All language subtitles for Hostile.Planet.S01E03.720p.WEBRip.x264-CAFFEiNE

Growing up on the savanna,

This calf will face
many dangers.

But a battle this big
is incredibly rare.

Two evenly matched
testosterone-fueled bulls.

No place for a baby.

One day the calf may have
to fight like this.

But there are far more
imminent threats.

A third of all calves
don't make it.

Through their first year.

Like all animals here,

His fate depends on the grass
growing under his feet.

Grasslands cover a quarter
of the land on the planet.

They support the largest animals.

And the biggest herds
to walk the earth.

Life on the these great plains
may look easy...

But don't be fooled.

When conditions turn,

They can become some of
the most volatile landscapes.

On our planet.

A relentless cycle of flood...

Famine...

Freeze and fire.

And as our climate becomes
more unpredictable...

It takes the animals of the
grasslands to hell and back.

Deepest winter on
north america's great plains.

40 below...

And record snowfall.

Bison dig deeper
for diminishing returns.

Dead grass with
the nutrition of cardboard.

23 pounds of the stuff
every day still isn't enough.

They're starving.

The calves are
the most vulnerable,

And if the cold doesn't get
them, another enemy might.

Winter is a wolf's ally.

A time to feed off
the suffering of others.

These are the biggest wolves
in the world.

And at 25 strong, they're
one of the largest packs.

Size matters when
you hunt giants.

Ten times heavier
and well armed,

The bison are stronger,

As long as they
stand their ground.

But wolves create panic.

Running for the woods
is a mistake.

Trees break their formation.

And expose the weak.

Alone, a youngster
is an easy target.

But a mother will risk
her own life to save her calf.

They must make it back
to the safety of the herd.

But deep snow saps
the bison's energy.

Again, the calf is isolated.

Again, it's rescued.

Now there's hope.

As long as the calf can stay
hidden within the ranks...

While the snow remains,
the bison get steadily weaker.

But on the grasslands,

Change is inevitable
and often extreme.

By April,
it's 100 degrees warmer.

Than at the start of the year.

And a new danger is brewing.

Spring, and the start
of storm season.

North america's great plains
are a hot spot.

For some of the most intense
thunderstorms on earth.

Some mutate into supercells.

Monsters with the equivalent
energy of 100 nuclear bombs.

Storms are becoming
more frequent here.

And in grasslands
across the globe,

Weather patterns are
increasingly erratic.

Here the rains are a month early
and hitting hard.

Over a year's worth of rain
in just a couple of months.

Enough to transform the
grasslands beyond recognition.

The worst flood in 50 years.

Four feet of water.

Not a problem for the adults,

And plenty of fresh grass,

But a bit deep for a calf.

Luckily, he has a snorkel.

These floods may
complicate things.

A little in the short term.

But they'll revitalize
life on the savanna.

As the flood waters subside...

They reveal a flush
of new growth.

And fuel a baby boom.

But this can be a dangerous
place to take your first steps.

It's home to more
large predators.

Than anywhere else on earth.

Many thomson gazelle fawns
won't survive their first hour.

Their only hope is to hide.

Mothers clean their newborns.

To remove any scent,

But for this fawn.

There isn't time.

If mum stands guard,
she'll blow its cover.

She has no option
but to walk away.

The cheetah's hunting instinct
is triggered by movement.

A motionless fawn
looks remarkably.

Like a mound of earth.

All it can do is stay down.

Stay still.

Hope someone else
is spotted first.

Cheetahs are patient.

But the fawn will
need to suckle soon.

Worse still, the birth fluid
is attracting flies.

A distraction!

And a narrow escape.

A waterbuck calf.

One fawn's fate.

Is another's fortune.

Surviving its first 24 hours.

Is the greatest challenge
the fawn will face.

Those that make it
can enjoy growing up.

On one of the most productive
places on the planet.

North america's grasslands
support 3 million caribou.

They journey up to
3,000 miles a year...

The longest land migration
on earth.

But on most of the continent,

Mega herds are
a thing of the past.

60 million bison once thundered
across these plains.

Hunting decimated numbers
to just over 1,000 animals.

And bison are still rare today.

Midsummer.

Time to fatten up
before next winter.

But that's getting harder.

Temperatures here have risen.

Three times more
than the global average.

And it's creating plagues
of biting flies.

Each bison loses as much
as a pint of blood every day.

And just when the bulls need
to be at their strongest.

To compete for mating rights.

The winner will sire.

Up to three quarters
of next year's calves.

As the young bison scrap...

An old bull watches on...

Waiting for the perfect moment
to enter the arena.

It's mating season.

An old bull waits for
a worthy challenger to emerge.

Fresh to the fight,
the old bull enters the ring.

The youngster is stronger,

But the old bull
is more experienced.

Targeting the flanks,
he gains the upper hand.

The young rival retreats.

Mating rights secured...

The old bull can enjoy
the good times.

But they won't last long.

The dry season begins.

From now on,
life just gets tougher.

Grass becomes less nutritious,

And elephants struggle to
satisfy their huge appetites.

Like so many grassland animals,

Their only option
is to keep moving.

Elephants can walk
over 100 miles a day.

In their search for food.

And it can lead them
into dangerous territory.

These lions specialize
in bringing down large prey.

Still, it's risky, so they
target the most vulnerable.

Older calves should be safe.

But bravado can be
a dangerous thing.

There's nothing they can do
but move on.

As the sun robs the land
of its water,

The dry season intensifies,

And rain becomes
a distant memory.

Hippos suffer more than most.

He's spent the night grazing,

But now the climbing sun
is a threat.

Hippos can quickly overheat.

He needs deep water and fast.

There is one pool...

But it's occupied.

Each bull hippo
normally commands.

A territory of 200 feet.

Now, 800 of africa's
most bad-tempered animals.

Are crammed together.

And as humans take more water
for irrigation,

There's less room
than ever before.

Somehow he's got
to find a way in.

His life depends on it.

Out of water,
this hippo would soon overheat.

But the water hole
is already full.

It may not look very inviting.

Oxpeckers ravage cracks
in their delicate skin.

And 20 tons of waste a day
has turned it into a cesspit.

But this hell hole
could save his life.

If he's allowed in.

This resident bull is bigger.

But the outsider is desperate.

Five tons of hippo clash.

Testing bulk...

Bite size...

And brute force.

The outsider accepts defeat.

He must venture
into the unknown,

As the stranglehold
of drought tightens.

The earth is parched.

And the grass, tinder-dry.

Fires can sweep across
the plains at 40 miles an hour.

And reach temperatures
of 800 degrees.

Across africa, an area the size
of half the united states.

Burns every year,

And with a warming climate,

Wildfires are set
to spread even further.

Some capitalize on the chaos.

Rollers and bee-eaters
pick off fleeing insects.

Known as the undertaker bird,

Marabou storks
clean up afterwards.

There's nothing left here
for the grazers.

But the grass itself
clings on...

Its deep roots untouched
by the flames.

All it needs now is water.

Hamadryas baboons wait months
for the rains to arrive.

But earth this dry.

Needs more than a shower.

This is one of the most
drought-prone countries.

In the world,

And it's getting worse.

As our climate changes, water
shortages are sparking conflict.

For animals and humans alike.

One of the only
water holes for miles.

It provides enough water
for this band of baboons.

To survive the dry season.

They're relatively strong
in health and numbers.

Further out on the arid plains,
another band is thirsty.

With little to drink out here,

They're forced to the same
water hole below the cliff.

But when two bands meet, it
nearly always ends in violence.

Females and babies
are most at risk.

If the outsiders want to drink,

They'll have to fight.

One water hole.

Two bands of baboons.

The outsiders need to drink.

But the band at the water hole
is stronger.

This is how wars begin.

The best survival strategy here
is to form super bands.

Bigger than the opposition.

The outsiders are
forced to retreat.

But not fast enough.

These baboons use battles to
steal females from each other.

The winners expand their ranks,

While the outsiders
grow even weaker.

All they can do is bide
their time and try again.

As the drought reaches its peak,

Famine becomes a harsh reality.

Just a few months old.

Born at the wrong time.

Mum couldn't produce
enough milk.

She regurgitates precious water,

Desperately trying to cool down
and save herself.

Then says her final goodbye.

Even at the best of times,

Surviving on
the planet's grasslands.

Is no walk in the park.

And as the dry seasons become.

Even more extreme
and unpredictable,

Only the strongest
will have what it takes.

To make it through.

Adaptability...

Unfailing resolve...

And the hope that eventually
better days will return.

Six months older and born
just before the wet season,

This calf had a stronger start.

The matriarch has seen
hard times before.

She knows how to lead
her family through.

Enough water to go round
until the rains return.

Surviving on the grasslands
has never been harder.

Yet young and old,

This herd is still
standing strong,

And hopefully will be
for generations to come.

Captioned by
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