1 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,440 Hanauma Bay is one of my favorite spots in the world. 2 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:30,680 I grew up in Hawaii. 3 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:32,640 This was my backyard. 4 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,240 My love of the natural world began here. 5 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,240 When I was growing up, wild spaces and everyday spaces, 6 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:45,600 they were one and the same. 7 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,120 An essential part of our lives. 8 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,520 I wanna make sure that the world's wild spaces 9 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,320 are there for my kids and my grandkids. 10 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:58,880 Join me in this celebration 11 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,160 of our planet's greatest national parks and wilderness. 12 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:06,480 A journey through the natural wonders of our shared birthright. 13 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,800 My mom used to tell me that when she was pregnant, 14 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,760 she'd come and sit and listen to the ocean 15 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,840 and look at the waves lapping over the coral reefs. 16 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,000 She used to joke that that was the reason I was so calm. 17 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,520 I had spent a lot of time here even before I arrived in the world. 18 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:42,480 When I was six, 19 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,840 Hanauma Bay joined the growing number of protected wild spaces. 20 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,560 What began as a common desire to secure wilderness for people to enjoy 21 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,200 has become a worldwide movement 22 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,480 to preserve these areas for future generations. 23 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,760 They're a place to escape the burdens of everyday life 24 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,560 and an inspiration for our children. 25 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,440 They're a haven for endangered species… 26 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:25,880 and a hotbed for scientific research. 27 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,360 Not only do they nurture the greatest array of life on Earth… 28 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:34,840 …they regulate our climate, 29 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:36,560 clean our air, 30 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,040 purify our water. 31 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,320 When humanity started to protect these wild places, 32 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,720 we did not realize how important they would become. 33 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,520 Today, they are some of the last strongholds 34 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:56,760 of wilderness and wildlife. 35 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,760 Some remain so remote 36 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,160 that we're only just starting to unravel their secrets. 37 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,040 Take Loango National Park in Gabon on the west coast of Africa. 38 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,960 It's a haven for tropical forest animals. 39 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:34,040 Yet many of the creatures here are all drawn to the very same place. 40 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:42,480 The beach. 41 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,160 One of the last places where the vast Congo rain forest 42 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,640 meets the Atlantic Ocean. 43 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,240 Buffalo graze vegetation 44 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,040 coated with sea salt… 45 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,640 a mineral that's hard to find in the rain forest. 46 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:29,080 A red river hog… 47 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:34,480 with a craving for fresh seafood. 48 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:47,000 African forest elephants come to the beach and mingle with marine giants. 49 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,000 Like this one-ton leatherback turtle. 50 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:02,320 And there's one creature here 51 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:07,480 who's figured out how to make the most of all the seaside amenities. 52 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:16,320 By day, hippos stick to freshwater lagoons. 53 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:20,560 Sheltering from the sun. 54 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:25,840 As evening approaches, 55 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,800 they usually trek inland to favorite grazing grounds. 56 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:35,000 But not this guy. 57 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:50,720 He has other ideas. 58 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:08,000 He heads 59 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,840 straight for the surf! 60 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:49,760 His three-ton frame feels lighter in salt water. 61 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,240 The waves wash away parasites 62 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,640 and soothe the scrapes and bruises of the day. 63 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:07,600 There's nowhere else you'll see a hippo 64 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:09,520 in the Atlantic Ocean. 65 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,480 But he's not here just to take a dip. 66 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,120 He wants to catch the waves. 67 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,200 He rides the ocean swell north, 68 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:41,280 up the coast. 69 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,040 Until he reaches his favorite spot for dinner. 70 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,800 Now that he's worked up an appetite, he'll spend the whole night grazing. 71 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,400 As the sun sets all along this coastline, 72 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:31,840 other hippos follow suit. 73 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,360 Leaving their lagoons to hang ten. 74 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,320 The surfing hippos of Loango. 75 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:54,240 It just goes to show, 76 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,480 the natural world can continue to surprise us 77 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,840 as long as we give it space to thrive. 78 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:13,680 Nature's remaining strongholds 79 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,480 are often in areas that are difficult to reach, 80 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:21,840 making national parks important and valuable sanctuaries 81 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:24,760 for iconic animals, 82 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,920 as well as rare and extraordinary creatures. 83 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,240 On the other side of Africa, on the island of Madagascar, 84 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,920 the remote Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. 85 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,640 This inaccessible stone fortress 86 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:57,120 has given rise to species found nowhere else on Earth. 87 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:01,440 A rock iguana, 88 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,280 recently discovered and never filmed before. 89 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,640 His long digits and claws help him grip the sheer rock face. 90 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,480 The forest surrounding the peaks shelters rare creatures 91 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,840 native only to the Tsingy. 92 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,440 Including one of the park's most elusive residents. 93 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:42,920 The Decken's sifaka. 94 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,640 Many of these endangered lemurs call this park home. 95 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:02,760 Like most primates, they spend much of their time in the safety of the trees. 96 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,840 This small group has a new responsibility. 97 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:34,520 At just eight weeks old, his strength will soon be put to the test. 98 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:42,920 So Mom gives him lots of encouragement. 99 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:50,720 Building his confidence to leave her side… 100 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:55,360 and explore his new world. 101 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:09,440 Climbing and jumping 102 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,680 is the best training for life in this park. 103 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:25,720 In time, 104 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,520 he'll cover 30 feet in a single leap. 105 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,920 Until then, it's baby steps. 106 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,680 He may be undeterred by the oppressive heat, 107 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:55,000 but the others save their energy 108 00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:57,200 by resting in the shade. 109 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,080 It's the height of the dry season. 110 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:17,400 Sifakas mostly rely on leaves for food and water. 111 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,200 But resources in their patch of forest are running out. 112 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:36,640 The only fresh food lies in small, shaded sanctuaries 113 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:38,560 scattered between the peaks. 114 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,520 The females decide it's time to make a move. 115 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,240 A maze of craggy, razor-sharp spires 116 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,240 lie between them and survival. 117 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:11,200 Below, gaping chasms. 118 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:23,680 Baby must use all his strength to cling on to Mom. 119 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:39,320 His added weight means her every move requires pinpoint precision. 120 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,040 A single misstep 121 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:55,080 could prove fatal. 122 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:09,640 It's a labyrinth, 123 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,000 but they know a secret route. 124 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:31,520 One day, he'll learn it too, 125 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,280 but, for now, he just needs to hold on 126 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:37,560 tightly. 127 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,760 Expert hunters patrol the exposed rock. 128 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,600 They shouldn't stay out here any longer. 129 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,160 Mom makes one last push… 130 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:10,280 …closing in on safety… 131 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:16,080 until finally… 132 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,400 they reach a sanctuary hidden between the rocks… 133 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,840 full of juicy leaves. 134 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,760 An epic and exhausting journey. 135 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,760 One he'll repeat many times 136 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:49,720 in the years to come. 137 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,240 The more isolated the national park, 138 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:03,480 the more unusual its creatures 139 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,280 and the more extraordinary their behaviors. 140 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,720 Which makes islands especially important to protect. 141 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,560 Like this one in southern Japan. 142 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:24,240 Home to Yakushima National Park and an ancient forest. 143 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:31,880 Moss carpets the ground. 144 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:35,880 Fig and banyan trees 145 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:39,080 knit their roots through the landscape. 146 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,240 Giant Japanese cedars, 147 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:49,520 some over a thousand years old, tower high overhead. 148 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,960 Isolation has shaped the creatures that live here. 149 00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:04,480 Many that live on islands are smaller than their mainland cousins. 150 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,480 This sika deer is just three feet tall. 151 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,160 His diet of dead leaves is filling, 152 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:25,680 but it's not the tastiest. 153 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,840 And it doesn't satisfy his sweet tooth. 154 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:41,560 If only he could reach the fruits and berries high above. 155 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,840 But there are windfalls in Yakushima. 156 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,440 If you know where to find them. 157 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:02,560 Japanese macaques. 158 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:19,040 This is the gang he was hoping to find. 159 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,680 Now, he just has to be patient. 160 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:45,760 And the macaques are the key 161 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:47,880 to the sweetest food in the forest. 162 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:12,640 They say good things come to those who wait. 163 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:24,520 All the deer know that these monkeys 164 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:26,720 are messy eaters. 165 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,880 The food they drop is packed with sugars. 166 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:04,880 But there's only so much to go around. 167 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,080 The deer make the most of the feast while it lasts. 168 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,680 But a distracted stag becomes 169 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:40,680 the perfect plaything. 170 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:52,800 And it turns out, there's no such thing as a free lunch. 171 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,000 In return for eating his fill, 172 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,760 the deer is taken for a joyride. 173 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:14,880 It's good to keep your allies on your side. 174 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,800 But this is definitely the last stop. 175 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:36,040 Our national parks do much more than provide wildlife with food and sanctuary. 176 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,960 And we're still learning the true benefits of protecting wilderness. 177 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:50,600 In 1872, 178 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,320 Yellowstone, in the western United States, 179 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,320 became the first national park in the world. 180 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,080 Two million acres of wild space in the Rocky Mountains. 181 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:20,600 Geologically active 182 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:23,520 and spectacular. 183 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,560 Home to the largest concentration of wildlife 184 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,360 in the lower 48 states. 185 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,240 One of America's greatest ideas. 186 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:59,400 Established for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. 187 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:06,000 And it caught on, sparking a global movement. 188 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,760 Today, around 15% of land 189 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,560 and nearly 8% of our oceans have been protected. 190 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:19,520 Most of it in my lifetime. 191 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:29,800 We've come to understand the true value of these last wild places 192 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:35,240 and that what happens inside our parks affects us all. 193 00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:46,720 Take rain forests. 194 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:53,200 They're home to more than half of all life on land. 195 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:03,040 If you're not sure why this biodiversity is so important to protect, 196 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:04,160 consider this. 197 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,160 A quarter of all our medicines 198 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,200 originated in rain forests. 199 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,520 We're still discovering new medical advances 200 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,080 hiding in plain sight. 201 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:27,200 In Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio National Park, 202 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,680 even familiar faces can surprise us. 203 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,200 A three-fingered sloth 204 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:35,600 enjoys the sun. 205 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,000 With the slowest metabolism of any mammal, 206 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,200 he can't afford to waste energy. 207 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:49,320 But he's hungry. 208 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,280 Fortunately, he doesn't have far to go. 209 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,880 When it can take a month to digest a single leaf, 210 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,920 you may as well look for just the right one. 211 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,560 Like all sloths, he struggles to see. 212 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:25,360 So he sniffs for the best leaves. 213 00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:34,840 Passing on the old ones. 214 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:47,360 Until he finds 215 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:49,560 perfection. 216 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,440 But dinner is going to have to wait. 217 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:15,240 The rain chills him. 218 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:55,560 Unlike the monkeys, 219 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:57,920 he can't warm up by moving quickly. 220 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,360 But the rain forest provides the ideal sun chair, 221 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,840 from which to perform a neat trick. 222 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:12,280 He changes color, 223 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:14,480 turning vivid green. 224 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:26,440 It's algae so far found only on sloths 225 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,600 that gives him his unique tinge. 226 00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:33,320 And that's not all. 227 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:39,920 There's an entire micro kingdom living in his fur. 228 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:43,880 At least 80 species call this place home… 229 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,040 including sloth moths, 230 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:54,040 who spend their adult lives on their gentle host. 231 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:03,360 His perfect mix of thick, damp fur, warmed by the sun, 232 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:07,080 ensures the little world inside his coat thrives. 233 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:12,520 That's why scientists believe that this sloth 234 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:14,920 could now benefit all of us. 235 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,160 He's like a tiny pharmaceutical factory. 236 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,480 Fungus in his fur produces chemicals 237 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,000 that have the potential to fight cancer, malaria, 238 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:29,680 and antibiotic-resistant superbugs. 239 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,080 If we can protect him and his rain forest, 240 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:45,040 this sleepy sloth might just save us all. 241 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:58,960 To safeguard our parks and all their inhabitants, 242 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:04,400 we must also protect the health of lands and waters beyond their borders. 243 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,560 Because every protected wilderness, no matter how remote, 244 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:15,040 is connected to the outside world… 245 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:18,800 through the movements of wind, 246 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:21,360 water, 247 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:23,680 and wildlife. 248 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,560 Over Australia's north coast, 249 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,960 a quarter of a million magpie geese flock together… 250 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,840 heading for Kakadu National Park. 251 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:55,640 A landscape dominated by wetlands, rivers, and billabongs, 252 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:59,880 where shifting waters shape the fortunes of all. 253 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:09,000 In the dry season, the geese gorge on water chestnuts 254 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,000 revealed in muddy shallows. 255 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:19,000 But one animal's good fortune can be another's peril. 256 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:25,440 Saltwater crocodiles, 257 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,600 the world's largest reptiles. 258 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,280 The dry season is a dangerous time for these predators. 259 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:44,800 A 15-foot male trying to make his way to deeper water 260 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:46,920 must cross a rival's patch. 261 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:55,840 But it's worth taking the gamble. 262 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:06,400 Crocs that don't move in time risk being entombed 263 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:07,800 in the drying mud. 264 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:16,760 But he makes it to the river system that connects Kakadu to the sea. 265 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,800 Now, his mission picks up pace. 266 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:52,760 He passes on his usual prey. 267 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,040 There are better options where he's heading. 268 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:21,840 Cahills Crossing. 269 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:27,120 A road that only floods at the highest tides of the year. 270 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:31,360 He's timed it perfectly. 271 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:42,920 As the river rises, 272 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,000 mullet traveling from the sea 273 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:48,840 take their only chance to run the crossing 274 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,560 and continue their journey upstream to their spawning grounds. 275 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:56,640 And the crocs know it… 276 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:01,320 making this possibly the greatest gathering 277 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,920 of saltwater crocodiles on Earth. 278 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:11,200 But the water's so churned up, he can't see the fish. 279 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,480 So he splays his limbs 280 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:16,000 and points his digits. 281 00:34:19,240 --> 00:34:22,320 His scales are covered in pressure sensors. 282 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:30,680 By spreading out, he can more accurately detect the movement of his prey. 283 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,280 Driven by instinct, the mullet won't turn back. 284 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:24,840 These ancient predators have the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom. 285 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:51,280 Then, just an hour after high tide… 286 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:54,800 it's all over. 287 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:01,680 He returns to his solitary life, 288 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:06,000 the beneficiary of the park's protection 289 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:11,640 and the rich bounty that comes from the seas beyond Kakadu. 290 00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:19,240 Australia's Great Barrier Reef. 291 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:25,560 One and a half thousand miles of reef, atolls, and islands. 292 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,360 The largest coral reef system in the world. 293 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,520 Most of it protected as a marine park. 294 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:39,320 Beneath the surface, 295 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:42,720 an explosion of life and diversity. 296 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,240 It's a busy underwater metropolis. 297 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,200 Corals represent just 1% of the ocean, 298 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:05,040 yet support nearly a quarter of all marine life. 299 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:27,160 The Great Barrier Reef is so extraordinary… 300 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:33,680 that even the smallest of places here has a huge role to play. 301 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:40,960 Raine Island is just half a mile long. 302 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:44,520 A tiny strip of sand in a vast ocean. 303 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,160 The park is a lifeline 304 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:55,360 for 90% of the region's endangered green sea turtles. 305 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:03,800 Each summer, thousands of them travel huge distances across the Pacific 306 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:05,840 to reach this tiny island… 307 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:12,680 the largest green turtle nesting site in the world. 308 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:23,000 Up to one million eggs are laid in the sand here every season. 309 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:28,760 As they have been for a thousand years. 310 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,600 But our world is changing fast. 311 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,600 Today, the accelerating pace of climate change 312 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:42,800 is having a devastating impact. 313 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:50,600 The hatchling's sex is determined by the temperature inside its nest. 314 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:57,520 Hotter sands now mean that up to 99% of eggs that hatch here 315 00:38:57,600 --> 00:38:58,800 are female. 316 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:09,160 And there's more. 317 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:13,720 As the planet warms and waters rise, 318 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:18,200 nest sites can flood, drowning the eggs. 319 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:26,680 With much of the beach just inches above sea level, 320 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,720 Raine Island is at serious risk. 321 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:41,720 It's been said that we're the first generation 322 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:44,320 to feel the impact of global warming. 323 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:48,440 And the last that can do something about it. 324 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:53,840 Our parks, like the rest of the planet, 325 00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:56,160 are now threatened by extreme weather, 326 00:39:57,240 --> 00:39:58,880 escalating pollution, 327 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,480 and biodiversity and habitat loss. 328 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:12,160 Some of it, the result of the choices we all make in our daily lives. 329 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,000 We risk our own well-being… 330 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:22,320 and that of future generations. 331 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:25,680 But we're not powerless. 332 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:29,400 We can turn things around. 333 00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:32,200 If we act now. 334 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,440 In some protected places, we already have. 335 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:47,720 In the heart of Africa, Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. 336 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:53,160 After genocide tore the country apart, 337 00:40:53,720 --> 00:40:55,920 this tiny nation rebuilt. 338 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:00,520 And as Rwanda healed, 339 00:41:01,240 --> 00:41:03,520 it prioritized conservation. 340 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:11,960 The rich volcanic soil is farmed right up to a discreet stone wall. 341 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:18,120 Beyond the boundary, 342 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:23,600 one of the last two populations of endangered mountain gorillas. 343 00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:37,040 The family is making the most of the bamboo. 344 00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:49,200 There are nine females in this troop, 345 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,800 including this mother with her newborn, 346 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,240 the youngest gorilla in the whole park. 347 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:04,360 Just three weeks old, she's barely able to raise her head. 348 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:13,760 In a few months, she'll be given a name 349 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:15,240 by the Rwandan government 350 00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:19,320 in a ceremony that celebrates the arrival of each new gorilla. 351 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:28,600 She and her seven siblings are part of a baby boom 352 00:42:29,560 --> 00:42:32,560 which has seen mountain gorilla numbers double. 353 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:39,880 While their father, Mirambo, 354 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:41,800 grabs a little shut-eye, 355 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:45,680 his three-year-old son, Paradiso, 356 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:47,960 keeps a watchful eye over the family. 357 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,280 He seems keen to impress Dad… 358 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:14,760 …and has all the makings of a future leader. 359 00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:22,240 But he's gonna need some shaping. 360 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:29,440 Volcanoes National Park is a gorilla's paradise, 361 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:31,560 but it wasn't always this way. 362 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:38,520 Just 40 years ago, poaching and habitat destruction were rife. 363 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:48,920 But efforts to protect the gorillas mean that, today, 364 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:51,480 Mirambo and his family are safe. 365 00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:56,040 Even when they do leave the sanctuary of their forest. 366 00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:04,240 They carefully cross the park wall. 367 00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:46,880 Others, too, leave the park in search of delicacies. 368 00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:51,720 Rare golden monkeys that live only in these mountains 369 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:53,360 come to pocket potatoes. 370 00:44:54,640 --> 00:44:56,280 But wildlife isn't harmed. 371 00:44:57,080 --> 00:44:59,200 And neither do farmers lose out. 372 00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:03,880 Damaged crops are paid for, 373 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:08,880 and revenue from wildlife tourism is reinvested in local communities. 374 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:17,880 Meaning people can live sustainably with nature. 375 00:45:34,240 --> 00:45:37,120 And there are plans to increase the size of the park. 376 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:44,800 Ensuring that by the time Paradiso reigns here, 377 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:49,920 his future, and that of his species, is secure. 378 00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:59,040 Active conservation is responsible for protecting 379 00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:02,400 so many of the world's national parks and their inhabitants. 380 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:09,400 In Yellowstone, that's included species 381 00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:11,920 that are fundamental to a nation's identity. 382 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:29,640 Just over 100 years ago, 383 00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:33,520 American bison were facing extinction. 384 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:42,960 Today, in the safety of the trees, 385 00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:46,200 a bison calf, just minutes old. 386 00:46:57,080 --> 00:47:00,680 Soon, she'll be strong enough to explore her world 387 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:02,680 and meet her playmates. 388 00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:17,520 Some 5,000 bison now roam Yellowstone. 389 00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:21,160 A key attraction for the millions of visitors 390 00:47:21,240 --> 00:47:23,040 who come to the park each year. 391 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:33,960 The feeling of seeing a bison for the first time 392 00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:36,360 is something I will never forget. 393 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:42,000 It's here that, as a kid, 394 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:48,400 I started to truly appreciate for the first time my place in nature. 395 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:53,440 That I was part of something much bigger than myself. 396 00:47:57,040 --> 00:48:00,400 I wish everybody had the chance to visit a national park. 397 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:04,320 To experience the sheer joy and wonder of nature. 398 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:09,120 To understand that each one of us is part of this precious natural world. 399 00:48:11,640 --> 00:48:12,680 Each breath we take. 400 00:48:15,120 --> 00:48:16,760 Each glass of water we drink. 401 00:48:18,400 --> 00:48:21,800 So many of the medical and scientific discoveries we make. 402 00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:27,480 The fabric of wild space connects to our lives in so many ways. 403 00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:30,720 It's up to us to protect it, 404 00:48:31,840 --> 00:48:32,760 to care for it, 405 00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:37,840 and to pass on these wild spaces to the next generation. 406 00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:43,240 Join me as we explore the wonders and secrets 407 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:47,040 of some of the most extraordinary national parks on the planet.