All language subtitles for Tales From Zambia Series 1 3of7 Life and Death on the Plains 1080p

NARRATOR:
\hThe Liuwa Plains.

A remote grassland
in the far west of Zambia.

One of Africa’s
last wild places.

An extraordinary landscape.

A place of extremes.

For half the year,
it’s a dry, barren plain,

a harsh land where only
the toughest survive.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

But when the rains
bring relief,

the plains transform into
a bountiful wetland paradise.

From the smallest creature

to one of
Africa’s great herds,

life here needs to survive
in two very different worlds.

It’s late October
on the Liuwa Plains.

Not a single drop of rain
has fallen here
for over six months.

The El Niño weather
system has delayed
the onset of the rains

and all of Southern Africa
is in severe drought.

(INSECTS CHIRPING)

Without water,

these plains
are an unforgiving
and barren land.

Only the toughest
of Africa’s wildlife
can survive here.

Wildebeest.

A hardy and resilient member
of the antelope family.

Young bulls stake
a claim year round

on a small patch
in the center of the plains.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

Throughout
the long dry season,

they struggle through
in the searing heat

with little water
and only poor quality
grass to eat.

It may look desolate now,

but these young wildebeest
bulls are taking a gamble.

They’re hoping
that when the rains come

their patch of the plains
will transform into lush,
green grassland

and the rest of the herds
will follow with females.

It will be their
only chance to breed.

Throughout
the long, dry months,
they hold territory.

Constantly on guard...

(GRUNTING)

Loudly advertising
their presence.

(GRUNTING)

They take to
the higher ground
to appear bigger

and flex muscles
to intimidate
their neighbors.

(SNORTING)

When they meet,
there’s a standoff,
a border dispute.

(SNORTING)

One drops to his knees,

inviting a rival
to show his strength.

(BOTH GRUNTING)

These battles take place
many times each day,

but are only a ritual
display of dominance,
and injuries are rare.

(BOTH GRUNTING)

It’s over as quickly
as it began.

The loser moves off,
but will be back for more.

(SNORTING)

When the rains come
and the big herds follow,

they’ll have
a chance to breed.

But until then,

these rowdy teenagers
will chase each other
all day long.

Wildebeest are one of
the only creatures

that can survive here
in significant numbers.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

As selective feeders,
they prefer new
green shoots to eat,

but, without rain,
the plains are bare.

Only dry grass and dust.

The wildebeest population
of Liuwa is the largest
in Southern Africa,

but with food so scarce,

they are now spread
far and wide.

From these great herds
to dormant termite mounds,

all creatures here wait
for life-giving rains.

This vast wilderness
is protected

as part of Liuwa Plains
National Park,

comprising 3,600 square
miles of open grassland.

A floodplain of
the mighty Zambezi River.

Located
in the far west of Zambia
on the border with Angola,

from decades of
conflict and hunting.

The recovery of the
wildlife is so crucial

that many of the animals have
been fitted with radio collars

and are tracked year-round.

(HYENA WHINING)

For the predators
of the plains,

the dry season
is especially tough.

With wildebeest
and other prey like oribi

spread out across
the vast plain,

food is hard to come by.

And with no cover,
hunting is a real challenge.

(FLIES BUZZING)

This cheetah has
a 2-year-old cub.

He won’t leave
his mother’s side

until he can
hunt for himself

and he is totally
dependent on her for food.

In these hard times,

his mother will have to make
at least one good-sized kill
every few days

to be able to
feed them both.

Lions, however,
enjoy the benefits
of being social cats,

the pride hunts
to feed them all.

But the once mighty
Liuwa Pride

is a shadow
of its former self.

Trophy hunting and persecution
almost wiped them out,

but reintroductions
by the international
organization, African Parks,

in recent years,
has led to a slow recovery.

Surviving the dry season
is crucial to their
continued growth.

Without a significant
population of lions,

another animal
has taken over
as top predator,

the spotted hyena.

Hyena cubs
rely almost entirely
on their mother’s milk

for the first
12 to 18 months of life.

So their mother needs
to hunt to keep them alive.

(HYENA WHINING)

As the dry season drags on,
it’s a tough time for all
the animals of the plains.

These pelicans
and marabou storks
are wetland birds,

and desperately need
the rains to bring food.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

Distant thunder.

A sign the long dry season
may soon come to an end.

But these first storms
are tantalizing and cruel.

(LIGHTNING CRACKLING)

No rain falls.

Instead, lightning strikes
bring one of nature’s
most destructive forces.

Bushfires.

The grasslands
are tinder dry

and it only takes a small
spark to set them alight.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

Fires create a bounty
for birdlife,

feasting on insects
fleeing the flames.

(CHIRPING CONTINUES)

But hyenas are pushed away
from their hunting grounds

as the fires destroy
everything in their path.

The land is left scarred.

As dry grasses build up
at the end of the dry season,

more and more fires
sweep across the plains.

But for the wildebeest that
depend on grass for survival,

destruction clears the ground
for new life to emerge.

All the land needs now
is rain.

Until it comes,

the wildebeest are forced
to search far and wide

for the last of
the green grasses.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

These scattered groups
consist of tight family units.

(GRUNTING)

Groups of mothers
with calves

and resident males.

Rump rubbing
and head rubbing

help keep the herd
hierarchy in order.

The dominant male’s
main role is to be strong

and to protect the entire
group from all the predators
that hunt on the plains.

This calf has was born
only days ago.

His birth synchronized
with the seasons,

in the hope that
the rains will arrive

and bring new
green grasses.

He still has
an umbilical stump

that will fall off
in his first two
weeks of life.

He’ll stay close
by his mother
for protection.

And milk.

If separated,

they will recognize each other
by individual smell,

and a unique call.

(CALF SNORTING)

The calf will begin
to nibble on grass

when only a few days old,

but will still
rely on his mother’s milk
for the next 16 months.

(SNORTING)

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

This is the most
important bond
for his survival.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

Finding green grasses
at the end of the dry season
is not their only problem.

In these small,
scattered groups,

the whole herd
is vulnerable.

Wildebeest are
the favorite prey for hyenas,

the apex predator
of the Liuwa Plains.

Hyenas hunt by being
constantly on the lookout.

Observing each
individual animal

for any sign
of weakness.

The old,

the injured,

and the very young.

Spread out
in small isolated herds

because of
the dry conditions,

the wildebeest
are vulnerable.

Without extra eyes,
ears and noses,

the small group
often won’t spot a hyena
until it’s too late.

(HYENA YAPPING)

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

For the hyenas
in the dry season,

this kill is much-needed
food for their clan

and will allow them
to nurse their pups.

They’re one of
Africa’s most abundant
and efficient predators.

They’ll eat the entire carcass
in less than an hour,

leaving only hair and horns.

(FLIES BUZZING)

(BUZZING CONTINUES)

Dry season
temperatures here

exceed 100 degrees
in the middle of the day.

(PANTING)

Keeping cool
in the open plains
is a constant challenge.

(PANTING CONTINUES)

Shade is a scarce resource,
and the best spots are taken.

(GROWLS)

An Anchieta’s cobra,

unable to internally regulate
its own body temperature,

desperately needs
to cool down.

It takes cover underground.

In the heat of the day,

any place that offers relief
from the burning sun
is a precious resource.

Small patches of forest
fringe the plains.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

The trees may give the herd
some shelter from the sun

and allow them to stay
out of sight from hyenas,

but for the creatures
that live here,

the forests are
far from safe.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

Every creature here
is a potential meal
for someone else,

and each has
its own strategy
for survival.

Some take cover in the leaves
and blend into the background.

Others keep deathly still.

A praying mantis
mimics its surroundings

and waits for prey
to pass by.

In the shade of a tree,

a toad shelters from
the midday heat

and waits for the safety
of the night to hunt.

The western green snake

stands out on
the forest floor,

but only ventures here
to hunt frogs, lizards
and insects.

In the trees, its colors
are the perfect camouflage.

And it needs to keep still
when snake eagles are about.

But someone else
is taking cover
in these forests.

It’s the cheetah mother.

Renowned for speed,
not stamina,

cheetahs hunt
over short distances

and the forest edge
provides her
with perfect cover

to get up close to prey
on the open plains.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

Cheetahs will take
wildebeest calves.

But this hungry mother
isn’t hunting.

She’s lying low,
using the long grass
as camouflage.

She doesn’t want
to draw the attention
of other predators.

She killed a small
antelope in the night.

This is much needed food
for the cheetah family.

It should keep her
and her cub going
for several days.

(WILDEBEEST SNORTING)

But with young
wildebeest calves nearby,

the resident bulls
aren’t comfortable

with the predators
at such close range.

(WILDEBEEST SNORTING)

(SNORTING)

The bull’s snorting
gets the attention
of the cheetahs,

but they stay
at their kill.

(SNORTING)

Digging at the ground
is a big show of strength
from the bull.

(SNORTING)

But it takes a direct charge
at the cheetah family
to tip the balance,

and force a retreat.

(GRUNTING)

They’ll return to their kill
when the herd’s moved on.

Cheetahs frequently lose kills
to larger predators,

so they have
a limited window of time
to eat what they catch.

It’s now early November

and the rains are more
than a month late.

As the dry season drags on,

all the wildebeest herds
are struggling.

And lions make the most
of the opportunity.

The calf is hardwired not
to leave his mother’s side,

but his mother
has been killed,

and he remains
close to her body.

(GRUNTING)

For now, these two lions
aren’t interested in the calf.

But alone, he has
little chance of survival.

The wildebeest kill
has enough meat

to keep the lions satisfied
for a day or two.

But when they’re hungry again,

the calf will make
a quick and easy meal.

It’s the harsh
reality of life here

at the end of
the dry season.

(VULTURES SQUAWKING)

In this open landscape,

vultures can spot a kill
from up to 20 miles away,

and flock to the carcass.

(LION GROWLING)

(GROWLING)

They will have to wait until
the lions have finished.

When the lions
have had their fill,

the vultures swoop in
to pick off leftovers.

Red lappet-faced vultures
have a wingspan of nine feet

and stand
more than three feet tall.

They’re outnumbered
by their white-backed cousins,

but as the biggest and
most dominant vulture here,

they still manage to get
a decent share of the spoils.

Vultures can strip
an entire carcass
in 30 minutes.

Using their curved beak
like a butcher’s blade,

they can consume one-third
of their body weight
in a single sitting.

These persistent scavengers
ensure nothing goes to waste
on these plains.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

For all life on
the Liuwa grasslands,

it’s been
a brutal dry season.

But relief is on its way.

The rains
have finally arrived.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

The beginning
of the wet season

signals the start
of a remarkable event.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

The flight of the termites.

The ground softens
with the first drops of rain,

allowing these winged insects
to emerge in their thousands.

It’s their once-in-a-year
chance to breed and propagate.

The termite colony has been
waiting for this moment.

Winged queens
and males fly out.

In the air,
females release pheromones

to attract males
from different colonies.

Pairs mate in the air,
then land,

shedding their wings
to burrow underground
and begin a new colony.

And this event
provides a feast
for other creatures.

Red ants attack the termites
as soon as they land.

(FALCONS SCREECHING)

Amur falcons pick off
flying termites on the wing.

One bird species
flies 5,000 miles

all the way
from Russia to feed.

Pratincoles.

Massive flocks swarm
above the plains

to take advantage of
this brief annual feast.

(PRATINCOLES CHIRPING)

(CHIRPING CONTINUES)

The plains are reborn
with an explosion of life,

triggered by just
a few drops of rain.

It’s the first sign
that the transformation of
the Liuwa Plains has begun.

These early rains begin
to fill empty waterholes.

Dotted across the landscape,

they’re an oasis
in a desert of dry grass.

At the start of the rains,
these precious waterholes
are still few and far between.

They’re a magnet
for many species

that visit
throughout the day.

Crowned cranes,

spur-winged geese,

wood sandpiper,

and Liuwa Plains’
last few remaining lions.

A precious pride,
recovering from
decades of persecution.

Hyenas come to rest
after a long day hunting.

Exhausted, the cool water
is welcome relief.

(GRUNTING)

A small herd
of wildebeest

has walked all morning
to drink.

The hyenas are
an unwelcome addition.

(HYENA YAPPING)

(WILDEBEEST SNORTING)

(HYENA YAPPING)

One brave mother
approaches nervously
to check that it’s safe.

(SNORTING)

She tests the hyenas
with a sudden movement.

If the hyenas are
in the mood to hunt,

this action will
trigger a chase.

But they’re too sleepy
to respond.

Now it seems
safe to approach.

The calf and
the rest of the herd
come closer to drink.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

The wildebeest herd,

having dealt with
the sleeping hyenas,

now has another problem.

(SNORTING)

A cantankerous lone bull

that doesn’t want
to share his waterhole.

(BOTH GRUNTING)

(GRUNTING CONTINUES)

The bull moves the herd on
and keeps all the water
for himself.

With the onset of the rains,
new green shoots emerge.

Within a few days,
dry, barren plains transform.

After good rains,

grasses can grow
an inch a day.

The vast grasslands
of the Liuwa Plains

are the foundation of
the entire ecosystem.

Birds pick
at seeds and insects
amongst the new growth.

And with the greening
of the plains,

the wildebeest
no longer need
to spread out.

With the abundance of food,

small herds join up
in the safety of
increasing numbers.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

(GRUNTING CONTINUES)

In the cool light rain
of the evening,

the boisterous males
take the opportunity
to train the calves

in a game of predator
avoidance techniques.

These quick
and agile maneuvers

could save their lives
when attacked.

At the end of the day
the herd rests,

but sunset also means
that danger is approaching.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

(HYENAS YAPPING)

(BIRDS WARBLING)

At night, the herd stays alert
and keeps close together.

With poor night vision,
the wildebeest are vulnerable.

Their strategy is to form
a tight defensive line,

making it hard
for a predator to pick out
and surround an individual.

But this doesn’t stop
the hyenas from trying.

(HYENA YAPPING)

Running at the herd
scatters them,

revealing the weak
and vulnerable.

(HYENAS YAPPING)

As long as the herd
stays tight together,
they’ll be safe.

But any stragglers who
wander away from the group
are defenseless.

An easy meal for the hyenas.

(HYENA WHINING)

As the season rolls on,

storms release
more and more rain.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

Large areas of the plains
become shallow wetlands.

Under the surface,

another amazing
transformation begins.

Pools of water
become a haven
for aquatic life.

Herons extend their necks
like a harpoon to catch fish.

Monitor lizards
hunt in the shallows.

(BOTH YAPPING)

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

The wildebeest have
plenty of places to drink

and the plains abound
with fresh green grass.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

With thousands of wildebeest
now streaming in
from across the plains,

the gathering
of the herds
is complete.

They will remain together here
for the next few months,

eating as much as they can

to get into top
breeding condition.

The young bull who stayed
to defend his patch

is now surrounded by
a herd of several thousand.

It’s the chance
he’s been waiting for.

The daily battles
with his neighbors

have given him confidence.

He puts his training
into action,

showing a rival bull
his strength and prowess.

Scraping at the ground
with his hooves and his horns,
he hopes to intimidate.

(SNORTING)

(SNORTING)

(GRUNTING)

(SNORTING)

But it will take a lot more
than digging up dust

to overthrow
a seasoned
dominant male.

With all the action
of the bulls jostling
for position,

the wildebeest
could be distracted,

and there are still
predators about.

A big herd concentrated
in one place

is a magnet
for lions and hyenas.

The herd needs
to remain vigilant,

but they have
another line of defense.

Zebra.

Grazing together means
there are more eyes and ears

to detect danger
lurking in the long grass.

It’s now much harder
for hyenas to single out
an individual.

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

(GRUNTING CONTINUES)

But they try their luck,
regardless.

The herd now has
the advantage,

strength in huge numbers.

(YAPPING)

The hyena
tries to create
an opportunity

by setting
the herd in motion.

(ZEBRA BARKING)

(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)

(HYENA YELPING)

The strategy fails.

This hyena
is outnumbered

and will have
to hunt another day.

With the herd
gathered together,

the persistent hyenas
will return day and night

to pick off the weak
and the vulnerable.

For all the young bulls who
remained and held territory

here throughout
the dry season,

a few months remain
to fatten up

and attempt to take on
a dominant male.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

Throughout the rainy season,
these battles will continue.

If he mans-up enough,

the precocious bull
might succeed.

But if not, he’ll have
to tough it out again

through yet
another dry season

before he wins
the chance to breed.

The rains are now
in full flow

and the landscape
completes its transformation.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

With water everywhere

and the plains
covered with green grass,

it’s good times ahead
for the herd

and all the creatures
of the plains.

The older bulls
have inspired
the young calves.

They show their strength,
preparing for future battles.

All wildlife here
makes the most of
the brief months of rain,

before the life and death
struggles of the dry season
return.