All language subtitles for Tales From Zambia Series 1 4of7 Hippo River 1080p

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIn the wilds
of Zambia

is an extraordinary
wilderness.

At its heart,
a winding river...

A lifeline for wildlife.

A haven for hippos.

It’s a place of extremes

where the temperature
can vary by 50 degrees
in 24 hours.

Through the hottest
part of the day...

To the coldest hours
of the night,

creatures of
all shapes and sizes face
the challenge of survival.

An astonishing variety
of animals play out
their lives here...

In their river valley home.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

It’s midday.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAnd it’s a
100 degrees Fahrenheit.

(BIRDS SQUAWKING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIn the hottest part
of the day,

a bath is very refreshing.

(BIRDS SQUAWKING)

NARRATOR:
\hBut these marabou storks
\haren’t here to cool down.

(SQUAWKING)

They’re doing
their laundry.

As well as
keeping them clean,

dunking their feathers
in water helps reshape them.

Marabous are big birds

with a wingspan of
up to 12 feet.

Their feathers can get
battered and bent

just with the exertion
of flying.

Basking in the sun
dries their wings.

The heat also helps
iron out any last
kinks and wrinkles.

(MARABOUS SQUAWKING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIt’s a bit like
getting them steam cleaned.

(MARABOUS SQUAWKING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThe storks’ washroom
is the Luangwa River,

which zigzags its way through
nearly 500 miles of

outstanding African
wilderness,

in eastern Zambia.

It’s the heart of an ecosystem

that supports
Africa’s largest
and smallest animals...

From ant to elephant...

Cricket to cat.

But the river really belongs
to the hippos.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThere are
more hippos in Zambia
than in any other country.

And the world’s largest
concentration of them

is found in the Luangwa River.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

In the heat of the day

hippos need to immerse
themselves in water

to avoid the sun’s
scorching rays.

(LOW GROANING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThis pod has been
snoozing here all morning.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

(WATER SPLASHING)

And where there
are hippos...

There is hippo dung.

Hippos are herbivores,

leaving the water
at dusk to graze.

Each munching through 90
pounds of grass every night.

And that turns into 45 pounds
of dung every day.

Muck spreading is
the height of hippo etiquette.

It’s a way of marking
your territory

and displaying your mood.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThe murky water
is a kind of hippo soup

but it doesn’t seem to put off
other valley residents.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAt 2:00, it’s
a couple of degrees cooler.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hElephants emerge
from the shade

and come to the river
to drink.

Among them is
a little stranger.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

A young puku has become
separated from his mother.

He’s not yet fully weaned

and won’t last long
if he doesn’t find her.

(ELEPHANT TRUMPETING)

In the dry season,

pukus live in herds
of up to 50 animals.

This little one has never
been alone before.

(GROWLING)

He’s confused.

He can’t stay here.

Lions usually hunt
when it’s cooler...

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h...but they’ll
seldom pass up
an opportunity like this.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPredators aren’t
only on land...

Here be dragons.

These are Nile crocodiles...

The largest reptiles
in Africa.

He’s instinctively cautious.

But without the herd
there is no one
to warn him of danger.

The water is no more
than two feet deep...

But that’s enough
to conceal a croc.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

He’s made it.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAnd what’s more,
he’s found his mum.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThe Luangwa River
is lined with trees,

their long roots tapping
in to the ground water.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIt’s still hot
in the shade,

but at least this
wild dog pack can get
respite from the burning sun.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThis young male’s
got an injured paw,

but wild dogs are a team,

a band of musketeers.

They need and look
after each other.

All for one and one for all.

The injured dog can’t hunt,

but the others will
make sure they share
their food with him.

And he does have his uses.

The dogs have left the remains
of a kill in the bushes

and it’s attracting visitors.

His disability hasn’t quelled
his instinct to chase.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

(FLUTTERING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOne dog
isn’t much of a worry
for a gaggle of vultures.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHe needs
reinforcements.

It’s not long before
the whole crew
joins in the fun.

(VULTURES SQUEALING)

Not much of a meal

but worth holding on to.

And for the little dog
with a limp there’s
an extra treat...

Spare ribs.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

In the wet season,

the hippos’ river
can burst its banks
and flood these groves.

But now the ground is bone dry

and the undergrowth
full of surprises.

Hidden in the leaf litter
is a whole new,
miniature world.

A millipede doesn’t really
have 1,000 legs.

Most species have
no more than 400.

Two on either side
of each body segment.

The fat tail of this scorpion
warns of its dangerous sting.

And there’s another
little predator on the prowl
for an afternoon snack.

A huntsman spider.

Their body length can be
more than an inch long,

their leg-span
four times that.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTo a human
their bite is no worse
than a bee sting...

But to a grasshopper,
it’s fatal.

Ducts inside
the spider’s fangs

pump venom
into the grasshopper
to immobilize it.

Spiders digest
their food externally,

vomiting enzymes
onto their prey,

which break it down
into insect soup.

This underworld is
a dangerous place.

Nothing is quite
what it seems.

A praying mantis is
perfectly camouflaged
in the dry grass.

His front legs are armed
with vicious barbs.

Compound eyes,

and the ability to turn his
head through 180 degrees,

give the mantis
360-degree vision.

His disguise is spot on.

The ant has no
idea he’s there...

Until it’s too late.

Unlike the spider,
the mantis chews his food.

His mandibles are
strong enough to cut through
the ant’s tough exoskeleton.

Not a scrap goes to waste.

Even in the middle
of the afternoon,

the African heat
is still strong.

The temperature
is 90 degrees

and giraffe stay
in the shade to browse.

Kicking about in the thickets
can stir up other
creepy crawlies,

such as ticks.

But the resident
pest control force
is on patrol.

Red-billed oxpeckers have
short legs and strong toes

allowing them to grip
on to any herbivore,

no matter what shape.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

Their flattened beaks comb
through hair and pry out
stubborn fleas and lice.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNo grooming job
is too big.

They’ll even clean up
those hard-to-reach places.

(MUNCHING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA flock of oxpeckers
can eat hundreds of ticks

and thousands of larvae
in just one day.

(GIRAFFE MUNCHING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBut not all
mammals enjoy their attention.

With no hair to protect it,

a hippo suffers
the sharper edge
of the oxpeckers’ services.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(HIPPO GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWhile picking
off parasites,

the oxpecker is a type
of parasite itself.

(HIPPO GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIt nibbles the edges
of any wounds the hippos have

and even drinks their blood.

(SPLASHING)

(HIPPO GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAt 4:00
in the afternoon,

it’s a pleasant 80 degrees.

The hippos are
still submerged.

Even though they
haven’t moved all day,

they still manage to have
long-distance conversations.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMales honk
to assert their dominance.

As others respond, the sound
travels along the river
to neighboring pods.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

The noise can
reach 115 decibels,

the equivalent of
a rock concert.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

(WATER SPLASHING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBut hippos are more
subtle than they sound.

(GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h80% of their
communication happens
under water.

(MUFFLED GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSqueals, grunts
and clicks,

much like the calls
of their dolphin cousins,

resonate through
a hippo’s jawbone

and allow them to hear above

and below water
at the same time.

(HIPPOS MUFFLED GRUNTING)

NARRATOR:
\hLife for a little hippo
\hin a big pod

is seldom quiet.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBut that hasn’t
stopped this one
snatching 40 winks.

Hippos can’t actually swim.

In fact, they can’t
even float...

Their huge bodies
are too dense.

Adults rest while
standing on the riverbed...

But for babies that’s
often out of reach.

(HIPPO BLOWING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTo snooze
in deep water

you need to use
mum as a raft.

But even baby hippos
are heavy.

They can weigh
more than 100 pounds at birth

and grow fast.

(GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEasier to take
a nap on the beach.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

NARRATOR:
\hWhile the hippos sleep,

a little pied kingfisher
is on a fishing expedition.

Hovering means he can
position himself

directly above potential prey

without relying on a perch.

It’s a great way to spot fish,

but it burns a lot
of calories.

Adults need to eat
a quarter of their bodyweight

every day to fuel
this aerial feat.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThey can dive
from up to 30 feet...

(WATER SPLASHING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h...but you need
to graduate to these heights.

This young kingfisher
is starting small...

And putting himself
through his paces.

(WATER SPLASHING)

The dive is good...

But the catch...

A leaf.

This isn’t a mistake.

It’s part of his training.

(WATER SPLASHING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLearning how
to stun and reposition
prey before eating

is an important skill.

Practice makes perfect.

(WATER SPLASHING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHis dedication
is rewarded with
a juicy dragonfly larva.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThe kingfisher
isn’t the only one

spending the afternoon
practicing fishing.

(HIPPOS GRUNTING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThese juvenile
African skimmers

will grow up to be some
of the most skillful fishers
on the waterways.

(SKIMMERS SQUAWKING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBut expertise
doesn’t happen overnight.

(SKIMMERS SQUAWKING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThe trick is to fly
low over the surface

and drag your long lower bill
through the water

until you find a fish.

It’s easier said than done.

(WATER SPLASHING)

(SKIMMER SQUAWKING)

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThe adults keep
a close eye on proceedings

and are on hand
to demonstrate.

(SKIMMERS SQUAWKING)

Perfect technique.

The juveniles just need
a bit of encouragement.

The more they try,
the more their
confidence grows.

(SKIMMERS SQUAWKING)

(WATER SPLASHING)

Got one at last.

(SKIMMERS SQUAWKING)

The sun sinks
low on the horizon
and the evening cools.

It’s half past five.

The first
of the hippos emerges,
ready for a night of feeding.

(WATER SPLASHING)

100,000 quelea
get ready for bed.

(QUELEA CHIRPING)

They flock together for
a last drink as the sun sets.

(WINGS FLAPPING)

Their undulating movements,
called a "murmuration",

are a way of
confusing predators.

(QUELEA CHIRPING)

It’s chaos theory in action.

(QUELEA CHIRPING)

Each bird flies as close
as it can to the next one,

copying every twist
and turn.

Individuals only make
tiny movements

but these ripple through
the flock and magnify,

allowing thousands of birds
to move as one giant organism.

It’s a 15-minute
farewell to the sun.

A last burst of energy
as night falls.

(QUELEA CHIRPING)

Caught in the middle of
the mega-flock,

even a mighty hippo
seems intimidated.

(WINGS FLAPPING)

Just after dark,
the quelea retreat
to the branches to sleep.

A thermal imaging camera
sees heat rather than
visible light

and shows why quelea
roost so close together.

(QUELEA CHIRPING)

Their tiny bodies mean
they have very fast
metabolisms

and can lose heat quickly
when the temperature drops
after dark.

The warmest spot is in
the middle of the huddle.

The birds here have a
stronger heat signature.

Those on the edges
are colder, and darker.

They jostle
for the best spot,

taking it in turns to sit
in the outer positions,

ensuring
each member of the flock
stays warm overnight.

(QUELEA CHIRPING)

Night envelops the valley

and under
the cover of darkness,

hippos finally venture
away from the river.

The scars left by fights,
and over-zealous oxpeckers,

show up as light patches,
where blood is closer
to the skin.

These three-ton lawnmowers
spend about six hours
every night feeding

and have to travel
several miles
to find enough food.

As they move
through the grass

they disturb insects,
which in turn attract bats.

One of the world’s
largest mammals feeds
alongside one of the smallest.

(BATS CHIRPING)

Bats can’t actually
see in the dark.

Instead they
use echolocation.

They make high-frequency
sounds as they fly

and listen for the echoes
that bounce off their
surroundings.

It’s fairly easy to avoid
bumping into a hippo

but this technique is so
accurate they can catch
tiny insects in flight.

It’s 8:00 and
the temperature’s fallen
to 70 degrees.

(LAPPING WATER)

The lions have spent the
day in shade, avoiding
the worst of the heat.

Now is the time they
become most active.

They rehydrate and prepare
for a night of hunting.

(LAPPING WATER)

The valley’s nocturnal
creatures are at large.

A porcupine,
Africa’s biggest rodent,
is looking for food.

He uses his strong sense
of smell to sniff out
roots and tubers,

and powerful claws
to dig them up.

(MUNCHING)

His back is covered with
foot-long quills.

These are specialized,
toughened hairs that
sharpen to a wicked tip.

A defense mechanism
to protect against
unwanted attention.

Leopards can eat anything
from antelope to insects.

(PORCUPINE GRUNTS)

A porcupine, however,
is just not worth the pain.

It’s midnight
and it’s a cool 65 degrees.

This is the quietest
time of night.

Baboons snooze
in the treetops.

By the river, ibis roost
in the safety of a dead tree.

Even the leopard’s
having a nap.

But in the African bush,
there’s always something
stirring.

A secretive civet.

And his smaller cousin,
a genet.

(SCAMPERING)

This cat-like carnivore
is an expert hunter.

He spots an elephant shrew.

Too quick for him.

But his excellent hearing

has helped him
find something else
hidden in the grass.

(RUSTLING)

A juicy moth.

Genets are actually
more closely related
to mongooses than cats.

Scent marking
is a very important
way of communicating.

(URINATING)

They’re usually solitary
but territories do overlap.

When they meet,
genets can tell
friend from foe

just by the smell
of the other’s urine.

These two seem to be
on familiar terms.

It’s nearly 4:00 a.m.

The coldest time of night,
an hour before dawn.

It’s a nippy 50 degrees.

This hippo’s eaten her fill
and heads back to the river

where the crocodiles
are gorging on a feast
of their own.

(WATER SPLASHING)

It’s another hippo.

Perhaps a male
injured in a fight,

or an elderly animal
that died of starvation.

The hippos’ river refuge
has a dark side.

(SPLASHING CONTINUES)

Crocodiles are quick
to catch the scent
of death in the water.

Within an hour,
100 gather at the carcass.

They can’t chew but clamp
chunks of meat in their jaws

and use their bodyweight
to twist them free.

(CHOMPING)

There’s a hierarchy
among them.

The largest,
dominant animals feed first.

Lesser creatures
must wait their turn.

In the cool of the morning
these cold-blooded crocs

make the most
of their hippo feast.

There’ll be little left
by daylight.

It’s quarter to five
and the first rays of sun
chase the night from the sky.

A new day dawns
and the hippos settle
back in their river.

(EAGLE CRYING)

A fish eagle’s cry
heralds the morning.

The valley’s wake-up call.

A skimmer does his ablutions.

Meticulously
straightening his feathers.

He needs to keep them
in tiptop condition
for flying.

A wasp has
a morning wash too.

All over the valley
animals wake up
and embrace a new day.

On the plains
to the east of the river

a herd of puku
has already started to graze.

But one male has
his mind on other things.

Chasing a female
is hardly the subtlest
method of courtship.

She’s not keen,
certainly not
before breakfast.

The frisky male has given the
adolescent puku some ideas.

They are practicing
for the fights they
will have as adults.

Sparring like this
is good training.

It strengthens neck muscles

and helps young males
to get used to the size
and shape of their horns.

Fully grown breeding
males will clash horns
in battles for territory.

But these guys
are still just play fighting.

It’s not just puku being
pugnacious this morning.

Two young male giraffe
are also scrapping.

These are
Thornicroft’s giraffe.

A subspecies endemic
to the Luangwa Valley.

There are estimated
to be just 800 left,

and they’re found
nowhere else in the world.

Like the puku,
these are teenagers sparring.

They’re getting the knack
of using their necks

and polishing up
their tactics.

The closer you stand
to your opponent,

the harder it is
for them to land a blow.

(GENTLE THUD)

When giraffe fight they use
their heads like hammers.

(GENTLE THUD)

Their skulls
never stop growing,

getting heavier
and more knobbly
as they mature.

(GENTLE THUDDING)

Swinging a well-aimed clout
can be enough to fell a rival,

and even knock him out.

But this is just
a playful rehearsal.

At 8:00 a.m. the sun
is already warming the land,

and the temperature
has crept up to 70 degrees.

The giraffe have worked
up a thirst at fight club.

Even these giants seem
to be wary of crocodiles.

(WATER SPLASHING)

With huge mouths packed
with 60 teeth,

they are menacing predators.

Some more intimidating
than others.

This is a juvenile,
three years old
and barely three feet long.

He won’t be fully mature
until he reaches about
ten feet.

For now, these youngsters
are still small enough to
be bullied by the hippos.

Just as the hippos are
winding down for a day
of snoozing in the water,

their neighbors
are getting busy.

(CHIRPING)

A colony of white-fronted
bee-eaters has set up home
on the exposed river banks.

They’ve spent
the night sitting on eggs
and now it’s time to eat.

Each bird can make
300 trips a day to find food.

Their nest chambers
are six feet deep

to help keep
their eggs and chicks
safe from predators.

Predators like
this Nile monitor.

The largest lizard in Africa.

They can grow to be
six feet long.

The perfect fit for
a bee-eater’s tunnel.

He tastes the air
with his tongue,

transferring scent particles
to sensitive pits
on the roof of his mouth.

He’s picked up
the smell of the colony.

(CHIRPING)

He’s been spotted.

The birds mob the intruder.

The tiny bee-eaters
present a united front
to repel a dangerous giant.

The lizard retreats
unsatisfied, but unscathed.

It’s 10:00
and the temperature
has risen to 90 degrees.

(HIPPOS SNORTING)

As the day gets hotter,

the irresistible draw
of the Luangwa River
gets stronger.

Everyone comes
to drink here.

From elephants
to insects.

A wood sandpiper
forages in the shallows.

He’s a visitor here,
a migrant.

He’s flown thousands of
miles south from Europe
to escape the northern winter

and has come to
the Luangwa River
to fatten up.

He’s not alone.

A second male has got his
eye on the same feeding patch.

Neither seems
inclined to share.

Standing tall,
they assess each other.

And in the heat,
tempers flare.

(CHIRPING)

(CHIRPING CONTINUES)

They may not like it,
but it seems they’ll
put up with each other.

(HIPPOS SNORTING)

As the heat reaches
its peak again,

most animals
take things easy.

It’s midday.

The sun’s at its zenith

and the temperature
hits 100 degrees once more.

The puku sleep off
the morning’s excitement.

Under the trees
the wild dogs doze.

The giraffe
retreat to the shade.

(SNORTING)

And the hippos are back
doing what they do best,

sitting out the heat
of another day.

The precious waters
of their river, the Luangwa,

are the heart of this
exceptional wilderness.

♪

♪

♪

♪