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In the baking heat of the
African savannah...
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..as rivers dry up...
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..animals flock to the waterhole.
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But we've never fully understood
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how a single water source can
support so many competing species.
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So we're doing something
ground-breaking.
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Welcome to Tanzania and to the
Mwiba Wildlife Reserve
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and to this unique waterhole
behind us.
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We are working with the reserve
to create the world's first
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waterhole with a built-in
specialist camera system.
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This waterhole has a half-submerged
filming hide right in the middle,
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and it's rigged with
remote cameras so we can see
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every angle of animal behaviour
like never before.
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GIRAFFE GRUNTS
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It's a unique chance to follow
the evolution of a waterhole
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ecosystem and the lives
of the animals that depend
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on it, from the very beginning.
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This is our first visit from a lion.
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We don't know who will turn up
and in what number...
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..but we want to observe and record
every single species...
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..over a period of six months.
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We're filming from the start
of the life-sapping dry season
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when water is scarce
and tempers fray.
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That's not a happy elephant.
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Until the pressure finally breaks...
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THUNDER CRACKS
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..and the annual rains
change everything.
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From up here, you get a great view
of an ecosystem.
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We'll follow the fight for survival
at the one place all animals gather.
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Everything changed when the
predators turned up.
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This is the story of life...
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ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
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..and death at the waterhole.
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In East Africa, Tanzania,
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south of the Serengeti ecosystem
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is a protected area spanning
53,000 hectares.
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Mwiba Wildlife Reserve.
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It's a safe haven for Africa's most
iconic species,
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including elephant...
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..hippo...
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..giraffe...
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..leopard...
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..and lion.
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But in our changing world,
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this region faces a growing
shortage of water.
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Look at it, so green, fresh,
verdant.
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That said, in a couple of
months' time, all of this
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will be parched and brown.
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All of these tiny little pools
of water will be gone.
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And the wildlife here is going
to be struggling to survive.
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For half the year in 2018,
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there was just nine millimetres
of rain.
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Well below average for Tanzania.
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And with the growing impact
of climate change,
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life here is set to get tougher.
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Temperatures in Africa are rising.
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In just 30 years, it's predicted
the continent will endure 50%
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more warming than the rest
of the planet.
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As a result, many natural
water sources are drying up.
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Let's just call this digger in.
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To give its wildlife a much-needed
lifeline, Mwiba Reserve has decided
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to build a waterhole
on an open patch of grassland,
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easily accessible from all
directions.
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Natural waterholes appear after
rains deep in the savannah,
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but they're quickly populated by
wildlife and often dry up fast.
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So this is a unique opportunity
for us to work with Mwiba and study
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a waterhole built from scratch.
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Look at that!
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It's very exciting, isn't it?
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We want to find out how hundreds
of different species find,
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use and interact around a new
water source.
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Wow. OK. Now, I measure about...
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I don't measure about anything.
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I'm 1.83 metres
and I'm still above this.
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We ideally, I think, we want about
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two metres depth at our deepest
point.
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But what's essential is going
to be the slope like this,
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because a lot of animals are not
going to literally go in.
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That's going to be our wallowers -
our, you know, elephant,
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our buffalo, our warthog.
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I think many of the ungulates
are going to come to the edge here,
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stand on that edge and sip.
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And certainly all of the bathing
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animals are going to be in this
zone, so the shallow part of the
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waterhole is going to be
equally important.
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It's going to be fascinating.
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I honestly think that we're going
to see an enormous diversity
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of species coming to this waterhole.
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00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,840
To uncover the secret world
of the waterhole, we're bringing in
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a weatherproofed remote camera
system,
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able to record day and night.
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To help make it
wildlife tamper-proof,
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we dig two-metre-deep trenches...
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..excavating over 100 tonnes
of soil for 4km
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of fibre-optic cable.
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60,000 litres of water
fill two separate pools,
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giving more access points
for thirsty animals.
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This is a project on a grand scale.
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It's bigger than any of the other
waterholes that are currently
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here at the end of the wet season -
they're just puddles.
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This is going to be a pool
of some significance.
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We are going to film here at three
of the most critical times of year
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for local wildlife.
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From the middle of the tough
dry season.
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Then, a couple of months later,
when temperatures soar into the 40s
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at the hottest time of year.
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And finally, at the height
of the first rains.
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Now, it's the middle of the
dry season.
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20 cameras are set to record
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every detail of life
for the next two weeks.
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They are remote controlled
from our base camp,
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where biologist Ella Al-Shamahi
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and I can watch them live
and play back footage.
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We've got our team monitoring
these cameras 24/7.
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Those strange triangular structures,
those are so that the elephants
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hopefully won't step on the cameras
and damage them.
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As Ella says, it's 24/7, we're
watching them throughout the course
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of the day and the night
using infrared.
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And, of course, we're also watching
this waterhole from the air.
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We've got a drone up at the moment.
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And there you can see from mission
control, it's about 200 metres
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across this parched grassland
down to our waterhole complex here.
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A tunnel leads into our hides
so that we can sneak in
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without the animals seeing us.
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And we've got the two pools
either side here.
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For our first two-week filming
window, I will be attempting
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to collate data for every visitor
and create a species list
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so we can track how many animals
come to a new waterhole.
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Chris will be reviewing footage
to analyse the complex animal
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behaviour behind every interaction.
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Our first question - how long
does it take wildlife to find
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a new waterhole?
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The answer - 45 minutes.
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WARTHOG GRUNTS
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Here, top right, we've got warthog.
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Wow, that's awesome. Yeah.
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It's a whole family there.
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Mwiba wildlife expert
Eugene Raymond joins us to review
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the footage, to offer some
local insight
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into our waterhole pioneers.
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We've seen these in
and around Mwiba area,
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and it's one that's got a very
interesting story
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cos the mama died and then
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the four little ones managed
to get to this level.
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So you've seen them growing up?
Yeah, I've seen them growing up.
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These warthog orphans live
250 metres away.
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They probably discovered the
waterhole whilst foraging for food,
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but, interestingly, they're not
here to drink.
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What they really need...
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..is mud!
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It's a stifling 35 Celsius,
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but warthogs don't have sweat glands
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that regulate their body
temperature...
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..so they must use mud
to cool themselves down.
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Our camera rig includes a
specialist thermal camera,
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which reveals how effective
this behaviour is.
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The warthogs' bodies turn blue
as their temperature decreases.
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Mud bathing can reduce their body
temperature
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by a life-saving 3.6 Celsius.
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The warthogs weren't on their own
for very long.
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Look, the warthogs scarper as soon
as the elephant arrives.
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ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
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They would normally give respect
for this big beast to come in
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and get some water.
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What's interesting is that they have
the capacity to smell water.
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Ah, yes, that's very true.
Absolutely.
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What, 15 miles away at least,
I imagine.
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I believe they have incredible
ability to do it even
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farther than that. Further than
15 miles? Yeah, for sure.
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It's not really that much
of a surprise, then,
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that they would be amongst
the first to turn up.
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So here's another one.
That's another male.
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Do you know this elephant?
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Oh, that's a young bull
that I know, for sure. Yeah.
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You see the right tusk is shorter
than the left tusk.
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If you look at one tusk
that is shorter than the other,
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then you get to know...
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This elephant is either
right-handed or left-handed.
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The guides call this elephant Nusu,
which in Swahili means "half".
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And his companion is Ndogo,
which translates as "small"
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because he has short tusks.
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An African elephant needs to drink
nearly a bathtub of water each day.
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They may have to walk up to
195km to find enough.
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We've made elephants happy by giving
them fresh, clean water.
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It's not often you get to make,
you know, megafauna happy.
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Especially in the dry season.
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Elephants are thought to help
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other animals locate water
in the dry season.
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As they forage, the two males
inadvertently create pathways
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through the bush leading
directly to the waterhole.
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This area is home to lions,
leopards and giraffes.
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We know they're out there,
but we don't know
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when and if they'll turn up
to the waterhole.
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And you've got to remember
that up until fairly recently,
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this waterhole simply wasn't here.
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15 minutes after the elephants,
more new species arrive.
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And by reviewing the footage
from day one, we discover
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how different animals approach
a new water source.
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Ella! Ella.
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Got impala that have come in.
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Waterholes are dangerous places
for impala, as big cats often hunt
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them when they come to drink.
203
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I mean, they are extremely nervous.
204
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They're essentially a
forest antelope,
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so coming into the open like this
is a perilous exercise.
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Impala aren't the only species
that are wary at the new waterhole.
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Now we have zebras.
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The first zebra also approach
with caution, but there's a theory
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that suggests they have some natural
protection from predators.
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00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,160
I don't think there's a definitive
answer, but do you know why the
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zebra's got stripes?
212
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I'm assuming it's some kind of
a camouflage thing.
213
00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,720
I was looking at some work
relatively recently that shows
214
00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,960
that when you get a large herd
of zebra moving,
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the way that their bodies move
cycles the stripes
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and visually is disorientating.
217
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It forms an optical illusion,
which generates an enormous amount
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of confusion in terms of the
visual capabilities
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of any pursuing predator. Really?
220
00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:25,600
It's confusion colouration.
221
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That's interesting. Hm.
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To add four species to our list
on day one, within just a few hours
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of the waterhole being finished,
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shows just how harsh
the dry season is.
225
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50 metres away, the nearest water
source in the area,
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the Arugusinyai River,
is completely dry.
227
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And for herbivores, it's not
just water that is in short supply.
228
00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,800
Look at it, it's absolutely parched.
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00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:11,520
Imagine trying to eke a living,
eating something like this.
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00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:15,000
I mean, there must be
nutrients there,
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00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:19,480
but trying to firstly digest it
and then process it...
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00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:25,840
Thankfully, there is some evergreen
foliage left here.
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This acacia, look at this.
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Looks relatively lush and green,
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00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:36,160
but it comes with a cost - protected
by these vicious spikes, of course.
236
00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,760
Again, not all of those herbivores
237
00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:42,520
are going to be able to nibble this.
238
00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:46,480
And then lastly, there is something
that makes this environment very,
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00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:48,120
very hostile at this time of year,
240
00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,320
not just for all of those animals,
but for us, too.
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00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,000
And it lurks...here.
242
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Look at that, almost bumped into it.
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You see this little brown smudge
244
00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,880
in the crook of the grass here?
245
00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:09,200
That is a solid mass of ticks.
246
00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:17,440
They call them pepper ticks at
this stage because they're so small,
247
00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:21,800
they're about the size of a
ground piece of pepper.
248
00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:26,760
And any animal that brushes into
this grass here is coated.
249
00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:30,120
They get under the skin
and they start to suck its blood.
250
00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:33,360
At this time of year,
251
00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:37,280
this part of Tanzania is a
tough place to be wildlife.
252
00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:48,440
At night there is some relief,
as temperatures drop to 15 Celsius.
253
00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,680
But this is often the most dangerous
time to be at a waterhole.
254
00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:59,400
Lions, leopards and hyena
are more active after dark.
255
00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:09,280
Our specialist camera system
switches to infrared light...
256
00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:14,440
..so we can watch the waterhole
for nocturnal predators.
257
00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,320
And on the first night,
just before 8pm,
258
00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:24,040
the cameras catch one of
Mwiba Reserve's most elusive
259
00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:25,800
and powerful hunters.
260
00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,800
Leopards have the largest ranges
of any big cat.
261
00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,760
Males can range over
2,000 square kilometres.
262
00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:55,920
It's not clear if this male
is a Mwiba resident
263
00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:57,680
or just passing through.
264
00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:04,320
LEOPARD GROWLS SOFTLY
265
00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:09,840
We collate all the camera footage.
266
00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:11,680
THUNDER RUMBLES
267
00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,560
Wow. Oh, look at the elegance.
268
00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,240
And expert guide Eugene joins us
269
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,240
again to review the shots in order
to identify him.
270
00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:26,040
It's probably one of the leopard
that I know in the area.
271
00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,880
We've named him Jasiri.
And what does that mean?
272
00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:32,840
Jasiri is a Swahili word
and it means "brave".
273
00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:36,080
He's not very skittish,
he's quite relaxed.
274
00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:41,280
Those rosettes are unique to
every leopard.
275
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,800
Every leopard has a unique
spot pattern.
276
00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,440
Those markings on the whiskers,
up to the nose on the side,
277
00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,120
these are the ones that will tell
you which one it is.
278
00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:52,320
They will never be the same.
279
00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:58,360
Jasiri's arrival is a sign that our
new waterhole is beginning to get
280
00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:00,880
the attention of Mwiba's carnivores.
281
00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:06,800
Leopards hunt a wide variety
of prey, feeding on everything
282
00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,400
from insects to rodents
to large antelopes.
283
00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:17,720
The waterhole could be a new
important hunting ground for Jasiri.
284
00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,640
So what do we think? Do we think
he's already had a kill?
285
00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,840
He's probably got a kill somewhere
and put the kill up a tree.
286
00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:31,200
Look at his neck, the muscles
in the neck and that gives them
287
00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,600
the power of getting up, carrying
stuff, heavy stuff,
288
00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:38,120
pretty much the same size,
and they will take it up a tree.
289
00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:42,120
Because they are in so many
competitions with other predators
290
00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:44,480
like hyenas, lions,
291
00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:46,400
and they would come for a drink
292
00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,040
and go back on their same spot
at the kill.
293
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,080
It doesn't need water
every single day.
294
00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:54,640
They get it in two ways.
295
00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,520
They get it from the body fluids
that they take out of the animal.
296
00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,760
And then they also,
when they're digesting it,
297
00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,080
they produce metabolic water.
298
00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,680
So in the process of digesting
that food, the hydrogen teams up
299
00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,720
with the oxygen and produces
water and that can provide them
300
00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:12,280
with up to 10% of the water
that they need.
301
00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,880
And that's the difference
between dying of thirst
302
00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:16,320
and not dying of thirst.
303
00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:18,440
So it's really important
for these types of animal,
304
00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,400
that metabolic water.
305
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,720
What a view, and what an animal.
306
00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:32,080
Mwiba Reserve is home to lions
and spotted hyena,
307
00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:36,360
but Jasiri the leopard beats them
to be the first apex predator
308
00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:38,000
on our species list.
309
00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:44,040
After his visit, the night is quiet
at the waterhole.
310
00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,720
But the silence doesn't last long.
311
00:21:57,720 --> 00:21:59,480
BUFFALO GRUNT
312
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:02,680
At 7.30 on the second morning,
313
00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:05,840
the biggest herd of animals
comes for a drink.
314
00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,440
80 Cape buffalo.
315
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,280
If we go to this camera over here,
316
00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,520
can we take a closer look at them
on the ground?
317
00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:28,120
BUFFALO GRUNT
318
00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,520
They're an enormously robust
and powerful animal.
319
00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,440
The males weigh up to a tonne.
320
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,320
Their horns grow to a metre
across, fused in the middle.
321
00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:42,840
They're very much front-heavy,
massive fore-limbs.
322
00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,560
Look at that, you can see the
323
00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:49,440
pulsing throat of a buffalo.
324
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:55,760
Some of the species that we have
here don't need to drink every day,
325
00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:57,640
but buffalo like to drink every day
326
00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,400
and they drink an enormous
quantity of water.
327
00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:06,120
That's the equivalent of a
nice cold pint of lager
328
00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:08,440
at the end of a very hot afternoon.
329
00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,520
Look at the look of satisfaction
on that buffalo's face.
330
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:15,840
Well, maybe I'm pushing
the anthropomorphism there
331
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,560
a little bit, but I can imagine
it's a happy buffalo.
332
00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:27,280
The waterhole is a lifeline
to water-dependent animals
333
00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:28,680
like Cape buffalo.
334
00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:36,120
This herd can drink up to
3,000 litres in just one visit.
335
00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,400
And the buffalo
aren't travelling alone.
336
00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,200
Oxpeckers provide an
invaluable service
337
00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:44,680
to buffalo in the dry season.
338
00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:45,960
And in return,
339
00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:51,000
they get a free ride to water
and all the food they can eat.
340
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,480
They're on there removing parasites,
341
00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,520
plenty of ticks here at this
time of year.
342
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,040
Ooh, straight...straight in!
343
00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:05,040
And, look, right inside the ear,
344
00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:09,480
and you can see where there's less
hair in there, how it will be easier
345
00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:11,760
for the ticks to attach.
346
00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:13,960
Look at that, it's feeding
furiously.
347
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,280
So we can't see them,
but undoubtedly, this oxpecker can.
348
00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:20,080
CHRIS LAUGHS
349
00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,840
Can't imagine what it must be like
to be the buffalo with a bird
350
00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:25,320
right inside your ear.
351
00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:26,640
But, clearly, it is happy
352
00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:28,200
with that compromise because
353
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:29,960
this bird is feasting on
354
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,880
those parasites which are
inside that ear.
355
00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,960
Love that! Little cameo of natural
history that we're able to see
356
00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:39,960
because we've got these
extraordinary cameras
357
00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,000
and we're so close to these animals.
358
00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:52,560
Over the next few days we add
an incredible 40 new species
359
00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:54,000
to our list.
360
00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,640
Including four birds.
361
00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:02,720
Yellow-billed storks often hunt
in shallow water.
362
00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,760
Black-faced sandgrouse come
to waterholes not only to drink,
363
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:13,760
but to wet their breast feathers
364
00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,320
to carry water back to their chicks.
365
00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:23,440
Cape turtle doves are found
across southern Africa.
366
00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:27,040
Bare-faced go-aways.
367
00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:30,560
The species get their name from
their distinctive call,
368
00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:32,560
which sounds like, "Go away."
369
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,400
GO-AWAY CALLS OUT
370
00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:36,840
African hare hop in.
371
00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:39,320
Water helps them digest vegetation.
372
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:43,120
On night three,
373
00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:45,960
a lone waterbuck that needs water
374
00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:47,600
daily to survive,
375
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,400
comes for a drink.
376
00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:54,520
Two species of primates also find
the waterhole -
377
00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,760
olive baboons and vervet monkeys.
378
00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,200
They like to socialise around
water sources,
379
00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:05,160
much to the annoyance
of some of our residents.
380
00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:08,760
SQUAWKING, CHATTERING
381
00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:13,920
By day five, the list has grown
to 20 species.
382
00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:20,320
We are also seeing the same animals
returning every day.
383
00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:24,640
Our cameras have already recorded
384
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:28,120
nearly 200 hours of footage
combined.
385
00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:32,280
And I'm seeing a pattern emerge.
386
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:36,360
We're actually starting to see
387
00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:37,960
some really interesting data.
388
00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:39,560
We're looking at which species
389
00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,640
are turning up to the waterhole
at what time.
390
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,480
Some of these animals have
pretty much set times
391
00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:47,520
and they're turning up
like clockwork.
392
00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:53,000
There is already a schedule to life
at the waterhole.
393
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:59,200
From around 8am, a steady stream
of impala come for a drink.
394
00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:04,160
11.00 is the most frequent time
for zebra.
395
00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:05,600
ZEBRA SNORTS
396
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:10,640
Around 1pm, the very punctual
warthog orphans come to mud-bathe.
397
00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:15,960
3pm is when elephants
often turn up.
398
00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,600
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
399
00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,640
And the herd of buffalo are coming
400
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,280
first thing in the morning
and at dusk.
401
00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:26,240
BUFFALO SNORT
402
00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:29,600
I have a theory as to why
this routine has been set
403
00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,800
so early on within this new
waterhole community.
404
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:38,120
There's certain patterns that
indicate survival strategies.
405
00:27:38,120 --> 00:27:43,000
It's interesting that during
that midday sun, that real heat,
406
00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,040
the place doesn't become deserted.
407
00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,640
So some of the species that are most
vulnerable from predators,
408
00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,520
they're willing to brave
that scorching heat
409
00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:53,960
because if they turn up later
in the day,
410
00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:55,760
that's when the predators are about.
411
00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:02,320
The fear of predators is affecting
when animals come to the waterhole.
412
00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:10,400
But that's not the only thing
the cameras are revealing.
413
00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:13,840
After eight days, a hierarchy
414
00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,680
is developing within the waterhole
community,
415
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:22,040
and by analysing footage,
we discover that one species
416
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,200
is trying to dominate.
417
00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:29,800
What we've got is a waterbuck here,
and where we're seeing these come
418
00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:33,120
to our waterhole, this male,
they're always coming on their own.
419
00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:35,800
The buffalo approach...
So he was there first.
420
00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:38,640
He has a look round...
Oh! He darts off, doesn't he?
421
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:43,320
He doesn't even bother to entertain
any thought of staying there
422
00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,360
with a huge herd of buffalo.
423
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:49,760
They encircle the waterhole
and they basically just own
424
00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,520
that very valuable resource.
425
00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:55,040
We've got another bit as well.
Here we go.
426
00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,160
So these small group of zebra
have come all the way round the side
427
00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,080
of the pool to the other end
428
00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,800
where they're hoping
to have a little sip.
429
00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:07,160
But as you can see,
there's another buffalo.
430
00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:09,320
Just wait to see what happens.
431
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:12,960
ZEBRA SCREECH
432
00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:16,960
That's deliberate aggression,
isn't it?
433
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,120
The buffalo are completely
monopolising the area. Yeah.
434
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:23,720
OK. So the big boys have pushed out
the zebra,
435
00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,440
but what happens when an even
bigger boy turns up?
436
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,840
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
437
00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:36,920
BUFFALO SNORT
438
00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:40,920
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
439
00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:42,880
That's not a happy elephant.
440
00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:45,440
The buffalo are not drinking,
441
00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,040
notice, they've had to stop
drinking.
442
00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:49,360
They're casually strolling
in both directions. Yeah.
443
00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,960
They don't know where to go,
but they're definitely not drinking
444
00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:54,800
and they realise that they're...
And look. Ooh!
445
00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:59,200
Yeah. This is a frustrated,
frustrated elephant.
446
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,240
And it gets a little bit worse
because he comes round this side.
447
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,000
ELEPHANT SNORTS
448
00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,080
This is a bit of displacement
behaviour, I think.
449
00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:16,320
He's so cross with the buffalo,
he can't do much about them,
450
00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:19,800
so he's kicking the ground, look,
still flaring his ears,
451
00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:21,000
waving his trunk.
452
00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:24,040
Both elephants and buffalo
453
00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:27,040
came to the waterhole
in the first 48 hours.
454
00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:31,760
They are our most regular
and heaviest drinkers.
455
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:33,600
And as the dry season intensifies,
456
00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,440
they're encountering each other
much more often.
457
00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,960
The buffalo have strength
in numbers,
458
00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:46,240
but an elephant weighs
up to 6,000 kilos
459
00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:51,440
and the buffalo aren't willing
to put up much of a fight...for now.
460
00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:58,600
For these two giants, a changing
climate and a growing scarcity
461
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:02,480
of water has potentially
life-threatening consequences.
462
00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,720
In the '90s, the number of buffalo
were decimated in the Serengeti,
463
00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:09,760
and the Maasai Mara
because of drought.
464
00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:12,480
So it's interesting to see that
behaviour that created
465
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,840
this dominant presence.
466
00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:16,600
That's for very good reason,
I guess.
467
00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:18,480
They really, really need
that water.
468
00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:36,040
In 24 hours, we measure
that between them,
469
00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:42,280
buffalo and elephant are drinking
over 7,000 litres of water.
470
00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:46,720
A natural waterhole might dry up
with this level of demand.
471
00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:51,840
But this one has a plumbed in
fresh water supply
472
00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,000
that we can keep topping up.
473
00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,920
It's been tremendously busy
at the waterhole overnight,
474
00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:03,240
and as a consequence,
the water level has gone down,
475
00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,440
quite significantly, by at least
two or three centimetres.
476
00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:10,480
We are keeping track of water usage.
477
00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:13,760
A centimetre drop in both pools
478
00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:17,600
is approximately 2,000 litres
of water.
479
00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,360
I'll just turn this tap on.
480
00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,440
You can hear it bubbling away.
481
00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:25,160
WATER GURGLES
482
00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:29,640
This water is from a
naturally occurring reservoir
483
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,400
47 metres underground.
484
00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:35,320
It's a sustainable water source
485
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,720
that's replenished every
rainy season.
486
00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,000
Wind turbines power the pump,
487
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,800
which can deliver up to
12,000 litres per hour...
488
00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:47,200
..should we need it.
489
00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:51,920
Over the next couple of days,
490
00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:54,200
the important role our waterhole
491
00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,200
is starting to play in the region
492
00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:58,880
is underlined by a staggering
493
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:02,400
20 new species that come
for a drink.
494
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,760
Including the hadada ibis,
495
00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:08,200
which are native
496
00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:09,800
to Sub-Saharan Africa.
497
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:13,880
The white-tailed mongoose,
498
00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,920
which is the largest of the
mongoose species,
499
00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:19,480
reaching one metre in length.
500
00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:26,880
Kirk's dik-dik, one of the world's
501
00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:28,520
smallest antelope,
502
00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:32,400
standing at just 35cm tall.
503
00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,280
And a black-backed jackal,
504
00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:41,480
that wastes no time
505
00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:43,240
marking this territory.
506
00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,960
So far, 40 species have visited
the waterhole.
507
00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:58,360
And on day ten, the tallest animals
on Earth come for a drink.
508
00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:11,440
Extraordinary animals, giraffe,
absolutely extraordinary.
509
00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:15,080
That looks like a terribly
uncomfortable position to be in,
510
00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:18,800
to have to drink, but that's
the least of its problems.
511
00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:22,400
The first thing is if you've got
your head all the way up here
512
00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:26,600
on a very long, stout neck
and then you tip it down to drink
513
00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:31,360
like this, all of the blood
would rush down into your brain
514
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:36,160
and you would presumably black out
straight away, but not the giraffe.
515
00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:39,680
They've evolved something
called a rete -
516
00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:42,040
it's a tight bundle of arteries.
517
00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:44,520
So the blood does run down the neck,
518
00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:48,560
but when it gets to this rete
at the base of the skull,
519
00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,680
it slows it up so it doesn't
flood the brain.
520
00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,840
And then equally, when they tip
their head back up again,
521
00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:58,200
having had a drink, you would think
that all the blood would drain out
522
00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,720
of the brain and they would
simply faint, but they don't.
523
00:35:01,720 --> 00:35:05,960
They have valves in those
blood vessels which stop that blood
524
00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,560
cascading back into their body.
525
00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,480
They've also got very strong
oesophageal muscles.
526
00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:16,560
I mean, look, it's now got to pump
the water all the way from its lips
527
00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:18,680
up to its body.
528
00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:22,160
We tip water into our mouths and use
gravity
529
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:23,480
to get it into our stomach.
530
00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:26,720
This one's got a reverse gravity
and that's what they do,
531
00:35:26,720 --> 00:35:30,800
they've got very powerful muscles
to suck that water up.
532
00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:41,040
ELEPHANTS TRUMPET
533
00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:44,640
It's only taken ten days for the
waterhole to look like
534
00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:48,040
an established oasis
in Mwiba Reserve.
535
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:58,360
But on day 12, the area
goes eerily quiet.
536
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,320
To help discover where the animals
have gone...
537
00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,800
..we've sent wildlife cameraman
and tracker, Bob Poole,
538
00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:11,040
to investigate.
539
00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:17,520
Less than 100 metres away, he spots
a potential reason
540
00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:20,160
for the sudden quietness
at the waterhole.
541
00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:31,200
Right there, that's a pretty
big animal, you see.
542
00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:35,360
One, two, three, four, and the pad
going to here.
543
00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:37,600
Look at that...look at that
distance in that.
544
00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:45,360
It's definitely a big cat,
545
00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:48,720
whether it's a lion or a big
leopard.
546
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,640
Look at the size of this here.
547
00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:54,720
You see?
548
00:36:54,720 --> 00:36:57,720
So you can tell this is a very fresh
track because you've got
549
00:36:57,720 --> 00:36:59,960
a vehicle track here,
550
00:36:59,960 --> 00:37:02,600
and right on top of that
is a big cat.
551
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:07,680
Chris. Chris, do you copy?
552
00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:09,480
Hi, Bob.
553
00:37:10,720 --> 00:37:13,960
Hey, I've just found some big cat
tracks on the road here.
554
00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,800
Whereabouts are you relative
to the waterhole?
555
00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:21,320
Yeah, we're only about 100 yards
away from you on the main track
556
00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:23,560
to the north.
Must have been...
557
00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:26,560
I would have to assume it had to be
early this morning.
558
00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:29,640
I'd like to follow these tracks
and see where they go.
559
00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:31,640
OK. Well, I'll see you a bit later.
560
00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:37,760
While a predator is in the area,
only a handful of species will feel
561
00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:42,760
safe at the waterhole, including
the largest land mammal on Earth.
562
00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:48,640
Elephants are rarely predated
by big cats in Tanzania,
563
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,760
and this herd also has strength
in numbers.
564
00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:54,440
Look at that!
565
00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:58,160
Oh, my goodness. How many?
How many are we looking at?
566
00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:00,480
OK, look. So that's eight adults.
567
00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:03,520
One, two, three, four juveniles.
568
00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:04,760
Look at that shot.
569
00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:07,200
Look at the view we've got there.
That's amazing.
570
00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,120
Look at the little youngster.
571
00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:17,120
A herd of 12 makes this the
biggest number of elephants
572
00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:18,800
at the waterhole so far.
573
00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:25,880
Elephant herds are led by
a matriarch, who is identifiable
574
00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,920
by being bigger and older
than the others.
575
00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:33,880
This one is around 30 years old.
576
00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:37,080
The youngest calf is just over
a year old.
577
00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:43,800
Elephants are notoriously protective
of their young,
578
00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:48,440
but this family are completely
at ease with our remote cameras.
579
00:38:49,720 --> 00:38:52,840
And they're the first animals
to take a proper dip
580
00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:54,920
in the waterhole.
581
00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:56,880
But they're not just bathing -
582
00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:01,000
they, like our warthog orphans,
need mud.
583
00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:05,280
And this is what it's about with the
mud. They're chucking it on there,
584
00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:08,440
it's going to evaporate the water
out of the mud.
585
00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,000
What's interesting here, though,
586
00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,000
is that the elephants have
very wrinkly skin. Yes.
587
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,560
So the mud goes into the wrinkles
and therefore it takes
588
00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:18,280
longer to evaporate.
589
00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:21,320
And this means that the cooling
process will go on longer
590
00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:23,160
than if they had smooth skin.
591
00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:24,800
But also, that wrinkly skin,
592
00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,040
that increases the surface area
and it helps with heat loss.
593
00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:30,240
And, interestingly, the
Asian elephants, of course,
594
00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:32,520
don't have the same level
of wrinkles in their skin...
595
00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:35,600
No, they don't. ..because these guys
need to cool down a bit more.
596
00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:40,680
Mud can also act as sunscreen
for elephants,
597
00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,720
but it is often in short supply
during the dry season,
598
00:39:44,720 --> 00:39:47,760
which explains why this herd
599
00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:51,400
is exploring every corner
of the waterhole.
600
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:55,040
Right now we've got a very expensive
camera very, very close...
601
00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:56,800
SHE CHUCKLES
602
00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,120
I know. ..to an elephant's feet.
Great. Yeah.
603
00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:02,160
Oh. Oh! It's...it's destroyed
the camera!
604
00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:03,800
SHE LAUGHS
There goes the camera.
605
00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,240
And immediately, we can switch
to another one.
606
00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:10,400
Look at that.
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
607
00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:12,000
Oh, they're having fun, aren't they?
608
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:13,560
Oh, the calves are having
a great time.
609
00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:15,360
CALF HOOTS
610
00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,440
There's a serious side to
all this play.
611
00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:22,840
This calf needs to get to grips
with trunk control.
612
00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:31,120
There are 40,000 muscles in an
elephant trunk and it can take
613
00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,120
calves over a year to master.
614
00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:37,920
It's a vital skill, especially
during the dry season
615
00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:40,360
when water and mud are scarce.
616
00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:48,120
It's interesting that they've
come out of the mud...
617
00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:55,800
..and now they're actively covering
themselves in dust.
618
00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:58,320
It's from one extreme to another,
isn't it?
619
00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:00,480
So this dust bathing, have you ever
seen this before?
620
00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:02,920
Yeah, I've seen them dust bathing...
But after. ..but not...
621
00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:07,560
No, not immediately after they've
been made mud bathing, you know.
622
00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:09,920
Potentially might be
seeing different cultures here.
623
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:12,600
We know the same species in
different parts of a country
624
00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:15,320
will exhibit different cultures,
just like we do. Yeah.
625
00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:18,120
So this might be something that's
a bit more unique. A peculiar habit
626
00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:19,600
to this little group.
627
00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:22,000
They get sticky and then
they get dry.
628
00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:27,800
They've started to move off,
haven't they?
629
00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:29,440
Can we see camera six?
630
00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:31,320
The remains of camera six.
631
00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:32,960
Look at the destruction of that!
632
00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:35,680
It's still working, it's just
a but dirty. It's worth it.
633
00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:38,040
I mean, I'm not paying the bill,
but from my point of view,
634
00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:39,800
that shot was sensational.
635
00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,360
After the elephant family leave,
636
00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:49,640
the waterhole goes quiet again.
637
00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:56,920
Bob is still following the big cat
prints that are just 100 metres away
638
00:41:56,920 --> 00:42:00,600
from the waterhole, but the trail
has gone cold.
639
00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:06,320
From now on, he'll have to rely
on his tracking skills.
640
00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:10,320
The guineafowls' alarm calling
over there sounds like,
641
00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:14,440
"Gah! Geh-geh-geh-geh-geh-geh!"
642
00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,040
They give away predators
all the time.
643
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,760
Perhaps there's a lion or a leopard
right in this bush.
644
00:42:26,240 --> 00:42:30,040
That noise right there -
"Gah! Geh-geh-geh-geh-geh-geh!"
645
00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:31,480
It's an alarm call.
646
00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:34,360
GUINEAFOWL CALL OUT
647
00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:39,000
Guineafowl are a ground-dwelling
bird found across Africa.
648
00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:43,000
They're known for being highly vocal
when there are predators about.
649
00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:47,920
Might go up there and see what
they're cackling at.
650
00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:03,520
WHISPERS: There's a lion
right there.
651
00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:05,560
There's a big lion right there,
do you see it?
652
00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:07,520
At the base of the tree right there.
653
00:43:09,240 --> 00:43:11,280
Wow. We found it.
654
00:43:13,720 --> 00:43:16,960
He's just waking up from a
long day's sleep.
655
00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:21,000
LION GROWLS SOFTLY
He's huge.
656
00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:24,640
He's wearing a collar
so he's obviously being studied.
657
00:43:26,240 --> 00:43:28,240
But he's a seriously big lion.
658
00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:38,720
Tanzania is home to nearly half
of all wild lions on Earth...
659
00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:44,840
..with approximately 11,500
spread across the country.
660
00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:52,200
Males are not always part of a
pride, so this large lion
661
00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:54,000
could be travelling alone.
662
00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:58,920
It's likely that he's noticed
the increased prey activity
663
00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:01,320
at the new waterhole.
664
00:44:01,320 --> 00:44:04,360
In the dry season like this,
665
00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:07,760
wildlife gets concentrated around
water points
666
00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:10,160
and that makes it easier for lions
667
00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:12,720
because they can ambush
those water points.
668
00:44:12,720 --> 00:44:14,880
And so that gives lions
an advantage.
669
00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:18,080
It's a good chance that this guy
has shown up over here
670
00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:20,120
because there's water nearby.
671
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:21,480
Here he comes.
672
00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:38,000
Wow, that is a big lion.
673
00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:41,280
And he's headed in the direction
of the waterhole.
674
00:44:56,720 --> 00:44:59,120
Sure enough, just after midnight,
675
00:44:59,120 --> 00:45:01,720
the lion arrives at the waterhole.
676
00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:12,400
By roaring...
MUFFLED LION ROAR
677
00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:14,760
..this male is claiming
his territory.
678
00:45:20,160 --> 00:45:23,720
The surrounding trees provide
the perfect hiding place
679
00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:25,560
for this ambush predator.
680
00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:34,160
To find out more about this lion,
681
00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:37,120
we're enlisting the help of
Nuhu Mhapa,
682
00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:39,200
one of Mwiba's top guides,
683
00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:42,800
who's familiar with all of the
big cats in the area.
684
00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:46,240
I think I know this guy.
685
00:45:46,240 --> 00:45:48,160
He's...he's called Kalumass,
686
00:45:48,160 --> 00:45:50,120
and he hasn't been here
for quite long.
687
00:45:50,120 --> 00:45:54,240
It's just amazing that he has just
come back.
688
00:45:54,240 --> 00:45:56,680
How do you recognise him?
Just from the size.
689
00:45:56,680 --> 00:45:58,160
This is definitely Kalumass.
690
00:46:00,720 --> 00:46:07,520
At over 250 kilos, Kalumass is one
of the largest lions in Tanzania.
691
00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:11,040
He's such a unique individual.
692
00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:14,600
Scientists from the
Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute
693
00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:18,560
have been tracking his movements
for the past two years.
694
00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:21,000
What do you know about him?
695
00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:23,600
Do you know how old he is and where
he's come from, where he's been?
696
00:46:23,600 --> 00:46:25,680
He was together with a pride of
697
00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:29,320
four females, together with babies,
with the cubs.
698
00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:30,880
That was in 2017, right.
699
00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:34,640
From there he disappeared and left
the rest of the pride in the area.
700
00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:37,200
He left the females and the cubs?
Yeah, and the cubs.
701
00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:39,240
There was no other male involved?
No, no, no, no.
702
00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:41,120
So he kind of abandoned them.
Yep, yep.
703
00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:42,960
That's quite odd, isn't it?
That's what he did.
704
00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:46,200
So he left them behind and
he disappeared.
705
00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:49,680
And then we got a call from our
friends in Ngorongoro
706
00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:52,320
and they said, "Hey, you know what?
Kalumass is here."
707
00:46:52,320 --> 00:46:54,720
He's gone all the way to Ngorongoro?
All the way to Ngorongoro.
708
00:46:56,840 --> 00:47:00,640
For the past year, Kalumass's
tracking data shows
709
00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:03,240
he's been in the Ngorongoro Crater
area,
710
00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:06,480
a neighbouring reserve teeming
with wildlife.
711
00:47:07,720 --> 00:47:10,240
But now, this unusual male lion
712
00:47:10,240 --> 00:47:12,600
has chosen to make a huge migration
713
00:47:12,600 --> 00:47:16,040
to Mwiba, walking over 80km.
714
00:47:22,120 --> 00:47:26,400
We think he's about nine years
old... Well, that's prime.
715
00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:31,840
But, again, it's very impressive
to see such a lion that age
716
00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:34,160
and he's still being highly nomadic
like this.
717
00:47:34,160 --> 00:47:37,000
Which is, I mean,
is quite extraordinary.
718
00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:39,800
At some point, this lion's going to
have to settle down! Well...
719
00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:42,040
THEY LAUGH
720
00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:44,040
He's getting on a bit.
721
00:47:44,040 --> 00:47:47,080
Look, who's he got
to contend with here?
722
00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:51,400
OK. We've got these two males
that just came in about
723
00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:53,840
four months ago and they have
724
00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:56,320
already met with the resident female
here.
725
00:47:56,320 --> 00:47:59,440
Well, he's an impressive animal,
so they're going to have a
726
00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:02,160
comeuppance when they meet him,
aren't they? Absolutely.
727
00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:06,200
It takes courage for whoever
will see him to hold their ground.
728
00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:10,280
Wow. It's going to be interesting
to see what happens. Absolutely.
729
00:48:10,280 --> 00:48:11,800
What does Kalumass mean?
730
00:48:11,800 --> 00:48:14,160
Kalumass means "sneaky". Sneaky boy.
731
00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:16,200
Sneaky boy? Yeah, sneaky boy.
732
00:48:16,200 --> 00:48:19,000
CHRIS LAUGHS
It's a fitting name - sneaky boy.
733
00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:20,840
Yeah, he is a sneaky boy.
734
00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:32,200
So, Kalumass has entered the
territory of the Mwiba pride.
735
00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:33,640
What do we know about them?
736
00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:35,680
Well, we know there are a couple
of males and a female,
737
00:48:35,680 --> 00:48:38,520
and that she might have given birth
in the last month.
738
00:48:38,520 --> 00:48:41,400
No-one's seen any of those cubs yet.
739
00:48:41,400 --> 00:48:44,840
But if that is the case,
they're likely to be more protective
740
00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:47,880
than ever of those cubs
and this area.
741
00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:51,320
Now, the den is not too far away
from the waterhole,
742
00:48:51,320 --> 00:48:54,040
so Bob has gone up there to see
if Kalumass
743
00:48:54,040 --> 00:48:56,200
made it to the den last night.
744
00:48:58,920 --> 00:49:03,920
The Mwiba pride den is just over
3km from the waterhole,
745
00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:08,480
a distance Kalumass the lion
could have covered in half an hour.
746
00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:15,280
On the way to the den,
Bob spots lions in the bushes.
747
00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:18,920
There they are,
748
00:49:18,920 --> 00:49:20,560
two male lions.
749
00:49:21,560 --> 00:49:22,800
Wow.
750
00:49:26,840 --> 00:49:30,480
I've probably just had a run-in
with Kalumass.
751
00:49:30,480 --> 00:49:34,200
I think I see a little bit of a scar
on one of their eyes,
752
00:49:34,200 --> 00:49:39,840
which makes sense because they would
really be defending their cubs.
753
00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:41,720
Kalumass would kill them instantly.
754
00:49:41,720 --> 00:49:45,120
There's a female. One of these two
is probably the dad.
755
00:49:47,840 --> 00:49:52,360
Kalumass is a great big male and
he's formidable, even on his own.
756
00:49:52,360 --> 00:49:54,480
But these two guys certainly
would overpower him,
757
00:49:54,480 --> 00:49:56,880
but it could have been quite
a fight and they look
758
00:49:56,880 --> 00:49:59,160
like they've had a rough night.
759
00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:08,120
Kalumass may have been chased away,
760
00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:11,760
but I'm discovering that his
presence seems to have altered
761
00:50:11,760 --> 00:50:14,400
the routine of the waterhole
community
762
00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:17,480
that has built up over
the past 13 days.
763
00:50:19,480 --> 00:50:22,520
Everything changed when the lion
turned up.
764
00:50:22,520 --> 00:50:25,240
You can see a shift in that
schedule.
765
00:50:25,240 --> 00:50:29,240
So we're noticing that some species
are coming together.
766
00:50:29,240 --> 00:50:34,720
So, for example, we're seeing the
giraffe, the impala and the zebra
767
00:50:34,720 --> 00:50:36,280
turning up together.
768
00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:38,960
Now, that's partly protection
in numbers, but there's something
769
00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:42,640
really fascinating going on here,
and it's that they're relying on
770
00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:47,320
each other's strengths to identify
the predators in the area.
771
00:50:47,320 --> 00:50:51,520
Now, all of those three species rely
upon their eyesight, but of course,
772
00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:54,800
the giraffes can see the landscape
much better.
773
00:50:56,240 --> 00:51:00,840
And so those other two species are
relying on those giraffes to ID
774
00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:03,200
the predators, and that's
why they're turning up
775
00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:05,400
to the waterhole together.
776
00:51:08,640 --> 00:51:10,520
Giraffe vision is so acute,
777
00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:13,960
they can see movement from 2km away.
778
00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:19,400
They are a life-saving early warning
system for other animals.
779
00:51:23,920 --> 00:51:26,480
The waterhole is getting busy
again...
780
00:51:28,120 --> 00:51:30,880
..and we're seeing more new
bird species...
781
00:51:30,880 --> 00:51:32,400
BIRD COOS
782
00:51:33,800 --> 00:51:38,560
..including Fischer's lovebirds,
that are only found in Tanzania.
783
00:51:40,440 --> 00:51:44,480
Marabou storks, which are the
largest stork species,
784
00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:47,400
reaching up to 1.5 metres tall.
785
00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:52,080
Colourful lilac-breasted rollers.
786
00:51:52,080 --> 00:51:55,960
They symbolise peace in many
African tribes.
787
00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:01,880
And our first bird of prey -
788
00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:03,960
an augur buzzard.
789
00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:07,320
They often scope out waterholes
790
00:52:07,320 --> 00:52:11,200
and predate on rodents and small
birds that come to drink.
791
00:52:12,840 --> 00:52:17,280
Adding the augur buzzard brings
the species list to 61.
792
00:52:20,520 --> 00:52:25,000
On average, we've had four new
species a day come for a
793
00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:27,320
life-saving drink in the dry season.
794
00:52:28,560 --> 00:52:31,720
And despite predators being
a constant threat,
795
00:52:31,720 --> 00:52:35,120
there hasn't been any sign of
hunting at the waterhole.
796
00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:42,240
But just 3km away,
Bob makes an ominous discovery.
797
00:52:45,640 --> 00:52:49,880
I've just found this male kudu
carcass in the drainage right here.
798
00:52:51,400 --> 00:52:54,600
This riverbed runs around
the waterhole.
799
00:52:55,880 --> 00:53:00,080
It looks like predators are
picking off prey as they travel
800
00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:01,360
to and from it.
801
00:53:04,240 --> 00:53:07,000
So interesting, because it's just
been killed.
802
00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:09,760
You can see the stomach
has been opened.
803
00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:13,960
Whatever killed this kudu
804
00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:16,800
is probably going to come back
to eat it,
805
00:53:16,800 --> 00:53:19,760
so Bob is going to stake out
the carcass.
806
00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:29,640
After four hours of waiting,
807
00:53:29,640 --> 00:53:32,720
Bob spots something moving in
the bushes.
808
00:53:34,560 --> 00:53:36,880
My goodness, that's incredible.
809
00:53:38,800 --> 00:53:40,800
Wow, what a powerful animal.
810
00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:47,360
It's the Mwiba pride lioness
that's made the kill.
811
00:53:49,240 --> 00:53:51,720
The males are nowhere to be seen,
812
00:53:51,720 --> 00:53:54,200
but this meal isn't all for her.
813
00:53:55,800 --> 00:53:57,240
Whoa! Look at that, look at that
814
00:53:57,240 --> 00:53:59,040
right over there on left side of
the screen.
815
00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:01,720
Cubs coming down the bank.
816
00:54:01,720 --> 00:54:03,120
Whoa.
817
00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:07,360
That's incredible. Look at that.
818
00:54:09,080 --> 00:54:11,640
I haven't seen any other lionesses.
819
00:54:11,640 --> 00:54:14,400
So it means she's all alone,
at least as far as I can tell.
820
00:54:16,720 --> 00:54:19,280
Lion prides vary in size,
821
00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:22,960
but usually have up to a
dozen females.
822
00:54:22,960 --> 00:54:26,280
A lone mother like this is highly
unusual,
823
00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:31,160
especially with two cubs that are
just six weeks old.
824
00:54:31,160 --> 00:54:33,600
That's a really tough thing
for a lioness to be all alone
825
00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:35,440
like that with two cubs.
826
00:54:35,440 --> 00:54:38,040
Very difficult for her
moving forward.
827
00:54:39,680 --> 00:54:43,440
Only about 50% of the cubs make it
when their mother's alone like this.
828
00:54:48,200 --> 00:54:52,200
The waterhole could become
a very important focal point
829
00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:57,040
for this lone mother, as it provides
a reliable and potentially
830
00:54:57,040 --> 00:55:00,120
easy source of food and water.
831
00:55:10,960 --> 00:55:14,400
It's been 14 days since the
waterhole was built.
832
00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:19,080
The species list is now up to 70.
833
00:55:19,080 --> 00:55:21,480
There are still new animals coming,
834
00:55:21,480 --> 00:55:24,200
but you have to look harder
to find them.
835
00:55:26,280 --> 00:55:30,680
I've spotted a direct physical
relationship between our HQ here
836
00:55:30,680 --> 00:55:33,680
and the waterhole all the way
down there, 200 metres away,
837
00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:36,080
and it's in the form of mud.
838
00:55:36,080 --> 00:55:38,680
Look up here in the apex
of the tent.
839
00:55:40,640 --> 00:55:43,920
This is the nest of a
parasitic wasp,
840
00:55:43,920 --> 00:55:47,320
and it's made this little
muddy chamber.
841
00:55:47,320 --> 00:55:49,960
This is it. She's come in.
Look at this.
842
00:55:49,960 --> 00:55:52,560
Look at that! Now, what an insect.
843
00:55:53,800 --> 00:55:56,040
Now, typically, they like to hunt
caterpillars.
844
00:55:56,040 --> 00:55:58,280
She'll sting it and paralyse it -
845
00:55:58,280 --> 00:56:00,120
critically, not kill it -
846
00:56:00,120 --> 00:56:03,840
and entomb it in that mud nest
whilst it's still alive.
847
00:56:03,840 --> 00:56:07,040
Then she'll lay an egg on it,
then she'll go and catch another.
848
00:56:07,040 --> 00:56:10,840
And when the nest is filled,
she'll plug that little hole
849
00:56:10,840 --> 00:56:12,720
and those eggs will hatch.
850
00:56:12,720 --> 00:56:16,880
And they'll eat the non-essential
organs first, thus keeping
851
00:56:16,880 --> 00:56:19,840
them alive - fresh meat, you see -
852
00:56:19,840 --> 00:56:23,240
and then they'll pupate
and hatch out.
853
00:56:23,240 --> 00:56:27,840
I've got to tell you, these are
insect super predators.
854
00:56:27,840 --> 00:56:32,720
And the thing is, she's only able
to do this because of our waterhole,
855
00:56:32,720 --> 00:56:35,440
because you can't make a nest
like that without water,
856
00:56:35,440 --> 00:56:38,360
cos you need top-quality mud.
857
00:56:38,360 --> 00:56:41,960
So we provided a resource
for elephants, buffalo,
858
00:56:41,960 --> 00:56:46,440
all of those birds and also some
really smart insects as well.
859
00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:58,160
The parasitic wasp takes
the species list to new highs.
860
00:56:59,840 --> 00:57:03,480
We're currently at 71,
and the interesting thing is,
861
00:57:03,480 --> 00:57:05,840
it's a wide variety of species.
862
00:57:05,840 --> 00:57:08,480
You've got small birds,
all the way up to
863
00:57:08,480 --> 00:57:13,240
the great African elephant and
they're all here sharing this water.
864
00:57:13,240 --> 00:57:15,480
But already that's really
impressive,
865
00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:18,720
and it will be really interesting
to see how that number shifts
866
00:57:18,720 --> 00:57:20,200
as the seasons progress.
867
00:57:22,680 --> 00:57:26,120
In just two weeks,
a fully-functioning ecosystem
868
00:57:26,120 --> 00:57:28,360
has sprung up at our waterhole.
869
00:57:32,720 --> 00:57:34,080
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
870
00:57:34,080 --> 00:57:36,800
From butterflies to buffalo
871
00:57:36,800 --> 00:57:38,840
and lapwings to lions...
872
00:57:40,680 --> 00:57:44,080
..we've seen a wild community
build from nothing.
873
00:57:44,080 --> 00:57:45,520
ZEBRA SNORTS
874
00:57:45,520 --> 00:57:49,160
But their lives
are going to get tougher.
875
00:57:49,160 --> 00:57:52,640
In two months, this corner
of Tanzania enters
876
00:57:52,640 --> 00:57:54,280
the hottest time of year.
877
00:57:59,000 --> 00:58:01,960
We'll be back to follow our
waterhole animals for
878
00:58:01,960 --> 00:58:05,240
two critical weeks when the heat
is at its peak.
879
00:58:09,920 --> 00:58:14,320
Next time... Temperatures surpass
40 Celsius.
880
00:58:15,600 --> 00:58:20,080
Tensions reach boiling point when
a new predator swarms the waterhole.
881
00:58:22,440 --> 00:58:25,680
Hyenas take over and invade
our camp.
882
00:58:27,160 --> 00:58:31,240
There's a trail of footprints right
down to the opening of my tent.
883
00:58:33,920 --> 00:58:38,800
The species list expands with an
unexpected African giant.
884
00:58:38,800 --> 00:58:41,400
To think that we could have made
a home for a hippo.
885
00:58:41,400 --> 00:58:43,440
Now, come on, I'd put that on my CV!
886
00:58:45,560 --> 00:58:48,320
And for one extraordinary elephant,
887
00:58:48,320 --> 00:58:52,200
the waterhole becomes
a vital lifeline.
888
00:58:52,200 --> 00:58:55,200
That's a severed trunk. It's amazing
that he's still surviving.
889
00:59:32,400 --> 00:59:34,880
In the baking heat
of the African savanna...
890
00:59:37,240 --> 00:59:38,480
..as rivers dry up...
891
00:59:41,520 --> 00:59:43,960
..all animals flock
to the water hole.
892
00:59:46,360 --> 00:59:48,040
We've never fully understood
893
00:59:48,040 --> 00:59:52,280
how a single water source can
support so many competing species...
894
00:59:56,760 --> 00:59:59,600
..so we're doing something
ground-breaking.
895
00:59:59,600 --> 01:00:03,480
Welcome to Tanzania and to
the Mwiba Wildlife Reserve
896
01:00:03,480 --> 01:00:06,400
and to this unique
water hole behind us.
897
01:00:06,400 --> 01:00:10,680
We are working with the reserve to
create the world's first water hole
898
01:00:10,680 --> 01:00:13,160
with a built-in specialist
camera system.
899
01:00:15,440 --> 01:00:19,680
This water hole has a half-submerged
filming hide
900
01:00:19,680 --> 01:00:23,160
right in the middle, and it's rigged
with remote cameras
901
01:00:23,160 --> 01:00:27,000
so we can see every angle of animal
behaviour like never before.
902
01:00:29,400 --> 01:00:31,480
Last time, in the peak
of the dry season,
903
01:00:31,480 --> 01:00:32,800
our cameras captured
904
01:00:32,800 --> 01:00:35,880
over 70 species.
905
01:00:42,640 --> 01:00:46,560
Look at that! Extraordinary animals.
906
01:00:46,560 --> 01:00:49,560
This emerging ecosystem quickly saw
907
01:00:49,560 --> 01:00:53,240
wildlife working together
in surprising ways.
908
01:00:53,240 --> 01:00:56,240
They're relying on
each other's strengths
909
01:00:56,240 --> 01:00:58,880
to identify the predators
in the area.
910
01:01:04,160 --> 01:01:08,720
Now we're entering the hottest time
of year, when temperatures soar
911
01:01:08,720 --> 01:01:11,200
to an unbearable 40 degrees.
912
01:01:14,560 --> 01:01:17,360
Turning the water hole
into a lifeline
913
01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:20,440
for the reserve's most vulnerable...
914
01:01:20,440 --> 01:01:23,680
That's a severed trunk. It is
amazing that it's still surviving.
915
01:01:25,080 --> 01:01:28,560
..and making this precious water
source a target
916
01:01:28,560 --> 01:01:31,000
for a clan of notorious predators.
917
01:01:32,880 --> 01:01:34,640
They must be just out here.
918
01:01:34,640 --> 01:01:36,960
I can't see them.
It's completely black.
919
01:01:41,200 --> 01:01:47,120
This is the story of life
and death at the water hole.
920
01:02:03,360 --> 01:02:06,520
We built our water hole
in Mwiba Wildlife Reserve...
921
01:02:07,960 --> 01:02:12,640
..south of the Serengeti,
500km from the east coast
922
01:02:12,640 --> 01:02:14,640
of Africa in Tanzania.
923
01:02:16,280 --> 01:02:20,760
This is a safe haven for Africa's
most iconic species.
924
01:02:28,680 --> 01:02:33,240
The long, dry season is drawing
to a close, and we've returned
925
01:02:33,240 --> 01:02:36,800
for two critical weeks
at the hottest time of year...
926
01:02:37,960 --> 01:02:41,560
..when water is an even
more essential resource.
927
01:02:45,760 --> 01:02:49,200
After five months
of crippling drought,
928
01:02:49,200 --> 01:02:51,440
food is also in short supply.
929
01:02:52,640 --> 01:02:57,520
The grasses have died off
and acacia trees are almost bare.
930
01:03:03,440 --> 01:03:06,520
The water hole is more vital
than ever.
931
01:03:07,840 --> 01:03:09,640
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
932
01:03:09,640 --> 01:03:11,560
We're back at the water hole.
933
01:03:11,560 --> 01:03:15,000
We're back at base camp
at the hottest time of year.
934
01:03:15,000 --> 01:03:19,280
Yes, the big question is, what
effect will this raging temperature
935
01:03:19,280 --> 01:03:20,920
have on the wildlife here
936
01:03:20,920 --> 01:03:24,560
now that all of the other water
sources in the environment
937
01:03:24,560 --> 01:03:27,560
have dried up and only our
water hole remains?
938
01:03:34,680 --> 01:03:38,360
The water hole is now the main
source of fresh water
939
01:03:38,360 --> 01:03:41,040
for 15,000 hectares of the reserve.
940
01:03:47,280 --> 01:03:49,760
There's very little shade,
941
01:03:49,760 --> 01:03:53,440
so getting here can be exhausting
for wildlife -
942
01:03:53,440 --> 01:03:56,360
but, when water is
in such short supply,
943
01:03:56,360 --> 01:03:57,720
it's worth it.
944
01:04:04,920 --> 01:04:07,000
And on the first day of filming,
945
01:04:07,000 --> 01:04:09,440
the water hole draws in
a thirsty animal
946
01:04:09,440 --> 01:04:11,400
that we haven't seen before.
947
01:04:14,760 --> 01:04:16,080
WHOOPING
948
01:04:18,160 --> 01:04:21,880
Spotted hyena are one of the most
successful predators
949
01:04:21,880 --> 01:04:23,880
on the African savanna...
950
01:04:28,320 --> 01:04:32,960
..and an exciting
new addition to our species list.
951
01:04:32,960 --> 01:04:35,120
I love hyenas. Look at that!
Oh, look at that!
952
01:04:36,800 --> 01:04:38,680
Now, we didn't see them
at all last time.
953
01:04:38,680 --> 01:04:40,920
It's just happily drinking,
it's on its own.
954
01:04:43,480 --> 01:04:46,320
We're looking at the footage to try
and understand
955
01:04:46,320 --> 01:04:48,520
what this typically nocturnal animal
956
01:04:48,520 --> 01:04:50,240
is doing here during the day.
957
01:04:51,280 --> 01:04:54,120
It's full, right?
Yeah. It's just eaten.
958
01:04:54,120 --> 01:04:55,320
It's eaten.
959
01:04:55,320 --> 01:04:58,040
Look, it's got a great big
tubby belly full of meat, there.
960
01:05:01,200 --> 01:05:04,680
Hyenas often get thirsty
after feasting on a carcass...
961
01:05:06,960 --> 01:05:10,560
..and it looks like this individual
may have made a kill nearby
962
01:05:10,560 --> 01:05:12,200
in the past 24 hours.
963
01:05:15,240 --> 01:05:16,760
It's pretty comfortable, isn't it?
964
01:05:16,760 --> 01:05:18,840
Out in the open,
it's very confident.
965
01:05:18,840 --> 01:05:20,720
I think this is probably an animal
966
01:05:20,720 --> 01:05:23,480
that's getting to know
this water hole,
967
01:05:23,480 --> 01:05:25,200
knows the lie of the land.
968
01:05:25,200 --> 01:05:26,640
They live in clans
969
01:05:26,640 --> 01:05:28,920
and, often, you know,
pretty numerous
970
01:05:28,920 --> 01:05:32,640
in terms of, you know, the numbers
that you're going to get there -
971
01:05:32,640 --> 01:05:34,840
groups of 20, 25 not uncommon.
972
01:05:34,840 --> 01:05:37,280
Of course, they have this
reputation as scavengers,
973
01:05:37,280 --> 01:05:40,480
but they are hunters as well,
they're really skilled hunters.
974
01:05:40,480 --> 01:05:43,880
And, actually, it's more likely
that a lion will scavenge off them
975
01:05:43,880 --> 01:05:45,720
than they will scavenge off a lion.
976
01:05:45,720 --> 01:05:48,200
They have such a bad reputation
977
01:05:48,200 --> 01:05:50,600
and yet they're actually kind
of gorgeous
978
01:05:50,600 --> 01:05:53,000
and definitely really intelligent.
979
01:05:53,000 --> 01:05:56,000
Yeah, smart, incredibly complex
social system,
980
01:05:56,000 --> 01:05:58,720
governed by the females,
amazing behaviours,
981
01:05:58,720 --> 01:06:01,760
and an essential part of the
ecosystem, of course.
982
01:06:02,880 --> 01:06:05,440
It's such a privilege to see one out
during the day,
983
01:06:05,440 --> 01:06:07,440
isn't it, though,
cos it's so unusual?
984
01:06:07,440 --> 01:06:10,480
And I guess that's the advantage
of having all these cameras.
985
01:06:13,080 --> 01:06:16,600
But, for other animals, however
thirsty they might be,
986
01:06:16,600 --> 01:06:20,240
the presence of this predator
is likely to make them nervous
987
01:06:20,240 --> 01:06:22,160
about coming to the water hole.
988
01:06:23,480 --> 01:06:27,160
Only time will tell if this hyena
is here to stay.
989
01:06:32,000 --> 01:06:35,480
20 cameras are positioned
around the water hole.
990
01:06:35,480 --> 01:06:38,520
Calling up the footage offers
a unique insight
991
01:06:38,520 --> 01:06:41,160
in how the heat
is affecting the habitat.
992
01:06:41,160 --> 01:06:44,360
This is going back to the last
time that we were here.
993
01:06:44,360 --> 01:06:46,560
And if we cast forward...
It's already quite dry.
994
01:06:46,560 --> 01:06:48,520
Wow. OK, that got drier!
995
01:06:48,520 --> 01:06:52,520
So there's lots of dry vegetation
there, but the vegetation is there.
996
01:06:52,520 --> 01:06:53,960
If you cut to the next one.
997
01:06:53,960 --> 01:06:56,640
Right. It's really barren.
998
01:06:56,640 --> 01:06:59,640
It's so much drier. It's like
desertification, basically.
999
01:06:59,640 --> 01:07:03,720
It is. The grass, the ground floor,
has dried out.
1000
01:07:03,720 --> 01:07:05,040
It's been eaten.
1001
01:07:06,760 --> 01:07:09,320
In terms of what's
available for herbivores to graze
1002
01:07:09,320 --> 01:07:10,600
around the water hole,
1003
01:07:10,600 --> 01:07:12,640
there's absolutely nothing.
1004
01:07:14,240 --> 01:07:15,720
All that is left to eat
1005
01:07:15,720 --> 01:07:19,160
are a few remaining leaves
too high to reach...
1006
01:07:21,280 --> 01:07:23,360
..and roots from dead grass.
1007
01:07:24,800 --> 01:07:27,480
Animals have to travel further
or dig deeper
1008
01:07:27,480 --> 01:07:29,520
to find anything nutritious.
1009
01:07:31,360 --> 01:07:34,400
The shape of the water hole's
changing a bit, as well,
1010
01:07:34,400 --> 01:07:36,720
whilst all the animals
have been coming.
1011
01:07:36,720 --> 01:07:39,160
A little bit on the top corner,
there, where it's shallower.
1012
01:07:39,160 --> 01:07:42,760
Presumably, they're just wallowing,
taking some of the material away.
1013
01:07:43,880 --> 01:07:45,720
At this time of year,
1014
01:07:45,720 --> 01:07:48,440
wallowing is one of the main ways
1015
01:07:48,440 --> 01:07:50,240
animals cool down.
1016
01:07:57,160 --> 01:08:02,440
They are hungry and tired,
desperately seeking shelter.
1017
01:08:07,080 --> 01:08:11,560
And it's this that allows
predators to thrive.
1018
01:08:18,840 --> 01:08:22,560
So, it's not surprising that,
on our first night,
1019
01:08:22,560 --> 01:08:26,800
we add new carnivores to our
species list,
1020
01:08:26,800 --> 01:08:29,000
including servals.
1021
01:08:29,000 --> 01:08:31,680
They are small savanna cats,
1022
01:08:31,680 --> 01:08:35,720
but are one of the most successful
hunters in the cat family.
1023
01:08:36,800 --> 01:08:42,240
They can leap up to three metres in
the air to catch birds mid-flight,
1024
01:08:42,240 --> 01:08:45,640
and they're known to hunt
up to 16 times a day.
1025
01:08:47,160 --> 01:08:50,920
The elusive African wildcat rarely
drinks water,
1026
01:08:50,920 --> 01:08:54,440
but uses its acute hearing
to precisely locate prey
1027
01:08:54,440 --> 01:08:56,040
around water points.
1028
01:08:58,240 --> 01:09:02,480
Spotted genets have retractable
claws to hunt in the trees
1029
01:09:02,480 --> 01:09:03,560
and down on the ground.
1030
01:09:08,440 --> 01:09:12,720
Now the water hole has become
a regular feature in the landscape,
1031
01:09:12,720 --> 01:09:17,360
smaller predators have plenty
of hunting opportunities
1032
01:09:17,360 --> 01:09:21,040
as small prey like rats
and hares come for a drink.
1033
01:09:24,440 --> 01:09:28,720
A few hours later, we get further
proof that the water hole
1034
01:09:28,720 --> 01:09:32,640
is a magnet for animals
from far and wide.
1035
01:09:32,640 --> 01:09:38,960
Look - hippo! Hippo are one of the
most powerful animals in Africa,
1036
01:09:38,960 --> 01:09:43,320
with canine teeth that can measure
up to half a metre in length.
1037
01:09:43,320 --> 01:09:48,280
This was something I really wanted
to see in our water hole,
1038
01:09:48,280 --> 01:09:50,880
and it was always on the cards.
1039
01:09:50,880 --> 01:09:52,520
You would think that,
in the foreground,
1040
01:09:52,520 --> 01:09:54,320
that's a source of
great temptation...
1041
01:09:54,320 --> 01:09:56,960
Oh, look at that!
..for a lonely wandering hippo.
1042
01:09:56,960 --> 01:10:00,240
They do move quite large distances
away from water,
1043
01:10:00,240 --> 01:10:02,480
looking for new water, of course.
1044
01:10:02,480 --> 01:10:05,520
But this hippo isn't searching
for water.
1045
01:10:05,520 --> 01:10:07,960
He's looking to graze.
1046
01:10:07,960 --> 01:10:10,400
Hippos walk almost 10km at night,
1047
01:10:10,400 --> 01:10:12,880
eating up to 40 kilos of grass.
1048
01:10:14,080 --> 01:10:17,920
Oh! To think that we could have made
a home for a hippo.
1049
01:10:17,920 --> 01:10:20,120
Now, come on! I'd put that on my CV.
1050
01:10:33,960 --> 01:10:37,360
With so much of the shrubbery
dried out, life is tough
1051
01:10:37,360 --> 01:10:38,840
for many of the animals here...
1052
01:10:43,880 --> 01:10:46,240
..but insects thrive
1053
01:10:46,240 --> 01:10:49,320
in this stifling heat, with the
humidity helping them breed.
1054
01:10:52,040 --> 01:10:55,280
This means lots of new insects
are spotted buzzing
1055
01:10:55,280 --> 01:10:56,400
around the water hole.
1056
01:11:03,400 --> 01:11:07,800
And insects aren't the only
new visitors. Migratory birds,
1057
01:11:07,800 --> 01:11:10,720
that have often travelled
great distances,
1058
01:11:10,720 --> 01:11:13,160
are also dropping in, including...
1059
01:11:14,360 --> 01:11:17,840
..the steppe eagle, which breeds
in Central Asia
1060
01:11:17,840 --> 01:11:21,880
before travelling
up to 10,000km to Africa.
1061
01:11:25,160 --> 01:11:27,200
HONKING
1062
01:11:27,200 --> 01:11:30,440
And Egyptian geese,
that pair up for life.
1063
01:11:30,440 --> 01:11:33,680
Once one dies, the other mourns
in seclusion
1064
01:11:33,680 --> 01:11:37,560
and often refuses
to mate ever again.
1065
01:11:37,560 --> 01:11:42,840
HONKING
1066
01:11:42,840 --> 01:11:45,840
A lot of the birds
flocking to the water hole now
1067
01:11:45,840 --> 01:11:48,720
are not coming to drink or bathe.
1068
01:11:48,720 --> 01:11:51,120
They're searching for food.
1069
01:11:54,240 --> 01:11:57,720
This is yellow-billed stork.
You can see how it got its name.
1070
01:12:02,000 --> 01:12:05,880
I've got a soft spot
for yellow-billed stork.
1071
01:12:05,880 --> 01:12:10,320
Now, when it comes to what they eat,
they are pretty much opportunists.
1072
01:12:10,320 --> 01:12:12,320
These animals will eat a frog
if they find it,
1073
01:12:12,320 --> 01:12:13,920
they'll eat a small snake
and a lizard
1074
01:12:13,920 --> 01:12:17,120
if they find it, they'll eat
fish if they can find them.
1075
01:12:17,120 --> 01:12:19,160
And that's what they're
looking for here.
1076
01:12:21,000 --> 01:12:23,920
What they're doing is they're
putting their beak into the water
1077
01:12:23,920 --> 01:12:28,320
and they're holding it slightly open
so that, if anything swims in,
1078
01:12:28,320 --> 01:12:32,520
they can snap it tightly closed
pretty quickly and capture the fish.
1079
01:12:32,520 --> 01:12:34,400
Super views! Look at that. Amazing.
1080
01:12:36,080 --> 01:12:37,880
I just feel a little bit sorry
for them,
1081
01:12:37,880 --> 01:12:40,480
because we've only just made
the water hole
1082
01:12:40,480 --> 01:12:43,600
and, at this point, there aren't
going to be any fish in it.
1083
01:12:46,000 --> 01:12:49,880
When the rainy season arrives
and the landscape floods,
1084
01:12:49,880 --> 01:12:54,800
new waterways will open up for fish
to find their way to our water hole.
1085
01:12:54,800 --> 01:12:59,200
But this won't happen for at least
another few weeks -
1086
01:12:59,200 --> 01:13:02,640
though no-one has told
the storks that.
1087
01:13:02,640 --> 01:13:04,080
It's sad, really, isn't it?
1088
01:13:09,040 --> 01:13:12,400
It is said that sometimes
the eggs of fish
1089
01:13:12,400 --> 01:13:15,640
are carried on the feet
of water birds -
1090
01:13:15,640 --> 01:13:18,240
ducks and things like storks.
1091
01:13:18,240 --> 01:13:19,320
You never know.
1092
01:13:19,320 --> 01:13:23,480
These animals may have brought
the very fish that they might eat
1093
01:13:23,480 --> 01:13:26,600
at some stage in the future
on those, their feet.
1094
01:13:32,840 --> 01:13:36,840
Birds are now the most frequent
water hole visitors during the day.
1095
01:13:39,440 --> 01:13:43,480
It's a far cry from the middle
of the dry season two months ago
1096
01:13:43,480 --> 01:13:47,760
when daytimes were busy
with many more species.
1097
01:13:47,760 --> 01:13:52,000
I have been studying the data to see
how much things have changed.
1098
01:13:52,000 --> 01:13:54,160
So this here is a plot of all
the animals' -
1099
01:13:54,160 --> 01:13:56,760
and not just some animals,
but all the animals' -
1100
01:13:56,760 --> 01:13:58,720
arrival times at the water hole.
1101
01:13:58,720 --> 01:14:02,240
Now, we're comparing our data
from the dry season
1102
01:14:02,240 --> 01:14:04,680
and now the hottest time of year.
1103
01:14:04,680 --> 01:14:08,880
So, when we were here last time,
you were looking at two peaks -
1104
01:14:08,880 --> 01:14:11,760
the animals were mostly
coming during the day
1105
01:14:11,760 --> 01:14:13,760
and then again at night.
1106
01:14:13,760 --> 01:14:16,560
But now you're seeing
a complete shift.
1107
01:14:19,080 --> 01:14:21,440
Buffalo that would arrive at dusk
1108
01:14:21,440 --> 01:14:23,920
are now waiting until darkness
at 8pm
1109
01:14:23,920 --> 01:14:25,960
before coming for a drink.
1110
01:14:28,760 --> 01:14:33,040
Elephants who regularly visited
during the heat of the afternoon
1111
01:14:33,040 --> 01:14:35,880
are now mostly arriving around 9pm.
1112
01:14:38,760 --> 01:14:42,360
Zebra, which used to come
around 11am every day,
1113
01:14:42,360 --> 01:14:45,160
are now turning up more frequently
1114
01:14:45,160 --> 01:14:47,640
between the hours of 2 and 4am.
1115
01:14:49,280 --> 01:14:52,920
What you're seeing is the animals
are preferring the night,
1116
01:14:52,920 --> 01:14:56,160
and, so, suddenly night has become
the new rush hour.
1117
01:15:12,920 --> 01:15:15,960
But night can be a dangerous
time to drink.
1118
01:15:20,960 --> 01:15:25,440
Mwiba is home to some of Africa's
top nocturnal hunters,
1119
01:15:25,440 --> 01:15:27,680
like leopard, lion,
1120
01:15:27,680 --> 01:15:30,880
hyena and wild dog.
1121
01:15:33,400 --> 01:15:37,640
On the fifth night, the highest
number of predators yet
1122
01:15:37,640 --> 01:15:39,760
comes to the water hole.
1123
01:15:45,400 --> 01:15:49,600
HYENAS CALL AND BARK
1124
01:15:53,280 --> 01:15:57,560
The spotted hyena returns,
and it's not alone.
1125
01:15:57,560 --> 01:16:01,200
OK, there's a clan moving in.
Look at that - seven.
1126
01:16:03,440 --> 01:16:06,480
Six. Now there's seven
at the moment.
1127
01:16:06,480 --> 01:16:08,720
There's eight there now.
1128
01:16:08,720 --> 01:16:11,760
I wonder if it's because
they've basically just built up
1129
01:16:11,760 --> 01:16:13,440
the confidence to come in here
1130
01:16:13,440 --> 01:16:15,880
or whether they have moved
into the area.
1131
01:16:15,880 --> 01:16:18,600
That's unlikely cos
they have quite stable ranges
1132
01:16:18,600 --> 01:16:19,600
and denning sites.
1133
01:16:21,680 --> 01:16:23,800
They do go wild sometimes. They do.
1134
01:16:23,800 --> 01:16:27,520
And they've got a remarkable
vocabulary - all sorts of whoops
1135
01:16:27,520 --> 01:16:30,040
and whistles and barks and howls.
1136
01:16:30,040 --> 01:16:33,720
Spotted hyenas are known
as laughing hyenas
1137
01:16:33,720 --> 01:16:38,560
because they have a distinctive call
that sounds like human laughter.
1138
01:16:40,000 --> 01:16:46,080
They can make more than ten vocal
sounds, but these can be modulated
1139
01:16:46,080 --> 01:16:49,160
to create even more meanings -
1140
01:16:49,160 --> 01:16:52,760
and they can hear each other's calls
from up to 5km away.
1141
01:16:55,400 --> 01:16:58,080
But, clearly, if they're moving
through the bush at night
1142
01:16:58,080 --> 01:16:59,680
and they're moving through
thick bush,
1143
01:16:59,680 --> 01:17:01,840
it doesn't matter
how good their nocturnal vision is.
1144
01:17:01,840 --> 01:17:03,640
They're relying on their sense
of smell
1145
01:17:03,640 --> 01:17:05,280
and, to communicate
with one another,
1146
01:17:05,280 --> 01:17:08,240
those calls that we hear
so frequently.
1147
01:17:08,240 --> 01:17:09,200
THEY CALL
1148
01:17:10,680 --> 01:17:13,640
They're not considered favourably,
are they, really? No, they're not.
1149
01:17:13,640 --> 01:17:16,760
They're looked down upon by many
African cultures and, certainly,
1150
01:17:16,760 --> 01:17:18,400
you know, Western cultures as well.
1151
01:17:18,400 --> 01:17:22,040
I think, because of their scavenging
nature, their nocturnal habits,
1152
01:17:22,040 --> 01:17:24,760
we're always fearful of things
that come out at night -
1153
01:17:24,760 --> 01:17:27,280
they're difficult
for us to see and understand.
1154
01:17:27,280 --> 01:17:29,760
Hyenas are highly territorial.
1155
01:17:29,760 --> 01:17:33,080
Now that they've discovered
the water hole,
1156
01:17:33,080 --> 01:17:35,960
their mere presence
is a threat to other animals
1157
01:17:35,960 --> 01:17:38,280
relying on this crucial resource.
1158
01:17:38,280 --> 01:17:43,800
THEY CALL
1159
01:17:53,040 --> 01:17:55,960
To help understand
the hyena's impact
1160
01:17:55,960 --> 01:17:58,800
on our emerging water hole
ecosystem,
1161
01:17:58,800 --> 01:18:01,680
I talk to Dr Meredith Palmer.
1162
01:18:01,680 --> 01:18:04,960
She's been studying Africa's
carnivores for more than a decade.
1163
01:18:07,760 --> 01:18:09,800
Meredith, we've got a number
of hyenas here.
1164
01:18:09,800 --> 01:18:11,600
The most we've seen at the water
hole is eight -
1165
01:18:11,600 --> 01:18:13,520
and, at the moment, it's dry.
1166
01:18:13,520 --> 01:18:16,480
Lots of herbivores are coming
to drink and then hanging around.
1167
01:18:16,480 --> 01:18:19,840
That must be ideal, therefore,
for the hyenas. Yeah.
1168
01:18:19,840 --> 01:18:22,200
So, having prey in high abundance
in a landscape
1169
01:18:22,200 --> 01:18:23,480
tends to favour hyenas.
1170
01:18:25,040 --> 01:18:27,080
Hyenas are apex predators
in this system,
1171
01:18:27,080 --> 01:18:29,640
exerting a lot of top down control
on what's going on.
1172
01:18:31,760 --> 01:18:36,360
Spotted hyena are the most abundant
large carnivore in Africa,
1173
01:18:36,360 --> 01:18:39,800
with an estimated population
of 47,000.
1174
01:18:41,400 --> 01:18:42,720
A lot of their success
1175
01:18:42,720 --> 01:18:46,360
comes from their complex
and highly adaptable social groups.
1176
01:18:48,480 --> 01:18:53,040
Clans consist of many non-related,
low-ranking individuals
1177
01:18:53,040 --> 01:18:55,040
led by an alpha female.
1178
01:18:56,880 --> 01:18:58,760
Working under her leadership,
1179
01:18:58,760 --> 01:19:01,560
they seek out areas
where prey congregate...
1180
01:19:04,400 --> 01:19:06,640
..like our water hole.
1181
01:19:07,720 --> 01:19:09,800
They know these animals
are going to be here.
1182
01:19:09,800 --> 01:19:11,240
The water hole is very good
1183
01:19:11,240 --> 01:19:13,320
because having a
high abundance of prey
1184
01:19:13,320 --> 01:19:16,040
allows their clans to grow
to very, very large sizes -
1185
01:19:16,040 --> 01:19:18,160
and if your clan is 40 or 50
individuals,
1186
01:19:18,160 --> 01:19:20,680
it's always going to win against
another species.
1187
01:19:23,520 --> 01:19:26,160
Dr Palmer's research suggests
1188
01:19:26,160 --> 01:19:30,800
that it's likely there could be even
more hyenas nearby
1189
01:19:30,800 --> 01:19:33,480
and, once hyenas are established,
1190
01:19:33,480 --> 01:19:36,960
the water hole becomes
a dangerous place to be.
1191
01:19:41,240 --> 01:19:45,280
Which could be why, following the
hyena clan visit,
1192
01:19:45,280 --> 01:19:48,000
days and nights are a lot quieter.
1193
01:19:56,480 --> 01:19:59,560
To find out where all these hyenas
are coming from,
1194
01:19:59,560 --> 01:20:02,280
cameraman Bob Poole's
been searching the area.
1195
01:20:05,360 --> 01:20:08,720
He spotted a hyena den
with three young cubs
1196
01:20:08,720 --> 01:20:11,040
just 2km from our water hole.
1197
01:20:14,880 --> 01:20:15,920
There, right there.
1198
01:20:15,920 --> 01:20:17,800
There they are.
There they are, look.
1199
01:20:21,120 --> 01:20:26,080
One, two, three.
1200
01:20:26,080 --> 01:20:29,680
And that's about the maximum
litter size
1201
01:20:29,680 --> 01:20:31,760
for one female, isn't it? Yeah.
1202
01:20:31,760 --> 01:20:34,160
25% don't get through
the first month,
1203
01:20:34,160 --> 01:20:37,200
and they're born with incisors
and really sharp teeth
1204
01:20:37,200 --> 01:20:38,400
and their eyes open -
1205
01:20:38,400 --> 01:20:41,960
and as soon as they're born,
they're fighting one another.
1206
01:20:41,960 --> 01:20:45,000
I guess that's one way to ensure
that the strongest survive.
1207
01:20:45,000 --> 01:20:46,240
But it's pretty brutal.
1208
01:20:46,240 --> 01:20:49,240
But by the time they get to
this stage, it's all sorted -
1209
01:20:49,240 --> 01:20:52,080
they already know who's top hyena.
1210
01:20:52,080 --> 01:20:56,360
Bob and I take a remote camera
to see if we can get a closer look
1211
01:20:56,360 --> 01:20:59,360
at these cubs without
disturbing them.
1212
01:20:59,360 --> 01:21:02,520
It's the same as those that we're
using at the water hole.
1213
01:21:02,520 --> 01:21:04,720
We can remote control it
from the vehicle here.
1214
01:21:04,720 --> 01:21:06,920
We can pan and tilt and focus
and expose,
1215
01:21:06,920 --> 01:21:09,160
and we'll get a view of it here.
1216
01:21:09,160 --> 01:21:11,360
Bob here is a bit underexposed
at the moment.
1217
01:21:11,360 --> 01:21:13,200
But the purpose of this, of course,
1218
01:21:13,200 --> 01:21:15,880
is to allow us to learn a little bit
more about these young hyenas
1219
01:21:15,880 --> 01:21:17,680
close to their den.
1220
01:21:17,680 --> 01:21:18,920
Yeah, the cubs are still there.
1221
01:21:18,920 --> 01:21:20,280
They haven't minded us...
1222
01:21:21,520 --> 01:21:22,760
..being this close.
1223
01:21:27,400 --> 01:21:32,520
You can see here how curious
these cubs are.
1224
01:21:32,520 --> 01:21:35,800
We're only about, I don't know,
six, seven metres away
1225
01:21:35,800 --> 01:21:37,760
from the entrance to the den.
1226
01:21:37,760 --> 01:21:42,480
It's in their nature -
they're opportunistic animals.
1227
01:21:42,480 --> 01:21:45,000
So they're always on the lookout
for new things.
1228
01:21:46,880 --> 01:21:49,160
ENGINE STARTS
1229
01:21:52,680 --> 01:21:56,440
We deploy our camera
and move back about 30 metres.
1230
01:22:01,520 --> 01:22:04,200
These are likely to be all of them.
1231
01:22:04,200 --> 01:22:08,600
I think the same litter.
They're mobile pretty quickly,
1232
01:22:08,600 --> 01:22:12,240
and then they need to get
on their feet and get moving.
1233
01:22:12,240 --> 01:22:15,560
So the female hyena
has the most fat in her milk
1234
01:22:15,560 --> 01:22:18,200
for any terrestrial mammal.
1235
01:22:18,200 --> 01:22:21,400
By eight months, they're showing
hunting behaviour,
1236
01:22:21,400 --> 01:22:24,200
and, within a year, they're out
hunting with the adults.
1237
01:22:27,360 --> 01:22:32,000
The arrival of an adult female
lets us spot something remarkable.
1238
01:22:35,440 --> 01:22:36,800
There it is - there, look.
1239
01:22:36,800 --> 01:22:39,320
A newborn hyena cub.
1240
01:22:39,320 --> 01:22:41,080
It's much smaller.
1241
01:22:55,400 --> 01:22:58,040
It's gone down. It's just gone down?
We'll see it again.
1242
01:22:58,040 --> 01:23:01,120
That was much blacker
and much smaller. It's tiny.
1243
01:23:01,120 --> 01:23:02,240
Yeah, yeah.
1244
01:23:02,240 --> 01:23:05,560
But when the female heads
underground, it doesn't take long
1245
01:23:05,560 --> 01:23:10,120
for the older hyena cubs to start
investigating our camera.
1246
01:23:14,720 --> 01:23:18,520
One of the cubs is now just walking
down the cable line,
1247
01:23:18,520 --> 01:23:19,560
having a good sniff.
1248
01:23:30,800 --> 01:23:32,240
Oh, hold on.
1249
01:23:32,240 --> 01:23:34,160
This is the cable being pulled
by the other one.
1250
01:23:34,160 --> 01:23:35,400
There it is - look, look.
1251
01:23:39,240 --> 01:23:40,240
It's got the cable.
1252
01:23:44,920 --> 01:23:48,000
BARKING
1253
01:23:48,000 --> 01:23:49,400
I knew that this would happen.
1254
01:23:51,440 --> 01:23:53,240
How long's that cable going to last?
1255
01:23:57,200 --> 01:23:58,960
They've all got the cable.
It's gone.
1256
01:24:00,960 --> 01:24:03,760
For some reason, it's stopped
recording and gone back to this.
1257
01:24:03,760 --> 01:24:04,880
There's just no input.
1258
01:24:06,280 --> 01:24:07,680
Oh, they've pulled the cable out.
1259
01:24:07,680 --> 01:24:09,200
I don't believe it!
1260
01:24:09,200 --> 01:24:11,320
They have. They're chewing it.
1261
01:24:13,600 --> 01:24:15,800
They've pulled it out of the back
of the camera.
1262
01:24:17,160 --> 01:24:18,640
That's not good at all!
1263
01:24:22,320 --> 01:24:24,560
That's a shame, because they'd just
plucked up the courage
1264
01:24:24,560 --> 01:24:25,920
to come right up to the camera,
1265
01:24:25,920 --> 01:24:27,520
so the camera did give us
the opportunity
1266
01:24:27,520 --> 01:24:28,840
to find out a bit more about them.
1267
01:24:28,840 --> 01:24:31,600
I think, from our point of view,
what's going to be interesting is,
1268
01:24:31,600 --> 01:24:34,920
you know, will these be the hyenas
of the future
1269
01:24:34,920 --> 01:24:36,280
that might visit our water hole?
1270
01:24:36,280 --> 01:24:39,200
After a few months, they will go out
with those adults,
1271
01:24:39,200 --> 01:24:42,400
and there's every chance that
they'll turn up down there.
1272
01:24:46,720 --> 01:24:49,720
Choosing a den so near
to our water hole
1273
01:24:49,720 --> 01:24:51,880
and therefore close to prey
1274
01:24:51,880 --> 01:24:54,000
is a key survival strategy
1275
01:24:54,000 --> 01:24:57,640
that will help this clan grow
strong in numbers...
1276
01:25:02,960 --> 01:25:06,760
..but the sight and the sound of
these powerful predators
1277
01:25:06,760 --> 01:25:11,240
will keep many other animals that
rely on this area for water away.
1278
01:25:16,520 --> 01:25:20,240
However, large animals
like this male elephant
1279
01:25:20,240 --> 01:25:22,840
are too big for a hyena
to take down.
1280
01:25:26,520 --> 01:25:29,320
And now that water is scarcer
than ever,
1281
01:25:29,320 --> 01:25:34,440
the water hole has become a lifeline
for one extraordinary individual.
1282
01:25:34,440 --> 01:25:37,640
We've seen him for over four
years now.
1283
01:25:37,640 --> 01:25:40,920
Mwiba guide Nuhu Mhapa
helps me to identify him.
1284
01:25:42,360 --> 01:25:46,000
It's amazing that he's still
surviving with such a trunk
1285
01:25:46,000 --> 01:25:48,800
that has been cut by a snare,
set by the poachers,
1286
01:25:48,800 --> 01:25:52,720
intending to catch some of the
wildebeest or zebras and so forth,
1287
01:25:52,720 --> 01:25:56,360
but, as the elephant moves
across the bushes,
1288
01:25:56,360 --> 01:25:58,400
grabbing these grasses,
1289
01:25:58,400 --> 01:26:01,560
then it just kept cutting the trunk,
so, it's painful,
1290
01:26:01,560 --> 01:26:05,960
but he has been with that kind
of wound for quite some time now.
1291
01:26:13,240 --> 01:26:17,720
Those trunks are so important.
They have multiple uses -
1292
01:26:17,720 --> 01:26:22,240
they are a hand when they eat,
they do help the elephants drink,
1293
01:26:22,240 --> 01:26:24,160
obviously, they suck it into
their trunks,
1294
01:26:24,160 --> 01:26:25,960
and then they
put that into their mouths.
1295
01:26:25,960 --> 01:26:29,080
But also they use it to signal
to other elephants.
1296
01:26:34,480 --> 01:26:40,640
Life is challenging for this
individual. Using their trunks,
1297
01:26:40,640 --> 01:26:44,680
elephants are capable of lifting
over 300kg,
1298
01:26:44,680 --> 01:26:47,960
something he will never
be able to do.
1299
01:26:47,960 --> 01:26:48,960
HE RUMBLES
1300
01:26:51,400 --> 01:26:53,200
Thankfully, he can drink.
1301
01:26:55,200 --> 01:26:59,120
But at this time of year, many
natural water sources have dried up
1302
01:26:59,120 --> 01:27:01,120
and are harder for him to reach.
1303
01:27:05,520 --> 01:27:09,080
Water deep enough to wade
into will help him to survive.
1304
01:27:22,480 --> 01:27:24,640
It must be also really sad
when you see this happen.
1305
01:27:24,640 --> 01:27:25,760
It is, it is.
1306
01:27:25,760 --> 01:27:29,400
And especially when you consider
that these animals,
1307
01:27:29,400 --> 01:27:31,520
they are long-living animals,
1308
01:27:31,520 --> 01:27:34,760
and you start to imagine
how hard it is for him,
1309
01:27:34,760 --> 01:27:38,000
just from this young age
all the way to 16 years old.
1310
01:27:38,000 --> 01:27:40,440
So it's tough.
It's very sad for us
1311
01:27:40,440 --> 01:27:44,240
because we humans have caused
these kind of problems.
1312
01:27:44,240 --> 01:27:47,680
So he's been affected very much.
1313
01:28:10,120 --> 01:28:12,480
So we've seen the effect
that the predators are having here
1314
01:28:12,480 --> 01:28:14,920
at the water hole,
but there is another species
1315
01:28:14,920 --> 01:28:18,360
that seems to be bullying just about
everything that comes for a drink.
1316
01:28:18,360 --> 01:28:21,000
It wants the resource
entirely to itself,
1317
01:28:21,000 --> 01:28:24,200
and our cameras can throw
some light on the matter.
1318
01:28:24,200 --> 01:28:27,200
QUACKING
1319
01:28:29,120 --> 01:28:33,400
Egyptian geese are aggressively
territorial at this time of year
1320
01:28:33,400 --> 01:28:38,040
as breeding begins,
and they've started fighting
1321
01:28:38,040 --> 01:28:39,200
over the water hole.
1322
01:28:43,520 --> 01:28:46,600
A mating pair
violently protect this patch
1323
01:28:46,600 --> 01:28:48,200
from other geese.
1324
01:28:48,200 --> 01:28:53,240
And it seems they're also
a surprisingly intimidating presence
1325
01:28:53,240 --> 01:28:55,520
to much bigger species.
1326
01:28:55,520 --> 01:28:58,520
THEY HONK
1327
01:29:01,640 --> 01:29:04,840
Not the quiet drink this giraffe
was hoping for.
1328
01:29:10,200 --> 01:29:14,760
Even predatory birds, like the
huge martial eagle,
1329
01:29:14,760 --> 01:29:17,440
are disturbed
by this boisterous couple.
1330
01:29:19,520 --> 01:29:22,560
THEY HONK
1331
01:29:33,520 --> 01:29:36,760
Whilst domineering geese are
unexpected,
1332
01:29:36,760 --> 01:29:40,920
it means our species list
has stopped growing at number 82,
1333
01:29:40,920 --> 01:29:44,600
as animals seem to be scared away
by hyena at night
1334
01:29:44,600 --> 01:29:47,240
or put off by geese during the day.
1335
01:29:51,520 --> 01:29:53,040
HYENAS CALL AND BARK
1336
01:29:56,240 --> 01:30:00,720
Over the next few nights,
hyena visits increase.
1337
01:30:00,720 --> 01:30:03,000
HYENA HOWLS
1338
01:30:05,800 --> 01:30:08,240
HYENA CALLS
1339
01:30:10,440 --> 01:30:12,400
And they're gaining confidence.
1340
01:30:18,200 --> 01:30:22,040
One night, a hyena appears
with evidence that it's been hunting
1341
01:30:22,040 --> 01:30:23,600
very close to the water hole.
1342
01:30:26,000 --> 01:30:30,800
It takes some scrutiny to determine
what this individual's doing.
1343
01:30:32,040 --> 01:30:34,160
It approaches the water hole, there,
1344
01:30:34,160 --> 01:30:37,840
carrying the limb of something that
it's either killed or scavenged.
1345
01:30:39,360 --> 01:30:42,760
Leg of wildebeest
it's got in its mouth there.
1346
01:30:42,760 --> 01:30:47,240
And rather than stop on the side,
put it down and have a sip,
1347
01:30:47,240 --> 01:30:50,280
it wades into the water
with that limb.
1348
01:30:51,920 --> 01:30:54,960
Now, some animals will wash
their food,
1349
01:30:54,960 --> 01:30:58,880
but it's not washing the food,
I don't think.
1350
01:30:58,880 --> 01:31:02,280
They will stash their food, hyenas.
1351
01:31:02,280 --> 01:31:04,280
They will cache their food.
1352
01:31:04,280 --> 01:31:06,640
You can see it's got a pretty much
full belly.
1353
01:31:06,640 --> 01:31:10,240
It's probably eaten as much
as it possibly can at this point.
1354
01:31:12,600 --> 01:31:15,880
It simply wades in
and then it comes back out.
1355
01:31:18,720 --> 01:31:21,120
Maybe it was thinking about caching
it in the water
1356
01:31:21,120 --> 01:31:24,000
and it had a change of heart
and went and hid it in the grass.
1357
01:31:24,000 --> 01:31:26,440
Sometimes, animals do
the strangest of things.
1358
01:31:26,440 --> 01:31:28,040
Now think about your own behaviour.
1359
01:31:28,040 --> 01:31:30,320
Sometimes, you do things
which are out of kilter
1360
01:31:30,320 --> 01:31:32,480
with not only human behaviour,
but your own.
1361
01:31:32,480 --> 01:31:35,440
Perhaps this hyena's
just got a leg quirk.
1362
01:31:38,200 --> 01:31:41,680
And that's the real joy
of having cameras set up like this -
1363
01:31:41,680 --> 01:31:43,960
we get to see things like this
1364
01:31:43,960 --> 01:31:47,360
that, in a lifetime of personal
observation,
1365
01:31:47,360 --> 01:31:50,760
you're highly
unlikely ever to get to watch.
1366
01:31:50,760 --> 01:31:53,600
HYENAS CALL AND BARK
1367
01:32:06,880 --> 01:32:10,520
With our camp only 800 metres
from the water hole,
1368
01:32:10,520 --> 01:32:13,360
we're having more encounters
with the hyenas
1369
01:32:13,360 --> 01:32:14,600
than we bargained for.
1370
01:32:18,840 --> 01:32:23,440
The crew even spot one looking
for food right in front of them.
1371
01:32:38,440 --> 01:32:41,200
And they're brave enough
to visit our tents,
1372
01:32:41,200 --> 01:32:43,000
howling through the night.
1373
01:32:44,240 --> 01:32:47,160
HYENAS CALL AND HOWL
1374
01:32:52,000 --> 01:32:53,840
One of the great joys of sleeping
in a tent
1375
01:32:53,840 --> 01:32:55,240
in sort of the African night
1376
01:32:55,240 --> 01:32:57,400
is not sleeping through
the African night
1377
01:32:57,400 --> 01:32:59,680
because there's such a cacophony of
noises out there -
1378
01:32:59,680 --> 01:33:02,520
and you're laying there, thinking,
"What's that? What's that?"
1379
01:33:02,520 --> 01:33:04,360
but you don't have to wonder
about the hyenas,
1380
01:33:04,360 --> 01:33:06,240
and there have been a
lot of hyenas in the camp.
1381
01:33:06,240 --> 01:33:08,880
In fact, when I got up yesterday,
there was a trail of footprints
1382
01:33:08,880 --> 01:33:12,920
right down to the opening
of my tent, and I love that.
1383
01:33:12,920 --> 01:33:16,960
I love the fact that you're sleeping
that far away from a large predator.
1384
01:33:16,960 --> 01:33:18,960
You never get that feeling
in the UK.
1385
01:33:19,960 --> 01:33:21,680
HYENA HOWLS
1386
01:33:23,640 --> 01:33:27,520
They are sticking to that whooping
sound that they make as opposed to,
1387
01:33:27,520 --> 01:33:30,360
well, more of the laughing sound,
but it is...
1388
01:33:30,360 --> 01:33:32,600
..it does sound like it's everywhere
1389
01:33:32,600 --> 01:33:34,840
and it's been going on
for a few hours
1390
01:33:34,840 --> 01:33:36,840
and we are really close
to the water hole.
1391
01:33:42,960 --> 01:33:47,400
They're even using the same trails
as us to get in and out of the camp.
1392
01:34:00,800 --> 01:34:04,200
But not all animals are threatened
by the hyenas
1393
01:34:04,200 --> 01:34:08,760
and, over the next few nights, we
add more new species to our list.
1394
01:34:13,440 --> 01:34:15,840
Bats dive-bombing the water hole
1395
01:34:15,840 --> 01:34:18,480
can eat up to 3,000 insects a night.
1396
01:34:22,120 --> 01:34:24,800
CROAKING
1397
01:34:24,800 --> 01:34:28,440
Toads absorb water directly
through their skin
1398
01:34:28,440 --> 01:34:30,560
so they don't need to drink.
1399
01:34:32,000 --> 01:34:33,400
CROAKING
1400
01:34:46,920 --> 01:34:49,000
This morning, a Mwiba guide
1401
01:34:49,000 --> 01:34:51,880
has told Bob a carcass
has been found close by.
1402
01:34:54,560 --> 01:34:58,360
There's been a kill right here
in camp. It's right down here,
1403
01:34:58,360 --> 01:35:03,000
just a few hundred metres,
and we need to go check it out
1404
01:35:03,000 --> 01:35:08,040
because apparently it's a
full grown adult waterbuck,
1405
01:35:08,040 --> 01:35:09,520
which is a sizable animal.
1406
01:35:11,280 --> 01:35:15,280
The carcass is just 600
metres from the water hole,
1407
01:35:15,280 --> 01:35:16,880
so, Bob is keen to find out
1408
01:35:16,880 --> 01:35:19,440
what might have been hunting
in the area.
1409
01:35:21,240 --> 01:35:25,200
It's gone - like, gone.
1410
01:35:25,200 --> 01:35:26,960
There's nothing here.
1411
01:35:28,640 --> 01:35:31,840
Can't wait to see the camera
trap footage.
1412
01:35:31,840 --> 01:35:36,280
It's remarkable, really.
This carcass is gone.
1413
01:35:36,280 --> 01:35:40,360
There's not even
any evidence it was ever here.
1414
01:35:40,360 --> 01:35:44,840
There's a tiny bit of a gut pile
contents, no stomach.
1415
01:35:44,840 --> 01:35:48,120
Just looking to see if there is
any lion prints.
1416
01:35:48,120 --> 01:35:50,400
So far, I only see hyena.
1417
01:35:50,400 --> 01:35:54,560
Hyenas will just rip this
carcass to pieces,
1418
01:35:54,560 --> 01:35:57,720
and when you look at their jaws,
they're extremely wide here,
1419
01:35:57,720 --> 01:36:00,840
and they have very strong muscles
on the top of their heads,
1420
01:36:00,840 --> 01:36:03,720
and they're able to crack
right through bones
1421
01:36:03,720 --> 01:36:05,720
and they actually eat them.
1422
01:36:05,720 --> 01:36:08,480
That's why, when you see their dung,
it's often just white
1423
01:36:08,480 --> 01:36:12,080
because they absorb so much calcium
from the bones that they eat,
1424
01:36:12,080 --> 01:36:15,400
but it just goes to show you that
nothing is wasted out here.
1425
01:36:15,400 --> 01:36:18,720
When the Mwiba guide found
the carcass last night,
1426
01:36:18,720 --> 01:36:20,760
he placed a camera trap on it.
1427
01:36:20,760 --> 01:36:23,720
Bob wants to confirm if this
is a hyena kill.
1428
01:36:29,320 --> 01:36:32,960
Guess what -
they came in the daylight.
1429
01:36:32,960 --> 01:36:35,800
OK, here we go, hyena coming on.
1430
01:36:37,240 --> 01:36:39,680
Oh, yeah. Beautiful shot.
1431
01:36:39,680 --> 01:36:42,080
Staring straight at the camera now.
1432
01:36:43,960 --> 01:36:45,960
Oh, wow. Here it goes.
1433
01:36:45,960 --> 01:36:47,360
Ah!
1434
01:36:47,360 --> 01:36:50,040
One hyena,
just struggling to drag that,
1435
01:36:50,040 --> 01:36:51,760
but doing it.
1436
01:36:51,760 --> 01:36:53,280
Oh, that's cool.
1437
01:36:53,280 --> 01:36:54,680
Flipped it over.
1438
01:36:54,680 --> 01:36:57,760
I was thinking it would
have been a whole, you know,
1439
01:36:57,760 --> 01:37:00,200
group of hyenas that came on first,
1440
01:37:00,200 --> 01:37:02,240
but it's just one individual.
1441
01:37:02,240 --> 01:37:04,640
But it shows you the
strength of this animal,
1442
01:37:04,640 --> 01:37:06,680
by dragging that huge carcass
1443
01:37:06,680 --> 01:37:09,720
and consuming
tremendous amounts of meat.
1444
01:37:09,720 --> 01:37:13,760
A hyena can eat 15kg of meat
in one go,
1445
01:37:13,760 --> 01:37:17,040
which is 25% of its body weight.
1446
01:37:17,040 --> 01:37:19,440
Phenomenal to think of.
1447
01:37:19,440 --> 01:37:21,320
Wow. This guy's really lucky.
1448
01:37:21,320 --> 01:37:24,480
He's not having to share it
at all at the moment.
1449
01:37:24,480 --> 01:37:26,920
Oh, hang on.
1450
01:37:26,920 --> 01:37:29,440
There's another hyena
in the background there.
1451
01:37:29,440 --> 01:37:31,240
Oh, here we go. Ha-ha!
1452
01:37:31,240 --> 01:37:32,880
He's been discovered,
1453
01:37:32,880 --> 01:37:35,760
and we've got one, two,
three, four hyenas.
1454
01:37:36,760 --> 01:37:38,720
They're really ripping into it.
1455
01:37:38,720 --> 01:37:40,840
All right. This now makes sense.
1456
01:37:40,840 --> 01:37:43,320
I didn't think one hyena
could eat that whole thing.
1457
01:37:43,320 --> 01:37:47,080
HYENAS CALL AND BARK
1458
01:37:47,080 --> 01:37:50,120
One has just taken off
with a hindquarter,
1459
01:37:50,120 --> 01:37:52,640
so that's how it goes.
1460
01:37:52,640 --> 01:37:54,880
Bit by bit, the thing is gone.
1461
01:37:54,880 --> 01:37:57,240
You know, they can devour
this carcass
1462
01:37:57,240 --> 01:37:58,960
in a very short amount of time.
1463
01:38:00,440 --> 01:38:05,200
With spotted hyena working together
to take down large prey,
1464
01:38:05,200 --> 01:38:09,440
it looks like they're now the
apex predator dominating the area.
1465
01:38:14,040 --> 01:38:15,960
Earlier in the dry season,
1466
01:38:15,960 --> 01:38:18,160
we discovered a local lioness
1467
01:38:18,160 --> 01:38:21,680
was also hunting near the water hole
to feed her cubs.
1468
01:38:23,360 --> 01:38:27,560
But we haven't seen her or the cubs
since we've been back.
1469
01:38:27,560 --> 01:38:31,760
Could the hyena have
driven them away?
1470
01:38:31,760 --> 01:38:35,040
To find out, Bob is going to
check the camera traps
1471
01:38:35,040 --> 01:38:36,880
we placed around the lion den,
1472
01:38:36,880 --> 01:38:38,640
3km away.
1473
01:38:40,560 --> 01:38:42,960
I'm anxious to see
what we've got here.
1474
01:38:46,600 --> 01:38:48,920
There's the mother, right there.
1475
01:38:48,920 --> 01:38:52,080
She came in looking quite defensive.
1476
01:38:52,080 --> 01:38:53,720
HYENAS CALL AND BARK
1477
01:38:53,720 --> 01:38:55,320
Wow.
1478
01:38:55,320 --> 01:38:56,560
Hyenas.
1479
01:38:56,560 --> 01:38:58,400
There they go, chasing upriver,
1480
01:38:58,400 --> 01:39:01,040
which is the direction
where the lion was.
1481
01:39:01,040 --> 01:39:02,880
HYENAS BARK
1482
01:39:04,840 --> 01:39:07,960
Hyenas will kill lion cubs,
any chance they get.
1483
01:39:07,960 --> 01:39:09,800
HYENAS CALL AND BARK
1484
01:39:13,240 --> 01:39:16,880
To discover if the lioness
and her cubs are still alive,
1485
01:39:16,880 --> 01:39:18,960
Bob has to extend his search.
1486
01:39:24,800 --> 01:39:27,040
He spots evidence of lions
1487
01:39:27,040 --> 01:39:30,520
over 16km from the water hole.
1488
01:39:30,520 --> 01:39:32,720
There's a carcass right there.
1489
01:39:32,720 --> 01:39:34,840
Maybe she's made a kill in here.
1490
01:39:39,280 --> 01:39:41,000
There she is.
1491
01:39:42,480 --> 01:39:45,680
I guess we just have to stay here
and see what happens.
1492
01:39:48,760 --> 01:39:50,000
Oh, oh, oh!
1493
01:39:52,560 --> 01:39:54,240
I just saw movement there.
1494
01:39:54,240 --> 01:39:56,280
Oh!
1495
01:39:56,280 --> 01:39:58,520
The cubs are right there.
1496
01:40:01,320 --> 01:40:02,800
Oh, my God!
1497
01:40:02,800 --> 01:40:05,040
They're right there.
1498
01:40:05,040 --> 01:40:06,440
I can barely see it.
1499
01:40:06,440 --> 01:40:07,880
Oh, my God.
1500
01:40:10,920 --> 01:40:13,960
Let's see how many...
1501
01:40:13,960 --> 01:40:15,400
One...
1502
01:40:15,400 --> 01:40:16,640
..two...
1503
01:40:16,640 --> 01:40:19,520
..three little cubs.
1504
01:40:24,360 --> 01:40:26,960
You know, you get so invested
in this stuff
1505
01:40:26,960 --> 01:40:30,880
and your mind plays tricks with you,
like, they're dead,
1506
01:40:30,880 --> 01:40:33,680
and it's like, wow, that's just...
1507
01:40:33,680 --> 01:40:37,520
It actually becomes quite emotional,
you know, to see them again.
1508
01:40:39,680 --> 01:40:44,280
The lioness has successfully moved
her cubs away from the hyenas.
1509
01:40:46,160 --> 01:40:51,960
Lion territories can range in size
from 20 to 600 square kilometres,
1510
01:40:51,960 --> 01:40:56,800
and cubs are often relocated several
times a month to keep them safe.
1511
01:41:01,720 --> 01:41:05,440
But other animals can't move out
of the area so easily...
1512
01:41:09,440 --> 01:41:12,320
..and have no choice but to
risk their lives
1513
01:41:12,320 --> 01:41:15,320
coming to the hyena-dominated
water hole.
1514
01:41:20,520 --> 01:41:24,120
This vervet monkey mother
needs to drink every day
1515
01:41:24,120 --> 01:41:28,040
in order to keep producing
nutrient-rich milk for her young.
1516
01:41:37,400 --> 01:41:40,680
The baby clings on tightly
whilst on the move,
1517
01:41:40,680 --> 01:41:43,840
something they're
able to do from birth.
1518
01:41:46,600 --> 01:41:49,880
The rest of her troop
are nearby to keep watch.
1519
01:41:58,200 --> 01:42:04,080
Vervet monkeys raise high pitched
alarm calls if they spot danger.
1520
01:42:04,080 --> 01:42:06,720
They use a different call
for each predator
1521
01:42:06,720 --> 01:42:09,240
to signal different
escape strategies.
1522
01:42:12,600 --> 01:42:14,600
With the coast clear,
1523
01:42:14,600 --> 01:42:16,840
she makes it to the water hole.
1524
01:42:25,600 --> 01:42:30,480
The baby gets all the fluids
it needs from its mother's milk,
1525
01:42:30,480 --> 01:42:35,120
so as long as she gets enough water,
the baby will survive the heat.
1526
01:42:37,960 --> 01:42:42,680
On day 12, it's 39 degrees,
1527
01:42:42,680 --> 01:42:44,640
our hottest day yet.
1528
01:42:46,640 --> 01:42:49,160
And a rather unexpected new species
1529
01:42:49,160 --> 01:42:52,080
turns up at the area
around the water hole.
1530
01:42:52,080 --> 01:42:54,040
COWS MOO
1531
01:42:56,280 --> 01:42:57,880
Ella, look at this.
1532
01:42:57,880 --> 01:43:00,720
Yeah, they're not supposed
to be here. Trespassers.
1533
01:43:00,720 --> 01:43:03,480
Right, so these cows are not
supposed to be in this area.
1534
01:43:03,480 --> 01:43:05,200
It's a protected area.
1535
01:43:06,200 --> 01:43:08,280
Around the outskirts of Mwiba,
1536
01:43:08,280 --> 01:43:11,320
there are many Maasai villages
that keep livestock.
1537
01:43:11,320 --> 01:43:14,160
Their cattle are banned
from entering the reserve
1538
01:43:14,160 --> 01:43:17,200
in order to stop overgrazing.
1539
01:43:17,200 --> 01:43:20,760
But there are no fences in Tanzania
between nature reserves
1540
01:43:20,760 --> 01:43:23,080
and human populations,
1541
01:43:23,080 --> 01:43:26,120
so enforcing this ban is difficult.
1542
01:43:26,120 --> 01:43:29,800
In this wild place where people
and animals live side by side,
1543
01:43:29,800 --> 01:43:32,280
there are no easy solutions,
1544
01:43:32,280 --> 01:43:35,040
and at the toughest times
of year, like now,
1545
01:43:35,040 --> 01:43:37,680
trespassing is likely to increase.
1546
01:43:37,680 --> 01:43:40,120
Where's the person that's looking
after these cows?
1547
01:43:40,120 --> 01:43:41,840
Or is there nobody
looking after them?
1548
01:43:41,840 --> 01:43:43,800
No, there should be someone
looking after them,
1549
01:43:43,800 --> 01:43:45,720
because, obviously,
they're potential prey
1550
01:43:45,720 --> 01:43:47,920
and they are currency, aren't they?
1551
01:43:47,920 --> 01:43:50,280
You know how valuable they are
to the local community,
1552
01:43:50,280 --> 01:43:52,200
so they don't let them ramble
and roam at will.
1553
01:43:52,200 --> 01:43:54,240
Look, there you are.
There's the human, there.
1554
01:43:54,240 --> 01:43:56,720
See, the thing is, he's going
to get fined. This is the thing.
1555
01:43:56,720 --> 01:43:58,160
He will get a heavy... A fine.
1556
01:43:58,160 --> 01:44:00,480
Yeah, he'll get a heavy fine
for being in this area,
1557
01:44:00,480 --> 01:44:03,720
and so he's taking a massive risk,
being here.
1558
01:44:03,720 --> 01:44:06,440
I guess I'm wondering why he's...
1559
01:44:06,440 --> 01:44:08,760
..why he's brought them in,
when there's such risk.
1560
01:44:08,760 --> 01:44:10,640
Perhaps this is his only choice.
1561
01:44:10,640 --> 01:44:13,240
It's either bring those animals
in here,
1562
01:44:13,240 --> 01:44:15,680
or they're going to die
of malnutrition... Yeah.
1563
01:44:15,680 --> 01:44:17,760
..and he's going to lose
his livelihood
1564
01:44:17,760 --> 01:44:19,960
and perhaps even the lives
of some of his family.
1565
01:44:19,960 --> 01:44:23,760
Presumably, he's taking
the risk of that fine
1566
01:44:23,760 --> 01:44:26,640
simply because there isn't
an alternative elsewhere.
1567
01:44:29,520 --> 01:44:33,960
Eventually, a Mwiba ranger escorts
this herd out of the reserve.
1568
01:44:38,120 --> 01:44:39,840
The presence of these cows
1569
01:44:39,840 --> 01:44:44,480
shows just how harsh the environment
can be at this time of year,
1570
01:44:44,480 --> 01:44:49,400
and why water is such an
important resource for all.
1571
01:44:55,280 --> 01:44:58,120
THUNDER RUMBLES
1572
01:44:58,120 --> 01:45:02,320
Finally,
after five months of drought,
1573
01:45:02,320 --> 01:45:06,440
three millimetres of unexpected
rain brings some relief.
1574
01:45:06,440 --> 01:45:08,480
THUNDER RUMBLES
1575
01:45:14,400 --> 01:45:19,480
It's not enough for grass to grow
or natural water holes to fill...
1576
01:45:22,360 --> 01:45:27,800
..but it does lead to a sudden
explosion of life - insect life.
1577
01:45:33,160 --> 01:45:36,600
Look at this beauty. Huge beetle.
1578
01:45:36,600 --> 01:45:39,760
I notice that the tent has
become a bit of an insect trap,
1579
01:45:39,760 --> 01:45:41,520
particularly at night,
with the lights on.
1580
01:45:41,520 --> 01:45:43,040
They're drawn to those lights,
1581
01:45:43,040 --> 01:45:45,120
and they're typically more active
at that time.
1582
01:45:45,120 --> 01:45:48,720
It's cooler, it's more humid,
best time to be flying around,
1583
01:45:48,720 --> 01:45:51,160
particularly if you're a large
insect like this.
1584
01:45:51,160 --> 01:45:53,600
We might call it a longhorn beetle.
1585
01:45:53,600 --> 01:45:56,080
It's got these characteristic
long antennae here,
1586
01:45:56,080 --> 01:45:58,600
typically extraordinarily sensitive,
1587
01:45:58,600 --> 01:46:01,120
for finding members
of the opposite sex.
1588
01:46:01,120 --> 01:46:03,960
And given its size,
I should imagine that this creature
1589
01:46:03,960 --> 01:46:08,160
has been living as a grub,
perhaps inside some rotting wood,
1590
01:46:08,160 --> 01:46:11,080
for a number of years.
And, having emerged as an adult,
1591
01:46:11,080 --> 01:46:16,160
their job is to mate and then
disperse, lay eggs and die,
1592
01:46:16,160 --> 01:46:20,040
get eaten by something bigger,
perhaps even more interesting,
1593
01:46:20,040 --> 01:46:23,680
something that might happen in the
space of just a couple of weeks.
1594
01:46:23,680 --> 01:46:25,800
And on that account,
I'm going to put it outside
1595
01:46:25,800 --> 01:46:27,320
so it can do its business.
1596
01:46:31,760 --> 01:46:34,240
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
1597
01:46:34,240 --> 01:46:38,000
Our water hole has become
a lifeline for many species,
1598
01:46:38,000 --> 01:46:40,520
from the smallest to the largest...
1599
01:46:42,760 --> 01:46:46,160
..including the elephant
with half a trunk.
1600
01:46:46,160 --> 01:46:48,960
He has returned to our water hole,
1601
01:46:48,960 --> 01:46:51,480
and this time he's with a herd.
1602
01:47:05,280 --> 01:47:07,760
Elephants are highly social,
1603
01:47:07,760 --> 01:47:11,400
and other members of the group
are keen to interact with him.
1604
01:47:15,280 --> 01:47:18,120
They use their trunks
to communicate,
1605
01:47:18,120 --> 01:47:21,120
smelling and touching
each other's mouths.
1606
01:47:22,400 --> 01:47:25,200
It's essentially
an elephant handshake.
1607
01:47:27,200 --> 01:47:30,280
Half trunk does his best
to return the gesture...
1608
01:47:44,360 --> 01:47:46,320
..making a vital social bond...
1609
01:47:50,400 --> 01:47:53,720
..and confirming him as
one of the family.
1610
01:47:59,720 --> 01:48:01,960
Over the past two weeks,
1611
01:48:01,960 --> 01:48:04,400
we've seen hyena numbers increase,
1612
01:48:04,400 --> 01:48:08,280
and their visits intensify,
both day and night,
1613
01:48:08,280 --> 01:48:12,960
but we still don't know exactly
how many there are in this clan.
1614
01:48:18,360 --> 01:48:21,640
We're excited to have spotted
hyena around our water hole,
1615
01:48:21,640 --> 01:48:25,080
but it would be great
to know how many there are.
1616
01:48:25,080 --> 01:48:27,400
The trouble is, counting them
can be really tricky.
1617
01:48:27,400 --> 01:48:29,520
Firstly, they're nocturnal,
of course,
1618
01:48:29,520 --> 01:48:31,520
which makes them difficult to see,
1619
01:48:31,520 --> 01:48:34,360
and then they move around
in fluid social groups.
1620
01:48:34,360 --> 01:48:36,520
So, if you count six here,
1621
01:48:36,520 --> 01:48:40,280
two of them could be from the four
that you later count over here.
1622
01:48:40,280 --> 01:48:42,680
We clearly need a different method.
1623
01:48:42,680 --> 01:48:47,280
We need it to get dark and
we need to bring the hyenas to us.
1624
01:48:49,120 --> 01:48:52,760
Dr Meredith Palmer has
carried out similar experiments
1625
01:48:52,760 --> 01:48:54,400
all over the Serengeti...
1626
01:48:56,120 --> 01:48:57,920
..and can help us shed light
1627
01:48:57,920 --> 01:49:01,480
on how big our water hole
hyena clan might be.
1628
01:49:01,480 --> 01:49:04,520
So, Meredith, how are we going
to try and count these animals?
1629
01:49:04,520 --> 01:49:06,560
So, we're going to do
a call up tonight.
1630
01:49:06,560 --> 01:49:09,200
We're going to play some sounds
that might intrigue the hyenas
1631
01:49:09,200 --> 01:49:10,680
and bring them out of the bush
1632
01:49:10,680 --> 01:49:12,840
so that we can get a good
look at them and count them.
1633
01:49:12,840 --> 01:49:15,920
We're going to start by doing the
sounds of prey animal in distress,
1634
01:49:15,920 --> 01:49:19,080
playing the sounds of a warthog
that's having a very bad day.
1635
01:49:19,080 --> 01:49:21,560
If you're a hungry hyena,
this might be the kinds of noises
1636
01:49:21,560 --> 01:49:24,280
you would come and investigate to
see if you could get a meal.
1637
01:49:24,280 --> 01:49:26,800
We'll then play some hyena
social noises.
1638
01:49:26,800 --> 01:49:30,360
So we'll play the long
whooping calls of the hyenas,
1639
01:49:30,360 --> 01:49:33,600
and the calls I have are calls
of hyenas that don't live here.
1640
01:49:33,600 --> 01:49:36,040
They're strange hyenas.
They're foreign hyenas.
1641
01:49:36,040 --> 01:49:39,920
And if this was your territory,
if you were a resident hyena here,
1642
01:49:39,920 --> 01:49:42,320
you would definitely want to
come investigate
1643
01:49:42,320 --> 01:49:44,560
whatever strangers
might be coming through.
1644
01:49:44,560 --> 01:49:48,440
OK, so now we're playing a warthog
having a very bad day.
1645
01:49:48,440 --> 01:49:51,680
In terms of sort of disturbing their
behaviour, the ethics of this,
1646
01:49:51,680 --> 01:49:54,040
you know, we are playing
an artificial call,
1647
01:49:54,040 --> 01:49:55,920
we're moving them around
the environment,
1648
01:49:55,920 --> 01:49:57,960
but presumably only for a brief
period of time
1649
01:49:57,960 --> 01:49:59,080
over a short distance?
1650
01:49:59,080 --> 01:50:01,040
This is very noninvasive.
1651
01:50:01,040 --> 01:50:03,000
This is a very minimal
kind of experiment
1652
01:50:03,000 --> 01:50:05,480
to study their behaviour
and their population.
1653
01:50:05,480 --> 01:50:07,920
OK, shall we give a go, then?
Let's do it.
1654
01:50:07,920 --> 01:50:10,320
Let's wind them up
with a bit of wounded warthog.
1655
01:50:11,360 --> 01:50:14,040
WARTHOG SQUEALS IN PAIN
1656
01:50:14,040 --> 01:50:18,080
Hyenas come together en masse
for two key events,
1657
01:50:18,080 --> 01:50:22,200
either for a feast or when they're
trying to defend their territory.
1658
01:50:25,360 --> 01:50:27,840
Tonight, our two different calls
1659
01:50:27,840 --> 01:50:30,680
are attempting to lure them in
for both.
1660
01:50:33,280 --> 01:50:35,760
If we are able to
bring up any hyenas,
1661
01:50:35,760 --> 01:50:39,160
we can see the different spots,
we can see the different scars,
1662
01:50:39,160 --> 01:50:42,240
and we'll be able to identify the
different individuals that come up.
1663
01:50:42,240 --> 01:50:43,840
OK, what about range?
1664
01:50:43,840 --> 01:50:46,720
How far away...from how far away
can we bring them in?
1665
01:50:46,720 --> 01:50:48,600
So, we're playing these calls
quite loud.
1666
01:50:48,600 --> 01:50:51,760
The hyenas should be able to
hear calls played at this decibel
1667
01:50:51,760 --> 01:50:54,000
for about 3km.
1668
01:50:54,000 --> 01:50:56,680
If they're within that radius,
they might come investigate.
1669
01:50:58,280 --> 01:51:00,040
It's pitch black.
1670
01:51:00,040 --> 01:51:04,160
So we can see is the infrared
camera feed on the monitor.
1671
01:51:05,280 --> 01:51:07,480
And within just four minutes,
1672
01:51:07,480 --> 01:51:09,640
the first hyena turns up.
1673
01:51:24,040 --> 01:51:27,040
WHISPERS: Didn't take them long to
arrive, did it? Came very quickly.
1674
01:51:27,040 --> 01:51:29,560
Yeah, they must have been
in the immediate vicinity,
1675
01:51:29,560 --> 01:51:32,760
which points to the fact that
they're using this water hole.
1676
01:51:32,760 --> 01:51:34,840
So they'll be occupying this area.
1677
01:51:37,800 --> 01:51:40,760
Their quick arrival
suggests they live nearby,
1678
01:51:40,760 --> 01:51:44,120
quite likely at the den
I visited with Bob.
1679
01:51:46,440 --> 01:51:48,480
Oh, there's two of them.
Oh, there's two.
1680
01:51:51,680 --> 01:51:52,960
HYENA BARKS
1681
01:51:52,960 --> 01:51:55,360
That's them...
There's one over here.
1682
01:51:56,600 --> 01:51:58,200
Geese aren't moving, are they?
1683
01:51:58,200 --> 01:52:00,440
They're absolutely frozen solid.
1684
01:52:00,440 --> 01:52:03,080
They must know those hyenas
are there.
1685
01:52:06,120 --> 01:52:08,040
They're moving...
1686
01:52:13,480 --> 01:52:15,480
There's another...
1687
01:52:15,480 --> 01:52:17,680
Around the back...
Oh, there's another one here.
1688
01:52:17,680 --> 01:52:19,720
There's three.
Three, at least. Yeah.
1689
01:52:19,720 --> 01:52:23,000
Hyenas are highly social animals,
1690
01:52:23,000 --> 01:52:26,720
and their clans have very
complex hierarchies.
1691
01:52:26,720 --> 01:52:28,840
When two hyenas meet,
1692
01:52:28,840 --> 01:52:33,160
the subordinate animal lifts its leg
to the dominant hyena
1693
01:52:33,160 --> 01:52:35,360
so it can examine its genitalia.
1694
01:52:35,360 --> 01:52:37,240
There's one close here, though.
1695
01:52:37,240 --> 01:52:39,680
That one must be just out here.
1696
01:52:41,880 --> 01:52:45,560
The dominant female usually
has her tail upright
1697
01:52:45,560 --> 01:52:48,680
and the subordinates keep
their tails and heads down.
1698
01:52:48,680 --> 01:52:51,240
HYENAS CALL AND BARK
1699
01:52:51,240 --> 01:52:54,880
We're hoping to work out
which hyena is the leader.
1700
01:53:03,440 --> 01:53:05,720
There's another. There's another.
1701
01:53:08,680 --> 01:53:11,560
Four. Four, yeah.
1702
01:53:13,280 --> 01:53:14,800
Five, six!
1703
01:53:16,680 --> 01:53:19,760
HYENAS BARK
1704
01:53:19,760 --> 01:53:21,280
They must be just out here.
1705
01:53:21,280 --> 01:53:23,920
I mean, I can't see them,
it's completely black here.
1706
01:53:23,920 --> 01:53:25,720
We're using infrared light.
1707
01:53:25,720 --> 01:53:28,600
Those hyenas can't be
any further than...
1708
01:53:28,600 --> 01:53:32,640
..I don't know, six, seven,
eight metres away, just out here.
1709
01:53:32,640 --> 01:53:35,320
They sound so close. Yeah.
1710
01:53:35,320 --> 01:53:37,320
HYENA BARKS
1711
01:53:39,560 --> 01:53:41,680
And more keep coming.
1712
01:53:41,680 --> 01:53:45,600
You can see them now. Look,
cos they're here, aren't they?
1713
01:53:45,600 --> 01:53:48,040
The whole crew. Yeah.
1714
01:53:50,520 --> 01:53:52,760
They're surrounding this...
1715
01:53:52,760 --> 01:53:56,600
HYENAS CALL AND BARK
1716
01:53:56,600 --> 01:54:00,080
It's amazing to think that
these fantastic animals
1717
01:54:00,080 --> 01:54:02,840
are just a few metres away
out there.
1718
01:54:02,840 --> 01:54:06,000
How many are there at the moment,
Meredith?
1719
01:54:06,000 --> 01:54:08,200
11. 11?!
Wait, there's one more coming in.
1720
01:54:08,200 --> 01:54:09,960
11? Are you serious?
1721
01:54:15,040 --> 01:54:17,440
That's the most we've had here,
then.
1722
01:54:19,120 --> 01:54:21,200
Yeah.
1723
01:54:21,200 --> 01:54:24,440
With such a large group
gathered on camera,
1724
01:54:24,440 --> 01:54:27,320
we can work out that these
two smaller hyenas
1725
01:54:27,320 --> 01:54:28,920
are the most dominant,
1726
01:54:28,920 --> 01:54:31,360
by the way the others
are behaving around them.
1727
01:54:34,240 --> 01:54:36,960
God, I wish I had infrared eyes,
I really do.
1728
01:54:40,240 --> 01:54:42,720
Once the calls stop,
1729
01:54:42,720 --> 01:54:44,960
this clan soon moves on.
1730
01:54:46,280 --> 01:54:49,240
That's the last one, look,
dashing off into the darkness.
1731
01:54:57,120 --> 01:54:59,320
Yeah, what about that?
1732
01:54:59,320 --> 01:55:01,440
Top work, Meredith.
That was really good.
1733
01:55:01,440 --> 01:55:03,480
It's a brilliant sighting.
1734
01:55:03,480 --> 01:55:07,720
With 11 hyenas coming to the
water hole in just 19 minutes,
1735
01:55:07,720 --> 01:55:11,160
Meredith's previous research
suggests that it's likely
1736
01:55:11,160 --> 01:55:13,560
there are other hyenas in the clan
1737
01:55:13,560 --> 01:55:16,640
who are out of range
or at another kill.
1738
01:55:16,640 --> 01:55:21,960
She estimates there could be
as many as 25 in total.
1739
01:55:21,960 --> 01:55:24,800
I've got to say,
what an extraordinary experience.
1740
01:55:24,800 --> 01:55:29,480
It was so enigmatic, knowing that
these large, powerful predators
1741
01:55:29,480 --> 01:55:32,720
were just a few metres away
in the darkness.
1742
01:55:32,720 --> 01:55:34,200
We could hear them.
1743
01:55:34,200 --> 01:55:35,560
We couldn't see them.
1744
01:55:35,560 --> 01:55:37,320
Sadly, we couldn't smell them.
1745
01:55:37,320 --> 01:55:40,520
But they were just within reach.
1746
01:55:40,520 --> 01:55:42,600
Amazing. Amazing.
1747
01:55:51,600 --> 01:55:55,720
This hyena clan has
taken over our water hole,
1748
01:55:55,720 --> 01:55:58,800
and I've been compiling the data
to look at the impact
1749
01:55:58,800 --> 01:56:01,160
of their ever increasing presence.
1750
01:56:02,560 --> 01:56:06,120
We've been studying the number of
hyena visits at the water hole,
1751
01:56:06,120 --> 01:56:10,920
and what's interesting is that these
visits have continued to increase.
1752
01:56:10,920 --> 01:56:13,360
We spotted 73 visits.
1753
01:56:18,360 --> 01:56:21,160
Hyena now come nearly every day,
1754
01:56:21,160 --> 01:56:25,160
but with water running desperately
low across the reserve,
1755
01:56:25,160 --> 01:56:29,160
new animals still risk visiting
this crucial lifeline.
1756
01:56:30,200 --> 01:56:32,920
We've had an additional 17 species,
1757
01:56:32,920 --> 01:56:36,280
including the hippo and the serval.
1758
01:56:36,280 --> 01:56:38,760
That means our total count
of animals
1759
01:56:38,760 --> 01:56:41,160
that have turned up
to the water hole
1760
01:56:41,160 --> 01:56:44,120
since we opened it
just a few months ago is 88.
1761
01:56:46,280 --> 01:56:48,080
Over the past two weeks,
1762
01:56:48,080 --> 01:56:52,000
we've seen life at the water hole
completely transform.
1763
01:56:55,600 --> 01:56:58,720
But everything
is about to change once again.
1764
01:56:58,720 --> 01:57:01,760
The rains are already here,
a month earlier
1765
01:57:01,760 --> 01:57:03,920
and a lot heavier than usual.
1766
01:57:07,160 --> 01:57:10,440
In the coming months,
more rain will fall on Mwiba
1767
01:57:10,440 --> 01:57:12,600
than in London in a year.
1768
01:57:14,280 --> 01:57:18,960
A deluge that will have a
huge impact on the water hole.
1769
01:57:25,640 --> 01:57:28,840
We're back during the
height of the rainy season,
1770
01:57:28,840 --> 01:57:31,560
when there is an explosion of life.
1771
01:57:35,480 --> 01:57:37,640
One of nature's greatest spectacles,
1772
01:57:37,640 --> 01:57:40,920
the wildebeest migration, arrives,
1773
01:57:40,920 --> 01:57:44,960
bringing an influx of
new prey and predators.
1774
01:57:44,960 --> 01:57:47,240
It's just incredible to witness.
1775
01:57:47,240 --> 01:57:49,880
And our water hole ecosystem
1776
01:57:49,880 --> 01:57:54,040
enters an important new stage
of its evolution.
1777
01:57:54,040 --> 01:57:57,320
All of the animals that have been
coming here have been visitors,
1778
01:57:57,320 --> 01:57:59,960
but now we've got some residents.
1779
01:58:34,400 --> 01:58:37,880
In the baking heat
of the African savanna...
1780
01:58:39,440 --> 01:58:41,040
..as rivers dry up...
1781
01:58:42,440 --> 01:58:44,680
..animals flock to the water hole.
1782
01:58:49,200 --> 01:58:52,880
But we've never fully understood
how a single water source
1783
01:58:52,880 --> 01:58:55,880
can support so many
competing species.
1784
01:58:58,960 --> 01:59:01,600
So we're doing something
ground-breaking.
1785
01:59:01,600 --> 01:59:05,400
Welcome to Tanzania and to
the Mwiba Wildlife Reserve
1786
01:59:05,400 --> 01:59:08,080
and to this unique water hole
behind us.
1787
01:59:09,680 --> 01:59:12,280
We're working with the reserve
to create the world's first
1788
01:59:12,280 --> 01:59:16,200
water hole with a built-in
specialist camera system.
1789
01:59:17,440 --> 01:59:20,840
This war as a whole has a
half-submerged filming hide
1790
01:59:20,840 --> 01:59:25,960
right in the middle, and it's rigged
with remote cameras so we can see
1791
01:59:25,960 --> 01:59:29,200
every angle of animal behaviour
like never before.
1792
01:59:32,280 --> 01:59:35,960
When we were last here at
the hottest time of year...
1793
01:59:37,360 --> 01:59:39,760
..hyenas ran wild.
1794
01:59:41,640 --> 01:59:43,800
How many are there
at the moment, Meredith? 11.
1795
01:59:43,800 --> 01:59:46,120
11? Serious?
1796
01:59:48,320 --> 01:59:52,120
Now it's the rainy season
and the water hole ecosystem
1797
01:59:52,120 --> 01:59:54,920
is facing its biggest change yet.
1798
01:59:57,080 --> 01:59:59,880
Up until this point, all of the
animals that have been coming here
1799
01:59:59,880 --> 02:00:03,960
have been visitors, but now
we've got some residents.
1800
02:00:06,560 --> 02:00:10,200
An explosion of life brings
new species flooding in.
1801
02:00:12,320 --> 02:00:17,200
It's the most fascinating example
of swarm mentality in mammals.
1802
02:00:19,040 --> 02:00:23,600
And we reveal how our water hole
is set to be a lifeline
1803
02:00:23,600 --> 02:00:25,680
for generations to come.
1804
02:00:28,120 --> 02:00:31,360
From up here you get a great view
of the ecosystem.
1805
02:00:32,960 --> 02:00:35,800
This is the story of life...
1806
02:00:37,200 --> 02:00:40,080
..and death at the water hole.
1807
02:00:48,080 --> 02:00:51,040
We built our water hole in Tanzania,
1808
02:00:51,040 --> 02:00:53,880
500km from the east coast of Africa,
1809
02:00:53,880 --> 02:00:55,520
south of the Serengeti.
1810
02:00:57,120 --> 02:00:59,360
Mwiba Wildlife Reserve.
1811
02:01:05,480 --> 02:01:09,920
After five tough months of drought,
the rains are finally here.
1812
02:01:11,880 --> 02:01:14,800
More rain will fall over
the next three months
1813
02:01:14,800 --> 02:01:17,400
than in a year in London.
1814
02:01:19,280 --> 02:01:21,760
We're at the height
of the rainy season
1815
02:01:21,760 --> 02:01:24,000
and over the last two months,
1816
02:01:24,000 --> 02:01:27,640
the whole landscape
has completely transformed.
1817
02:01:27,640 --> 02:01:29,440
Yes, just look at this.
1818
02:01:29,440 --> 02:01:32,040
The dusty old dry river has gone.
1819
02:01:32,040 --> 02:01:36,400
Replaced with this fresh flush
of bright green grass.
1820
02:01:36,400 --> 02:01:40,400
And this has radically changed
life here at the water hole.
1821
02:01:45,080 --> 02:01:48,800
On average, it rains every
day for four hours.
1822
02:01:51,800 --> 02:01:55,520
These regular downpours
trigger over 200 species
1823
02:01:55,520 --> 02:01:57,600
of savanna grass to grow.
1824
02:02:01,760 --> 02:02:05,200
Mwiba's 53,000-hectare reserve
1825
02:02:05,200 --> 02:02:09,280
is now a lush, all-you-can eat
banquet for herbivores.
1826
02:02:13,560 --> 02:02:17,760
In this time of plenty, many
animals now have their young.
1827
02:02:22,240 --> 02:02:24,600
Over half a million mammal babies
1828
02:02:24,600 --> 02:02:27,720
and more insects
than it's possible to count
1829
02:02:27,720 --> 02:02:31,600
are born at this time
of year in the Serengeti ecosystem.
1830
02:02:36,360 --> 02:02:40,160
To see how this explosion of life
impacts the water hole,
1831
02:02:40,160 --> 02:02:44,000
we'll be recording 24/7
for the next ten days.
1832
02:02:48,320 --> 02:02:51,320
I'll be collating the data behind
every visitor...
1833
02:02:53,520 --> 02:02:57,400
..and adding to our species list
that's already at 88.
1834
02:03:00,440 --> 02:03:04,080
And I'll be replaying footage
to analyse the complex behaviour
1835
02:03:04,080 --> 02:03:05,920
behind every interaction.
1836
02:03:12,240 --> 02:03:15,960
But before we could start,
we had to do some repairs.
1837
02:03:19,720 --> 02:03:23,000
When we first came back,
the rains had been so heavy,
1838
02:03:23,000 --> 02:03:26,240
the edges of the water hole
were caved in.
1839
02:03:28,560 --> 02:03:31,720
We called in the Mwiba construction
team to help get
1840
02:03:31,720 --> 02:03:34,440
the water hole up and running again.
1841
02:03:40,000 --> 02:03:43,080
Our filming hide also suffered
in the deluge.
1842
02:03:44,800 --> 02:03:48,600
You see these lines?
Well, these are water marks.
1843
02:03:48,600 --> 02:03:51,640
Yes, the hide got flooded.
1844
02:03:51,640 --> 02:03:55,080
It got flooded up to about,
I guess, 1.6 metres.
1845
02:03:56,120 --> 02:03:59,840
It all poured into the hide,
filling the whole thing with mud.
1846
02:03:59,840 --> 02:04:01,360
Had to give it a good clean out.
1847
02:04:02,800 --> 02:04:05,040
Unlike a natural water hole,
1848
02:04:05,040 --> 02:04:08,080
ours is designed to keep
running all year round,
1849
02:04:08,080 --> 02:04:11,320
no matter what the environment
throws at it.
1850
02:04:13,400 --> 02:04:16,440
We can simply turn on the taps
to fill it up,
1851
02:04:16,440 --> 02:04:20,520
drawing water from a naturally
occurring sustainable source
1852
02:04:20,520 --> 02:04:22,920
47 metres underground.
1853
02:04:27,520 --> 02:04:31,240
This means Mwiba will be able
to keep this water hole going
1854
02:04:31,240 --> 02:04:32,880
long into the future.
1855
02:04:41,000 --> 02:04:45,320
The rainy season is already bringing
in an exciting array of new animals.
1856
02:04:47,280 --> 02:04:49,640
Look at this dragonfly here.
1857
02:04:49,640 --> 02:04:52,040
Look at that -
absolutely fantastic.
1858
02:04:52,040 --> 02:04:54,000
Hunting over the water hole.
1859
02:04:55,440 --> 02:04:58,400
There are over 3,000 species
of dragonfly.
1860
02:05:00,280 --> 02:05:02,560
This one, the wandering glider,
1861
02:05:02,560 --> 02:05:08,400
migrates a staggering 18,000km
from India to Africa...
1862
02:05:09,200 --> 02:05:11,440
..further than any other insect.
1863
02:05:16,000 --> 02:05:18,760
Bush crickets look similar
to grasshoppers,
1864
02:05:18,760 --> 02:05:22,440
but they have much longer antennae
that can be longer, in fact,
1865
02:05:22,440 --> 02:05:24,520
than their whole body.
1866
02:05:26,200 --> 02:05:30,560
This common diadem butterfly
male is black with white spots.
1867
02:05:34,120 --> 02:05:36,520
But the female is mainly orange,
1868
02:05:36,520 --> 02:05:41,320
mimicking the toxic monarch
butterfly to avoid being eaten.
1869
02:05:43,760 --> 02:05:47,600
The place is alive with insects now.
1870
02:05:47,600 --> 02:05:49,880
And you know, the water hole
has had its times -
1871
02:05:49,880 --> 02:05:52,280
it's had the time of elephant
and buffalo,
1872
02:05:52,280 --> 02:05:54,320
it's had the time of hyena.
1873
02:05:54,320 --> 02:05:57,360
Now is the time for insects.
1874
02:05:57,360 --> 02:06:00,000
And that's down to the fact
that it's rained.
1875
02:06:00,000 --> 02:06:01,840
All of the grass is growing.
1876
02:06:01,840 --> 02:06:04,040
All of the plants are growing
out here.
1877
02:06:04,040 --> 02:06:06,400
And that lush salad is a food
for herbivores,
1878
02:06:06,400 --> 02:06:10,560
not just the big guys, the mammals,
for all of the small invertebrates,
1879
02:06:10,560 --> 02:06:15,160
all of those caterpillars, grubs
and larvae which are out there.
1880
02:06:16,720 --> 02:06:21,280
We're only an hour into our first
day and this new burst of life
1881
02:06:21,280 --> 02:06:24,160
has added four species to our list.
1882
02:06:28,880 --> 02:06:31,720
But so far, no mammals
have shown up.
1883
02:06:34,160 --> 02:06:37,720
Last time we were here, hyenas
were taking over the water hole
1884
02:06:37,720 --> 02:06:40,120
at night, and we're curious to see
1885
02:06:40,120 --> 02:06:42,680
if they're still a dominant force.
1886
02:06:45,400 --> 02:06:49,120
But since the rains began,
our camp has been invaded
1887
02:06:49,120 --> 02:06:51,520
by a new nocturnal species.
1888
02:06:53,760 --> 02:06:56,520
I'm all of a flutter,
or rather I'm not,
1889
02:06:56,520 --> 02:06:59,960
but all of these termites are.
These are the alates.
1890
02:06:59,960 --> 02:07:03,160
These are the winged adults,
the males and the females,
1891
02:07:03,160 --> 02:07:07,240
the fertile males, fertile females
that have left the nest tonight.
1892
02:07:07,240 --> 02:07:10,480
And with the first flush
of rains, they will all emerge
1893
02:07:10,480 --> 02:07:13,480
from the termite mound
at exactly the same time.
1894
02:07:13,480 --> 02:07:17,200
And not just one mound - very often
all the mounds in that region.
1895
02:07:17,200 --> 02:07:20,680
So outside the tent - we're trying
to keep as many out as possible -
1896
02:07:20,680 --> 02:07:23,720
there could be probably hundreds
of thousands, potentially millions
1897
02:07:23,720 --> 02:07:26,520
of these insects flying
around at the moment.
1898
02:07:26,520 --> 02:07:28,160
Why have they done this?
1899
02:07:28,160 --> 02:07:30,840
Well, frankly, they've got to mate.
1900
02:07:30,840 --> 02:07:35,280
But also, this is a classic case
of predator swamping.
1901
02:07:35,280 --> 02:07:38,560
Imagine you're an animal here that
has a taste for termites.
1902
02:07:38,560 --> 02:07:40,600
Well, you could fill your belly,
1903
02:07:40,600 --> 02:07:44,440
but you wouldn't be able
to eat them all. Some would survive.
1904
02:07:44,440 --> 02:07:47,920
You swamp out with your sheer
abundance, the appetite
1905
02:07:47,920 --> 02:07:50,680
of all of those predators.
1906
02:07:50,680 --> 02:07:54,280
The larger females are very fatty.
1907
02:07:54,280 --> 02:07:58,080
They've got lots of fat reserves
because once they've mated,
1908
02:07:58,080 --> 02:08:01,000
they will shed their wings,
find a crevice in the ground,
1909
02:08:01,000 --> 02:08:03,280
crawl into it, and there
1910
02:08:03,280 --> 02:08:06,640
begin to form a new termite colony.
1911
02:08:06,640 --> 02:08:08,400
And until it gets going,
1912
02:08:08,400 --> 02:08:10,640
they need to live
on their fat resources.
1913
02:08:10,640 --> 02:08:13,680
They need those to lay the first
batch of eggs, of course.
1914
02:08:13,680 --> 02:08:17,600
And once they start their colony,
the females, the queens,
1915
02:08:17,600 --> 02:08:19,520
can be very long-lived.
1916
02:08:19,520 --> 02:08:22,880
Some of these ant and termite
species can live for up to 45,
1917
02:08:22,880 --> 02:08:25,760
maybe even 50 years,
but under the ground,
1918
02:08:25,760 --> 02:08:30,520
after just one night of flying
around in the free air.
1919
02:08:31,680 --> 02:08:33,800
What about that? What an existence!
1920
02:08:33,800 --> 02:08:35,240
Not for me.
1921
02:08:40,400 --> 02:08:44,360
Over the first 24 hours,
there's no sign of the hyenas
1922
02:08:44,360 --> 02:08:47,160
that were monopolising
the water hole last time.
1923
02:08:49,680 --> 02:08:53,880
In their absence, the water hole
community is reclaiming the site.
1924
02:08:57,120 --> 02:08:58,960
Vervet monkeys...
1925
02:09:01,200 --> 02:09:03,000
..giraffe.
1926
02:09:04,040 --> 02:09:05,680
Impala...
1927
02:09:08,280 --> 02:09:09,720
..elephant...
1928
02:09:14,160 --> 02:09:16,240
..and olive baboons.
1929
02:09:18,880 --> 02:09:20,840
It's great to see them again.
1930
02:09:20,840 --> 02:09:23,760
And it's a sign of the role
the water hole area
1931
02:09:23,760 --> 02:09:25,560
can play in the future...
1932
02:09:26,840 --> 02:09:30,440
..even when these animals
can find water everywhere.
1933
02:09:34,080 --> 02:09:35,800
This is our water hole troop.
1934
02:09:35,800 --> 02:09:39,080
Now we've seen these baboons
sleeping in the trees at the back.
1935
02:09:39,080 --> 02:09:40,600
We know that they're there.
1936
02:09:40,600 --> 02:09:42,720
We've caught them a few times
on the cameras.
1937
02:09:44,080 --> 02:09:48,920
But this is the first time we've
seen them in the rainy season.
1938
02:09:48,920 --> 02:09:51,560
The baboons have been coming
to the water hole
1939
02:09:51,560 --> 02:09:53,120
from the very beginning.
1940
02:09:55,840 --> 02:09:58,480
It was a vital water source
in the dry season...
1941
02:09:59,520 --> 02:10:02,960
..and now it provides a great
supply of food...
1942
02:10:03,920 --> 02:10:05,840
..all on their doorstep.
1943
02:10:09,040 --> 02:10:12,520
And to see them quite like this is
actually really, really spectacular.
1944
02:10:12,520 --> 02:10:15,480
They're just really owning
the water hole.
1945
02:10:19,000 --> 02:10:23,360
You can see a juvenile, there,
just hanging out on its mum's back.
1946
02:10:25,320 --> 02:10:28,000
Grass is around 80% water.
1947
02:10:28,000 --> 02:10:30,800
So at this time of year,
they're getting nutrition
1948
02:10:30,800 --> 02:10:33,760
and hydration with every mouthful.
1949
02:10:35,840 --> 02:10:40,120
They spend about 50% of their
day foraging for food.
1950
02:10:40,120 --> 02:10:43,120
If you see the way they're eating,
they're stripping the leaves off
1951
02:10:43,120 --> 02:10:45,800
and they're eating the shoots
and the roots.
1952
02:10:47,640 --> 02:10:50,880
By pulling up the grass,
eating it and passing it
1953
02:10:50,880 --> 02:10:53,280
through their digestive system,
1954
02:10:53,280 --> 02:10:56,520
olive baboons act
as seed dispersers...
1955
02:11:01,240 --> 02:11:04,280
..helping the water hole site
to stay green and lush
1956
02:11:04,280 --> 02:11:06,320
for the next generation.
1957
02:11:16,080 --> 02:11:19,520
Over the next few days, we watch
the same visitors that came
1958
02:11:19,520 --> 02:11:21,800
in the dry season to drink...
1959
02:11:24,000 --> 02:11:26,040
..now come to eat.
1960
02:11:28,600 --> 02:11:31,640
Despite there being food and water
across Mwiba,
1961
02:11:31,640 --> 02:11:35,560
these animals are still returning,
and for good reason.
1962
02:11:38,400 --> 02:11:42,040
We worked closely with the reserve
to create a water hole
1963
02:11:42,040 --> 02:11:44,840
that would support many
species for years to come.
1964
02:11:46,160 --> 02:11:49,720
Specifically choosing to build
it in one of the few patches
1965
02:11:49,720 --> 02:11:53,440
of open grassland amongst
all the acacia woodland.
1966
02:11:56,080 --> 02:11:58,920
The site's accessible
to lots of local wildlife
1967
02:11:58,920 --> 02:12:01,480
and, thanks to the new water hole,
1968
02:12:01,480 --> 02:12:04,400
is able to support them
all year round.
1969
02:12:06,560 --> 02:12:11,160
And now this emerging ecosystem
is showing signs
1970
02:12:11,160 --> 02:12:13,840
that it will also sustain
new life of its own.
1971
02:12:18,280 --> 02:12:20,800
It's exciting times down
at the water hole here,
1972
02:12:20,800 --> 02:12:23,720
because up until this point,
all of the animals that have been
1973
02:12:23,720 --> 02:12:27,440
coming here have been visitors,
but now we've got some residents.
1974
02:12:27,440 --> 02:12:29,440
And I'm feeling quite pleased
with myself
1975
02:12:29,440 --> 02:12:32,040
because I've scooped this out
of the water hole.
1976
02:12:32,040 --> 02:12:34,480
This is a large diving beetle.
1977
02:12:34,480 --> 02:12:37,080
They are ferocious predators.
1978
02:12:37,080 --> 02:12:39,960
This is the leopard of the water
hole beneath the surface,
1979
02:12:39,960 --> 02:12:42,200
in insect terms.
1980
02:12:43,240 --> 02:12:46,720
Diving beetles use the damp soil
by the edge of the water
1981
02:12:46,720 --> 02:12:48,320
to pupate in.
1982
02:12:48,320 --> 02:12:51,120
All the churned-up edges of the
water hole are a perfect
1983
02:12:51,120 --> 02:12:52,960
breeding ground for them.
1984
02:12:54,280 --> 02:12:56,240
So if you've got a large
predator like this,
1985
02:12:56,240 --> 02:12:58,440
you've got to have something
in the pool for it to eat.
1986
02:12:58,440 --> 02:13:00,480
We've got something. Look at this.
1987
02:13:00,480 --> 02:13:04,480
This mass of wriggling black
organisms down here
1988
02:13:04,480 --> 02:13:06,280
are tadpoles.
1989
02:13:06,280 --> 02:13:10,160
Yes, we've had amphibians
colonise the pool.
1990
02:13:10,160 --> 02:13:13,240
They've clearly come here, bred,
laid their eggs in the form
1991
02:13:13,240 --> 02:13:16,440
of spawn and they've hatched out
into these tadpoles and there
1992
02:13:16,440 --> 02:13:18,960
are plenty of them,
which is fantastic.
1993
02:13:18,960 --> 02:13:22,040
I'm really excited to say
that we've got our first
1994
02:13:22,040 --> 02:13:24,240
resident birds.
1995
02:13:24,240 --> 02:13:26,680
They're not actually at the water
side at the moment.
1996
02:13:26,680 --> 02:13:28,680
They're out doing what they
should be doing,
1997
02:13:28,680 --> 02:13:30,680
which is feeding.
1998
02:13:30,680 --> 02:13:33,400
This is a pair of Egyptian geese.
1999
02:13:35,680 --> 02:13:39,680
They started visiting the water
hole a few months ago.
2000
02:13:39,680 --> 02:13:42,720
But Egyptian geese
tend to stay put in an area
2001
02:13:42,720 --> 02:13:44,880
that has a good supply of water.
2002
02:13:45,800 --> 02:13:48,440
So with the water hole
being topped up regularly,
2003
02:13:48,440 --> 02:13:51,480
it looks like they're here to stay.
2004
02:13:51,480 --> 02:13:54,720
Their natural habitat
is along the Nile
2005
02:13:54,720 --> 02:13:56,760
and then south of the Sahara.
2006
02:13:56,760 --> 02:13:59,600
But I know what you're thinking,
you might have seen them in the UK
2007
02:13:59,600 --> 02:14:02,400
because they've naturalised there
and they're particularly common
2008
02:14:02,400 --> 02:14:04,680
in the east of England.
2009
02:14:04,680 --> 02:14:07,480
They're not technically
a goose, though.
2010
02:14:07,480 --> 02:14:10,120
They are, in fact, a large duck,
quite closely related
2011
02:14:10,120 --> 02:14:11,800
to our shelduck.
2012
02:14:11,800 --> 02:14:14,240
And they're a grazing animal.
That's what they're doing,
2013
02:14:14,240 --> 02:14:16,800
munching away on all
of this fresh grass.
2014
02:14:16,800 --> 02:14:19,320
Now, outside the breeding season,
they're quite gregarious.
2015
02:14:19,320 --> 02:14:21,680
You get them in flocks,
but when they come to breed,
2016
02:14:21,680 --> 02:14:23,440
you get them in pairs like this.
2017
02:14:23,440 --> 02:14:27,320
The male is the one on the left
there, with the pink, rosy bill.
2018
02:14:27,320 --> 02:14:29,640
And the female's on the right.
2019
02:14:35,560 --> 02:14:38,800
When this pair arrived last
season, they were quick
2020
02:14:38,800 --> 02:14:40,840
to make their presence known.
2021
02:14:46,120 --> 02:14:49,680
Since then, they've been
regular visitors,
2022
02:14:49,680 --> 02:14:53,000
and they've proved they're not
to be messed with.
2023
02:14:55,280 --> 02:14:58,520
When another goose came
to check out the new water hole,
2024
02:14:58,520 --> 02:15:01,560
our male made it clear
that it wasn't for sharing.
2025
02:15:05,920 --> 02:15:09,200
Even the arrival of a martial eagle,
2026
02:15:09,200 --> 02:15:13,040
a predator that can take prey
as large as an antelope or stork,
2027
02:15:13,040 --> 02:15:14,920
didn't put them off.
2028
02:15:19,360 --> 02:15:21,760
And neither did hyenas.
2029
02:15:27,960 --> 02:15:31,200
It seems this pair
want to have our water hole
2030
02:15:31,200 --> 02:15:32,840
all to themselves.
2031
02:15:35,160 --> 02:15:38,320
And should they breed,
they'll make a nest in one
2032
02:15:38,320 --> 02:15:41,960
of the thickets here,
and then they would hatch their eggs
2033
02:15:41,960 --> 02:15:46,040
and lead their ducklings across
the lawn and into the water hole,
2034
02:15:46,040 --> 02:15:50,520
the security of that water, to keep
them safe from ground predators.
2035
02:15:50,520 --> 02:15:54,000
And of course, with all of these
new species coming here,
2036
02:15:54,000 --> 02:15:56,880
that will supplement the diet
of those ducklings.
2037
02:15:56,880 --> 02:15:59,920
They're dependent on aquatic
invertebrates for the first few
2038
02:15:59,920 --> 02:16:01,680
weeks of their life.
2039
02:16:03,120 --> 02:16:04,520
But what about that?
2040
02:16:04,520 --> 02:16:07,160
Our water hole
really is becoming a home
2041
02:16:07,160 --> 02:16:09,200
for a great range of creatures.
2042
02:16:17,520 --> 02:16:21,280
It's from small beginnings,
like our water hole,
2043
02:16:21,280 --> 02:16:25,960
that aquatic ecosystems can build
to support a huge range of life.
2044
02:16:30,320 --> 02:16:33,760
20km south is Lake Eyasi.
2045
02:16:36,040 --> 02:16:40,280
A water source that's evolved
over 65 million years to be
2046
02:16:40,280 --> 02:16:44,320
a vital lifeline to one incredibly
beautiful species.
2047
02:16:47,400 --> 02:16:50,920
Looking down on this lake
is extraordinary.
2048
02:16:50,920 --> 02:16:53,600
It's like a bizarre
abstract painting.
2049
02:16:55,560 --> 02:16:58,960
Speckled with these rose
spots of...
2050
02:16:58,960 --> 02:17:01,200
..the greater and lesser flamingos.
2051
02:17:03,440 --> 02:17:06,640
These birds flock to Lake Eyasi
in their millions...
2052
02:17:08,520 --> 02:17:13,760
..using it as a stop-off point as
they migrate to breed further north.
2053
02:17:15,800 --> 02:17:20,520
The lake can sustain such
vast numbers of flamingos
2054
02:17:20,520 --> 02:17:24,800
because it's full of microscopic
algae called cyanobacteria -
2055
02:17:27,760 --> 02:17:31,880
plants that are poisonous
to most animals, but not to them.
2056
02:17:32,920 --> 02:17:36,960
And famously, they have that beak
which is upside down.
2057
02:17:38,600 --> 02:17:42,360
And using their tongue as a pump,
they filter vast quantities
2058
02:17:42,360 --> 02:17:45,600
of the water to remove
all of this food.
2059
02:17:48,320 --> 02:17:50,960
And there's another twist.
2060
02:17:50,960 --> 02:17:53,400
This is a soda lake.
2061
02:17:53,400 --> 02:17:55,880
The water is extremely caustic.
2062
02:17:58,280 --> 02:18:01,800
If they really need to, flamingos
are one of the only animals
2063
02:18:01,800 --> 02:18:04,800
that can drink here,
using glands in their head
2064
02:18:04,800 --> 02:18:09,240
to filter out the salt, draining
it from their nasal cavity.
2065
02:18:10,440 --> 02:18:13,440
It's still a difficult environment
for these birds.
2066
02:18:13,440 --> 02:18:16,560
The alkalinity of the water
means that if they get
2067
02:18:16,560 --> 02:18:20,440
just one little nick on their
leg, it becomes an open sore
2068
02:18:20,440 --> 02:18:22,840
and they soon perish.
2069
02:18:32,120 --> 02:18:33,800
For a harsh environment,
2070
02:18:33,800 --> 02:18:36,640
it's one which
is extraordinarily beautiful.
2071
02:18:45,840 --> 02:18:49,280
Lake Eyasi shows how much
freshwater sources
2072
02:18:49,280 --> 02:18:52,120
like our water hole are needed.
2073
02:18:56,200 --> 02:19:00,000
When we first designed it with
Mwiba, the idea was to make
2074
02:19:00,000 --> 02:19:04,080
a reliable water source for as many
species as possible.
2075
02:19:05,520 --> 02:19:09,040
But earlier in the year,
we were worried that it was only
2076
02:19:09,040 --> 02:19:11,680
going to be used by one animal...
2077
02:19:14,240 --> 02:19:16,080
..spotted hyena.
2078
02:19:19,040 --> 02:19:23,760
I've been looking back over the data
and it paints a stark picture.
2079
02:19:25,600 --> 02:19:29,280
Last time we were here, the hyena
dominated the water hole,
2080
02:19:29,280 --> 02:19:33,560
and in the end we managed to
identify 16 adult individuals.
2081
02:19:35,160 --> 02:19:38,200
Now, we've been logging
their movements.
2082
02:19:38,200 --> 02:19:41,360
They visited the water hole
73 times.
2083
02:19:41,360 --> 02:19:44,480
Now, compare that to our
situation right now...
2084
02:19:44,480 --> 02:19:46,440
..the heart of the rainy season.
2085
02:19:46,440 --> 02:19:50,200
We haven't seen a single
visit from a hyena.
2086
02:19:50,200 --> 02:19:53,080
You go from 73 visits to nothing.
2087
02:20:02,520 --> 02:20:05,800
To find out why they're no longer
coming to our water hole,
2088
02:20:05,800 --> 02:20:09,480
I return to their den site,
2km away.
2089
02:20:19,040 --> 02:20:23,080
Frankly, it looks to me as
if they've abandoned this den.
2090
02:20:23,080 --> 02:20:25,720
It's all overgrown here.
2091
02:20:27,400 --> 02:20:30,840
All of the vegetation
is standing up,
2092
02:20:30,840 --> 02:20:33,640
and if there were a boisterous
band of hyenas here,
2093
02:20:33,640 --> 02:20:35,800
then this would have all been
knocked down.
2094
02:20:35,800 --> 02:20:37,320
And look over here.
2095
02:20:38,760 --> 02:20:41,600
It's been raining, it's muddy,
there's not a single footprint.
2096
02:20:41,600 --> 02:20:44,840
And look, there are lots of plants
here, grass growing through.
2097
02:20:44,840 --> 02:20:48,920
These would have all been knocked
down if this was still occupied.
2098
02:20:51,120 --> 02:20:52,720
I'm hoping our camera traps
2099
02:20:52,720 --> 02:20:55,120
might give me some clues
as to why they've left.
2100
02:21:05,360 --> 02:21:06,360
A giraffe.
2101
02:21:07,560 --> 02:21:10,400
There's a couple of hyenas -
there's an adult in the foreground.
2102
02:21:10,400 --> 02:21:12,480
There's a cub,
another cub behind it.
2103
02:21:14,880 --> 02:21:18,240
Oh, look at that, two of my
favourite African mammals
2104
02:21:18,240 --> 02:21:21,800
in the frame at once -
the fantastic crested porcupine
2105
02:21:21,800 --> 02:21:23,200
and a young hyena.
2106
02:21:25,880 --> 02:21:27,800
And guess who comes off the winner.
2107
02:21:29,280 --> 02:21:31,560
Porcupine, of course. Look at that!
2108
02:21:31,560 --> 02:21:34,160
A bit more porcupine action here.
2109
02:21:34,160 --> 02:21:36,440
You see those quills erected?
2110
02:21:36,440 --> 02:21:39,080
The porcupine is clearly agitated.
2111
02:21:39,080 --> 02:21:43,400
Now, you might be wondering, why
has a porcupine come to a hyena den?
2112
02:21:43,400 --> 02:21:48,400
Well, hyenas bring lots of parts
of the things that they've been
2113
02:21:48,400 --> 02:21:51,880
scavenging back to the den,
including plenty of bones,
2114
02:21:51,880 --> 02:21:54,880
and porcupines love gnawing bones
2115
02:21:54,880 --> 02:21:57,960
because they need all that calcium
to produce their spines.
2116
02:22:00,760 --> 02:22:05,640
But it's unlikely that a few small
porcupines would scare them away.
2117
02:22:08,200 --> 02:22:10,880
Oh, my goodness,
look at that. Buffalo.
2118
02:22:12,960 --> 02:22:16,640
There were a whole herd of buffalo
clearly moving through,
2119
02:22:16,640 --> 02:22:18,560
trampling over this site.
2120
02:22:20,440 --> 02:22:22,320
Maybe this was what put them off.
2121
02:22:24,720 --> 02:22:28,040
Maybe it was just the abundance of
other animals that drove them away,
2122
02:22:28,040 --> 02:22:30,480
and certainly at night,
with all of those buffalo,
2123
02:22:30,480 --> 02:22:32,920
they wouldn't want their
cubs emerging
2124
02:22:32,920 --> 02:22:35,520
and the risk of them getting
trampled.
2125
02:22:36,880 --> 02:22:40,200
I think I know WHY the hyenas
have moved dens,
2126
02:22:40,200 --> 02:22:43,280
but the question is -
where are they now?
2127
02:22:48,040 --> 02:22:51,160
We send out several film
crews to find them...
2128
02:22:54,840 --> 02:22:57,520
..and one of our cameramen
spots their new den,
2129
02:22:57,520 --> 02:23:00,160
2km from the previous one.
2130
02:23:02,760 --> 02:23:05,080
They appear safe and well.
2131
02:23:07,200 --> 02:23:11,720
Spotted hyena can have many old den
sites spread across the savanna.
2132
02:23:13,320 --> 02:23:16,160
It looks like this clan
moved their pups to an area
2133
02:23:16,160 --> 02:23:17,600
with fewer animals.
2134
02:23:23,280 --> 02:23:27,400
In a year, these pups won't be
so dependent upon the den.
2135
02:23:29,840 --> 02:23:32,800
And they may return to the
water hole with their clan.
2136
02:23:42,960 --> 02:23:45,400
With no hyena in the vicinity,
2137
02:23:45,400 --> 02:23:49,320
the water hole is a safer
place for prey once again.
2138
02:23:52,920 --> 02:23:57,120
There are over two million
impala across Africa.
2139
02:24:01,000 --> 02:24:04,560
They time their breeding season
with the rains, and their population
2140
02:24:04,560 --> 02:24:06,960
spikes by hundreds of thousands.
2141
02:24:11,840 --> 02:24:16,280
It's exciting to see this new
generation come to the water hole.
2142
02:24:18,120 --> 02:24:21,400
Ooh! There we are.
The impala have turned up.
2143
02:24:21,400 --> 02:24:23,200
And they've brought their young.
2144
02:24:23,200 --> 02:24:25,000
Look at that.
2145
02:24:25,000 --> 02:24:27,040
It is undeniably cute.
2146
02:24:27,040 --> 02:24:28,480
Big ears, big eyes.
2147
02:24:29,600 --> 02:24:32,520
Groups of young impala are
called creches.
2148
02:24:33,720 --> 02:24:37,200
This is the first time we've seen
them at the water hole.
2149
02:24:39,520 --> 02:24:43,720
So these have been born a few weeks
ago. And initially, of course,
2150
02:24:43,720 --> 02:24:46,120
they'll be dependent
on their mother's milk.
2151
02:24:46,120 --> 02:24:49,200
But then when it comes to them
moving onto solid food,
2152
02:24:49,200 --> 02:24:53,080
they need to time that so that
they've got this crop of ripe,
2153
02:24:53,080 --> 02:24:55,680
green, highly nutritious,
fresh grass.
2154
02:24:57,480 --> 02:25:02,200
Looks to me as if this group of
impala timed that birth perfectly.
2155
02:25:05,600 --> 02:25:09,720
These young impala are likely
to be regulars at the water hole.
2156
02:25:09,720 --> 02:25:11,840
Patterns of behaviour set now
2157
02:25:11,840 --> 02:25:15,400
should mean they'll remember this
oasis in the future.
2158
02:25:21,320 --> 02:25:23,680
The rains don't trigger
the birthing season
2159
02:25:23,680 --> 02:25:26,360
for all of our water hole
community.
2160
02:25:30,360 --> 02:25:35,080
5km away, wildlife cameraman
Bob Poole is discovering
2161
02:25:35,080 --> 02:25:37,680
this is actually a peak time
for mating
2162
02:25:37,680 --> 02:25:40,600
amongst many of Mwiba's herbivores.
2163
02:25:40,600 --> 02:25:42,400
OK, now watch this female.
2164
02:25:42,400 --> 02:25:43,880
It's incredible.
2165
02:25:47,160 --> 02:25:48,920
She comes up to the male,
2166
02:25:48,920 --> 02:25:52,000
then she rubs her neck
against his like that.
2167
02:25:53,400 --> 02:25:56,480
It's definitely a sign
of affection or interest.
2168
02:26:00,440 --> 02:26:04,640
At this time of year, amorous
giraffes use their sense of smell
2169
02:26:04,640 --> 02:26:08,000
to help identify if a female
is ready to mate.
2170
02:26:12,720 --> 02:26:17,200
So the male giraffe right now
is trying to determine
2171
02:26:17,200 --> 02:26:20,240
whether the female in front of him
is in the peak of oestrous.
2172
02:26:21,840 --> 02:26:25,680
Oestrous cycles in giraffes,
like human menstrual periods,
2173
02:26:25,680 --> 02:26:29,000
help identify when a female
is ready to mate.
2174
02:26:29,000 --> 02:26:31,800
They occur every two weeks,
2175
02:26:31,800 --> 02:26:35,840
but a female giraffe is only
fertile for four days or less
2176
02:26:35,840 --> 02:26:37,240
during this time.
2177
02:26:40,520 --> 02:26:44,160
She gives off pheromones
which he senses through sensors
2178
02:26:44,160 --> 02:26:46,640
that are in the top
of his lip, there.
2179
02:26:48,160 --> 02:26:51,080
Giraffes mate all year round.
2180
02:26:51,080 --> 02:26:54,320
But there is research
that indicates breeding increases
2181
02:26:54,320 --> 02:26:56,960
with periods of
high food availability.
2182
02:27:00,640 --> 02:27:03,280
All the leaves are so plump
right now.
2183
02:27:05,480 --> 02:27:08,320
I can see the way that they use
the tongue
2184
02:27:08,320 --> 02:27:12,280
to strip the leaves off the twig,
which is, of course,
2185
02:27:12,280 --> 02:27:14,840
loaded with these big thorns.
2186
02:27:14,840 --> 02:27:18,560
And everything around here
has a thorn on it.
2187
02:27:18,560 --> 02:27:20,760
In fact, this place is
called Mwiba,
2188
02:27:20,760 --> 02:27:23,280
which literally means "thorn"
in Swahili.
2189
02:27:26,040 --> 02:27:29,600
All of this food means
other herbivores like zebra
2190
02:27:29,600 --> 02:27:31,720
are also getting ready to mate,
2191
02:27:31,720 --> 02:27:36,160
and sometimes competition
between stallions can get physical.
2192
02:27:38,400 --> 02:27:40,040
Look at this!
2193
02:27:40,040 --> 02:27:43,280
There's so much action going on
right now. The... the stallion here
2194
02:27:43,280 --> 02:27:47,720
is racing around trying
to round up the zebra females,
2195
02:27:47,720 --> 02:27:51,640
and you can see him racing
across in front of us right now.
2196
02:27:51,640 --> 02:27:54,920
And now he's coming back to
probably his harem right there.
2197
02:27:56,080 --> 02:27:58,720
The young males have to
struggle for dominance.
2198
02:27:58,720 --> 02:28:01,000
He could get kicked out
by another stallion.
2199
02:28:02,560 --> 02:28:04,640
These are very social animals.
2200
02:28:04,640 --> 02:28:06,960
They live in family groups
and they have an order,
2201
02:28:06,960 --> 02:28:10,120
a pecking order, essentially,
just like horses do.
2202
02:28:10,120 --> 02:28:14,520
They're constantly having to put
each other in their place
2203
02:28:14,520 --> 02:28:19,240
so there's a lot of fighting
and testing, and all kinds of action
2204
02:28:19,240 --> 02:28:23,360
going on all the time,
to sort of really work on who's who
2205
02:28:23,360 --> 02:28:26,760
in the family and where they sit
in terms of the pecking order.
2206
02:28:30,000 --> 02:28:33,440
And some have already
had their young.
2207
02:28:33,440 --> 02:28:36,240
This foal is just four weeks old.
2208
02:28:38,920 --> 02:28:41,000
The little foal, to the right,
2209
02:28:41,000 --> 02:28:44,200
would be his first foal
of this rainy season.
2210
02:28:47,440 --> 02:28:52,080
During this time of plenty,
the savanna is overflowing
2211
02:28:52,080 --> 02:28:54,800
with calories for new mums
to produce milk.
2212
02:28:58,280 --> 02:29:00,040
And when babies are ready,
2213
02:29:00,040 --> 02:29:03,320
there are swathes of grass
waiting to be grazed.
2214
02:29:10,200 --> 02:29:13,160
The water hole is getting busier
each day with insects...
2215
02:29:15,720 --> 02:29:19,640
..and we spot two interesting
new species for our list.
2216
02:29:23,000 --> 02:29:26,440
Hoverflies are harmless,
but they mimic stinging bees
2217
02:29:26,440 --> 02:29:28,680
and wasps to put off predators.
2218
02:29:31,520 --> 02:29:35,400
Leaf roller moths pupate
from inside a rolled-up leaf,
2219
02:29:35,400 --> 02:29:38,240
sealed shut with the
caterpillar's silk.
2220
02:29:43,720 --> 02:29:46,160
All the insects are attracting
2221
02:29:46,160 --> 02:29:48,000
more new bird species,
2222
02:29:48,000 --> 02:29:50,760
including...
2223
02:29:50,760 --> 02:29:52,880
a red-necked Francolin,
2224
02:29:52,880 --> 02:29:54,400
a relative of the pheasant.
2225
02:29:55,680 --> 02:29:57,120
It's a wary bird,
2226
02:29:57,120 --> 02:30:00,480
often staying hidden from predators
in deep cover
2227
02:30:00,480 --> 02:30:03,240
and only coming out
in the open to feed.
2228
02:30:05,320 --> 02:30:09,120
A three-banded plover, named
after the black and white bands
2229
02:30:09,120 --> 02:30:11,200
on its chest.
2230
02:30:11,200 --> 02:30:15,000
They hunt by sight
for insects, worms
2231
02:30:15,000 --> 02:30:16,840
and other invertebrates.
2232
02:30:21,240 --> 02:30:23,880
And we have another new
resident bird,
2233
02:30:23,880 --> 02:30:26,600
taking our species list
to nearly 100.
2234
02:30:28,840 --> 02:30:33,080
This has made my day. When we were
here last time, there were a pair
2235
02:30:33,080 --> 02:30:34,960
of lesser striped swallows
2236
02:30:34,960 --> 02:30:38,160
prospecting to make a nest
inside our hide.
2237
02:30:39,520 --> 02:30:41,280
Earlier in the dry season,
2238
02:30:41,280 --> 02:30:45,080
our cameras captured the moment when
these swallows were first choosing
2239
02:30:45,080 --> 02:30:47,120
where to build their nest.
2240
02:30:50,880 --> 02:30:54,640
These swallows typically nest
under bridges for protection
2241
02:30:54,640 --> 02:30:57,280
and the roof of our hide
offers a great alternative.
2242
02:31:00,000 --> 02:31:04,720
The water hole has also provided
perfect nest-building materials.
2243
02:31:04,720 --> 02:31:08,840
Both birds use mud for construction,
and you can see this one's beak full
2244
02:31:08,840 --> 02:31:11,880
of mud, deciding where
to start plastering.
2245
02:31:13,720 --> 02:31:15,760
I really hoped they would
move in here.
2246
02:31:17,000 --> 02:31:22,120
And look, they have. And it's a
beautiful structure, as well.
2247
02:31:22,120 --> 02:31:25,480
Now, it's slightly different
than a typical barn swallow's nest
2248
02:31:25,480 --> 02:31:27,360
that we see, which is an
open cup.
2249
02:31:27,360 --> 02:31:32,080
Here, they close the cup and then
make that neat little tunnel there -
2250
02:31:32,080 --> 02:31:36,680
I suppose to try and keep predators
out, maybe things like snakes.
2251
02:31:36,680 --> 02:31:39,080
It's a fantastic construction,
2252
02:31:39,080 --> 02:31:41,960
welded into the corner of the
building there.
2253
02:31:41,960 --> 02:31:43,960
A little work of art.
2254
02:31:43,960 --> 02:31:46,440
So I'm really pleased
that they've used our hide
2255
02:31:46,440 --> 02:31:48,200
to make their home.
2256
02:31:48,200 --> 02:31:50,400
I'm pretty certain that we've
got young in here.
2257
02:31:50,400 --> 02:31:53,960
I've been watching the two adults
hunting outside together,
2258
02:31:53,960 --> 02:31:56,840
and then going in one at a time,
delivering food.
2259
02:31:58,720 --> 02:32:02,000
Feeding chicks is a full-time
job for both parents.
2260
02:32:03,280 --> 02:32:07,360
We're seeing them bring
back food every 20 minutes.
2261
02:32:07,360 --> 02:32:10,400
If they were still incubating
or brooding, typically
2262
02:32:10,400 --> 02:32:12,640
one's off the nest whilst
the other one's sat on it.
2263
02:32:12,640 --> 02:32:15,080
But because they're both active
away from the nest,
2264
02:32:15,080 --> 02:32:16,920
I reckon there's young up there.
2265
02:32:23,800 --> 02:32:26,160
So we've done a great job
for these swallows here.
2266
02:32:26,160 --> 02:32:29,920
We provided the water and in turn
the food, and then we provided
2267
02:32:29,920 --> 02:32:33,400
the structure for them
to place their nest.
2268
02:32:33,400 --> 02:32:34,960
It's good. I like that.
2269
02:32:37,360 --> 02:32:39,400
And, even better -
2270
02:32:39,400 --> 02:32:43,480
because swallows return to the same
nest site year after year,
2271
02:32:43,480 --> 02:32:47,400
our hide could well be their
home long into the future.
2272
02:32:51,400 --> 02:32:54,280
And the water hole is going
to provide the swallow chicks
2273
02:32:54,280 --> 02:32:56,880
with all the food they need
2274
02:32:56,880 --> 02:33:00,760
because both pools
are teeming with mosquitoes.
2275
02:33:05,040 --> 02:33:08,080
Mosquitoes lay their eggs on water.
2276
02:33:08,080 --> 02:33:10,560
Each female can produce up to 500
2277
02:33:10,560 --> 02:33:12,760
in her one-month lifespan.
2278
02:33:16,000 --> 02:33:19,560
Many mosquito species stay
within a few hundred metres
2279
02:33:19,560 --> 02:33:23,520
of where they're hatched,
so it's likely they'll be
2280
02:33:23,520 --> 02:33:26,600
a regular feature at the water hole
every rainy season...
2281
02:33:28,200 --> 02:33:32,520
..providing a reliable food source
to birds like these swallows.
2282
02:33:37,720 --> 02:33:43,840
Insects and birds are important
foundations for a healthy ecosystem,
2283
02:33:43,840 --> 02:33:47,320
but we're working closely
with the Mwiba guides to make sure
2284
02:33:47,320 --> 02:33:51,760
the water hole can also attract
and sustain Africa's megafauna...
2285
02:33:55,320 --> 02:33:58,280
..the most important
of these being elephant.
2286
02:33:59,840 --> 02:34:02,120
ELEPHANTS MAKE RUMBLING SOUND
2287
02:34:03,200 --> 02:34:05,800
Elephants are keystone species.
2288
02:34:05,800 --> 02:34:10,440
They help disperse seeds, and also
create pathways to water holes
2289
02:34:10,440 --> 02:34:12,080
as they walk to them.
2290
02:34:16,760 --> 02:34:19,280
We've had over 100 individuals,
2291
02:34:19,280 --> 02:34:22,280
and one extraordinary half-trunked
2292
02:34:22,280 --> 02:34:26,000
elephant used this lifeline
over the past six months.
2293
02:34:29,160 --> 02:34:33,120
Mwiba guide Eugene Raymond
is confident that these elephant
2294
02:34:33,120 --> 02:34:36,720
populations are likely to keep
coming back to the water hole.
2295
02:34:42,120 --> 02:34:45,560
It's unbelievable
that they have this ability
2296
02:34:45,560 --> 02:34:48,200
to remember places, areas,
2297
02:34:48,200 --> 02:34:51,520
and with experience,
they're able to find.
2298
02:34:51,520 --> 02:34:54,120
An incredible
ability also to find water.
2299
02:34:54,120 --> 02:34:57,560
Now, we've seen this animal
at the water hole here, and we know
2300
02:34:57,560 --> 02:34:59,240
they've got phenomenal memories,
2301
02:34:59,240 --> 02:35:02,240
it's going to be interesting to see
whether it remembers the water hole
2302
02:35:02,240 --> 02:35:05,920
come the dry season -
when it really needs that water.
2303
02:35:07,720 --> 02:35:10,960
Research shows that elephants
can remember the locations of food
2304
02:35:10,960 --> 02:35:14,040
and water for up to a decade,
2305
02:35:14,040 --> 02:35:18,280
even when seasonal and environmental
changes alter the landscape.
2306
02:35:20,000 --> 02:35:23,200
A permanent, refillable
water hole like ours
2307
02:35:23,200 --> 02:35:26,800
should be an elephant
oasis for many years to come.
2308
02:35:30,040 --> 02:35:33,320
And Eugene has been pleased
to see so many herds coming
2309
02:35:33,320 --> 02:35:35,960
to the water hole,
because it's the matriarchs
2310
02:35:35,960 --> 02:35:39,200
that lead their families
and remember where to go.
2311
02:35:41,360 --> 02:35:44,240
This mama elephant,
or Tambo we call her,
2312
02:35:44,240 --> 02:35:48,720
who will be able to remember these
places and come back into the same.
2313
02:35:48,720 --> 02:35:51,360
And that's why the herd
put trust in them.
2314
02:35:51,360 --> 02:35:54,680
And they would normally try pass
this on into the next generation
2315
02:35:54,680 --> 02:35:59,880
by just, you know, testing as
individuals the ability to navigate
2316
02:35:59,880 --> 02:36:03,160
the rest of the group members
and remember these places.
2317
02:36:03,160 --> 02:36:04,920
This comes with experience. Age.
2318
02:36:04,920 --> 02:36:07,680
It's a bit like you going shopping
with your grandmother, isn't it?
2319
02:36:07,680 --> 02:36:10,200
It's true, yeah. She knows
where the best shops are. Exactly!
2320
02:36:10,200 --> 02:36:12,920
Where to get the best deals
at the right time of year.
2321
02:36:12,920 --> 02:36:14,080
Absolutely true. Yeah.
2322
02:36:18,040 --> 02:36:22,280
Elephants can eat up to 250kg
of foliage,
2323
02:36:22,280 --> 02:36:26,080
and drink up to 200 litres
of water every day.
2324
02:36:28,360 --> 02:36:31,200
They're one of the heaviest users
of the water hole...
2325
02:36:33,680 --> 02:36:37,520
..which is why it's so exciting
that Eugene and the Mwiba team
2326
02:36:37,520 --> 02:36:40,160
will keep refilling it
in the future.
2327
02:36:52,960 --> 02:36:57,040
We've had word of a new species
in the area that could drink
2328
02:36:57,040 --> 02:37:00,320
more than all our Mwiba
elephants combined.
2329
02:37:02,840 --> 02:37:06,960
The world-famous wildebeest
migration has been making its
2330
02:37:06,960 --> 02:37:10,520
epic journey 400km south from Kenya,
2331
02:37:10,520 --> 02:37:14,480
and it's now 10km away
from our water hole.
2332
02:37:14,480 --> 02:37:17,120
Together, these animals can drink
2333
02:37:17,120 --> 02:37:21,200
up to 13.5 million litres of water
2334
02:37:21,200 --> 02:37:26,040
and eat up to four million kilograms
of grass in a single day.
2335
02:37:27,280 --> 02:37:30,400
So that's where we are
right now, that blue dot.
2336
02:37:31,760 --> 02:37:35,400
And you can see they're
heading right towards us.
2337
02:37:41,120 --> 02:37:43,840
To get an idea of the impact
they'll have on the area,
2338
02:37:43,840 --> 02:37:47,600
and our water hole community,
I'm taking to the air.
2339
02:37:53,040 --> 02:37:57,360
This is one of the most astonishing
sights that I've ever seen.
2340
02:37:57,360 --> 02:38:01,880
We're looking down on the world's
largest mammal migration.
2341
02:38:04,040 --> 02:38:06,840
Just sensational.
2342
02:38:10,920 --> 02:38:15,400
There are thousands of wildebeest
beneath me in a long line
2343
02:38:15,400 --> 02:38:20,440
stretching across the savanna.
A group of perhaps 1.5 million
2344
02:38:20,440 --> 02:38:24,360
of these animals that are
constantly on the move
2345
02:38:24,360 --> 02:38:26,640
in this Serengeti ecosystem.
2346
02:38:30,600 --> 02:38:36,400
They make the journey, which lasts
a full year and covers 1,000 miles,
2347
02:38:36,400 --> 02:38:42,640
clockwise from here, all the
way up through the Serengeti
2348
02:38:42,640 --> 02:38:45,560
to the Maasai Mara
and then back down again.
2349
02:38:48,560 --> 02:38:52,000
Right now, they're at the
southernmost part of that cycle,
2350
02:38:52,000 --> 02:38:54,080
on the edge of Mwiba reserve.
2351
02:38:57,240 --> 02:38:59,920
While I track the migration
from above...
2352
02:39:01,600 --> 02:39:03,880
..Ella is getting a closer view
on the ground.
2353
02:39:05,160 --> 02:39:08,600
They're now 8km
north of the water hole.
2354
02:39:09,880 --> 02:39:13,440
They undertake this crazy journey
because of this,
2355
02:39:13,440 --> 02:39:17,560
because they're after these
really nutritious grasses.
2356
02:39:17,560 --> 02:39:19,840
Essentially, they're storm chasers.
2357
02:39:19,840 --> 02:39:23,240
They're chasing the rains
which feed these grasses.
2358
02:39:25,760 --> 02:39:28,520
If you look at their bodies,
they have these really significant
2359
02:39:28,520 --> 02:39:30,320
incisor rows and loose lips,
2360
02:39:30,320 --> 02:39:33,120
and that's to help them rapidly
eat that grass.
2361
02:39:34,640 --> 02:39:38,080
They consume up to 16kg a day.
2362
02:39:43,600 --> 02:39:46,600
Look at how much they're
moving in unison.
2363
02:39:46,600 --> 02:39:50,880
They're moving in formation, and
yet there's no clear leaders.
2364
02:39:50,880 --> 02:39:56,200
It's the most fascinating example
of swarm mentality in mammals.
2365
02:39:59,000 --> 02:40:01,640
Because wildebeest have no leader,
2366
02:40:01,640 --> 02:40:05,400
the migrating herd often splits
into smaller groups
2367
02:40:05,400 --> 02:40:07,760
that circle the main mega-herd.
2368
02:40:10,120 --> 02:40:12,840
Joining them are thousands of zebra.
2369
02:40:12,840 --> 02:40:16,400
They graze in harmony with
the wildebeest because they
2370
02:40:16,400 --> 02:40:19,520
eat different parts
of the same type of grass.
2371
02:40:23,960 --> 02:40:29,320
From above, I can clearly see
how this huge number of animals
2372
02:40:29,320 --> 02:40:32,520
might affect life
at our water hole.
2373
02:40:32,520 --> 02:40:37,240
Their movement has an extraordinary
impact on this ecosystem.
2374
02:40:37,240 --> 02:40:40,880
Firstly, directly - that grazing
pressure is preventing
2375
02:40:40,880 --> 02:40:44,640
the regeneration of trees.
It's keeping this as open savanna.
2376
02:40:45,720 --> 02:40:48,800
Also, the impact that they have
on the predators.
2377
02:40:48,800 --> 02:40:53,000
This is, of course, an enormous
amount of meat on the move.
2378
02:40:53,000 --> 02:40:55,720
Many animals will take
advantage of that.
2379
02:40:55,720 --> 02:40:59,000
Lions will simply stay
in their territories
2380
02:40:59,000 --> 02:41:02,200
and eagerly await the arrival
of the wildebeest.
2381
02:41:02,200 --> 02:41:05,240
Ditto the crocodiles that are
stopped in those rivers
2382
02:41:05,240 --> 02:41:07,680
which they have to cross en route.
2383
02:41:07,680 --> 02:41:11,480
Then lastly, there are predators
that will go out for the day,
2384
02:41:11,480 --> 02:41:12,920
follow the wildebeest,
2385
02:41:12,920 --> 02:41:16,480
but then go back to their dens
in the evening, or in the morning -
2386
02:41:16,480 --> 02:41:18,840
depending whether they're diurnal
or nocturnal.
2387
02:41:18,840 --> 02:41:21,880
Things like wild dogs
and those spotted hyenas.
2388
02:41:24,800 --> 02:41:29,200
On average, the migration travels
up to 5km a day.
2389
02:41:31,040 --> 02:41:32,880
It looks like this year,
2390
02:41:32,880 --> 02:41:36,520
they're going to skirt around
the water hole site,
2391
02:41:36,520 --> 02:41:41,240
so the natural order of our
ecosystem remains unchanged for now.
2392
02:41:42,880 --> 02:41:46,280
But next time, it could be
a different story.
2393
02:41:52,440 --> 02:41:57,000
The water hole will always
attract new seasonal visitors.
2394
02:41:57,000 --> 02:41:59,720
But in the six months since
being built, it's becoming
2395
02:41:59,720 --> 02:42:01,720
a permanent home for some.
2396
02:42:04,680 --> 02:42:08,400
And it's our filming hide,
perched in the middle of the water,
2397
02:42:08,400 --> 02:42:11,040
that seems to be the
location of choice.
2398
02:42:14,040 --> 02:42:16,720
You may not be, but I'm
very pleased to see
2399
02:42:16,720 --> 02:42:20,600
that these animals have taken up
residence in our hide.
2400
02:42:20,600 --> 02:42:22,640
This is a paper wasp.
2401
02:42:22,640 --> 02:42:25,680
It's one of a number of species
2402
02:42:25,680 --> 02:42:27,480
known as Belonogaster.
2403
02:42:27,480 --> 02:42:30,120
And they're very similar
to the social wasp
2404
02:42:30,120 --> 02:42:32,520
that we have in the UK -
in terms of their behaviour,
2405
02:42:32,520 --> 02:42:33,960
not their physical appearance.
2406
02:42:33,960 --> 02:42:36,840
You can see it's got a much
narrower, longer waist there
2407
02:42:36,840 --> 02:42:39,080
towards the end of the abdomen,
2408
02:42:39,080 --> 02:42:41,280
and those beautiful red wings.
2409
02:42:41,280 --> 02:42:45,360
This is a queen and that nest
has just about got started.
2410
02:42:45,360 --> 02:42:49,000
So she's arrived, chewed up some
paper on a tree out here,
2411
02:42:49,000 --> 02:42:52,440
and she's made that tiny
little petiole - that strong piece
2412
02:42:52,440 --> 02:42:54,920
of fabric here, which is going
to support the whole nest
2413
02:42:54,920 --> 02:42:57,560
and it's going to grow considerably
larger than this.
2414
02:42:57,560 --> 02:42:59,800
Then she's made a couple
of cells,
2415
02:42:59,800 --> 02:43:02,440
and into those she's laid some eggs.
2416
02:43:05,160 --> 02:43:07,760
And at the moment,
she's having to fly out and hunt
2417
02:43:07,760 --> 02:43:11,600
to feed those grubs, which are just
nestling in there.
2418
02:43:11,600 --> 02:43:14,400
Probably caterpillars is going to be
the main source of food
2419
02:43:14,400 --> 02:43:17,760
that she's looking for.
Something soft and easy to chew.
2420
02:43:17,760 --> 02:43:21,800
And she'll come back, and then
she'll scrape the edge of the comb,
2421
02:43:21,800 --> 02:43:25,360
and the larvae will come up
and she'll delicately feed them.
2422
02:43:25,360 --> 02:43:27,520
She's a bit mobile at the moment.
2423
02:43:27,520 --> 02:43:30,080
You can see her moving
around there.
2424
02:43:30,080 --> 02:43:32,640
And you can see one of
the grubs there
2425
02:43:32,640 --> 02:43:36,880
with its head capsule just
coming out of the cell.
2426
02:43:36,880 --> 02:43:38,560
Maybe it's a little bit hungry.
2427
02:43:38,560 --> 02:43:43,320
when they emerge, those workers
divide themselves into castes.
2428
02:43:43,320 --> 02:43:45,560
They do different jobs.
2429
02:43:45,560 --> 02:43:48,960
So, some will be guards.
2430
02:43:48,960 --> 02:43:53,440
Others are foragers, and they
will go out hunting
2431
02:43:53,440 --> 02:43:56,080
for those caterpillars
to bring back.
2432
02:43:56,080 --> 02:44:00,120
Meaning that the fertile queen,
the most valuable
2433
02:44:00,120 --> 02:44:04,840
part of this colony, will be able to
remain in the safety and security
2434
02:44:04,840 --> 02:44:07,240
of our hide on the nest.
2435
02:44:09,280 --> 02:44:11,640
People sometimes say,
"What are wasps for?"
2436
02:44:11,640 --> 02:44:15,360
My reply is always simple,
"What are you for?"
2437
02:44:16,560 --> 02:44:19,200
You shouldn't misjudge wasps
just because they sting.
2438
02:44:19,200 --> 02:44:23,680
They're fascinating insects and an
integral part of the ecology here.
2439
02:44:24,760 --> 02:44:27,440
Now, down by the water hole
at the moment, we've got this lush,
2440
02:44:27,440 --> 02:44:31,000
green carpet of grass being munched
by loads of herbivores,
2441
02:44:31,000 --> 02:44:33,640
and they're not all big
animals like impala.
2442
02:44:33,640 --> 02:44:36,480
A lot of them are small things,
like the caterpillars.
2443
02:44:36,480 --> 02:44:39,360
And if these guys weren't
controlling those caterpillar
2444
02:44:39,360 --> 02:44:42,640
populations, then the whole
place would be defoliated.
2445
02:44:42,640 --> 02:44:44,840
The ecology would collapse.
2446
02:44:44,840 --> 02:44:48,680
You need everything in place to
maintain that balance of nature,
2447
02:44:48,680 --> 02:44:52,960
to keep that beautiful, dynamic
harmony working.
2448
02:44:52,960 --> 02:44:54,560
And that's why you need wasps.
2449
02:44:55,800 --> 02:44:57,520
Wasps are cool.
2450
02:44:59,720 --> 02:45:04,120
The paper wasp brings our list
up to 101.
2451
02:45:05,960 --> 02:45:09,280
The number and variety of species
is impressive,
2452
02:45:09,280 --> 02:45:12,640
considering the water hole is only
six months old.
2453
02:45:14,480 --> 02:45:17,600
But how does it compare to
a long-established,
2454
02:45:17,600 --> 02:45:20,560
naturally occurring
freshwater source?
2455
02:45:23,440 --> 02:45:27,280
Mwiba is part of one of the oldest
ecosystems on Earth...
2456
02:45:27,280 --> 02:45:28,760
..the Serengeti.
2457
02:45:31,040 --> 02:45:35,160
And 7km from our
water hole is Sele Springs.
2458
02:45:40,880 --> 02:45:43,640
It's hundreds of years old,
but almost disappeared
2459
02:45:43,640 --> 02:45:45,320
in the dry season.
2460
02:45:47,000 --> 02:45:50,200
Thanks to the recent rains,
it's full again.
2461
02:45:53,680 --> 02:45:55,640
To find out how this ancient spring
2462
02:45:55,640 --> 02:45:58,520
contrasts to our fledgling
water hole,
2463
02:45:58,520 --> 02:46:01,160
we've brought
in Dr Meredith Palmer.
2464
02:46:02,640 --> 02:46:07,280
She's been studying the Serengeti
ecosystem for over a decade
2465
02:46:07,280 --> 02:46:10,760
and has been using camera
traps at Sele to gather data
2466
02:46:10,760 --> 02:46:13,560
over the past six months.
2467
02:46:13,560 --> 02:46:17,000
So here, if we're focusing
on the mammal species,
2468
02:46:17,000 --> 02:46:20,920
we can see that Sele Springs
would be a very similar number
2469
02:46:20,920 --> 02:46:22,880
of animals showing up.
2470
02:46:22,880 --> 02:46:27,200
Incredibly, our new water hole
is sustaining as many
2471
02:46:27,200 --> 02:46:29,000
species as Sele.
2472
02:46:32,040 --> 02:46:34,280
And there are some animals
that are only coming
2473
02:46:34,280 --> 02:46:35,920
to our water hole.
2474
02:46:38,160 --> 02:46:40,400
We're getting more mongoose...
2475
02:46:40,400 --> 02:46:43,920
..porcupine, rabbits, spring hares,
2476
02:46:43,920 --> 02:46:46,080
a lot more monkeys here.
2477
02:46:47,840 --> 02:46:51,200
At our water hole, on the other
hand, we're getting servals.
2478
02:46:52,720 --> 02:46:54,400
We have things like waterbuck...
2479
02:46:55,400 --> 02:46:56,440
..kudu.
2480
02:47:00,920 --> 02:47:04,960
Dr Palmer's research shows that
wildlife is also behaving
2481
02:47:04,960 --> 02:47:07,000
differently at each site.
2482
02:47:13,760 --> 02:47:17,160
Despite it being new in
the landscape, many animals
2483
02:47:17,160 --> 02:47:21,200
are more comfortable drinking
at our water hole than at Sele.
2484
02:47:22,560 --> 02:47:26,520
So, impalas are spending far more
time there than they are at Sele.
2485
02:47:27,720 --> 02:47:29,760
We can see the same
with the giraffe.
2486
02:47:31,360 --> 02:47:36,240
At our water hole, impala stay for
around half an hour each visit.
2487
02:47:37,680 --> 02:47:41,320
That's twice the length of time
that they spend at Sele Springs.
2488
02:47:42,600 --> 02:47:46,000
And that's also the case
for zebra and giraffe.
2489
02:47:47,840 --> 02:47:50,040
Any theories on why that might be?
2490
02:47:50,040 --> 02:47:51,600
It could be a safety issue.
2491
02:47:51,600 --> 02:47:53,760
Our water hole
is a little bit more open,
2492
02:47:53,760 --> 02:47:56,240
you can see the predators coming.
2493
02:47:56,240 --> 02:47:58,600
They might feel safer
to stay longer.
2494
02:48:02,840 --> 02:48:07,160
By working with Mwiba to build
our water hole in an open area,
2495
02:48:07,160 --> 02:48:10,720
we've made a safer place
for many herbivores.
2496
02:48:11,640 --> 02:48:14,640
Predators have fewer chances
to hide,
2497
02:48:14,640 --> 02:48:18,160
and as a result, a lot of species
seem to take their time
2498
02:48:18,160 --> 02:48:21,000
at this brand-new water source.
2499
02:48:23,200 --> 02:48:25,200
And the more wildlife feel secure,
2500
02:48:25,200 --> 02:48:28,360
the more likely it will return
in the future.
2501
02:48:29,600 --> 02:48:31,920
Our water hole's the new kid
on the block
2502
02:48:31,920 --> 02:48:33,920
and it's still done pretty well.
2503
02:48:33,920 --> 02:48:36,600
I mean, comparatively, we're looking
at similar numbers
2504
02:48:36,600 --> 02:48:39,840
of mammal species, that's...
That's really impressive.
2505
02:48:39,840 --> 02:48:43,080
Yeah, I think it's amazing how
quickly the community assemble
2506
02:48:43,080 --> 02:48:45,760
at our water hole, how many
animals we got
2507
02:48:45,760 --> 02:48:47,920
and how soon they showed up.
2508
02:48:47,920 --> 02:48:51,440
We're seeing the same forces shape
animal behaviour
2509
02:48:51,440 --> 02:48:54,320
at our water hole and other
water holes like this.
2510
02:48:54,320 --> 02:48:57,920
And even though it's still
an experiment in progress,
2511
02:48:57,920 --> 02:49:00,680
the community is still jostling
and assembling
2512
02:49:00,680 --> 02:49:02,600
and becoming a water hole.
2513
02:49:02,600 --> 02:49:05,840
Having the opportunity to look
through all this data,
2514
02:49:05,840 --> 02:49:09,240
and it's such a fine scale,
has just been really fascinating.
2515
02:49:14,160 --> 02:49:17,800
Mwiba are planning to keep studying
the water hole in the future
2516
02:49:17,800 --> 02:49:20,760
to reveal the long-term impacts
of water availability
2517
02:49:20,760 --> 02:49:22,480
on African wildlife.
2518
02:49:26,760 --> 02:49:31,120
And their ecosystem manager,
Mark Ghaui, is excited
2519
02:49:31,120 --> 02:49:34,000
by the potential of having
this constant water source
2520
02:49:34,000 --> 02:49:35,360
in the reserve.
2521
02:49:37,080 --> 02:49:39,760
This started off as a little
experiment, but it's been
2522
02:49:39,760 --> 02:49:42,000
a remarkable success, hasn't it?
2523
02:49:42,000 --> 02:49:44,720
Yes, six months has gone really
quickly and it's amazing
2524
02:49:44,720 --> 02:49:47,320
to see and feel how much part
of the landscape it is.
2525
02:49:47,320 --> 02:49:50,120
I think to be able to guarantee
water will just be, without a doubt,
2526
02:49:50,120 --> 02:49:52,840
beneficial for these populations.
2527
02:49:55,600 --> 02:49:58,440
Water has been in such
short supply in Mwiba
2528
02:49:58,440 --> 02:50:00,880
that conflict has been increasing
2529
02:50:00,880 --> 02:50:03,960
between wildlife and human
populations...
2530
02:50:03,960 --> 02:50:07,120
..who often use the same natural
water sources.
2531
02:50:09,640 --> 02:50:13,880
Mark hopes that the new water hole
might be a possible solution
2532
02:50:13,880 --> 02:50:16,720
and has been keeping an eye
on incidents in the area
2533
02:50:16,720 --> 02:50:19,320
over the past six months.
2534
02:50:19,320 --> 02:50:22,040
In terms of human-wildlife
conflict,
2535
02:50:22,040 --> 02:50:24,760
do you think that this has played
any small role in reducing
2536
02:50:24,760 --> 02:50:26,360
that in this local area?
2537
02:50:26,360 --> 02:50:29,160
We are close to the boundary
and also close to watering points
2538
02:50:29,160 --> 02:50:31,680
that communities use and I think
to have a water source here
2539
02:50:31,680 --> 02:50:34,200
that they can access without
leaving the reserve
2540
02:50:34,200 --> 02:50:36,720
and troubling those communities
will definitely...
2541
02:50:36,720 --> 02:50:39,160
I think we'll definitely
see a reduction
2542
02:50:39,160 --> 02:50:41,480
in human-wildlife conflict
as a result.
2543
02:50:41,480 --> 02:50:46,160
Conflict is a growing problem across
Tanzania, where there are no fences
2544
02:50:46,160 --> 02:50:48,800
between wildlife reserves
and villages.
2545
02:50:50,000 --> 02:50:54,080
Many tribes are herders, keeping
thirsty animals like cows
2546
02:50:54,080 --> 02:50:57,760
that need to drink up to 100
litres of water a day.
2547
02:51:00,040 --> 02:51:05,440
There's been an explosion in cattle
over the past three decades.
2548
02:51:05,440 --> 02:51:08,480
Now, there were approximately
30 million cows
2549
02:51:08,480 --> 02:51:10,160
across the country.
2550
02:51:12,040 --> 02:51:15,240
It's putting a huge strain
on supplies.
2551
02:51:15,240 --> 02:51:18,320
And when water runs low,
people have little choice
2552
02:51:18,320 --> 02:51:21,320
but to violently protect that water.
2553
02:51:25,400 --> 02:51:30,640
Last year on the outskirts of Mwiba,
there was one human fatality
2554
02:51:30,640 --> 02:51:33,920
and countless altercations
as humans and wildlife
2555
02:51:33,920 --> 02:51:36,360
fought over food and water.
2556
02:51:39,000 --> 02:51:43,840
But in the past six months, there
have been no reported incidents
2557
02:51:43,840 --> 02:51:46,480
near Mwiba's park boundary...
2558
02:51:46,480 --> 02:51:49,160
..thanks, in part,
to our water hole.
2559
02:51:51,000 --> 02:51:53,640
What about the long term
legacy, then?
2560
02:51:53,640 --> 02:51:56,280
I think it's going to be a big part
of our landscape going forward.
2561
02:51:56,280 --> 02:52:00,080
I think, yeah, from our perspective,
it's just getting started.
2562
02:52:00,080 --> 02:52:03,120
And, yeah, it's been wonderful
to see how animals have fixed
2563
02:52:03,120 --> 02:52:06,040
their lives and their routines
around it, how they've engaged
2564
02:52:06,040 --> 02:52:07,720
with it and I think we'll be
seeing that
2565
02:52:07,720 --> 02:52:09,840
for many, many years to come here.
2566
02:52:23,920 --> 02:52:25,440
to our species list.
2567
02:52:28,040 --> 02:52:31,400
The hoopoe is named
after its distinctive call.
2568
02:52:31,400 --> 02:52:33,920
ECHOING WHOOP
2569
02:52:35,560 --> 02:52:38,720
The woodland kingfisher
is one of the many kingfishers
2570
02:52:38,720 --> 02:52:40,960
that don't just eat fish,
2571
02:52:40,960 --> 02:52:44,800
but also hunt insects,
frogs and snakes.
2572
02:52:47,040 --> 02:52:51,320
The rufous-tailed weaver is
a monogamous bird that's only
2573
02:52:51,320 --> 02:52:55,360
found here in East Africa
and nowhere else in the world.
2574
02:52:58,680 --> 02:53:03,680
We've been recording a vast array
of animals over the last six months.
2575
02:53:06,120 --> 02:53:09,840
And I'm digging into the data
to find out what this unique
2576
02:53:09,840 --> 02:53:13,440
experiment has revealed
about how wildlife interacts
2577
02:53:13,440 --> 02:53:15,080
at a water hole.
2578
02:53:18,120 --> 02:53:21,880
We've had our cameras
on for over 1,400 hours
2579
02:53:21,880 --> 02:53:24,320
during the six-month period.
2580
02:53:24,320 --> 02:53:27,840
We've got data coming out of our
ears and we can see our
2581
02:53:27,840 --> 02:53:29,440
final figures now.
2582
02:53:35,520 --> 02:53:40,840
We've recorded 105 species
visiting our water hole...
2583
02:53:40,840 --> 02:53:43,720
..including 26 different mammals.
2584
02:53:43,720 --> 02:53:45,440
GRUNTING, SQUAWKING AND ROARING
2585
02:53:47,160 --> 02:53:51,400
If we look at them according to
size, it's the mega-herbivores,
2586
02:53:51,400 --> 02:53:57,280
elephant, buffalo and giraffe,
that came in the biggest numbers.
2587
02:54:02,880 --> 02:54:06,160
But they didn't spend the most
time here.
2588
02:54:06,160 --> 02:54:09,720
Clocking up an impressive
19 hours...
2589
02:54:09,720 --> 02:54:12,960
..the impala stayed longer
than anyone else...
2590
02:54:14,240 --> 02:54:17,440
..enjoying the safety provided
by the open landscape
2591
02:54:17,440 --> 02:54:19,240
around our water hole.
2592
02:54:21,920 --> 02:54:26,320
Surprisingly, though, they weren't
the most frequent visitor.
2593
02:54:27,360 --> 02:54:30,280
It was the hyenas that came
to the water hole
2594
02:54:30,280 --> 02:54:32,440
more than any other species...
2595
02:54:35,280 --> 02:54:39,080
..making a total
of 121 separate visits.
2596
02:54:45,760 --> 02:54:48,720
Now, this personally is actually
really surprising to me.
2597
02:54:48,720 --> 02:54:51,360
I wouldn't have expected
that a carnivore
2598
02:54:51,360 --> 02:54:54,320
would have been the most frequent
mammal to the water hole...
2599
02:54:54,320 --> 02:54:56,040
..but they were.
2600
02:54:59,680 --> 02:55:03,360
We always assumed water-dependent
herbivores would visit
2601
02:55:03,360 --> 02:55:05,720
the water hole the most.
2602
02:55:05,720 --> 02:55:09,840
But it's actually good news
that hyenas came so frequently.
2603
02:55:13,280 --> 02:55:16,520
They're known as the health
police by scientists,
2604
02:55:16,520 --> 02:55:19,440
because they can eat animals that
have died from diseases
2605
02:55:19,440 --> 02:55:21,840
that are deadly to other species.
2606
02:55:23,600 --> 02:55:27,240
Their stomach acid and immune
system is so strong,
2607
02:55:27,240 --> 02:55:31,760
they're one of the few animals that
can digest anthrax and survive.
2608
02:55:33,600 --> 02:55:38,240
If they return, they'll help keep
this new ecosystem in balance.
2609
02:55:45,560 --> 02:55:49,240
This has been
an extraordinary venture.
2610
02:55:49,240 --> 02:55:52,920
We've had a rare chance to see
a whole community of wildlife
2611
02:55:52,920 --> 02:55:56,760
taking shape around a water hole
that six months ago
2612
02:55:56,760 --> 02:55:58,800
just didn't exist.
2613
02:56:00,640 --> 02:56:02,800
And the great thing is...
2614
02:56:02,800 --> 02:56:05,880
..it's here to stay.
2615
02:56:05,880 --> 02:56:09,880
Our water hole will benefit
future generations of wildlife
2616
02:56:09,880 --> 02:56:14,840
and also the people it shares
the landscape with.
2617
02:56:14,840 --> 02:56:18,080
When we arrived here,
this little corner of Africa
2618
02:56:18,080 --> 02:56:20,560
was just a dusty piece of savanna.
2619
02:56:20,560 --> 02:56:22,720
But over the last six months,
we've seen
2620
02:56:22,720 --> 02:56:24,640
a remarkable transformation.
2621
02:56:24,640 --> 02:56:29,480
It's undeniable - this experiment
has become a huge success.
2622
02:56:29,480 --> 02:56:33,520
We did wonder if the animals
would come, and they did.
2623
02:56:34,520 --> 02:56:37,600
And they are still coming.
2624
02:56:37,600 --> 02:56:39,440
You know the best thing?
2625
02:56:39,440 --> 02:56:41,680
We've made something
that a whole bunch
2626
02:56:41,680 --> 02:56:45,720
of animals now call home, and that
puts a smile on my face
2627
02:56:45,720 --> 02:56:48,320
and makes me feel pretty good.
220496
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