Original subtitles

During great concentrations of wildlife, Africa's waterhole set the stage for

some of the continent's most dramatic spectacles.

Especially during the dry season.

Whether lurking beneath the surface or waiting in the wings, where there is

water, Africa's deadliest are close by.

As once abundant water sources dwindle in South Africa's bushveld, animals must

rely on sparsely scattered waterholes to slake their thirst.

For desperately thirsty animals like these impala, waterholes are lifelines.

But they can also be a death trap.

Nile crocodile.

These prehistoric looking predators are fearsome hunters and cunning

opportunists.

Low water levels.

means stealth is out of the question.

Driven by thirst, the antelopes have no choice.

They have to take their chances.

All they can do is keep a close eye on the crocs and rely on their own

-quick reflexes.

For both predator and prey, survival ultimately comes down to timing.

Easily bounding three meters into the air at a moment's notice, impalas are

easy prey to catch.

But the crocodiles know the antelope will be back.

In the struggle for survival during the dry season, thirst trumps fear.

And inexperience can prove deadly.

Especially when up against a nearly invisible enemy.

This lamb is lucky to escape with its life.

Able to survive months between meals, the crocs can bide their time and keep

trying.

For now, the impalas live to drink another day.

Crocodiles are not picky eaters.

9 ,000 hypersensitive sensory organs across their bodies detect even the

slightest movement.

An adaptation which allows them to lock onto prey in even the murkiest water.

Fish make up the main part of a croc's diet, but the smaller the waterhole

the less there is to go around.

A hard -won catfish can easily be lost to a larger opponent.

Some will go to great lengths to avoid having their catch stolen.

But the crocodiles are never wanting for opportunity.

Regular visitors to the waterhole Chakma baboons must drink every day to

survive.

A necessity which makes them vulnerable.

They cannot afford to let their guard down.

A lesson

one baboon learned too late.

During the dry season, crocs will sink their teeth into any given opportunity.

While a crocodile's teeth are designed to keep prey in a vice -like grip, not

all waterhole predators need teeth to kill.

At 1 .4 meters tall, The goliath heron is the largest heron in the world.

It is also a formidable hunter.

Its spear like bill easily skewers a passing catfish.

A decisive stab at its victim's gills delivers the final death blow, ensuring

goes down the hatch hassle -free.

With many predators patrolling the waterhole's edge during the dry season,

constant vigilance is vital.

Even for the goliath heron, a successful hunt is no guarantee of a meal.

especially when African fish eagles are nearby.

Despite being expert hunters, fish eagles often attack Goliath herons and

them to surrender their catch.

While the eagles aren't above pilfering fish from other birds to get their fill

one thief is after a much more precious bounty

There's good reason for these water thickness

to be on high alert a Nile monitor

One of Africa's most notorious nest Raiders

To protect their clutch of eggs, their lifelong mates go on the offensive,

flashing their striking white underwings.

Buying enough time until backup arrive.

Sometimes nesting close to the water's edge, Crocs and thickness create a

line of defense against pesky egg thieves

Luckily

for the monitor lizard eggs aren't the only available option

a Stranded catfish is fast food for the largest

lizard in southern Africa

For some, the receding water levels bring easy pickings.

But for the waterhole's larger inhabitants, it means living

to their neighbours.

Without its one -tonne mother's protection, a hippopotamus calf would be

target for a Nile crocodile.

With a bite force of nearly 141 kilograms per square centimeter a hippo

rip a crocodile in half

Today

it's

a risk the crocs are not willing to take

When it comes to their offspring it's best not to trifle with one of Africa's

deadliest mammals

Despite

its dangerous inhabitants The waterhole remains a haven for parched land

animals.

But there's no real respite when every drink is a game of Russian roulette.

Competition over the small, crop -free drinking holes turns violent.

A kick from a fellow zebra can cause serious injury.

But it beats tangling with a Nile crocodile.

A change in location might tip the scales in the croc's favor.

For the thirsty in parlors, there is nowhere safe to drink.

Every pool now bristles with teeth.

And each sit is a dance with death.

Bogged down by the thick mud, the croc isn't quick enough.

But he's not giving up.

At the waterhole, a hungry croc spots an opportunity.

With one of the strongest bite forces on the planet, there's no escaping

the crocodile's jaws.

The predator's patience finally pays off.

And while crocs will share if the kill is big enough, an impala lamb is a meal

for one.

On the northeastern edges of Botswana's Okavango Delta, the waters of the

Salinda Spillway teem with life, making this prime real estate for predators,

including this pride of lion.

A coalition of three males rule over their domain.

To protect their pride from intruders, these brothers head out and patrol their

territory.

To do so, they must traverse a maze of waterways and deep pools.

Many of which are home to some notoriously ill -tempered inhabitants.

In this swampy terrain, staying dry isn't always an option.

Neither is playing it safe.

Highly aggressive and fiercely protective of his pod, this hippo bull

tolerate trespassers.

especially when they're equipped with deadly claws and jaws.

A male lion may be Africa's largest carnivore, but at 190 kilograms, he

even a tenth of the hippo's weight.

The brothers are lucky to make it out alive.

Rotund and ungainly, hippos may not always seem threatening, but killing up

500 humans a year, they are the world's deadliest large land mammoth.

Often the only stable source of water during the dry season, water holes are

critical to many animals' survival.

Elephants must drink frequently because in high temperatures they can expel two

bathtubs of water in a single day through evaporation, urination and

Mostly undigested plant fiber, elephant dung is a quick and nutritious snack for

hippos who usually have to wander five kilometers inland at night to graze.

But by day, they rarely stray away from the water's edge.

To keep from dehydrating, hippos must frequently surmose themselves to cool

down.

Their amphibious nature means they need to tolerate some dangerous neighbours.

While adult hippos may not share lasting social bonds, mothers and calves are

extremely close.

For this young male, play fighting

with mom prepares him for more serious altercations in adulthood.

Viciously territorial,

Dominant bulls will fight off any intruders seeking to take their place.

Battles can be brutal, even deadly.

A hippo bull's territory may only be a couple of hundred meters, but he will

defend it with his life.

A sign of dominance.

His gaping yawn signals to the intruder that he isn't to be trifled with.

At four tons

each, both weigh as much as a car.

Swinging their enormous heads like sledge hammers, they flash and stab

opponent with their 50 centimeter dagger -like tusks.

To retain mating rights to his harem of females,

The hippo bull must prefer his dominant over the rival bachelor.

Signaling his submission by keeping his head low, the bloodied intruder gives

way.

The dominant bull returns

to his point.

Close to overheating the defeated intruder tries to slip into the water

unnoticed Big mistake

The

dominant male gives chase cutting deep gashes in the other bulls flesh

Opening his mouth nearly 180 degrees, the dominant bull delivers his final

warning.

Exhausted and heavily wounded, the bachelor retreats.

Hippo's six centimeter thick skin may serve as a protective layer during

but if infected, gaping wounds can be a slow death sentence.

For these Nile crocodiles, A defeated bull's carcass triggers a feeding

Each can devour half their body weight in a single sitting.

A four -ton hippocampus means there's more than enough to go around.

For water -dependent animals like Cape buffalo, staying hydrated is a top

priority.

With armor -plated predators lurking beneath almost every surface, getting a

drink is rarely risk -free.

One of Africa's most successful mammals, buffalo can thrive almost anywhere

within 20 kilometers of water.

Not built for conserving moisture, They need to drink once a day.

An adult buffalo can gulp down 34 litres of water in just six minutes.

At this waterhole in South Africa's Malamala Game Reserve, drinking fast is

necessity.

Few predators dare to tackle one of these 600 kilogram giants.

But a four meter Nile crocodile would.

A calf, however, is a much easier target.

For a buffalo calf, every drink in a waterhole is potentially deadly.

One burst of explosive speed and the calf's fate is all but sealed.

Helpless, the mother can only watch as her calf is pulled deeper into the murky

water.

Biting down with a force of 352 kilograms per square centimeter, nothing

done to free the calf from the crocodile's jaws.

Disappearing below the surface, the crocodile can stay submerged without

breathing for 15 minutes.

Even underwater, it maintains its vice -like grip, thanks to a special valve on

the back of its throat that keeps water from flooding its lungs.

For the car, there is no escape.

Eventually, it is dragged under by the crocodile and drowned.

Not all predators hunt from below the surface.

The waterhole's edge is also a dangerous place.

This small spotted genet is on the lookout for a meal.

Not picky eaters, genets are versatile hunters.

Frogs are one of its specialties.

Weighing only two kilograms, the genet may be one of Africa's smaller

But what it lacks inside, it makes up for in stealth and agility.

A bullfrog out of water is an easy target.

With its keen sense of smell and fine -tuned hearing, there is little the

opportunistic genet doesn't notice.

A skilled ambush hunter, the rodent won't even know the genet is there.

Until it's too late.

For the genet, a steady water supply means that prey is in abundance.

But for other animals, food and water are rare commodities.

Itosha salt pan, northern Namibia.

Covering 4 ,800 square kilometres, it is so vast it can be seen from space.

In this barren environment, animals rely heavily on water holes for their

survival.

Despite its moon -like landscape, Etosha National Park is home to one of the

largest populations of big game species on the planet, including 13

,000 zebras.

Needing to drink frequently, they rarely range more than 12 kilometers from

water.

And when resources are scarce and space at the waterhole is limited, tempers

flare.

A zebra's teeth may not be designed for flashing and stabbing, but the stallion

spade -shaped canine can deliver a nasty bite.

The force of their kick can shatter bones.

And if well placed, it can even be fatal.

For the stallions, water isn't the only thing worth fighting for.

The most violent battles are about dominance.

Stallions may not be territorial but dominant males fiercely protect their

harem of females and their offspring.

Bachelors looking to establish their own harems will court any mare in heat if

she is undefended.

Competitors are driven off with great ferocity.

But when a dominant stallion becomes weak or wounded, a younger, stronger

takes its place.

Females may take weeks to accept their new leader, and with good reason.

For very young foals, a harem takeover can have deadly consequences.

When a stallion takes control of a harem, the waterhole quickly becomes a

killing ground.

The new dominant male aims to remove all traces of his predecessor, including

his offspring.

A young foal is a threat to his genetic success and must be eliminated.

pinned down by 250 kilograms of muscle the foal cannot escape unless the

stallion gives way closely

bonded to her new youngster the mother intervenes

Putting herself between them, she tries to slow the stallion down to give her

foal a chance to get away.

Despite her desperate attempt,

The stallion continues his deadly pursuit.

There is nothing the mayor can do.

Like the stallion, Many species go to extreme lengths to ensure their

is carried forward.

When fighting for mating rights, springbok rams use their heads, or

their horns,

Nearly 50 centimeters long and curved inward to a razor -sharp point, they are

formidable weapon.

With the female staying close to the waterhole, rams with territories near

critical resource have a higher mating success rate, an advantage

they're willing to defend with their lives.

For wildebeest bulls, the onset of the mating season also means having their

horns at the ready.

As the females come into estrus, the bulls focus on nothing else.

They don't even sleep or eat.

As testosterone levels rise fights become more frequent and more ferocious

Always

on

the lookout scavengers like spotted hyena and Jackal are ready to make the

of any casualties

They don't even try to hide.

Often standing their ground against predators, the wildebeest won't tolerate

jackals and hyenas loitering around the waterhole.

Outmatched, the carnivores can feed for now.

When having to choose between fight or flight, the latter isn't always an

option.

They may be the world's largest living birds, but ostriches can't fly.

Something this black -backed jackal plans to exploit.

It may not be much of a threat to a two -meter -tall, 130 -kilogram adult

ostrich.

But to their comparatively minuscule chicks, a jackal is a massive problem.

Despite their scavenger reputation, black -backed jackals are crafty

If the adult ostriches let their guard down, a quick drink at this waterhole

turn into a bloodbath.

For the jackal, getting close enough to catch a chick will take stealth and

cunning and a whole lot of nerve.

With a kick powerful enough to kill a lion and 10 centimeter claws on each

an adult ostrich is not to be toyed with.

The male will challenge anything he sees as a threat.

Hunting alone, the jackal doesn't have the advantage of teamwork.

Up against an aggressive ostrich that can reach a top speed of over 70 kmph,

it's best to abandon the hunt.

Powerful long legs propel the ostrich 5 meters in a single stride.

And just to make sure the jackal gets the message, the chick's mother also

her legs to good use.

Unlike many other animals, male and female ostriches share the

caring for and protecting their young.

While the ostrich's great size and speed give it a leg up when facing danger,

for another, much smaller bird, it's the size of their flock that really

matters.

With an estimated population of 1 .5 billion across Africa,

red -billed queleas are thought to be the most numerous bird species on the

planet.

Stopping for a drink at a waterhole on their annual migration, they aggregate

overwhelming numbers.

Colonies like this one can contain up to 30 million individuals.

There may be safety in numbers, but a swarm of this size is bound to draw the

attention of predators.

The Lana falcons, a large colony of quileas, is a giant moving buff.

Able to reach speeds of up to 144 kilometers per hour in pursuit of their

they are expert avian hunters.

But even with eyesight eight times better than a human, Singling out an

individual target in the Quilea Synchronized Swarm takes great skill.

Powerful and agile, Lana falcons can hunt both from the air and on the

This versatility ensures they get their fill.

Whether driven to water by thirst or the promise of abundant prey, where animals

come together in large numbers, conflict between species is unavoidable.

Africa's waterhole.

Life and death balance on a razor's edge.

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