Tribes, Predators, and Me

Gordon Buchanan joins a tribal family on a remote Pacific island to see if it is possible to live close to sharks. Sharks are an animal most people find terrifying, but the men of Owarigi island in the Solomon Islands freedive to catch fish and encounter dangerous sharks almost every day, sometimes at night. Can the islanders teach Gordon to swim and share the ocean with sharks in this tropical paradise? The island rarely receives visitors and Gordon's arrival is greeted by a seemingly hostile ceremonial reception. He is soon welcomed by his mentors, cousins Moses and Sosimo, who teach him how to freedive and shoot a spear gun. Gordon sees sharks underwater here and learns that these predators are shy and attracted to fish not people. He then discovers something he didn't expect - the people of this small island are dependent on the ocean to survive, but fish and sharks are in worrying decline here. Commercial fishing and the shark-finning trade have arrived in this remote island, putting the islanders' future at risk. Gordon learns about the island's complex relationship with sharks and their ancient fishing techniques. Then he joins Moses and Sosimo on a spectacular shark dive on a protected reef teeming with fish and sharks. Before Gordon leaves, he witnesses the island's chiefs deciding to protect part of their reefs to preserve fish and sharks. A remarkable and moving insight into the underwater world of a unique and threatened island culture impacted by the outside world.

For thousands of years, Kazakh people of western Mongolia have formed a hunting partnership with golden eagles to help them catch furs to stay warm in the freezing winters. Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan joins a family of nomads to learn about golden eagles from these experts and help them train a young eagle to hunt. Gordon has a few painful lessons learning how to train and fly his young eagle. An eagle's training starts when it is less than a year old. Kazakhs always hunt with females as they are larger and fiercer than males. Gordon works with a young eagle to prepare it for its first hunt - will they be able to learn to trust and work with each other? And will he be able to get to grips with flying her, taking into account the wind and terrain, without getting hurt in the process? Gordon spends days with his young eagle to build her trust - even letting her sleep in his tent. But it is not just the eagle he has to bond with - he has got to get to grips with carrying an eagle on horseback, as well as mucking in with daily chores. Eventually Gordon faces some of the area's top hunters in a 'lure drag' tournament. Gordon's young eagle is not a successful hunter yet, but she shows promise. Then Gordon's mentor Sailau releases his older eagle back to the wild to breed. This older eagle has been Sailau's hunting partner for eight years and it is a touching moment as he says goodbye to his companion. It is a poignant act that illustrates the respect and love these remarkable people have for an iconic predator that has been persecuted across the world.

Hyenas are loathed and feared by many people. Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan journeys across Ethiopia to find out how the people here can live so close to these powerful carnivores. Ethiopia has more hyenas than anywhere else in the world, and Gordon wants to find out why. He starts his journey in the capital, Addis Ababa. Even here on the outskirts of this massive city, spotted hyenas prowl looking for food. Local hyena expert Girum Henok takes Gordon on foot to see hyenas at night in a small patch of forest. Weighing up to 90 kilos and capable of killing lions in packs, hyenas are one of Africa's most impressive carnivores. Girum tells Gordon that hyenas are tolerated here because people believe hyenas ward off the devil.