Spy in the Wild (2017–…): Season 2, Episode 3 - The Islands - full transcript

DAVID TENNANT (VO): The animal world
is full of spectacle and wonder.

But what's it like to be right
in the heart of the action?

To find out, our team
of spy creatures goes undercover.

They not only look like
the animals they film...

they behave like them too.

Armed with the latest camera technology...

they are heading across the globe.

From the heat of the tropics...

to the lands that lie in the north.

From the islands of the southern seas...

to the snow and ice of the frozen poles.



Our spies reveal the astonishing variety
of life that thrives there...

from inside their world.

On this assignment,
our spy creatures reveal

how life thrives on the islands
of the southern hemisphere.

Far from the mainland,
these isolated places have given rise

to some of the most unique
animals on Earth.

The Galapagos Islands of the Pacific Ocean.

A barren archipelago formed
by underwater volcanoes

over three million years ago.

This landscape of lava
is home to a remarkable fauna

found nowhere else in the world.

One of the most intriguing
is the marine iguana.

Before they can become active

these cold-blooded lizards
must bask in the sun.



Their black skin absorbs the heat

raising their core temperature
to a toasty 40 degrees.

To film these highly-protected animals,
spy iguana has special permission

to go closer than any human is allowed.

To succeed,
it has to be totally convincing.

Once they are hot enough,
they start to move.

Spy iguana now witnesses
something remarkable.

Cliff jumping for lizards.

They are after the seaweed
that flourishes just offshore.

They're on borrowed time.

The water's cold,
and in less than an hour

their body temperature will halve
and they'll have to return.

Now, another spy takes over.

Lava cam can track the iguanas
wherever they go.

At this time of year, the females
are laying their eggs on the beach.

The sand is baking hot

but a metre down, it's the perfect
temperature for incubation.

Spy iguana joins them for a closer look.

Digging the nest can take an hour -
hard work in the hot sun.

When they take a break

they have a self-styled sunhat.

Even our spy.

Competition for the best nest sites
is intense.

Those digging must be prepared
to hold their ground.

Head bobbing is a challenge
for ownership.

The winner is decided
by a test of strength.

The owner wins.

She's free to finish her work.

Along the tide line, the others are
returning from their underwater feast.

Chilled through by the cold sea,
they must sunbathe once more.

As spy iguana joins them,
another surprise is in store.

They sneeze snot.

Special glands in their nose
remove excess salt

which is expelled spectacularly.

Whatever they can do,
our spy can do too.

Oh, perhaps not.

As the day ends...

iguanas show their more affectionate side.

Even our spy has an admirer.

Snuggling together preserves
precious warmth

as the sun sets
over the Galapagos Islands.

Over 8,000 miles away,
off the southern coast of Australia

Kangaroo Island is another
unique wildlife haven.

Cut off from the mainland for 10,000 years,
it even has its own variety of kangaroo.

Koalas are here too

but they are relative newcomers.

Introduced here 100 years ago,
they now survive in unrivalled numbers.

Among them is a new koala

fresh from the mainland.

It's here to film their breeding behaviour.

The timing's perfect.
They're just waking up.

Yawning pumps oxygen to the brain.

Even wide awake, you needn't go far.

His favourite food is all around him...

eucalyptus.

But their leaves are not only tough,
they're poisonous

so koalas have powerful digestive juices
that neutralise the toxins.

Just digesting their food saps energy,
so they sleep up to 23 hours a day.

But today,
this koala is breaking the habit.

In the breeding season,
he must step up a gear.

One of our mobile spy cams
must rise to the challenge.

Koalas rarely come to the ground
or show such a turn of speed.

But he now has a territory to defend.

KOALA BELLOWS

He bellows to announce he's in charge.

A warning to other males.

Koalas scent-mark the ground
to tell each other

who's been passing through.

He's caught the scent of a female.

But this one already has a baby.

No point chasing her.

But she's not the only female here

and our spy is how keeping her company.

The male's enthusiasm may be short-lived...

A rival has found her first.

He will have to challenge for possession.

KOALA BELLOWS

He announces his arrival with a warning.

KOALA BELLOWS

Spy koala is witnessing something
rarely filmed

a fight in the treetops.

KOALA WAILS

KOALA WAILS

The only injury...

a loss of dignity.

The loser makes his retreat...

while the challenger gets the girl.

For all, that's quite enough
activity for one day.

Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean...

home to a creature
found almost nowhere else on Earth.

Every year, the monsoon rains sweep
the island and trigger a mass awakening.

Spy crab is ready to capture
what's about to unfold.

The real crabs have been sealed
in their burrows for months...

avoiding the worst of the yearly drought.

Now they emerge en masse.

Each female carries thousands of eggs
in a protective pouch

beneath her belly.

United by a common goal,
they begin their march to the sea.

The few soon become an army.

They haven't eaten for months
and are hungry for anything they can find.

Sometimes even each other.

But a robotic crab won't satisfy
anyone's hunger.

All in working order, spy crab
re-joins the march to the sea.

Since human settlers arrived,
the crabs have faced hurdles

never found in nature.

The smallest try to squeeze through.

The rest have just one option...

To climb.

No problem with six powerful legs to help.

Once down, an even greater challenge
awaits them.

TRUCK HORN BLARES

Many roads close in the migration season

but not all.

There are always some
that never make it.

But here it's a case of waste not,
want not.

Now it's spy crab's turn.

Against the odds,
most make it to the coast.

They assemble in the shade,
waiting for the perfect moment.

High tide triggers the final push.

Then, in their thousands...

they release their eggs.

A victory dance speeds the process.

Each crab may release 100,000 eggs

all swept out by the retreating tide.

In four weeks' time,
their hatchlings will return to the island.

Madagascar.

Bizarre baobab trees are a remnant

of the island's ancient connection
to Africa, now 300 miles west.

It was once connected to Asia too.

Separated from both for millions of years

life here has taken
its own evolutionary course.

In the island's spiny forest,
95% of plants exist nowhere else on Earth.

And the animals are equally unique.

A sifaka lemur, one of over a hundred
different species found only here.

Madagascar is also home
to half the world's species of chameleon.

One of the most beautiful
is the panther chameleon.

This one's a spy.

He's eyeing up a warty chameleon.

To their own kind,
they are fiercely territorial.

But not, it seems, to our spy.

While our chameleon
is otherwise preoccupied

another takes over.

It's soon spotted by another lemur.

The ringtail.

They spend more time on the ground
than any other.

They're also intelligent and curious.

Anything new demands a second look.

LEMUR SNIFFS

Lemurs are sun worshippers.

Adopting the lotus position
helps raise their body temperature...

vital for an animal with a low metabolism.

They're very good natured,
even to those that steal their sun.

After half an hour's meditation,
the day begins.

They live in large groups,
up to 30 strong.

Their tail acts as a flag,
making sure no-one gets lost.

While ring tails spend most of their time
on the ground

sifakas spend most of theirs in the trees.

Their powerful legs and stabilising tails
help them leap up to ten metres.

Adapted for jumping from tree to tree,
they have trouble walking on all fours.

They have a unique solution.

They pogo.

How better to cross open ground.

It may not be conventional
but it's surprisingly quick.

In just a few seconds, they can be gone...

leaving our spy with those
who prefer life in the slow lane.

Back on Kangaroo Island,
it's now the breeding season

for the animals that gave
the island its name.

This type of the western grey kangaroo
is smaller and stockier

than its mainland relatives.

They too hang around in groups,
known as mobs.

Each consists of up to ten females
and their babies, called joeys.

Every mob has an adult male,
known as a boomer

keeping an eye out for them.

Now there's a newcomer in their ranks.

The boomer checks out any new member
of his gang.

She looks the part.

That's good enough for him.

Inside the mob, females often act
as aunties to each other's joeys.

One joey has taken a shine to spy roo.

KANGAROO SNIFFS

He seems to regard her as an auntie too.

Then, as the ultimate sign of acceptance,
he even tries to suckle.

Despite the apparent harmony,
there are dangerous rivalries here too.

Competing males are everywhere,
hoping to steal a female.

Their liaison is no longer a secret.

It's something no boomer would tolerate.

First, a bit of shoving.

Then the claws are out.

His mob can only watch from the side-lines.

Now for the big guns.

The kick can deliver a blow
of over two tonnes.

Victory, for now.

But the boomer must always
stay on guard.

Meanwhile, peace returns.

And the joey's adopted auntie
is the centre of attention once more.

Just off the coast of South Africa
lies a small outcrop known as Seal Island.

Cape gulls are common here

but this one has a camera
in its eye and belly.

Below are the cape fur seals
that gave the island its name.

Over 60,000 of them.

They feed on the vast fish stocks
that thrive in the cold Antarctic currents.

At this time of year,
they gather to raise their young.

Among them is a spy.

He can sneak right up close
without raising suspicion.

Touching noses
shows they are totally at ease.

All around, the pups are growing fast.

Fed on their mother's full-fat milk,
they quickly outgrow their island home.

Everyone is squabbling over space.

Soon they must venture into the water...

including our spy.

Female seals are known to adopt orphans.

Perhaps this is why spy seal
is creating interest.

He's also a welcome playmate
to the younger seals.

But in nature,
danger is never far away.

Spy gull is patrolling the waters
around the island.

Below, the ocean's greatest predator...

a great white shark.

Each year, over 40 gather here
to hunt the young seals.

Spy seal is the first to see
the shark approach.

But one young seal
is still blissfully unaware.

Seen from above,
a game of cat and mouse unfolds.

The seal may be young,
but he's quick and manoeuvrable.

From above,
something remarkable becomes clear.

The seal pup can turn faster
than the shark.

He deliberately gets behind it,
out of sight.

Whenever the shark turns,
the seal stays right on its tail.

Until finally, he makes his escape.

Our spy is now the only seal remaining.

The shark begins to circle...

checking out yet another likely target.

Sharks can detect minute electric fields.

Spy seal has plenty of those.

At every pass, it gets closer.

The first bite is exploratory...

...testing if it's a worthwhile meal.

Sharks have a highly developed
sense of taste.

This wasn't what it was looking for.

Battered and bruised,
spy seal is left alone.

But it's a long way back to the island.

Over 5,000 miles away,
off the coast of western Australia

is Rottnest Island...

home to one of the most photogenic
creatures on earth.

Meet the quokkas,
the only native mammals to live here.

These marsupials
have no other living relatives

and exist only in a few
places in Australia.

They have a friendly reputation.

So, our spy should fit right in.

It's all going to plan.

As few predators are found on the island

they are curious and welcoming.

QUOKKA SNIFFS

Spy quokka's mission is to find out
how they raise their young.

Quokkas are vegetarians
and tea tree is one of their favourites.

Behind their cute smile
are some razor-sharp teeth

and they use their five-fingered hands
for grasping.

Quokkas eat so much vegetation,
they rarely need to drink.

But this is what our spy has come to see...

A baby quokka.

A joey, just three months old.

All marsupials carry their babies
in a pouch.

Quokkas are no exception.

For the last three months,
he's relied on his mother's milk.

Now he's trying solid food

but as a result,
he's getting too big for his pouch.

Withholding food is one way
to deal with the problem.

It's already quite a squeeze to get out

but there's a big wide world to explore.

He's going to need
a lot of looking after.

Our spy now witnesses
another side of quokka life.

For all their cuteness,
quokkas will fight over food...

especially tea tree.

Even the joey's mother
isn't keen to share.

With all this competition,
spy quokka is on dangerous ground.

A peace offering.

That seems to have done the trick.

For the baby, it's been quite enough
adventure for one day.

Across the Indian ocean,
on the remote island of Komodo

the east winds are blowing.

They bring the dry and harsh conditions
that trigger the breeding season

for the infamous Komodo dragon.

Unique to these tiny Indonesian islands

they are the largest lizard in the world

up to three metres in length.

The forked tongue is used to detect odours.

This male is seeking a mate.

Spy dragon looks just like the real thing.

Certainly worth a closer inspection.

He rakes his claws over the skin
to try to release pheromones

to reveal its sex and age.

Then checks with his tongue.

She may look the part
but she doesn't smell the part.

There's nothing of interest here.

He heads to the water hole

always a good meeting place
at this time of year.

Here, spy pig is also on duty.

As wild pigs are often eaten by dragons,
it soon attracts interest.

Again, he uses his tongue
to check its scent.

But there is something far more
interesting on the wind.

A real female dragon.

Some wooing is required.

His advances captured by a mud cam.

She stops to show she's interested.

This time, raking the skin
gives off all the right signals.

Our spy captures what must be
the closest reptiles get...

to a tender moment.

But pheromones travel far.

Another male is also on the scent.

With testosterone raging,
a fight is inevitable.

The female has a vested interest
in the outcome so follows behind.

They test their strength by wrestling.

DRAGONS HISS

The victor pins his rival to the ground.

And finally sees him off.

But with everyone in a fighting mood...

spy pig is no longer quite so safe.

The other dragons
are showing interest too.

He may be down
but he keeps on filming.

At nearly 100kg,
these dragons are ten times heavier

than their victim,
and they've hardly even started.

For the first time ever,
a view inside a dragon's mouth.

One laden with venom and toxic saliva, dosed
with over 50 types of deadly bacteria.

But as spy pig doesn't taste edible,
he's soon abandoned.

Anyway, the dragons still have
romance on their mind.

Spy pig's days are well and truly over

while our friendly dragon
survives unscathed.

In the middle of the South Atlantic

the Falkland Islands become the focus
of another spectacular event.

Rockhopper penguins have arrived to breed.

Here too is spy penguin

part of an army of penguin cams
ready to provide total coverage.

While the mothers are fishing out at sea,
the males are left on parenting duties.

One is already in trouble.

His chicks have hatched
and his partner is yet to return with food.

Just offshore, another spy also awaits
the penguins' return.

They arrive without warning.

Just getting ashore is difficult enough.

Another penguin cam is there
to film their achievement.

Many more will be needed
to cover the huge challenge ahead.

To reach their chicks,
somehow the penguins must scale

this hundred-metre cliff.

Just reaching the first level
is tricky enough.

But rockhoppers will never
let one mishap get in their way.

Even though, at every step,
they risk going back to the start.

With a little fancy footwork,
this female is faring best of all.

However, she still needs to reach
the next level up.

But they're not called
"rockhoppers" for nothing.

Although a little practice is required...

or perhaps an easier route.

But nothing here is ever that easy.

Next, this aquatic bird
must become a climber

with beaks and bills acting as crampons.

Fortunately, a thick layer of fat
cushions her fall.

She follows an ancient route.

The sides carved out
by the beaks and claw marks

of generations before her.

For some, the intensity of the climb
brings out a competitive streak.

But our heroine avoids getting involved.

Instead, she finds some welcome relief.

A natural shower.

A quick freshen up
before meeting her partner.

Just one more level to complete

what's known in the trade
as a chimney climb.

Now it's just a matter
of finding her mate...

not so easy when everyone here
is equally feisty.

The reunion will be short.
It's now the father's turn to go fishing.

They will each take shifts
over the next six weeks

until the chicks are
ready for a life at sea.

Back in the Galapagos Islands,
the moss-shrouded mountains

of Santa Cruz set the scene
for another remarkable gathering.

Boulder cam is on a mission
to find this rare and secret event.

It's not long before it finds
the first hopeful sign.

A giant Galapagos tortoise.

Unique to these islands,
at nearly two metres head to tail

they are the biggest in the world.

In these moist mountain valleys,
there is plenty for them to eat.

But it's so tough and fibrous,
they must feed for eight hours a day

just to get enough nutrients.

It's not the only tortoise here.

There's a spy in disguise.

It's the breeding season.

Spy tortoise could be just
what he's looking for...

Although he's never come across
a female like this before.

With 400 kilos on her back,
it's a good job her shell is reinforced.

Well, that was never going to work.

But he soon picks up the scent
of a real female

with both spies hot on his heels.

He would have smelt her
from over a mile away

a useful skill in such a dense forest.

TORTOISE GRUNTS

It's now just a case of following
the sound.

TORTOISE GRUNTS

TORTOISE GRUNTS

Mating can last for hours.

TORTOISE GRUNTS

TORTOISE GRUNTS

It never ends gracefully.

Finding a mating pair
is quite an achievement

but our spies have yet to complete
their mission.

But this is a hopeful sign.

In fact, Galapagos tortoises
are everywhere.

And here it is, their Shangri-La

an incredible gathering
of over 30 giant tortoises...

...all enjoying the fresh water
found in just a few mountain pools.

It's a haven for other wildlife too.

The Galapagos pintail duck.

For the tortoises, the pools
not only offer a place to drink and chill

but to absorb the food they've eaten.

Our spy's mission is finally complete...

leaving the tortoises to digest
their high-fibre meal.

Next time, our spy creatures
venture to the poles

to find the extraordinary animals

that thrive in a world of ice and snow.