All language subtitles for BBC.Earths.Great.Rivers.Series.1.2of3.Nile.720p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org

Earth's great rivers...

..from source to sea...

..make extraordinary journeys.

Carving through continents...

..nurturing ancient civilisations...

..feeding and connecting life
across our world.

From the mountains and deserts
of the Nile...

..to the cities and mysterious
swamps of the Mississippi...

..and the steaming waters
and secret worlds

of the tropical Amazon...

..great rivers are the lifeblood
of planet Earth.

One river stretches further
than any other on the planet...

..the Nile.

Travelling all the way
from the equator,

across North Africa,
to the Mediterranean.

A river that flows through
astonishing hidden worlds...

..changing at every twist and turn

of its 4,000-mile journey.

A river that gave rise to great
civilisations.

Its miraculous waters bring life

to where there would otherwise
be none.

The source of the Nile has been a
mystery for thousands of years.

Ancient Greeks spoke of it beginning

in the legendary mountains
of the moon.

A name now given to a mighty
mountain range...

..the Rwenzoris.

Towering over Congo and Uganda,

this is the highest and most

spectacular source of the Nile.

Torrents of rain and snow melt
tumble off colossal

peaks 5,000m high.

Water that will eventually reach
the Mediterranean Sea...

..but first has to embark on an
incredible voyage across some

of the wildest parts of Africa.

As these Nile headwaters start to
gather on the lowlands below,

they move islands of
floating papyrus.

This shifting world is problematic

for those trying to make
their home here.

This is one of only 150 shoebill
storks left in Uganda's wetlands.

As the landscape moves around him,
spotting fish is a struggle.

Nosedives just result

in a mouthful of leaves.

But, in this confusing world,

he has found an unexpected solution.

He's on the search for one of the
Nile's biggest bulldozers.

By following in its giant footsteps,

the shoebill is able to spot fish

in the channels

that the hippopotamus leaves behind.

In the Nile, there are

always opportunities for those

resourceful enough to find them.

As all these early streams of the
Nile gather together...

..they create a world of equatorial
lakes in the heart of Africa.

The greatest of all

is called Victoria...

..a lake almost the size of
Ireland.

So vast that water is trapped here
for an average of 23 years,

before continuing its journey.

Here, in November, the new moon
triggers one of the Nile's

most remarkable events.

One that fisherman Charles has
been waiting for

with some trepidation.

Many people die on this lake.

It's dangerous.

Tonight, there are 30,000
boats out on the water...

..and the fishermen are hopeful.

At last, tiny pupae emerge from
the depths,

hatches flies and gather
around the light.

The perfect lure for hungry fish.

This is what the fishermen
have been waiting for...

..the catch of the year.

Charles and his crew paddle home,
triumphant, and the air is thick

with billions of flies.

Swarms of a biblical scale
sweep across the lake.

Spiralling 100 metres high

in their final act,

a mating dance.

Welcomed, not only by fishermen,
but also by the islanders.

Within a few hours, these flies'
short lives

will be over, so the game is on to
catch as many as possible.

A fly burger has five times more
protein than a beefburger.

Understanding the cycles of this
changing world

is key to existence here.

Despite thousands of streams
entering the lake,

there is only one way out for
all this water...

..the aptly named White Nile.

Most stay away from its
perilous rapids.

But, for local mum Amina,
the turbulent water

provides a lifeline.

She left school at 16 to work
on her small patch of land,

but then a chance meeting changed
her life forever.

I was in the village and I saw
a white guy from the UK

and I was like, "Can you take
me kayaking?"

And he was like, "Sure."

And that time, I didn't know
anything about kayaking.

Within six months, she got a job
as a kayak guide and is now able

to support her family of ten.

And today, she's trying to prove her
skills in an endurance

race against world-class athletes,
in a borrowed kayak,

and using a home-made paddle.

25 billion litres of water cascade
down these rapids each day.

It's not long before Amina falls
prey to the Nile's ferocious power.

If you go upside down,
it's hard sometimes

because my wrists are a bit
short, so, after seconds,

I am finished.

But Amina is nothing
if not determined.

Because I am born from the Nile,
nothing I can't do.

It's such a dangerous stretch of
river

that competitors have to stay
in pairs for safety.

When we are racing,
you need to be close

so that you can save your friend if
something happens.

Especially when taking
on Itanda Falls.

Class six rapids, the most dangerous
white water in the world.

Itanda can make me nervous because
these are grade six,

it's really big,

and you are like, "Oh, my God. How
am I going to do this?"

Exhausted after three
hours of paddling,

Amina is approaching the finish.

Amina, go! Amina, our enemies
are closer!

We go, we go! They are coming, go
hard, go hard!

Amina and her partner are the first
ladies team across the finish line.

The most time when I'm happy,
when I'm winning,

when I'm, like, the champion,

that's why I'm called the Queen
of the Nile.

Beyond these treacherous rapids, the
Nile has created a barrier

even Amina can't pass.

The 50-metre-wide river is squeezed
through a seven-metre chasm...

..creating one of the most powerful
waterfalls in the world.

Murchison Falls.

A gateway into a wild,
Savannah world.

250 miles
from its equatorial beginnings,

the Nile enters the land
of the giants.

HIPPOS GROAN

Crocodiles up to six metres long

await carrion delivered
by the river.

The Nile is the only
water for miles around...

..a magnet for Africa's biggest
game.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

This crocodile mother

has found a secluded spot
to bury her eggs.

And for two long months,
she has fasted,

waited, watching over them,

keeping them safe.

But she cannot hide their scent.

A Nile monitor lizard.

An egg thief.

Out of the water,

the monitor is the faster
of the two reptiles...

..and knows it.

It also seems aware
of the crocodile's Achilles' heel.

On land,

crocodiles can die
from heat exhaustion.

Leaving the mother
with a terrible dilemma.

The Nile is the only place
where she can lower her body

temperature to safe levels.

If she leaves now,

her brood will be devoured.

The mother is now at
near lethal temperature.

Finally, she has to choose
her own life

over that of her young.

And hope that the monitors
won't finish all 60 of her eggs.

But the Nile's crowded banks
are home to other hungry mouths.

Marauding baboons raid what's left
of the undefended nest.

BABOON SHRIEKS

Taking every last one.

Only 2% of Nile crocodile eggs

reach adulthood, due to the hordes

of hungry animals drawn
together by the Nile.

Once, this was the country
home of brutal dictator Idi Amin.

Known as the Butcher of Uganda,

Amin ordered the deaths
of 300,000 people...

..and encouraged hunting parties,
devastating to Uganda's wildlife.

Since his exile in 1979,

this lodge has supposedly
been uninhabited.

But local whispers now speak
of strange goings on

and of new guests...

..who play by different rules.

Filmed for the very first time,

these ruins are starting
to reveal their secrets.

A family of warthog

have taken up residence
in what was once the kitchen...

..whilst the baboon troop

have opted for a room
with a Nile view.

As night closes in...

..the warthog family snuggle up...

WARTHOG GRUNTS

..whilst others are just waking.

A pair of porcupine
are denning under the stairs...

..while some bats are reconsidering
their choice of roommate.

The most exclusive name
in the visitor's book

is the rare pangolin.

It's best to stick close to mum.

But one of her piglets

is bolder and more curious
than the others.

ANIMAL CHATTER

In this maze of rooms,

it's easy to lose your way.

Lost and alone,
the piglet is sleeping.

LEOPARD PURRS SOFTLY

PIGLET SQUEALS

A piglet is usually an irresistible
snack to a predator...

..but the leopard leaves it alone,
unharmed.

WARTHOG GRUNTS

Mum calls in her piglets -

all have survived the night.

Could it be that there is some truth
to the rumours after all

that, within these crumbling walls,

nature does play by different rules?

As the Nile leaves the Savannah,

it comes to a pivotal point
in its voyage.

In south Sudan,

the land flattens
and the river transforms

into a swamp the size of England.

This is the Sudd,

Arabic for barrier.

It's this sea of plants
that prevented early explorers

from finding the Nile's source.

In this floating world,

you have to learn to navigate
the maze.

ELEPHANT RUMBLES

For one animal in particular,

the river's swamplands are a haven.

ELEPHANTS TRUMPET

Nile elephants seem to spend
more time in the water

than out of it.

But first they need
to learn how to swim.

And baby swimming classes
are a family occasion.

ELEPHANTS RUMBLE GENTLY

The biggest of the family go first,

leading the way.

With little legs, this youngster
is quickly out of her depth.

Surprisingly buoyant
for their great weight,

her body keeps her afloat...

..allowing her to practise
her trunk control.

Trunks contain 40,000 muscles...

..making them excellent snorkels.

Once she masters the skill,

she will be able to freely roam
across great areas,

using the Nile as a highway.

THEY TRUMPET PLAYFULLY

No other animal seems to celebrate
the Nile's waters

as much as the elephant.

But in the Sudd,

over half
of the Nile's waters are lost

to the scorching sun.

And it still has over 2,000 miles
to go

and a mighty desert to cross.

But events hundreds
of miles to the east

are about to change everything.

THUNDER RUMBLES

This region is known
as Africa's water tower.

Storms in the Ethiopian highlands

fill the Nile's
greatest tributary...

..the blue Nile.

Some believe that this is
the biblical river

that flowed out
from the Garden of Eden...

..and some of the world's oldest
Christian communities

are found on its banks.

In the ancient city of Gondar,

the Ethiopian waters of
the Blue Nile

are diverted for a religious
ceremony of rebirth...

..an annual event called Timket...

..a Christian festival, where
thousands gather to be baptised

in the Nile's sacred water.

For Thomas Alamu,

this is the most important event of
the year.

The feeling after I've been baptised

is really more than anything.

I have no words even to explain
the feelings that I would have.

Before the baptism takes place,

Thomas prays in an all-night vigil.

The crowd is waiting
for the priest's sign

that the water is blessed.

When the cross takes the water,

it means the baptism is just
beginning

and everybody will jump
up and is baptised.

It's the biggest celebration
of the year,

bigger than Christmas.

Worshippers believe that the
Nile's waters

have extraordinary powers

of rebirth and transformation.

They feel like they are
baptised and that's true.

When they get holy water,

they feel like their sins go away.

Thomas takes his time...

..savouring the moment.

After I jump into the water

and just coming out - wow!

It puts a smile on my face

and I feel amazing.

I don't know how I can explain it,

but I feel like I am a peaceful man.

As the Blue Nile leaves
its sacred beginnings,

it transports its rich
waters across Ethiopia.

Its banks are some of the most
fertile land in Africa...

..making them the perfect place
for a bird

who relies on the
greenest plants to win a mate.

Male village weaver birds
build intricate nests

and display their skills
to scrutinising females.

The freshest, greenest nests

are the most alluring.

Females fly from nest to nest,

giving everything the complete
once over.

Brown, older nests

are of little interest,

so these males will have to undo
all of their hard work

and start over...

..whilst other males will use every
trick in the book

to avoid a rebuild,

disguising the brown with fresh
strands of vegetation.

Not that every female
is so easily deceived.

This young weaver is trying to build
one of his first ever nests.

It can take a couple of years
to perfect

this intricate and delicate task

and, so far, this novice has
only succeeded

in tying his foot to the papyrus.

A neighbour has particularly
impressive building skills.

He makes trips to the water to get
the very best nesting material

that the Blue Nile can provide.

And he has got the art
of tying knots down to a T.

He's clearly a hit with the ladies.

This romantic interlude
is the perfect opportunity

for the novice to steal
some nest material.

But, however hard he tries,

he can't seem to get it right.

Perhaps next year he'll be
more successful

in using the Blue Nile's fertile
waters to his advantage.

The replenishing Blue Nile finally
joins the depleted White Nile

1,000 miles downstream in Khartoum.

Their combined power allows them
to tackle the final

but most challenging leg of
the journey...

..crossing the Sahara,

an expanse of sand the size
of China.

Life seems like an impossibility.

But the Nile persists...

..a fragile ribbon of blue
in an ocean of sand.

The only permanent river
in the whole of Egypt.

ANIMAL CALLS

One animal has an incredible ability

to take the Nile's water with it,
wherever it goes.

Able to consume 200 litres
in just three minutes,

camels can then go months
without drinking again...

..allowing them to venture
deep into the desert.

A moving oasis.

The perfect pack animal.

For over 2,000 years,

they have provided shepherds
with transport, milk and food.

SHEPHERDS SING

But they also provide in another,
more unexpected way.

Water is so sparse out here

that even the moisture inside
camel dung is sought after.

Dung beetles...

..brought in from far and wide by
their incredible sense of smell.

And once they have found it,

the game is on to seize the prize
and run for the hills.

It's a feat equivalent to a human

pushing a car up a steep slope...

..but worth the exertion.

This may be the only moisture
that this beetle comes across

in its entire lifetime.

But the human need for
water is so critical

that civilisation in the Sahara
is chained to the river.

And remarkably, life
not only survives

along the Egyptian Nile,

it thrives.

95% of the country's population

live on the river's banks...

..making Cairo one of the most
densely populated places on Earth.

Home to 20 million people,

it's the biggest desert city
in the world.

Famous for its vibrant,
exotic markets...

..with an abundance of produce
grown from the Nile.

But the demands on the Nile's waters

are starting to exceed its supply.

By 2025,

Cairo is predicted to be
running dry.

The Nile's future
hangs in the balance...

..because, in this great desert,

the river's waters are everything.

Just as true now as it was
5,000 years ago,

when the Nile gave rise to one of
the greatest kingdoms

in Earth's history...

..Ancient Egypt.

Lasting 3,000 years,

this was one of the world's
longest-running civilisations.

Pharaohs claimed they had power
over the Nile's waters

to win the obedience of the
Egyptian people...

..who knew they were utterly
dependent on the river's flow.

They called the Nile
the Mother of all Men...

..and worshipped its miraculous
ability to bring life

to where there would
otherwise be none.

Still today, the Nile's incredible
journey is celebrated

all along its great length...

..from its mountainous beginnings,

to its desert ending.

Those that live in the remarkable
worlds of the Nile

use its waters in varied and
astonishing ways.

And after 4,000 miles
of voyaging through Africa,

the Nile finally completes
its journey

in the Mediterranean Sea.

The miracle river that brings
life to all it touches.

The Nile team were enticed to Uganda

by rumours that Idi Amin's ruined
lodge

might still be harbouring guests.

Producer Lydia Baines takes her
first steps inside.

It's quite incredible. This place
is actually steeped in history

and you can feel it walking around.

It's quite mind-blowing.

Joining her are cameramen
Stuart Trowell and Mark MacEwan.

This is the first film crew
to enter these walls.

They have no idea what secrets
or horrors the lodge maybe hiding.

Any of Africa's wildlife
could be lurking inside.

Every corner you turn,
your heart's racing,

just waiting to bump into something.

It is incredibly nerve-racking.

I did just hear something.

HE LAUGHS

They continue their
search...cautiously.

I just put my head in here
because we could hear some noise

and I was kind of expecting a hyena
to come leaping out at me,

but the best thing
is just round this corner.

It's a large porcupine and I've
never really seen one

in the wild before,
so this is quite exciting.

But what you don't want to do
is get charged by one.

Oh, look, he's sleeping.

There's two porcupines.

It's not quite what I expected
to find, if I'm honest.

And down here, a whole bat cave.
Look, all the way down.

There are bats everywhere.

Convinced that these walls
are harbouring more secrets,

the crew place 12 camera
traps around the site.

But navigating all corners
of the lodge is proving tricky.

I'm actually just drawing a map.

The main reason is,
this place is absolutely huge.

It's kind of like a labyrinth.

There's so many nooks and crannies

that we kind of need
to see what's around.

We've got no idea of what's actually
living here and using this place,

so we've littered the place
with camera traps

and we are marking down where we've
put them.

And every time we find
something or spot an animal,

we'll mark down on the map
where each one was located.

It's too dangerous
to remain here overnight,

so the team set the cameras
and retreat.

Who knows what they'll find
when they return at dawn?

Just come to collect our
camera traps

and this one has been pretty
totally destroyed.

They've done a pretty
good job on chewing it up,

but there might be some
stuff on the card.

The card still looks intact, so...

They were obviously enjoying
themselves last night

at our expense.

The culprit should be revealed
if the card still works.

SHE LAUGHS

I see him. That's the end of it.

This is what it must feel
like to be eaten by a hyena.

He's lying down and chewing it.

SHE LAUGHS

Despite being outwitted
by the hyenas,

the team is excited to find evidence
of predators in the lodge.

So, now we are going to put out
the more expensive cameras

and put them a little bit
higher up,

so they don't get chewed, so they
don't end up like this one.

But higher up doesn't work
when you have baboons in town.

And it soon becomes clear that
this hotel

has a large number of guests,

all with a taste for technology.

The wildlife are running rings
around the film crew,

who are settling in to their daily
checks and repositioning of cameras.

Just as the crew are starting
to feel a little more at home,

they get a rather big surprise.

So, we've just got this camera trap
fitted in,

and we just saw a hyena on the front
doorstep looking out,

looking a bit worried.

We were wondering what it was
and now a lion has just walked

straight into shot,
through the front doorway.

And we know there's lions in
this park,

but we did not think they'd be going
near this building.

It's the first time we've seen
or heard of one around here

and the rangers haven't seen
lions around here before.

Had we known there'd
been lions around here,

we might have been a little
more cautious

coming into some of these rooms.

Every single clip, we go... This is
8.07, and we go to the next clip,

it's 8.09, and it's a hyena walking
through the same area.

I've just never seen
anything like it.

So many predators living
in such close proximity.

We've just checked out the
warthog room as well,

which is where the warthog has got
all its babies,

and it's still there with its
little ones, and these lions

have walked right past it -
and those babies are noisy.

The lions haven't gone for them.

It's... I just don't understand
what's going on

in this crazy, crazy place.

Both Stuart and I are
sitting here,

and every time there's a rustle in
the bushes, we're...

..just checking it out, cos it could
be a lizard, it could be a lion.

Everyone is going to be a little bit
more wary from here on in...

DISTANT BARKING

..especially as it's not only lion

that the team have started picking
up on the cameras.

It's pretty amazing, we've put up a
camera trap in a room

following the family of warthogs,

and that happened to catch a piglet
in another room

and, out of nowhere, a leopard just
walks in.

And it does nothing, just sniffs it
and then just walks off,

which is crazy because it's an easy
meal right there...

..but it just goes and leaves it.

This place is amazing.

But neither the leopards nor
the team's presence

puts off the lodge's regular guests.

Quite the opposite.

It seems the crew have finally
been accepted

and footage of over 20 species

starts coming in thick and fast.

So we've been putting camera traps
out for quite a few days now

and getting hyenas,
porcupines, a leopard,

warthog, mongoose, you name it.

I think the most incredible thing
about all of these animals

being found together is they seem
to be living in harmony.

It's like they have some sort
of amnesty.

It's a hotel of peace,
it seems like,

which is incredible,
especially considering its history.

Although the goings on in these
ruins are not easily explained,

through further investigations,

scientists are hoping to unravel
the mysteries

of this intriguing animal hotel.

Next time...

..the massive, muddy Mississippi,

a vast river system

gathering water from nearly half of
the USA.

From surprising beginnings
in remote mountain streams,

to the steaming swamps of
the deep South,

nothing connects and unites
the states of America

like the Mississippi River.