All language subtitles for Africas.Hidden.Wonders.S01E01.1080p.DSNP.WEB-DL.DD5.1.H.264-NTb

The Virunga Mountains,

central Africa.

A lost land drenched in mystery.

These impenetrable forests

are home to one of the planets rarest
and most endangered mammals...

the mountain gorilla.

With only a thousand remaining
in this jungle paradise,

every new arrival is precious.

Gorillas may have just three babies
in their entire life.

Many are lost to fatal injuries
and infectious disease.

One in three don't make it
past their third birthday.

The responsibility of fathering
all the babies

falls to the biggest silverback
in the group.

Though the male is dominant
and twice her size,

it's the female
who decides when to mate.

She looks her chosen partner in the eye
to make her intentions clear.

But this sleepy male is more interested
in a lie down.

The female doesn't give up.

Almost aware of how important
this coupling will be for the species...

eventually he gets the message.

This rarely witnessed
romantic encounter

is vital for the future
of the mountain gorilla.

In nine months' time,
a baby will be born.

He'll provide her and her young
with the protection

they need against
the dangers of the forest.

But there's one deadly force in the jungle
beyond their control.

Rwanda's northern border

is forged
by a string of eight volcanoes.

Six lie dormant,
but two are very much alive,

ready to erupt at any moment.

These are the most
active volcanoes in Africa.

And their lethal power
has caused regular devastation

to the jungle-clad slopes.

The destructive power
of these volcanoes

also brings life.

Enriched by volcanic ash
over millennia,

these slopes host layer upon layer
of nutrient-rich foliage.

The wildlife beneath the canopy

has adapted
to this hidden world.

The Ruwenzori
three-horned chameleon

is one of Rwanda's
most efficient killers.

Thanks to an anatomical
super power...

180-degree vision in each eye,

like having eyes
in the back of his head.

Moving independently,
they constantly scan for prey.

When he finds what he's looking for,

they lock in for binocular vision.

He moves in slowly
so he doesn't spook his prey.

Once in position,

he calculates the range and strikes.

Lizards, amphibians,
and even small birds

are all on the chameleon's menu.

With a full stomach,

the hunter disappears
back into the vegetation.

This tropical habitat is home to some of
the oldest forests on earth.

Some species have remained unchanged
for millions of years.

But one forest resident

is an iconic reminder
of our own evolution.

Chimpanzees live in large groups,
reaching over 100 members.

In these super troops,
the male chimps dominate,

using brute force to show who's boss.

But behind the violence
lies a highly evolved brain

capable of forming
human-like societies.

Their social structure collapses
if they don't maintain strong bonds.

Much of their communication
comes through body language.

And nothing reinforces
relations like grooming.

It will be six years before this baby
becomes independent,

but he'll continue to groom
almost exclusively with his mother

until he's around 12 years old.

And will maintain
a lifelong bond with her.

He’s a little clumsy,
but for now he’s still learning.

The dexterous nitpicking
fingers and toes he's inherited

will also help him survive
high in the canopy.

Observing how the adults climb...

the little chimp has a go.

His mother keeps a close watch.

She knows falling from
these heights can be fatal.

This time he was lucky.

Baby chimps are easily led
astray by their older siblings.

He can't help but be tempted
by this play-fighting.

This sparring will help
his strength and agility.

With chimp society ruled by force,

he'll need to be able
to defend himself.

His mum prepares to step in
if things get too rough.

Playtime's over.

Now, rest.

He enjoys hanging
with the bigger chimps,

but he's still a mommy's boy

and will be for many years.

Safe in the canopy,

he succumbs to
happy exhaustion.

Rwanda's forests have some of
the tallest trees in Africa.

Fifteen stories high,
they reach for the sun,

leaving the rest in the shadows.

Just 2% of the sun's light
reaches the jungle floor.

Down here, all appears still,

yet the forest floor
is alive with critters.

Most vegetarian, but some
insects are meat eaters.

This slug can take on one ant.

But seeing off an entire army
will mean fighting for its life.

Twenty million strong,

a ferocious army of driver ants.

A living weapon
of mass destruction.

On the hunt.

Larger sentry ants form tunnels,

guarding the tide of smaller workers.

Completely blind,

these scouts detect prey
primarily through movement.

Up in the leaves,
this slug seems safe.

But a lone forager is closing in.

The scout sends signals
out to the other ants.

The huge slug is overpowered...

and the battle moves to the forest floor.

Yet the fight isn't over.

The slug is covered in slime.

The ants' serrated jaws
become trapped in the sticky jelly.

Undeterred, the ingenious ants
bring in soil...

absorbing the moisture

and break through the slime.

Within seconds, the slug is gone.

But a colony's appetite
is never sated.

The ants swarm off
to find their next victim.

Rwanda's mountains
owe their lush vegetation

to one of nature's
most powerful elements.

Rain falls for over
200 days each year.

As these torrential downpours
collect into channels,

the water carves its way
through the steep valleys.

Streams converge
into powerful rivers.

And at the foot
at the Virunga Mountains,

the rivers feed into one
of Africa's biggest lakes.

Lake Kivu.

This notorious body of water
has a truly unique power.

It's one of only three known
exploding lakes in the world.

Methane and carbon dioxide
rise up from below.

The Swahili locals refer
to these fumes as mazuku,

meaning "evil wind."

If volcanic activity created
a seismic shift,

a huge pocket of toxic killer gases
would be released,

causing a local mass
extinction in the lake

as well as
the surrounding onshore basin.

For the wildlife here,

every day is a gamble with death.

East of Kivu,
the landscape is much drier.

Rwanda marks the divide

between Africa's great jungles
and its vast savanna.

These low-lying grasslands
are extremely fertile.

Herbivores and predators
create a finely balanced ecosystem.

But every year this paradise
is hit by a deadly phenomenon.

Ignited by the intense heat of the sun,

wildfires ravage
the parched vegetation

at temperatures
of over 1,000 degrees.

The flames consume
everything in their path.

The savanna appears destroyed,

but the burn is essential
for regeneration.

It removes the dense undergrowth,
making it easier for predators to hunt

and stimulate the growth
of nutritious grass.

In the wake of these fires,

one of Rwanda's greatest
opportunists moves in.

This herd of zebra are looking
for fresh shoots to feed on.

But the grass is yet to recover.

There's little to eat,

but they make use of
the scorched ground in other ways.

This juvenile watches on

as his older brother
gets ready to take a bath.

Rolling in the dust and ash
removes parasites.

The younger zebra wants
a piece of the action.

Their vibrant stripes polished
to perfection.

The zebra's markings appear

to make them an easy target
in these open grasslands.

Obvious to the human eye,

but for many predators,
their stripes are hard

to distinguish beyond 160 feet,

even in broad daylight.

Stripes also help zebras combat
the savanna's extreme heat.

White reflects,
while black absorbs.

But together they regulate
the zebra's body temperature perfectly...

allowing this mother and her baby

to graze in the searing midday sun.

Many predators aren't as fortunate.

Spotted hyenas must bide their time
to hunt in the cooler hours of night.

This group are patiently scouting prey
for the evening ahead.

Despite their reputation as scavengers,

hunting makes up
95% of the hyena’s diet.

And this young zebra
has caught their attention.

Staying tightly huddled,
the mother shields her newborn.

Hyenas could easily chase
down a baby zebra,

but it's too hot to hunt now.

They report their findings
to their dominant female...

and reserve their energy
for the night ahead.

Under cover of darkness...

the hyenas return.

And move in for the kill.

The hunt was a success.

The hyenas share the spoils.

After a night of fierce battles
on Rwanda's savanna...

the baby survived.

But some of the zebra are recovering
from the night's attack.

This female was badly injured
in the assault.

Now weakened and at risk
of infection,

she could be
the hyenas' victim tonight.

Rwanda's savanna covers more
than 2,000 square miles.

For guinea fowl,
it's an ideal place to roost.

These communal birds
share a single nest.

But putting all eggs in
one basket is a dangerous strategy.

The grass provides cover
for a host of stealthy predators.

This African egg-eating snake
spots an opportunity.

He feeds solely on bird eggs.

Using his tongue
to capture their scent.

The small but silent assassin
locks on to his target.

And closes in.

He can tackle eggs
much wider than his own body.

Dislocating his jaw
to swallow the egg.

Spines on his neck crush,

whilst muscles contract to push
the egg down his body.

He squeezes out the liquid,

harvesting all available nutrients.

Ten minutes later,

he regurgitates
the indigestible empty shell.

While the snake relies
on stealth in the undergrowth...

another can't help but stand out.

At 18 feet tall,
the giraffe's stature allows them

to feed where others cannot reach.

Their six-foot-long necks also
provide them with a deadly weapon.

These two are sizing each other up
to battle for breeding rights.

The huge reigning bull
won't tolerate any other males

while one of his females is in heat.

This challenger is smaller...

but thinks he has a chance
to steal the throne.

Going up against the King means
putting his neck on the line.

A battle for dominance
between two male giraffes.

One well-placed strike to the head
can knock the opponent out cold.

Despite his shorter stature,

the smaller male lands a cheeky blow.

Ultimately, he doesn't stand
a chance in this fight.

The larger bull quickly puts
the youngster back in his place.

With the only injury
to the loser's pride.

He submissively rubs the victor's neck.

Before slowly retreating.

The reigning bull focuses in
on the female.

Sensing she's in heat,
he approaches her slowly.

Tapping her hind leg is a sign
that he's also ready to mate.

But he needs to be patient.

Even as the dominant male,
he must endure a courtship ritual.

This tantalizing dance
can last for days.

Once the male proves
his commitment...

he finally gets his reward.

While the giraffes make babies...

another animal is on the prowl.

Olive baboons are some of
the most widespread primates in Africa.

Weighing over 50 pounds,
the adults are big and grumpy.

Babies need to keep their distance
from these short-tempered males.

Just a few weeks old, this infant

still spends 50% of his time
within arm's reach of mom.

Baboons inherit their mother's
status in troop hierarchy.

As the offspring
of a low ranking female...

this baby is a prime target
for bullying

by his older cousins.

His mother steps in...

and for now
he's safely back in her arms.

Rwanda's best known
for its primates and jungles.

But it harbors a source of the Nile,

the longest river on Earth
as well as an immense wetland.

Covering hundreds of square miles,

this is Akagera National Park.

These vast floating
islands of papyrus

are home to one of Rwanda’s
biggest animals.

This hippo weighs over 1.5 tons.

He normally spends the night grazing,

consuming up to 50 pounds of grass.

And wallows in the water
for most of the day.

He needs to get back there quickly...

or he'll bake in the midday sun.

The hippos share this wetland

with one of Africa's
deadliest predators.

The Nile crocodile.

This 1,000-pound beast
is the ultimate killing machine.

Hippos are so heavy
they can't swim.

So this male makes his way
to his family,

walking along
the bottom of the lake.

Crocodiles don't normally
attack a fully grown hippo.

Intimidated by their large size
and imposing tusks.

But a baby is a far easier target.

The adults keep a close watch
on the predator.

If they’re not careful,
this youngster could become lunch.

With a bite force
of 5,000 pounds per square inch,

Nile crocodiles have the strongest jaws
in the animal kingdom.

This near-perfect predator has
eyes on this baby hippopotamus.

But even a croc can't take on
a whole herd of adult hippos.

Shielded by its mother...

the baby is safe for now.

The croc will just have to be patient.

Another wetland predator
has a different approach.

A shoebill stalks
among the papyrus grass.

Fierce in looks...

and ferocious in nature...

she stands over four feet tall

with an almost prehistoric appearance.

Armed with a nine-inch beak

and razor-sharp claws,

she has the tools
she needs to make a kill.

But hunting here is a challenge.

These floating rafts of papyrus grass
are constantly on the move.

Luckily, her perfect eyesight helps her
keep track of moving targets.

Using paths created by hippos,
she scours the wetland,

hunting for anything from
lizards to catfish.

Once she has it in her sights,

a fish doesn’t stand a chance.

Down in one.

The shoebill
isn't the fish's only concern.

The papyrus makes
an ideal lookout post

for a much smaller aerial predator.

This pied kingfisher is surveying
his hunting ground...

waiting for the perfect opportunity.

He can make more than
16 catches a day.

But he's not ready just yet.

He spots his prey.

Wings beating seven times
a second.

It's now all about height...

and precision.

His eyes lock on the target.

This aerial hunter prepares to strike.

A perfect catch.

Knocking the fish out cold,

the pied kingfisher spins it around

and swallows it head first.

The fish's scales
don't catch on his throat,

so it slips down easily.

As night falls...

beneath the surface of the lake...

an unusual hunter is ready to feast.

This African clawed frog
has a voracious appetite,

and these stitch marks along
each side of his body

are his secret weapon.

They can sense
the tiniest of movements.

Microscopic worms are detected.

He scoops in the worm
with his clawed hands.

But the frog is still hungry.

Churning through the vegetation,
it’s a feeding frenzy

Pumping prey into his mouth.

As quickly as it started,
the feast is over.

The clawed frog delves deeper
into the papyrus.

It won't be long
until his appetite returns.

On Rwanda's eastern border...

a new member of this troop

of vervet monkeys has been born.

The boys squabble
amongst themselves.

Others graze happily on the bounty
of seeds and grasses.

The troop's females
have a more important job.

This mother's tiny baby
is just a few days old.

She wants peace to feed her child.

But newborns draw attention
from childless females in the troop.

Those wanting to practice parenting.

But this mom is reluctant to share.

The others can't resist

and beg for a turn.

With her baby just days old,

all this attention
is too much for the mother.

There are five other babies in this troop
for the females to dote on

and their mothers are willing
to share parenting responsibilities.

Communal child rearing
is the vervet's speciality.

With almost 50 members in the troop...

there are plenty of helping hands.

Just one reason why the vervet
has gone on to become Rwanda's

most successful primate.