Episode 2

On this second leg of his journey, Ben heads deeper into the vast Congo wilderness to fulfil his life-long dream of seeing wild gorillas. He discovers a region experiencing rapid change: logging roads have opened-up the rainforest and thousands of people are flooding in to seek their fortunes. It's a threat to traditional communities who rely on the rainforest – but also to its stunning wildlife.

Ben visits a bushmeat market, where some threatened species are sold for food – and local stall holders don't take kindly to the presence of cameras. An angry trader confronts Ben and the film crew and demands they stop filming. The bushmeat trade presents a dilemma for Ben: it isn't illegal, and people here are struggling to survive, but it's clear the Congo's rich wildlife is under increasing pressure.

In a fast-changing region, Ben wants to know what other ancient customs are still surviving here, and at a traditional community he witnesses a scary and painful rite-of-passage ceremony for young men. Boys on the cusp of adulthood take part in a public circumcision ceremony, and in the days leading up to it they are deprived of sleep and insulted by members of the community to test how tough they are.

Finally, Ben heads to Ngaga Camp and a gorilla research station on the fringes of one of Africa's oldest national parks. He comes face-to-face with majestic wild gorillas and witnesses a rare close encounter between two huge 200 kilogram silverbacks. But he also learns the gorillas are facing a deadly threat from poaching, and meets the local heroes who'll stop at nothing to protect them.