All language subtitles for 9d979656976b431ba22b2acf3b8f3945_Track03

The wilds of southern africa
teem with life.

While most consider big cats

Or huge tuskers

As the true
wild icons of africa;

Few appreciate
the smaller creatures

That dominate the land

The antelope.

They too have rich stories

Filled with
the daily struggle to survive.

An intricate array
of trials and tribulations,

Centered on the need
to feed and breed.

With stories no less compelling,

They're rarely told.

Of these, two antelope
outnumber all others -

Springbok

And impala.

For both, life in the herd

Is critical to their success.

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The long lazy days
of summer in southern africa

Are coming to an end.

While conditions
are cooling down however,

Relationships in the bush
are heating up.

It's the rut -

Mating season for impala.

At this time of the year,

Males fight each other
for mates.

Between fighting off rivals
and chasing down females,

Life is tough.

There's little time for eating

And males
quickly lose condition.

This is the toughest time of
the year and the most important,

Because only the winners
will go on to mate.

The plains of southern africa
teem with antelope.

There are more species here
than on any other continent.

These range in size from
tiny duikers and steenbok

Weighing about as much
as a domestic cat

To massive eland

That are the size and weight
of a large cow.

From forests to deserts,

Antelope are the backbone
of the environment.

But no matter
whether they're big or small,

All species are herbivores

And therefore are closely tied

To the prevailing
environmental conditions.

Fed by moist winds blowing in
across the warm indian ocean,

The east receives lots of rain -

Almost 40 inches a year -

And is covered
in thick lush vegetation.

Meanwhile,
the western parts are drier

Receiving less than
20 inches of rain a year

And semi-desert environments
dominate the landscape.

Water is scarce

And food is often limited
and difficult to find.

Droughts here
are regular and severe.

Temperatures regularly soar
over a hundred degrees.

And every plant and animal
living here is specially adapted

To overcome the rigors
imposed by the conditions.

Meanwhile the eastern parts of
the region are more congenial;

Moist savannas
pulsating with life dominate.

It's more humid
and not overly hot

With temperatures hovering
pleasantly in the mid eighties

Year round.

The vegetation
is lush and green.

More often than not

There is plenty of food
to go around.

Across this continental divide

Two species of antelope
in particular thrive.

In the lush
wooded savannas of the east

Impala eat a broad diet
and are incredibly successful.

Their total population
has been estimated

At more than
two million individuals.

Only one antelope
outnumbers them -

The springbok .

More than two-and-a-half million
individuals

Range across the dry
open plains of the west.

Here they dominate thanks in
part to their ability

To eke out a meal
even in the toughest conditions

And they feed on just about
any greenery they find.

Together these two species

Are the most successful
herd-living animals in africa.

Herding behavior evolved
following the last ice age,

As the forests covering
the continent receded.

Animals moved out
onto the new grassy plains

For the first time.

They grew larger and began
to cover greater distances

In search of food.

And it became important

For individuals
to stick together in herds

So that they
could easily find mates

And better protect themselves
against predators.

Despite their abundance,

Springbok and impala almost
never occur in the same habitat

And roughly follow
the dry-wet divide.

Without them

Africa would be
a very different place.

In the arid heartland
of south africa

Lies the 220,000 acre
karoo national park.

This is one of the country's
most spectacular parks

Draped across
the nuweveld mountains

That rise from open plains

Which millions of years ago
were an inland sea.

Just about every animal living
here is specially adapted

To surviving
the desiccating conditions.

A small herd of springbok

Is grazing across the meager
landscape of the scrubby plains.

Springbok are small gazelles

Standing roughly 27 to 35 inches
at the shoulder

And weighing up to 100 pounds.

They're hardy characters

Capable of suffering through
even the toughest of droughts.

Travelers through the karoo
during the late 1800s

Wrote of gigantic herds
of migrating springbok

So numerous they took all day
to pass their camps.

These would move vast distances
across the arid plains

Taking advantage
of the unpredictable

And variable
rainfall of the region.

These great congregations
are a thing of the past.

In modern times

Farming has disrupted
ancient migration routes.

And in the karoo,

Springbok are relegated
to small herds

Sprinkled across the landscape.

300 miles east

In the world-famous
kruger national park

In the wetter
eastern parts of the country

A herd of impala is picking its
way through the lush vegetation.

Life is very different.

The kruger,
as it is fondly known to locals,

Is a gigantic swath
of savanna bushveld

Stretching almost
5-million acres

Along the north
eastern border of south africa.

One of the largest
and most successful

Wildlife reserves
anywhere on earth;

Kruger is crowded with animals.

Food is plentiful

And giant herbivores
such as elephants and giraffes

Pick from the top branches
of the trees while at their feet

Great herds of other
browsers and grazers

Pick their way
through the landscape.

It's also home

To some of the highest densities
of predators in africa.

More than
a hundred thousand impala

Munch their way
through the thick bush.

Impala are
taller than springbok,

Standing almost
three feet high at the shoulder

And weighing up to 170 pounds.

With so much
food and water available

A host
of other browsers prosper.

A small family of kudu
browses nearby.

Together kudu and impala
often form loose mixed herds.

These aggregations
do have some benefit.

In a world
controlled by carnivores,

With almost half of all impala
deaths caused by predators,

The more eyes on the lookout,

The better.

Predators also range across the
arid plains of southern africa.

But animals here worry as much
about avoiding the heat

And finding enough food

As they do about being eaten.

Where the borders
of south africa,

Namibia and botswana meet

Is one of the dry western
regions' most iconic reserves.

The kgalagardi
transfrontier park.

Springbok are
the most common antelope here.

During summer it's hot -

With midday temperatures over
100 degrees more often than not.

Springbok fare better than most.

They eat pretty much
anything they find,

Switching between grass and
herbaceous shrubs and succulents

As dictated by the conditions.

This young male is pawing up
fresh shoots from the riverbed.

Once he's eaten his fill

He heads for the shade
to digest his meal.

Springbok are masters
at avoiding the heat.

They face
their white rumps to the sun

Reducing
the amount of heat absorbed.

White underbellies also absorb
less of the heat

Radiating up
from the ground below.

And they seek out shade to avoid
the roasting conditions.

Gathering in the shade of these
acacias has another benefit.

Springbok eat
the fallen seed pods

And this is a valuable source
of nutrition for them

In tough conditions.

The tree relies on the springbok
to disperse their seeds.

The pods contain
extremely tough seeds

That are resistant to the
springboks' digestive system.

As the springbok move off

They carry the seeds with them
before eventually

Depositing them elsewhere

In a nutrient rich
pile of droppings -

Giving the seed
every chance of germinating.

But one drawback

Of avoiding heat stress
by gathering in the trees

Is that the close confines

Make it easier
for predators to hunt them.

A lone cheetah is stalking
down the dry riverbed.

They're the fastest
terrestrial mammal

And can reach speeds
of up to 70 miles an hour

For short distances.

The springbok
have seen his approach.

He's still far away
so they're not concerned.

They have the edge

As long as they get
a head start on the cat.

Nearby a meerkat family
is not so sure.

Meerkats are
10 to 12 inches long

And weigh
a little over 2 pounds.

They're prime targets
for raptors

And a host
of ground dwelling predators

Including the cheetah.

They can't outrun cheetahs
like the springbok can,

So they rely on burrows
when threatened.

Just like the antelope,
vigilance is key.

The family deploys sentries

To make sure
they're not taken by surprise.

This allows
the rest of the family

To root around for food below.

Even the ground squirrels

Take advantage of their
neighbors' early warning system.

Each threat
has its own unique call.

The sentry sounds a warning

And the family scurries below.

A close relative, the slightly
larger yellow mongoose,

Is sharing the meerkats' home.

But he's no freeloader

And will often participate
in burrow maintenance

And even help extend the
underground network of tunnels

If required.

Most of all however, the yellow
mongooses also benefit

From their
hyper-vigilant house mates.

And vigilance is key to survival

When you're on the wrong end
of the food chain.

No matter the habitat,

Whether in the dry west
or lush east,

Herbivores always
outnumber carnivores.

Life is easier in the east

Where there are
plenty of plants available.

But plant matter
is hard to digest.

Impala have an arsenal of tools
to overcome the challenge.

This female is chewing the cud.

She's grinding leaves
with her teeth

Adding enzymes all the time
from her saliva.

Then she swallows.

And then regurgitates the food
so she can chew it some more.

Every time the cud's swallowed

It's mixed with enzymes
and microbes in the stomach

To break down the tough
cellulose of plant material.

Without the repeated
chewing and swallowing,

Ruminants wouldn't be able
to obtain the nutrition

They require
from the plants they eat.

It also means
they spend less time foraging,

Giving them more time to rest

So they can avoid the heat.

Carnivores also rely on the
success of this digestive system

Albeit indirectly.

With predators lurking,

Impala need to be vigilant
in order to survive.

Large omni-directional ears give
them excellent hearing.

And they have
an acute sense of smell

Enhanced by their enlarged
nasal passages.

Their eyesight is excellent

At detecting movement
at great distances,

With a field of vision spanning
300 degrees of horizon.

Not all threats come from
outside the herd however.

Only male impala carry horns,

Which they use
in disputes over females.

This territorial male
has spotted an intruder.

He takes up
an aggressive posture

To warn the off the challenger.

They lock horns

And engage in a shoving match
designed to determine dominance.

Fights seldom cause
permanent damage

As long as the looser backs off.

Horns are specifically shaped
for wrestling other males

Rather than
stabbing and piercing,

Which gives them little value
for defense.

Horns are a hindrance
in close bushy confines

And females
have no use for them.

On the dry open plains

Of the arid half
of the country however,

It's a different story.

Here, both sexes
typically bear horns

And scientists
have wondered why.

One theory suggests
springbok females have horns

So that their teenage sons
resemble them.

There is intense competition

Amongst mature males
in mixed herds,

So the longer
young males look like females,

The longer they are ignored
by dominants.

The latest theory
suggests the females' horns

Have more to do
with deterring predators,

Based on how
conspicuous the animals are.

In the open, antelope are easily
spotted by predators.

And horns are a deterrent,

So males and females
both have them.

The taller you are,
the more conspicuous you are,

So the bigger
the deterrent you need.

Which explains why the gemsbok,

A much larger desert wanderer,
has impressive horns to match.

Like springbok,
these rapier-like weapons

Are borne
by both males and females.

It's winter on the fringes
of the arid great karoo

At the southeastern extent
of the springbok's range.

Winter here is breeding season
for springbok.

This territorial male
is marking the bushes

With secretions
from glands on his head.

He's advertising for mates
and warning off rivals.

Tension is everywhere.

A young male ignores the warning

And the dominant male
puts him in his place.

This territory is not big enough
for both of them.

The dominant sees off
the challenger for now.

On the plains of africa
only the fittest survive -

The dominant male,
while battered and bruised,

Has earned his right
to mate with many females,

Passing on his genes
to future generations.

Meanwhile the loser's
family tree has come to an end.

Back in the wetter
eastern parts of kruger

A dominant male impala
is chasing a mate.

He's identified
a female in estrus.

And is in hot pursuit.

She leads him on a merry dance

And the hapless male
can only follow hopefully behind

Caught in her spell.

He flicks his tongue and
nods his head enthusiastically

Doing his best to convince
his would-be partner.

And eventually she relents,

Briefly pausing
so that he can catch up.

Once mated,

He'll rarely show
any further interest in her,

Even though
she'll remain sexually active

For a few more days.

During this time

She'll be courted by other males
and will almost certainly mate

With as many
as four additional suitors.

The impala's range extends north

To the grassy plains
of east africa.

There are no springbok here

But there are
five other species of gazelle.

Two of them can be found here
in the world famous

Ngorongoro crater in tanzania

Thousands of miles to the north.

Hemmed in on all sides

By the steep slopes
of the ancient caldera,

This is one of the most
remarkable landscapes in africa.

Fertile soils from
the crater's volcanic history

Feed a menagerie of wildlife.

In ngorongoro
grant's and thompson's gazelle

Often graze together.

Thompson's gazelle or "tommies"

Are the most common antelope
in east africa,

Preferring the short grass
of wide open plains.

They're remarkably similar
in both size and color

To springbok.

It's thought this color pattern

Helps camouflage the herds
from predators

Such as lions and cheetahs.

But camouflage
only gets you so far

And all gazelles on the open
grasslands of east africa

Are also fleet of foot.

Back in the dry, open riverbeds

Of the kgalagadi
transfrontier park,

Athletic ability is paramount.

These springbok are pronking.

It's suggested
this behavior advertises

An individual's athletic ability

To would-be predators.

It may also release pheromones

Or be an important alarm signal
to the rest of the herd.

Other more romantic
viewpoints however,

Suggest they're simply
jumping for joy.

Even in more vegetated regions

Athletic ability is important
to avoid the local predators.

Impala can leap effortlessly

More than 9 feet high
and 35 feet over the ground.

They're also fast -

Even so
they're no match for tsessebe

One of their nearest relatives.

Tsessebe are nearly
twice the size of impala

And are
the world's fastest antelope

Capable of reaching speeds of
nearly 37 miles an hour.

Hartebeest and wildebeest are
also close relatives of impala.

At first glance

It seems unlikely that these
animals should be so close.

Impala are graceful

While everything about
the wildebeest is awkward.

One thing
all members of the family

Do have in common however,

Is they live out in the open
and gather in herds.

And great herds attract
predators like lions;

And leopards.

Living in a herd
is advantageous.

There are many
eyes to scan for danger.

So remaining in the herd
is important.

Sick individuals
or youngsters that lag behind

Are prime targets.

It's not only predators
who track the herds.

A cattle egret
is feeding on insects

Kicked up by passing feet.

Feeding alongside
herds of antelope

Gives this individual one and
a half times more food

Than a solo effort.

Red-billed ox-peckers
also track the herds.

They're combing through their
fur looking for an easy meal.

The impala
tolerate the freeloaders

Because they're enjoying
the grooming.

And the ox-peckers are able
to remove annoying ticks

From even
the most hard to reach places.

Ecto-parasites such as ticks
aren't only an irritant -

They also carry disease.

So the impala
benefit from the service.

An entire world revolves around
what's left behind

By grazing antelope.

Copper dung beetles are
collecting impala droppings.

There are more than
2,000 species of dung beetle.

This one is a roller.

He pats dung into a ball

And rolls it away
before burying it.

Dung balls are food for the
beetles and their young.

If he's lucky

His ball will attract a female
and she'll lay her eggs in it.

He buries the ball
safe underground,

Allowing the developing larvae
to slowly eat their way

To the surface.

By burying these balls

He's also injecting valuable
nutrients back into the soil

Facilitating plant growth
and ultimately,

More food for impala
in the great cycle of life.

Impala and springbok
are very similar in many ways

But they almost never live
in the same habitat,

With one exception.

Etosha national park
in northern namibia.

Located in the arid heart

Of the kalahari desert
in the south west of africa,

This 8,600 square mile park

Is renowned
for its bountiful wildlife.

Animals here congregate
at the reserve's waterholes

To survive
the parched surroundings.

A black-faced impala has come
down to the waterhole to drink.

She's instantly recognizable
by her black facial markings.

The black-faced impala
is a subspecies

That lives across angola
and northern namibia.

It's better adapted
to its desert home

Than the common impala
of the east.

The two subspecies will readily
hybridize if they mingle,

But black-faced impala
are vulnerable

And etosha is one
of their last strongholds.

For this reason,

The government of namibia
tries to keep them isolated

But it's tricky.

Private game farms
stocked with common impala

Surround etosha
and so the government works

To keep them out
of the national park.

Down at one
of the lush waterholes of kruger

A herd of common impala
drinks nervously.

Danger lurks in these waters.

Large crocs such as this one

Can be more than 13 feet long.

Spooked, the impala dash back
to the safety of the bush.

But danger lurks here too.

The herd becomes separated,

Enabling a lone cheetah
to pick off one of the females.

He'll gorge himself on his kill.

But cheetahs are the smallest
of the big cats,

So he must eat quickly.

If scavenging lions or hyenas
catch wind of his kill,

They will steal it.

Nervously
he scans the surroundings.

Having eaten his fill
he moves on.

As the seasons March on,
the rains return.

It's spring
in the moist savannas

Of the kruger national park
in south africa.

The trees and bushes
are bursting with new growth.

New arrivals
throng the surroundings.

It's lambing season

And the bush
is alive with youngsters.

Babies suckle from their mothers

For the first
four and a half months.

Everyone in the family is jumpy.

Being small in this world
makes them a target.

Leopards and jackals
prey on youngsters.

So the females have adapted
to synchronize their births.

With the young born
in times of plenty,

There's enough food
for lactating moms;

And the mass of youngsters
swamps would-be predators

And reduces individual risk.

Still it's best
to be on high alert.

A perilous road lies ahead
for these youngsters -

Only half of them will survive
their first year

To reach adulthood.

But those that do

Will grow up to take their place

In the great herds of africa.

Across the vast open spaces
of southern africa

These two species
dominate the landscape.

Springbok and impala are
the most numerous antelope,

Numbering into the millions.

Though inhabiting
different worlds, together

They're the central characters
in the giant circle of life

That unfolds
across southern africa.

From the dry deserts
of the west;

To the moist savannas
of the east,

These two species are pivotal

In the success
of both plants and animals

Living across this divide.

For in africa

Springbok

And impala

Truly reign supreme.

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