Austin: “Look at the blood running down his neck.
That’s incredible.
Looks like the entrance to Hell, and that’s where I’m going.
There’s bats all over.
There’s bats all over.”
My name is Austin Stevens.
I’ve spent a lifetime photographing dangerous animals.
Now it’s time to face my worst nightmare.
Austin: “I’d rather face a thousand venomous snakes
than do what I’m doing right now.”
This might just be my toughest assignment yet.
Not because of the extreme humidity here in the Amazon, nor the rainforest’s forbidding
terrain, but because I’m about to face up to my greatest fear.
A fear I’ve been forced to confront once before.
Austin: “I don’t like this.
I’m claustrophobic.
I don’t want to be without light if I can help it.”
All my life I’ve been frightened of dark, enclosed spaces.
And I vowed I would never put myself through that again.
But now, I find myself in pursuit of a creature that spends half its life in deep dark caves.
The vampire bat.
The bats’ razor-sharp fangs can slice effortlessly through skin.
Using almost supernatural senses to seek out their prey, they satisfy their fearsome thirst
for blood.
Austin: “I can’t believe this weather.
A few minutes ago, the sun was shining.
Then suddenly a cloud burst, pouring with rain, rain running down the streets.”
All this water, combined with tropical temperatures, means this area teems with life, and makes
it the best place in the world for bats.
I’m in Ecuador, on South America’s Northwest coast.
From Quito, I’m driving to where the road runs out, and the Tiputini River takes over.
Its murky waters flow eastwards towards the Amazon’s uninhabited and mysterious heart.
Austin: “Basically, the river is a highway into
the jungle, and there’s lots of rivers and creeks around here.
The best way to travel is by kayak.
I’m going to leave the vehicle here, put everything I need on the kayak and start paddling.”
The recent rains mean the river is in full flow, but it’s still a whole day paddling
to reach my destination.
I’m heading for an area called Yasuni, said to be home to over a hundred species of bat,
including vampires.
Austin: “This is a great bit of beach.
It looks good here.
The jungle is solid over here and I see a couple of pathways, animal pathways, maybe
animal tracks, going in there.
And I’m hoping that I might get myself a nice campsite over here.”
Just like looking for a home, it’s the location that’s crucial.
Austin: “This looks like quite a nice area.
I need a bit of open space and I’ve got trees here where the hammock can be and everything.
Look at that, look at that.
Those are marmoset monkeys.
That’s the pygmy marmoset.
If I’m not mistaken, that’s one of the smallest primates in the world, if not the
smallest.
That means they’ve got a family group over here.
They feed on gum.
He’s actually feeding right now.
He’s feeding.
He’s right there.
They make holes in the bark of the tree and get through the tree and the gum seeps down
and the, they actually eat the gum.
They’re also insectivores, they’ll eat insects as well.
But this is one of their favourite food.
And the digestive system is specially adapted so they can digest that gum.
They are amazing little animals.
They’re so small that even some birds of prey will take them.
That changes my plans completely, because there’s no way I’d make my camp here right
under them.
That’s gonna disturb them for sure.
Especially if I have a fire at night and everything like that.
Let’s get out of here.”
Marmosets have tiny territories, usually just a handful of trees.
So I don’t need to go far to give them some room.
It’s just a few hundred yards before I find another likely looking campsite.
Austin: “Looks like a good spot.
I’ve got a big tree there, a big tree here.
Plenty of shelter.
I’ve just gotta clear this a bit.”
As dusk draws in on my first day, the challenge of finding vampires here, let alone photographing
them, becomes all too obvious.
Which is why I’ve brought something along to help me.
Austin: “This is a thermal camera.
I’m just testing it, getting a bit of experience with it.
Bats are mostly nocturnal.
Of course they, I’m gonna find them at night.
And this image actually detects the heat.
Any mammal, anything walking past, I’d pick it up straight away.
And the warmer blooded the mammal might be, the more white it’ll glow on my screen.
Nothing specific showing up at the moment, but it’s still early evening.”
Austin: “There’s a lot of bats here; they’re
all over the place.
I thought half a dozen, but I think there’s more than a dozen now.
They’re concentrating in this bend here.
I suspect it’s where the water’s slow flowing.
Because where the river’s flowing fast, they may not be able to catch what they want.
Look at them skimming over the top.
I bet you they’re fishing.
These are fishing bats, almost certainly.
There’s more coming in.
I’m telling you there’s twenty bats here now.
Look at that.
Look at all of them going.
Bats everywhere.
They’re going through the screen, in and out all the time.
It’s fantastic.
This thermal camera works.”
That’s the easy bit.
The real test is going to be getting face to face with them.
Searching for a small nocturnal animal in daylight might seem like madness.
But this is the time when bats are sleeping, which means they’re stationary.
And I’m hoping that will give me half a chance.
Austin: “This is exactly the kind of trees I’m
looking for.
Some of these trees are old; they’re ancient.
And they’re full of hollows, and that’s where bats would live.
I’m looking at this hollow over here, for example.
There could be bats right up inside there.
And if you knock on the tree, sometimes you can actually hear the bats inside, if you
disturb them slightly by knocking on it.
There are plenty of these trees in the forest, so I’ve just got to take my chance.
But it’s the right sort of place to find vampire bats.”
Okay.
I’ll admit that a cave might be a better place.
But I’m not going in one of those unless I absolutely have to.
Chittering sounds are a sure sign that bats are nearby.
And sure enough, I find my first bat roost.
Austin: “Just look at these little guys.
“
They’re not vampires.
But they are proof my plan works.
Austin: “I found a whole group of bats together
in this tree.
I think they’re insectivorous bats.
It’s a whole little colony together.
They’re a breeding colony.
I can see a couple of young ones there.
They’re in a really good position, got themselves well placed in that tree.
I’ll just leave them to it.”
It’s a good start.
But not the bloodsucking vampires I’m looking for.
Searching successfully is all about focus.
Ignoring the vast sea of green and concentrating on the small things, which may be significant.
Austin: ”I may be lucky.
There may be something inside there.
You see how the leaves are straight and then one is bent over?
It’s so hard to see because they’re always right up in the bend and you’ve gotta get
right underneath to look.
Or I’ve got to lift the leaf.
There may or may not be something there.
Oh I can see them.
There is.
I found some.
These are tent-making bats.
These are tiny little bats that actually chew the leaves so that they collapse.
They chew them in a specific pattern, the leaf falls over and then they hang underneath
that and they’re protected from, from the weather.
Isn’t that fantastic?
That’s so cute, you know what I mean?
They’re tiny, they’re so small, they’re wonderful.
And they’ve made this perfect little canopy tent for them to protect them from the elements.
Okay boys, you can relax.
I’m gonna move away.
You sleep good.
You sleep good.
Thank you for those pictures.”
There’s no point disturbing these guys.
They’re not the bats I’m after.
Austin: ”What was that like, eh?
That was incredible, like I never thought I’d get tent bats and actually get a photograph.
That was really unique.
I was very lucky with that.
Woah.
Oh, this is why you’ve gotta be so careful in the jungle.
To go away, just for a short while like I have now.
You come back, you open your bag and look at this.
This is a vine snake, and he’s found a perfect little place to curl himself up here in my
bag, just under the flap.
He must have come along down here and gone into my bag here.
They’re gentle little snakes that live up in the forest trees.
Watch this, you won’t believe this.
See how tiny he is here?
This is why they call him a vine snake.”
Austin: ”Look at his slender little neck, but look
at the length of this guy.
He’s not a baby; he’s a full-grown adult.
Look at that.
Can you believe that?
He’s a metre long, man.
I’m gonna just take him down at the head for a second and stretch him out so you can
just see that.
Look at that.
He’s not that short.
You’d be amazed, when he’s curled up like a little, a little ball over here, you wouldn’t
believe that.
Watch him stretch out.
Look at that stretch.
Watch, he’s reaching.
Somewhere to climb, somewhere to climb.
Look at that.
Look at that.
Wow.
He’s got three quarters of his body stretched straight out.
What kind of muscle control is that, eh?
You are phenomenal.
Hold on, it’s clinging to me everywhere.
There we go.
I’m gonna take pictures of him now.”
Austin: ”There we go.
There’s a typical vine.
I’ll put him right here.
Off you go.
You go up there and get me some nice photographs.
Go on.
There he goes, a couple of pictures.
That’s the way to do it.
Look at that shot.
So they move along silently, in between the leaves and stuff, feed on little insects sometimes
and they’ll take tiny little mice and stuff as well.
But especially frogs that lay eggs on leaf tops and stuff like that.
They’ll actually eat those eggs.
Only tiny little things can they eat.
He’s reaching out for another branch.
Oh that’s fantastic.
I’ve got a few good shots.
I’ll leave him to that.”
It’s hard not to get excited by unusual creatures like that, even if they’re not
exactly what I’m looking for.
Austin: “This is really fantastic.
I’ve already got some pictures of bats and I got really close as well.
This is really encouraging, so I’m hoping that, by basing myself here, where there obviously
is bats in the region, then I might just come across vampire bats.
And that’s the pictures I really want to get.”
But over the next few days, my enthusiasm begins to peter out.
I’m finding plenty of likely-looking trees, but none of them contain vampires.
Austin: “I’ve spotted a tapir.
Feeding, he’s so busy feeding that I don’t think he knows I’m here.
This is one of the biggest mammals you get in the forest.
They’re fantastic animals.
This is the kind of animal a vampire bat would actually feed on.
This animal is closely related to the rhino, would you believe?
It’s got this prehensile nose, almost like an elephant.
Watch how she’s pulling the branches down and eating one of them.
This is fantastic – I never thought I’d get this close.
She’s come towards me.
It looks like a female.
It might be a fairly young animal, though it’s adult sized.
Very often when it’s a young animal, they are less frightened than the adults, who are
much wiser.
I’m so close I can actually hear her chewing, it’s fantastic.
Listen to the noise it makes, whistling noise.
She’s moving away again.”
I’m almost sorry to see her go.
It’s the only creature I’ve seen in almost forty-eight hours.
And now, even the weather conspires against me.
Austin: “A lot of thunder and black clouds.
It’s definitely going to be a storm.
They don’t call it a rainforest for nothing.”
I’m beginning to think that searching for vampires out in the open may not be my best
tactic.
Austin: “I’m really having a tough time here.
I mean, make no mistake, I’m getting some great pictures.
But I’m not getting what I need – vampire bats.
I’m just not finding their roosts.
The forest is so thick and their potential prey scattered far and wide.
So it’s looking more and more like I’m going to have to find an area where they’ve
got a lot more potential to feed on and that’s where I’ll get my photos.”
My new plan means a long paddle back up river.
But it’s time to get out of the jungle.
Austin: “Well that’s basically the end of the
rainforest.
Now I’m heading for cattle country.
I’m hoping really that’s where I’m going to get the vampire bats.”
From the Tiputini River deep in the Amazon, it’s more than 300 kilometers west to the
cattle lands of Archidona.
Seventy-five million cattle now graze land once carpeted in rainforest.
Out in the open, these large, docile animals make easy targets for hungry vampires.
Austin: “I’m seeing cattle everywhere now.
They’re scattered throughout the mountains here.
I’m definitely in the heart of cattle country and that’s where I think the bats are going
to be.
They feed on these cattle.
But to find where they actually live, I’m going to have to definitely go off road into
the bush.”
The truck will only take me so far.
But with all my kit, I need another means of transport.
Austin: “That’s what I’ve been looking for.
That’s exactly what I need to go off road.”
Austin: “Hola Senor!”
Farmer: “Hola, good morning.”
Austin: “You speak a little bit of English?”
Farmer: “Yes, si, poquito, poquito.”
Austin: “A little bit.
I just, I want to rent a horse.
I want to travel cross-country.”
The sorts of places favoured by vampires are likely to be remote and inaccessible.
To have any chance at all, I need transport and a bit of local knowledge.
Austin: “I’m looking for vampire bats.
You’ve seen them around here?”
Farmer: “Ya.”
Austin: “They live here, you know?
They’ve got caves here?”
Farmer: “We have many cave.”
I was dreading him saying that.
But I guess this is what I came for.
Austin: “Before I set out there’s just something
I’ve got to double check.
My mask.
This is very important.
If I do find these caves there’s a good chance there’ll be spores in the cave, which
I want to protect myself against.
As well as there being very strong in ammonia.
If I have got vampire bats there, the smell of ammonia will be overpowering.”
Both the ammonia and the fungal spores come from the droppings of digested blood that
pile up wherever vampires roost.
Of these, it’s the spores that are most dangerous, causing respiratory disease and
even death.
And there’s another threat.
In South America vampire bats are infecting and killing about 100,000 cows a year with
rabies.
And humans too are falling prey to these killer bats.
I’m racking up plenty of reasons not to enter their underground home.
Austin: “Woah, that’s a good boy.
Well the guy I rented the horse from told me this area is full of caves and this is
going to be where I find the bats.
It’s going to be wet soggy areas – and I’m definitely going to need these.”
Where the ground is uneven and useless for grazing, the farmers leave patches of jungle.
They’re riddled with caves.
But only some are big enough to house bats as choosy as vampires.
I soon find just what I’ve been looking for, and dreading the most.
There’s no turning back now.
This cave look like an ideal vampire roost.
But there’s only one way to know for sure – get inside and take a look.
Austin: “Really good cave here.
Definitely bat potential.
But whether there’s vampire bats in there or not is another question.
But I’ve come prepared – I have the thermal camera and this will help me a lot.”
What it won’t help with is my severe claustrophobia.
I’ve been dreading this moment ever since I took on the assignment.
Austin: “It’s getting deeper.
I don’t like going into caves at the best of times – caves with water, it’s just
worse.
Thing is, these caves are formed by this water.
These are underground rivers flowing through here, cutting through the rock over millions
of years.
What you’ve got to keep in mind is that when there’s thunderstorms – big rain
– topside, this can flood.
The water rushes down, this gets higher and higher.
So I must be very careful of that.
If I hear any sign of rain, get the hell out of here.
Nothing on the thermal just yet.
I’ve gotta go deeper, which doesn’t make me that happy.”
The further I go from the entrance, the tenser I get.
Everything about this cave is putting me on edge.
Austin: “The water is getting faster over here.
It’s like a waterfall rushing down here.
It means the cave’s getting narrower.
And it seems to divide into two.
I’ll have to take a closer look.
The narrower the cave, the deeper the cave, the further away from light – the more chance
of finding bats.
The more unhappy I am.
I see bats.
I see bats down there.
I’m going to have to go right down this tunnel.
It’s getting narrower all the time.
I’ve just got to go a bit further.”
But the deeper I go, the greater the chances of getting lost.
Austin: “Not a sign of a bat here.
Saw a lot of bats earlier but nothing here.
Big crevices here as well.
I was expecting to find...Hang on.
Picking up something, something moving in here.
Oh!
Look at that!
You see that??
It’s a snake!
It’s a Boa constrictor.
It’s just heading away, it’s obviously got a hole over here.
I’ll bring him out.
I hope he’s not a bitey one.
Man that’s unusual.
Look at him, I’m going to bring him right out here, have a good look at him.
He’s not trying to bite me.
He might be startled by the light.
I’m hoping he is.
Look at the size, he’s not small either, he’s pretty big and he’s beautiful.
Are you a bitey snake?
No?
Look at that.
Now Boa constrictors are plentiful in this region – they’re quite common, it’s
not a problem.
But what is unusual is that it’s in this cave.
These guys live out in the forest and they get quite big, they get up to about three
metres in length.
So this guy’s here for only one reason and that’s to find food.
He must be smelling bats, I mean, snakes do do that.
And he’s a big boy, look at the size of his head, I’ve got his head.
Look at the size of his head, and he’s gorgeous.
These guys will eat any small mammals – even quite big mammals.
And what he would do then, he’s got a perfect crevice over here, so I imagine he’s lying
there and there might be bats up here.
And the chance is that a bat would come past and he’d probably strike at it, he might
miss ten times but then he might also hit one every now and then.”
Austin: “I’d love to get a picture of this guy
if I can.
Let me see if I can just quickly do that.
Let go!
Wow!
Come here looking for pictures of bats and I got a snake.
But I’ve just got to record this if I can.
Let’s do this, come on.
See he’s getting excited now.
He’s come to realize now there’s something wrong here.
Come on, come on, that’s fantastic.
Snake in a bat cave.
Now look at that, typical striking pose.
That’s exactly the pose he would be in if something came past him really quick.
He would grab for it.
Oh he’s excited now.
You’re a beautiful, gorgeous boy.
Alright I’ll put you back there.
Let’s put him back and see how he does.
Okay.
I’ll just lie him down on the ledge here.
He can make his own way out.
Nice boy.
Aah.”
For a moment, I almost forgot where I was.
But just for a moment.
Reluctantly, I press on.
Austin: “Makes you so nervous.
I don’t know what to expect around every bend.
I’m getting so deep I don’t see.
I see bats down there.
I’m going to have to go right down this tunnel.
I’m so far into this cave.
It’s humid.
I can feel the humidity.”
The sound of running water seems to be increasing.
But I’m so deep underground, I can’t tell if it’s rain or not.
Austin: “Look here – here they are.”
I’m starting to lose track of where they’re leading me.
And I’m struggling to keep up.
I’m now a long way from safety.
Austin: “Nothing on the thermal, nothing!
This makes me so nervous.
It’s getting so tiny in here, so hard to move in here.
It’s all rocks.
And the water’s flowing out here.
It could be raining upstairs and it could start flooding here.
People have died in here from being trapped in these caves by flooding.
And I don’t want to take that risk.
I’m thinking this cave may be not the best choice.
I’m not getting enough bats.
Okay.”
The rising water has got the better of my nerves.
I’m getting the heck out of here.
By the time I get to the surface, the shakes have really kicked in.
I take a couple of moments to steady myself.
On the way back to my horse, I spot another promising looking cave.
But I’ve had enough caving for one day.
Maybe tomorrow.
Austin: “Hello horse.”
I never thought I’d be so happy to see this guy again.
And it seems he’s got company.
While I’ve been underground, a herd of cows has moved to the very edge of the jungle,
not far from the caves.
This is just the sort of pretty that would attract a vampire.
Austin: “Look at this.
This is what I’ve been looking for.
That’s definitely vampire bats.
See how the blood is running down?
Been bitten over here.
Scars over there.
Blood been running down.
Vampire bats – no question about it.
All I’ve got to do is stake out these cows.
Because they definitely come back.
They get to the same wounds, open them up again, and drink again.
If I stake these cows out tonight, I’m gonna get my bats.”
After the disappointment of the cave, this is the best break I’ve had – a great chance
to get my shots of vampires on the hunt for blood.
Austin: “I’m very pleased I found this group of
cows that’s obviously being attacked by vampire bats at night.
So the thing to do now is to stake them out.
If I’m lucky enough they’ll come in while I’m there and I’ll get my shot.
It’s obviously going to be a long night so I’d better get as much sleep as I can.”
I’ve got high hopes for an encounter.
Vampires prefer total darkness and there isn’t much of a moon tonight.
Leaving my horse well out of harm’s way, I head for the vampires’ hunting ground.
Austin: “Get a look at this.
This is a mist net – this is what researchers usually use to catch birds when they’re
doing ringing.
But these guys are using them for a different purpose, mainly to catch bats, and especially
to catch vampire bats.
And there’s a bat in here right now – I just want to check it out.
Yeah.
Judging by that little flat face and those thumbs I’m sure that’s a vampire bat.
But I’m not going to touch him with my bare hands.
I’ve got some gloves for just such an occasion.
The local people are not too keen on vampire bats.
They’ll catch them in these nets and destroy them.”
Austin: “Let’s see if I can get hold of this guy.
Oops, it’s difficult to see how he’s tied in here.
And they’ve got sharp, razor sharp teeth.
Let’s see if I can get him out.
I’ve got him.
I got him.
Oh look at him and he’s vicious.
Of course he’s frightened, he’s scared.
He’s bitten onto my thumb there right away.
Thank goodness I’ve got these gloves on ‘cause these guys have got really sharp
teeth.
And there’s the danger of rabies and I wouldn’t like those teeth to go into my finger.
Let’s see if I can get him to let go.
You can see how he’s a vampire bat.
Look at the thick, the thick thumbs over there.
The back legs are very strong – they use the thumbs and legs and they can actually
walk.
They can walk and they can hop.
They’re very, very agile for animals like this that are normally just flying.
They’re very good on the ground as well.
He won’t let go.
Come on let go for me?
See the flat face?
They’ve actually got heat sensors in that nose.
Guide him to the blood he wants to feed on.
Ooh look at those teeth!
Man look at those fangs!
You can see where... oh yeah!
I’m glad my finger’s not going to be in there.
They’re small bats.
I mean they’re only about the size of your thumb.
And yet they can actually drink their own weight in blood at one sitting.”
Austin: “See the wingspan there?
There we go – I’ve got it open.
There we go.
Woops – that’s one side.
And they’re extremely agile in flight obviously.
Oops sorry, sorry, sorry.
Listen to him squeaking.
Look at the size of those fangs.
Wow!
Every time he opens his mouth and I see those teeth it’s actually quite frightening.
Amazing little animals.
Potentially dangerous.
I can understand why these people are worried about their cattle.
You wouldn’t want rabies to be spread all over.
Not every bat has got rabies, but the potential is always there.
Oh he’s got me again on the thumb.
But this guy’s lucky because I’m going to let him go.
He’s going to be one of those that escape.
I couldn’t leave him in here.
I haven’t got the heart to do that.
I would rather he was off.
You ready to go little guy?
Eh?
So what I’m going to do is I’m just going to let go.
I’m going to open my hand and he can decide.
I hope he doesn’t come right into my face!
He can take off if he wants to.
There we go.
Oh!
He’s gone down.
He’s gone down.
Oh no.
There he is!
There he is.
Watch him move.
Watch how he moves.
I want him to, op, come on.
It’s right little fella.
Take off!
Tk tk tk tk!
Now to get a photograph of a vampire in action.
Austin: “To maximize my chances of spotting these
little vampire bats, I’m using not only the night vision goggles, but the thermal
as well.
And if they were to land on a cow I should see it quite clearly.
And they’ve have got heat sensors in their noses and they might be actually seeing these
cows roughly as what I’m actually seeing them here.
They detect them with these heat sensors.”
The vampires choose the hottest part, where the cow’s veins are nearest the surface
– shown here in white.
Austin: “Look at the blood running down his neck!
That’s incredible.
This is what they do.
The saliva’s got this anticoagulant in it and it causes the blood to flow freely.
That anticoagulant they use is called Draculin – isn’t that fitting?”
There’s one!
There’s one.
Austin: “He was having a really good feed.
There’s a good chance that the might come back to the same cow.”
I’d better get in there.
Fast.
Austin: “It’s impossible.
So difficult.
Wow, look at that.
There it goes.
There it goes.
Okay, I’ve got him.
Wow, unbelievable!
I’m right on him!
I’m right on him!
See that?
So fast, so quick!
How about that?
I actually got my shot.
Can you believe that I got that bat right on the cow’s neck, feeding on him, blood
running down his neck?
Incredible, I’m so pleased, I’m so lucky”
But that’s the only shot I manage.
Despite sitting up all night, I fail to get so close again.
Austin: “I tell you, that was a really exciting
night.
I spent hours amongst those cattle, getting a few shots.
As those bats came in, they started drinking.
But not quite what I wanted – I wanted real full-face close-up shots.
And I’m thinking more and more the only way I’m going to get that is if I go right
into the caves where they live.
Right into the back where these guys are.
And that’s something I really didn’t want to do.”
But if I’m to complete my assignment, I’ve got no other choice.
Reluctantly, I head back to the promising looking cave I saw the other day.
I guess part of me always knew it would come to this.
Austin: “Just look at that.
Looks like the entrance to hell.
And that’s where I’m going.
As terrifying as it is to me, I suspect strongly that that’s where I’m going to get vampire
bats.”
This is a huge cave, a vast cavern leading to an underground river.
The stench of ammonia is intense – a sure sign of vampires.
But it means I must wear a mask to protect myself.
Austin: “This is it.
I’ve got no choice.
It’s one thing seeing these bats flying around outside, feeding, whatever.
Going into their home where they live, it’s my worst nightmare because I’m very claustrophobic.
This feels very uncomfortable.”
I steel myself to head into the narrowing tunnel.
To the naked eye, it’s absolutely pitch black in here, apart from the feeble beam
of my head torch.
The only way of spotting anything is to use my thermal imaging camera.
Austin: “This is without question the most frightening
thing I can do to myself.
I’m so claustrophobic.
These caves are getting so small.
I just want to get a shot of those bats if I can see them.
But I’m so claustrophobic.
Rather face a thousand venomous snakes than do what I’m doing right now.
This is absolutely crazy.
Just sort of out of my depth here a bit.
Walking in water as well.
Bats swooping down just over my head.
It’s humid and claustrophobic.
There, I’m picking up a bat now.
I’m seeing them, look at them.
I can see them already hanging there.
Couple of bats, more.
Closer.”
Austin: I can’t quite make them out.
I’m going to have to get closer.
Austin: “Oh there.
Right in front of me.
Right in front of the lens!
They’re checking me out now.
They’re much more comfortable than I am.
It’s getting narrower all the time.
I don’t know if I can go any more.
It’s just closing in on me.
Go a little bit further and just see.
God this is a small place.
Oh.
Slippery wet.
Bats everywhere.
Look at them going right past me.
No I don’t like this.
I’m getting so hot.
You feel like you can’t breathe – you feel like your lungs are being compressed.
Slippery stuff here.
Very slippery.
Can actually feel their wings – you can actually feel the air from their wings going
over your arm – over my arm - as they come past.
They come that close!
Look at them there.
Look at them.
Bats all over!
There’s bats all over!
Holy mackerel!”
I’ve finally found what looks like the vampires’ lair.
Now I just need to get close enough to positively identify them.
There’s absolutely no doubt – these are vampire bats.
Austin: “There’s a whole group of them there.
A lot of them.
Might be a family group.
They’re just watching me – they’re as curious about me as I am about them.
I’ve got to get a shot.
I’ve got to get one shot first anyway.
And they’re coming all together, like huddling together, making sure they’re safe.
Watch them move – it’s amazing how they move!
You can see their little fangs.
Fantastic.
Get a picture of those teeth.
They’re a little bit nervous.
They’re not flying away though, that’s the main thing.
They’re staying right there.
I can see young ones as well.
Young ones hanging on their mothers’ chests, and they dangle like that.
These are very sociable animals.
Sometimes they actually help feed each other.
If one bat’s got, got food at the end of the night and some have lost out, they’ll
actually bring up food and feed each other.
Incredible.
Totally different to anything else I’ve ever seen.
Got that.
Going to get a few more shots.”
Ironically, the vampires are covered in their own hungry bloodsuckers – tiny parasitic
flies.
Austin: “I’m feeling really claustrophobic – this
mask doesn’t help at all either.
I tell you the smell of ammonia is so strong it’s actually coming right through the filters
– I can smell it.
It’s so black down there.
If I don’t see light I panic straight away and I haven’t seen light for the last two
hours.
I’m really nervous – I don’t know how long I can take it.”
I’ve got to keep it together and focus on the bats.
Austin: “Man, it’s dark down here.
Oh, but I’m here with them and I must stick it out just a few more minutes.
If I can jus get these shots.
You know what’s amazing as well?
They look right into the camera.
Almost like they’re snarling at me.”
I can’t shift the idea that they could attack me at any moment.
But that’s the look I want.
Austin: Got it!
That’s the shot!
Austin: “I don’t think I can stay here much longer.
Going to have to get out of here.
I’m feeling really, really closed in.
And if something goes wrong, if my light fails, I’m a dead man.
Gotta get out.”
I know I just have to follow the stream back out.
But I’m struggling to keep the panic at bay.
Austin: “Ah!
I can’t believe that!
I was getting near my end there – I didn’t think I was going to make that.
I’m just too claustrophobic.
It was incredible though.
I actually got in there, I went all the way with the bats.
I went right as far as what those bats are, and I got my shots.
I actually got the shots.
That’s incredible.
That’s not something I ever want to do again.
I’m glad that’s over – but it was worth it!
It was worth it!”
The Amazon – and its underground caverns – nearly beat me.
But in the end, I confronted the vampires and conquered my demons.
Austin: “This has been one of my most difficult
missions.
The working conditions have been extreme, but I’ve got some fantastic pictures.
I actually saw a vampire bat drinking from the hide of a cow, and I went right into their
cave and I got some really close up photos of their faces.
Something I’m never going to forget.”
