Wild Arabia (2013–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - The Jewel of Arabia - full transcript
Most of the sun-scorched peninsula is arid and almost barren, but not the coastal Dohar mountains at both sides of the Oman-Yemen border. It has a much richer wildlife, including some rare ...
For centuries, we've known Arabia
as a desolate and forbidding land.
WIND BLOWS
A vast and barren desert,
where little survives.
But there's one corner of Arabia
where life thrives.
A mountain range that rises
dramatically from the ocean below.
Once a year, this coast undergoes
an amazing transformation.
Making it home to more wildlife
than anywhere else in Arabia.
In the far south of Arabia, on
the border between Oman and Yemen,
lies the Dhofar coast.
BIRDSONG
Here, beside the Indian Ocean,
a range of mountains rises
1,000 metres from the shore.
This remote region is home to
an amazing variety of wildlife.
BIRDSONG
It's January in Dhofar.
The start of a year in which
a team of biologists
will try to discover
what makes Dhofar so rich.
Hadi and Khaled Al Hikmani
grew up on this escarpment.
Now, as Omani government
researchers,
they want to find out
just how many species live here.
THEY CHATTER
Using remote cameras,
triggered by an infrared beam,
they hope to film
as many animals as they can,
including one so rare,
locals call it a living ghost -
the Arabian leopard.
These cameras
will run throughout the year,
opening a window
onto the private life
of Dhofar's most elusive animals.
But not all the creatures here
are so shy.
A female Verreaux's eagle
is on patrol.
She's a fussy eater.
A Pygmy owl won't do.
Her diet is so specialised, she
needs a partner to help capture it.
They're searching for a prey
whose nearest living relative
is the African elephant.
The tusks are a giveaway.
BIRD SQUAWKS
A Rock hyrax.
They feed on bushes on the cliff
face, safe from most predators.
But these eagles use a tactic
rarely seen in the bird world.
They go to work as a team.
It won't be easy.
Fan-tailed ravens don't like eagles
in their air-space.
This is a test of aerobatic skills.
A nesting kestrel doesn't want
the eagles around either.
HYRAX CHITTERS
The eagles split up.
HYRAX CHITTER
The female hugs the cliff edge...
..while the male soars
in front of the sun...
..hiding in the blinding light.
But the hyrax have a unique
blue-tinted retina
that acts like sunglasses,
allowing them
to stare directly back.
They don't let the male eagle
out of their sight.
But the male was merely a decoy.
His partner
has already made the kill.
By working together, they've
captured their favourite meal.
HYRAX TRILLS
To feed themselves
and a hungry chick,
the pair must kill
over ten hyrax a week.
CHICK CHIRPS
These little cousins of the elephant
are part of a rich food chain.
But it's not only the mountains
of Dhofar where wildlife thrives.
Just offshore...
..is the Indian Ocean...
..home to one of the rarest
animals on earth.
It's February and the waters echo
with a song heard nowhere else.
WHALE MOANS
WHALE GROANS SOFTLY
An Arabian humpback whale.
There are less than 100
left on the planet.
They're so special
they've become targets.
WHALE SONG CONTINUES
Researchers are now
on the hunt for whale DNA.
The dart merely pricks the skin
and the whale barely feels a thing,
but the scientists
have the sample they need.
WHALE SONG
The DNA results have
revealed something amazing
about this population.
SCIENTISTS CONFER
These humpbacks have not bred
with any other whales
for over 60,000 years.
The last time
they met with others of their kind,
sabre-toothed cats roamed the earth
and the Arabian peninsula
was still joined to Asia by land.
Using underwater microphones,
scientists are recording whale songs
never heard before
and think they may have discovered
a new race of whales.
WHALES TRILL AND GROAN
Perhaps the most remarkable
discovery about these whales
is that they're the only humpbacks
in the world that don't migrate.
All other humpbacks
breed in warm oceans,
then travel to polar waters to feed.
Only cold water carries
the nutrients they need.
WHALE SONG
But in 60,000 years,
these humpbacks of the Arabian Sea
have never left.
For these giants
to survive here year-round,
cold water full of food
must arrive from somewhere.
This holds the key, not just
for the humpbacks' survival,
but for all life
in these coastal mountains.
But for now, these waters remain
warm and barren,
just like the Arabian coastline.
It's April,
and not a drop of rain has fallen in
the mountains for over six months.
Arabia is so dry that not a single
river flows permanently
on this entire sub-continent.
The daytime temperature
reaches 45 degrees Celsius.
WIND WHISTLES
Shamal winds from the north
bring no relief for those living
in the Dhofar mountains.
Hadi and Khaled's families have
herded goats here for generations.
They are Jabali people,
originally from Africa.
At this time of year,
they travel far and wide
to find grazing for their animals.
Hadi and Khaled's village sits
on the top of the Dhofar escarpment.
Khaled's mother carries a weapon
to protect her flock.
GOAT BLEATS
In these remote mountains, their
livestock are exposed to predators.
And in the heat of early summer,
it seems the predators
are becoming more bold.
A neighbour has
called for Khaled's help.
LIVESTOCK SQUAWKS
As a government researcher,
he's first on call when wildlife
comes into the village.
Once a predator breaks in,
there's usually only one outcome.
The teeth marks suggest
a large carnivore.
Losing one goat is bad.
The loss of eight goats
will hit the family very hard.
In the past,
Khaled's village would've set out
to hunt this killer.
Now Khaled wants to
hunt for answers.
FLIES BUZZ
He suspects the killer will return
to the scene of the crime.
He sets a trap
with remote-control cameras.
An image of the culprit may help
efforts to compensate farmers.
Khaled is a goat herder himself,
as well as a biologist.
On the one hand, he hopes to protect
rare carnivores in these hills.
On the other, his family rely on him
to keep their goats safe.
GOATS BLEAT
It's a clear, starry night,
but there's no moon.
When the village lights go out,
it's pitch black.
Only by using a special
heat-sensitive camera
can we witness the night's drama.
GOATS BLEAT
CRICKETS CHIRRUP
The thermal camera
shows a cold, dark night
dotted with warm-blooded mammals.
To the human eye,
there's nothing but darkness.
CAMELS GROAN
The night-watchman can't see
the predators gathering.
WOLF HOWLS
Arabian wolves.
WOLVES HOWL
The Jabali often hear wolves,
but no-one knew they came
so close to the village.
They have rarely been seen
in groups bigger than four.
This pack numbers 12 individuals,
the largest ever recorded -
a clear sign there's more food
for them in the Dhofar mountains
than anywhere else in Arabia.
But they may not be the only ones
feasting tonight.
The party's over.
ANIMAL SHUFFLES
There's only one beast
not afraid to take on 12 wolves.
A female striped hyena
moves into position.
The scout can't see
the intruder in the darkness.
And the hyena makes her move.
One-on-one, a wolf is no match
for a hyena.
She's not quick,
but she's immensely strong.
With one bite,
she could crush a wolf's skull.
THEY GROWL
THEY SNARL
In the darkness,
the wolves lose their nerve,
and the thief helps herself.
WOLF WHIMPERS
Dhofar is one of the few places
on earth
where wolves and hyenas
come face-to-face.
But it won't be the rivalry
between the two species
that affects their survival.
It's the conflict
between predators and Jabali farmers
that Hadi and Khaled
are most concerned about.
BIRDSONG
At dawn, Hadi and Khaled
download their cameras.
The villagers heard wolves,
but the appearance
of a striped hyena is a surprise.
The video will be
a useful first step
in resolving the locals' conflict
with predators.
If they can identify
individual culprits,
it may prevent indiscriminate
revenge.
THEY CHAT
ANIMALS GROWL AND BARK
The cameras not only capture
the behaviour of large carnivores,
they shed light on some more obscure
night hunters.
Honey badgers usually forage alone.
In the mountains,
it appears they roam in packs.
And then a sight of one the rarest
animals in the world...
..an Arabian leopard.
THEY CONFER
These are the shots they're after.
They set out to check their cameras,
covering over 100 miles
of the Dhofar mountains.
The cameras are capturing a rich
food chain, from top to bottom.
Hadi and Khaled's results are
revealing a remarkable web of life.
But what is the one thing
that connects all this wildlife
and makes the Dhofar mountains
so rich?
The answer lies in their position,
right by the Indian Ocean.
It's May,
the hottest month of the year.
And one predator knows that Dhofar's
riches come from the sea.
An Arabian fox.
Tonight, this predator
from the mountains
will come face-to-face with
a creature from the Indian Ocean.
ANIMAL SCUFFLES
An ancient mariner has brought
treasure ashore to bury.
An animal that has changed little
since the time of the dinosaurs.
A female green sea turtle.
She is here to do
what her ancestors have done
for over 100 million years.
With her hind flippers,
she carefully digs a hole
of just the right depth.
Her tears excrete salt
and keep sand out of her eyes,
as she lays over 100 eggs.
This is the only activity
that will ever bring her ashore.
And it has not gone unnoticed.
Once her eggs are buried,
her job as mother is done.
She returns to the sea
for another year...
..but it's her buried treasure
that the thief is after.
An egg is a nutritious meal
for this skinny fox.
A second female arrives
to take her chances.
Two more, and the turtles
are improving their odds.
But the fox isn't alone either.
These foxes can dig up eggs
quicker than turtles can bury them.
Theirs is the most specialised diet
of any fox.
90% of everything they eat in their
whole life will be turtle eggs.
There is little the turtles can do
to defend their clutch,
but they have one strategy
the foxes can never match.
Numbers.
Each year,
over 10,000 female turtles
lay over three million eggs
along this coast.
It would take the foxes
over 50 years
to eat this season's batch alone.
Riches from the Indian Ocean
are feeding the Arabian land.
Ultimately, all of Dhofar's riches
are sustained by the sea.
And the sea itself is undergoing
a radical transformation.
Warm surface waters
are being dragged away,
sucked to the north
by the mighty Indian monsoon.
An oceanic vacuum is created,
and something must fill the space.
Cold water wells up from the depths,
bringing nutrients
from the sea floor with it.
Chilled water also holds
more oxygen,
and more oxygen means more life.
As the temperature drops,
these seas are transforming
into some of the richest
in the world.
Microscopic plankton flourish,
and an explosion of life begins.
Fish from every corner of
the Indian Ocean have come to feed.
Fusiliers.
Blue triggerfish.
And graceful devil rays.
Some have travelled from as far
as Australia to enjoy these riches.
This is why the humpbacks
never leave.
They don't need to migrate
to cold waters to feed.
Cold water comes to them.
And this bounty attracts one species
that arrives not in thousands,
not even millions.
The Indian oil sardine
arrives in billions.
A single shoal
can be over three miles long.
By moving in unison,
they confuse predators.
Rays are too slow.
Socotra cormorants
struggle to pick a target.
But synchronised swimming
won't protect them
from the ocean's most
voracious predator -
man.
The arrival of the sardines
means the Jabali mountain-men
become part-time fishermen.
Over half a million tonnes of fish
will be brought in.
While the cold water
is a boon for sardines,
it's brought hard times
for the resident corals.
The water temperature has dropped
ten degrees in a matter of weeks.
Tropical species are now being
overrun by a cold-water bully.
Kelp grows up to 50 centimetres
per day, smothering the reef.
Most warm-water residents
have no choice but to stay put.
A lone clown-fish. He has
made his home in a small anemone.
A tiny tropical island
in a sea that's turned cold.
For these tropical species, their
world has been turned upside down.
The Indian monsoon
has struck the Dhofar coast.
The monsoon brings with it
the magic ingredient
that sustains life
in these mountains.
The chilled waters
cool the air above them.
Creating clouds which pour inland.
The air is so humid,
the clouds need only touch an object
to release their moisture.
CAMEL GRIZZLES
The mist is about to work miracles.
Condensation settles on everything.
Some homes are water-logged.
A female golden orb spider.
Her oily exoskeleton
helps keep water out,
but shedding the droplets
isn't easy.
Her male is one-tenth her size,
and even less skilled at drying off.
Through June, the monsoon builds
into one of the biggest
weather systems on earth.
Cool ocean winds
meet warm Arabian air
creating vast cloud banks.
The Dhofar escarpment
provides the perfect barrier...
..trapping the clouds and hijacking
their precious moisture.
There is more rainfall here
than the rest of Arabia combined.
In July, the monsoon's blanket
rests heavy on the land,
and mist turns to rain.
Plants grow on other plants
to gain height
and steal as much moisture
as they can.
Even the animals here have amazing
methods of catching rain.
The Arabian chameleon absorbs water
directly through his skin.
And the head-shield
funnels raindrops to his mouth.
Perhaps a little too much, today.
Down below, the ground
is now so sodden
that others are emerging
from months underground.
Snails have been avoiding the heat,
but now conditions are just right,
and there's lots to catch up on.
Snails are seeking other snails.
And the tree trunks
have become singles bars.
Within a few short months,
the monsoon moisture
has worked its magic...
..turning the once-parched hills
into a green paradise.
This is a side of Arabia
that few of us could imagine.
A practically hidden ecosystem
springs to life.
The Dhofar coast
has become the jewel of Arabia.
By August, the earth
cannot soak up any more water
and the Dhofar mountains drain
what they can't hold.
When creeks turn to rivers,
some opt for a spot of fishing.
There are beginners...
and experts.
A few fish have clung on
though the dry season in tiny pools,
and now their numbers explode.
Each pond contains species
different to the next,
some found nowhere else on earth.
Millions of litres of water
have permeated the mountains,
a treasure that will trickle out
all year round
in the form of springs,
sustaining life for another year.
Many animals rely on the summer
monsoon to build fat reserves
for the lean times ahead.
In the final days of greenery,
the Jabali gather their camels
together
to graze in their thousands.
Hadi and Khaled continue their
research through the wet season.
After a few short months,
the monsoon begins to fade.
September gives way to October,
and the Arabian sun regains control.
Arabia is once again
a land without rivers.
Her mountains face the Indian Ocean,
awaiting next year's gifts.
By December,
Hadi and Khaled's cameras
have been running in isolation
for a year.
Their persistence has paid off.
Their holy grail appears
closer than expected.
GROWLING
Technology has brought them
face to face
with one of the most elusive
predators on the planet.
GROWLING
Their cameras
are not only capturing images,
but the first-ever sound recordings
of the leopard's mating call.
SONOROUS PANTING
Hadi and Khaled will use this
footage to raise awareness
of the Arabian leopard.
With support from the Oman
government, they hope to ensure
the cats' survival
in these mountains by the sea.
For the Arabian leopard, the Dhofar
mountains are their last stronghold.
Caves in these cliffs
provide shelter
for these secretive creatures.
For the first time ever,
we have a glimpse
into the private life
of these elusive animals.
And we know now that the leopards
share these mountains
with some equally remarkable
predators.
The story of the striped hyena
is intricately linked
with that of the Arabian wolf.
All these large carnivores sit
at the top of a fragile food chain.
A web of life that relies on
the spectacular setting
of their mountain fortress.
As long as the Indian monsoon
sweeps past each summer,
Dhofar will remain home
to the greatest diversity of life
in Arabia.
There are less than 200 Arabian
leopards left in the world.
They are critically endangered.
And yet a simple mist is all that's
needed to sustain this living ghost,
and everything that lives
in these Arabian mountains.
For the Wild Arabia team,
one animal above all posed
their greatest filming challenge.
Deep in the remote mountains
of Oman,
these animals are notoriously
elusive.
Spotting an Arabian wolf in daylight
is tricky enough,
but it's only after the sun
goes down that they hunt.
By braving the Arabian nights,
the team got a lot more than
they bargained for.
WOLF HOWLS
Cameraman Mateo Willis
grew up in Oman,
and since an early age has been
intrigued by the Arabian wolf.
So, I think we have to make
several trips.
To find them he'll need the help
of biologist Hadi Al Hikmani.
Hadi, have you got the laptop?
Mateo has known Hadi
for over 20 years and between them
they know these mountains
extremely well.
Whose idea was it
to bring so much luggage?
And there's one spot
where Hadi's camera traps
have had a lot of success.
Hey!
Porcupine.
Large packs of wolves
are known to patrol this canyon.
Mateo has a lot to set up
before the sun sets.
This ledge will be Mateo's bedroom
for the foreseeable future,
and he won't be getting much sleep.
Mateo has illuminated the track
with infrared lights.
The camera can capture an image,
but infrared is invisible
to the wolves.
He's hoping they won't spot him.
We've had a lot of luck with remote
cameras. We've got some great stuff.
But the problem is, they're only
ever snapshots of animals.
What's really great about being
back here behind the camera
is that for the first time
we're hoping
we'll be able to follow them
in greater detail
and reveal a bit more
about their behaviour.
It has now been days,
and Mateo hasn't filmed a thing.
There's just nothing coming through.
And yet we know
from the remote cameras
that animals come through here
almost every night.
WOLVES HOWL
Very frustrating. I can hear
the wolves, I just can't see them.
Our lights are so concentrated
that the wolves just have to be
ten feet to the left or right,
and I just can't see them at all.
It's time to head back
to the drawing board.
To get any footage
of these shy animals,
the team will need a camera that
sees much further into the darkness.
After two months, the crew return
with a possible solution.
In the last few weeks,
Khaled's family have heard wolves
howling at night.
He suggests that they set up their
hide on the edge of his village.
The night crew are now armed with
a completely new system -
a camera they hope
will let them film wolves
without the use of any lights
at all.
Camerawoman Sue Gibson
and assistant Dave Mothershaw
are the first try it out.
This camera sees heat.
On a cold night,
warm-blooded animals
can be seen up to a mile away.
Oh, he's turned around.
'Can you see through my clothes?'
"Can you see through my clothes?"
THEY CHUCKLE
Yeah. What's that(?!)
Is that why he's facing
the other way?
Is that why he thinks I asked him
to turn the other way?
Cor, it's incredible.
It's amazing piece of kit -
it's unbelievable.
Such a cool thing!
Filming village life
may pass the time on long nights,
but three weeks in
and still no wolves.
One of Arabia's other nocturnal
hunters has come to them.
Oh, (BEEP)!
Oh, God, I've got one in the bag.
He is massive.
Massive. Oh!
Oh, my God, I've been kneeling here
all night.
Oh, look at him!
The deathstalker scorpion
is one of the most dangerous
animals in Arabia.
There he goes. OK.
Watch your feet,
I'm going to flick him high.
No, I'm joking! I'm joking.
Here we go - ready?
Oh, Christ. (LAUGHS)
Right... OK, big guy. Arrh!
Don't worry about it, guys.
I know what I'm doing.
I know what I'm doing.
Here we go.
Here we go...easy, big guy.
Easy, big guy.
Oh, look at him!
Wow-wee. Oh... woo. There we go.
Man, he is off!
Look at the speed he's going!
Nocturnal filming
is exhausting work.
The team rotate, and now
it's cameraman Rolf Steinmann's turn
to take on the challenge.
Just outside Khaled's village
Rolf is filming the Jabali.
While retrieving a stray goat,
Khaled spots something in the dust.
You see the hyena here?
Hyena tracks?
Hyena track here, you see.
It's going in this direction.
Later that day Khaled is called
to the other side of the village,
where eight goats have been killed.
BUZZING FLIES
Khaled is sure that the predators
will return tonight.
But we can't go there because
we have these rocks in the view.
Rolf must pick his spot carefully.
Once set up he won't
be able to move position.
And all he can do now is wait.
Finally, a glimpse.
At last, their patience
has paid off -
and not just one, 12 Arabian wolves!
This is the largest pack
ever recorded.
But no-one on the team
was expecting what happened next.
A striped hyena.
There are very few places
on our planet
where hyena from the south
overlap with the wolves
from the north.
This is the first time
these two formidable carnivores
have ever been filmed side by side.
It was very risky to try this -
and I have these 12 wolves
in front of my hyena -
I simply couldn't believe it -
but then this hyena shows up
and chases away all the wolves
from the kill.
I mean, that was spectacular.
These images have a greater value.
Local farmers do lose goats
to predators,
and this footage might help
establish a system of compensation.
And in the long run,
that will help Hadi and Khaled's
quest to protect the wildlife
in these spectacular mountains
of Arabia.
Next time, we discover how animals
have adapted to the huge changes
that have swept Arabia
since the discovery of oil.
Today extraordinary animals
live alongside technology
in the fastest-changing
place on earth.
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
as a desolate and forbidding land.
WIND BLOWS
A vast and barren desert,
where little survives.
But there's one corner of Arabia
where life thrives.
A mountain range that rises
dramatically from the ocean below.
Once a year, this coast undergoes
an amazing transformation.
Making it home to more wildlife
than anywhere else in Arabia.
In the far south of Arabia, on
the border between Oman and Yemen,
lies the Dhofar coast.
BIRDSONG
Here, beside the Indian Ocean,
a range of mountains rises
1,000 metres from the shore.
This remote region is home to
an amazing variety of wildlife.
BIRDSONG
It's January in Dhofar.
The start of a year in which
a team of biologists
will try to discover
what makes Dhofar so rich.
Hadi and Khaled Al Hikmani
grew up on this escarpment.
Now, as Omani government
researchers,
they want to find out
just how many species live here.
THEY CHATTER
Using remote cameras,
triggered by an infrared beam,
they hope to film
as many animals as they can,
including one so rare,
locals call it a living ghost -
the Arabian leopard.
These cameras
will run throughout the year,
opening a window
onto the private life
of Dhofar's most elusive animals.
But not all the creatures here
are so shy.
A female Verreaux's eagle
is on patrol.
She's a fussy eater.
A Pygmy owl won't do.
Her diet is so specialised, she
needs a partner to help capture it.
They're searching for a prey
whose nearest living relative
is the African elephant.
The tusks are a giveaway.
BIRD SQUAWKS
A Rock hyrax.
They feed on bushes on the cliff
face, safe from most predators.
But these eagles use a tactic
rarely seen in the bird world.
They go to work as a team.
It won't be easy.
Fan-tailed ravens don't like eagles
in their air-space.
This is a test of aerobatic skills.
A nesting kestrel doesn't want
the eagles around either.
HYRAX CHITTERS
The eagles split up.
HYRAX CHITTER
The female hugs the cliff edge...
..while the male soars
in front of the sun...
..hiding in the blinding light.
But the hyrax have a unique
blue-tinted retina
that acts like sunglasses,
allowing them
to stare directly back.
They don't let the male eagle
out of their sight.
But the male was merely a decoy.
His partner
has already made the kill.
By working together, they've
captured their favourite meal.
HYRAX TRILLS
To feed themselves
and a hungry chick,
the pair must kill
over ten hyrax a week.
CHICK CHIRPS
These little cousins of the elephant
are part of a rich food chain.
But it's not only the mountains
of Dhofar where wildlife thrives.
Just offshore...
..is the Indian Ocean...
..home to one of the rarest
animals on earth.
It's February and the waters echo
with a song heard nowhere else.
WHALE MOANS
WHALE GROANS SOFTLY
An Arabian humpback whale.
There are less than 100
left on the planet.
They're so special
they've become targets.
WHALE SONG CONTINUES
Researchers are now
on the hunt for whale DNA.
The dart merely pricks the skin
and the whale barely feels a thing,
but the scientists
have the sample they need.
WHALE SONG
The DNA results have
revealed something amazing
about this population.
SCIENTISTS CONFER
These humpbacks have not bred
with any other whales
for over 60,000 years.
The last time
they met with others of their kind,
sabre-toothed cats roamed the earth
and the Arabian peninsula
was still joined to Asia by land.
Using underwater microphones,
scientists are recording whale songs
never heard before
and think they may have discovered
a new race of whales.
WHALES TRILL AND GROAN
Perhaps the most remarkable
discovery about these whales
is that they're the only humpbacks
in the world that don't migrate.
All other humpbacks
breed in warm oceans,
then travel to polar waters to feed.
Only cold water carries
the nutrients they need.
WHALE SONG
But in 60,000 years,
these humpbacks of the Arabian Sea
have never left.
For these giants
to survive here year-round,
cold water full of food
must arrive from somewhere.
This holds the key, not just
for the humpbacks' survival,
but for all life
in these coastal mountains.
But for now, these waters remain
warm and barren,
just like the Arabian coastline.
It's April,
and not a drop of rain has fallen in
the mountains for over six months.
Arabia is so dry that not a single
river flows permanently
on this entire sub-continent.
The daytime temperature
reaches 45 degrees Celsius.
WIND WHISTLES
Shamal winds from the north
bring no relief for those living
in the Dhofar mountains.
Hadi and Khaled's families have
herded goats here for generations.
They are Jabali people,
originally from Africa.
At this time of year,
they travel far and wide
to find grazing for their animals.
Hadi and Khaled's village sits
on the top of the Dhofar escarpment.
Khaled's mother carries a weapon
to protect her flock.
GOAT BLEATS
In these remote mountains, their
livestock are exposed to predators.
And in the heat of early summer,
it seems the predators
are becoming more bold.
A neighbour has
called for Khaled's help.
LIVESTOCK SQUAWKS
As a government researcher,
he's first on call when wildlife
comes into the village.
Once a predator breaks in,
there's usually only one outcome.
The teeth marks suggest
a large carnivore.
Losing one goat is bad.
The loss of eight goats
will hit the family very hard.
In the past,
Khaled's village would've set out
to hunt this killer.
Now Khaled wants to
hunt for answers.
FLIES BUZZ
He suspects the killer will return
to the scene of the crime.
He sets a trap
with remote-control cameras.
An image of the culprit may help
efforts to compensate farmers.
Khaled is a goat herder himself,
as well as a biologist.
On the one hand, he hopes to protect
rare carnivores in these hills.
On the other, his family rely on him
to keep their goats safe.
GOATS BLEAT
It's a clear, starry night,
but there's no moon.
When the village lights go out,
it's pitch black.
Only by using a special
heat-sensitive camera
can we witness the night's drama.
GOATS BLEAT
CRICKETS CHIRRUP
The thermal camera
shows a cold, dark night
dotted with warm-blooded mammals.
To the human eye,
there's nothing but darkness.
CAMELS GROAN
The night-watchman can't see
the predators gathering.
WOLF HOWLS
Arabian wolves.
WOLVES HOWL
The Jabali often hear wolves,
but no-one knew they came
so close to the village.
They have rarely been seen
in groups bigger than four.
This pack numbers 12 individuals,
the largest ever recorded -
a clear sign there's more food
for them in the Dhofar mountains
than anywhere else in Arabia.
But they may not be the only ones
feasting tonight.
The party's over.
ANIMAL SHUFFLES
There's only one beast
not afraid to take on 12 wolves.
A female striped hyena
moves into position.
The scout can't see
the intruder in the darkness.
And the hyena makes her move.
One-on-one, a wolf is no match
for a hyena.
She's not quick,
but she's immensely strong.
With one bite,
she could crush a wolf's skull.
THEY GROWL
THEY SNARL
In the darkness,
the wolves lose their nerve,
and the thief helps herself.
WOLF WHIMPERS
Dhofar is one of the few places
on earth
where wolves and hyenas
come face-to-face.
But it won't be the rivalry
between the two species
that affects their survival.
It's the conflict
between predators and Jabali farmers
that Hadi and Khaled
are most concerned about.
BIRDSONG
At dawn, Hadi and Khaled
download their cameras.
The villagers heard wolves,
but the appearance
of a striped hyena is a surprise.
The video will be
a useful first step
in resolving the locals' conflict
with predators.
If they can identify
individual culprits,
it may prevent indiscriminate
revenge.
THEY CHAT
ANIMALS GROWL AND BARK
The cameras not only capture
the behaviour of large carnivores,
they shed light on some more obscure
night hunters.
Honey badgers usually forage alone.
In the mountains,
it appears they roam in packs.
And then a sight of one the rarest
animals in the world...
..an Arabian leopard.
THEY CONFER
These are the shots they're after.
They set out to check their cameras,
covering over 100 miles
of the Dhofar mountains.
The cameras are capturing a rich
food chain, from top to bottom.
Hadi and Khaled's results are
revealing a remarkable web of life.
But what is the one thing
that connects all this wildlife
and makes the Dhofar mountains
so rich?
The answer lies in their position,
right by the Indian Ocean.
It's May,
the hottest month of the year.
And one predator knows that Dhofar's
riches come from the sea.
An Arabian fox.
Tonight, this predator
from the mountains
will come face-to-face with
a creature from the Indian Ocean.
ANIMAL SCUFFLES
An ancient mariner has brought
treasure ashore to bury.
An animal that has changed little
since the time of the dinosaurs.
A female green sea turtle.
She is here to do
what her ancestors have done
for over 100 million years.
With her hind flippers,
she carefully digs a hole
of just the right depth.
Her tears excrete salt
and keep sand out of her eyes,
as she lays over 100 eggs.
This is the only activity
that will ever bring her ashore.
And it has not gone unnoticed.
Once her eggs are buried,
her job as mother is done.
She returns to the sea
for another year...
..but it's her buried treasure
that the thief is after.
An egg is a nutritious meal
for this skinny fox.
A second female arrives
to take her chances.
Two more, and the turtles
are improving their odds.
But the fox isn't alone either.
These foxes can dig up eggs
quicker than turtles can bury them.
Theirs is the most specialised diet
of any fox.
90% of everything they eat in their
whole life will be turtle eggs.
There is little the turtles can do
to defend their clutch,
but they have one strategy
the foxes can never match.
Numbers.
Each year,
over 10,000 female turtles
lay over three million eggs
along this coast.
It would take the foxes
over 50 years
to eat this season's batch alone.
Riches from the Indian Ocean
are feeding the Arabian land.
Ultimately, all of Dhofar's riches
are sustained by the sea.
And the sea itself is undergoing
a radical transformation.
Warm surface waters
are being dragged away,
sucked to the north
by the mighty Indian monsoon.
An oceanic vacuum is created,
and something must fill the space.
Cold water wells up from the depths,
bringing nutrients
from the sea floor with it.
Chilled water also holds
more oxygen,
and more oxygen means more life.
As the temperature drops,
these seas are transforming
into some of the richest
in the world.
Microscopic plankton flourish,
and an explosion of life begins.
Fish from every corner of
the Indian Ocean have come to feed.
Fusiliers.
Blue triggerfish.
And graceful devil rays.
Some have travelled from as far
as Australia to enjoy these riches.
This is why the humpbacks
never leave.
They don't need to migrate
to cold waters to feed.
Cold water comes to them.
And this bounty attracts one species
that arrives not in thousands,
not even millions.
The Indian oil sardine
arrives in billions.
A single shoal
can be over three miles long.
By moving in unison,
they confuse predators.
Rays are too slow.
Socotra cormorants
struggle to pick a target.
But synchronised swimming
won't protect them
from the ocean's most
voracious predator -
man.
The arrival of the sardines
means the Jabali mountain-men
become part-time fishermen.
Over half a million tonnes of fish
will be brought in.
While the cold water
is a boon for sardines,
it's brought hard times
for the resident corals.
The water temperature has dropped
ten degrees in a matter of weeks.
Tropical species are now being
overrun by a cold-water bully.
Kelp grows up to 50 centimetres
per day, smothering the reef.
Most warm-water residents
have no choice but to stay put.
A lone clown-fish. He has
made his home in a small anemone.
A tiny tropical island
in a sea that's turned cold.
For these tropical species, their
world has been turned upside down.
The Indian monsoon
has struck the Dhofar coast.
The monsoon brings with it
the magic ingredient
that sustains life
in these mountains.
The chilled waters
cool the air above them.
Creating clouds which pour inland.
The air is so humid,
the clouds need only touch an object
to release their moisture.
CAMEL GRIZZLES
The mist is about to work miracles.
Condensation settles on everything.
Some homes are water-logged.
A female golden orb spider.
Her oily exoskeleton
helps keep water out,
but shedding the droplets
isn't easy.
Her male is one-tenth her size,
and even less skilled at drying off.
Through June, the monsoon builds
into one of the biggest
weather systems on earth.
Cool ocean winds
meet warm Arabian air
creating vast cloud banks.
The Dhofar escarpment
provides the perfect barrier...
..trapping the clouds and hijacking
their precious moisture.
There is more rainfall here
than the rest of Arabia combined.
In July, the monsoon's blanket
rests heavy on the land,
and mist turns to rain.
Plants grow on other plants
to gain height
and steal as much moisture
as they can.
Even the animals here have amazing
methods of catching rain.
The Arabian chameleon absorbs water
directly through his skin.
And the head-shield
funnels raindrops to his mouth.
Perhaps a little too much, today.
Down below, the ground
is now so sodden
that others are emerging
from months underground.
Snails have been avoiding the heat,
but now conditions are just right,
and there's lots to catch up on.
Snails are seeking other snails.
And the tree trunks
have become singles bars.
Within a few short months,
the monsoon moisture
has worked its magic...
..turning the once-parched hills
into a green paradise.
This is a side of Arabia
that few of us could imagine.
A practically hidden ecosystem
springs to life.
The Dhofar coast
has become the jewel of Arabia.
By August, the earth
cannot soak up any more water
and the Dhofar mountains drain
what they can't hold.
When creeks turn to rivers,
some opt for a spot of fishing.
There are beginners...
and experts.
A few fish have clung on
though the dry season in tiny pools,
and now their numbers explode.
Each pond contains species
different to the next,
some found nowhere else on earth.
Millions of litres of water
have permeated the mountains,
a treasure that will trickle out
all year round
in the form of springs,
sustaining life for another year.
Many animals rely on the summer
monsoon to build fat reserves
for the lean times ahead.
In the final days of greenery,
the Jabali gather their camels
together
to graze in their thousands.
Hadi and Khaled continue their
research through the wet season.
After a few short months,
the monsoon begins to fade.
September gives way to October,
and the Arabian sun regains control.
Arabia is once again
a land without rivers.
Her mountains face the Indian Ocean,
awaiting next year's gifts.
By December,
Hadi and Khaled's cameras
have been running in isolation
for a year.
Their persistence has paid off.
Their holy grail appears
closer than expected.
GROWLING
Technology has brought them
face to face
with one of the most elusive
predators on the planet.
GROWLING
Their cameras
are not only capturing images,
but the first-ever sound recordings
of the leopard's mating call.
SONOROUS PANTING
Hadi and Khaled will use this
footage to raise awareness
of the Arabian leopard.
With support from the Oman
government, they hope to ensure
the cats' survival
in these mountains by the sea.
For the Arabian leopard, the Dhofar
mountains are their last stronghold.
Caves in these cliffs
provide shelter
for these secretive creatures.
For the first time ever,
we have a glimpse
into the private life
of these elusive animals.
And we know now that the leopards
share these mountains
with some equally remarkable
predators.
The story of the striped hyena
is intricately linked
with that of the Arabian wolf.
All these large carnivores sit
at the top of a fragile food chain.
A web of life that relies on
the spectacular setting
of their mountain fortress.
As long as the Indian monsoon
sweeps past each summer,
Dhofar will remain home
to the greatest diversity of life
in Arabia.
There are less than 200 Arabian
leopards left in the world.
They are critically endangered.
And yet a simple mist is all that's
needed to sustain this living ghost,
and everything that lives
in these Arabian mountains.
For the Wild Arabia team,
one animal above all posed
their greatest filming challenge.
Deep in the remote mountains
of Oman,
these animals are notoriously
elusive.
Spotting an Arabian wolf in daylight
is tricky enough,
but it's only after the sun
goes down that they hunt.
By braving the Arabian nights,
the team got a lot more than
they bargained for.
WOLF HOWLS
Cameraman Mateo Willis
grew up in Oman,
and since an early age has been
intrigued by the Arabian wolf.
So, I think we have to make
several trips.
To find them he'll need the help
of biologist Hadi Al Hikmani.
Hadi, have you got the laptop?
Mateo has known Hadi
for over 20 years and between them
they know these mountains
extremely well.
Whose idea was it
to bring so much luggage?
And there's one spot
where Hadi's camera traps
have had a lot of success.
Hey!
Porcupine.
Large packs of wolves
are known to patrol this canyon.
Mateo has a lot to set up
before the sun sets.
This ledge will be Mateo's bedroom
for the foreseeable future,
and he won't be getting much sleep.
Mateo has illuminated the track
with infrared lights.
The camera can capture an image,
but infrared is invisible
to the wolves.
He's hoping they won't spot him.
We've had a lot of luck with remote
cameras. We've got some great stuff.
But the problem is, they're only
ever snapshots of animals.
What's really great about being
back here behind the camera
is that for the first time
we're hoping
we'll be able to follow them
in greater detail
and reveal a bit more
about their behaviour.
It has now been days,
and Mateo hasn't filmed a thing.
There's just nothing coming through.
And yet we know
from the remote cameras
that animals come through here
almost every night.
WOLVES HOWL
Very frustrating. I can hear
the wolves, I just can't see them.
Our lights are so concentrated
that the wolves just have to be
ten feet to the left or right,
and I just can't see them at all.
It's time to head back
to the drawing board.
To get any footage
of these shy animals,
the team will need a camera that
sees much further into the darkness.
After two months, the crew return
with a possible solution.
In the last few weeks,
Khaled's family have heard wolves
howling at night.
He suggests that they set up their
hide on the edge of his village.
The night crew are now armed with
a completely new system -
a camera they hope
will let them film wolves
without the use of any lights
at all.
Camerawoman Sue Gibson
and assistant Dave Mothershaw
are the first try it out.
This camera sees heat.
On a cold night,
warm-blooded animals
can be seen up to a mile away.
Oh, he's turned around.
'Can you see through my clothes?'
"Can you see through my clothes?"
THEY CHUCKLE
Yeah. What's that(?!)
Is that why he's facing
the other way?
Is that why he thinks I asked him
to turn the other way?
Cor, it's incredible.
It's amazing piece of kit -
it's unbelievable.
Such a cool thing!
Filming village life
may pass the time on long nights,
but three weeks in
and still no wolves.
One of Arabia's other nocturnal
hunters has come to them.
Oh, (BEEP)!
Oh, God, I've got one in the bag.
He is massive.
Massive. Oh!
Oh, my God, I've been kneeling here
all night.
Oh, look at him!
The deathstalker scorpion
is one of the most dangerous
animals in Arabia.
There he goes. OK.
Watch your feet,
I'm going to flick him high.
No, I'm joking! I'm joking.
Here we go - ready?
Oh, Christ. (LAUGHS)
Right... OK, big guy. Arrh!
Don't worry about it, guys.
I know what I'm doing.
I know what I'm doing.
Here we go.
Here we go...easy, big guy.
Easy, big guy.
Oh, look at him!
Wow-wee. Oh... woo. There we go.
Man, he is off!
Look at the speed he's going!
Nocturnal filming
is exhausting work.
The team rotate, and now
it's cameraman Rolf Steinmann's turn
to take on the challenge.
Just outside Khaled's village
Rolf is filming the Jabali.
While retrieving a stray goat,
Khaled spots something in the dust.
You see the hyena here?
Hyena tracks?
Hyena track here, you see.
It's going in this direction.
Later that day Khaled is called
to the other side of the village,
where eight goats have been killed.
BUZZING FLIES
Khaled is sure that the predators
will return tonight.
But we can't go there because
we have these rocks in the view.
Rolf must pick his spot carefully.
Once set up he won't
be able to move position.
And all he can do now is wait.
Finally, a glimpse.
At last, their patience
has paid off -
and not just one, 12 Arabian wolves!
This is the largest pack
ever recorded.
But no-one on the team
was expecting what happened next.
A striped hyena.
There are very few places
on our planet
where hyena from the south
overlap with the wolves
from the north.
This is the first time
these two formidable carnivores
have ever been filmed side by side.
It was very risky to try this -
and I have these 12 wolves
in front of my hyena -
I simply couldn't believe it -
but then this hyena shows up
and chases away all the wolves
from the kill.
I mean, that was spectacular.
These images have a greater value.
Local farmers do lose goats
to predators,
and this footage might help
establish a system of compensation.
And in the long run,
that will help Hadi and Khaled's
quest to protect the wildlife
in these spectacular mountains
of Arabia.
Next time, we discover how animals
have adapted to the huge changes
that have swept Arabia
since the discovery of oil.
Today extraordinary animals
live alongside technology
in the fastest-changing
place on earth.
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd