1 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,000 [quiet tranquil music plays] 2 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,440 [President Obama] Hanauma Bay is one of my favorite spots in the world. 3 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:30,680 I grew up in Hawaii. 4 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:32,640 This was my backyard. 5 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,240 My love of the natural world began here. 6 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,240 When I was growing up, wild spaces and everyday spaces, 7 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:45,600 they were one and the same. 8 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,120 An essential part of our lives. 9 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,520 I wanna make sure that the world's wild spaces 10 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,320 are there for my kids and my grandkids. 11 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:58,880 Join me in this celebration 12 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,160 of our planet's greatest national parks and wilderness. 13 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:06,480 A journey through the natural wonders of our shared birthright. 14 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,360 [dramatic music plays] 15 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,800 My mom used to tell me that when she was pregnant, 16 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,760 she'd come and sit and listen to the ocean 17 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,840 and look at the waves lapping over the coral reefs. 18 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,000 She used to joke that that was the reason I was so calm. 19 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,520 I had spent a lot of time here even before I arrived in the world. 20 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:42,480 When I was six, 21 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,840 Hanauma Bay joined the growing number of protected wild spaces. 22 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,560 What began as a common desire to secure wilderness for people to enjoy 23 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,200 has become a worldwide movement 24 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,480 to preserve these areas for future generations. 25 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,120 [tranquil music plays] 26 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,760 They're a place to escape the burdens of everyday life 27 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,560 and an inspiration for our children. 28 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,440 They're a haven for endangered species… 29 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:25,880 and a hotbed for scientific research. 30 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,360 Not only do they nurture the greatest array of life on Earth… 31 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:33,320 [elephant trumpets] 32 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:34,840 …they regulate our climate, 33 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:36,560 clean our air, 34 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,040 purify our water. 35 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,320 When humanity started to protect these wild places, 36 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,720 we did not realize how important they would become. 37 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,520 Today, they are some of the last strongholds 38 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:56,760 of wilderness and wildlife. 39 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,760 Some remain so remote 40 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,160 that we're only just starting to unravel their secrets. 41 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,040 Take Loango National Park in Gabon on the west coast of Africa. 42 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,960 It's a haven for tropical forest animals. 43 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:34,040 Yet many of the creatures here are all drawn to the very same place. 44 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,080 [tranquil music plays] 45 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:42,480 The beach. 46 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,720 [birds squawking] 47 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,160 One of the last places where the vast Congo rain forest 48 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,640 meets the Atlantic Ocean. 49 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:58,720 [tranquil music continues] 50 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,240 Buffalo graze vegetation 51 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,040 coated with sea salt… 52 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,640 a mineral that's hard to find in the rain forest. 53 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,200 [buffalo snorts] 54 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:18,760 [tranquil music continues] 55 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:29,080 A red river hog… 56 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:34,480 with a craving for fresh seafood. 57 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,440 [tranquil music continues] 58 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:47,000 African forest elephants come to the beach and mingle with marine giants. 59 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,000 Like this one-ton leatherback turtle. 60 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:02,320 And there's one creature here 61 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:07,480 who's figured out how to make the most of all the seaside amenities. 62 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:16,320 By day, hippos stick to freshwater lagoons. 63 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,240 [water gurgles] 64 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:20,560 Sheltering from the sun. 65 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:25,840 As evening approaches, 66 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,800 they usually trek inland to favorite grazing grounds. 67 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:31,880 [hippo snorts] 68 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:35,000 But not this guy. 69 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:40,320 [hippo growls] 70 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:45,240 [suspenseful music plays] 71 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:47,400 [hippo snorts] 72 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:50,720 He has other ideas. 73 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,080 [hippo growls] 74 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:08,000 He heads 75 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,840 straight for the surf! 76 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:16,280 [dramatic music plays] 77 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,880 [hippo snorts] 78 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:33,760 [dramatic music continues] 79 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:49,760 His three-ton frame feels lighter in salt water. 80 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,240 The waves wash away parasites 81 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,640 and soothe the scrapes and bruises of the day. 82 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:07,600 There's nowhere else you'll see a hippo 83 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:09,520 in the Atlantic Ocean. 84 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:12,440 [hippo snorts] 85 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,480 But he's not here just to take a dip. 86 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,120 He wants to catch the waves. 87 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,800 [tranquil music plays] 88 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,200 He rides the ocean swell north, 89 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:41,280 up the coast. 90 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,240 [tranquil music continues] 91 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,040 Until he reaches his favorite spot for dinner. 92 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,800 Now that he's worked up an appetite, he'll spend the whole night grazing. 93 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,400 As the sun sets all along this coastline, 94 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:31,840 other hippos follow suit. 95 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,360 Leaving their lagoons to hang ten. 96 00:08:39,680 --> 00:08:41,680 [dramatic music plays] 97 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,320 The surfing hippos of Loango. 98 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:54,240 It just goes to show, 99 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,480 the natural world can continue to surprise us 100 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,840 as long as we give it space to thrive. 101 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:05,640 [tranquil music plays] 102 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:13,680 Nature's remaining strongholds 103 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,480 are often in areas that are difficult to reach, 104 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:21,840 making national parks important and valuable sanctuaries 105 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:24,760 for iconic animals, 106 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,920 as well as rare and extraordinary creatures. 107 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,240 On the other side of Africa, on the island of Madagascar, 108 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,920 the remote Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. 109 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:46,520 [tranquil music plays] 110 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,640 This inaccessible stone fortress 111 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:57,120 has given rise to species found nowhere else on Earth. 112 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:01,440 A rock iguana, 113 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,280 recently discovered and never filmed before. 114 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,640 His long digits and claws help him grip the sheer rock face. 115 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,840 [tranquil music continues] 116 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,480 The forest surrounding the peaks shelters rare creatures 117 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,840 native only to the Tsingy. 118 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,440 Including one of the park's most elusive residents. 119 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:42,920 The Decken's sifaka. 120 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,640 Many of these endangered lemurs call this park home. 121 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:02,760 Like most primates, they spend much of their time in the safety of the trees. 122 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,840 This small group has a new responsibility. 123 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:23,760 [tranquil music plays] 124 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:34,520 At just eight weeks old, his strength will soon be put to the test. 125 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:42,920 So Mom gives him lots of encouragement. 126 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,000 [tranquil music continues] 127 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:50,720 Building his confidence to leave her side… 128 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:55,360 and explore his new world. 129 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:01,600 [tranquil music continues] 130 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:09,440 Climbing and jumping 131 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,680 is the best training for life in this park. 132 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:25,720 In time, 133 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,520 he'll cover 30 feet in a single leap. 134 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:31,600 [tranquil music continues] 135 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,920 Until then, it's baby steps. 136 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,680 He may be undeterred by the oppressive heat, 137 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:55,000 but the others save their energy 138 00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:57,200 by resting in the shade. 139 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,080 It's the height of the dry season. 140 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:17,400 Sifakas mostly rely on leaves for food and water. 141 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,200 But resources in their patch of forest are running out. 142 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:36,640 The only fresh food lies in small, shaded sanctuaries 143 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:38,560 scattered between the peaks. 144 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:41,880 [tense music plays] 145 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,520 The females decide it's time to make a move. 146 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:53,600 [tense music continues] 147 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,200 [tense music intensifies] 148 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,240 A maze of craggy, razor-sharp spires 149 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,240 lie between them and survival. 150 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:11,200 Below, gaping chasms. 151 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:14,720 [tense music continues] 152 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:23,680 Baby must use all his strength to cling on to Mom. 153 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:39,320 His added weight means her every move requires pinpoint precision. 154 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:42,600 [tense music continues] 155 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,040 A single misstep 156 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:55,080 could prove fatal. 157 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:00,360 [tense music continues] 158 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:09,640 It's a labyrinth, 159 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,000 but they know a secret route. 160 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:15,040 [tense music continues] 161 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:31,520 One day, he'll learn it too, 162 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,280 but, for now, he just needs to hold on 163 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:37,560 tightly. 164 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,760 Expert hunters patrol the exposed rock. 165 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,600 They shouldn't stay out here any longer. 166 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,160 Mom makes one last push… 167 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:04,720 [dramatic music plays] 168 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:10,280 …closing in on safety… 169 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:16,080 until finally… 170 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,400 they reach a sanctuary hidden between the rocks… 171 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,840 full of juicy leaves. 172 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:29,680 [tranquil music plays] 173 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,760 An epic and exhausting journey. 174 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,760 One he'll repeat many times 175 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:49,720 in the years to come. 176 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:54,960 [tranquil music plays] 177 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,240 The more isolated the national park, 178 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:03,480 the more unusual its creatures 179 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,280 and the more extraordinary their behaviors. 180 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,720 Which makes islands especially important to protect. 181 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,560 Like this one in southern Japan. 182 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:24,240 Home to Yakushima National Park and an ancient forest. 183 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:26,320 [tranquil music plays] 184 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:31,880 Moss carpets the ground. 185 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:35,880 Fig and banyan trees 186 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:39,080 knit their roots through the landscape. 187 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,240 Giant Japanese cedars, 188 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:49,520 some over a thousand years old, tower high overhead. 189 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,600 [tranquil music continues] 190 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,960 Isolation has shaped the creatures that live here. 191 00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:04,480 Many that live on islands are smaller than their mainland cousins. 192 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,480 This sika deer is just three feet tall. 193 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,160 His diet of dead leaves is filling, 194 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:25,680 but it's not the tastiest. 195 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:27,760 [jaunty music plays] 196 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,840 And it doesn't satisfy his sweet tooth. 197 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:41,560 If only he could reach the fruits and berries high above. 198 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,840 But there are windfalls in Yakushima. 199 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,440 If you know where to find them. 200 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:02,560 Japanese macaques. 201 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:05,280 [quiet jaunty music plays] 202 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:19,040 This is the gang he was hoping to find. 203 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:21,840 [jaunty music continues] 204 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,680 Now, he just has to be patient. 205 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,200 [macaques squeal] 206 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:45,760 And the macaques are the key 207 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:47,880 to the sweetest food in the forest. 208 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:50,240 [macaques squeal] 209 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,600 [suspenseful music plays] 210 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:12,640 They say good things come to those who wait. 211 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:24,520 All the deer know that these monkeys 212 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:26,720 are messy eaters. 213 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:29,560 [suspenseful music plays] 214 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:35,960 [jaunty music plays] 215 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,880 The food they drop is packed with sugars. 216 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,720 [jaunty music continues] 217 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:04,880 But there's only so much to go around. 218 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:18,880 [squealing] 219 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,080 The deer make the most of the feast while it lasts. 220 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:25,240 [macaque chatters] 221 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:28,040 [suspenseful music plays] 222 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,680 But a distracted stag becomes 223 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:40,680 the perfect plaything. 224 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:42,760 [suspenseful music continues] 225 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:52,800 And it turns out, there's no such thing as a free lunch. 226 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:54,880 [jaunty music plays] 227 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,000 In return for eating his fill, 228 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,760 the deer is taken for a joyride. 229 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:05,680 [jaunty music continues] 230 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:14,880 It's good to keep your allies on your side. 231 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,800 But this is definitely the last stop. 232 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:25,960 [macaque squeals] 233 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:36,040 Our national parks do much more than provide wildlife with food and sanctuary. 234 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,960 And we're still learning the true benefits of protecting wilderness. 235 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:46,760 [tranquil music plays] 236 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:50,600 In 1872, 237 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,320 Yellowstone, in the western United States, 238 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,320 became the first national park in the world. 239 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,080 Two million acres of wild space in the Rocky Mountains. 240 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,040 [tranquil music continues] 241 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:20,600 Geologically active 242 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:23,520 and spectacular. 243 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,600 [geysers roar] 244 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:29,680 [tranquil music continues] 245 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,560 Home to the largest concentration of wildlife 246 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,360 in the lower 48 states. 247 00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:45,120 [tranquil music continues] 248 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,240 One of America's greatest ideas. 249 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:59,400 Established for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. 250 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:06,000 And it caught on, sparking a global movement. 251 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,760 Today, around 15% of land 252 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,560 and nearly 8% of our oceans have been protected. 253 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:19,520 Most of it in my lifetime. 254 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:29,800 We've come to understand the true value of these last wild places 255 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:35,240 and that what happens inside our parks affects us all. 256 00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:46,720 Take rain forests. 257 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:53,200 They're home to more than half of all life on land. 258 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:03,040 If you're not sure why this biodiversity is so important to protect, 259 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:04,160 consider this. 260 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,160 A quarter of all our medicines 261 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,200 originated in rain forests. 262 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,520 We're still discovering new medical advances 263 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,080 hiding in plain sight. 264 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:27,200 In Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio National Park, 265 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,680 even familiar faces can surprise us. 266 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,200 A three-fingered sloth 267 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:35,600 enjoys the sun. 268 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,000 With the slowest metabolism of any mammal, 269 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,200 he can't afford to waste energy. 270 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:49,320 But he's hungry. 271 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,280 Fortunately, he doesn't have far to go. 272 00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,200 [jaunty music plays] 273 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,880 When it can take a month to digest a single leaf, 274 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,920 you may as well look for just the right one. 275 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:15,960 [jaunty music continues] 276 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,560 Like all sloths, he struggles to see. 277 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:25,360 So he sniffs for the best leaves. 278 00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:34,840 Passing on the old ones. 279 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:47,360 Until he finds 280 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:49,560 perfection. 281 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:02,120 [thunder rumbles] 282 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,440 But dinner is going to have to wait. 283 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,520 [rain splashes] 284 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:15,240 The rain chills him. 285 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:20,720 [splash] 286 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:23,760 [growling] 287 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:27,640 [growling] 288 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:40,080 [tranquil music plays] 289 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:55,560 Unlike the monkeys, 290 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:57,920 he can't warm up by moving quickly. 291 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,360 But the rain forest provides the ideal sun chair, 292 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,840 from which to perform a neat trick. 293 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:12,280 He changes color, 294 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:14,480 turning vivid green. 295 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:26,440 It's algae so far found only on sloths 296 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,600 that gives him his unique tinge. 297 00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:33,320 And that's not all. 298 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:39,920 There's an entire micro kingdom living in his fur. 299 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:43,880 At least 80 species call this place home… 300 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,040 including sloth moths, 301 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:54,040 who spend their adult lives on their gentle host. 302 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:03,360 His perfect mix of thick, damp fur, warmed by the sun, 303 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:07,080 ensures the little world inside his coat thrives. 304 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:12,520 That's why scientists believe that this sloth 305 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:14,920 could now benefit all of us. 306 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,000 [tranquil music plays] 307 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,160 He's like a tiny pharmaceutical factory. 308 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,480 Fungus in his fur produces chemicals 309 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,000 that have the potential to fight cancer, malaria, 310 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:29,680 and antibiotic-resistant superbugs. 311 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:31,760 [tranquil music continues] 312 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,080 If we can protect him and his rain forest, 313 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:45,040 this sleepy sloth might just save us all. 314 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:58,960 To safeguard our parks and all their inhabitants, 315 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:04,400 we must also protect the health of lands and waters beyond their borders. 316 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,000 [exciting music plays] 317 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,560 Because every protected wilderness, no matter how remote, 318 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:15,040 is connected to the outside world… 319 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:18,800 through the movements of wind, 320 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:21,360 water, 321 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:23,680 and wildlife. 322 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,560 Over Australia's north coast, 323 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,960 a quarter of a million magpie geese flock together… 324 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,840 heading for Kakadu National Park. 325 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:44,920 [geese squawk] 326 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:55,640 A landscape dominated by wetlands, rivers, and billabongs, 327 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:59,880 where shifting waters shape the fortunes of all. 328 00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:02,000 [birds squawking] 329 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:09,000 In the dry season, the geese gorge on water chestnuts 330 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,000 revealed in muddy shallows. 331 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:19,000 But one animal's good fortune can be another's peril. 332 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:25,440 Saltwater crocodiles, 333 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,600 the world's largest reptiles. 334 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:30,680 [birds squawking] 335 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,280 The dry season is a dangerous time for these predators. 336 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:44,800 A 15-foot male trying to make his way to deeper water 337 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:46,920 must cross a rival's patch. 338 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:55,840 But it's worth taking the gamble. 339 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:06,400 Crocs that don't move in time risk being entombed 340 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:07,800 in the drying mud. 341 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:09,880 [dramatic music swells] 342 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:16,760 But he makes it to the river system that connects Kakadu to the sea. 343 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,800 Now, his mission picks up pace. 344 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:27,400 [tense music plays] 345 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:52,760 He passes on his usual prey. 346 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,400 [tense music continues] 347 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,040 There are better options where he's heading. 348 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:04,080 [tense music continues] 349 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:08,920 [water splashes gently] 350 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:17,080 [tense music plays] 351 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:21,840 Cahills Crossing. 352 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:27,120 A road that only floods at the highest tides of the year. 353 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:31,360 He's timed it perfectly. 354 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:35,360 [tense music continues] 355 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:42,920 As the river rises, 356 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,000 mullet traveling from the sea 357 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:48,840 take their only chance to run the crossing 358 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,560 and continue their journey upstream to their spawning grounds. 359 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:56,640 And the crocs know it… 360 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:01,320 making this possibly the greatest gathering 361 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,920 of saltwater crocodiles on Earth. 362 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:11,200 But the water's so churned up, he can't see the fish. 363 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,480 So he splays his limbs 364 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:16,000 and points his digits. 365 00:34:19,240 --> 00:34:22,320 His scales are covered in pressure sensors. 366 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:24,400 [tense music plays] 367 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:30,680 By spreading out, he can more accurately detect the movement of his prey. 368 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,280 Driven by instinct, the mullet won't turn back. 369 00:34:52,720 --> 00:34:54,720 [dramatic music plays] 370 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:24,840 These ancient predators have the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom. 371 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:29,280 [dramatic music continues] 372 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:51,280 Then, just an hour after high tide… 373 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:54,800 it's all over. 374 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:01,680 He returns to his solitary life, 375 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:06,000 the beneficiary of the park's protection 376 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:11,640 and the rich bounty that comes from the seas beyond Kakadu. 377 00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:19,240 Australia's Great Barrier Reef. 378 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:25,560 One and a half thousand miles of reef, atolls, and islands. 379 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,360 The largest coral reef system in the world. 380 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,520 Most of it protected as a marine park. 381 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:36,920 [tranquil music plays] 382 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:39,320 Beneath the surface, 383 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:42,720 an explosion of life and diversity. 384 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,600 [tranquil music continues] 385 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,240 It's a busy underwater metropolis. 386 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,200 Corals represent just 1% of the ocean, 387 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:05,040 yet support nearly a quarter of all marine life. 388 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:07,120 [tranquil music continues] 389 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:27,160 The Great Barrier Reef is so extraordinary… 390 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:33,680 that even the smallest of places here has a huge role to play. 391 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:35,760 [tranquil music continues] 392 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:40,960 Raine Island is just half a mile long. 393 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:44,520 A tiny strip of sand in a vast ocean. 394 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,160 The park is a lifeline 395 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:55,360 for 90% of the region's endangered green sea turtles. 396 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:03,800 Each summer, thousands of them travel huge distances across the Pacific 397 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:05,840 to reach this tiny island… 398 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:12,680 the largest green turtle nesting site in the world. 399 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:14,760 [tranquil music continues] 400 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:23,000 Up to one million eggs are laid in the sand here every season. 401 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:28,760 As they have been for a thousand years. 402 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:30,840 [tranquil music continues] 403 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,600 But our world is changing fast. 404 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,600 Today, the accelerating pace of climate change 405 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:42,800 is having a devastating impact. 406 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:50,600 The hatchling's sex is determined by the temperature inside its nest. 407 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:57,520 Hotter sands now mean that up to 99% of eggs that hatch here 408 00:38:57,600 --> 00:38:58,800 are female. 409 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:09,160 And there's more. 410 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:13,720 As the planet warms and waters rise, 411 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:18,200 nest sites can flood, drowning the eggs. 412 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:26,680 With much of the beach just inches above sea level, 413 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,720 Raine Island is at serious risk. 414 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:41,720 It's been said that we're the first generation 415 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:44,320 to feel the impact of global warming. 416 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:48,440 And the last that can do something about it. 417 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:53,840 Our parks, like the rest of the planet, 418 00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:56,160 are now threatened by extreme weather, 419 00:39:57,240 --> 00:39:58,880 escalating pollution, 420 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,480 and biodiversity and habitat loss. 421 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:04,640 [tree thuds] 422 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:12,160 Some of it, the result of the choices we all make in our daily lives. 423 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,000 We risk our own well-being… 424 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:22,320 and that of future generations. 425 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:25,680 But we're not powerless. 426 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:29,400 We can turn things around. 427 00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:32,200 If we act now. 428 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,440 In some protected places, we already have. 429 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,520 [tranquil music plays] 430 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:47,720 In the heart of Africa, Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. 431 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:53,160 After genocide tore the country apart, 432 00:40:53,720 --> 00:40:55,920 this tiny nation rebuilt. 433 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:57,960 [tranquil music continues] 434 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:00,520 And as Rwanda healed, 435 00:41:01,240 --> 00:41:03,520 it prioritized conservation. 436 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:11,960 The rich volcanic soil is farmed right up to a discreet stone wall. 437 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:18,120 Beyond the boundary, 438 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:23,600 one of the last two populations of endangered mountain gorillas. 439 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:26,960 [tranquil music continues] 440 00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:37,040 The family is making the most of the bamboo. 441 00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:49,200 There are nine females in this troop, 442 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,800 including this mother with her newborn, 443 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,240 the youngest gorilla in the whole park. 444 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:04,360 Just three weeks old, she's barely able to raise her head. 445 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:13,760 In a few months, she'll be given a name 446 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:15,240 by the Rwandan government 447 00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:19,320 in a ceremony that celebrates the arrival of each new gorilla. 448 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:28,600 She and her seven siblings are part of a baby boom 449 00:42:29,560 --> 00:42:32,560 which has seen mountain gorilla numbers double. 450 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:39,880 While their father, Mirambo, 451 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:41,800 grabs a little shut-eye, 452 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:45,680 his three-year-old son, Paradiso, 453 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:47,960 keeps a watchful eye over the family. 454 00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:51,960 [tranquil music plays] 455 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,280 He seems keen to impress Dad… 456 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:04,920 [tranquil music continues] 457 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:14,760 …and has all the makings of a future leader. 458 00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:22,240 But he's gonna need some shaping. 459 00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:23,320 [gorilla snorts] 460 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:29,440 Volcanoes National Park is a gorilla's paradise, 461 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:31,560 but it wasn't always this way. 462 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:38,520 Just 40 years ago, poaching and habitat destruction were rife. 463 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:44,560 [gorilla snorts] 464 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:48,920 But efforts to protect the gorillas mean that, today, 465 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:51,480 Mirambo and his family are safe. 466 00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:56,040 Even when they do leave the sanctuary of their forest. 467 00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:04,240 They carefully cross the park wall. 468 00:44:05,240 --> 00:44:07,240 [cheerful music plays] 469 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:24,400 [cheerful music swells] 470 00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:46,880 Others, too, leave the park in search of delicacies. 471 00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:51,720 Rare golden monkeys that live only in these mountains 472 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:53,360 come to pocket potatoes. 473 00:44:54,640 --> 00:44:56,280 But wildlife isn't harmed. 474 00:44:57,080 --> 00:44:59,200 And neither do farmers lose out. 475 00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:03,880 Damaged crops are paid for, 476 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:08,880 and revenue from wildlife tourism is reinvested in local communities. 477 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:13,000 [cheerful music continues] 478 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:17,880 Meaning people can live sustainably with nature. 479 00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:20,800 [gorilla snorts] 480 00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:23,560 [cheerful music continues] 481 00:45:34,240 --> 00:45:37,120 And there are plans to increase the size of the park. 482 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:44,800 Ensuring that by the time Paradiso reigns here, 483 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:49,920 his future, and that of his species, is secure. 484 00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:59,040 Active conservation is responsible for protecting 485 00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:02,400 so many of the world's national parks and their inhabitants. 486 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:09,400 In Yellowstone, that's included species 487 00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:11,920 that are fundamental to a nation's identity. 488 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:16,680 [water splashing] 489 00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:18,760 [tranquil music plays] 490 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:29,640 Just over 100 years ago, 491 00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:33,520 American bison were facing extinction. 492 00:46:34,560 --> 00:46:36,560 [tranquil music continues] 493 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:42,960 Today, in the safety of the trees, 494 00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:46,200 a bison calf, just minutes old. 495 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:48,280 [tranquil music continues] 496 00:46:57,080 --> 00:47:00,680 Soon, she'll be strong enough to explore her world 497 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:02,680 and meet her playmates. 498 00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:17,520 Some 5,000 bison now roam Yellowstone. 499 00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:21,160 A key attraction for the millions of visitors 500 00:47:21,240 --> 00:47:23,040 who come to the park each year. 501 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:26,560 [tranquil music continues] 502 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:33,960 The feeling of seeing a bison for the first time 503 00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:36,360 is something I will never forget. 504 00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:38,600 [bison growls] 505 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:42,000 It's here that, as a kid, 506 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:48,400 I started to truly appreciate for the first time my place in nature. 507 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:53,440 That I was part of something much bigger than myself. 508 00:47:57,040 --> 00:48:00,400 I wish everybody had the chance to visit a national park. 509 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:04,320 To experience the sheer joy and wonder of nature. 510 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:09,120 To understand that each one of us is part of this precious natural world. 511 00:48:11,640 --> 00:48:12,680 Each breath we take. 512 00:48:15,120 --> 00:48:16,760 Each glass of water we drink. 513 00:48:18,400 --> 00:48:21,800 So many of the medical and scientific discoveries we make. 514 00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:27,480 The fabric of wild space connects to our lives in so many ways. 515 00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:30,720 It's up to us to protect it, 516 00:48:31,840 --> 00:48:32,760 to care for it, 517 00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:37,840 and to pass on these wild spaces to the next generation. 518 00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:43,240 Join me as we explore the wonders and secrets 519 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:47,040 of some of the most extraordinary national parks on the planet. 520 00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:50,080 [tranquil music plays]