38x05 - Okavango: River of Dreams: Limbo

[bunniefuu]

♪

♪

NARRATOR: The king awakens...

His domain is on the edge

of one of the most
extraordinary swamps in Africa.

♪

He knows his charges...

♪

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He knows his riches...

♪

He knows his threats...

♪

Intruders... young challengers.

♪

But today, there is
trouble in paradise.

♪

The cuts and scars on his face

are a roadmap
of his past battles.

♪

Everyone is aware.

♪

[Low roar]

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♪

The message is clear:

This is not their dream.

It belongs to him.

[Low roar]

♪

♪

But the river itself
doesn't belong to him alone:

everyone lays claim
to their piece of the Okavango,

this river of dreams.

MARILYN MANSON:
♪ Everybody's ♪

♪ Lookin' for something' ♪

♪ Some of them
want to use you ♪

♪ Some of them
wanna get used by you ♪

♪ Some of them want to
abuse you ♪

♪ Some of them
want to be abused ♪

[Instrumental]

♪

♪

[Music fades]

NARRATOR: The second phase
of the Okavango,

in Southern Africa's Botswana,

is, as it fans out into a delta,
in limbo,

before spilling out
into the Kalahari Desert.

♪

The clues to why the delta
changes its shape

so radically here

lie at the center of each of
its uniquely formed islands.

♪

There are forces at work
down here,

building underground fortresses,

blockades against
the rising water table...

Using a combination of saliva
and hard calcrete.

There are over 2,700 species
of termites,

but just a single one of them
influences everything here.

[Lion roaring]

The male lion is not a loner.

Daily calls connect him
and his brother.

[Low roar]

♪

All around them,
life is erupting.

♪

Once a year, termites start
their nuptial dances.

They flush from underground
homes to fly,

and within seconds find a mate,
before they can be eaten.

[Birds calling]

♪

Millions don't make it...

But millions do.

♪

The mating dance fills the air

and starts one of the most
magical relationships

in nature...

one that dominates the entire
story of the Okavango.

♪

♪

They land at the feet of giants,
find their soul mates,

and burrow down into
the soft Kalahari sands.

Then, they start a new cycle
of building.

Towering castles rise up even
above the heads of elephants.

♪

Trees attach themselves,

forming platforms
for all life here.

♪

In this flat landscape,

any high ground forces
the flood waters

to spread around these islands,

creating a sprawling delta

across 9,000
square miles of Botswana.

♪

♪

And at the foundation
of each island in the Okavango

is a termite colony.

[Elephant trumpets]

♪

In a place where water
is abundant,

it's the high ground
that is precious

and used by just about
everything here.

When there are cubs,

the male doesn't spend
a lot of time with the pride.

It's an unfamiliar and sometimes
tense relationship with them.

In this upside-down world,

months after the rains end

and just as
the dry season starts,

the flood begins to rise.

Rainwater from halfway
across the continent

is finally reaching the delta.

♪

Those that can adapt to this
watery world have an advantage,

especially if they can find
just the right island.

Two Hyena sisters have found
some abandoned aardvark holes

to turn into a den.

Hyena family greetings
may be a little curious,

but these are some of the most
caring mothers in the delta.

All their cuteness
has been reserved

for when they are very young.

They soon grow out of it.

The older cubs have already
developed bone crushing habits,

so the youngest dig
secret chambers

into the heart
of the termite mound

that only they can get into.

Someone else is eyeing
one of their holes today.

♪

And quite simply moves
into the spare chamber.

It's disconcerting for the cubs.

Hyenas can easily rip
a warthog to pieces,

but for some reason now,
they extend a kind of welcome.

A working solution develops.

♪

Hyenas den during the day,
and at night,

when they are out hunting,
the warthogs are in residence...

And during the twilight hours,
both families are at home.

♪

It's family bliss,

but with lethal
jaws-in-the-making.

♪

♪

♪

♪

Both families keep a wary eye
out for the odd neighbors.

♪

The male lion is patrolling
his territory

but takes a diversion
to harass hyenas.

He's definitely also interested
in the smell of hidden pigs.

The unlikely alliance between
these two families

sharing a den worked well today,

and those extra eyes and ears

served as early
warning mechanisms.

This relationship works well
on a deeper level

for miniature piglets.

At last... the two brothers have
found each other.

Their bond is vital
to both of them,

their territory and their pride.

The teenagers have energy
to burn.

The males watch them closely.

The first sign of small manes
on the young lions

has their father's attention.

In a year, the large males
will have to chase them off.

Lions of any size on the move
through the swamp

send shock waves of panic
through everyone.

Anyone caught out of water
is fair game for the youngsters.

♪

And it turns into a game of cat
and very large mouse.

♪

♪

[Grunting]

♪

♪

♪

For some,
safety is in the water.

For others, it is on
the termite islands

as the flood rises.

♪

As the young piglets emerge
from their catacombs,

they have a lot to thank
the hyena family for.

But it's time to move out
into the world.

Warthogs across the delta
more than double in number

in a few weeks,

all because of their initial
safe havens

in the termite mound islands.

[Grunting]

On one of the larger islands,

they are being watched
from above.

♪

♪

♪

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[Warthogs squealing]

The leopard can't choose,

so grabs up two piglets.

But she can't carry both
to the trees

before the chaos
attracts unwanted attention.

Now, the hyenas are interested
in the smell of piglets

for an entirely
different reason.

♪

The males, on
a territorial patrol together,

stride right towards
the leopard's island.

♪

She is saved by chance.

♪

Piglets on the wind.

♪

Right into the jaws of death...

But it's a slippery
little thing.

And one that comes
with a lot of attitude.

♪

♪

For the largest of
the African cats,

being confronted
by something this small is...

a little confusing.

♪

♪

♪

These plains may favor the bold
and the brave,

but today the odds
were just too great...

♪

And not enough to feed
both brothers.

♪

By mid-flood, over 80%
of the Okavango

is under sheet water.

Much of it is shallow
and crystal clear...

Exactly what the kingfishers
like best.

♪

But hovering takes
a lot of energy.

♪

♪

High protein fish and frogs
are worth the effort, though.

Right across the delta,
pied kingfisher splashes

punctuate the peace
and tranquility.

♪

Because the flood lags so far
behind the local rains,

it brings new water

at just the right time
for thousands of animals.

♪

♪

This massive movement
of wildlife

is triggered by the rainwater
pools drying up.

And it is the elephants
that are most important

to the way
the entire delta functions.

It is a haven for them.

The expression of sheer
elephant joy

seems to erupt in their voices.

[Elephants trumpeting, rumbling]

♪

♪

♪

Giants like these could have
a devastating impact

in large numbers,

but in truth, elephants perform
a great service

in this landscape sized theatre.

They are in fact
the architects of the Okavango.

Where elephants lead,
the flood follows,

bringing new water down dormant
channels to forgotten islands.

♪

But what brings elephants
to this part of the delta

now lies ahead of them,
on those islands.

They can't reach these dates

and don't want to destroy
the tree itself,

so they gently
"harvest" the fruit.

Being crowned by rock-hard nuts
seems to be worth it.

But it's a classic case
of which came first:

the palm, the nut,
or the elephant.

The palms can only germinate

if softened
at the right temperature...

the exact same heat as that
inside an elephant's gut.

These vast palm islands
so typical of the delta exist

purely because of these long
caravans of traveling elephants.

And the islands themselves
are built on termite mounds

right across the Okavango.

If you're not particularly
finicky about the source,

the softened nuts in elephant
dung hold amazing riches.

And vervet monkeys are used to
having sticky fingers.

Blacksmith lapwings don't
signpost their nests...

They are the signposts.

But today, they have chicks
that are just the opposite...

Their job is to blend in.

That could be a problem
along this path.

Lapwings are extremely bold:

bold voices, bold colors,

and bold attitudes.

[Squawking]

But with a heavy army
on the march,

they take evasive action today.

[Chirping]

[Low growl]

You never know when an elephant

may be on a sugar high
after date palm foraging.

Like this bull,

who doesn't extend the same
"lapwing courtesy"

to the painted dogs today.

A hunt starts with a sneeze.

It's the pack's version
of a vote.

Enough sneezes gets them excited
and carries the motion.

These flooded swamplands
are ideal for the hunting dogs,

one of the last strongholds
in the world

for these
highly endangered animals.

♪

♪

The incredible size difference
between predator and prey

doesn't bother painted dogs.

For them,
it's all about stamina,

and few can match theirs.

♪

Today, the kudu's
almost playful message

is that it is fit, young,
and can bolt away at any time.

♪

It's just a test anyway...

A warm-up while the rest of
the pack mobilizes

for the main event...

♪

♪

Wildebeest...

Dogs hunt by testing for
weaknesses, forcing mistakes.

♪

Against hunting dogs,

the best defense
is a show of unity.

[Wildebeest bellows]

The pack's technique
is to divide and conquer.

Each retreat is actually a ploy
to draw one wildebeest away,

so that other pack members
can surround it.

It's the ultimate
bait and switch.

♪

♪

♪

The alpha male calls it off.

The amount of energy it'll take
to complete this hunt

is just too expensive.

♪

♪

As quickly as it came in,

the flood starts to shrink
after a few months...

The first signs of change.

It leaves
soft green grasses exposed,

and highly nutritious...
Well worth going in search of.

[Rumbles]

But unfortunately,
others have the same idea.

It's a three-way fight.

One backs up into a small
termite mound

and gains two advantages:

the high ground
and a protected rear end.

It's a winning combination
in a species where fighting

is both critical
to claiming space and food,

and is dangerous.

Tens of thousands of hippos
dominate the waterways

throughout the delta,

making it as hazardous
for other animals here.

In these flood waters,

there is a single rare antelope
on the move today.

He is so rare
that he's one of a kind.

There has never been
another like him

seen anywhere in the world.

At first glance, he looks
like a common red lechwe.

It's not surprising:

his mother was a lechwe.

But his father was a waterbuck.

We'll call him a wachwe,
in honor of both parents.

♪

♪

Today, the wachwe
is in deep trouble...

And the pack knows it.

♪

The wachwe is larger
than any normal lechwe,

and though
that may confuse them,

the painted dogs are not easily
scared off by size.

♪

But he's not a complete loner:

today he's found
his half-brother,

a real waterbuck.

♪

Their interesting and different
genetics may be academic now.

The real threat may actually be
in the water

they are using for their escape.

♪

Hippos attack each other,

so complete strangers
are not welcome in this pool.

They're in trouble if they
don't leave the water now.

But they're in trouble
if they try to.

♪

♪

♪

♪

The confidence of being born
bigger and bolder

than his siblings is paying off.

But today, the two antelopes
find safety in limbo,

somewhere between the river bank
and the deeper water.

Even the hunting dogs
wont risk offending the hippos.

It's a standoff between
an endangered predator

and an antelope
that doesn't really exist.

♪

♪

The intimate lives of these
animals make up

the complex web of the Okavango:

touch it in one place
and it shivers somewhere else.

♪

Someone's paradise is
someone else's purgatory.

♪

In this world of winners
and losers,

there are sometimes simple
working relationships,

with no disadvantages.

Black egrets have
a special technique

of blocking out the shine
on the water,

to catch fish under
their umbrella-like wings.

Small minnows come to forage,
and craftily,

black egrets use their bright
yellow feet as lures.

It's such a good tactic
that a glossy ibis

poaches under the umbrella
without any shame at all.

There is one problem...

When you have your head
under your wings,

things can creep up on you.

The pride is out hunting,

and young lions are interested
in anything that moves...

In particular,
those that move slowly.

These lions have adapted
to being in water.

The constant wading,

from one termite island
to the next through deep water,

makes them fit, strong,

and some of the largest lions
in Africa.

The cool water allows them
to forge through the delta,

well into the heat of the day.

♪

♪

In these mosquito-infested
swamplands,

they are after one species
of prey above all else.

It's their favorite,
but it's not easy...

Buffalo.

♪

Being down in the water-grass
can get confusing,

so Okavango lions have to use
any advantage they can get.

Elevation is a huge help.

♪

It's one of the few places
in the world

where lions do climb trees.

They also climb to get
any cooling breeze...

but these heavy-set lions have
to get their balance just right.

♪

♪

And it's not just the lionesses
that can climb.

♪

♪

The buffalo are heading
this way.

So now, all that is needed is
a hasty and elegant descent

to circle into position...

♪

The time to attack buffalo
is when they bunch up,

when they are stressed
by the deeper water crossings.

♪

But today, the pride waits
and sets the ambush

for just as the buffalo
enter their termite island.

♪

He's eager to join in.

♪

♪

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With the pride in perfect
position to ambush a lost calf,

the trick would be
to not spook the buffalo.

♪

♪

A big bull senses
something wrong.

Now it's important for the male
to be still...

Silent.

But the male's weight-to-agility
ratio is just off.

♪

These are Cape buffalo.

They k*ll more lions
than any other animal does,

and today, there are nearly
a thousand of them.

Suddenly a young bull elephant
is in the mix...

[Trumpeting]
And he's irate.

Elephants are definitely
the dominant species

on these islands.

But the lions have artfully
sneaked off...

and he's been left with the full
force of the buffalo herd.

This warrior elephant
is up to the challenge.

[Trumpets]

Some of the younger lions
have their own troubles now.

♪

♪

Treed by the buffalo,
they have nowhere to hide,

and the best elevation
is just at buffalo horn height.

♪

♪

The lions have learned
a valuable lesson today,

one that once again establishes
the reputation of buffalo

as one of the most
dangerous animals in Africa.

♪

The pride is bruised

and retreats to give
the buffalo a wider berth.

As the evening air cools,

tiny nymphs that have been
waiting for a year under water

start to hatch.

Luna mayflies fill the air.

♪

Little bee-eaters
hawk on them frantically,

as if the flush
will be their last meal.

But here, there is no shortage
of insects.

The Okavango keeps providing
to those

that are well adapted
to use the moment.

♪

♪

But the flood also
creates problems.

As it arrives, it isolates one
kind of small, primitive ape,

on whatever termite island
they happen to be on.

These temporary prisoners rely
almost entirely on the insects

that the flood forces
to the high ground.

And they do that
with special adaptations.

They have huge eyes
that are locked in position.

So big, in fact,
that to move its eyes,

it has to move its entire head.

It's effective:

they can see and leap
around a very complex world

in the high trees.

And to help,
they urinate on their hands

for that extra stickiness.

[Squawking]

Their tools work well for them

as they navigate
their isolated tree top realm.

♪

So here, if you can adapt,
you do well.

Baboons have similar,
forward-facing eyes,

but they aren't nocturnal,

and spend their nights
in the trees, asleep.

♪

Getting down is
a delicate matter.

But these straight
up and down palms

are their gateway to the safest
place for them to roost.

Nothing else can climb
these vertical trunks.

♪

♪

The buffalo herd is also awake,
moving downstream.

♪

Perhaps it's the definition
of insanity,

but the pride
has decided to regroup

and try the exact
same tactic again.

♪

♪

♪

♪

They're going to need
something different today,

or it will all end up
in the trees again.

It's going to take a hero...

An unlikely hero after
yesterday's performance.

♪

Male lions are just not
designed to hunt.

Their manes are for display,
for fighting.

♪

The pride is uncoordinated;

the buffalo united.

♪

♪

And then, just as the herd
hits the first reeds,

the second male flies into
action alongside his brother.

♪

♪

♪

This is why prides
often have more than one male:

to bring down
the difficult, heavy prey

that the rest of the pride
simply cannot conquer.

Their feast is short-lived.

Elephants have picked up
the sound of death, the chaos,

and they don't like it.

The mere presence of lions,
the smell of blood,

and the disturbance
to their sedate lives

offends these animals.

They thrive on peace and seem
to just want to maintain that.

Outraged, they act
as if the lions

had k*lled one of their own,
not a buffalo.

[Snorting, trumpeting]

And for one of them,
that may be true.

A tusk-less cow reacts as if she
has lost a calf

or family member of her own
in the past.

Elephants hold that hurt
and loss for a long time.

But the lions slip away
into the long grass,

frustrating her even more.

[Elephants trumpeting]

And then, without any obvious
reason at all,

the female and her herd
suddenly settle down

and allow the pride to feed.

Forgiven perhaps,
but not forgotten.

It's just one of the mysteries

that define this river
with so many faces.

♪

This strange but magical flood
starts inland,

adapts to meander around
termite castles

and down elephant paths,

affecting millions of animals.

And then dribbles out
into nothing.

The next phase of the river
is an entirely different one.

Herds we see little of
in the delta start to leave

just when it is
at its very best.

They take us out to the far
reaches of the water,

away from the realm of kings

and farther down this strange
river of dreams.

MANSON: ♪ Everybody's looking
for something ♪

♪ Some of them want to use you ♪

♪ Some of them want to get used
by you ♪

♪ Some of them
want to abuse you ♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪