All language subtitles for Great Rivers II.s01e01.Zambezi

Earth's great rivers...

..make extraordinary journeys.

Carving through continents...

..feeding and connecting life...

..nurturing culture...

..providing a place for adventure.

From the frozen wilderness of the
Yukon...

..to the tropical heat of the
Zambezi...

..and the magical, hidden worlds of
the Danube...

..great rivers are the lifeblood of
Planet Earth.

In the heart of Africa

is a forest.

A sacred place.

The Lunda people call it "yambeshi"...

..the heart of everything.

Here, a clear spring

bubbles to the surface.

The source of a great river.

One day, hippos will wallow in its
deep, dark pools...

..and elephants will wrestle with its
treacherous currents.

It will carve its way through
bedrock...

..and its waters will fill great
lakes...

..and spread out to form the largest
curtain of water on Earth.

For this trickle to become one of
Africa's mightiest rivers,

it will need to overcome many
obstacles...

..on its epic journey

to the Indian Ocean.

But everywhere it touches,

it will bring life.

This is the story of the Zambezi...

..Africa's wildest river.

From its source in the northwest of
Zambia, the Zambezi travels

over one and a half thousand miles,

through six countries, on its course

to the Indian Ocean.

Like many great rivers, its beginnings
are humble.

And its destiny by no means certain.

Flowing down out of the forests of its
birth, the Zambezi

starts its great journey.

But just as its waters are getting
going, it runs into trouble.

Barotseland.

An endless flat plane in the far west
of Zambia.

So flat, the Zambezi completely loses
momentum.

And it's September, the peak of the
dry season.

Its waters are evaporating under the
heat of the African sun.

But it's just now that the Zambezi is
vitally important.

Especially for the people that live
here,

like cattle farmer Makalo Makaulo.

- September is the hottest time in the
year,

where everything is dried out.

I tell you we are suffering because we
depend on water.

Here in Barotseland,

everything depends on water.

- Every day in the dry season

to keep his cows alive,

Makalo Makaulo must take them from the
arid grasslands

to the Zambezi's life-giving waters.

- Zambezi River,

it's like a father to me.

The father who feeds his children.

The parent of Barotseland is Zambezi.

- But as the heat intensifies,

the Zambezi's waters are receding...

..leaving miles of dry, hot riverbed.

A challenging place,

whatever your walk of life.

But there are advantages to the dry
season.

For schoolboys and cattle farmers
alike,

life goes on through the dry season.

As it does for the wildlife here.

These vast plains are home to some of
the greatest concentrations

of wildlife anywhere in Africa.

And this is their toughest time.

But the heat can only build for so
long.

It's now October, and a change is
coming to Barotseland.

Over 30,000 wildebeest are on the
move.

They are heading for their calving
grounds in the south of the plains,

in anticipation of the rains.

A sign that six months of drought is
coming to an end.

- When the rain is coming,

everything is changing.

- In October every year

tropical rains push down from the
equator, and spill

over into Barotseland.

This is what all the inhabitants have
been waiting for.

- So when the rains come, our hearts
are feeling very happy,

because we are expecting good things
to come.

I don't know how you even express it,
because everything there, even

the nature of the land is changing.

- The rains are completely
transformative.

A greening of the land over 7,000
square miles...

..that can even be seen from space.

- My God, why can't this period be
like that always?

- As the grasslands are revitalized,

they become a globally important
wetland,

supporting 350 species of birds.

And finally,

the wildebeest arrive at their calving
grounds.

Over just a couple of weeks,

all the herd's calves are born

to coincide with this time of plenty.

CROAKING

But the rains are having an even more
dramatic effect...

..on the Zambezi.

It starts to flood.

The people of Barotseland have always
lived in tune

with the annual flooding of the
Zambezi.

Larger villages are built on high
ground,

so they stay dry during the flood.

But many smaller buildings

are designed to be submerged for a
while.

Abandoned for four or five months
until the waters subside.

The rising waters bring new
challenges.

Most children have to stop going to
school in the wet season.

But this school has been built with
flooding in mind.

Set on a mound of high ground,

it even has docks for the pupils to
tie up to.

So long as they can brave the school
run,

Gift and his classmates can keep

learning while the waters keep rising.

Cattle farmers don't have the option
of staying in the floodplains.

They now take to canoes to swim their
cattle

to higher ground.

But beneath the waters,

the land is being fertilised

by the Zambezi's silt.

So when the cattle return,

they will have some of the most

nutritious grass around.

The floods are not only good for the
inhabitants

of Barotseland...

..the waters of the entire flood plain
are now gathering

into one rejuvenated flow.

The Zambezi

is on the move again.

Heading out of Barotseland,

the Zambezi now turns east

where, for the next 300 miles, it will
form the border

between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Boosted by the water from upstream,

the Zambezi grows.

And, as it grows, it brings more
opportunity for life.

The Zambezi is starting to look like a
great African river.

As it flows over a series of steps in
the bedrock,

it starts to gather pace.

And, in the distance, a cloud of mist
is rising.

A hint of what is to come.

Right at the point where the Zambezi
reaches its maximum power...

..the entire river flows over a cliff.

Over a mile wide...

..falling for over a hundred metres...

..500 million litres of water per
minute.

So much water, it creates a plume of
spray

that rises 500 metres into the sky...

..giving it the name of Mosi-oa-Tunya,

The Smoke That Thunders.

This is Victoria Falls.

The largest curtain of water...

..on Earth.

You would think it's a place to steer
well clear of.

But there is temptation here.

A group of male elephants have come
down to the edge of the river.

At this time of year, the islands
right above the falls are lush

with tasty vegetation,

an elephant's paradise.

But to reach them is dangerous.

The Zambezi in full flood is a
formidable force.

This is not the place to get swept
away by the current.

But the lure of the islands is strong.

These males are prepared to take the
risk.

The further they go,

the stronger the current gets.

And now it's getting deeper.

They are forced to swim.

Immediately, the current starts to
drag them downstream.

They need to reach an island

or they could get swept over the
falls.

One by one, they find their footing.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

But for smaller elephants,

the danger is greater.

At last, they are all safely across.

And right away, they start feasting on
their prize

of rich vegetation.

But elephants can eat 300 kilos of
food in a day.

So they'll soon get through all the
tastiest pickings here...

..and will have to take their chances
with Zambezi all over again.

Victoria Falls marks the next great
transformation

for the Zambezi...

..as the entire river is swallowed up
by a great chasm in the Earth.

Trapped in a channel just 25 metres
wide,

the Zambezi now carves down through
the rocky heart of Africa...

..forming sheer walls of 140 metres
high.

This is the Batoka Gorge.

And it's here that the Zambezi
conjures up another phenomenon...

..less well-known than Victoria Falls,

but just as unique.

The Zambezi Wave.

Surf perfection for those brave enough
to try it.

- It's crazy that you can bring
something like surfing here.

- Mikey February is a professional
surfer.

He's here, 600 miles from the nearest
ocean,

to surf the Zambezi Wave.

- It's once in a lifetime, and only a
few people have actually done it,

and I think that's, you know, one of
the most special parts

of actually coming here.

- Mikey has come to the Zambezi at a
key point in the year.

As the dry season returns, over a
period of three or four

months, the river changes again.

Victoria Falls starts to switch off.

Every year, the Zambezi goes through
these dramatic cycles...

..with 50 times less water flowing
over the falls when it's dry.

But it's as the water levels in the
gorge start dropping

that conditions become just right for
surfing.

When the water gets low enough,

it starts to interact with a rocky

shelf on the riverbed...

..and forms the Zambezi Wave.

A wave that stays in exactly the same
place,

and breaks continuously.

But only lasts for ten days.

Even for a pro like Mikey,

the Zambezi Wave is not

to be taken lightly.

- You have rocks, you have, you know,

hectic rapids and the water's moving

in such a different way to the ocean.

The fear factor is quite high.

- Because the wave is formed by a slab
of rock just beneath the surface,

surfing it is dangerous.

And then there are the rapids.

Mikey needs to get out of the white
water as fast as he can,

before he gets swept downstream.

He paddles for the pickup point on the
riverbank.

But the current is too strong.

This is where his experience in the
water comes in.

He keeps calm.

And the safety kayaker is immediately
on hand to help

guide him out of trouble.

Mikey is keen to try again.

- The Zambezi Wave is pretty much like
catching an ocean wave

but in reverse, because the ocean is
pushing you forward and the river

is obviously going the opposite way.

It's just a completely different
experience.

Once you get it the first time,

then you actually kind of get a gauge

of what you should be doing.

And you kind of know exactly what to
expect when you fall.

I did get scared surfing this wave.

It's like a balance of, like, surfing,
survival mode,

surfing, survival mode kind of thing.

I think the more time you spend in the
river and on the wave,

you learn new things about it.

The way it moves and noticing its, you
know, little subtleties.

It's also so beautiful, you know,

obviously you get to surf this wave,

but you also get to appreciate the
Zambezi and everything

that it has to offer.

- From the gorge, the Zambezi journeys
on.

Winding its way through the fractured
land along the border

between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

But it's about to shapeshift once
more.

This time, at the hands of an entirely
different force.

Kariba Dam.

Built in the 1950s,

it completely blocks the Zambezi,

and forces it to flow through its
turbines to make electricity.

It took just five years for the river,
held back

behind the dam,

to rise 100 metres.

Swelling up to form the vast Lake
Kariba.

25 miles wide.

140 miles long.

44 cubic miles of water.

So much water that it caused over 20
large earthquakes as it settled

down on the land beneath.

By volume, Lake Kariba is the largest
manmade lake

on the planet.

But it has also become a haven for
wildlife.

Along the lake's shoreline, rich
grasslands have grown up.

And in the forests of drowned trees

formed by the rising waters

is a unique habitat.

Perfect for the Zambezi's most iconic
bird.

The African fish eagle.

There are around 500 breeding pairs
here.

Each pair mates for life...

..the contorted shapes of the trees
providing a platform

for their nests...

..protected by the crocodile-infested
waters below.

The trees also provide the perfect
vantage point

to survey the lake for prey.

On two-metre wings, they hunt for fish
in the shallows.

This place is so good for fish eagles,

it has become their stronghold...

..their haunting call, the sound of
Lake Kariba.

The Zambezi is now at the halfway
point on its journey

to the Indian Ocean.

As its waters break free of the great
dam,

the river flows on.

And now it enters a lost world,

spreading out into a valley 50 miles
wide...

..nurturing a vast wilderness...

..some of the richest wildlife habitat
in Africa.

It has also become world famous as one
of THE places to come

and watch wildlife.

This part of the Zambezi and its
tributaries is dotted

with safari lodges...

..places where people come to meet the
Zambezi's iconic animals.

But who's watching who?

This safari lodge has operated for
many years,

and the wild animals are now used to
people.

And there's one main attraction just
beyond the lobby.

A wild mango tree.

Its fruit is ripe for just a short
time,

right at the end of the dry season.

A mouth-watering treat when food is
scarce.

But it's not just baboons that have a
thing for mangoes.

There are larger guests about to check
into this lodge.

Elephants have been coming to this
mango tree

from the river nearby for generations,

following ancient pathways that
existed long before

the lodge was built.

One family in particular has learned
that the lodge and its inhabitants

poses no threat.

Why go around?

When you can walk right through
reception.

These are completely wild elephants.

But over the years, they have
developed an understanding

with the staff here.

A trust passed down through elephant
generations.

- We've definitely developed that
relationship and we've seen

youngsters grow into almost adults now
over the years.

So it's it's a beautiful relationship
we have.

- This young bull probably first
followed its mother

through here as a calf.

Now he is so relaxed,

he even takes time to browse the gift
shop.

And check in at reception.

But soon, the lure of the mangoes is
too great.

Trees like this are vital for the
wildlife here.

Their roots draw water from deep
underground,

so they can fruit even in the dry
season.

An important source of energy and
vitamin C.

And while the elephants are feasting,

the guests get a wild encounter of a
lifetime.

When the elephants have had enough,

they quietly leave.

The same way they came in.

Straight through reception.

Elephants are big eaters.

But they also drink over 200 litres of
water a day.

And for that, like all animals here,
they rely on the river.

But the Zambezi is not only a place to
get a drink.

For carmine bee-aters,

the banks of the river provide the
perfect place to make a home.

Their colonies can contain up to a
thousand nests...

..each one dug into the sandy cliff
face over a metre deep...

..where their eggs are protected from
predators.

But outside the nest, the adults are
vulnerable.

African fish eagles don't only live on
Lake Kariba -

they can be found all along the
Zambezi.

The skills that make them so good at
catching fish

work just as well for birds.

Hippos spend the hot days wallowing in
the Zambezi's cool waters.

Schools of females live together in a
territory ruled

by a single male.

And for the most part they are
peaceful creatures.

Until the male's authority is
challenged by a rival.

Then hippos turn violent.

In the safety of the river,

hippos are all-powerful.

It's as the sun goes down that they
start to lose their bravado.

Hippos eat grass.

About 40 kilos every night.

They can't get that by staying in the
river.

They may be huge - over two tons, but
out of water

they become cautious.

So what are they nervous about?

As the night progresses...

..they travel further into the
shadows.

Up to five miles a night.

Not making a sound.

Soon, the hippos are peacefully
grazing in moonlit meadows.

But they are being watched.

Lions.

A pride of lions patrol this stretch
of the Zambezi.

They know that animals are moving to
and from the river,

and the dark is their friend.

But would they be bold enough to
bother a two-ton hippo?

It's when the hippos start heading
back to the Zambezi

that they are most vulnerable.

Lions have formidable eyesight.

As the night gets darker,

they gain the advantage.

Now anything is fair game.

A female lion tries for an impala.

Alarmed by the chaos, hippos scramble
for the safety

of the river.

But a young hippo is on its own.

That doesn't go unnoticed.

A male lion is on to it.

Just in time.

The hippo makes good its escape,

safe once more in the waters of the
Zambezi.

As the Zambezi journeys on, it
performs a last

great feat of transformation.

Flowing down on to the coastal plains
of Mozambique...

..it spreads out into countless
sinuous branches...

..forming a great triangle that
reaches all the way

to the Indian Ocean.

The Zambezi Delta.

But this last chapter of the Zambezi's
journey

is haunted by the past.

From 1977 to 1992,

this place was ravaged by civil war.

The human cost was immeasurable.

And it had a devastating effect on
wildlife.

- During that war, wildlife was killed
for the meat,

but also be killed for the ivory, for
example, elephants,

everything just declined drastically.

- Dominique Goncalves is a Mozambican
conservationist who's passionate

about forging a brighter future for
the wildlife here.

She is part of a team tasked to go
into the heart of the Zambezi Delta,

to find out what has happened to the
wildlife

since the devastation of the war.

Dominique is an elephant specialist.

Her plan is to put satellite collars
on key elephants

to understand their movements.

The first step in protecting all the
wildlife of the delta.

- If you protect the area that an
elephant uses, you're also

protecting a huge area that many, many
other species are using.

- But first, she has to find them.

The Zambezi Delta is vast -

over four and a half thousand square
miles.

Once, the Delta was world-famous for
its extraordinary

wealth of wildlife.

Great herds of elephant, and the
largest numbers

of buffalo in Africa.

Since the civil war, few studies have
been conducted here.

So little is known about what is left,
but after just half an hour's

flying, there's an encouraging sign.

Elephants.

- You really have to assess which
individual we can work with.

So you have to think about the age and
if it's a female, is she very,

very pregnant or not? If she has a
young calf or not.

So you don't want to put an extra
stress on her.

- The dart contains a fast-acting
sedative.

And by the time the helicopter has
landed,

the elephant is already asleep.

A quick check on its breathing,

and they get to work.

They must work fast.

Though the elephant is sleeping
peacefully,

the quicker they are, the quicker it
can return to the herd.

And while the vet is fitting the
collar,

Dominique gathers as much information
as she can.

This is a rare opportunity to study
these delta elephants.

Blood samples...

- Her feet is very small.

- ..foot size,

and getting a record of what it's been
eating is a crucial

but less glamorous part of the job.

All completed in just 15 minutes.

SNORING

- Snoring!

- A final shot reverses the effects of
the sedative.

They now have just a couple of minutes
to get airborne.

To encounter elephants so early in the
trip is a hopeful sign

that good numbers are surviving in the
delta.

In the next few days, Dominique
successfully collars six elephants

from different herds.

And straight away, the collars start
to deliver results.

She can see exactly where each
elephant and their herd travels.

What space they need for socializing,
feeding

and avoiding people.

Travelling the delta with their
satellite collars,

Dominique's elephants are providing
crucial hard data,

and are starting to map out the space
that she hopes will

one day protect all the wildlife of
the delta.

Even in such a brief visit,

there are tantalizing glimpses

of the life the delta could hold.

A great herd,

many hundreds of buffalo -

an echo of the legendary herds that
once roamed here.

And a vision of what this place could
be.

Here, where the Zambezi River

finally comes to the end of its
journey.

- The Zambezi River is extremely
important.

Not only in terms of biodiversity and
nature,

but give us culture,

give us, you know, livelihoods,

give us many things.

Perhaps without it, it wouldn't be the
same.

I think that's the thing that makes us
all so proud to have the Zambezi,

one of the greatest, biggest rivers in
Africa,

to just finish here, next to home.

- From a trickle of water in a far
corner of Zambia...

..this great river has overcome many
obstacles on its

1,500-mile journey.

The heat of the African sun...

..the rugged geology at the heart of
the continent...

..the demands of a modern world...

..but wherever it flows, it brings
life and opportunity.

No more so than here at the end of its
journey...

..as the waters of the Zambezi

are finally carried away

by the Indian Ocean.

One of the biggest challenges for the
Earth's Great Rivers team

was to film professional surfer Mikey
February riding

the Zambezi Wave.

Timing was key.

This unique wave only appears for a
few days each year...

..when water levels rise and fall with
the rains.

It's also incredibly remote,

and dangerous to reach -

down steep, jagged cliffs

and through some of the most ferocious
rapids

on the planet.

- It's been quite the logistic
nightmare, maybe, to organise.

We've had to postpone the shoot a few
times just because the river

water levels are dropping, but they're
not

dropping quickly enough.

And there's such a small window to
sort of aim for,

for a wave that's surfable for Mikey.

- But the team decide tomorrow is
their best bet to head off

in search of the wave.

And to get everyone there safely are

the Zambezi's most experienced river
guides.

- This one as well.

- We've got four cameras, two drones,
all the batteries, accessories,

all the cards.

There's a lot of expensive kit

that could end up at the bottom of the
Zambezi.

- It's an early start,

and the team head to the edge of the
gorge.

- We're going to go down to the gorge
now.

Please don't fall, don't slip, we're
going just on ladders, so...

- Lead river guide Sean

briefs the team on the treacherous 100
metre-descent ahead.

It's an almost vertical drop down
sheer rock,

and along rickety wooden ladders.

- All good in the hood?
- Yeah.

Has anyone fallen?
- All the time.

- All the time!

- It begins.

- Lewis is the first to follow the
guides down.

So far, so good.

- Actually terrified.

But we must push forward.

- The last thing the crew needs now is
a twisted ankle or worse.

- OK?
- I'm OK.

- The team make it down to the
Zambezi.

- Actually never been more happy to
get into a raft.

- But the journey to find the wave has
only just begun.

Precious cargo loaded.

- Time to rock and roll. Let's go!

One, two, three!

- At first, all seems calm, but
turbulent water lies

just around the corner.

And the river starts to come alive.

The mighty Zambezi throws everything
it can at them.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

- Suddenly, the raft hits a violent
swell,

and sends camera operator Kevin
hurtling into the rapids.

He must get out quickly before the
river throws him

into the rocks or drags him under.

But he's in safe hands.

Thanks to the quick reactions of the
guide, Kevin's pulled

back on board.

And the team finally make it

to the Zambezi Wave.

Months of meticulous planning went
into arriving

at just the right moment.

But now it's all up to Mikey.

- It's so scary, and it's so, you
know, sort of dangerous.

When you see a photo of the river,
when it's super low,

you can actually see the rock that it
actually breaks

off of, and it kind of plays on your
mind.

You know, you obviously have to wear a
helmet,

and then you also have to wear a life
jacket.

In the ocean, you're just wearing a
wetsuit or board shorts

or something - you definitely feel out
of your comfort zone.

- But that's not Mikey's only concern.

- Crocodiles, what's the situation?

- So I mean, they're definitely here,
and we can't discount them.

The danger zone is actually just this
pool.

They don't like the fast-moving water.

So I think once you get

into the rapids, you're 100%, it's
really just this area.

But I mean, we've all been watching,
we've been looking, we've spoken

to the fishermen and they haven't seen
crocs here for ages,

so I think we're good.

- To get here at just the right time,
Mikey and the team

have descended cliffs,

and navigated white water rapids.

But in return, they experienced an
entirely new side of one

of Earth's great rivers.

Everyone's got a different
relationship with this river,

and surfing that wave is mine.