BBC - The Secret Life of Primates (2009)

In a spellbinding journey of discovery, renowned zoologist Charlotte Uhlenbroek undertakes a unique animal experience as she travels to the planet's jungles and mountains and infiltrates some of the greatest wild primate groups, attempting to get physically closer to them than anyone has tried before. Using her skills, knowledge and expertise, Charlotte unravels the complex social and sexual dynamics of mountain gorillas, orang-utans, chimpanzees and baboons and pushes the boundaries of traditional camera techniques to bring viewers every detail of these magnificent animals' existence. Charlotte's adventure is not without its risks but the rewards are more than worth it, bringing the opportunity to witness rare moments of acceptance and kindness between human and primate.

Part 1: Chimps
Intrepid primatologist Charlotte Uhlenbroek travels to the planet's jungles and mountains to infiltrate some of the greatest wild primate groups, attempting to get physically closer to them than anyone before. In this episode, she travels to Budongo Forest in Uganda to track down a community of wild chimpanzees. They are under threat from rival groups – can their leader, alpha male Nick, see off the challenge and keep his community safe?


Part 2: Baboons
Charlotte Uhlenbroek encounters an 80-strong troop of wild baboons in the Mikumi National Park in Tanzania and learns about their habits and the organisation of their societies. She tries to understand the way they live by spending a whole day as one of the pack, a task that involves walking along plains under scorching heat in search of food. Over the next 10 days, Charlotte infiltrates their society, discovering an anarchic world of sex, politics and power-struggles.


Part 3: Orangutans
Primatologist Charlotte Uhlenbroek travels to Borneo to encounter the native orang-utans who are fighting for survival. She visits a project in Sabah that hopes to release three orphaned animals back into the wild, heads into the rainforest to search for the missing female of the group, and takes a trip up the Kinabatangan River in pursuit of an adult male.


Part 4: Gorillas
Charlotte Uhlenbroek travels to Uganda where she encounters rare mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. With only 600 of the creatures left in the world, this protected habitat is one of the few remaining places where they can still be found in their natural environment. The expedition is threatened by bad weather and faulty equipment, but the expert's tenacity pays off when she comes face to face with a silverback and its large family.






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