Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Southern Africa boasts

one of the most diverse wildlife sanctuaries on the continent,

a haven dedicated to the world's largest land mammal.

The protection of elephants has created

a vast wilderness sanctuary encompassing land and sea.

It is home to a variety of life,

including some of the world's most formidable predators.

This unique collection of animals and plants

face a daily struggle for survival,

battling the elements and each other.

(elephant trumpeting)

*

NARRATOR: Addo Elephant National Park

lies on Africa's southern coast and forms a wild corridor

extending from the ocean into the interior.

It extends across 1,800 square kilometers,

South Africa's third largest national park.

In the south, rugged coastal islands rise from the sea,

home to hundreds of thousands of seabirds.

They are surrounded by warm waters teeming with life

and bordered by a wild shore

where lush forests meet desolate dunes.

North is a vast, dry interior with great plains,

stretching to the Zuurberg Mountains

and a parched Thirstland beyond.

Addo is a land of contrasts, where plants and animals

must adapt to harsh conditions to survive.

The animal that lives in the center of this landscape

is at the heart of Addo's story.

The African elephant once ranged right across southern Africa,

but in the 19th century,

the ivory trade decimated the population.

By 1931, there were just 11 elephants left

in this part of South Africa, and something had to be done.

Land was set aside to provide sanctuary

to these last survivors, and Addo Elephant Park was born.

It was a vital lifeline.

Since then, Addo's elephants

have gone from strength to strength.

There are now 600 living here,

all descended from the first pioneers.

But their narrow escape has left its mark.

Unlike elephants in other parts of Africa,

more than 90% of Addo's females are tuskless.

Normally used for defense, shows of dominance,

and for digging, here, they must do without them.

The reason is that by chance, the original 11 animals

did not carry the gene for tusk growth.

Despite this, the females have not been handicapped.

These herds have been extremely successful.

With high birth rates, the population is booming.

Addo now boasts

one of the highest densities of elephants in Africa.

The park's heartland is a paradise

for the majestic giants,

with waterholes dotted throughout the central plains.

(chirping)

This herd have spent the coolest part of the morning feeding.

But with temperatures heading above 40 degrees Celsius,

they head for a waterhole.

Each elephant herd is led by the oldest female,

the matriarch, and she guides her family

on their quest for food and water.

The youngsters are the most eager to get wet,

and before they drink,

give themselves a good splashdown.

Elephants drink up to 75 liters of water a day.

Cool mud helps reduce body temperature

and also acts as an effective sun block.

But it can also be treacherous.

Mothers must keep a careful watch.

The water may be only shallow for an adult,

but the babies can submerge themselves,

and the mud is deep in places.

But for the calves, it is all about having fun.

This playful test of strength is important.

In years to come,

these young bulls will have to fight others for dominance

and the right to mate.

But for now, their boisterous behavior

is a bit of light-hearted entertainment.

Addo's waterholes are a regular meeting place for herds.

Large numbers gather to quench their thirst.

But it is not only elephants that are drawn in.

Creatures big and small rely on them.

But you need to be on your guard;

the congregation attracts predators.

After a refreshing break,

the matriarch leads her family back into the bush.

Elephants can travel up to 20 kilometers a day

in search of new areas to graze,

and must spend up to 14 hours feeding

to satisfy their hunger.

Vast areas of Addo are dominated

by a plant known as Spekboom, or the bacon tree.

Its fleshy leaves are tender and nutritious,

and elephants love them.

But it's not a one-way relationship.

With their rough feeding, the herd breaks many branches,

dropping and trampling them into the ground.

These send down roots of their own,

creating new growth.

But there is more than this to Spekboom's success.

It is able to generate food for itself

in a way few other species can.

Plants require sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow.

But collecting carbon dioxide during the day

means losing water through tiny pores in the leaves.

Instead, Spekboom collects all its carbon dioxide

and stores it during the cool night,

using it for photosynthesis during the day

when light is available.

This means it can keep its pores closed during sweltering days,

saving large amounts of moisture.

This adaptation to life in a dry environment,

and with some help from the elephants,

Spekboom can thrive.

Addo's Spekboom heartlands

can sustain the world's largest land mammal

but also provide precious habitat for smaller creatures.

Microcosms of life complete with predators.

Communal spiders' nests.

Using the thicket as scaffolding,

these can house more than a hundred individuals

living in small chambers.

These huge webs are designed for one key purpose:

they are hunting traps.

A snared grasshopper struggles to free itself.

It's not long before the vibrations

spur the spiders to action.

The grasshopper has powerful legs

and needs to be subdued urgently, or it may escape.

Reinforcements quickly arrive.

It's too late.

The struggle is over.

Venom immobilizes the grasshopper

and starts to digest its body.

Group hunting is rare in spiders,

but measuring just 14 millimeters long,

this species relies on cooperation to take down prey.

The body is moved into the safety of a nesting chamber,

where the feast will begin.

But with so many mandibles to feed,

it's every spider for himself.

And cooperation quickly turns to competition.

Even for these communal little hunters,

it's a precarious existence.

The survival of their nest comes down to the luck

of avoiding destruction by passing elephants.

And for some species in Addo, that luck has run out.

Whilst Spekboom copes well with elephant browsing,

the animals' population is now so large that some plants

which are not adapted are under threat.

Numbers of aloes have dropped drastically in Addo

as elephant numbers have risen,

with some species disappearing completely.

A five-ton animal wreaks havoc as it moves through the thicket,

crushing and uprooting the less robust species.

Those that lack Spekboom's ability to throw down new roots

suffer as a consequence.

But this apparent destruction opens up the landscape

for other animals.

Elephant pathways and areas of cleared ground

are vital to Addo's rich community of game.

Many species, such as these Kudu,

depend on the elephants to open up the landscape,

creating opportunities

through the thick, impenetrable Spekboom scrub.

A leopard tortoise,

one of the park's most charismatic creatures.

Growing to remarkable sizes here, some exceed 40 kilograms.

He carries protection with him wherever he goes,

and with some luck, he could live for up to a hundred years.

But his armor wasn't always this robust,

and during the early years of life,

he was vulnerable to predation.

Addo's thicket provided crucial cover for him

during this dangerous stage.

Between the park's swathes of succulent bushes

are large areas of open grassland

supporting a variety of grazers.

Able to tolerate higher temperatures

than many other antelope, red hartebeest spend long hours

feeding in the full sun.

Males have shorter, thicker horns than the females,

which equip them for territorial battles.

But when faced by real danger, their first instinct is to run.

The over-developed forequarters allow these animals

to gallop over great distances without tiring.

But the hartebeest aren't the only ones

that make the grasslands their home.

A host of creatures take advantage of areas

cleared by the elephants.

Cattle egrets pounce on insects disturbed by a herd of zebra.

As pure grazers,

Plains or Burchell's zebra eat only grass.

Sensitive lips gather blades between strong incisors,

cropping close to the ground.

They digest this grass rapidly,

allowing them to get all the protein they need

from even the toughest, least nutritious grasses.

But a rapid digestion means

they have to constantly top up the tank.

Even in the most nutritious pastures,

zebra spend as much as 60% of their time eating,

day and night.

And their feathered companions are never far behind.

But life isn't all peace and quiet.

It is the breeding season, and females are in high demand.

A build-up of hormones in the female's urine

triggers the herd's stallion into action.

And he has his work cut out

if he is to pass his genes on successfully.

Zebra often use tender physical contact

to establish and reinforce bonds,

and males are known to adopt a much gentler approach

when courting young fillies.

They are even known to groom each other,

scraping and nibbling each other's necks and backs.

Addo's grasslands are divided up into a number of territories,

and whilst some provide food, others provide shelter.

Living in families has advantages and drawbacks.

A yellow mongoose is searching for a meal.

He's on the hunt for insects.

But you better eat fast!

There is always an older brother or sister

waiting to steal your meal.

Only quick submission prevents the fight from getting serious.

With so many large herbivores living in the park,

finding a source of food isn't a problem for one resident.

The Addo flightless dung beetle.

With many elephant and other large mammals around,

there's always a steady supply of food.

But it's still hard work.

He has to move his food parcel to his safe hiding place,

and it's a long way away.

For him, the dung ball is huge,

and it sometimes has a mind of its own.

But he is determined.

Despite his apparent clumsiness, he is remarkably clever.

He uses the dung balls to find his bearings

according to the position of the sun.

And then it's back to work, heading in the right direction.

This endemic species is one of few dung beetles

that can't fly,

a major handicap in the search for food.

But it's an evolutionary trade-off.

Flight has been sacrificed for an amazing adaptation

to life in Addo's hot, dry grasslands.

Like other animals, beetles need to breathe

and produce carbon dioxide waste in the process.

This has to be expelled from the beetle's body,

but a lot of water is lost in the process,

so this special beetle has evolved in a way

to solve the problem.

The empty space under his shell,

usually taken up by wings in other species,

forms a specialized storage tank for carbon dioxide.

And he only has to exhale in a single burst, every half hour.

Like this, he avoids dehydration

by saving a significant amount of water vapor.

For these beetles, dung means life.

They even lay their eggs in dung nests.

But for this, Addo's elephant waste is no good.

Only buffalo dung will do.

Luckily, there is plenty in the park.

Younger, stronger males

have cast this old bull out of the herd.

He will live out his days alone on Addo's grasslands

or join a small band of other aged males.

They are known locally as dagga boys,

from the Zulu word for mud.

Wallowing is one of their favorite pastimes.

They are the epitome of grumpy old men

and are well known for their aggression.

Weighing in at more than 600 kilograms,

only the most powerful predator

would have a hope of taking down one of these bulls.

And they don't come more powerful than lion.

They rely largely on ambush tactics,

making use of cover and catching prey unawares.

For this reason,

Addo's open grass areas are crucial to buffalo.

Herds gather in large congregations in the open,

minimizing the chance of ambush.

But buffalo are also armed.

While their impressive horns

are used mainly in tussles for dominance,

combined with the buffalo's bulk,

they make a formidable foe for even the most powerful killers.

In fact, for the lions,

there's seldom such a thing as an easy meal.

Even the warthogs are armed to the teeth.

These pigs grow ivory tusks, just as an elephant does.

But instead of two, they have four.

This male's large upper tusks

are used in tussles with other boars.

The lumps of hardened skin below his eyes

offer protection during these fights.

It is these wart-like growths

that give the warthogs their name.

But it is the lower, shorter tusks which predators fear.

These grind against the uppers every time he closes his mouth.

This continuously sharpens them,

and when wielded by a full-grown hog like this,

they are a dangerous prospect indeed for predators.

And with mum around, even piglets aren't an easy meal.

At the first sight of danger, they'll dash for their burrow.

But if cornered, she will defend them viciously,

using her sharp tusks to slash and stab.

In the ongoing battle of predator versus prey,

it is often the young and vulnerable animals

that get singled out.

The park is home to a large number of predators.

From the regal lion...

(shouting out)

...to the sly jackal,

all are on the lookout for a meal.

These brothers have been together

since leaving their pride at a young age.

They cooperate to control a territory

and spend much of their time side by side.

But like many of Addo's predators,

they hunt under the cover of darkness.

Nightfall gives the park's cast of killers

a valuable advantage over their prey.

Dawn reveals a tragedy.

A lone elephant stands over the remains of her dead calf.

Trapped in the waterhole overnight,

it was attacked and died.

But its mother has remained on a lonely vigil.

Elephants have strong bonds with their offspring,

even after death.

This young cow could have spent

the next nine years with her calf,

seldom straying more than a few meters away.

Instead, the same instinct to protect

now keeps her close to its remains,

unwilling to surrender them.

A member of the herd approaches the young mother.

She sniffs tentatively.

Her movements seem considered, even gentle.

A life spent together means elephants generate strong bonds,

even nursing one another's calves.

While the rest of her herd drinks,

she stays with the mother.

Could she be trying to comfort her?

Soon, more and more gather.

The sadness of the mother's situation

seems to resonate with the family.

They are cautious and quiet.

Elephant herds often gather around the vulnerable

in times of danger.

Although she is much too big to be under physical threat,

they sense that the traumatized cow needs support.

They offer it in the only way they know how:

by closeness.

Eventually, the cow's plight

attracts the attention of a large bull.

Touching the tip of his trunk to her mouth

is a telltale sign of affection.

Could he be the father of the calf?

Eventually, the herd head off in search of food

and the mother faces a terrible choice:

leave with her family or remain to mourn her baby.

Her instinct is to stay, and the bull stays with her.

She entrusts her all-important post to him

and takes the opportunity to find some food.

It's been hours since her last proper meal.

But unbeknownst to her,

the bull, after a time, moves away to feed.

And she is forced to return to her baby.

(trumpeting)

Cooperation between members of a group

is often the difference between survival and death.

But ultimately, individuals look out for themselves.

She is hungry, thirsty, and exhausted,

but she refuses to abandon her baby.

Every time she moves away from the carcass,

the scavengers pounce.

Elephants have been witnessed protecting their dead for days.

For the scavengers, the death provides a valuable meal,

and they too are refusing to give up.

Despite their reputations,

jackals and hyenas are incredibly efficient predators

and often hunt for themselves.

But they also never turn down a free meal,

even if they have to wait for it.

With her strength weakening, it is only a matter of time

before she will be forced to eat.

But for now, even after several hours,

the mother refuses to leave.

Her herd has moved on,

and for her own welfare, she needs to join them.

But she is not ready yet.

Addo is a protected area, but it remains a harsh environment

for all the animals that live in its varied landscape.

Far from the central scrublands, beyond the range of elephant,

are Addo's other wilderness areas.

Surprisingly, one of its most arid landscapes

is right next to the ocean:

the mighty Alexandria dune field.

50 kilometers long and up to five kilometers wide,

untouched dunes rise as high as 140 meters.

In some places, they are so old they have become compacted,

slowly solidifying into layers.

Very little survives here.

But amazingly, this barren land

feeds an abundance of life offshore.

Despite appearances, there is water here.

Deep beneath the dunes, groundwater rich in nitrates

gathers in aquifers above a rocky substrate.

With enough build-up, these waters overflow,

running straight from beneath the dunes into the sea.

The nitrates they carry

contribute to the growth of huge blooms of phytoplankton,

which forms the base of the marine food chain

and allows life to thrive.

The waters on Addo's coastline

are some of the most abundant in Africa,

supporting an astounding array of life.

Here, dolphins swim in huge, excitable pods,

joined by Addo's second species of gentle giant:

the southern right whale.

Like the elephants,

man hunted these whales to the brink of extinction.

But thanks to their protection

in international breeding waters,

they've made a spectacular comeback.

And there is an apex predator here

that rivals any found on dry land.

Perhaps Addo's ultimate hunter: the great white shark.

These killers patrol 700 hectares

of thriving marine environment falling under Addo's protection,

preying mainly on penguins and seals

living on the many offshore islands.

The coastline is also home to the largest breeding colony

of Cape Gannets in the world.

The abundance of fish in the waters

has allowed them to thrive in great numbers.

Around 200,000 live on the aptly named Bird Island.

(birds calling)

Which provides them with a safe environment

to raise their chicks.

Under the park's protection,

their future will be secure for generations to come,

as it will for the animals on the mainland.

Addo's wild coastline

appears far removed from its landlocked interior.

But there is a direct connection.

The ocean feeds the land with water,

carried inland by air currents.

In the park's easternmost corner,

moist air blows in from the warm Indian Ocean,

watering the lush indigenous forests of the woody cape.

Shade and moisture-loving plants

thrive in this damp microclimate.

It's cool and protected

and supports life like nowhere else in the park.

The sea air also travels further inland

and provides much needed water to the plants and animals

across Addo's central scrublands.

But there is one place the water cannot reach.

As the moist air currents flow inland,

they collide with the barrier of the Zuurberg mountains.

Forced up, they cool and condense,

falling as rain on the coastal side.

But on the inland side, a rainfall shadow exists.

Known as the Thirstlands,

just 225 millimeters fall a year,

and summer temperatures reach a scorching 45 degrees Celsius.

Here, plants have been forced to evolve

very different strategies for survival.

And few are better adapted than the blue euphorbia.

It's all about saving water.

The euphorbia's branches grow vertically

so when the sun is at its hottest, high in the sky,

it strikes only their narrow tops,

reducing water loss through evaporation.

Their branches also store a large amount of fluid

in the form of a milky sap.

This liquid reservoir

is poisonous and unpalatable to most animals,

saving the plant from damage caused by feeding.

The Shepherd's tree takes a less conservative approach to life

in its dry environment.

It sends roots deep into the ground,

reaching reserves other plants can't.

Instead of saving that water like the euphorbia,

it immediately uses it

to grow dense, nutritious leaves and berries,

a rare food source for the animals

living in the Thirstlands.

Those animals then spread the tree's seed

across the countryside,

ensuring the survival of the species.

There are few animals that can survive such an environment.

Among them are the Cape Mountain zebra.

The lack of rain means there isn't enough grass

to support them in the numbers seen on Addo's lush grasslands.

This male's herd numbers only five,

and they still struggle to find all they need.

Mares have been known to fatally injure the foals of others

to reduce competition for their own young,

a seemingly cruel characteristic

evolved for survival under the harshest conditions.

And even Addo's most devoted parents

cannot always protect their vulnerable offspring.

After almost two days guarding her dead calf,

the young mother has no choice but to leave.

Exhausted and starving,

she is driven to eat and drink for her own survival.

Elephants are known to have long memories,

so we cannot tell how long

the trauma of her loss will last.

But the chances are high that she will bear another calf.

Sooner or later, the experience of death

will be replaced by the joy of new life.

Elephants normally give birth every five years,

but having lost her young calf,

she will come into estrus sooner.

Once pregnant,

she should give birth again in just under two years.

Rejoining her herd is the first step of this journey.

They will accept her back.

And the company of familiar relatives

will give her some comfort.

The herd-- the family unit,

the building block of elephant society--

will remain strong, and she will be part of it.

Her offspring, and theirs, will wander the landscape

of this incredible park for decades to come.

Addo is a land of extremes, with areas of great richness

and places of scarcity and hardship.

Life for its flagship species, the elephant, is good.

With low mortality rates, the population is ever growing.

But even for these giants,

life in the wild is fraught with danger,

and survival is never guaranteed.

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH, access.wgbh.org