Original subtitles

(water splashing)

The show, a breathtaking drama,

the location,

a river in Africa,

the main protagonists, crocodiles,

(dramatic music)

supporting actors involved,

everything Africa's wildlife has to offer.

(dramatic music)

The expansive stage of the Maasai Mara in Kenya

is an ideal location for some stunning combats,

heavyweight conflicts and touching family scenes.

The show centers (zebras barking)

on the age, old theme (cheetah growling)

of the hunted and the hunters,

life and death.

(lively music)

(vultures growling)

But none of the other protagonists can match this one,

the killer that comes out of the water.

(water babbling)

(lively music)

Hardly any other region in Africa is home

to a greater multitude of animals than the Maasai Mara.

This region in the Southwest of Kenya

is the land of the Massai.

These are semi-nomadic pastoralists

who live off their herds of cattle

and are known to be excellent warriors.

The Maasai Mara National Park lies in the Southwest of Kenya

in East Africa and borders on the Serengeti in Tanzania.

When the dry period begins in June

in the Southern Serengeti,

innumerable herds of wildebeest

join up to migrate over 800 kilometers

to the Maasai Mara,

forever on the lookout for fresh pastures.

During this migration, they have to cross several rivers.

The greatest obstacle and one that has to be crossed

is the Mara River.

It flows from Kenya

through the Maasai Mara region

and continues on across the border

into Tanzania and the Serengeti.

At first sight,

it may not look particularly threatening,

and it is indeed the main artery

that keeps the Maasai Mara alive.

These heat sensitive hippos (hippopotamus growling)

rely completely on the river to secure their very existence

in the Savannah.

Nowhere else does the vegetation offer

such a wealth of food for the elephants.

Depending on their size,

these pachyderms also require from 70 to 250 liters

of drinking water a day

and nowhere else can lions choose

from such a well-stocked table provided they're ready

to wait a bit.

(lively music)

The Mara River is the only river

in this region that carries water all year round.

Only here can the yellow-billed stork

troll the bottom of the river shallows

for an endless supply of fish.

Only here can the heavy-hoofed animals of the Masaai Mara

find drinking water in plenty.

The banks are often crowded with wildlife

for that very reason.

That slip (water splashing)

could have ended in tragedy

because for many animals, the Mara River that meanders

for nearly 400 kilometers through the Savannah

is the most hazardous river in the whole of Africa

because of these fellows.

Crocodiles spend the majority of their lives

just lying around in that armored skins doing nothing.

As cold blooded animals,

they can only regulate their body temperature

through their own activities.

They have to enjoy extensive sunbathing sessions

to enable them to carry out their sorties underwater.

The webs between their toes on the rear feet

help them to swim. (water babbling)

Their tail that makes up around half

of their six meter length is what drives them

but it can only work if the animals operating temperature

has been reached.

If it falls below 30 degrees,

the reptile will return to land to warm up.

Half submerged half above the water line

is a popular position.

That way one can keep warm

and look as harmless as a large piece of wood

but can mutate into an underwater torpedo in an instant.

(dramatic music)

At the moment, though, there is little prey to go for.

So a more leisurely pace is perfectly acceptable.

Walking along the river bed uses less energy

than those powerful flicks of the tail.

(dramatic music) (water babbling)

What looks like (crocodile growling)

boredom induced yawning is in fact temperature regulation.

By opening its mouth,

the reptile prevents its brain overheating.

(water babbling)

If it's still too hot, it moves into the water.

A lunchtime dose underwater is only possible

for a crocodile if the water is very warm.

The geographical range of their existence

is restricted to tropical

and subtropical regions. (birds chirping)

They can't afford to waste too much energy.

Most of the time throughout the year,

they just wait ready to attack with their fearsome jaws

containing more than 70 teeth.

(birds chirping)

Crocodiles share their habitat with hippos.

(hippopotamus growling)

In the Maasai Mara,

there are especially large numbers of hippos.

These socially orientated animals form small herds

of up to 30 individuals.

Underwater, these heavyweights even look elegant,

thanks to the buoyancy effect of the water.

Rather than actually swimming,

they tend to walk under water.

They spend most of the day in the water

because their sensitive skin would crack

in the intense summer heat.

They can stay under water for up to five minutes

before they have to come up again for air.

(calming music)

(water babbling)

(water splashing)

(hippopotamus growling)

As a rule, (water splashing)

one older bull will live together

with a group of females and their young.

The animals are generally related

and maintain friendly contact with one another.

(soft calming music)

As long as there is sufficient water in the river,

there are no grounds for rivalry.

(lively music)

(elephant rumbling)

Elephants also like to congregate around the Mara River.

The smaller ones are best off keeping close to the adults.

That way, they're less likely to become

a crocodile's next lunch.

Elephants (elephant rumbling)

are among the most socially orientated animals in the world.

This little elephant has not yet learned

how to use its trunk to drink with.

That muscular appendage is still in the way.

(birds chirping) (water babbling)

It takes a while

for baby elephants (elephant rumbling)

to learn what useful tools their trunks are.

The older adults can use their muscular trunks

as a most versatile multi-tool.

During meal times, it fulfills both the grab

and the cutlery functions.

This little one can't start learning a moment too soon

even if it is fed by its mother's milk for many months.

(elephants rumbling)

In greetings,

the trunk acts as a handshake appendage,

and the mutual smells tell the other party

the identity of the caller.

(elephant rumbling)

And if it's not quite long enough to scratch with,

one can always use a termite hill.

(elephant rumbling)

This mother cheetah and her three almost fully grown young

and two younger males have made their way down to the river.

The brothers share the remains of the gazelle they caught.

(birds chirping)

(cheetah growling)

But the female cheetah also has to get some fresh food in

for the family.

The youngsters follow her, hopefully.

(suspenseful music) (birds chirping)

The brothers are so involved

that they don't even notice the family.

(cheetah growling)

This one has been distracted.

One youngster has discovered the hidden camera

but the mother has her sights on something else.

What is that thing that neither runs away nor attacks?

(cheetah growling)

(dramatic music)

But what she has discovered does indeed runaway,

she begins the hunt.

(dramatic music)

The hare can accelerate up to 70 kilometers an hour

but the cheetah is even faster.

This big cat can even reach speeds

of 100 kilometers an hour over short distances.

(dramatic music)

Hares are famous for their zigzag running strategy

but the cheetah is nearly as smart.

(dramatic music)

The big cap strategy is to cause the prey to trip up

with a carefully aimed hit of the paw and yet...

(dramatic music)

Despite that particular failure, no other predator

has such a high success rate as the cheetah.

Half of its hunting sorties result in a catch.

After hunting, the mother needs a long break

to protect herself against overheating.

The brothers also need time to recover.

Full stomachs make one feel sleepy.

It's not only the main stretch of the Mara River

that is attractive to animals.

It stagnant oxbows are a haven

for thriving aquatic vegetation,

which has a regular supply of fertilizer,

thanks to the hippos.

The ibises make use of the heavyweight creatures

as platforms in their search for insects,

some of which they find on the hippo's heads.

The crocodiles are even better camouflaged here

than in the clear waters of the main river.

(frogs croaking)

Out of an inaccessible sun's pit,

the next generation is making its first moves.

(hatchling growling)

The female will have laid the eggs here three months ago

in a nest made of sand and vegetation residues.

The brooding temperature determines the sex

of the young ones.

In Nile crocodiles,

the young will only be male

if the eggs are maintained

at a temperature of 32 to 35 degrees.

Above or below that temperature range,

the young will be female.

The calls they produce while still

inside the eggs appear to stimulate the brood.

They all hatch at the same time.

(hatchling growling) (playful music)

Hardly have they left their nest,

when they are approached by a cavernous mouth.

(hatchling growling) (playful music)

Just hatched and their short lives already at an end?

But not a single scale will be damaged.

Their mother heard them calling

and is transporting them safely to the water.

Female crocodiles are extremely caring mothers

and keep a watchful eye on their young for quite a while.

Early on, these miniature lizards demonstrate their talent

of surprising their prey.

A fully grown giraffe may not need to worry much

about a crocodile,

but the act of drinking is still quite awkward.

It's not only the fact

that they almost have to kneel down to drink.

The animal has to apply considerable muscular effort

to move its head downwards.

Giraffes have a powerful tendon that keeps their head

and neck upright when at rest.

(bird chirping)

The river and its green banks attract many giraffes.

For a long time, it was felt that these animals

had developed their long necks

simply to give them unrivaled access to the higher leaves

on the trees.

However, they often eat vegetation

at half their height.

An alternative theory suggests that the long neck

was used for a completely different purpose,

to give the bulls an advantage when fighting over a female.

(dramatic music)

These two young bulls are merely practicing.

They're gauging their strikes very carefully.

(dramatic music)

They live in loosely structured batchelor groups

but later become loners.

(dramatic music)

If they then meet arrival during the mating period,

there'll be no consideration for the other.

They will then apply a full power to their strikes

and their rudimentary horns

or ossicones become dangerous weapons.

The objective is to knock one's opponent of his feet.

Many contests of this kind of left the loser dead.

These two are not in any way intending to injure each other,

let alone kill, but practice makes perfect.

Afternoon in the Maasai Mara,

not quite the ideal hunting time for the lions.

This group of banded mongooses

is quite safe to pass by.

These diurnal animals go hunting as a group.

The leader of the pack is one of the older females.

Still time for a little nap before work starts in earnest

in a couple of hours.

(playful music)

(mongoose giggling)

The mongooses scour the terrain for beetles,

larvae and other insects.

(mongoose giggling)

Now and again, they dig down a little to unearth

a particularly tasty morsel.

(playful music)

Even if they go out as a group,

each mongoose searches for itself.

Occasionally, a mother and her young will dig together

but normally mongooses hunt individually for food.

(playful music)

There are nevertheless close ties within the group

which will usually consist of three to four pairs

and their young.

(playful music) (mongooses giggling)

In the Maasai Mara,

this results in groups of around 35 animals.

Impala are seldom seen alone.

(birds chirping)

(impalas snarling)

This very young male is still allowed to be in the herd.

The female is presumably its mother.

Otherwise, these herds consist of females

and a few of the older males who will fight each other

for mating rights during the mating period.

(impalas snarling) (birds chirping)

The dominant male will change

from time to time at the top of the field.

Outside the mating period, they graze peacefully together.

In contrast to the wildebeest and zebras,

impalas do not migrate outside the national park

so the lions have always got a steady source of food.

That's an important point because lions,

in contrast to crocodiles,

can't go without fresh food for long periods,

especially when they have young.

They may not be babies anymore,

but they're not able to hunt for themselves

and rely completely on the adults,

but it can take awhile

before they actually manage to deliver the goods.

(lively music)

Lion are the only big cats that form a pride

and maintain close social contacts.

By contrast, the hippopotamus moves every evening

from socially orientated family member to lone individual,

each grazing on its own.

The hippos have to graze at night.

Unlike the diurnal zebras,

hippos would not survive extended grazing periods

in the blazing sun.

(lively music)

The King of the Savannah

still does not appear (lion roaring)

to be in a hunting mood,

but soon he will set off on that errand.

The animals in the Maasai Mara have to be constantly

on the lookout.

(lively music)

(crickets chirping)

The fact that hippos have skin that is so sensitive

to the sun, making them night tunnel grazers

maybe linked to their ancestors.

They're related to whales.

(crickets chirping)

These massive creatures need not fear the dark.

They have no predators.

And anyway, the buffalo is busy with something else.

(crickets chirping)

It's in particular, the smaller hunters

like the mongooses that rely on the cover of darkness.

(crickets chirping)

The hippo has to devour at least 40 kilograms

of vegetation every night,

which only accounts for 1 to 1 1/2% of its body weight.

(crickets chirping)

(lion growling)

Lions and crocodiles will generally avoid each other

(suspenseful music)

(lion growling)

generally.

(lions growling)

Lions will indeed protect their young

or their dinner carcasses against crocodiles

but don't normally consider them to be prey.

Perhaps these lions were just after an adrenaline kick.

(lively music)

(birds chirping)

A new day dawns and with it,

the start of the greatest drama of the Masaai Mara.

(lively music)

The first wildebeest reach the river region.

(lively music)

Behind them is an 800 kilometer energy draining migration.

(lively music)

It's far greener here than in the overgrazed Serengeti.

(wildebeests growling)

In the Maasai Mara,

the rain and drought periods are less extreme

than in the Southern Serengeti.

Heavy thunderstorms keep ensuring

the supply of fresh water,

which benefits the green vegetation

(wildebeests growling)

Before the animals embark

on the most difficult part of their journey,

crossing the river,

they enjoy rest and take the edge off their hunger.

They specialize in short grass.

It replenishes itself relatively quickly

but is grazed to nothing in a short time,

which is why these animals keep searching for new pastures.

Their broad mouths, large incisors and mobile lips

make them the perfect lawn mowers.

(wildebeests growling)

For some though,

the luscious green came too late

and it doesn't take long before they're discovered.

(suspenseful music)

(vultures growling)

For the vouchers, wildebeests that die of exhaustion

are a feast.

(suspenseful music)

(vultures growling)

Ruppell's vultures

specialize in large carrion such as wildebeest.

(vultures growling)

The marabou may be larger than them

but the vultures sharp curved beaks are far superior

both as meat cutting tools and weapons.

(dramatic music)

(vulture growling)

These feathered scavengers do not like sharing.

Some are so involved in infighting, they forget to eat.

(dramatic music)

(birds chirping)

But these quarrelsome creatures provide an important service

to the Maasai Mara.

By stripping carcasses often right down to the bare bones,

they prevent the spread of epidemic disease.

(vultures growling) (dramatic music)

When they're not fighting, Ruppell's vultures

can devour as much as a fifth of their own body weight

in one sitting.

That can be one to two kilograms.

(dramatic music) (vultures growling)

Having eaten their fill,

they find taking off a bit cumbersome.

(dramatic music)

(vultures growling)

Together with the first wildebeest,

we see many zebras arriving in the Maasai Mara.

Zebras eat the longer, tougher grass

which opens up the way for the wildebeest

to get to the shorter grass

that's rich in nutrients. (zebras braying)

As compensation, (water babbling)

the enormous herds of wildebeest provide protection

for the zebras against attackers.

It's normally the zebras that go down to the river first

(zebras barking)

and they have been waiting for this moment.

Crocodiles know from experience

where the animals will cross the river.

Driven by thirst,

the exhausted travelers make their way to the water.

As long as the crocs are moving,

they will be detected in good time.

The lions have also taken up their positions

and have already had a successful hunt.

But it's not enough for the full bride.

(lions rumbling)

The lions know exactly which points

on the river are the easiest

for the zebras and wildebeest to cross.

(lions roaring)

While some of the lionesses keep a watchful eye

on the young, others are closely watching out

for the arrivals by the river.

(lions roaring)

The lionesses, mostly mothers and daughters,

sisters, aunts, and nieces form the hunting party.

Crocodiles may not be quite as social

but later they will need each other as well.

More and more wildebeests gather on the opposite bank.

They're facing the greatest challenge of their long journey.

The steep banks alone that line the Mara in many places

are hard to overcome.

But the wildebeest have no choice.

(water babbling) (wildebeests growling)

Down by the river, the life-saving herd becomes a liability.

Hundreds of animals push their way forwards,

leaving no opportunity for escape.

The underwater hunters are on their way.

(water splashing)

(water babbling)

(wildebeests growling)

There is simply no end to this sumptuous meal.

The wildebeest are well-aware of the dangers

but they have to get through.

(water splashing) (suspenseful music)

The river literally puts obstacles in their way

and those rocks are often deceptively slippery.

(suspenseful music) (water splashing)

Once the first animals have dared to enter the water,

there's nowhere to go but forward.

The crocodiles, try to attack the open flanks.

If they get too close to the thick of it,

they're at risk themselves.

(suspenseful music) (water babbling)

Now the wildebeests have to run the gauntlet.

They have managed to reach the safety of the bank

(dramatic music)

but some didn't make it.

The wildebeest summon their last reserves of strength.

Their ability to leap is their only chance.

(dramatic music)

The safety of the individual lies

in the sheer mass of the herd.

(dramatic music)

But the crocodiles are not alone.

(dramatic music) (water splashing)

Once one of them has grabbed a wildebeest,

it attempts to drag it under water.

The other crocodiles will help.

(dramatic music) (water splashing)

Each bite has the force of 2,000 kilos.

Crocodiles are merciless opponents.

(dramatic music) (water plashing)

And the animals that pass the first hurdle

are faced with the next ambush.

The lion attempts to immobilize the wildebeest

by biting into its throat.

(dramatic music)

Even if they survive the river,

they can still be trampled under foot.

(lively music)

The youngest wildebeest,

born only a few months before in the Serengeti,

are experiencing this terrifying migration

for the first time.

They need to get back up to strength

but the track must go on.

Driven on by the stressful experience,

the animals quickly take control of their new terrain.

(lively music)

This large scale partnership of convenience

will now separate into smaller herds

until it's time to return to the Serengeti

in two months time following well-trodden ancestral paths.

(water babbling)

The battle of the Mara is over for the time being

and the vultures will finish what the crocodiles could not.

(water babbling)

(birds chirping)

They're still living in the lap of a rare luxury.

Even if a crocodile didn't manage to get

its own wildebeest,

there are plenty of fallen and drowned animals floating

right past their noses. (water splashing)

After a few days, the carcasses are easier

for the crocodiles to tear apart

than the freshly killed ones.

Despite their armory of teeth,

crocodiles can't bite off bits of their prey.

They have to rip them to pieces by shaking them

from side to side.

(water babbling)

Even though they cooperated in the hunt,

they do not like sharing.

(water splashing)

For the lions,

the Riverside hunt is now over

(lions rumbling)

but the pride had a successful hunting trip.

There's plenty for everyone.

And even the chance for the youngsters

to practice dismembering the kill

(water babbling)

and practicing the fatal bite to the throat.

(lively music)

For the youngest, it's all just a game.

Their teeth are not yet powerful enough to tear the skin.

They still need the adults for that.

(lively music)

(cubs rumbling)

A full stomach feels good.

Both the adults and their young feel playful.

(cub rumbling) (playful music)

But this unconcerned rollicking can't last long.

The adult lions know that if they leave the carcasses

unattended for long,

there will soon be nothing left.

(playful music)

So they drag them to a safe larder,

a tough task,

even for a fully grown lioness.

Hunting and eating are thirsty work.

Lions do not scoop up water with their tongues.

The rough surface of the tongue binds the drops of water

and that causes a pillar of water to follow

through the adhesive action between the water molecules.

(playful music)

(dramatic music)

The surface area of the Maasai Mara

is a mere 10th of the size of the Serengeti

and yet it provides sufficient food

for both the new arrivals

and the long established indigence.

Most of the step zebras and wildebeests are migrants.

These common tsessebe live here permanently.

The males like to stand on raised hummocks

to keep an eye on their territory and their females.

Since both sexes look very similar,

the females often copy this behavior

to confuse male intruders.

(lively music)

Giraffes have an even better view of the surroundings

which is why zebras like to stay close to the giraffe.

(lively music)

(zebras braying)

In the searing mid-day heat,

every unnecessary movement is avoided.

Even the jackal can't summon the energy to hunt.

(playful music)

(hyenas giggling)

The hyenas are no different.

(playful music)

Despite their reputation,

hyenas are not merely dimmed scavengers.

These youngsters will grow up into skilled hunters

capable of attacking even large, hoofed animals,

such as wildebeests or zebras individually or as a pack.

But that time is still some way off.

(playful music)

Mother hyenas suckle their young for a year,

longer than most other hunters.

(playful music) (birds chirping)

Hyenas live in clans controlled by the females

and with a clearly defined hierarchy.

The mother will pass her role onto her cub.

Common tsessebe are the preferred prey of hyenas

but not in the merciless, mid-day heat.

Nevertheless,

even after the great migration,

the drama of life and death is replayed over and over again

in the Maasai Mara.

(buffaloes growling)

An African Buffalo has died

and has not yet been discovered by scavengers

Its companions tried to protect it.

And it looks as if all of them feel the need

to reassure themselves that their fellow buffalo

really is dead.

The herd is looking confused and disoriented.

Perhaps the dead animal was a dominant, mature female.

(buffaloes growling) (suspenseful music)

Related cows form a group with a very strict hierarchy.

If a high ranking animal dies,

the herd first has to reorganize itself.

The saddle-billed stork is also a carrion-eater

but it has to wait until others

have ripped open the carcass.

(dramatic music)

The young tawny eagle is much better equipped.

As pure vegetarians,

elephants are most definitely not interested in carrion.

In contrast to popular belief however,

they do not only eat leaves,

in the Savannah,

they eat almost exclusively grass and lots of it.

An adult elephant

will devour 200 to 300 kilograms of vegetation a day.

(lively music)

They eat for as much as 17 hours a day

but this does not stop them having a little tiff.

(lively music)

Even the babies try to work out how mommy does it.

But this little one has chosen the wrong place.

(lively music)

Despite gorging themselves in this way,

the adolescents need a long time before they're fully grown,

not until they are 20 years old are the bulls

in a position to take on other competitors.

The herd is not alone.

The rare hook-lipped rhinoceros

is known to be one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.

(elephant rumbling)

This herd of elephants is relatively vulnerable

because of the young calves.

They're not able to run away very fast.

(suspenseful music) (birds chirping)

The aggressive rhinoceros bull

considers the elephants to be a threat.

(elephant rumbling)

But the lead cow wastes no time

and is ready to protect her herd.

(elephant rumbling) (dramatic music)

Even the rhinoceros is unlikely

to take on a three ton heavyweight.

(dramatic music)

(elephant rumbling)

The herd relaxes again.

The younger ones are practicing contests for later life.

(lively music)

But they're back in someone's sites again.

(birds chirping)

(elephant trumpeting)

The cows remain unperturbed.

The young are safe as long as they are close.

(lively music)

(elephant trumpeting)

As usual working out what a useful tool

the trunk is, (calf trumpeting)

is fun.

(playful music)

(elephants rumbling)

However peaceful the scene may appear to be,

the elephant's face an uncertain future.

Poachers are still keen on killing these majestic animals

for their tusks.

Every year, the population of African elephants

drops by 8%.

(elephant trumpeting)

(birds chirping)

Close to the Mara River,

there are many smaller, woodland areas

and the impalas love to retreat to these places.

(birds chirping)

One story higher up and the new based baboon

keeps a watchful eye.

(baboons growling) (playful music)

On the ground, it's fellow baboons are searching

for titbits.

The baboons dig in the ground for insects and roots.

(baboons growling)

To be able to ride piggyback,

an infant has to be at least six weeks old.

Until then, the babies cling

to their mother's furry underbelly.

And once they are a year old,

they have to fend for themselves.

(playful music)

(birds chirping)

At an age of around three months,

the young beginning to take an interest

in each other and play together.

The watchman issues of warning.

(suspenseful music)

The lion has no chance.

(suspenseful music)

The strong males hold their posts

until the danger has passed,

ready at a moment's notice to attack

if the harem is jeopardized.

He is a far more dangerous risk for the baboons.

Leopards attack from an ambush.

(birds chirping)

The martial eagle has already found its prey.

(birds chirping)

It's still too hot for the leopard.

Big cats do not go hunting until dusk,

but they are already being watched.

(birds chirping)

Raptors often stay close to larger hunters

because there's a good chance that a successful hunt

will leave something for them.

(birds chirping)

(leopard growling)

But it's looking as if they will have to wait a bit.

(birds chirping)

(leopard growling)

or will they?

(birds chirping)

No, this leopard has a rather different aim.

He uses a secretion from an anal gland

to mark out his territory.

The powerful smell is a clear warning to rivals,

"Keep your distance."

(dramatic music) (birds chirping)

The black back jackals did not want to wait any longer.

(dramatic music)

But they're having a tough time

keeping those annoying vultures at bay.

(vultures chirping)

(jackals barking)

The moderately sized hunters are clearly outnumbered

by the vultures and a fair amount

of their freshly replaced energy gets used up again.

(dramatic music)

(jackal barks)

Even a successful hunt in the Maasai Mara

does not mean that the spoils are all one zone.

Frequently,

the jackals will have to relinquish their hard one carcass

to larger hunters like lions and hyenas.

Jackals, leopards, lions, cheaters,

they all make sure that the life and death drama here

is a continuous daily cycle.

(dramatic music)

Each of them has its own way

to play the game (vultures chirping)

and each produces a slightly different

often unexpected result.

(lively music)

(birds chirping) (water babbling)

But none of them plays the game

in the same dramatic and unusual way as these animals.

(water babbling)

(suspenseful music)

They're waiting for the day

when once again they play the leading role

in the greatest drama of the Maasai Mara,

(suspenseful music)

(birds chirping)

(water babbling)

the day of the wildebeest cross the river.

(playful music) (water babbling)

Until that day,

there will always be more modest roles to play.

(birds chirping) (playful music)

(water babbling)

Whether the prey is big or small,

the director's instructions are always the same.

Has this yellow-billed stork not noticed

the living tree trunk?

(playful music) (water babbling)

Or is that tree trunk still full up

from its last wildebeest's supper?

(playful music)

(water babbling)

Whichever way it goes,

there's permanent tension in the air.

(playful music)

And whatever happens,

(playful music) (birds chirping)

the result is not known in advance.

(playful music)

(lively music)