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Wildest Africa
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AnimalsTranscript
00:19ETHIOPIA
00:20Landlocked and surrounded by five countries,
00:23Ethiopia is one of East Africa's forgotten lands.
00:30Seemingly passive deserts in fact seethe with fire.
00:35And cloud-piercing peaks shield a secret Eden
00:41of canyons and clifftops teeming with life.
00:46This fertile wilderness is a haven for a whole host of specialist hunters.
00:55Deeply spiritual people have clung to parts of these mountains
00:58for nearly 4,000 years.
01:04And the highlands are also the final retreat
01:07for one of Africa's most isolated primates.
01:16Gelada baboons are the last surviving species
01:19of a widespread group of grass-grazing monkeys,
01:23once found across the whole of Africa.
01:31Their relatives began disappearing around a million years ago,
01:35when the African climate started to warm
01:38and edible grasses began growing only at higher altitudes.
01:44from the highlands.
01:45Geladas either moved to where there was food
01:48or starved.
01:51But as people also capitalize on the highlands fertile soil,
01:56Ethiopia's geladas may be about to face
01:58the battle of all battles in order to survive.
02:05Despite the rich offerings of their mountainous home,
02:08could this really be the...
02:2075 million years ago,
02:22magma from deep beneath the earth's surface forced upwards
02:26a huge dome of ancient rock 800 kilometers wide,
02:32giving birth to the Ethiopian highlands.
02:38Eventually, the tectonic plate beneath this enormous formation
02:42began to split and separate,
02:45sparking a chain of volcanic activity along what is now known
02:48as the Great Rift Valley.
02:56Today, 30 million years later,
03:00the earth's crust along Ethiopia's rift is still being pulled apart
03:04at a rate of one and a half centimeters a year.
03:08It is also sinking.
03:12The Danakil Desert, or depression,
03:14is currently over a hundred meters below sea level.
03:20Making it one of the lowest points on the earth's surface.
03:25The Danakil is also the hottest place on the planet.
03:32The average annual temperature is 34 degrees centigrade,
03:36with mercury levels frequently rising above 50.
03:41And with just 200 millimeters falling each year,
03:45rain is a rare event.
03:51Sulfur-spattered hot springs bubble away,
03:56heated by boiling lava deep beneath the earth's surface.
04:02Lunar-like conical vents continuously let off steam.
04:11Around 1200 square kilometers of the Danakil region
04:16is a giant salt plain.
04:21Mineral-rich waters flowing into the depression
04:24are quickly evaporated, trapping the residue.
04:29Over millennia, this has laid down salt layers
04:33over two kilometers thick in places.
04:40But crowning these hostile lowlands is Erta Ale.
04:48This sea of molten rock is more than half a kilometer across.
04:58Erta Ale offers a modern-day glimpse into the formidable forces
05:03that so long ago pushed up the enormous ancient rocks
05:07to create Ethiopia's highland wonder.
05:14Little of its surface falls below 1500 meters.
05:21And the annual rainfall up here
05:24is around seven times that of the parched land below.
05:38In contrast to the Danakil Inferno,
05:40these temperate grass-covered hills
05:43witness snow and ice on their highest points.
05:50night temperatures often fall below freezing.
05:57Despite the evening chill,
05:59Ethiopia's Simian Mountains provide the perfect home
06:03to one of Africa's most unusual grazing mammals.
06:13teeth enable them to grind out the nutrients of each blade.
06:20Feeding is a sitting-down affair.
06:25Opposable thumbs along with a short index finger
06:27allow for a precise tweezer grip.
06:32Perfect for plucking grasses close to the root.
06:39With herds numbering up to 600 individuals,
06:43the highland's grassy plateaus are in no time stripped short.
06:50Not wasting his efforts on the females.
06:54Despite being the so-called boss,
06:56it's actually the women who called the shots in this society.
07:01Where to walk, when to eat,
07:03including when it's time for their leader to be replaced.
07:09Bands of bachelor males roam the outer perimeter of the herd,
07:13looking for signs of weakness,
07:16looking to catch the eye of any one of the females.
07:23Predator.
07:55helen tells the
08:12While many of Ethiopia's larger predators rest throughout the day, one particular pack
08:18of highland hunters is just waking up.
08:23Packs contain up to 13 individuals.
08:33Like all...
08:45But unlike their pack-hunting cousins, Ethiopian wolves have modified their hunting strategy.
08:56The hunter freezes.
08:59Silence is key to avoid alerting its victim.
09:09But there's another species that's also made these dramatic mountains its exclusive home.
09:18This creature has nerves of steel.
09:31Balancing on the edge of a rocky ledge, a 500-meter drop just a few centimeters away, it seems
09:39completely at ease with the terrifying steepness.
09:44It for a life on the edge.
09:48Their hooves have sharp edges and concave undersides, which act like suction cups, gluing them to
09:56this ever-challenging...
09:57Despite sharing the same habitat with gelada baboons, these ibex have more diverse feeding habits.
10:09Along with grasses and ferns, old man's beard lichen growing among the trees is a particular
10:15favorite.
10:27Male ibex spend the majority of their time living together in small groups.
10:34While females opt for a more solitary existence.
10:41But during the mating season, this grouping pattern changes.
10:48The females form tight-knit nursery groups, while the males put their friendships aside as
10:55soon as they get wind of the fertile females.
11:01Although their meter-long horns make for perfect back-scratchers, they have a more important
11:06use at this time of year.
11:13Known as rutting, this clashing of heads is what sorts out the men from the boys.
11:30As one battle is decided, another challenger steps forward.
11:36It can be a drawn-out war lasting several weeks.
11:39Determined with the becasters.
11:44Siring the most offspring.
11:50Although Ethiopia's highlands provide the perfect refuge for many creatures, there's
11:56another mammal that has also risen to the challenge of surviving here.
12:04Over 2,000 years ago, just 50 kilometers further north along the Highland Plateau, man made
12:12his mark here at Aksum.
12:45Cut out of the solid rock face, this Christian Orthodox Church is one of a hundred or so, perched
12:52high up within these vertical cliffs.
13:00Adorned with medieval murals, for over 1,000 years these holy hideaways have allowed their
13:07congregations to participate in peaceful prayer and spiritual ritual.
13:17Founded back in the 4th century by a shipwrecked Christian, Ethiopia's Orthodox Church is one
13:23of the oldest established churches in the world.
13:31While mountain priests continue to conquer the high life, another group of people have
13:36lowered their sights, but taken on an even greater physical challenge.
13:50In Ethiopia's hostile Danakil depression, the shimmering 50 degree heat reveals what appears
13:58to be a mirage of life.
14:03But this is no illusion.
14:08These are the Afar.
14:10Afar.
14:13One of the toughest tribes on the planet.
14:25For centuries, the Afar have dominated the Danakil Desert.
14:30Once one of the only trade routes in and out of Africa.
14:37These nomadic herders were among the most powerful and hardy tribes on the continent.
14:47Not only did they provide the camel trains needed to transport goods.
14:52They were the keepers of Ethiopia's secret gold, otherwise known as salt.
15:01This essential human commodity was once so valuable it was traded ounce for ounce with the southern
15:09continent's gold reserves.
15:13Beneath this dry and desolate moonscape lies a seemingly endless and still expanding reserve.
15:29Although not quite as valuable today in monetary terms, the Afar still guard and defend this territory
15:35with all their might.
15:41Harvesting the salt is a tea method, divided into three separate roles.
15:50Breakers dig and lever up the salt layers, before the masons shape each brick.
16:01This is a fine art.
16:04Each block turns out to be virtually identical to the next.
16:12Packers and loaders ensure the blocks are securely fastened and balanced on the camel's backs.
16:20Each animal can carry up to 24 blocks, a load of around 170 kilograms.
16:30The Afar alternate the locations where they mine.
16:35Holes left by removing the salt slabs will quickly fill up with salty water.
16:41The intense sun then evaporates the liquid, leaving behind layers of fresh salt crystals.
16:49This way, the harvested section of plain replenishes itself time and time again.
17:05Once fully loaded, the 50-strong camel train begins the two-week trek up to the temperate highlands.
17:15Eventually, the salt will be traded and distributed to the mountain region's various markets.
17:25As one group of hardy warriors scrape out a living in the desert,
17:31In the gelada inhabitants, this group of gelada bachelor males are planning a raid.
17:38But relatively recently, another mammal has realised the value of the highlands' fertile soils.
17:55Perched on the lower ledges of this mountain kingdom are the Amhara.
18:01Farmers whose lives depend on a crop that is as old as the hills.
18:07Teff.
18:12This humble wheat is the ancestor from which varieties such as millet have since been cultivated,
18:19and is an integral part of Amhara society.
18:25Teff seeds are so small, a single handful is enough to sow an entire field.
18:34While men work the terraces, it is the women of the village who turn the grain's chalky flour into large
18:41leathery pancakes.
18:45These flatbreads, known as injera, are unique to Ethiopia.
18:52Teff is milled into powder, then mixed with water, yeast and a small quantity of flours.
18:59The base touching the hot iron pan, or mitad, turns out perfectly flat pancakes,
19:06while tiny bubbles create an upper side containing hundreds of mini craters.
19:13This porous surface makes injera the perfect bread to scoop up sauces and other traditional dishes.
19:27As well as farming crops, the Amhara also maintain herds of cattle, sheep and goats.
19:36These highlands are the perfect grazing territory.
19:39And despite greatly outnumbered by the region's grass-picking primates, these four-hoofed herbivores are welcomed into the fold.
19:55But when it comes down to invading personal space, there are limits.
20:04An arm's length appears to be the accepted distance.
20:09Although some of the younger members of both groups haven't yet got the message.
20:16Gelata females only give birth once every other year.
20:22So babies can enjoy the undivided attention of their doting mothers right up to their second birthday.
20:32Females' teats lie so close to the centre of their chest, youngsters are often able to feed from both simultaneously.
20:42Once refuelled, baby geladas get straight back to business.
20:49Play fights, somersaults and roughing up your best friend are daily necessities.
20:59The youngsters appear indestructible as their seemingly fragile bodies bend in two and survive plummets of several metres.
21:17But the peaceful scene may soon be about to come to an unsavoury end.
21:26Geladas and Amhara people share an ongoing territorial battle.
21:33And these shuffling simians are getting uncomfortably close.
21:40This farmer's crop would be easy pickings for such a voracious gang of grazers.
21:48No fence would be high enough to deter such agile climbers.
21:54The tef from these fields is an important source of income.
22:00So the farmers have no option but to defend their land.
22:03The Antifelous
22:05The Antifelous
22:22Jor-Page
22:24Jor-Page
22:40Losing your grip on these steep cliffs
22:42can have severe consequences.
22:51Living the high life comes with many benefits.
22:55But the further you climb, the greater the fall.
23:03As the morning thermals begin to rise, an ominous silhouette circles above.
23:17The arrival of the highlands undertakers confirms the demise of one of the mountain's monkeys.
23:26At over a meter tall, lapid-faced vultures are one of the largest scavengers in the region.
23:36It dominates all other birds when feeding.
23:42The carcass is quickly stripped clean, as other airborne freeloaders get wind of the meal.
23:56Thick-billed ravens are the last to give up, as the sight of bare bones signals an end to the
24:02feast.
24:06But for one avian predator, a cleaned-up carcass is cue for a banquet to begin.
24:37The Lama-Gaea vulture is unique.
24:42With a wingspan tipping 3 meters, it's one of the world's largest birds of prey.
24:51It's also the only creature on the planet with a bone-dominated diet.
24:58A highly acidic stomach enables it to digest entire bones overnight.
25:08Although even for this giant, there are limits to the portion size it can swallow.
25:14But for the Lama Gaia, the bigger the bone, the better.
25:19As it has developed a remarkable strategy to consume these oversized chunks.
25:41After reaching a height of around 200 meters, it's time to let go.
25:47I know.
26:26This bone-breaking action can be repeated up to 30 times until the fragments are small enough to digest.
26:58South of the highlands, in Ethiopia's Omo Valley, lives a bird that has a unique trick up its sleeve when
27:06it comes to obtaining food.
27:11This species is being followed.
27:17Each time it bounds from tree to tree, a series of shrills and calls seem to advertise its new location.
31:58Suri women are some of the most recognisable tribespeople in Ethiopia.
32:06These teenage girls have recently had their lower lips cut.
32:13The incision is held open by a wooden plug until the wound heals, and then progressively
32:20larger plugs will be inserted over a period of several months.
32:27How far the girls stretch their lips is up to them.
32:38But the larger the clay plate they are able to hold, the more desirable they become to
32:43a future husband.
32:48It isn't known exactly why lip plates were first used.
32:55Some believe it was meant to discourage slavers from trading the women.
33:03But to the men of the village, it is a sign of beauty.
33:10The larger the lip plate, the greater number of cows they must pay for a bride.
33:23As well as offering an ideal environment for agriculture, the Omo Valley also provides another source
33:31of income for the Suri tribe.
33:35These nearby streams reveal a luxurious legacy of Ethiopia's volcanic past.
33:46Along with honey, the gold pan from these streams is taken to market and often traded with
33:53the people of the Highlands.
33:56the teff-growing Amhara.
34:05In the foothills of the Highlands, it's market day.
34:22Salt from the Danakil arrives via the Afar people's network of dealers.
34:30While Amhara women prepare to trade their teff with buyers from far and wide.
34:37The range of goods on offer is endless.
34:43While these young Oromo men haggle over the price of rock salt, another member of their tribe
34:48is on the lookout for a more unusual product.
34:56As the market comes to a close, money changes hands for a much prized item in Oromo society.
35:06It isn't just teff grain that has made the journey down from the Amhara occupied Highlands.
35:14Headdresses made from gelada manes are a vital part of the Oromo tribe's identity.
35:30Historically, most Oromo were nomadic farmers.
35:35But it was their skilled warrior horsemen that created terror among Ethiopians when they
35:40migrated north from Kenya around 500 years ago.
35:51Numbering 30 million, the Oromo are the largest ethnic group in the country.
35:59But violent competition between the ruling Amhara and other tribes still exists in certain regions.
36:11Knowing friend from foe can be key to survival.
36:18So tribal identity continues to be an important factor among all groups.
36:28For the Oromo warriors, the wearing of gelada baboon manes is a symbol of power and independence.
36:41Unfortunately for geladas, a mane-wearing warrior indicates the demise of another of their species.
37:01These highlands are the last refuge for this once widespread, charismatic creature.
37:29The increasing warmer climate means Amhara people are able to cultivate at ever higher climbs, creating even more climate.
37:38the competition for these gentle grazers.
37:50The grass-dependent geladas have around a thousand metres of altitude left, before being forced off these mountain tops.
38:24Ethiopia is a land of extremes.
38:31While violent parts of this landscape take with one hand, other regions nurture life, offering a secret Eden for African
38:43creatures seldom seen.
38:47As the climate changes, competition for food increases.
38:56For all of Ethiopia's unique residents, the struggle to survive continues.
39:04Red Texans.
39:05Red sis
39:05cuju
39:060
39:11Red sis
39:12Clip
39:12Fel
39:12Bor
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