Water, plentiful or scarce it's water,
or the lack of water that shapes the landscapes of Africa.
For African wildlife existence can be a never ending quest
for water, the source of life to drink,
to feed, to rinse their food, to play,
to cool off, and also to meet and mate.
Southern Africa has a tremendous variety of ecosystems
from the wetlands of the Okavango Delta,
to the dry Etosha Savanna, into the Namib Desert
wildlife survives wherever there is water.
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Minute droplets, and roaring cascades,
the mighty Zambezi River feeds Victoria Falls.
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Where every second 9000 cubic meters of water plummet down
some 100 meters across a brim 1700 meters wide,
forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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Air currents rush through the deep gorge and drive
the water in a dense fog over the riverbanks.
Seen from a distance, it looks as if the Earth
had opened and vapor is bursting out.
This continuous spray has resulted
in a narrow strip of tropical forest.
Moving westward along the river from the confluence
with the Chobe River, we cross wet savanna,
home to a great variety of wildlife species
that go down to drink on the shore late in the afternoon.
This is where the savanna elephants find
the 100 liters of water they need each day.
Because the anatomy of the trunk prevents them
from sucking the water into their stomachs
they use it like a hose and empty it into their mouths.
The rivers abundant flow has supported large herds
leading to the densest elephant population in Africa.
Despite their weight, an adult male can weigh six tons,
they are very good swimmers and they can swim
to secluded islands where food is plentiful.
The river surrounds the island where they feed
and they use its water to clean their food.
They are washing away the clods of Earth
clinging to the roots of the weeds.
Their huge appetite keeps the river from silting up.
They always swim back to the mainland as a group,
the calves just behind the adults,
so they can lean on their backs if need be.
And when they're underwater
the trunk becomes a natural snorkel.
Elephants spend 15 hours everyday gathering
the 150 kilograms of food they need.
Once they're back on dry land they continue to feed.
Their prehensile trunk contains 100,000 muscles
which they use to pick, shake, grasp,
pluck, and even peel their food.
African buffalo on the other hand
simply graze on the grasses growing in
the muddy ground near the edge of the river.
They feed mainly late in the day and at night.
The Great Egret stalks the flooded plains
to flush out small fish and crustaceans.
But the Chobe River is home to many other species.
At night all eyes turn to the West.
In the distance the sun will soon set over
the swampland of the Okavango Delta.
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It was recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Okavango Delta is one of the world's largest wetlands
covering 15,000 square kilometers.
As the dry season begins the rains that fell weeks earlier
in Angola are swelling the Okavango River
and making their way to the plains of Botswana.
But the ground level has risen,
the water is now trapped in a huge Basin
and can no longer reach the ocean.
The water spreads everywhere covering a vast area
of the Kalahari Desert before the river dries.
Fortunately this annual flooding doesn't form a deep lake
but rather a multitude of marshes
dotted with islands that have risen over the years.
The rest of the year when the land isn't flooded
termites have time enough to build their mounds on land.
Birds that perch on the termite mounds
drop seeds that germinate.
The roots push their way to the termite
tunnels and the moist earth below.
During the next year's flooding sediment
is deposited around these mounds of earth eventually forming
small islands were more and more plants grow.
Over centuries termites have helped raised the ground
by several meters, splitting the arms of the river
and forcing the water to fan out across this welcome oasis.
At daybreak, the temperature is barely above freezing.
The animals seem to be numb in the cold.
And while the baboon's spend most of their days
on the ground they climb trees to sleep at night.
In a sitting position, away from harm.
Not even leopards can climb the palm trees,
and the dates make a hearty breakfast.
Giraffes enjoy feeding in the cool morning air
saving the heat of the day for rumination.
Their long prehensile tongue can grasp the leaves
of the acacia tree without getting pricked by the thorns.
If giraffes find juicy plants they can go
three or four days without drinking.
They're extremely cautious because drinking
can be dangerous, they are vulnerable
to predators who could attack their neck.
Elephants don't have that problem because
rather than bending down to drink
they lift the water to their mouths.
Nearby a female African wild dog protects her burrow.
She's waiting for the rest of
her pack to return from hunting.
The adults will regurgitate meat for
the pups that are hidden underground.
African wild dogs don't look for water in the Okavango Delta
because their liquid intake comes mainly
from drinking the blood of their prey.
They're interested in the abundant herds of herbivores.
But some antelopes can be fierce fighters
like the sable antelope with horns
that can grow to over a meter long.
That's why predators tend to go after younger animals
that are weaker and less cautious.
Waterbuck can live near marshlands,
generally forming a harem under a dominant male.
This is a pleasant place to live so long as you stay alert,
because the Nile crocodile is never far.
The goliath heron is also well aware that
in the food chain you can be both a predator and prey.
The many wading birds that feed in
the marshes are always on the lookout
because death can spring from anywhere.
The hippos want to avoid the rays of the sun.
They emerge from the water to feed on land at night
to get the 40 kilograms of plants they need every 24 hours.
For creatures that weigh in at
two tons their speed is amazing.
In Africa hippos are the most dangerous mammals to man.
Incidents often occur when they
try to defend their access to water.
Because their skin has no sweat glands
they have to cool off in shallow waters
with their bodies more or less submerged.
This is how they spend their days packed together,
rubbing against each other, or pushing and shoving
while they keep watch over their territory.
A male hippo will defend his harem.
Males challenge each other by opening their mouths up to
an angle of 150 degrees showing their impressive teeth.
The groaning of the hippos doesn't seem
to bother the lechwe grazing nearby.
Lechwe antelopes are endemic to the wetlands
in the northern part of southern Africa.
They live in small herds of several dozen individuals.
They're very social and seldom separate from the rest
of the herd unless it's time to take a nap.
Now is when most animals seek the shade.
Nothing moves in the savanna in the stultifying heat.
Lions are experts at resting.
Cubs stay with their mother until they're about two years
old or just after the lioness gives birth to a new litter.
The life of a lion cub is under threat.
If a new alpha male becomes head of the pride
he will attempt to kill any cubs that are not his.
This land cub is lucky as there were
no other cubs in the litter so it doesn't have
to share its mother's milk with anyone else.
After a mud bath to remove parasites
and to protect them from the sun,
the warthogs are the only mammal stirring.
They're kneeling position means they don't have
to bend their heavy head when foraging for roots and bulbs.
The southern ground hornbill is heading toward
a watering spot where it will be able
to find snails, frogs, and small reptiles.
Even in the heat of the day the flooded plains attract
a variety of birds, mainly waders like the African
open bill, the sacred ibis, egrets, and kingfishers.
The marabou stork is a scavenger but is willing
to improve its diet, even if it has competition.
Wading birds fish in different ways.
Egrets and gray herons with sharp and slender beaks
tend to hold still or move slowly
and then swiftly spear their prey.
Instead the ibis, the african spoonbill,
and the marabou stork prefer to wade through
the water stirring it up as they go.
Oddly enough, despite their name African fish eagles
are the only birds that are not fishing now.
Despite their bulk elephants always move in silence.
They can go for up to three days without drinking
which means they can wander tens of kilometers from water.
But in the Okavango Delta there's no lack of watering spots
and the elephants can drink daily.
After quenching their thirst elephants
are ready to enjoy a shower or could even go
for a swim if the water is deep enough.
The cool water makes them playful as well as providing
an opportunity to strengthen their social ties
and to confirm their status in the social hierarchy.
Even when they are 30 or 40 years old,
elephants can still enjoy themselves.
(water splashing)
Once their skin is wet there's nothing like
a shower of dust for protection
from pests and the burning sun.
The trunk is useful as a shovel.
Sadly an elephant's life is not always such fun.
When adults are unsuccessful in protecting them
young elephants can be caught by predators.
These two lionesses have been feeding for two days
and will continue feeding until the flesh
is fit only for hyenas, vultures, and other scavengers.
But the elephant herd is not ready to leave
and this seems to worry the big cats.
The elephant's attitude to death remains a mystery
and there are legends about elephant graveyards.
The fact of the matter is that elephants are
particularly intelligent and sensitive,
and watch over the remains of their dead.
In returning to see the elephant cub
isn't this young male bull paying his respects?
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Is this not the kernel of a funeral right?
An expression of pity and revolt as the elephant
seems to shield is companions body with dust.
Elephants are celebrated for their memory
but there's more than that.
Their psychology and emotions are among
the most complex of any creatures in the animal kingdom.
This long last look, like a final salute
says all there is to know about grief and mourning.
Shortly thereafter the herd decides to move on.
At sunset as the temperature falls,
the wading birds join the scene.
The three banded clover paces the edges of the marsh
to flush out insects and other invertebrates.
The Black Winged Stilt shows its endless determination
while the Blacksmith Lapwing seems intent on good grooming.
An old male, or buck arrives,
making no effort to go unnoticed.
The water isn't deep enough to drink.
So he simply makes a hole for his trunk.
Male elephants sometimes live alone,
or in small groups of bachelors where they have
to establish those status relative to the other males.
The best way to get to know one another is by touch.
A newcomer recognizes he's dominated
by putting his trunk in the other elephants mouth.
If he isn't willing to do so, they'll fight
to measure their strength and size.
Head to head the winner will be whoever pushes the other
back or manages to raise his head highest.
Remarkably this is combat without any real violence.
They're not trying to hurt each other, and do their best
to avoid injuring each other with their tusks.
The jousting is purely sport.
The combat ends when one acknowledges
defeat and turns away.
That's how conflicts are settled in the Okavango Delta.
The day ends as peacefully as it began.
Further to the West, leaving the area affected
by the waters of the Okavango, the wetlands give away
to a drier Savannah typical of the Kalahari.
The central plateau of Namibia is hilly
with an average altitude of 1,000 meters.
In the southern summer the rainy season fills
the country's riverbeds only to evaporate
when the dry season begins.
Fortunately some of the water seeps into
the ground and flows through the rocks
to emerge as spring water deep in the valleys.
This water is sometimes enough to sustain
a small oasis of life, trees shelter
drought sensitive plants from the wind and sun.
At nightfall the little residents of the valley
come out of their dens and burrows under the rocks.
It might be surprising to see this animal in a tree
when it doesn't have claws or a prehensile tail.
But the rock hyrax is tremendously adaptable.
And survival in a dry climate means learning
to get food wherever it's available.
Eating in a hurry means limiting time in the open
in plain sight because the rock hyrax has many predators
both on the ground and in the air.
In a nearby palm tree the cry of the grey go away bird
seems to be telling the intruder to go away.
But in reality the bird is only interested in
the nectar from flowers and fruits.
In these arid spaces some water holes
are made by man to help wildlife survive.
This human aid is invaluable, especially for
the leopard who comes to drink at sunset.
Leopards are solitary creatures,
and the water may help to restore him,
possibly before another night of hunting.
Because further westward the drought
of the Etosha pan is unyielding.
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In this inferno of dust and heat zebras and antelopes
painfully drag their hooves to the banks of a dry lake.
The wind blows away their tracks but they all seem
to be heading in the same direction toward a specific point.
Generations have followed the same route
to a mysterious source of hope, a waterhole.
Here water rising from the depths of the Earth
attracts animals from all around.
It's the only waterhole for dozens of kilometers.
Herbivores can drink and predators can inevitably
find something, surely to satisfy their hunger.
During the dry season Burchell's zebras
feed on dry grass and even roots.
There's nothing else to eat
so they're constantly on the move
hoping the grass will be greener somewhere else.
While the pale chanting goshawk spends hours
on the watch for prey, the South African ostrich
keeps its bill close to the ground.
This female can be recognized by her brown
feathers and feeds primarily on plants
but won't shy away from insects if the opportunity arises.
Periodically for safety's sake she lifts her head
and peers in all directions from a height of two meters.
Her cautiousness is crucial.
Capable of running for several minutes
at a speed over 50 kilometers an hour she knows
she can escape numerous big cats.
But first she has to spot them through their camouflage.
Ostriches can go several days without drinking
and sometimes lose up to 20% of their
body weight because of dehydration.
They are great walkers, traveling dozens
of kilometers to reach a familiar waterhole.
Seemingly proud of his spotless black plumage and pink legs
the male shows the way, soon imitated by his harem.
The operation didn't last long because
the females are eager to return to the shore.
They seem uncomfortable as they watch
the opposite shore and the arrival of creatures
that never go unnoticed in the Savannah.
The black rhinoceros is the second largest
land animal after the elephant.
Black rhinos tend to be active in the evening
and the night but sometimes their thirst cannot wait.
They are not known for being polite and antelopes
like this red hartebeest keep well away.
Rhinos are short sighted but very sensitive to odors.
This one has identified something intriguing.
Rhinos tend to be solitary.
And this one shows that he doesn't want company.
The intruder isn't looking for a fight
but has the nerve to continue drinking.
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Rhinos rarely fight without a good reason.
Most often if a rhinoceros charges
it's simply meant to intimidate.
This intruder understands that his rival is not ready
to compromise and signals his submission.
Status is respected and the problem is settled.
The gemsbok in contrast is much more sociable.
If one of his female strays from the herd,
the male sends her back to graze with the others.
When the afternoon becomes too hot
the animals seek refuge in the shade,
like this Southern yellow billed hornbill.
It's beautiful yellow bill can measure
up to 20% of its total size.
This cheetah is resting, probably full after a good meal.
Despite its blinding speed,
cheetahs are not strong fighters.
After killing their prey they hide it
under a bush and hurry to eat what they can
before other predators arrive.
Generally the cheetah tries to avoid scavengers,
any injury will be too much of a handicap for running.
After a good meal cheetahs can go
several days before hunting again.
That leaves ample time for grooming.
The cheetah is an endangered species, especially given
that the limited diversity of its genetic heritage
makes it increasingly difficult to breed.
But that doesn't prevent this cheetah
from getting a good nap.
It's surely not going to be disturbed by the kori bustard
as it looks for insects and small reptiles.
The kori bustard is Africa's largest flying bird
but that's no reason to take unnecessary risks.
Impalas are among the favorite prey of cheetahs
which are capable of outrunning them.
Impalas are highly social antelopes.
They live in herds of about 50 members formed mainly
by females and their young with a few males around them.
Social bonding involves rubbing and can sometimes
turn into jousting among the bucks as the females watch.
A leopard also watches from the distance.
Perhaps he's choosing his prey?
Just like the brown snake eagle who typically feasts
on reptiles but is keeping an eye on the comings
and goings of these Cape ground squirrels,
rodents threatened by so many predators
that they're never far from an entrance to their burrows.
Just a moment's distraction and
the black backed jackal would make a meal of them.
Giraffes can watch the sunset over the distant horizon
holding their head some five meters above the ground.
Their necks have no more vertebrae than most mammals,
their vertebrae are simply longer.
After drinking, the giraffe's will look for a less open
place to lie down and ruminate for part of the night.
They sleep in five minute spells.
When it's not hunting, the spotted hyena
makes a variety of sounds to communicate with its group.
A single hyena on its own is never very brave.
Like every other creature when a rhinoceros is on the move
the hyena gets out of the way.
This hyena is being trailed by a jackal,
doubtless hoping the hyena will lead it to a carcass.
The black rhinoceros is distinguished from
the white rhinoceros not by color but by
the pointed shape of the upper lip
which lets the black rhino feed on branches.
It is called black to differentiate it from
the white rhinoceros which has a wide lip.
And the name White is actually based on a confusion
with the Afrikaans word (speaking in foreign language)
which is the same as wide in English.
Hearing a lion roar in the distance
the hyena prefers to move away.
But an adult rhinoceros has nothing to fear from a lion.
But a mother with her calf will be careful especially when
the playful youngster throws caution to the wind.
Black rhinos are victims of an absurd obsession
with the imaginary powers of their horns.
Illegal hunting has driven the black rhino population
from 70,000 to just 4000 in 40 years time.
Today the species is in critical danger of extinction.
The leopard is an excellent climber
and spends time resting in trees out of sight.
When it captures a prey large enough
to feed on for several days the leopard pulls it up
onto a branch to protect it from lions or scavengers.
Leopards are tremendously adaptable
and they can succeed in different environments.
This explains how they have survived
throughout much of Africa from the Sahel of the North,
in the Equatorial Forests, and South to Cape Province.
The female leopard lives alone
unless she is still raising her cubs
who live with her for almost two years.
When solitary, she carefully marks her territory
both to protect it and to let male leopards
know when she is in heat.
Lions are twice the size of leopards
and generally have more cubs in each litter.
Sometimes a young lion born the previous year
is left to watch over the younger generation
while their mother is hunting.
This young lion seems to be paying as much attention
to the cubs as their mother would
even if he's unable to feed them.
Lions live in a pride and females can cooperate
to suckle and raise all the cubs in the pride.
This solidarity is very rare among felines.
Lions have a sense of sharing while
respecting their social hierarchy.
When prey is killed the dominant male, if there is one,
eats first followed by the females
who hunted together and finally the cubs.
But today the pride is less interested in hunting
than in sleeping in the morning sun.
Nature strikes a balance, while some animals sleep
others can get on with their affairs.
This is breakfast time for the greater kudu,
a magnificent antelope that would be
easy prey for the lions despite the twisted horns
which if straightened can reach
a meter and a half in length.
And because the greater kudu is not a fast runner
it's crucial to do a careful inspection before grazing.
Springboks can concentrate on their meal
because there is always one individual in the herd
to raise the alarm if need be.
Perfectly adapted to heat and drought
this springbok can find the plants richest in water.
But in the middle of the dry season
nothing beats a watering spot.
After several months without a drop of rain,
animals need spring water to survive.
This water hole is going to be very busy this morning.
Before it gets too crowded a group
of young kudos comes to drink.
They are followed by an older male
and then his three females.
This is one of the great powers of water.
Its presence has a social influence on animal life,
fostering meetings within the same species.
Blue wildebeest, and greater kudos, springboks,
and impalas all share the site and each antelope species
is politely indifferent to the others.
They drink their fill and then leave room for the others.
Nevertheless when two herds of zebras approach
from different directions, there's some pushing
and shoving at the waterhole but still no hostility.
And when there's no more room
they patiently wait their turn.
Everything remains peaceful and respectful
until the elephants arrive.
(dramatic music)
When the elephants come charging in
they know exactly what they're doing.
And the other animals realize that they're not
going to wait patiently for their turn to drink.
The water hole is now a private club, for the time being.
The younger elephants are all excited.
A second herd, led by a dominant female,
clears the first herd away.
There's a bit of pushing and shoving but it's not
too aggressive, and they try not to trample the calves.
They manage to control their frustration.
For creatures needing so much water, over 100 liters a day,
it's crucial to lay their claim to this limited supply.
And just to think a few hundred kilometers away
other elephants are happily bathing in the Okavango Delta.
Only a couple of intrepid warthogs try
to sneak in between the elephant's legs.
It's a lost cause.
Like the antelopes waiting near the waterhole they will have
to make do with a dust bath for the time being.
Further westward, water becomes even scarcer.
The riverbeds are dry almost all year long.
Only animals capable of finding water can
still survive, like the desert elephants.
They've learned how to detect groundwater
under the sand of riverbeds.
These small pools also benefit other animals.
Baboons or the rare springboks and gemsbok,
capable of surviving in this dry habitat.
Then further West lies the Namib Desert,
the oldest desert in the world,
60 million years of never ending drought.
(somber music)
Gradually, approaching the Atlantic Coast,
the rock gives way to sand.
Vegetation attempts a final
burst of life before surrendering.
This is the realm of red sand, shifting shapes,
dunes moving where the wind decides.
Before the Atlantic Ocean there's
another ocean of sand and dust,
an otherworldly landscape wrought by the wind.
(somber music)
These dry tree trunks are relics from another age
proving there was water here 600 years ago.
There was a river briefly, and then the advancing dunes
swept sand into the river's mouth
blocking its flow, forming an ephemeral marsh.
Since then life has almost disappeared.
The desert weather is full of surprises.
(wind blowing)
In the morning humid air chilled by ocean currents
forms a fog over the warm desert sand.
The condensation allows scattered plants to grow,
just enough to feed the gemsbok that manage to survive here.
Some insects capture moisture from the air to drink
and they in turn make a hydrating meal for small reptiles
like this endemic gecko, and chameleons.
It takes only a few tiny drops of water for life to appear
and establish an entire ecosystem.
On these distant lands in southern Africa
where the climate seems so hostile wildlife proves
its ingenuity and its determination to survive.
From the flooded Okavango Delta,
to the arid desert sands the courage of these animals
should incite us to preserve the fragile balance
that supports the astounding abundance of life on Earth.
(ethereal music)
