goodness, thank you to ICCN. 265 00:12:51.061 --> 00:12:52.563 (speaking in a foreign language) 266 00:12:52.605 --> 00:12:56.358 There's very few of them able to do this undetected. 267 00:12:56.400 --> 00:12:59.862 These are the heroes of wildlife conservation. 268 00:12:59.904 --> 00:13:02.531 The poachers are taken back with us to the headquarters 269 00:13:02.531 --> 00:13:03.866 where they'll face harsh penalties 270 00:13:03.908 --> 00:13:06.160 for breaking the park laws. 271 00:13:10.206 --> 00:13:12.374 (upbeat music) 272 00:13:12.416 --> 00:13:15.002 When we arrived I'm lucky enough to be introduced 273 00:13:15.044 --> 00:13:16.670 to the park director, 274 00:13:16.712 --> 00:13:19.048 Lucien Gedeon Lokumu. 275 00:13:19.048 --> 00:13:19.882 Bonjour. 276 00:13:23.636 --> 00:13:26.555 Because the Congo was previously a Belgium colony 277 00:13:26.597 --> 00:13:28.599 French is still the most common western language 278 00:13:28.641 --> 00:13:29.642 spoken here. 279 00:13:33.437 --> 00:13:35.523 I've only been here for a few hours, 280 00:13:35.564 --> 00:13:37.525 but I'm already impressed by the raw courage 281 00:13:37.566 --> 00:13:40.361 and dedication exhibited by his rangers. 282 00:13:40.402 --> 00:13:44.573 So I asked the director where does all this pride come from? 283 00:13:51.789 --> 00:13:52.790 Grauer yeah. 284 00:14:03.008 --> 00:14:05.469 The Grauer's gorilla's the largest gorilla subspecies 285 00:14:05.511 --> 00:14:08.097 on the planet and one of the most threatened. 286 00:14:08.138 --> 00:14:10.599 The human population growth in the region 287 00:14:10.599 --> 00:14:12.226 has reduced the gorilla's habitat 288 00:14:12.268 --> 00:14:15.020 to 13% of its original size 289 00:14:15.062 --> 00:14:18.148 and bush meat poaching continues to target these rare 290 00:14:18.190 --> 00:14:20.401 and highly social primates. 291 00:15:01.317 --> 00:15:03.152 Now that I've seen the anti-poaching 292 00:15:03.193 --> 00:15:06.322 and now that I've seen what it takes to protect the park 293 00:15:06.363 --> 00:15:09.825 he now wants to show me why they work so hard to protect it. 294 00:15:09.867 --> 00:15:12.453 (upbeat music) 295 00:15:20.961 --> 00:15:22.171 I've always wanted to see 296 00:15:22.212 --> 00:15:24.673 the rare Grauer's gorilla close up. 297 00:15:24.673 --> 00:15:28.218 For me this is a dream come true. 298 00:15:28.260 --> 00:15:31.013 Well we're getting ready to go into the forest 299 00:15:31.013 --> 00:15:35.643 and I'm told that it's probably quite a long hike so 300 00:15:35.684 --> 00:15:36.852 I can't wait to see this, 301 00:15:36.852 --> 00:15:38.938 this is kind of what we've been waiting for. 302 00:15:38.979 --> 00:15:43.359 Across Africa 77% of all wild gorillas have been wiped out 303 00:15:43.400 --> 00:15:45.110 in the past two decades. 304 00:15:45.152 --> 00:15:46.654 It's getting harder and harder to see 305 00:15:46.695 --> 00:15:49.114 any subspecies of gorilla in the wild, 306 00:15:49.156 --> 00:15:51.700 let alone the most rare. 307 00:15:51.742 --> 00:15:55.788 To think that we're in the Kahuzi-Biega national park 308 00:15:55.829 --> 00:15:57.998 actually tracking gorillas. 309 00:15:58.040 --> 00:16:00.876 If I'm lucky I'll soon be in the presence of a creature 310 00:16:00.918 --> 00:16:05.089 that very few people have ever seen with their own eyes. 311 00:16:15.557 --> 00:16:17.810 I'm in the Kahuzi-Biega national park with a team 312 00:16:17.851 --> 00:16:21.313 of highly trained and dedicated Congolese rangers. 313 00:16:21.355 --> 00:16:23.023 I've already seen them in action 314 00:16:23.065 --> 00:16:24.233 and now I'm about to see the source 315 00:16:24.233 --> 00:16:26.652 of their tremendous devotion. 316 00:16:31.198 --> 00:16:33.742 What an incredible environment. 317 00:16:33.784 --> 00:16:37.663 To think that we're in the Kahuzi-Biega national park 318 00:16:37.705 --> 00:16:40.249 actually tracking gorillas. 319 00:16:40.290 --> 00:16:42.209 In all my years in Africa 320 00:16:42.251 --> 00:16:45.754 I've yet to see the rare Grauer's gorilla with my own eyes. 321 00:16:45.796 --> 00:16:48.048 Indeed this region is the only place in the world 322 00:16:48.090 --> 00:16:50.134 that they exist and only at elevations 323 00:16:50.175 --> 00:16:52.761 of 7,000 feet or higher. 324 00:16:52.803 --> 00:16:54.013 Well we've been traveling now 325 00:16:54.054 --> 00:16:57.224 for probably about an hour and a half, 326 00:16:57.266 --> 00:17:00.477 it's pretty hot and steamy, very hilly. 327 00:17:02.271 --> 00:17:04.523 We suddenly see some crushed bamboo, 328 00:17:04.565 --> 00:17:06.984 a mainstay of these gorillas' diets. 329 00:17:07.026 --> 00:17:08.569 (speaking in a foreign language) 330 00:17:08.610 --> 00:17:09.486 Gorilla? 331 00:17:09.528 --> 00:17:10.738 (speaking in a foreign language) 332 00:17:10.779 --> 00:17:14.199 It's our first sign that a group may be nearby. 333 00:17:17.161 --> 00:17:18.787 We're getting close now. 334 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:20.873 We're at the tracks of today, 335 00:17:20.914 --> 00:17:23.751 where these gorillas have gone in. 336 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:27.171 The rangers now insist that we put on masks. 337 00:17:27.212 --> 00:17:30.466 Gorillas share 98% of their DNA with humans 338 00:17:30.466 --> 00:17:31.675 making them highly susceptible 339 00:17:31.717 --> 00:17:34.303 to many pathogens we might be carrying. 340 00:17:34.344 --> 00:17:36.221 Here we go, here's a mask for you. 341 00:17:36.263 --> 00:17:38.098 Here's a mask for you. 342 00:17:39.475 --> 00:17:40.350 Here we go. 343 00:17:42.269 --> 00:17:44.980 We go a few more steps, 344 00:17:44.980 --> 00:17:49.943 and my attention is grabbed by something in the trees, 345 00:17:49.985 --> 00:17:53.322 and then there's movement on the ground, 346 00:17:54.740 --> 00:17:58.535 and suddenly I see it, my first ever Grauer's gorilla, 347 00:18:00.746 --> 00:18:04.750 an arm's length away, then another, and another. 348 00:18:06.502 --> 00:18:09.838 (dramatic music) 349 00:18:09.880 --> 00:18:14.843 Before I can even process the moment we're surrounded. 350 00:18:14.843 --> 00:18:17.846 A whole family of Grauer's gorillas. 351 00:18:21.308 --> 00:18:23.185 We're just four or five yards away from these animals 352 00:18:23.227 --> 00:18:25.854 and just, now I see what it is, 353 00:18:27.272 --> 00:18:30.651 that makes these people work so incredibly hard to protect. 354 00:18:30.692 --> 00:18:33.779 (dramatic music) 355 00:18:33.821 --> 00:18:35.781 As I look around me, 356 00:18:35.823 --> 00:18:37.032 everyone single one of the game guards 357 00:18:37.074 --> 00:18:38.784 that's come in here with us 358 00:18:38.826 --> 00:18:41.411 is completely enamored by these animals. 359 00:18:41.453 --> 00:18:45.249 This is more than just a job for these people. 360 00:18:45.290 --> 00:18:47.709 (whispering) 361 00:18:49.128 --> 00:18:51.839 This is what makes this park so important to protect 362 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:56.051 and so important actually to the wild life on the planet. 363 00:18:57.511 --> 00:19:00.347 Because of the rampant bush meat trade across the country 364 00:19:00.389 --> 00:19:03.100 these gorillas are regular targets for poachers 365 00:19:03.142 --> 00:19:06.270 and they now stand on the very edge of extinction. 366 00:19:06.311 --> 00:19:08.063 If they're to remain in the wild 367 00:19:08.063 --> 00:19:11.066 the poaching epidemic must be curbed. 368 00:19:11.108 --> 00:19:13.861 (dramatic music) 369 00:19:28.917 --> 00:19:31.211 My experience here has inspired me 370 00:19:31.253 --> 00:19:32.754 and I feel compelled to learn more 371 00:19:32.754 --> 00:19:34.089 about the bush meat networks 372 00:19:34.131 --> 00:19:36.800 that directly threaten these gorillas. 373 00:19:36.842 --> 00:19:39.678 To do that I've decided to fly to a place 374 00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:43.265 where poached animals literally line the streets. 375 00:19:43.265 --> 00:19:45.267 Tomorrow I leave the forest 376 00:19:45.309 --> 00:19:48.228 and enter the belly of the beast. 377 00:19:48.270 --> 00:19:51.064 This is alive, an alive turtle here. 378 00:19:51.106 --> 00:19:54.651 Skull's been cracked open to dry the brain. 379 00:20:02.326 --> 00:20:05.370 I'm Ivan Carter and I've been part of a rural anti-poaching 380 00:20:05.412 --> 00:20:08.665 operation here in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 381 00:20:08.707 --> 00:20:10.083 After seeing what it takes 382 00:20:10.083 --> 00:20:12.753 to protect the most endangered primates on the planet 383 00:20:12.794 --> 00:20:14.129 I've arrived at the epicenter 384 00:20:14.171 --> 00:20:16.256 of the country's bush meat trade. 385 00:20:16.256 --> 00:20:19.426 The very engine that drives illegal poaching 386 00:20:19.468 --> 00:20:21.261 all across the Congo. 387 00:20:21.303 --> 00:20:24.264 (dramatic music) 388 00:20:24.264 --> 00:20:28.477 The Congo River, just a giant and powerful river 389 00:20:28.518 --> 00:20:30.562 flowing through this part of West Africa, 390 00:20:30.604 --> 00:20:32.814 but what makes this area so interesting to me 391 00:20:32.856 --> 00:20:35.817 is that it's said that a million tons of bush meat 392 00:20:35.859 --> 00:20:39.488 come out of the Congo Basin every single year. 393 00:20:39.529 --> 00:20:41.198 For this part of the journey 394 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:43.951 I've exchanged my greens for civie's clothes. 395 00:20:43.992 --> 00:20:46.620 I'm here to investigate just how this bush meat 396 00:20:46.662 --> 00:20:49.706 comes into Kinshasa, how it's traded 397 00:20:49.748 --> 00:20:52.292 and how big this problem really is. 398 00:20:52.334 --> 00:20:55.128 (dramatic music) 399 00:20:57.089 --> 00:20:59.549 - [Sean] Alright the camera is recording, 400 00:20:59.591 --> 00:21:02.886 I can monitor it here on my phone, 401 00:21:02.928 --> 00:21:04.638 which is great, there's the picture of Ivan. 402 00:21:04.638 --> 00:21:07.808 - It's early morning in the Congolese capitol of Kinshasa. 403 00:21:07.808 --> 00:21:10.394 My cameraman Sean has hidden a camera 404 00:21:10.435 --> 00:21:12.145 in a button on his shirt. 405 00:21:12.187 --> 00:21:14.189 We'll hit the main market when it opens 406 00:21:14.231 --> 00:21:16.275 and hopefully record how poached meat 407 00:21:16.316 --> 00:21:19.820 is bought and sold on the streets of this major metropolis. 408 00:21:19.820 --> 00:21:21.738 I have to say it's not without a bit of trepidation. 409 00:21:21.780 --> 00:21:22.990 These guys are doing stuff 410 00:21:22.990 --> 00:21:25.325 that a lot of times they know is illegal. 411 00:21:25.325 --> 00:21:27.911 I'm just hoping they don't see any of these wires 412 00:21:27.953 --> 00:21:29.204 or any of these cameras. 413 00:21:29.246 --> 00:21:30.539 I mean this is a situation 414 00:21:30.580 --> 00:21:32.541 where a lot of money changes hands illegally, 415 00:21:32.582 --> 00:21:35.168 and I'm sure they're not going to be too happy 416 00:21:35.168 --> 00:21:37.045 if they think that we're recording or filming, 417 00:21:37.087 --> 00:21:39.047 so we're going to have to be very careful, 418 00:21:39.089 --> 00:21:42.634 pay a lot of attention to detail with how we get the setups, 419 00:21:42.676 --> 00:21:44.011 and I think we're all set. 420 00:21:44.052 --> 00:21:47.055 (suspenseful music) 421 00:21:53.562 --> 00:21:56.898 You can see all of the chaos of the marketplace here. 422 00:21:56.940 --> 00:21:59.276 The booming population across Africa 423 00:21:59.318 --> 00:22:01.611 Means there's a lot of hungry mouths to feed 424 00:22:01.653 --> 00:22:03.363 and markets like this one 425 00:22:03.363 --> 00:22:05.449 are a cheap source of protein for locals 426 00:22:05.490 --> 00:22:09.494 who can't afford to buy legally farmed meat. 427 00:22:09.536 --> 00:22:12.497 Close the door Sean, go on close the door. 428 00:22:12.539 --> 00:22:15.542 (suspenseful music) 429 00:22:17.461 --> 00:22:20.047 The chaos of this market, it's unbelievable. 430 00:22:20.047 --> 00:22:22.382 Smells, huge stacks of meat. 431 00:22:25.635 --> 00:22:27.220 The whole process, basically what happens 432 00:22:27.262 --> 00:22:31.516 as far as I can understand is this bush meat comes in 433 00:22:31.558 --> 00:22:33.226 from all over the forest on these big boats 434 00:22:33.268 --> 00:22:36.438 and the sellers themselves trade at the boats 435 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:38.982 and then bring the bush meat to the market. 436 00:22:39.024 --> 00:22:41.568 The first seller we approach has a variety 437 00:22:41.610 --> 00:22:44.696 of dried and smoked animals for sale. 438 00:22:45.572 --> 00:22:50.327 (speaking in a foreign language) 439 00:22:50.369 --> 00:22:55.040 And among his wares I'm disturbed to find primates. 440 00:22:55.082 --> 00:22:57.250 You see this monkey here, 441 00:22:57.292 --> 00:23:01.421 it's been dried, its skull's been cracked open to dry the, 442 00:23:01.463 --> 00:23:02.923 to dry the brain. 443 00:23:06.385 --> 00:23:08.011 Here's a bush pig. 444 00:23:08.053 --> 00:23:10.347 You can see by this red fur, 445 00:23:10.389 --> 00:23:14.559 it's a red river hog, and a live turtle here, poor guy. 446 00:23:17.354 --> 00:23:19.731 (speaking in a foreign language) 447 00:23:19.773 --> 00:23:20.816 - 100. - $100? 448 00:23:21.817 --> 00:23:22.984 - Yeah. - $100. 449 00:23:28.281 --> 00:23:31.785 There's a bunch of monkeys here, $15 each. 450 00:23:36.331 --> 00:23:40.419 (speaking in a foreign language) 451 00:23:42.796 --> 00:23:44.714 After about an hour I approach a man 452 00:23:44.756 --> 00:23:48.093 who appears to be just another bush meat seller. 453 00:23:48.135 --> 00:23:49.845 What he is saying is he doesn't know how much bush meat 454 00:23:49.886 --> 00:23:51.513 he brings in here every week, but it's a lot. 455 00:23:51.555 --> 00:23:52.806 He hunts it in the park, 456 00:23:52.806 --> 00:23:54.683 well he's got hunters that hunt in the park, 457 00:23:54.724 --> 00:23:55.934 they put it on the boat, 458 00:23:55.976 --> 00:23:57.310 the boats come here and then he trades it 459 00:23:57.352 --> 00:23:59.938 to these sellers on the street. 460 00:24:04.317 --> 00:24:08.280 But then a bombshell I wasn't expecting. 461 00:24:08.321 --> 00:24:09.781 The bigger thing he tells me is 462 00:24:09.823 --> 00:24:14.035 that he's got three chimpanzees in the Kindu province and, 463 00:24:14.077 --> 00:24:16.121 they're near Kindu Village. 464 00:24:16.163 --> 00:24:17.998 He said for $120 each, 465 00:24:19.416 --> 00:24:20.959 I can go buy them form him. 466 00:24:21.001 --> 00:24:25.172 I can't believe what I'm hearing, live chimpanzees. 467 00:24:27.757 --> 00:24:30.010 He said if we order them, 468 00:24:30.051 --> 00:24:32.262 he can have them here in a week. 469 00:24:32.304 --> 00:24:34.055 The live chimpanzees. 470 00:24:34.097 --> 00:24:38.727 Okay we have to go, we have to go, let's go, let's go. 471 00:24:38.768 --> 00:24:41.521 (dramatic music) 472 00:24:49.154 --> 00:24:50.989 Well we certainly found a lot of bush meat, 473 00:24:51.031 --> 00:24:52.866 we learnt a lot about how the system worked, 474 00:24:52.866 --> 00:24:54.534 but most of all we found 475 00:24:54.576 --> 00:24:56.536 that there's three live chimpanzees 476 00:24:56.536 --> 00:25:00.373 that he tried to sell us that are in Kindu Village. 477 00:25:00.415 --> 00:25:02.209 Not really sure what to do about that. 478 00:25:02.250 --> 00:25:05.712 We've got his number, he's given us the location. 479 00:25:05.754 --> 00:25:07.130 I'm tempted to purchase them 480 00:25:07.172 --> 00:25:11.218 and give them to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. 481 00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:12.511 This is an eye opener, 482 00:25:12.552 --> 00:25:15.138 this is way more than I thought it would be. 483 00:25:15.180 --> 00:25:17.307 I can't help but recall my recent encounter 484 00:25:17.349 --> 00:25:19.059 with the Grauer's gorillas 485 00:25:19.100 --> 00:25:22.229 and I know that chimpanzees are every bit as intelligent 486 00:25:22.270 --> 00:25:24.898 and just as devoted to their families. 487 00:25:24.898 --> 00:25:26.900 The cruelty of bush meat poaching 488 00:25:26.942 --> 00:25:28.235 now seems to pale in the face 489 00:25:28.235 --> 00:25:32.072 of what can only be described as slavery. 490 00:25:32.113 --> 00:25:35.325 Mine and Sean's first instinct is to save these chimps 491 00:25:35.367 --> 00:25:38.745 by buying them ourselves, but I need advice 492 00:25:38.787 --> 00:25:41.831 and I happen to have a good friend Itsaso Guinea 493 00:25:41.873 --> 00:25:43.416 who runs a primate sanctuary 494 00:25:43.416 --> 00:25:45.794 back in the eastern part of the country. 495 00:25:45.835 --> 00:25:48.630 Okay perfect, thanks Itsaso, bye. 496 00:25:48.672 --> 00:25:50.423 - What did she say? 497 00:25:50.423 --> 00:25:52.926 - She said that we mustn't buy them under any circumstances, 498 00:25:52.968 --> 00:25:55.345 she said that you know just money changing hands 499 00:25:55.387 --> 00:25:57.055 the poachers don't know or care 500 00:25:57.097 --> 00:25:58.515 what we're gonna do with the chimps, 501 00:25:58.557 --> 00:26:00.934 wether we're rescuing them or using them as pets. 502 00:26:00.976 --> 00:26:03.937 She said that all they know is they're worth money 503 00:26:03.979 --> 00:26:07.065 and so all you're doing is making the trade worse 504 00:26:07.107 --> 00:26:09.442 if we buy these chimps, but-- - Makes sense. 505 00:26:09.484 --> 00:26:10.610 - She just said she wants us to back off, 506 00:26:10.652 --> 00:26:11.778 she doesn't even want us to go to them 507 00:26:11.820 --> 00:26:13.238 and find any more details. 508 00:26:13.280 --> 00:26:15.490 She's worried that those chimps might start their journey 509 00:26:15.532 --> 00:26:18.118 to Kinshasa if we show too much interest 510 00:26:18.159 --> 00:26:20.120 and so she said we must just back off. 511 00:26:20.120 --> 00:26:21.329 - Right. 512 00:26:21.371 --> 00:26:23.790 - I'm frustrated but at least there's a plan. 513 00:26:23.832 --> 00:26:25.166 What we're gonna do, she's got a team 514 00:26:25.208 --> 00:26:27.419 that's gonna go and start the negotiation. 515 00:26:27.460 --> 00:26:29.129 The ICCN that is the government body, 516 00:26:29.170 --> 00:26:31.131 the equivalent of a national park service 517 00:26:31.172 --> 00:26:33.300 is gonna be, they've got a big office there, 518 00:26:33.341 --> 00:26:34.968 they're going to go in as well 519 00:26:35.010 --> 00:26:36.886 and it may take a day, it may take a week, 520 00:26:36.928 --> 00:26:38.763 it may take a couple of weeks, 521 00:26:38.805 --> 00:26:40.015 but they're going to find those chimps 522 00:26:40.056 --> 00:26:43.143 and they're gonna see if we can rescue them. 523 00:26:43.143 --> 00:26:45.145 Sure, it's tough to walk away from, 524 00:26:45.186 --> 00:26:47.355 very tough to walk away from. 525 00:26:47.397 --> 00:26:50.191 (dramatic music) 526 00:26:52.360 --> 00:26:54.863 I have confidence that our ICCN friends 527 00:26:54.904 --> 00:26:58.992 can rescue the chimps, but the question is when? 528 00:26:58.992 --> 00:27:00.994 Young chimps are like human babies, 529 00:27:00.994 --> 00:27:03.371 if they experience enough abuse and stress 530 00:27:03.413 --> 00:27:05.248 they may never recover. 531 00:27:05.290 --> 00:27:07.250 I feel I've seen enough of Kinshasa 532 00:27:07.292 --> 00:27:09.336 and the horrors of the bush meat trade. 533 00:27:09.377 --> 00:27:11.004 The safety of these three chimps 534 00:27:11.004 --> 00:27:14.591 has now become mine and the crews only concern. 535 00:27:14.633 --> 00:27:17.636 (suspenseful music) 536 00:27:24.601 --> 00:27:27.896 We've discovered that there are three live baby chimpanzees 537 00:27:27.937 --> 00:27:31.232 being held in a remote area of the Congo Basin. 538 00:27:31.274 --> 00:27:33.068 Having informed the authorities, 539 00:27:33.068 --> 00:27:35.695 now all we can do is wait for the ICCN 540 00:27:35.737 --> 00:27:38.573 to track down the captured chimps. 541 00:27:40.241 --> 00:27:41.743 In the meantime, 542 00:27:41.743 --> 00:27:43.578 I've journeyed back to the eastern part of the country 543 00:27:43.620 --> 00:27:45.163 to link up with Itsaso, 544 00:27:45.205 --> 00:27:48.917 my friend and contact at the Lwiro Chimp Sanctuary. 545 00:27:48.958 --> 00:27:51.252 This research and rehabilitation center 546 00:27:51.252 --> 00:27:53.922 is where the stolen baby primates will end up, 547 00:27:53.963 --> 00:27:55.715 if they can be found. 548 00:27:55.757 --> 00:27:59.511 Well we're just approaching the gates of the research center 549 00:27:59.552 --> 00:28:02.764 and this is also where the chimp rehab center is so. 550 00:28:02.764 --> 00:28:05.558 Man it's been a bit of a journey. 551 00:28:09.771 --> 00:28:13.608 Two years ago primate expert Itsaso Guinea came here 552 00:28:13.650 --> 00:28:17.195 from Spain to see the Lwiro Rehab and Research Center 553 00:28:17.237 --> 00:28:18.780 and she never left. 554 00:28:18.822 --> 00:28:19.948 Finally here. 555 00:28:24.119 --> 00:28:26.746 Prince nice to meet you. 556 00:28:26.788 --> 00:28:28.957 Beautiful building here, lot of good work goes on here eh? 557 00:28:28.957 --> 00:28:30.583 - Yeah. 558 00:28:30.625 --> 00:28:32.335 - When I started this investigation into bush meat poaching 559 00:28:32.377 --> 00:28:34.295 I had no idea it would unearth the trade 560 00:28:34.337 --> 00:28:37.298 of actual live animals so I asked Prince 561 00:28:37.298 --> 00:28:41.469 for some background on this very disturbing issue. 562 00:28:46.850 --> 00:28:48.017 Really it was? 563 00:28:50.103 --> 00:28:51.604 And they'd eat it? 564 00:29:00.155 --> 00:29:02.157 So Prince you're saying they killed a whole family 565 00:29:02.157 --> 00:29:03.825 just to get one pet. 566 00:29:05.160 --> 00:29:07.996 People will do anything for money. 567 00:29:09.205 --> 00:29:11.499 Most of these chimps met a tragic end, 568 00:29:11.499 --> 00:29:12.709 but there are luckier ones 569 00:29:12.751 --> 00:29:15.503 that've been rescued and brought here. 570 00:29:15.545 --> 00:29:18.548 Just outside the research center is a massive compound 571 00:29:18.590 --> 00:29:21.384 Where traumatized primates are rehabilitated. 572 00:29:21.426 --> 00:29:23.470 It's an awe inspiring facility 573 00:29:23.511 --> 00:29:26.181 where the animals have room to live and socialize 574 00:29:26.222 --> 00:29:30.393 in something very close to their natural environment. 575 00:29:35.190 --> 00:29:36.649 Almost natural eh? 576 00:29:44.991 --> 00:29:46.785 Oh really? - Yeah. 577 00:29:46.826 --> 00:29:48.828 - Itsaso during the day you see these guys out there, 578 00:29:48.870 --> 00:29:50.872 they're eating flowers, whatever. 579 00:29:50.914 --> 00:29:55.084 How often do you actually have to feed them everyday? 580 00:29:56.085 --> 00:29:57.587 Five times? - Yeah. 581 00:30:02.884 --> 00:30:04.302 - Yeah, and I can imagine 582 00:30:04.344 --> 00:30:08.264 with this many chimpanzees that's a lot of food. 583 00:30:10.141 --> 00:30:11.226 Yep. 584 00:30:11.267 --> 00:30:12.894 The sanctuary's commitment to community 585 00:30:12.936 --> 00:30:14.479 doesn't end there. 586 00:30:14.521 --> 00:30:17.065 Working with an organization called Coopera 587 00:30:17.106 --> 00:30:20.193 they spearhead many humanitarian initiatives, 588 00:30:20.235 --> 00:30:22.403 providing jobs and support 589 00:30:22.403 --> 00:30:25.281 to victims of political turmoil and civil war. 590 00:30:25.323 --> 00:30:26.574 Truly the people of this area 591 00:30:26.616 --> 00:30:28.910 see the value of an operation like this, 592 00:30:28.910 --> 00:30:31.246 they see the value of conservation. 593 00:30:31.287 --> 00:30:32.497 If the chimps here at Lwiro 594 00:30:32.539 --> 00:30:34.249 are able to heal from the abuse 595 00:30:34.290 --> 00:30:36.626 they've suffered at the hands of their captors 596 00:30:36.668 --> 00:30:40.129 they'll one day be released back into the wild, 597 00:30:40.171 --> 00:30:44.259 but some of Lwiro's residents will never recover. 598 00:30:51.724 --> 00:30:53.309 Okay. 599 00:30:53.351 --> 00:30:54.936 (dramatic music) 600 00:30:54.978 --> 00:30:56.479 Just like humans who've been through 601 00:30:56.521 --> 00:30:59.440 catastrophic circumstances chimps can become mentally 602 00:30:59.482 --> 00:31:02.652 and emotionally damaged beyond repair. 603 00:31:10.076 --> 00:31:11.119 For years eh? 604 00:31:15.123 --> 00:31:17.792 So they'll never be able to integrate or go back to the wild 605 00:31:17.792 --> 00:31:21.087 they're just too mentally destroyed eh? 606 00:31:24.591 --> 00:31:26.759 (hooting) 607 00:31:32.515 --> 00:31:34.809 (shouting) 608 00:31:39.272 --> 00:31:42.191 It's yet another sobering reminder of the impact we have 609 00:31:42.233 --> 00:31:44.319 on the animals we share this planet with. 610 00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:46.613 We can harm or we can help. 611 00:31:48.948 --> 00:31:51.659 Just then one of the workers approaches Itsaso 612 00:31:51.659 --> 00:31:53.202 with some good news. 613 00:31:53.244 --> 00:31:55.663 The three young chimps I discovered in Kinshasa 614 00:31:55.663 --> 00:31:58.833 have just been rescued by a group of ICCN rangers 615 00:31:58.875 --> 00:32:00.001 and they're being transported 616 00:32:00.043 --> 00:32:02.795 to the closest airstrip from here. 617 00:32:02.837 --> 00:32:05.840 Itsaso asks if I'd like to come and help with the pickup, 618 00:32:05.882 --> 00:32:09.177 but she warns it could be a very difficult experience. 619 00:32:09.218 --> 00:32:12.639 We won't have an idea what condition these babies will be in 620 00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:14.015 until we arrive. 621 00:32:15.058 --> 00:32:17.226 (banging) 622 00:32:24.233 --> 00:32:26.319 After discovering that three baby chimpanzees 623 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:27.987 were being held in captivity 624 00:32:28.029 --> 00:32:30.073 I've traveled to the Lwiro chimp sanctuary 625 00:32:30.114 --> 00:32:31.824 to assist with their rescue. 626 00:32:31.824 --> 00:32:33.326 We just received word that the chimps 627 00:32:33.326 --> 00:32:35.578 have been seized by government operatives 628 00:32:35.620 --> 00:32:38.998 and are on route to the nearest airstrip. 629 00:32:41.084 --> 00:32:42.293 We're getting ready to go to the airport 630 00:32:42.335 --> 00:32:44.253 and fly and collect these chimpanzees. 631 00:32:44.295 --> 00:32:45.755 I have little doubt that the people 632 00:32:45.797 --> 00:32:49.384 who stole our baby chimps have been dealt with by the ICCN, 633 00:32:49.425 --> 00:32:51.427 but right now all anyone can think of 634 00:32:51.469 --> 00:32:53.596 is getting these babies back to safety. 635 00:32:53.638 --> 00:32:56.683 There's no telling how much trauma they've already endured. 636 00:32:56.683 --> 00:33:00.353 So a top notch vet team will travel with us. 637 00:33:03.856 --> 00:33:07.110 Once we arrive the vets will assess the health of the chimps 638 00:33:07.151 --> 00:33:09.696 and prepare them for the trip back here to Lwiro 639 00:33:09.737 --> 00:33:11.155 where proper medical facilities 640 00:33:11.197 --> 00:33:14.409 have been prepared and are standing by. 641 00:33:15.702 --> 00:33:18.162 Our rendezvous point is Kindu Airport, 642 00:33:18.204 --> 00:33:20.873 just under an hours flight away. 643 00:33:24.043 --> 00:33:26.921 As soon as we land I see the cages, 644 00:33:28.381 --> 00:33:31.676 but I still have no idea what shape these chimps are in. 645 00:33:31.718 --> 00:33:34.470 (dramatic music) 646 00:33:45.857 --> 00:33:47.650 Well the little babies have just arrived. 647 00:33:47.692 --> 00:33:50.570 Other little guy on the other cage. 648 00:33:52.030 --> 00:33:54.032 He sort of looks like he's not in very good shape. 649 00:33:54.073 --> 00:33:56.617 They've been living in these cages for weeks 650 00:33:56.659 --> 00:34:01.622 separated from their families, isolated, scared and alone. 651 00:34:01.664 --> 00:34:03.499 They're just going to break the padlock off their cage. 652 00:34:03.541 --> 00:34:05.710 (banging) 653 00:34:08.755 --> 00:34:12.884 (speaking in a foreign language) 654 00:34:13.968 --> 00:34:16.429 In the wild chimps receive constant comfort 655 00:34:16.429 --> 00:34:18.973 and closeness until the age of five. 656 00:34:19.015 --> 00:34:20.433 These are probably the first hugs 657 00:34:20.475 --> 00:34:21.976 these babies have had 658 00:34:22.018 --> 00:34:25.021 since they were taken from their mothers. 659 00:34:25.063 --> 00:34:27.940 Okay now this little guy's terrified. 660 00:34:27.982 --> 00:34:29.484 Just look at the filth in this cage, 661 00:34:29.525 --> 00:34:31.778 I mean this poor little guy. 662 00:34:31.778 --> 00:34:32.779 I don't know how long they've been here, 663 00:34:32.779 --> 00:34:35.239 but it's certainly a few weeks. 664 00:34:35.281 --> 00:34:36.741 Chimps share so much our DNA 665 00:34:36.783 --> 00:34:39.786 and they're so close to us in the way they feel and think 666 00:34:39.786 --> 00:34:42.455 that I can't help but think of my own children. 667 00:34:42.455 --> 00:34:45.208 What if these were human toddlers going through everything 668 00:34:45.249 --> 00:34:47.126 these little guys have been through? 669 00:34:47.168 --> 00:34:49.837 He's got to try and gently coax him out of here. 670 00:34:49.879 --> 00:34:51.255 Two of them very easy to handle, 671 00:34:51.297 --> 00:34:54.300 but this little guy is so stressed. 672 00:34:54.300 --> 00:34:57.178 He's a little bit aggressive, he's very strong 673 00:34:57.220 --> 00:34:59.639 and so they're actually going to tranquilize him. 674 00:34:59.639 --> 00:35:01.808 The vets tried to get the meds into the stressed chimp 675 00:35:01.849 --> 00:35:03.518 with a laced banana. 676 00:35:10.358 --> 00:35:11.275 Too clever. 677 00:35:11.317 --> 00:35:12.443 But they're having no luck. 678 00:35:12.485 --> 00:35:13.361 Too clever. 679 00:35:14.487 --> 00:35:16.280 The banana would've been too easy. 680 00:35:16.322 --> 00:35:18.574 Now they're going to have to do it the hard way. 681 00:35:18.616 --> 00:35:20.034 They've made the decision, 682 00:35:20.076 --> 00:35:21.702 they can't get him out of here without tranquilizing him 683 00:35:21.744 --> 00:35:23.287 so that's what they're gonna do. 684 00:35:23.329 --> 00:35:25.623 It's not an easy operation to perform, 685 00:35:25.665 --> 00:35:29.710 but this guy's way too stressed and it's for his own good. 686 00:35:29.752 --> 00:35:32.213 (screaming) 687 00:35:32.255 --> 00:35:33.798 So what Luis has just done, 688 00:35:33.840 --> 00:35:37.426 is he's just blowpiped him to give him drug 689 00:35:37.468 --> 00:35:38.678 that's going to put him to sleep 690 00:35:38.678 --> 00:35:39.929 that way he's going to be manageable. 691 00:35:39.971 --> 00:35:42.223 He's a little bit too strong to man handle 692 00:35:42.265 --> 00:35:44.559 and he's certainly too stressed to come out here on his own 693 00:35:44.600 --> 00:35:46.727 so what we're gonna do, 694 00:35:46.769 --> 00:35:49.147 is we don't want to put this drugged one with the other one 695 00:35:49.188 --> 00:35:51.899 so Lina's gonna take this baby out of her cage 696 00:35:51.941 --> 00:35:53.401 and we're gonna put this one in here. 697 00:35:53.442 --> 00:35:55.361 As I've seen, abuse and stress 698 00:35:55.403 --> 00:35:58.239 can cause permanent damage to a young chimp. 699 00:35:58.281 --> 00:35:59.740 We have to get these babies 700 00:35:59.782 --> 00:36:03.494 to the safety of the rehab center as fast as possible. 701 00:36:04.829 --> 00:36:06.747 The engines have started. 702 00:36:06.789 --> 00:36:08.207 The chimpanzee's breathing, 703 00:36:08.249 --> 00:36:12.879 he's had the antidote and the journey's about to begin. 704 00:36:12.879 --> 00:36:15.631 The trauma for these little guys is nearly over. 705 00:36:15.673 --> 00:36:18.384 (dramatic music) 706 00:36:24.056 --> 00:36:27.226 Back at Lwiro they'll do thorough assessment. 707 00:36:27.268 --> 00:36:29.395 We need to find out the extents of the damage 708 00:36:29.395 --> 00:36:31.814 these chimps have suffered. 709 00:36:31.856 --> 00:36:33.900 Well we're arriving here at Lwiro 710 00:36:33.900 --> 00:36:36.903 at the Chimp Sanctuary and so this is pretty much 711 00:36:36.903 --> 00:36:39.906 the end of the journey for these little guys. 712 00:36:39.947 --> 00:36:41.741 This property will be home to these chimps 713 00:36:41.741 --> 00:36:43.492 until they fully grow 714 00:36:43.534 --> 00:36:46.871 and maybe longer if they're unable to recover. 715 00:36:46.913 --> 00:36:48.873 Now we've come into the clinic here at Lwiro. 716 00:36:48.915 --> 00:36:53.377 This is where these guys are gonna have their initial tests 717 00:36:53.419 --> 00:36:56.964 and the two vets, Luis from Gorilla Doctors 718 00:36:58.174 --> 00:37:01.052 and Lina who's the permanent vet here 719 00:37:01.093 --> 00:37:02.929 are gonna really check these little guys out 720 00:37:02.970 --> 00:37:05.014 and check out all of their health and vital statistics 721 00:37:05.056 --> 00:37:08.142 and just make sure that they're okay. 722 00:37:11.771 --> 00:37:14.315 There's a scare all across his back. 723 00:37:14.357 --> 00:37:17.026 They've tied a rope really tightly around his hips 724 00:37:17.068 --> 00:37:20.196 and you can see a big scar there. 725 00:37:20.238 --> 00:37:23.616 As cute as these little guys are, as human as they are, 726 00:37:23.616 --> 00:37:25.910 it's an incredibly sad story. 727 00:37:25.952 --> 00:37:28.621 Both of them have been ripped away 728 00:37:28.663 --> 00:37:31.791 from their families that have been killed. 729 00:37:31.832 --> 00:37:33.626 They don't deserve this. 730 00:37:33.668 --> 00:37:35.461 This part of the assessment 731 00:37:35.461 --> 00:37:37.046 is all about treating the physical damage 732 00:37:37.088 --> 00:37:39.257 done to these chimpanzees. 733 00:37:39.298 --> 00:37:41.801 The psychological assessment will take longer 734 00:37:41.842 --> 00:37:45.096 and is a far greater cause for concern. 735 00:37:46.514 --> 00:37:47.723 What we're gonna do 736 00:37:47.765 --> 00:37:49.308 is we're just going to leave the handlers. 737 00:37:49.308 --> 00:37:50.476 These little guys are going 738 00:37:50.518 --> 00:37:51.894 to get put with a person for the night. 739 00:37:51.936 --> 00:37:53.312 We're going to back off with the cameras, 740 00:37:53.354 --> 00:37:55.982 with all of the external stimulus 741 00:37:55.982 --> 00:37:57.650 and just leave them and possibly come and have a look 742 00:37:57.692 --> 00:37:59.986 in the morning and see how they're doing. 743 00:38:00.027 --> 00:38:02.655 A lot will depend on how they settle tonight. 744 00:38:02.655 --> 00:38:04.198 Wether or not we can see them in the morning. 745 00:38:04.240 --> 00:38:06.993 (dramatic music) 746 00:38:12.665 --> 00:38:14.792 The next time I see these orphans 747 00:38:14.834 --> 00:38:16.961 I'll learn what their future holds. 748 00:38:17.003 --> 00:38:19.797 Will they be among those released back into the wild 749 00:38:19.839 --> 00:38:22.008 or will they live out their lives here? 750 00:38:22.049 --> 00:38:23.342 Forever haunted by the trauma 751 00:38:23.384 --> 00:38:26.012 of their capture and captivity. 752 00:38:31.809 --> 00:38:33.311 - [Narrator] Carter's War would like to thank 753 00:38:33.352 --> 00:38:35.938 the following people and organizations. 754 00:38:35.980 --> 00:38:40.151 Without their help this program would not be possible. 755 00:38:43.529 --> 00:38:45.614 - After encountering an illegal animal trader 756 00:38:45.656 --> 00:38:47.575 at a market in Kinshasa. 757 00:38:47.616 --> 00:38:50.077 I managed to help rescue three young chimpanzees 758 00:38:50.119 --> 00:38:53.414 from a life of captivity and abuse. 759 00:38:53.414 --> 00:38:56.792 We flew them to the primate rehabilitation center in Lwiro 760 00:38:56.834 --> 00:38:58.794 where they've been assessed and have had several days 761 00:38:58.836 --> 00:39:01.756 to acclimatize to their new surroundings. 762 00:39:01.756 --> 00:39:04.508 (dramatic music) 763 00:39:12.224 --> 00:39:14.852 I'm coming to check on our babies that we rescued. 764 00:39:14.894 --> 00:39:17.271 They're in quarantine down here at Itsaso's house 765 00:39:17.271 --> 00:39:19.440 and I can't wait to find out how they're doing. 766 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:21.192 I'm hoping with all my heart 767 00:39:21.233 --> 00:39:22.777 that the prognosis is good 768 00:39:22.777 --> 00:39:25.237 and that our baby chimps are adapting well. 769 00:39:25.279 --> 00:39:28.074 I've already seen what happens to traumatized primates 770 00:39:28.115 --> 00:39:30.534 that are not able to recover. 771 00:39:31.952 --> 00:39:32.787 Okay. 772 00:39:36.791 --> 00:39:39.460 As soon as I lay eyes on them 773 00:39:39.460 --> 00:39:41.629 my fears are laid to rest. 774 00:39:41.670 --> 00:39:44.799 Even the most stressed of the three now seems happy. 775 00:39:44.840 --> 00:39:48.302 And they're looking a lot more active eh? 776 00:39:53.265 --> 00:39:54.225 Their eyes are a lot brighter eh? 777 00:39:54.266 --> 00:39:55.351 - Mmhmm yeah. 778 00:39:57.019 --> 00:39:59.063 - [Ivan] The little guy certainly loves his new mother eh? 779 00:39:59.105 --> 00:40:00.606 (laughing) 780 00:40:00.648 --> 00:40:02.191 You know when they first came it was heartbreaking, 781 00:40:02.233 --> 00:40:04.318 they just kind of sit there and stare 782 00:40:04.318 --> 00:40:06.821 and now they're active, they're playing, 783 00:40:06.862 --> 00:40:08.614 they're tickling each other. 784 00:40:08.656 --> 00:40:10.574 Yeah they're well on their journey 785 00:40:10.616 --> 00:40:12.451 towards a much greater place. 786 00:40:12.493 --> 00:40:16.163 This is awesome, really cool to see. 787 00:40:16.205 --> 00:40:20.000 The prognosis is good, the chimps seem stable and happy, 788 00:40:20.042 --> 00:40:22.586 but there's still a very long road ahead. 789 00:40:22.628 --> 00:40:25.840 (dramatic music) 790 00:40:25.881 --> 00:40:28.634 Our three rescues will stay in this quarantine area 791 00:40:28.676 --> 00:40:32.179 for two long months and they'll never be alone. 792 00:40:32.221 --> 00:40:34.598 Surrogate mothers will live with these babies 793 00:40:34.640 --> 00:40:37.059 around the clock seven days a week. 794 00:40:37.101 --> 00:40:41.272 Such is their dedication of the workers here at Lwiro 795 00:40:42.690 --> 00:40:46.527 Hi little Deedee, are you feeling a lot better? 796 00:40:46.527 --> 00:40:48.195 You're a lot better. 797 00:40:48.195 --> 00:40:49.405 You know when you look at 798 00:40:49.447 --> 00:40:50.865 what it takes to truly rehabilitate a chimp 799 00:40:50.865 --> 00:40:54.994 that comes in here psychologically wounded, 800 00:40:55.035 --> 00:40:57.872 physically in very bad shape, 801 00:40:57.872 --> 00:40:59.373 it's a commitment of many many years 802 00:40:59.415 --> 00:41:03.544 and some of these chimps will live to over 40 years old so. 803 00:41:04.879 --> 00:41:07.840 They're going to get integrated into a big group. 804 00:41:07.882 --> 00:41:09.049 They're going to get to live 805 00:41:09.091 --> 00:41:11.385 in one of these giant enclosures, 806 00:41:11.427 --> 00:41:14.722 and one day, they too will go back into the wild. 807 00:41:14.763 --> 00:41:18.184 It's truly amazing to me how a war torn country like Congo 808 00:41:18.225 --> 00:41:20.060 can produce so many dedicated 809 00:41:20.102 --> 00:41:22.730 and passionate conservation heroes. 810 00:41:22.771 --> 00:41:24.565 Thanks to the employees at Lwiro 811 00:41:24.607 --> 00:41:27.276 and the brave rangers of the ICCN 812 00:41:27.318 --> 00:41:29.403 our endangered primate cousins, 813 00:41:29.445 --> 00:41:32.072 and in fact all of the animals of the Congo Basin 814 00:41:32.114 --> 00:41:33.908 now have a fighting chance, 815 00:41:33.908 --> 00:41:36.410 but the war is far from over and the lesson here 816 00:41:36.410 --> 00:41:39.205 is the same as elsewhere on this beautiful continent. 817 00:41:39.246 --> 00:41:42.082 Now is the time to conserve what is important to us 818 00:41:42.082 --> 00:41:45.419 or one day very soon it may be all gone. 819 00:41:53.010 --> 00:41:56.347 (dramatic action music)