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AnimalsTranscript
00:26This young zebra
00:28has marched 47 days
00:31to get here.
00:34In 13 seconds,
00:36she will be dead.
01:00Survival becomes a lottery
01:01in Africa's great migration
01:03when millions cross this,
01:06the Mara River.
01:13This is Zulu Echo 5,
01:15an adult female zebra
01:16with a simple mission,
01:18to steer her young foe,
01:20Foxtrot 1,
01:21through his first migration.
01:26Across brutal plains
01:27and treacherous rivers,
01:29remote cameras and drones
01:30record mother and son
01:32every step of the way.
01:39Will they survive
01:40nature's ultimate ambush?
01:56June 28th,
01:58600 kilometers south
02:01of the Blood River crossing,
02:02East Africa.
02:04This is where it all started.
02:09Zulu Echo 5
02:10is one of 12 mares
02:12in a harem
02:13led by a single stallion.
02:15She's five years old,
02:17an adult in the zebra world.
02:20And as of 0726 this morning,
02:23a new mother.
02:29Born in the middle
02:30of a battlefield
02:30bigger than the size of Israel,
02:32mother and foe
02:33will soon be drawn
02:34into a brutal
02:35million-year-old migration.
02:40Every year,
02:41the search for food
02:42and water
02:43drives one and a half
02:45million wildebeests,
02:46hundreds of thousands
02:47of zebras
02:48and other antelope
02:49on a 3,000 kilometer
02:51round trip
02:51across this
02:52East African savannah.
02:55Right now,
02:57the main wildebeest
02:58and zebra herds
02:59are in the south,
03:00taking advantage
03:01of the summer grass.
03:04Zulu Echo 5
03:05and her companions
03:06didn't trek
03:08as far south,
03:09finding enough graze
03:10for their numbers here,
03:11about halfway
03:12up the migration route.
03:14As the rains
03:16push northward,
03:17all will follow
03:18across two ferocious rivers,
03:21including
03:22the infamous Mara,
03:24which will run
03:25with blood.
03:30there is neither start
03:31nor finish
03:32to this endless cycle.
03:34The only beginning
03:36for each animal
03:36is birth
03:38and the only ending
03:40death.
03:50Right now
03:50is the start
03:51of the long dry season.
03:55The main army
03:56of one and a half million
03:57wildebeest
03:58is many miles
03:59to the south.
04:00But the south
04:02is drying up.
04:03The rains
04:04are moving north.
04:08The zebras
04:09can't hang around here.
04:11The black army
04:12is on the move,
04:13chasing the rains north
04:14to the promise
04:15of water
04:15and new grazing.
04:19As one,
04:20they start moving north,
04:22just as the black army
04:24moves up behind them.
04:38Zulu Echo 5
04:39and her foal
04:40Foxtrot 1
04:41join this forward unit.
04:49The northern lands
04:50are now the new Eden.
04:52Water,
04:53abundant food,
04:54and for the little guy,
04:56mother's milk.
04:58Mom will need
04:59plenty of green grass
05:00to keep it flowing.
05:05They must move
05:06or die.
05:10It's going to be
05:11one heck of a ride.
05:14Battles will wage.
05:17Mercenary predator units
05:19will attack.
05:21Ambushes
05:22lie ahead.
05:23Foxtrot 1
05:24now 10 days old
05:26does his best
05:27to keep up.
05:30His mother
05:31is never far
05:32from his side.
05:43Finally,
05:44they arrive
05:44at the Talek River,
05:46a tributary
05:47of the Mara.
05:52It's a source
05:53of much-needed water,
05:55but their journey
05:56cannot end here.
05:58The plains to the north
06:00are where the abundant
06:00mineral-rich grazing is.
06:04And with an army
06:05of one and a half million
06:06wildebeests
06:07only a few days
06:07march behind,
06:08the food here
06:09isn't going to last long.
06:13They need to cross.
06:20a lazy pot of hippos
06:22owns this section
06:23of river,
06:24but these vegetarians
06:25are the least
06:26of the zebra's problems.
06:33The muddy water
06:34at the edge
06:35is not great
06:35for drinking.
06:37And zebras are fussy.
06:40They need to reach
06:42the deeper flowing stream.
06:45But clean water
06:46doesn't come cheap.
06:50Though he's more
06:51interested in mother's milk,
06:52Foxtrot 1
06:53goes with the flow
06:54through the muddy shallows.
06:57He hasn't yet learned
06:58to fear
06:59what lurks beneath.
07:08The crocodiles
07:09here in the Talek
07:10are not as large
07:11as the monsters
07:12of the Mara,
07:13but they're big enough
07:15to take out
07:16an adult zebra.
07:19Their body language
07:20is clear.
07:21The zebras
07:22are terrified.
07:25But the zebras
07:27take courage
07:27from their own numbers.
07:29They stand their ground
07:30and drink.
07:32Is it recklessness?
07:34A calculated risk?
07:37Or just plain desperation?
07:56Finally, some sense
07:57is forced into the zebras
07:58by 400 kilograms
08:01of primal reptilian hunger.
08:05the zebras.
08:06They don't retreat far.
08:07They hold their position
08:09on the bank.
08:11The basic instinct
08:13to head north
08:14is strong.
08:18One zebra makes a bold,
08:20or to us,
08:21even an insane decision
08:23to cross.
08:27fear
08:28holds the others back.
08:31Without her herd,
08:33she's made herself
08:34prime target.
08:36Many of these crocs
08:38haven't eaten
08:39in months.
08:49Zebras are no pushovers.
08:51she bolts
08:52and shakes
08:53the croc off.
08:54Then turns
08:55and beats
08:56a hasty retreat.
09:13Zulu Echo 5
09:15calls out.
09:16But ultimately,
09:18all the herd
09:18can do...
09:25Zulu Echo 5
09:28To cross this river,
09:30they're going to need
09:31an army.
09:42Wildebeests
09:43don't march
09:43in one single herd.
09:46Groups range in size
09:48from hundreds
09:49to hundreds of thousands
09:50spread across
09:52a broad front.
09:53And right now,
09:55thousands are just
09:56minutes away
09:57from our zebras
09:58waiting to cross
09:59the Taluk.
10:00Remote drone,
10:02aerial one,
10:02airborne.
10:04South,
10:0424-0-3-0.
10:07Copy that,
10:08aerial one.
10:08Status report.
10:11Wildebeest front line
10:12one and a half kilometers
10:13from Taluk River.
10:15They're mobile north.
10:161100 meters.
10:18900 meters.
10:27ETA in five,
10:28four,
10:29three,
10:30two,
10:31one.
10:33They're at the Taluk,
10:34control.
10:40Ignoring the bones
10:41of last year's crossing,
10:42the Black Army
10:43streams down the bank
10:45straight to the river,
10:46instinct overwhelming
10:48any fear
10:48of the crocodiles.
10:52Zebras seize the moment
10:53and take the plunge
10:55with the wildebeests.
11:09But Zulu Echo 5
11:11and Foxtrot 1
11:12hang back.
11:14The crocodiles
11:15who guard this passage
11:16are hungry.
11:17The front lines
11:18will have the heaviest casualties.
11:20Although some crocs
11:22are caught sleeping
11:22on the job.
11:25A rude awakening
11:26and they join the attack.
11:31The crocs move in
11:33from all sides.
11:34The wildebeests
11:35and zebras
11:35make a beeline
11:36for the opposite bank
11:37as fast as they can.
11:41Zebras are stronger swimmers
11:42than wildebeests.
11:43sometimes even outpacing crocs.
11:47But some
11:48pay the ultimate price.
11:54With the crocs
11:55preoccupied,
11:56it's time for Zulu Echo 5
11:59to test if her strategy
12:01of last in
12:02will pay off.
12:04Foxtrot 1
12:05follows close behind.
12:12who also
12:35googlexes
12:35who
12:35can
12:35shock
12:35and
12:35go
12:35and
12:35go
12:35go
12:36to
12:50He's made it, but out of the water isn't out of trouble.
12:59Hundreds of years of annual floods have carved steep banks into the sides of the Talak River.
13:05The zebras are trapped.
13:08It's a high-stress situation.
13:11Adults bite and kick to maintain personal space.
13:14And with nowhere to go, little Foxtrot 1 can't back away.
13:22A painful lesson, but a lucky one.
13:25That kick could have broken his leg, or worse, and that would have been a free meal for the
13:32crocs below.
13:34With mom back at his side, they search for an exit.
13:45But if the adults can't power up over these steep cliffs, Foxtrot 1 doesn't have a chance.
13:55The steeper the banks, the greater the chance of falling back into the river.
14:00And that's the last place they want to be.
14:04Zulu Echo 5 has got only two choices.
14:10To lead her foal upstream or downstream.
14:15The wrong choice will take them further and further from a way out.
14:30Zulu Echo 5 and Foxtrot 1 have reached the northern plains.
14:36They're across the first obstacle.
14:40But the Mara River, several days ahead, will make crossing the Talak look like a walk in
14:46the park.
14:47Before they can attempt it, there's still miles of open plain to contend with.
14:53The wildebeest stream into the northern plains, joined by allied herds of zebras.
15:01For days, wave after wave of great herds crossed the Talak, two million animals in all.
15:10The rains have given life to these vast plains, a 4,000 square kilometer feast of long grass.
15:20It's a rare moment on this long migration to rest and feed, recover, and even play.
15:38It seems idyllic, but consuming over five and a half thousand tons of grass a day, the herds
15:46can't stay in any single place for too long.
15:49The tall grasslands will be transformed into dust bowls within weeks.
15:56So they follow the isolated rainstorms on these northern plains, crisscrossing the landscape
16:03as they chase each new flush of grass left in the storm's wake.
16:17Unwittingly, they maintain their preferred habitat of open grassland by trampling on seedling
16:24trees, inhibiting regeneration of woodland.
16:30Without these massive grasslands, the herd numbers would plummet.
16:37The black army fans out over their new territory.
16:45But they're not alone.
16:49This is what these cats have been waiting for.
16:53They're hungry for battle.
16:58As tens of thousands of animals finally spread throughout their domain, the big cats get what they've been waiting
17:05for.
17:07But as an army, the wildebeest form a formidable barrier, and each individual carries a set of serious weapons.
17:20The young lionesses are looking for a weak spot.
17:25They see it, and this wildebeest immediately knows he's the target.
17:39He races toward the herd, but the lions have him cut off.
17:47His only hope now, run.
17:54Lions are fast, but only for short sprints.
18:08Outgunning not one, but three lionesses working in a team makes for a long and fast run.
18:17Lactic acid buildup in his muscles peaks, causing extreme cramps.
18:23It took everything he had to escape.
18:42And the monster was also trying to beat him.
18:44I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
18:44Wait a minute, wait.
18:45I'm sorry, I need to hear you.
18:45There's a challenge, we need to hear you.
18:47I don't know, that's why I cannot Rust-Man who is no shame.
18:48This was a good deal.
18:48I can't take it.
18:48I don't know, but I can't take it.
18:49You don't know, I can't take it.
18:51You don't know.
19:02Thanks to the overwhelming bounty of wildebeests,
19:05Foxtrot 1 and Zulu Echo 5 are spared the lion threat.
19:10For the moment.
19:12But lions aren't the only hunters on these planes.
19:18Remote vehicle drone at south, 24-032.
19:25Approaching hyena den site now.
19:28Along with lions, spotted hyenas are the super predators of the savannah.
19:34These curious little guys about four months old won't pose a threat for another year or so.
19:43But with the sun about to disappear, the adults of their clan have already headed out for the night.
19:52Nighttime is the time of the hyenas.
20:02Activating night vision control.
20:05We've got some action here.
20:12The attack comes in total darkness.
20:19The hyenas target a zebra megaherd made up of several harps.
20:27They're targeting the youngsters.
20:29I have visual of Zulu Echo 5 and Foxtrot 1.
20:34Copy that.
20:35Stay on them.
20:43Foxtrot 1 has been taken down control.
20:45Repeat.
20:46Foxtrot 1 is down.
20:51Zulu Echo 5 and the stallion are fighting back.
21:00They've escaped control.
21:03The hyenas are targeting another group.
21:12Sunrise reveals the gruesome aftermath.
21:16And everyone partakes.
21:24Vultures can spot a fresh carcass from kilometers above the plains.
21:30They've got to be quick.
21:32Animals are reduced to bare bones in minutes.
21:37Vultures can make their living here.
21:40It's a bloody business surviving on these plains.
21:43But it's nothing compared to the absolute terror that lies ahead.
21:52The Mara River.
21:55The rains the herds have been chasing have swollen this normally placid river into a violent turrent.
22:04Of the entire 3,000-kilometer Great Migration, this is the ultimate choke point.
22:11Zulu Echo 5 and Foxtrot 1 are headed straight for it.
22:17And waiting for them are the biggest crocodiles in Africa.
22:32For months, these crocs have survived on little but scraps.
22:37All of that is about to change.
22:46Area 1 remote drone is 1.5 kilometers east of the Mara River.
22:52There's a herd of 17,000 heading to the river.
22:55The Black Army has been on the northern plains for 10 days.
23:00They've spread out far and wide, following isolated storms.
23:05Now the rain is drawing them north, straight towards the Mara River.
23:13This guy's a monster.
23:16He's like a damn torpedo.
23:22Torpedo is the dominant croc here on this stretch of the Mara.
23:31The scar on his nose, evidence of a long and violent past.
23:36And it's no coincidence, his territory includes a major crossing point.
23:41A crossing point that is about to get some serious traffic.
23:49These wildebeest are on a mission.
23:51They're not slowing down.
23:54300 meters.
23:56200 meters.
23:59100 meters.
24:02Wildebeest are closing in on the river.
24:06There are only a handful of crossing points along the 395 kilometer long Mara River.
24:11Sections of the steep banks worn down by millions of hooves.
24:19And right now, drawn in by the noise and numbers,
24:24tens of thousands of wildebeest and zebras from miles around converge on this one.
24:31Zulu Echo 5 and her foe are among the first to arrive.
24:36And once again, they're not anxious to get their feet wet.
24:39With good reason.
24:45The deep water gives the massive crocs here a clear advantage.
24:52And it seems many of them prefer the taste of zebra to wildebeest.
25:00Torpedo, the largest of the group, is no exception.
25:05Torpedo, the largest of the group, is no exception.
25:05As zebra after zebra learns the hard way.
25:16Torpedo.
25:18Torpedo again.
25:20And again.
25:22He's not attacking to satisfy his hunger.
25:25He's storing food.
25:34He stashes the dead bodies in the murky depths of the riverbanks
25:39and immediately returns for more.
25:46Bad news for the zebras and wildebeests.
25:49This is not going to stop when stomachs are full.
25:55Zulu Echo 5 and her herd head downstream in search of an opening.
26:01But Torpedo has no problems following them down.
26:06Another wave of the Black Army sweeps into the river.
26:10Zulu Echo 5 and Foxtrot 1 make a break for it.
26:15The current is stronger than it looks.
26:17The zebra are swept downstream.
26:21As Zulu Echo 5 fights the rapids, there is no way Little Foxtrot 1 can keep up.
26:31The pair is ripped apart, and the fold disappears into the chaos.
26:39More zebras run the gauntlet.
26:57There, on the other side, Foxtrot 1 is fighting a losing battle with the current.
27:03More zebra are washed downstream.
27:06Foxtrot 1 follows them back across the river towards the side he started on,
27:10looking for his mother.
27:14Torpedo is still on the hunt, but he's headed for Zulu Echo 5,
27:18who's struggling to get out over the rocks on the far bank.
27:22Desperately searching for his mom, Foxtrot 1 turns midstream again,
27:27crossing the river now for a third time.
27:37Boxtrot 1 amazingly makes it to the far side again.
27:41He's really pushing his luck.
27:43He must get out of this river.
28:05Half the size of the adults, he has half the reach, less than half the strength,
28:11and he's already exhausted from his swim.
28:19His mother, Zulu Echo 5, is fighting her own battle.
28:24Even for her, the current is too strong.
28:27And now, she's got even bigger problems.
28:34Props.
28:51Just 200 meters downriver, Foxtrot 1 is only a leap away from safety.
28:58But for his little legs, the planes are just out of reach.
29:05Surrounded by Crocs, his mother rests.
29:09She readies herself for a final push.
29:11It's do or die.
29:36Foxtrot 1 is not giving up, even though his muscles must be screaming.
29:43A last little barrier to the planes beyond.
29:47With fresh legs, he would be up in a flash.
29:50But he's exhausted.
30:03Zulu Echo 5 doesn't join the herd on the planes.
30:06She's looking for Foxtrot 1.
30:09100 meters away from each other.
30:11They are still worlds apart.
30:15A nudge from behind would get Foxtrot 1 up this embankment.
30:23Zebras recognize their mothers by the sound of their calls.
30:28But from where Foxtrot 1 is standing, there's only the roar of the river.
30:39Zulu Echo 5 makes a dramatic decision.
30:43Going against the traffic, she plunges back into the crocodile-infested Mara.
30:51Perhaps she thinks Foxtrot 1 is on the other side.
31:01The Mara Crocs notice the new target.
31:05Torpedo among them.
31:25But they're just too far downstream.
31:28And Mom makes it to the shallows.
31:37Another orphan looks for its mom.
31:40In desperation, headed back into the river.
32:03Zulu Echo 5 heads back onto the southern plains to look for her son.
32:11But Foxtrot 1, exhausted and bewildered, is stuck on the opposite bank.
32:19Without his mother's milk, he won't last long.
32:24He's got a day or two at most to find his mom.
32:28And for her to find him.
32:42Aerial 1 drone, airborne east 35-01-082.
32:50No sign of Zulu Echo 5.
32:53Copy Aerial 1.
32:55Move east.
32:56Search quadrant 084.
32:59Aerial 1 drone heading east 084.
33:05Three kilometers to the north of the aerial search, just on the other side of the Mara River.
33:11It's been 32 hours since Foxtrot 1 has seen his mother.
33:21Foxtrot 1 is stranded on the north side of the Mara River.
33:25Zulu Echo 5 is still missing on the plains to the south.
33:31Control, we've got something here.
33:33Zebra, female.
33:35Moving in for a closer look.
33:39Aerial 1, is she alive?
33:43Negative control, she's dead.
33:45You get an ID on that.
33:47Stand by control.
33:49Capturing strike pattern.
33:52Nope, the stripes don't match.
33:54That's not Zulu Echo 5.
33:56That's not our girl.
33:58Relief to hear it, control.
34:00She's still out there somewhere.
34:06Foxtrot 1 is jolted awake.
34:09The rumble of 400,000 hooves on the southern side of the Mara River mixes with zebra calls.
34:21The largest part of the migration is approaching.
34:24And the foal follows the noise, listening in vain for his mother's call.
34:29The
34:29Mara River
34:29The
34:29Mara River
34:29Mara River
34:58Mara River
34:58crossing stands out above all others not out of greatness but out of cruel tragedy this year today
35:07is the day and it seems all of africa's main players have come to bear witness even the hippos
35:18they've kept a low profile during these crossings but today there's a surprising twist
35:28they challenge the crocodiles to the feast there's no consensus on why these two-ton herbivores
35:35occasionally eat meat perhaps they're after the salt content of the blood and flesh
35:46whatever the reason there's plenty more where that came from
35:52the black army hundreds of thousands strong now stream from the plains towards this crossing
36:00thousands of zebras join them
36:14one of them is zulu echo five
36:22and somewhere on the other side of the river is her foe boxtrot one
36:32both have been drawn here by the cacophony of calls
36:35this is going to be the biggest most brutal crossing this year
36:43so
36:55so
36:57so
37:21Tarpedo and his cohorts get to work.
37:28A disaster is in the making, the volume of animals pouring into the river is too much.
37:41They can't get out the other side fast enough, it's a deadly bottleneck.
37:47In the scramble, up the steep banks, some fall and get trampled underfoot.
37:59More bodies pile up as animals lose their footing, not on the steep banks this time, but on
38:05the pile of dead and dying bodies.
38:19The pile up is relentless.
38:25We've got visual control, it's Zulu Echo 5.
38:37Scavengers waste no time taking advantage of the bloodbath.
38:49But here, even feasting on the dead can exact a high price.
38:56One false step can be fatal.
39:00With this bloodbath.
39:12One false step can be fatal.
39:13I can't do it.
39:13I can't do it.
39:21I can't do it.
39:27I can't do it.
39:32Any survivors, 1-0-4
39:37Over there, handwrite
39:39One's alive
39:40A told zebra, it looks like
39:44Yep, it's Zulu Echo 5, alright
39:49She's alive, control
40:01Zulu Echo 5's made it across the river
40:04But she's in serious trouble
40:11For the first time in two days
40:12Boxtrot 1 finally catches sight of his mother
40:16Struggling on the bank below
40:20With her death
40:22His will follow
40:40Zulu Echo 5 has been trapped
40:42On the carcass pile for hours now
40:45But something inside her
40:47Refuses to quit
40:58Zulu Echo 5
41:47Zulu Echo 5
41:49Her body battered and exhausted
41:51Her only hope for survival
41:53Is if Torpedo and the other crocs
41:55Have finally had their fill
42:01And it seems this time
42:03They have
42:17The Mara runs with blood
42:30But one zebra is not quite ready
42:32To leave yet
42:35Zulu Echo 5 calls
42:36Knowing her foe will respond
42:38If he's nearby
42:53Mother and son reunite
42:58But their respite won't be long
43:03When the rains return
43:04When the rains return to the south
43:05The great herds will once again
43:07Be forced to follow
43:09And replenish their numbers
43:13The migration will come full circle
43:18For these two individuals
43:20For these two individuals
43:20Zulu Echo 5
43:22And Foxtrot 1
43:23This is just the beginning
43:33Okay area one
43:34We are done here
43:36Copy control
43:38Getting home
43:39After all
43:40And the other
43:59For this this is just the beginning
43:59To the next