Original subtitles

Narrator: The mighty kalahari desert.

A scorched land where only the toughest survive.

Even so, this inhospitable expanse is home

To some of southern africa's most appealing characters...

That rely on their wits and teamwork to thrive.

For these remarkable desert dwellers, family comes first.

Stretching over 350,000 miles

Across southern africa lies an immense thirsty landscape.

The ancient kalahari desert--

As old as the african continent and bone dry.

Here summer days regularly top 100 degrees fahrenheit

And rainfall is scarce.

But this isn't a typical desert.

The arid wilderness is dotted with grasses and thorn trees,

Which suck moisture from deep below the surface.

Animals live here too.

Like these sociable weavers,

Who build large communal nests out of grass and twigs.

Group living in this harsh world makes sense,

A strategy also adopted by meerkats.

Resident families are as hardy as they come.

Meerkats are a type of mongoose measuring up to 12 inches

In length and weighing less than two-and-a-half pounds.

They are carnivorous and eat a variety of prey species,

Such as small reptiles, grubs, scorpions and beetles.

They share their range

With equally tenacious ground squirrels.

These neighbors have much in common,

Not least their key survival tactic.

While they look out for each other on the surface,

Their secret to success is going underground.

Here both species are insulated

From the elements and can escape hungry predators.

From the safety of interconnected burrows

They venture out to explore the vast landscape.

For the highly social meerkats,

And those around them, desert life is challenging

Every step of the way.

After many months of drought,

The kalahari is at its most punishing.

Survival depends not only on individual

And collective strength, but also on a rare event.

Finally rain clouds are building.

(thunderclap)

Dawn reveals water-filled lake beds.

But these ephemeral pools will soon soak away

Into the desert's parched sands.

A female meerkat is the first to investigate

Her freshly watered world.

The land is cool and damp this morning,

Full of possibility.

Soon other members of her family follow.

After a cold night they warm up in the early morning sun.

But even while sunbathing they must be wary,

Ever on the look out for predators.

And today there is extra reason for this vigilance:

Pups.

These five youngsters are barely three weeks old

And until now have been confined to a protected life

In the burrow.

This is their first time out in the big wide world.

For such tiny toddlers, it's dangerous out here,

So they stay close to the adults.

The pups will be weaned in the coming weeks

And will have to fend for themselves soon.

But for now mum's milk is their main source of nourishment.

Without her they can't survive.

Meerkat society is matriarchal and the dominant female

Gives birth to around 80 percent of all new family members.

She is wearing a radio collar,

Which enables researchers to keep track of her and her troop.

As the dominant male, dad also plays an important role

In the family, but has less influence than mum.

Although he's sometimes left to babysit the playful infants...

Who are forming bonds that will be important for their future.

The alpha mother has a lot of responsibility.

She also has to look after her older set of pups

Who are now teenagers...

As well as leading the adults of the pack,

Most of whom are related.

There are about 20 meerkats in this complex family hierarchy,

And they all help with babysitting.

Just like human infants,

These little ones need constant care and attention.

Protecting them from predators is a full-time job.

Fortunately there's always a sentry on duty.

Like any household, there are chores to do

At the meerkat residence.

Maintaining the burrow entrance

Is crucial, as it serves as their getaway

When danger strikes.

It's a job shared by all the family,

Including one of the juveniles.

But some of the boisterous teenagers have other ideas.

It looks rough, but it's just play-fighting...

A favorite pastime of these feisty little mammals.

The reason behind this behavior is not fully understood.

It may have implications for social ranking

And group cohesion,

As well as honing agility and strength.

Mum makes an appearance, but it seems

She is exempt from wrestling.

One of teenagers has got his sibling in a headlock...

But soon he's at the bottom of the pile.

Whatever the reason for this rough-housing,

It certainly looks like fun.

Games aside, the family is hungry

And they can't afford to waste valuable hunting time.

This is the first time the babies are joining

A foraging mission and mum is aware of the perils facing them.

But the overnight rains promise an abundance of food.

In a place where famine often trumps feast,

She knows they must take advantage

Of every opportunity.

Luckily she has security measures in place.

Her large territory is dotted with bolt holes,

Ensuring that the family

Is never far from cover,

Should one of their numerous predators arrive.

She also has sentries posted on elevated lookout points.

It's often the lower ranked males that are put on duty.

They take their jobs seriously.

They have to.

The safety of the family depends on them.

And today they're on high alert.

The youngest pups are extremely vulnerable to predators.

This makes mum very nervous.

Danger could come from anywhere at any time.

Being out in the open is a new experience for the tiny pups,

Who call to the adults and do their best to keep up.

This is a stressful time for the family.

They need to teach the babies how to find a meal

While making sure that they don't become one

For something else.

Luckily there's an easy snack up for grabs today.

The rain has triggered the emergence of termites.

Driven by the need to mate and create new colonies,

They take to the skies.

But often the termites don't get very far...

Simply becoming a welcome bite for the hungry meerkats.

Packed with protein,

The tiny insects make a perfect breakfast.

Although this youngster isn't sure

About eating the scaly wings.

Often the best way to learn new skills

Is by watching your parents.

One of the most important lessons

A youngster must learn is digging.

It's one of the secrets to a meerkat's success in the desert.

Adults have long claws,

Which make them powerful diggers,

Shifting heaps of sand in seconds.

A skill that the young ones have yet to master.

The babies still have a long way to go

Before they can forage for themselves.

Even master diggers, like this adult,

Sometimes need to work incredibly hard to find food.

He excavates with remarkable speed.

There's something enticing hidden deep in the sand.

While digging, meerkats can close their ears

To stop them being filled with sand.

A useful trick when you're tail deep in a hole.

Finally though,

The promise of his reward is outweighed

By the effort required to find it.

Meerkats are in the precarious position

Of being both predator and prey in the kalahari's food chain.

These skies are home to a range of raptors.

None of these birds of prey is more formidable

Than africa's biggest-- the martial eagle.

With a wing span of up to eight feet,

Massively powerful talons and incredible long distance vision,

This eagle is a meerkat's worst nightmare.

But a meerkat's eyes are specially adapted too.

They are surrounded by dark fur, reducing glare and allowing them

To scan the sky for threats,

Even while looking straight into the sun.

The sentry sounds the alarm.

(meerkat squealing)

The babies run for their lives.

Through vigilance and teamwork,

The gang have outsmarted the eagle.

But the family is shaken.

Cautious reconnaissance is done by all,

Checking that the threat has gone.

The sentry's reassuring grunts confirm the coast is clear.

The group is in constant communication.

It's a compulsive paranoia that keeps them alive.

Airborne threats come in many shapes and sizes.

Including several species of owls, buzzards,

And even smaller birds of prey like kites.

The meerkats' territory extends far across the desert,

Allowing them to forage new areas regularly.

Mum knows just where to go for the best pickings.

Calling the shots is hard work.

But being the boss has its perks.

Her sister has caught a large rodent.

And the alpha female wastes no time in claiming it for herself.

Still nursing her pups, she needs all the food she can get.

By taking her sister's meal, she gains the sustenance

Of the rodent as well as saving the energy it took to catch it.

She also re-asserts her position of control over the mob.

Females usually maintain dominance

For around two-and-a-half years, and she is in her prime.

For the others the choice is simple:

If you want to be part of the gang,

You follow her rules.

But like all animals living here,

The meerkats remain at the mercy of the desert.

Some of the adults and older pups investigate the carcass

Of a bat-eared fox.

But the youngsters won't go anywhere near it.

Already covered in maggots,

This individual has been dead for some time.

It is a grisly sight that illustrates a harsh reality

Of life here.

In the kalahari, survival is not a given.

The grim encounter is soon forgotten

As the family gets on with what they do best:

Looking for food.

One of the babies scores a big grub from his aunt

And he can't contain his excitement.

(squealing)

This substantial meal keeps him occupied...

Giving mum a moment to enjoy her favorite delicacy--

A juicy scorpion.

But it's not an easy meal and tackling it requires skill.

By eating the poisonous sting first she neutralizes the threat

Of its venom, while also avoiding the large pincers.

After her meal, mum leads the family

To one of their nearby bases.

Shade is vital for the meerkats to avoid overheating

In the brutal african sun.

Everyone in the family needs a bit of downtime.

And one of the teenagers seems to be ill.

Her sister stays close.

Mum comes over to take a look too.

But the lethargic youngster appears to recover

As she gets caught up in the family antics.

Their neighbors however,

Don't have time for a midday break.

African ground squirrels have abandoned life in the trees

To scratch a living out on the desert floor.

Being mostly vegetarian, there is no competition

With the meerkats for food,

Which allows them to share territory.

Unlike the meerkats, male and female ground squirrels

Live in separate groups,

Where dominance disputes are typically settled

At lighting pace.

Ground squirrels eat a varied diet of plants, seeds and roots.

They have to forage throughout the day to get enough food.

This season brings one of their favorite treats:

The young leaves and juicy flowers

Of the devil thorn plant have just emerged.

The flowers are a rare treat.

Ground squirrels can tolerate high temperatures

And baking sun.

If they overheat they have an ingenious solution:

They simply erect their umbrellas.

This allows ground squirrels to forage

Even in the hottest part of the day,

When the meerkats are forced to take a break.

As afternoon temperatures drop,

The meerkats are ready to get moving.

With high metabolisms, they have insatiable appetites.

Mum leads the pack out for another session of foraging.

Her growing family has lots of hungry mouths to feed,

So there's no time to waste.

Again she claims a free meal from one of her gang.

But she won't share it with her pup.

It may seem cruel, but she needs the food

To produce enough milk for all of her babies.

This "super mum" is simply following her instinct--

To keep her whole family alive.

For this youngster, who is still too young to fend for himself,

Hanging around behind his older brother may prove more fruitful.

This time he is allowed to share...

But this generosity won't last.

Soon there will be no free lunches for the pups.

They'll have to find food for themselves,

Which is hard work...

As their older brother is demonstrating.

He can smell something delicious beneath the surface,

But sometimes the tastiest treats take some getting.

Eventually he finds it: A fat grub.

For millipedes, like many insects,

The rains signal that it's time to look for a mate.

This baby doesn't know what to make of it.

He's unsure how to tackle such an intimidating meal.

Millipedes secrete a stinky, distasteful substance

When threatened.

An unappealing prospect to a youngster.

But if hungry enough,

Meerkats will eat certain species of millipede,

Even though they often prove to be a second-rate dinner.

One of the older, braver pups gives the scaly creature a go.

But for the little ones,

These prehistoric looking crawlies are downright menacing.

There are tastier options on the kalahari's menu.

This meerkat youngster has found a favorite meal.

He's caught the tail end of what looks like a big worm.

It's actually a legless reptile,

Known as spade-snouted worm lizard.

But he can't seem to get his paws on the rest of it.

He's experienced enough to solve the problem,

By changing his angle of attack.

It's a big meal.

His younger sibling has also found a worm lizard.

But he's struggling to get through it.

It's just too much for the little meerkat.

By late afternoon, the ground squirrels

Have also eaten their fill, and take a moment

To enjoy a more social pastime: Grooming.

This reaffirms the bonds within the group.

It's also apparently very relaxing.

While the ground squirrels are slowing down,

The meerkat teenagers are speeding up.

They have found a sandy ditch that's the perfect arena

For some play-fighting.

The teenagers may have extra energy to burn,

But the rest of the family devote the remaining hours

Of the day to finding food.

This little one is confused about what exactly is edible.

His dad's tail looks just like a juicy worm.

Ants make a tastier snack.

But for the inexperienced, catching them can be tricky...

Because ants bite back.

Some lessons in life are painful.

Ants aren't the only biting things

That these meerkats need to worry about.

They have many natural predators.

One such menace is the cape cobra.

A baby meerkat is just the right size to make an excellent meal

For this cold-blooded killer.

But the pack not only has the advantage

Of strength in numbers...

Meerkats also have remarkable immunity to snake venom

And can survive a bite that would kill a fully grown man.

While foraging, meerkats search for food in fallen trees

Used as hideouts by snakes.

This means their paths often cross.

Heading home, dad spots something in the sand.

A recently shed snake skin.

He investigates cautiously.

To him it reeks of danger.

But the pack tackles it together.

Meerkats tread a fine line between curiosity and caution.

Along with intelligence and teamwork,

These attributes are an effective defense

Against predators.

Meerkats are known to mob snakes.

It is believed this discourages the reptiles

From taking up residence in the meerkats' living quarters.

Mum supervises as the older kids pull the skin apart.

Eventually one of the pups

Plucks up the courage to approach.

This is a vital lesson.

Learning that snakes are dangerous and to be treated

With extreme caution could mean the difference

Between life and death.

After a day of close calls, it's time for the family

To retreat to the safety of their burrow.

For the youngest pups, their first outing

Has been an exciting

But challenging journey.

Learning how to be a meerkat is tiring work.

They are so exhausted, they can hardly stay standing.

It's been a momentous day for the whole gang,

Full of vital lessons and bonding experiences.

For mum it's a job well done.

Her growing family is well-fed and home safe

After another grueling day in the mighty kalahari.

Under the leadership of a determined alpha female,

This meerkat troop is enduring against the odds.

It's a tough existence, lived out under the glare

Of the desert sun

And the gaze of predators.

Meerkats may be small and vulnerable,

But they are tenacious characters.

Together they are a force to be reckoned with.

For this growing family,

Teamwork is not only keeping them alive,

It is enabling them to thrive.

A gang of true kalahari survivors.

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)