1
00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:09,280
[crickets chirping]
2
00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,200
[lion exhales slowly]
3
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:15,480
[birds chirping]
4
00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:28,600
[narrator] In this land,
5
00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,120
family is everything.
6
00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:33,440
[growling playfully]
7
00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:35,040
[dramatic music playing]
8
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:37,880
[insects chittering]
9
00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,560
[narrator] It's the bonds
within the pride,
10
00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:44,240
the pack,
11
00:00:46,160 --> 00:00:47,120
and the herd…
12
00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:48,240
[elephant trumpets]
13
00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,240
…that allow each member to succeed.
14
00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:53,840
[growling playfully]
15
00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,200
[narrator] Nowhere are these bonds
tested more fiercely
16
00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,480
than in the great Kalahari Desert.
17
00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,080
Here families are shaped
18
00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:07,560
by courageous mothers…
19
00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,200
wise elders…
20
00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:13,880
[growls]
21
00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,080
…and tenacious underdogs.
22
00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:18,760
[panting]
23
00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:26,520
[narrator] All drawn to the immense oasis
that lies at the desert's very heart.
24
00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:28,360
[music swells]
25
00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,000
[narrator] The Okavango Delta.
26
00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:45,000
Home to more wildlife
than any other wetland on Earth…
27
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,520
it is seeing
some of the most extreme seasonal change
28
00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,040
on the planet.
29
00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:55,760
[thunder crashes]
30
00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:57,040
[wildebeest lowing]
31
00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,200
[narrator] Through the chaos
and hardship of the coming year…
32
00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,080
fates will entwine,
33
00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,880
and incredible relationships
will be forged.
34
00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,440
Not just within families
but between families.
35
00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:18,680
[elephant growling]
36
00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:20,080
[hyenas cackling]
37
00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:24,920
And even with the land itself.
38
00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:33,000
[calm music playing]
39
00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,080
[birds chirping]
40
00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:49,240
[cub grunts]
41
00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,360
[narrator] For a two-year-old lioness,
42
00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,720
the strength of family
comes from her pride.
43
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,440
She and her sisterhood
control this territory…
44
00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:08,320
[growls]
45
00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,560
…and their lead male
reigns as warrior king.
46
00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,040
But in the Delta, change can come suddenly
47
00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:25,360
and upend a family's peaceful existence.
48
00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:32,720
[bird calling]
49
00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,520
[narrator] The chink in her pride's armor
is the king himself.
50
00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:40,880
[flies buzzing]
51
00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,560
Years of fighting
to defend his family and territory
52
00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:47,120
have taken their toll.
53
00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,840
His weakness puts the lioness at risk.
54
00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:59,440
[ominous music playing]
55
00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,240
[narrator] And presents an opportunity
56
00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:04,920
for two ambitious young males.
57
00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:06,840
[growling deeply]
58
00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,080
[narrator] The old warrior
marks his territory.
59
00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:32,800
[panting]
60
00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:39,880
[narrator] But he's frail.
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00:04:47,840 --> 00:04:49,240
And outnumbered.
62
00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:21,160
Every year in the Okavango
is a new and dangerous journey,
63
00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:23,920
but for the lioness,
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00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,520
this year will be
the most uncertain she's ever faced.
65
00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:31,280
[upbeat music playing]
66
00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:36,440
[sniffs]
67
00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,680
[narrator] Every family confronts
the challenges of the Delta
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00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:43,880
in its own way.
69
00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:47,680
[painted wolves whining]
70
00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:52,280
-[insects chittering]
-[panting]
71
00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:56,880
[birds chirping]
72
00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,520
[narrator] A pack
of painted wolves, 24 strong.
73
00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,360
Their strength,
a testament to their great leader,
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00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,520
the alpha female.
75
00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,200
[dramatic music playing]
76
00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,120
[narrator] She's trained them
to think and hunt as one.
77
00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:27,560
And to provide for all.
78
00:06:35,280 --> 00:06:37,880
But the alpha is pregnant.
79
00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:42,440
[zebras braying]
80
00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,360
Her team will lose their leader,
81
00:06:50,280 --> 00:06:53,720
just as the Delta
faces its greatest upheaval.
82
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,440
[elephants trumpeting]
83
00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:03,520
[narrator] It's May.
84
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,880
And the surrounding Kalahari Desert
is facing the worst drought in decades.
85
00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,760
Thousands of animals
are fleeing the parched outer regions…
86
00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:23,280
traveling for weeks.
87
00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,480
All drawn here for one reason.
88
00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:44,880
[wildebeests lowing]
89
00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:48,240
[serene music playing]
90
00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:49,760
[narrator] Water.
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00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,600
Rainwater that fell four months ago
92
00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:58,960
in the Angolan Highlands to the north
93
00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:01,560
has finally made its way down,
94
00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:05,880
across the Kalahari
and into the flatlands of the Delta.
95
00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:07,360
[birds chirping, calling]
96
00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,840
[dramatic music playing]
97
00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,680
[narrator] Over nine trillion liters
of fresh water
98
00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,200
floods the vast desert…
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00:08:59,960 --> 00:09:00,880
creating
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00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,240
the greatest oasis on the planet.
101
00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:20,720
[water buffalo lowing]
102
00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,040
[narrator] In the flood's wake
come the great herds…
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00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:42,000
joining those who live here year-round.
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00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,440
Everyone has a role to play
105
00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,600
in shaping and maintaining this land.
106
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:07,960
[elephants roaring]
107
00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:15,120
[narrator] Even a six-month-old elephant
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00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:17,320
on her first visit.
109
00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,160
She's never seen so much water…
110
00:10:22,680 --> 00:10:24,680
[elephant roars]
111
00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:27,480
…and food.
112
00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:30,360
[elephant trumpeting]
113
00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:46,120
[narrator] With endless floodplains
to munch their way through,
114
00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,280
elephants become
the natural gardeners of the Delta…
115
00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:11,600
uprooting far more than they can eat.
116
00:11:13,560 --> 00:11:17,080
But over-pruning can clog the waterways,
117
00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,240
halting the water's spread.
118
00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:29,560
What the gardeners have blocked up,
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00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,160
families of hippos bulldoze through.
120
00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,680
Not being swimmers,
they tiptoe along the bottom.
121
00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,760
And in their wake,
leave hippo-sized highways…
122
00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:58,680
that connect rivers to pools
and pools to floodplains…
123
00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:04,520
allowing the water to keep flowing,
124
00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:08,000
feeding the vibrant growth
of the entire Delta.
125
00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:17,840
[moaning]
126
00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,440
[narrator] But the flood
isn't good news for all.
127
00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:25,520
For the lioness,
128
00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,640
it means a loss of hunting grounds.
129
00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:33,080
And the old warrior king
is nowhere to be seen.
130
00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,600
[ominous music playing]
131
00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,640
[narrator] Whether he fled or was killed,
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00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:43,240
the young invaders
have usurped his throne.
133
00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:48,040
[growls deeply]
134
00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:00,120
[growls deeply]
135
00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:07,440
[narrator] Only lionesses of breeding age
are allowed to stay now.
136
00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:08,520
[growls]
137
00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,880
[narrator] And she's not one of them.
138
00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,640
To these new males,
she's just an extra mouth to feed,
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00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,320
with little to contribute.
140
00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:29,720
[growling]
141
00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,320
[birds chirping]
142
00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,080
[moaning]
143
00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:06,960
[narrator] Banished and alone,
144
00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:10,680
she'll need all her skill
just to stay alive.
145
00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:19,040
[flies buzzing]
146
00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,720
[narrator] The alpha female
has been housebound for weeks.
147
00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:31,880
[moans]
148
00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:35,560
Because…
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00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,240
Well, who would leave this scruffy bunch?
150
00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:41,480
[pups whining]
151
00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:46,520
[narrator] At four weeks old,
her pups venture out for the first time.
152
00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:49,840
[pups yipping]
153
00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:56,240
[narrator] All 14 of them.
154
00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:18,920
Unable to hunt for herself,
she must rely on her pack
155
00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,880
to bring the meat she needs
to keep her milk flowing.
156
00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:29,680
[pups yipping]
157
00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:43,680
[narrator] But her stay-at-home work
is nonstop.
158
00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:51,480
Sweeping out the den…
159
00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:56,160
three weeks' worth of ticks and fleas…
160
00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:03,560
landing right back where they started.
161
00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,080
[pups whining]
162
00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,080
[dramatic music playing]
163
00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:16,640
[narrator] Her pack is on patrol…
164
00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:21,560
without their leader.
165
00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,200
And the floodwaters are slowing them down.
166
00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:32,920
[birds chirping]
167
00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:36,560
[lechwe lowing]
168
00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:38,520
[growls]
169
00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:41,320
[narrator] Lechwe.
170
00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,720
Just one would feed the entire pack.
171
00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:54,880
[painted wolf growling]
172
00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:59,080
[music intensifies]
173
00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:08,480
[lechwe lowing]
174
00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:25,920
[painted wolf whining]
175
00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,080
[narrator] With splayed hooves
and powerful legs,
176
00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:34,880
they can drive on through the flood.
177
00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,200
Without the guidance of the alpha,
178
00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,200
the pack follow them
into the deeper water.
179
00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,240
It's futile.
180
00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:12,520
[whines]
181
00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:14,480
[narrator] And then…
182
00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:21,840
a lone impala.
183
00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:24,000
[suspenseful music playing]
184
00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:29,360
He lacks the paddle-like hooves
and long legs of the lechwe.
185
00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,080
[music swells]
186
00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:10,440
[painted wolves whining]
187
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:21,560
[narrator] They finish the job quickly
to avoid a clash with competitors.
188
00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,640
[painted wolves yipping]
189
00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:27,240
[impala moaning]
190
00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:32,120
[narrator] The pack often take out
the weak or injured in a group,
191
00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:33,560
easier prey,
192
00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:38,000
with the added benefit
of reducing disease in herds.
193
00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,080
[pups yipping]
194
00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:41,840
[birds chirping]
195
00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:43,920
[calm music playing]
196
00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,040
[painted wolves yipping]
197
00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:14,280
[narrator] The hunters deliver their meals
in the safest way possible.
198
00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:17,480
In their stomachs.
199
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:25,400
Until the pups can hunt themselves,
200
00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:27,080
they eat first.
201
00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,840
Generosity is
a core principle of their pack.
202
00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,440
Though learning to share
doesn't come easily.
203
00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:45,720
Retiring to the den
with your very first piece of meat
204
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:47,880
is about as good as it gets.
205
00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,000
[birds chirping]
206
00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:57,200
[narrator] With water levels
at their highest,
207
00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:00,560
the Okavango becomes a true paradise.
208
00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,000
Aquatic life
from the surrounding rivers and swamps
209
00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:09,840
spreads into the grassland to spawn.
210
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,080
Branches and trees
knocked down by elephants
211
00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,320
create protected nurseries for young fish.
212
00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,320
[birds chirping, squawking]
213
00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:31,880
[narrator] During peak flood,
214
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,160
the Delta swells
to twice its original size,
215
00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:39,600
and anywhere high and dry
becomes prime real estate.
216
00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,520
Water fig trees provide perfect nesting
217
00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,920
for an astonishing variety
of fish-eating birds.
218
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,000
[birds warbling]
219
00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,520
[narrator] For these families,
it's not so much about where you build.
220
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,480
It's what you build.
221
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,000
[whimsical music playing]
222
00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,200
[narrator] Only the finest
construction materials will do.
223
00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:16,520
[birds squawking]
224
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,880
[narrator] If you can't find
the exact fabric you're looking for…
225
00:22:50,360 --> 00:22:52,320
just steal it from your neighbor.
226
00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:00,960
They can always steal it back again.
227
00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:06,560
[bird squawks]
228
00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:16,400
[narrator] Finally,
229
00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:21,240
a nest ready to hold
their most treasured possessions.
230
00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:25,480
Gently turned…
231
00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,480
and shaded from the scalding sun.
232
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:35,400
[calm music playing]
233
00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:42,280
[narrator] Eggshell? Snail shell?
234
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:44,960
He's a first-time dad.
235
00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,280
Everyone is in a race to raise their young
236
00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:56,240
before the floodwaters recede…
237
00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,880
and the nests lose
their island protection.
238
00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:03,600
[birds squawking]
239
00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:08,560
[ominous music playing]
240
00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,320
[narrator] The lioness
has been struggling to make a kill.
241
00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:22,280
[painted wolves barking]
242
00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:25,800
[yipping]
243
00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,440
[breathing heavily]
244
00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:36,200
[lechwe grunts]
245
00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:47,240
[narrator] In drier conditions,
a reedbuck or lechwe would be a good bet.
246
00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,320
[dramatic music playing]
247
00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:59,080
[narrator] But not in the flood,
248
00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:00,920
not by herself.
249
00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:07,360
And she's got competition.
250
00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:23,920
Time to push back on her rivals.
251
00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:32,320
[tense music playing]
252
00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:39,720
[music swells]
253
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,080
[painted wolf whimpers, cries]
254
00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:46,040
[painted wolves yipping]
255
00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:50,440
[barking]
256
00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:52,520
[somber music playing]
257
00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:58,280
[barking]
258
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:10,680
[barking, yipping]
259
00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,000
[narrator] It's pure intimidation.
260
00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:23,120
She won't eat the carcass.
261
00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:35,680
The pack would be wise
not to test her patience again.
262
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:37,600
[growls]
263
00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:39,600
[animal screeching]
264
00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,280
[lions roaring]
265
00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:51,960
[insects chittering]
266
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,040
[narrator] By September,
the temperatures rise,
267
00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:06,120
and water levels begin to drop,
268
00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:11,000
leaving shrinking pools crowded with fish.
269
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:16,640
Perfect timing.
270
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:17,800
[chick squawking]
271
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:21,280
[chirping]
272
00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:23,640
[calm music playing]
273
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:34,040
[trumpeting]
274
00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,720
[birds chirping, warbling]
275
00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,280
[narrator] The adults get to work…
276
00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,120
feeding their precious little monsters.
277
00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:03,600
[warbling]
278
00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:12,160
[narrator] New pools form each day
as the flood recedes.
279
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:15,320
[birds warbling, trilling]
280
00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,800
[narrator] Everyone
has their own special technique
281
00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,080
to go with their own special bill.
282
00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:24,680
[whimsical orchestral music playing]
283
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,480
Pelicans favor the fishing net.
284
00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:40,240
[squawking]
285
00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:42,200
[narrator] Pied kingfishers…
286
00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:45,960
use the dive-bombing system.
287
00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:52,280
[bird warbling]
288
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,560
[narrator] Openbill storks
have snail-plucking down to a science.
289
00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:10,200
And the rather theatrical black egret
290
00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:14,360
uses its cape to mimic shady spots
where fish like to hide.
291
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:18,920
Bravo.
292
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:25,760
Different approaches with one purpose.
293
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:27,160
[chicks chirping]
294
00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:29,680
[warbling]
295
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:31,960
[narrator] To build up
their chicks' strength
296
00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:33,320
as quickly as possible.
297
00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:35,400
[warbling]
298
00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,200
[chicks moaning]
299
00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,560
[narrator] Pelican chicks
are the greediest.
300
00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:05,000
They need up to 30 feeds a day.
301
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,120
The tireless adults all know
302
00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,560
the golden rule
of family life in the Delta.
303
00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:32,800
[chirping, calling]
304
00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:43,400
The stronger your young,
the greater their chances of survival.
305
00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:51,720
[birds chirping]
306
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:57,640
[dramatic music playing]
307
00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,200
[narrator] As the floodwaters recede
308
00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,280
and the desert heat builds,
309
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,240
hunting grounds dry out…
310
00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:14,360
[zebras braying]
311
00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:18,520
…shifting the balance of power
back to the predators.
312
00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:25,840
But alone, the lioness' kill rate
is still dangerously low.
313
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:29,120
[wildebeests lowing]
314
00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:32,400
[narrator] She's growing weaker
by the day.
315
00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:44,000
To complicate matters,
316
00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:46,720
she's come into season.
317
00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:51,120
Her scent will carry
to any lions in the area.
318
00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,440
Including those she most wants to avoid.
319
00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:02,520
[ominous music playing]
320
00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,680
[narrator] The young males
who destroyed her family.
321
00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:17,560
[insects chittering]
322
00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:20,200
[birds chirping]
323
00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,440
[narrator] But with
the hunting grounds opening up,
324
00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:37,880
another even bigger male
is drawn to the area.
325
00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:43,640
[suspenseful music playing]
326
00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,760
[narrator] His dark mane and deep call
327
00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:09,200
are signs he's in his prime.
328
00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:13,280
[growls]
329
00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,280
[low moaning]
330
00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:26,320
[moaning]
331
00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:37,960
[narrator] It's risky.
332
00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:41,760
But if they join forces,
333
00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,640
he could offer protection
and hunting support.
334
00:33:57,720 --> 00:33:59,320
[growling]
335
00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:29,240
[bird squawking]
336
00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:38,080
[zebras snorting]
337
00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:42,240
[growling]
338
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,320
[birds warbling]
339
00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:52,360
[breathing heavily]
340
00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:58,440
[narrator] Her newfound alliance
is short-lived.
341
00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:03,480
The stranger moves on
after only a few days.
342
00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:05,680
[moaning]
343
00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:09,280
Alone, once more,
344
00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:13,160
but this time pregnant.
345
00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,480
She won't be hunting
for just herself anymore.
346
00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:29,560
[wildebeests lowing]
347
00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:31,640
[dramatic music playing]
348
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:44,760
[wildebeest panting]
349
00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:09,680
[music crescendos]
350
00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,200
[bird chirping]
351
00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:46,120
[narrator] Every family in the Delta
352
00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:50,160
is intimately connected
to the rhythms of the changing seasons.
353
00:36:56,800 --> 00:36:58,960
The water levels are plummeting,
354
00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:01,360
turning to mud.
355
00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:08,880
Fun for a calf…
356
00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:11,520
[snorts]
357
00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:18,480
…but it's a sign her herd should move on.
358
00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:20,560
[whimsical music playing]
359
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:23,280
[elephants growling]
360
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,240
[narrator] With the dry season
taking grip,
361
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:33,800
the herds need to make the most
of whatever grazing is left.
362
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,320
She learns from watching.
363
00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:54,960
But some things, she has yet to perfect.
364
00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:56,880
[panting, grunting]
365
00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:01,720
[narrator] Such as paying attention,
so as not to get left behind.
366
00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:20,600
She's being taken to a special place.
367
00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:22,440
[snorts]
368
00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:27,120
[wondrous music playing]
369
00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:30,000
A stand of fan palms.
370
00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:34,200
They thrive
where salts have been left behind
371
00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:35,880
by the evaporating flood.
372
00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:40,800
And the fruits that sit at the top
373
00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:43,200
are revered by elephants.
374
00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:46,640
Harvesting such lofty treats
375
00:38:46,720 --> 00:38:50,840
is a trick
that only a four-ton bull can pull off.
376
00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:22,160
Each shake
releases hundreds of fruits at once.
377
00:39:22,240 --> 00:39:24,400
[breathing deeply]
378
00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:36,040
[narrator] He knocks down
enough for everyone.
379
00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,160
[growling]
380
00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:55,680
[narrator] This precious meal
381
00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:59,800
is not just for this family
and not just for today.
382
00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:04,200
Elephants are the chief distributors
383
00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:06,120
of fan palm seeds.
384
00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:11,040
-The calf's ancestors left this fruit.
-[whines]
385
00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:12,840
[growls]
386
00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:17,320
[narrator] And now
she will do the same for those to come.
387
00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,880
The herd will carry the seeds
for many miles.
388
00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:32,400
Wherever they release them
in their dung, they can take root.
389
00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:36,720
Just another
of the herd's vital contributions
390
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:37,840
to the Delta.
391
00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:40,080
[dramatic music playing]
392
00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:52,880
[growling]
393
00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:55,520
[narrator] It will be
their last decent meal.
394
00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:56,880
From here on,
395
00:40:56,960 --> 00:41:02,400
the increasing scarcity of food and water
will drive their every move.
396
00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:03,760
[birds chirping]
397
00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:05,680
[painted wolves panting]
398
00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:18,760
[pups yipping]
399
00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:26,560
[narrator] The painted wolves
have made it through the flood,
400
00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:29,040
but not entirely intact.
401
00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:33,040
One team member already killed,
402
00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:37,880
and now the best hunters
have deserted the alpha and her pups.
403
00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:39,960
[pups whining, yipping]
404
00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:43,920
[narrator] Too many new mouths to feed
405
00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:46,720
and not enough food to go around.
406
00:41:57,120 --> 00:42:00,320
It's time for the rookies
to move out of the den
407
00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:02,160
and begin searching for food.
408
00:42:02,240 --> 00:42:03,720
[yipping]
409
00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:05,320
[whimsical music playing]
410
00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:12,080
[narrator] The pups'
first great adventure.
411
00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:17,760
Their first patrol with the grown-ups.
412
00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:26,280
Though, they are more
of a hindrance than a help.
413
00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:41,240
Their little legs will carry them
up to 15 kilometers a day.
414
00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:47,760
[yipping]
415
00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:58,840
The alpha must rebuild her team
into a peak hunting machine…
416
00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,840
and teach her pups
the ways of the pack hunter.
417
00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:09,360
[birds chirping]
418
00:43:12,240 --> 00:43:14,080
[insects chittering]
419
00:43:26,240 --> 00:43:28,080
[narrator] The receding floodwaters
420
00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:33,200
have created perfect conditions
to unleash a plague.
421
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:35,160
[dramatic music playing]
422
00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:37,600
[narrator] Locusts.
423
00:43:38,920 --> 00:43:42,240
The building heat
triggers a mass hatching.
424
00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:50,640
Ten million greedy mouths
devour the drying vegetation.
425
00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:07,280
Ancient termite mounds
seem to be the only things impervious
426
00:44:07,360 --> 00:44:10,800
to the great forces
now at play in the Delta.
427
00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:36,320
It's October.
428
00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:39,440
In two short months,
429
00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:43,040
the drought has transformed
a verdant paradise
430
00:44:43,960 --> 00:44:46,080
into a barren dust bowl.
431
00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:56,080
All the herds are searching for water
432
00:44:56,160 --> 00:44:57,800
wherever they can find it.
433
00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:00,080
[birds warbling]
434
00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:01,880
[water buffalo lowing]
435
00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:06,160
[dramatic music playing]
436
00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:15,120
[lowing]
437
00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:26,560
[narrator] They are easy pickings
for the two young males.
438
00:45:31,640 --> 00:45:34,840
Who grow bigger and stronger every day.
439
00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:40,040
[ominous music playing]
440
00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:45,720
[narrator] They follow
the buffaloes' every move.
441
00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:01,440
Tracking the same herds,
442
00:46:01,520 --> 00:46:05,080
the lioness must stay
a safe distance from the males.
443
00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:07,760
[water buffalo growling]
444
00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:11,480
[narrator] In her delicate state,
she desperately needs to eat.
445
00:46:12,760 --> 00:46:13,880
[lioness growling]
446
00:46:14,920 --> 00:46:16,840
[water buffalo growls]
447
00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:23,400
[narrator] But taking on prey
the size of a buffalo all by herself
448
00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:25,680
is next to impossible.
449
00:46:26,440 --> 00:46:27,520
[snorts]
450
00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:30,400
[somber music playing]
451
00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:42,440
[narrator] At best, she can pick up
scraps left by the males,
452
00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:47,640
scavenging the bare minimum
she needs to stay alive.
453
00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:07,920
[water buffalo lowing]
454
00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:16,520
[narrator] All the herds
and their predators
455
00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:18,720
are being drawn in by the drought,
456
00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:22,640
coming together in the heart of the Delta,
457
00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:26,280
where the last water sources remain.
458
00:47:26,360 --> 00:47:28,160
[whimsical music playing]
459
00:47:30,480 --> 00:47:32,240
[narrator] The calf and her herd
460
00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:35,360
have to travel further
with each passing day.
461
00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:37,880
[growling]
462
00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:44,120
[groans]
463
00:47:46,080 --> 00:47:50,720
[narrator] Their eyesight may be poor,
but with highly attuned hearing and smell,
464
00:47:50,800 --> 00:47:54,600
elephants can sense danger
from miles away.
465
00:47:59,720 --> 00:48:01,800
[ominous music playing]
466
00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:07,440
[narrator] Nile crocodiles.
467
00:48:09,080 --> 00:48:13,840
Some up to six meters long,
weighing three-quarters of a ton.
468
00:48:18,920 --> 00:48:23,200
But most are pretty small,
only a meter or so.
469
00:48:23,280 --> 00:48:24,760
[elephant barks]
470
00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:27,800
[elephant trumpets]
471
00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:30,120
[whimsical music playing]
472
00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:40,760
[elephant growls, trumpets]
473
00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:56,360
[narrator] The older elephants
show the calf how to get to the water
474
00:48:56,440 --> 00:48:59,960
by navigating
this strange obstacle course.
475
00:49:04,120 --> 00:49:06,000
[elephant trumpets]
476
00:49:18,560 --> 00:49:19,520
[elephant snorts]
477
00:49:28,920 --> 00:49:30,280
[narrator] At last.
478
00:49:34,280 --> 00:49:37,080
And if you still haven't mastered
the art of the trunk,
479
00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:40,480
face drinking is always a good fallback.
480
00:49:41,040 --> 00:49:43,400
[elephant growls]
481
00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:46,560
[narrator] The calf is learning…
482
00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:50,560
the hard way.
483
00:49:57,120 --> 00:50:00,120
This water hole is the herd's savior.
484
00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:10,720
Elephants also use it
to protect their skin from the sun.
485
00:50:15,720 --> 00:50:17,720
[elephant growls]
486
00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:22,880
[narrator] The mud cools
their overheated bodies as it evaporates.
487
00:50:31,560 --> 00:50:35,400
And the dust settles
in the cracks and crevices of their skin,
488
00:50:35,480 --> 00:50:36,880
acting as sunblock.
489
00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:55,200
A spot like this is highly sought-after.
490
00:50:56,320 --> 00:50:57,760
[elephant barks]
491
00:51:01,080 --> 00:51:02,120
[elephant snorts]
492
00:51:07,680 --> 00:51:11,440
[narrator] But the herd aren't ready
to move on from their mud spa just yet.
493
00:51:12,480 --> 00:51:13,560
[elephant trumpets]
494
00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:20,320
[elephant trumpeting]
495
00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:29,680
[screeching]
496
00:51:30,480 --> 00:51:34,160
[narrator] Such difficult times
teach the growing pups many things.
497
00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:40,600
Harassing a well-fed vulture
must be a good lesson in… something.
498
00:51:40,680 --> 00:51:42,560
[vulture trilling]
499
00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:45,280
[pups yipping]
500
00:51:56,440 --> 00:51:58,080
[narrator] A lone hyena…
501
00:52:00,280 --> 00:52:02,840
makes for a more serious education.
502
00:52:06,920 --> 00:52:10,400
Testing their stress levels
helps prepare them
503
00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:14,280
for future confrontations
with competitors.
504
00:52:14,360 --> 00:52:15,880
[pups shrieking]
505
00:52:20,840 --> 00:52:22,120
[hyena growls]
506
00:52:24,160 --> 00:52:25,320
[elephant growls]
507
00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:29,440
[narrator] But they still need
to learn the most important lesson.
508
00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:35,040
[suspenseful music playing]
509
00:52:35,960 --> 00:52:36,960
[narrator] The art…
510
00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:42,600
of the hunt.
511
00:52:56,240 --> 00:52:57,720
[impalas grunting]
512
00:53:07,280 --> 00:53:08,560
[birds warbling]
513
00:53:08,640 --> 00:53:11,040
[narrator] With the alpha
now back in charge…
514
00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:19,960
she directs the team
to drive their prey into the thick mud
515
00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:21,840
to slow them down.
516
00:53:28,440 --> 00:53:31,080
[painted wolves barking, yipping]
517
00:53:31,160 --> 00:53:32,760
[impala shrieking]
518
00:53:36,760 --> 00:53:39,120
[narrator] Her coaching is paying off.
519
00:53:52,600 --> 00:53:55,080
They're learning who to target…
520
00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:00,120
and who to leave.
521
00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:04,560
[painted wolves yipping]
522
00:54:07,080 --> 00:54:11,400
[narrator] The pack is growing
wiser and closer each day.
523
00:54:15,160 --> 00:54:17,160
[panting]
524
00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:28,960
[narrator] By late October, temperatures
have soared to 45 degrees Celsius.
525
00:54:29,040 --> 00:54:30,840
[dramatic music playing]
526
00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:32,920
[narrator] Not a drop has fallen.
527
00:54:33,440 --> 00:54:34,320
[insects chittering]
528
00:54:34,400 --> 00:54:38,400
In recent years, the dry seasons here
have been getting longer,
529
00:54:39,000 --> 00:54:41,200
the heat more severe.
530
00:54:42,240 --> 00:54:44,240
[elephant growling]
531
00:54:46,040 --> 00:54:50,600
[narrator] This year is fast becoming
the drought of the century.
532
00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:00,640
Every day becomes a gamble
533
00:55:00,720 --> 00:55:04,400
to find enough water
to keep the whole herd alive.
534
00:55:05,080 --> 00:55:07,080
[elephant growling]
535
00:55:11,560 --> 00:55:14,680
[narrator] The calf and her mother
need it the most.
536
00:55:21,800 --> 00:55:24,400
She's a prisoner in these lands
537
00:55:25,040 --> 00:55:28,920
that only a few months ago
offered her so much.
538
00:55:34,960 --> 00:55:36,800
[elephant growling]
539
00:55:39,800 --> 00:55:42,680
[narrator] Her survival
is entirely in the hands
540
00:55:42,760 --> 00:55:45,480
of the wise, old leader.
541
00:55:45,560 --> 00:55:47,760
The herd's matriarch.
542
00:55:55,440 --> 00:55:58,000
She's been traveling these pathways
543
00:55:58,080 --> 00:56:00,240
since she, too, was a young calf.
544
00:56:07,160 --> 00:56:10,200
Her brain, infused with memories,
545
00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:13,200
holds an ancient internal map
546
00:56:13,800 --> 00:56:16,920
of where the last pockets
of water might be found.
547
00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:18,640
[epic orchestral music playing]
548
00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:21,400
[elephant trumpeting]
549
00:56:22,080 --> 00:56:24,280
[elephant breathes deeply]
550
00:56:24,360 --> 00:56:25,280
[elephant barks]
551
00:56:25,360 --> 00:56:28,040
[narrator] Family is
more than just the herd.
552
00:56:28,560 --> 00:56:30,560
Family is memory…
553
00:56:33,000 --> 00:56:35,400
and that's what's making the difference
554
00:56:35,480 --> 00:56:37,680
between life and death.
555
00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:39,760
[birds chirping, warbling]
556
00:56:41,680 --> 00:56:42,920
[elephant trumpeting]
557
00:56:43,000 --> 00:56:44,920
[narrator] The old family knowledge
leads them
558
00:56:45,000 --> 00:56:47,120
to one of the last remaining water holes
559
00:56:47,200 --> 00:56:48,840
in the entire Delta.
560
00:56:59,880 --> 00:57:01,240
[calf whines]
561
00:57:10,720 --> 00:57:13,840
[narrator] Every muddy drop
is a lifesaver.
562
00:57:34,480 --> 00:57:37,400
But their little one
can't get to the water.
563
00:57:41,760 --> 00:57:43,520
[whimsical music playing]
564
00:57:44,200 --> 00:57:46,840
[narrator] So she simply gets
into the water.
565
00:57:56,000 --> 00:57:58,640
Getting out, not so easy.
566
00:57:58,720 --> 00:58:00,400
[calf whines]
567
00:58:01,600 --> 00:58:03,560
[elephant growls]
568
00:58:08,400 --> 00:58:09,960
[elephant trumpeting]
569
00:58:17,600 --> 00:58:19,000
[elephant growls]
570
00:58:19,080 --> 00:58:21,080
[calf whining]
571
00:58:34,240 --> 00:58:39,600
[narrator] For a clumsy calf,
a loving family is her most powerful ally.
572
00:58:47,160 --> 00:58:49,520
[elephant growls]
573
00:58:58,600 --> 00:59:00,600
-[wind whooshing]
-[insects chittering]
574
00:59:02,000 --> 00:59:03,960
[narrator] There's no time to waste.
575
00:59:04,040 --> 00:59:05,800
They need more water,
576
00:59:06,840 --> 00:59:09,480
and they'll chase
the storm front to find it.
577
00:59:13,600 --> 00:59:16,920
-Finally, clouds begin to form.
-[thunder rumbling]
578
00:59:17,920 --> 00:59:19,920
Giant storm cells.
579
00:59:32,480 --> 00:59:35,600
[wind whooshing loudly]
580
00:59:43,800 --> 00:59:47,760
[narrator] Elephants are able to hear
the low frequencies of distant thunder
581
00:59:47,840 --> 00:59:51,880
and detect storms
up to 200 kilometers away.
582
00:59:51,960 --> 00:59:54,000
[thunder rumbling]
583
01:00:05,400 --> 01:00:07,000
[thunder crashing rapidly]
584
01:00:14,760 --> 01:00:19,160
[narrator] But in a region that's gone
seven months with barely a drop of rain,
585
01:00:19,680 --> 01:00:23,720
the tinder-dry grasses are a ticking bomb.
586
01:00:23,800 --> 01:00:25,800
[suspenseful music playing]
587
01:00:30,920 --> 01:00:34,080
The adults in the herd
have seen fire before.
588
01:00:35,040 --> 01:00:40,160
Each year, up to 4,000 square kilometers
of the Delta burns.
589
01:00:43,280 --> 01:00:47,600
They know to stick close together
as they try to navigate the flames.
590
01:01:10,840 --> 01:01:13,440
The fires are devastating…
591
01:01:13,520 --> 01:01:14,680
[somber music playing]
592
01:01:17,000 --> 01:01:19,120
…but don't devour everything.
593
01:01:22,600 --> 01:01:24,320
[wind whooshing]
594
01:01:31,840 --> 01:01:35,520
[narrator] The grazers have thinned
the amount of fuel available to burn.
595
01:01:37,800 --> 01:01:40,800
And the scorched areas
will create new pathways
596
01:01:40,880 --> 01:01:43,120
for next year's flood to access.
597
01:01:46,600 --> 01:01:50,080
The Delta has always found a way to heal
598
01:01:50,600 --> 01:01:54,280
because its residents
never stop playing their part.
599
01:01:55,000 --> 01:01:57,000
[thunder rumbling]
600
01:02:04,960 --> 01:02:08,400
[narrator] At last, the skies yield.
601
01:02:12,200 --> 01:02:14,640
The greatest drought in living memory
602
01:02:15,400 --> 01:02:17,200
is finally broken.
603
01:02:17,920 --> 01:02:19,600
[dramatic music playing]
604
01:02:25,440 --> 01:02:27,560
[narrator] Over the next five months,
605
01:02:27,640 --> 01:02:30,240
half a meter of rain will fall here.
606
01:02:33,080 --> 01:02:35,600
Any ground scorched by the fire
607
01:02:35,680 --> 01:02:37,600
will be revitalized.
608
01:02:39,080 --> 01:02:40,600
[thunder rumbling]
609
01:02:59,640 --> 01:03:00,600
[wildebeest lowing]
610
01:03:03,480 --> 01:03:06,520
[narrator] The herds are released
from their water holes.
611
01:03:11,920 --> 01:03:14,600
-And the predators spread out.
-[growls]
612
01:03:21,760 --> 01:03:24,320
[narrator] Keeping the grazers
on the move,
613
01:03:24,400 --> 01:03:26,840
giving the new shoots a chance,
614
01:03:26,920 --> 01:03:31,000
and preventing any one area
from becoming depleted.
615
01:03:31,960 --> 01:03:33,280
[elephant grunts]
616
01:03:34,200 --> 01:03:36,320
[growls]
617
01:03:37,240 --> 01:03:38,320
[narrator] Balance…
618
01:03:40,640 --> 01:03:42,080
is maintained.
619
01:03:43,920 --> 01:03:47,520
[elephants growling]
620
01:03:56,080 --> 01:03:58,320
[narrator] And with the arrival
of the rains…
621
01:04:00,400 --> 01:04:02,800
come four new cubs.
622
01:04:03,880 --> 01:04:04,920
[cubs whining]
623
01:04:19,880 --> 01:04:21,880
[peaceful music playing]
624
01:04:29,680 --> 01:04:31,400
[lioness purring]
625
01:05:06,040 --> 01:05:09,560
[narrator] The flush of green
has prompted a baby boom.
626
01:05:16,200 --> 01:05:17,200
[bleating]
627
01:05:20,480 --> 01:05:22,000
[whining]
628
01:05:29,720 --> 01:05:31,040
[cubs whining]
629
01:05:36,160 --> 01:05:37,880
[lioness growling]
630
01:05:40,200 --> 01:05:42,720
[narrator] She moves her cubs
every few days…
631
01:05:44,720 --> 01:05:47,280
to prevent their scent
from attracting enemies.
632
01:05:47,920 --> 01:05:49,920
[birds chirping]
633
01:05:55,560 --> 01:05:57,200
[birds squawking]
634
01:06:04,840 --> 01:06:06,600
[cubs whining]
635
01:06:10,440 --> 01:06:14,320
[narrator] But her latest move
hasn't gone unnoticed.
636
01:06:17,240 --> 01:06:19,800
[ominous music playing]
637
01:06:21,560 --> 01:06:24,560
[narrator] The young males
have picked up their trail.
638
01:06:42,560 --> 01:06:46,520
They will not tolerate
the presence of another male's cubs.
639
01:06:54,120 --> 01:06:55,120
[snorts]
640
01:07:21,680 --> 01:07:23,040
[cub whining]
641
01:07:23,120 --> 01:07:24,760
[intense music playing]
642
01:07:25,960 --> 01:07:27,080
[lion growling]
643
01:07:48,520 --> 01:07:50,680
[lions growling, roaring]
644
01:07:56,680 --> 01:07:58,680
[suspenseful music playing]
645
01:08:01,400 --> 01:08:05,080
[narrator] She's half their size
and outnumbered.
646
01:08:05,160 --> 01:08:07,160
[breathing heavily]
647
01:08:11,080 --> 01:08:12,680
[growling fiercely]
648
01:08:20,160 --> 01:08:21,520
[lioness roaring]
649
01:08:48,920 --> 01:08:50,280
[narrator] They're trapped.
650
01:08:50,360 --> 01:08:51,920
[cubs whining]
651
01:08:55,520 --> 01:08:58,400
[moaning]
652
01:09:00,960 --> 01:09:04,400
[narrator] Her instinct
is to lead her babies to safety.
653
01:09:12,160 --> 01:09:13,960
[cubs meowing]
654
01:09:18,080 --> 01:09:21,680
[narrator] But the cubs have no idea
who they're up against.
655
01:09:23,240 --> 01:09:24,640
[cubs meowing]
656
01:09:48,840 --> 01:09:51,480
[cubs growling]
657
01:09:54,600 --> 01:09:56,480
[narrator] She's lost track of a cub.
658
01:09:57,800 --> 01:09:59,560
[cub meowing]
659
01:10:01,560 --> 01:10:02,760
[cub shrieking]
660
01:10:02,840 --> 01:10:04,760
[intense music playing]
661
01:10:06,720 --> 01:10:08,480
[lions roaring]
662
01:10:47,120 --> 01:10:49,120
[somber music playing]
663
01:11:12,800 --> 01:11:14,400
[lioness moaning]
664
01:11:24,440 --> 01:11:26,720
[growling]
665
01:11:35,200 --> 01:11:38,040
[narrator] She'll fight
to the death for her family…
666
01:11:40,800 --> 01:11:42,120
[cub meowing]
667
01:11:44,120 --> 01:11:47,160
…but the males won't risk further injury.
668
01:11:58,280 --> 01:11:59,440
[lioness moaning]
669
01:12:06,160 --> 01:12:08,160
[moans, breathes heavily]
670
01:12:10,360 --> 01:12:12,640
[narrator] Thanks
to their mother's bravery,
671
01:12:12,720 --> 01:12:15,120
three of her cubs have survived.
672
01:12:18,920 --> 01:12:20,400
[moans]
673
01:12:23,320 --> 01:12:25,080
[narrator] She can't rest for long.
674
01:12:27,880 --> 01:12:29,240
She's all they've got.
675
01:12:34,480 --> 01:12:36,080
[cub whines]
676
01:12:43,640 --> 01:12:45,360
[wind whooshing]
677
01:12:45,440 --> 01:12:47,240
[dramatic music playing]
678
01:12:51,680 --> 01:12:55,640
[narrator] For the painted wolves,
life again is sweet.
679
01:13:03,400 --> 01:13:04,800
Their mother has risen
680
01:13:04,880 --> 01:13:07,800
to the greatest challenge
she's ever faced.
681
01:13:09,800 --> 01:13:12,960
Bringing a pack cut to half its size
682
01:13:13,040 --> 01:13:15,040
through the perils of the drought
683
01:13:15,760 --> 01:13:18,960
and transforming
a hapless bunch of rookies
684
01:13:19,040 --> 01:13:22,520
into a hardworking, successful team.
685
01:13:22,600 --> 01:13:24,600
[birds chirping]
686
01:13:29,360 --> 01:13:31,960
[narrator] Their comeback is complete.
687
01:13:32,040 --> 01:13:34,040
[painted wolves yipping]
688
01:13:44,520 --> 01:13:46,000
[narrator] The gutsy little calf
689
01:13:46,080 --> 01:13:49,080
has chalked up
her first year in the Delta…
690
01:13:51,320 --> 01:13:55,000
and she herself
has contributed to its upkeep…
691
01:13:57,040 --> 01:13:59,200
with every reed she's trampled,
692
01:13:59,720 --> 01:14:01,960
every palm seed she's left.
693
01:14:03,360 --> 01:14:07,080
If she can survive
another 30 or 40 more years
694
01:14:07,160 --> 01:14:09,240
of increasing extremes,
695
01:14:10,880 --> 01:14:14,000
fires, floods, and famines…
696
01:14:14,720 --> 01:14:16,440
[calf bellows]
697
01:14:16,520 --> 01:14:19,920
…she will finally become a matriarch
698
01:14:20,920 --> 01:14:23,520
and pass on everything she's learned
699
01:14:24,120 --> 01:14:25,760
to the next generation.
700
01:14:26,320 --> 01:14:27,320
[cub meows]
701
01:14:36,200 --> 01:14:38,120
[narrator] Now, four months old,
702
01:14:38,200 --> 01:14:41,200
the lioness's cubs are getting stronger
703
01:14:41,280 --> 01:14:43,240
and more able every day.
704
01:14:56,320 --> 01:15:00,120
Single-handedly,
she's kept them all well-fed.
705
01:15:11,800 --> 01:15:13,920
[cubs growling playfully]
706
01:15:15,160 --> 01:15:17,160
[zebras braying]
707
01:15:21,520 --> 01:15:24,400
[narrator] Their games
are practice for real life.
708
01:15:24,480 --> 01:15:27,480
To teach them
how to catch prey like their mother.
709
01:15:28,120 --> 01:15:30,120
[upbeat music playing]
710
01:15:31,080 --> 01:15:32,240
[wildebeest lowing]
711
01:15:38,160 --> 01:15:39,280
[meowing]
712
01:15:52,880 --> 01:15:56,120
[narrator] She once lost
what was most precious to her.
713
01:16:02,680 --> 01:16:06,080
But now,
has a little pride to call her own.
714
01:16:06,160 --> 01:16:07,400
[birds chirping]
715
01:16:08,200 --> 01:16:12,080
[narrator] Her cubs will soon learn
the vital importance of family.
716
01:16:14,000 --> 01:16:19,800
Just one of a myriad of families
whose presence sustains their land.
717
01:16:19,880 --> 01:16:21,720
[elephant trumpeting]
718
01:16:21,800 --> 01:16:23,560
[dramatic music playing]
719
01:16:23,640 --> 01:16:26,160
[narrator] These animals
will continue to adapt
720
01:16:26,920 --> 01:16:28,400
as best they can…
721
01:16:32,880 --> 01:16:35,400
to the growing threats they face.
722
01:16:35,480 --> 01:16:38,440
The world's climate changing…
723
01:16:41,040 --> 01:16:43,400
becoming increasingly hostile,
724
01:16:43,480 --> 01:16:44,880
more extreme.
725
01:16:49,520 --> 01:16:54,280
Their greatest weapon
in their fight to survive is each other.
726
01:16:55,920 --> 01:17:00,800
For their fates are bound together
with this great wilderness.
727
01:17:03,640 --> 01:17:05,080
The magnificent,
728
01:17:06,040 --> 01:17:07,320
ever-changing
729
01:17:08,520 --> 01:17:10,320
Okavango Delta.
730
01:17:23,440 --> 01:17:25,440
[dramatic music playing]
731
01:18:29,840 --> 01:18:31,320
[music fades]