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Deep within the arid expanse of the Kalahari Desert lies a true anomaly of nature: a land shaped by the unstoppable flow of inland floods to create one of the greatest wildlife havens in Africa. Experience the life-giving might of the Okavango Delta, in all its lush beauty.
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00:00Trapped in one of Africa's great deserts lies a lush hidden world, an untamed wilderness
00:17unlike any other on earth. Fed by a mighty river that travels from distant mountains,
00:25it is a vast mosaic of life which pulsates with vivid beauty that attracts Africa's most iconic animals and others less well-known.
00:43All drawn to this implausible paradise.
00:46This is the jewel of the Kalahari, the great Okavango Delta.
01:16Botswana is an arid country where rain falls only for a few short summer months.
01:32Botswana is an arid country where rain falls only for a few short summer months.
01:44Much of its land is covered by desert, yet it harbors possibly the greatest wildlife
01:53haven on the African continent, the Okavango Delta.
02:03But how did this expanse of water come to be?
02:08The Okavango Delta is a true anomaly of nature, a shallow, water-filled basin contained within
02:16the dry Kalahari Desert, created by the Okavango River, which flows 995 miles down from Angola's
02:26Highlands into the Kalahari Basin.
02:32Trapped between tectonic ridges in this broad, flat depression, the water spreads out to
02:39make an inland delta the size of Jamaica, providing habitats varied enough to support all manner
02:48of life, from the most water-dependent to those which can go without.
02:57And ranging from the small and slender to the biggest of all.
03:07It is a landscape shaped by the unstoppable flow of annual floods, where an abundance of
03:15prey makes perfect hunting grounds for a wide array of Africa's most accomplished predators.
03:26It is June, the height of the floods in the delta, and water has inundated the landscape, making
03:40it ideal elephant country.
03:45The African elephant is the largest land mammal on earth.
03:52They grow massive on a varied plant-based diet, with mature bulls weighing up to five tons.
04:02This makes them the largest land mammals in the world.
04:08Powering such considerable bulk takes a lot of fuel, and large bulls need to eat more than
04:14six hundred pounds of food daily.
04:28Luckily, the delta is dotted with lush islands.
04:35These two bulls are travelling together, a common practice for young bachelors who have left
04:52their family herds.
05:10For the younger bull, it's a good opportunity to pick up some useful survival tips from his
05:15larger and more experienced companion.
05:35One such lesson is learning how to harvest the seed pods of the camel thorn tree.
05:51The tree's nutritious pods are too high to be plucked, but the big bull knows how to get
05:57to them.
05:58He has perfected his technique.
06:04But the younger bull still needs some practice.
06:25This behaviour is testament to the great intelligence of these noble pachyderms.
06:33It's a good idea.
06:40Coupled with robust digestion and a dexterous trunk, the elephant is able to exploit a variety
06:48of food sources in the Okavango.
06:58But the voracious appetites of elephants can be devastating.
07:11This graveyard of trees is their doing.
07:25While stripping off bark to eat, the elephants ring-bark the trees, killing them.
07:32This seemingly destructive activity does actually have some positive side effects.
07:44It prevents the trees from forming a closed canopy, allowing sunlight to access grass below.
07:53A crucial influence in savannah biomes around the continent.
08:02It's also creating micro-habitats for another of the delta's smaller creatures.
08:14African bush squirrels.
08:19An old acacia skeleton makes an excellent home for them, complete with a hole for nesting
08:26and escaping predators.
08:28But while there is no threat around, this pair has plenty of time for playful chases.
08:40African bush squirrels live in tightly knit family groups.
08:45And will chase away any squirrels who do not share their family's common scent.
08:50Grooming one another is one of the ways to ensure family members share the same smell.
08:57And no spot is overlooked.
08:59Long tails making up half their total length of 14 inches are crucial balancing aids.
09:07In the Okavango's cool winter months, they are active all day.
09:21Coming down from the heights to forage for seeds, fruits and insects.
09:26But the squirrels never stray too far from the safety of the tree.
09:32There's a reason for their caution.
09:35The delta is home to one of Africa's fiercest raptors.
09:44The Marshall Eagle's telescopic eyesight can spot a squirrel from almost four miles away.
09:56Weighing over ten pounds and with a wingspan of almost eight feet,
10:00it is the biggest eagle in Africa.
10:05Capable of catching prey twice its weight, a little tree squirrel would make a tasty morsel for this bird.
10:17Squirrels aren't the only small mammals taking cover from these deadly predators.
10:22This old termite mound has been repurposed to house a pack of dwarf mongoose, who, like the squirrels, have found a haven in the Okavango.
10:36They are the smallest member of the mongoose family, at around twelve ounces and just under ten inches in length.
10:48Being small means they need to stick together, giving them plenty of eyes on the lookout for danger, while the diminutive carnivores forage.
11:03Dwarf mongoose feed mostly on insects, especially beetles and their larvae, as well as the original architects of their spacious home, termites.
11:17Packs average nine adults, including their young.
11:27Only the oldest, most socially dominant male and female in the pack will reproduce.
11:32While younger members help to raise the litter of the breeding pair.
11:39Subordinate females will even lactate and nurse despite never having been pregnant.
11:46This allows time for the dominant female to eat enough to rebuild her energy.
11:54It's an incredible system of social breeding.
11:57Working to the benefit of the pack by ensuring strength in numbers.
12:01Many of the Okavango's smaller creatures make their permanent homes on the Delta's dry islands, out of reach of the encroaching water.
12:19But for them, the real danger comes from above.
12:24And it's not just the Marshall Eagle that they have to watch out for.
12:28The Delta's variety of habitats provides for more than 480 species of birds, including a host of raptors.
12:39Africa's biggest owl lives here too.
12:45The Varose eagle owl weighs in at a hefty five pounds.
12:50Mainly nocturnal, it will occasionally hunt during the day,
12:54and can fly off with prey bigger than a dwarf mongoose.
12:59But the most successful raptor around is the African fish eagle.
13:05There are more of these regal birds along the Delta's fish-filled waterways than anywhere else on the continent.
13:12Although they are famed for their fishing abilities, they often steal prey from other birds, including the Marshall Eagle,
13:24and the Batalier Eagle, and the Batalier Eagle.
13:29Like the fish eagle, this striking raptor is highly territorial,
13:34preferring dead trees for roosting and surveying its range.
13:38While it will hunt for small mammals, it also gets much of its food from scavenging.
13:49And is adept at finding small carcasses before the Delta's most committed carrion eaters.
13:54At more than 11 pounds, the white-backed vulture dwarfs even the Marshall Eagle.
14:05Vultures have evolved to rely on scavenging carrion,
14:10which the Delta's high density of mammals invariably provides.
14:14They're capable of devouring over two pounds of meat in less than five minutes.
14:20While others in the Delta are designed to kill.
14:27And few are as efficient as Africa's largest canid.
14:33The African wild dog.
14:38Also known as the painted dog, it is one of Africa's most threatened predators,
14:44with fewer than 5,000 surviving in the world.
14:50Across the continent, habitat loss, persecution at the hands of humans, and disease,
14:56has had devastating effects on their populations.
15:01But here in the Okavango, the painted dog is thriving.
15:10Each member of this eight-strong pack of predators has a unique coat pattern.
15:16Like the dwarf mongoose, only the dominant male and female reproduce.
15:26Once the pups are born, they are kept in quarantine,
15:30in an underground den for the first three weeks of life.
15:32It's up to the rest of the pack to hunt and bring home enough meat to keep mother and pups fed.
15:44When not centred around a den, the hardy wild dogs can cover immense hunting ranges,
15:49as much as 770 square miles.
15:59Relying on teamwork and stamina, rather than speed,
16:04they run their prey to exhaustion.
16:06And are some of the most efficient predatory mammals in the world.
16:22But a mature elephant bull fears nothing.
16:24And the dogs move hastily along.
16:42Like all predators, they often come home from hunts with empty stomachs.
16:56The pack rests, waiting for the heat of the day to pass,
17:00gathering their energy for the afternoon's attempt.
17:02Like the wild dog, each of the individuals in this herd of plain zebra has a coat with a different striped pattern,
17:18equivalent to a human fingerprint.
17:19And as with the dogs, the zebra relies on the Okavango for all their needs.
17:29This breeding herd is led by a single stallion.
17:36The herd must drink regularly,
17:39and zebra seldom wander more than seven miles from a water source.
17:44But they're here for more than just water.
17:46It's an essential, if unusual, dietary requirement found in the Okavango's earth that the zebra seek.
17:57In the dry season, their diet lacks important minerals,
18:02which they supplement by eating mineral-rich soil deposits, known as salt licks.
18:08This unusual practice is called geophagia.
18:16The sands of the Delta's islands provide excellent salt licks.
18:25The minerals of the Okavango present themselves in other, more bizarre ways.
18:33Trees and plants pull groundwater up to the surface, where it evaporates over time,
18:39leaving concentrated solid crystals.
18:47This precipitation of minerals creates intricate formations,
18:51which become alien visions of snow under the sun.
18:54These build up in the soil over time to make up a staggering 40% of the total bulk of the Delta's islands.
19:09Impala herds also find soil-based mineral deposits to supplement their diets.
19:23These come in the shape of termite mounds, built by a species which cultivates beds of fungus below ground for food.
19:37In the process, they enrich the soil of their mounds with minerals, like copper and zinc,
19:45which the impala intuitively know they need, especially at this time of year.
19:53Winter is rutting season.
19:58Males older than four years mark out territories with glandular secretions from their foreheads.
20:09They are eager to herd prospective mates into their territories,
20:14and must keep bachelors at bay.
20:17This ram has a challenger.
20:27Their sharp horns grow up to 27 inches long and can inflict serious damage.
20:57good
21:15He is experienced in battle,
21:17using posture and confidence to push his opponent back.
21:18and
21:25The defender does not emerge unscathed.
21:38He's successfully defended his territory and retained the right to mate.
21:46After the rut, males will lose territorial urge and regroup into bachelor herds or join breeding herds.
21:55Seven months later, foals will appear within days of one another, carefully timed to coincide with the rainy season.
22:04While the floods bring new growth on the delta's flood plains, the grasses of the arid islands are more nutritious, and only the rainy season will replenish them.
22:15The timing of the rut offers Impala Young the best chance of survival.
22:20But it could spell danger for the adults if their preoccupation with mating lowers their guard.
22:31Impala are a favourite food of the delta's stealthiest predator.
22:35Leopards have the widest distribution of any wild cat, living throughout sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia.
22:47This young female will grow to around 132 pounds, the same size as an adult Impala ram.
22:55She learnt how to kill from her mother at the age of eight months.
23:04And since she was two years old, she has lived alone, fending for herself.
23:14Capitalising on her natural power and stealth.
23:21She won't pounce unless she can get within 65 feet of her prey, preferably to within 15.
23:35But this is easier said than done.
23:43Despite her camouflaged coat, she has been spotted.
23:55When not hunting, she often takes to the trees.
23:58Using her elevated position to rest and survey her surroundings for more potential prey.
24:17Leopards will hunt a variety of prey species, including reptiles, birds, and even fish.
24:23But their staple is small antelope.
24:33And the delta has plenty of those to offer.
24:42Including red lechway, an icon of the Okavango.
24:48These are among the most water-dependent of all antelopes.
24:53Grazing new growth on the margins of the delta's floodplains.
25:04Like the Impala, males and females live in separate herds.
25:08Both governed by territorial males.
25:13Lechway are well adapted to life in the Okavango.
25:16With powerful, overdeveloped hindquarters and elongated hooves
25:21that help them outrun predators through reeds and water.
25:24The sight of them bounding majestically across the shallows
25:40is a true Okavango trademark.
25:43The leopard looks on, sleepily surveying her land from a tree branch, as another day draws to a close.
25:44The leopard looks on, sleepily surveying her land from a tree branch, as another day draws to a close.
25:45The leopard looks on, sleepily surveying her land from a tree branch, as another day draws to a close.
25:46The leopard looks on, sleepily surveying her land from a tree branch, as another day draws to a close.
25:50The leopard looks on, sleepily surveying her land from a tree branch, as another day draws to a close.
26:04The leopard looks on, sleepily surveying her land from a tree branch as another day draws to a close.
26:25While the fleet-footed Lechwe come and go through the delta's waters,
26:30another more cumbersome Okavango icon prefers a leisurely pace.
26:40The hefty hippopotamus.
26:45Weighing more than two tons, hippos generate large amounts of metabolic heat.
26:52And porous skin loses water more quickly to the sun than most mammals.
27:01To stay cool, hippos spend lazy days submerged,
27:06emerging to graze on grassy islands by night.
27:11The trails carved by their regular movements through the water and onto land help shape and direct the delta's flow.
27:20And while elephants have the biggest environmental impact, no animal is as important to the Okavango system as the hippopotamus.
27:33Adult males aggressively defend territories and have a unique way of spreading their scent.
27:49This seemingly unhygienic activity of dung flinging does fuel plant growth, which in turn supports other species.
28:01The Okavango's water systems are rich in aquatic life, with 71 fish species living in the numerous waterways and channels.
28:19This attracts many birds to take advantage of the profuse fishing.
28:28A pied kingfisher surveys the water from its perch.
28:33But it's their aerial ability that sets this species apart.
28:44At around three ounces, pied kingfishers are considered the largest bird in the world able to hover in one place continuously.
28:53And they do so more than any other bird, patiently waiting for the moment to dive.
29:06But not every hunt is successful.
29:08Eventually, persistence pays off.
29:27He will fish continuously, needing to eat up to half his body weight in a day.
29:32While the little aerial expert's food is locked within the Okavango's waters, one of the largest of the delta's inhabitants is far less dependent on the annual floods.
29:48Giraffe can get most of the moisture they need from their food, going up to three days without drinking.
29:54But at up to 16 feet tall, and more than a ton in weight, they need to eat over 75 pounds of food a day.
30:04They browse only the foliage of the budi plants, so the rapid growth of grass accompanying the floods is of no use to them.
30:13To find the food they need on the delta's dry islands, they turn to the woodlands of the Morpani tree.
30:28These Morpani trees are exceptionally drought resistant, often the last to lose their leaves in the dry season.
30:37The giraffe's elongated muzzle and prehensile tongue allow it to feed selectively, plucking the freshest, tastiest leaves available.
30:52Giraffes are often found in groups known as journeys.
30:56Giraffes are often found in groups known as journeys.
30:59But no rigid social organisation exists.
31:08Individuals will come and go.
31:11But there is a hard-won hierarchy among males.
31:16Two bulls size each other up.
31:26The rhythmic nature of the sparring belies the staggering power of each wrecking ball blow.
31:36Known as necking, these contests establish hierarchy among bulls and determine who has the right to mate.
31:56While the largest bulls are preoccupied only with determining who is strongest, younger giraffes must be cautious while growing up in the Okavango.
32:14They are still small enough to fall prey to the delta's most powerful hunters.
32:26A male lion is massively built, roughly four feet tall at the shoulder and weighing in at about 420 pounds.
32:43The only truly social cat, lions live in prides of two to twelve adult females, plus their young.
32:56Males hold tenure over prides, usually in coalitions of between two and six.
33:03Lions use teamwork as well as their incredible strength to bring down even the biggest prey.
33:12But these predators typically spend around 20 hours a day resting.
33:18Their lives are woven with long bouts of rest and short bursts of dynamic action.
33:33Unlike the lions, wild dogs are among the most active of Africa's predators during the day.
33:40After the midday heat has passed, the pack has returned to the hunt.
33:45But they are not hunting lechway today.
33:55Zebra are some of the largest prey hunted by wild dogs.
34:00If they can startle the herd into fleeing, they may be able to isolate one and bring it down.
34:06Some packs have learned that grabbing zebra by the lip has the effect of immobilizing the animal.
34:22A 660 pound stallion can inflict serious damage to the slender dog.
34:27But the dogs are willing to take the risk.
34:46Presenting a united front is the best option for the zebra.
34:49With the knowledge of hungry mouths back at the den, the dogs regroup.
35:14The zebra's instinctive choice to fight rather than flee pays off.
35:34Even for the most efficient hunters, there are no sure bets in life.
35:56At the den, the alpha female greets the returning pack, with anxious excitement.
36:02At the den, the alpha female greets the returning pack with anxious excitement.
36:27She hopes that they will regurgitate meat for her and her pups.
36:32But the pack has returned empty handed.
36:49Although today's hunt has been unsuccessful, overall the delta provides a stable home for
36:55these beautiful and highly endangered creatures.
37:00Giving them the space they need to move away from the fences and guns of man.
37:07The Okavango Delta's verdant waterways are a haven for endangered species, both iconic
37:19and little known.
37:22For these wattled cranes, the delta's wetlands are a crucial lifeline.
37:41They are the most threatened of Africa's six crane species.
37:48With fewer than 8,000 adults surviving in the wild.
37:54The rarity of wattled cranes is due to a combination of factors.
38:01Cranes are particularly susceptible to human disturbance.
38:07Chicks have a naturally low survival rate.
38:09Only around 6% make it to adulthood.
38:16And breeding pairs have specific habitat requirements.
38:22They need around 100 acres of wetland, combined with 350 acres of surrounding grassland or woodland.
38:31This gives them access to their major food sources of grass seeds and the tubers of wetland sedges.
38:39The delta's mosaic of waterways and islands provides exactly such a combination of habitats.
38:54The cranes spend as much as 75% of the day foraging.
39:04Feeling with their beaks for these tubers beneath the ground.
39:14Accompanying them is a goliath heron, the largest heron species in the world.
39:24The blacksmith lapwings thrive in the delta's short, moist grasslands.
39:45Global numbers of these highly adaptable birds
39:51have increased dramatically in the last 100 years.
39:55Now estimated by some to be around a million.
40:01And they must be extra vigilant.
40:03There are predators around.
40:12The water monitor is one of Africa's biggest lizards, growing up to 7 feet.
40:17Its long, powerful tail makes it a strong swimmer.
40:24Preying on fish and other aquatic life.
40:28But it also eats birds.
40:33This territorial pair has recently fledged chicks.
40:38And the lapwing chicks are enticing.
40:43But it will have to get by their parents first.
40:48Blacksmith lapwings are notoriously aggressive.
40:54Seemingly oblivious to their small size.
40:59Adults take turns guarding the chicks.
41:02One staying close while the other launches attacks at potential predators.
41:08Despite being five times the lapwing size,
41:14even a secretary bird is discouraged by the aerial bombardment.
41:33This largely terrestrial bird strides the landscape,
41:37looking for prey it will batter to death with its long legs.
41:41But it won't find anything to eat here.
41:48After the excitement of the dive bombing, the lapwing cools down.
42:06Showing off its secret weapons against predators.
42:13Each wing is equipped with a sharp spur
42:16that can inflict significant damage on anyone the bird's dive bomb.
42:21Which explains why so many larger animals are reluctant to tangle with these feisty little birds.
42:38But some in the delta need more than a mere puddle to get the bath thereafter.
42:43At the end of a long day under the Okavango's baking sun,
42:49the elephant bachelors are keen for a swim.
42:54And the delta provides many first-rate pools like this one,
42:58deep enough for even the big-eared bathers to submerge.
43:02Elephants are fantastic swimmers, known to cross lakes as wide as 24 miles.
43:18For the elephants of the Okavango, this refreshing dip is one of the perks of being a delta local.
43:24Making the most of the abundant waters to cool themselves under the unrelenting sun.
43:36For these gentle-natured giants, there is no better way to end the day.
43:54The vast oasis of the Okavango Delta is a harbour of life in the midst of a sea.
44:16The vast oasis of the Okavango Delta is a harbour of life in the midst of a sea.
44:22The vast oasis of a great desert.
44:43Here, wet meets dry.
44:45Here, wet meets dry.
44:49Creating a diversity of habitats that nurtures an extraordinary abundance of creatures.
44:58Large and small.
45:05From herbivores to hunters.
45:08And reptiles to birds.
45:10The Okavango presents us with a rare vision of nature in its most untainted form.
45:23It is a place where time is told through the flow of water.
45:36And the cries of eagles carry across the clear blue sky.
45:40The great Okavango Delta is a true wildlife paradise.
45:53SEAN ISA fried.
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46:18It is a base which has a BENirit.
46:20The greatest surprise of the world is aç”er of 1277 humans.
46:22You
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