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The oldest and driest
desert in the world.
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00:01:01,377 --> 00:01:06,371
Fifty thousand square miles
of eternally shifting sand.
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00:01:34,911 --> 00:01:37,402
You'd think nobody
could make a living here.
4
00:01:46,923 --> 00:01:50,825
And yet, when the wind
dies down and the dust settles...
5
00:01:50,927 --> 00:01:53,623
...you see a tiny track,
and many more.
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00:01:56,332 --> 00:01:59,233
No matter how harsh
and inhospitable a place is...
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00:01:59,335 --> 00:02:01,735
...there's always someone
who's willing to live there.
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00:02:03,239 --> 00:02:06,538
A whole community of little creatures
have had millions of years...
9
00:02:06,743 --> 00:02:10,338
...to adapt to the impossible
conditions in this desert.
10
00:02:11,147 --> 00:02:13,945
This one must have had three legs.
11
00:02:14,050 --> 00:02:16,746
This one only one.
12
00:02:27,463 --> 00:02:30,159
The beetles who live here
have an air-cooled cooling system...
13
00:02:30,366 --> 00:02:34,268
...like a Volkswagen, so they have
to run like crazy to keep their cool.
14
00:02:35,772 --> 00:02:37,865
Even courting has to be done on the run.
15
00:02:50,386 --> 00:02:53,378
A quick kiss at full gallop,
and the romance is over.
16
00:02:56,092 --> 00:02:57,684
When you can't run any longer...
17
00:02:57,794 --> 00:03:01,286
...you have to dig like mad
to get out of the heat.
18
00:03:06,703 --> 00:03:09,501
He goes in upside down.
19
00:03:16,913 --> 00:03:20,405
He doesn't dig, he just walks right in.
20
00:03:23,019 --> 00:03:26,420
And this one pulls
the blanket over his head.
21
00:03:26,823 --> 00:03:29,417
And the gecko dives in
as if the sand is water.
22
00:03:33,029 --> 00:03:37,523
This beautiful person has a different
cooling system, more like a limousine.
23
00:03:37,634 --> 00:03:41,229
She doesn't have to dash around
like those Volkswagen types.
24
00:03:41,437 --> 00:03:45,737
She can take life more slowly.
She even has a windshield wiper.
25
00:03:45,842 --> 00:03:48,834
She cleans her eyes with her tongue.
26
00:03:49,946 --> 00:03:52,141
And digging is done at leisure.
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00:03:52,248 --> 00:03:57,652
First the right hand,
then the right foot at half speed.
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00:03:59,355 --> 00:04:02,950
Then the left hand, left foot...
29
00:04:03,259 --> 00:04:05,659
...right hand, right foot.
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00:04:28,685 --> 00:04:32,382
The sidewinder's favorite meal
is the diving gecko.
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00:04:34,891 --> 00:04:37,189
But geckos play hard-to-get.
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00:04:54,110 --> 00:04:59,104
So the sidewinder resorts
to a very sneaky trick to catch his prey.
33
00:05:06,622 --> 00:05:11,525
First, he buries himself in the sand
until he is quite invisible.
34
00:05:11,828 --> 00:05:15,730
Then his tail comes up
and pretends to be a blade of grass.
35
00:05:15,832 --> 00:05:18,824
Now, geckos don't
eat grass, but ants do.
36
00:05:19,035 --> 00:05:20,730
And geckos eat ants.
37
00:05:20,937 --> 00:05:23,030
At this point,
things happen rather quickly.
38
00:05:23,239 --> 00:05:25,332
Ant goes for tail,
gecko goes for ant...
39
00:05:27,443 --> 00:05:28,933
End of gecko.
40
00:05:29,145 --> 00:05:34,447
So some die and some live in the heart
of the unearthly Red Namib Desert...
41
00:05:34,650 --> 00:05:38,450
...in southwest Africa
on the tropic of Capricorn.
42
00:05:38,654 --> 00:05:40,645
And on the fringes of the Red Namib...
43
00:05:40,757 --> 00:05:44,158
...lives the real miracle
of the desert, the oryx.
44
00:05:44,260 --> 00:05:47,457
The most beautiful of all antelope.
45
00:05:54,670 --> 00:05:58,970
These amazing animals always manage
to look sleek and well-fed...
46
00:05:59,075 --> 00:06:04,274
...in this arid region where there
seems to be no food and no water.
47
00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,972
The austere beauty of the Namib
remains undisturbed...
48
00:06:08,184 --> 00:06:13,178
...because man finds the region
so intimidating, he hardly ever intrudes.
49
00:06:13,689 --> 00:06:16,783
But to the oryx and the
little creatures of the Namib...
50
00:06:16,993 --> 00:06:21,487
...this waterless, hostile desert
is paradise.
51
00:06:32,208 --> 00:06:35,507
Where the red desert ends,
there's a vast white desert...
52
00:06:35,711 --> 00:06:39,511
...where it's so quiet,
you can hear the silence.
53
00:06:54,530 --> 00:06:59,729
The White Namib, a region
of rugged moonscapes and endless vistas.
54
00:06:59,836 --> 00:07:02,828
Here the eye can feast
on breathtaking beauty...
55
00:07:03,039 --> 00:07:06,736
...but for the mouth,
there seems to be nothing.
56
00:07:07,443 --> 00:07:10,435
Still, oryx roam its boundless plains...
57
00:07:10,646 --> 00:07:12,739
...and on the barren slopes
of a desert mountain...
58
00:07:12,949 --> 00:07:15,144
...you'll find a whole
tribe of baboons...
59
00:07:15,251 --> 00:07:18,846
...who are quite content to live
in these grim surroundings.
60
00:07:19,455 --> 00:07:23,255
Of course, those rocks
do get rather hard after a while.
61
00:07:23,359 --> 00:07:25,759
Home comforts are few,
but they don't seem to mind...
62
00:07:25,962 --> 00:07:27,452
...the lack of modern conveniences.
63
00:07:34,570 --> 00:07:38,267
Their social system
works very much like human society.
64
00:07:38,374 --> 00:07:41,172
At the very top, there's the big chief
whose word is law.
65
00:07:41,377 --> 00:07:43,470
And at the very bottom,
there's the little guy...
66
00:07:43,579 --> 00:07:46,480
...who likes to mind
his own business.
67
00:07:52,688 --> 00:07:56,089
Now you know
who's important around here.
68
00:07:56,192 --> 00:07:57,682
Actually, they're a happy gang.
69
00:07:57,793 --> 00:08:00,489
And when it cools down
towards evening, they get playful.
70
00:08:00,696 --> 00:08:04,393
And then the acrobatic types
start showing off.
71
00:08:09,505 --> 00:08:12,599
Some don't do it very well,
but they're willing to work at it.
72
00:09:20,977 --> 00:09:23,468
Trees are very scarce
in the White Namib...
73
00:09:23,579 --> 00:09:26,878
...so the little weaverbirds
have learned to share and cooperate.
74
00:09:27,083 --> 00:09:30,484
They build large condominiums
where dozens of families can live...
75
00:09:30,586 --> 00:09:33,578
...each in its own apartment.
76
00:09:39,996 --> 00:09:43,193
And they go in for quite a variety
of architectural styles:
77
00:09:43,399 --> 00:09:45,993
Squat ranch type, complex...
78
00:09:46,202 --> 00:09:48,602
...modern, artistic...
79
00:09:48,704 --> 00:09:52,504
...high-rise, and even symbolic.
80
00:09:52,608 --> 00:09:56,305
Some nests are more than 100 years old,
and the little tenants...
81
00:09:56,512 --> 00:10:00,812
...are continually building on,
remodeling and repairing.
82
00:10:07,623 --> 00:10:12,117
A cozy little community
where you can raise a contented family.
83
00:10:25,141 --> 00:10:27,541
But sometimes tragedy strikes.
84
00:10:27,643 --> 00:10:31,739
Once in a long while, a dewdrop
will hang in just the right spot...
85
00:10:31,847 --> 00:10:37,945
...at the right time, to focus the sun's rays
on the dry, combustible thatch.
86
00:10:50,866 --> 00:10:54,461
In a few minutes, the flames destroy
a hundred years' work...
87
00:10:54,670 --> 00:10:58,071
...and bring grief to many families.
88
00:11:07,583 --> 00:11:10,177
The vast White Namib
is only a narrow band...
89
00:11:10,386 --> 00:11:12,786
...on the map of the immense
African continent...
90
00:11:12,988 --> 00:11:15,786
...but it's gradually encroaching
deeper and deeper inland...
91
00:11:15,991 --> 00:11:19,791
...creating a region of scrubby growth
and very little grass:
92
00:11:19,995 --> 00:11:23,089
The Pre-Namib, where
the dainty springbok roam.
93
00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,798
This used to be lush grassland,
but for the past 10,000 years...
94
00:11:28,904 --> 00:11:33,705
...the Pre-Namib has been slowly drying out,
and the animals and plants that live here...
95
00:11:33,909 --> 00:11:36,104
...have to adapt to a climate
where the rainfall...
96
00:11:36,312 --> 00:11:39,907
...gets less and less
as the years pass.
97
00:11:42,218 --> 00:11:46,712
Some plants have adapted magnificently
to the challenge of the changing climate.
98
00:11:46,922 --> 00:11:48,412
Stapelia flowers, for instance...
99
00:11:48,624 --> 00:11:51,024
...had to evolve a way
of getting pollinated...
100
00:11:51,227 --> 00:11:53,422
...in a region where there are no bees.
101
00:11:53,629 --> 00:11:56,530
So instead of emitting
a pretty smell to entice bees...
102
00:11:56,632 --> 00:11:59,726
...they put out a powerful stench
like a rotting carcass...
103
00:11:59,935 --> 00:12:03,029
...and this attracts the blue fly,
who likes smelly meat.
104
00:12:03,139 --> 00:12:06,836
As he scurries about looking for
that lovely, stinking food he can smell...
105
00:12:07,042 --> 00:12:09,738
...he does a good job
of pollinating the flower.
106
00:12:09,845 --> 00:12:13,645
When he finally realizes he's been tricked,
he flies off in disgust.
107
00:12:13,849 --> 00:12:17,250
But he has done
something useful for once.
108
00:12:17,453 --> 00:12:19,250
In a few short weeks
after the rain...
109
00:12:19,355 --> 00:12:23,451
...this plant grows quickly to maturity,
bears seeds, and dies.
110
00:12:23,659 --> 00:12:25,854
But even after death,
it protects its seeds...
111
00:12:26,061 --> 00:12:28,552
...in those strange-looking
pods for a year or more...
112
00:12:28,764 --> 00:12:31,164
...until the rain comes again.
113
00:12:31,367 --> 00:12:33,267
Then the moisture
causes those dead parts...
114
00:12:33,369 --> 00:12:38,068
...to move like bizarre living creatures,
and they open up.
115
00:12:50,386 --> 00:12:54,584
And then the moisture triggers
little springs inside the pods.
116
00:12:55,891 --> 00:12:57,381
The seeds are
shot out in a hurry...
117
00:12:57,593 --> 00:13:00,084
...to germinate and grow
while the soil is still wet...
118
00:13:00,296 --> 00:13:04,494
...so they can bear more seeds
to start the next generation.
119
00:13:13,809 --> 00:13:15,504
An incredible variety of animals...
120
00:13:15,711 --> 00:13:18,509
...have accepted the challenge
of living in the Pre-Namib...
121
00:13:18,614 --> 00:13:22,311
...where you are never sure
whether it'll rain this year or next year.
122
00:13:22,518 --> 00:13:27,512
The scaly anteater, who looks like
a tired medieval knight in armor.
123
00:13:27,723 --> 00:13:30,521
The wart hog, who's
so ugly, he's beautiful...
124
00:13:30,726 --> 00:13:34,719
...and who always goes
into his home tail-first.
125
00:13:36,732 --> 00:13:39,132
Porcupines, who should
know better than anyone...
126
00:13:39,335 --> 00:13:43,237
...not to go through
the same door at the same time.
127
00:13:51,547 --> 00:13:54,948
The scorpion, who carries
her babies on her back.
128
00:13:55,050 --> 00:13:57,644
The chameleon, whose
eyes move independently...
129
00:13:58,053 --> 00:14:01,147
...so he can see where he's going
and where he's been.
130
00:14:04,660 --> 00:14:06,753
He must be the only creature in the world...
131
00:14:06,862 --> 00:14:10,958
...whose left eye doesn't know
what his right eye is doing.
132
00:14:11,367 --> 00:14:16,066
The dikkop, who spends 95%% of his life
looking like a stuffed bird...
133
00:14:16,171 --> 00:14:19,368
...because he stands so very still
and never blinks.
134
00:14:19,475 --> 00:14:21,670
When he does move,
it's only for a split second...
135
00:14:21,777 --> 00:14:24,575
...and then he freezes again.
136
00:14:38,594 --> 00:14:41,188
And then there are wildebeests...
137
00:14:41,297 --> 00:14:44,698
...and ostrich and starlings...
138
00:14:44,900 --> 00:14:47,198
...and zebra and giraffe.
139
00:14:47,403 --> 00:14:49,394
There's a whole treasure house
of animal life...
140
00:14:49,605 --> 00:14:52,904
...in the wide and thirsty Pre-Namib.
141
00:14:54,009 --> 00:14:56,705
It's also lion country,
and at the water holes...
142
00:14:56,912 --> 00:15:00,211
...the animals are nervous and skittish.
143
00:15:00,716 --> 00:15:04,208
Even the appearance of a cub
causes sudden panic.
144
00:15:06,622 --> 00:15:10,217
Which, of course, makes Junior
feel mighty superior.
145
00:15:21,837 --> 00:15:24,135
Some days, the animals
will drink quite calmly...
146
00:15:24,340 --> 00:15:27,434
...in the presence of a whole pride.
147
00:15:27,743 --> 00:15:30,234
They seem to sense that
the lions have eaten well...
148
00:15:30,446 --> 00:15:32,744
...and will not be hunting today.
149
00:15:32,848 --> 00:15:38,650
In fact, the king's belly is so full,
it gets up long after he does.
150
00:15:40,756 --> 00:15:44,157
So who's afraid of a slob like that?
151
00:15:51,166 --> 00:15:54,067
But if one of the younger
generation gets cheeky...
152
00:15:54,269 --> 00:15:58,672
...that slob suddenly walks
like a king again.
153
00:16:01,777 --> 00:16:04,871
His Majesty knows how to cope
with the generation gap...
154
00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,480
...and he will make an example
of the young upstart...
155
00:16:07,683 --> 00:16:11,084
...who has dared to challenge
the establishment.
156
00:16:11,286 --> 00:16:17,088
A long, long stare until the young one
is thoroughly cowed.
157
00:16:29,004 --> 00:16:31,495
And now the young rebel
has to lie down again...
158
00:16:31,707 --> 00:16:35,108
...so that the king can come
walking past once more.
159
00:16:35,310 --> 00:16:39,406
And this time he knows he'll be shown
the respect due to him.
160
00:16:40,115 --> 00:16:43,516
He's not even a very
imposing specimen, as lions go...
161
00:16:43,719 --> 00:16:48,418
...but he does remember that he's descended
from a long line of kings.
162
00:17:13,649 --> 00:17:16,140
The hyena could have
been king of the desert.
163
00:17:16,351 --> 00:17:21,448
His jaws are stronger than those of a lion,
and he has those powerful forequarters...
164
00:17:21,557 --> 00:17:25,254
...but nature saw fit to give him
a weak and wobbly rear end...
165
00:17:25,461 --> 00:17:27,452
...and a slow, ungainly gait.
166
00:17:27,663 --> 00:17:31,565
So instead of being king of the desert,
he's a lowly trash collector...
167
00:17:31,767 --> 00:17:35,168
...who lives off the leftovers
of the lion and other hunters.
168
00:17:35,370 --> 00:17:38,862
It's just as well he's not the king,
because he's a real stinker.
169
00:17:39,174 --> 00:17:41,972
He's a coward. He's sneaky.
170
00:17:42,177 --> 00:17:44,077
He often slobbers and drools.
171
00:17:44,279 --> 00:17:46,076
He loves to roll in the rotting remains...
172
00:17:46,281 --> 00:17:48,977
...of some dead animal
to mask his own smell.
173
00:17:49,084 --> 00:17:51,985
He has a silly giggle.
174
00:17:52,888 --> 00:17:56,585
And, worst of all, he's not content
to live on garbage alone...
175
00:17:56,792 --> 00:18:00,284
...so he'll eat the babies of other animals
when he can get to them.
176
00:18:04,099 --> 00:18:07,796
The faster ones get away
because he's too lazy to exert himself...
177
00:18:08,003 --> 00:18:12,099
...but the smaller and slower ones
are in constant danger.
178
00:18:12,307 --> 00:18:14,002
Yellow-billed ducklings are fortunate...
179
00:18:14,209 --> 00:18:16,507
...because their mother
is a very clever actress.
180
00:18:16,712 --> 00:18:18,805
She also has great courage.
181
00:18:18,914 --> 00:18:22,816
When she sees a hyena prowling about,
she tells the kids to be quiet...
182
00:18:22,918 --> 00:18:24,317
...and walks towards the hyena...
183
00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,211
...while they start sneaking
away towards the water.
184
00:18:28,524 --> 00:18:31,118
Now she gives a quack
to get the hyena's attention...
185
00:18:31,326 --> 00:18:34,818
...and goes into her wounded-bird act.
She really hams it up...
186
00:18:35,030 --> 00:18:37,430
...because she's got to keep
him from spotting the chicks.
187
00:18:37,533 --> 00:18:41,025
So she flounders about pitifully
to convince him he can catch her easily.
188
00:18:41,236 --> 00:18:43,727
But when he gets too close,
she recovers miraculously...
189
00:18:43,939 --> 00:18:45,531
...and streaks for the water.
190
00:18:45,741 --> 00:18:48,539
For a moment, he begins to doubt
the sincerity of her performance...
191
00:18:48,744 --> 00:18:52,339
...but she quickly goes into her next act,
the pathetic drowning duck...
192
00:18:52,447 --> 00:18:56,850
...with all the cries for help
and all the "glub-glubs" the scene calls for.
193
00:18:56,952 --> 00:18:59,944
So he believes her again
and follows her at his leisure...
194
00:19:00,155 --> 00:19:02,248
...because he's sure she's easy meat.
195
00:19:02,457 --> 00:19:06,154
And behind his back,
the chicks slip quietly into the water.
196
00:19:06,361 --> 00:19:09,558
This is a crucial moment, because
they have to swim across open water...
197
00:19:09,765 --> 00:19:11,164
...to get to a safe hiding place...
198
00:19:11,366 --> 00:19:15,462
...so she dare not let his attention
wander away from her.
199
00:19:16,371 --> 00:19:18,566
And she has to let him come
dangerously close...
200
00:19:18,674 --> 00:19:20,471
...to keep him convinced
he can catch her.
201
00:19:22,077 --> 00:19:24,272
When at last the chicks
reach the hiding place...
202
00:19:24,479 --> 00:19:29,576
...she can consider her own safety
and make another miraculous recovery.
203
00:19:29,985 --> 00:19:34,786
And he begins to wonder
whether he's been taken for a sucker.
204
00:19:35,490 --> 00:19:38,084
Somehow the scavengers
and the carrion-eaters...
205
00:19:38,193 --> 00:19:40,184
...are the unbeautiful
people of the desert...
206
00:19:40,295 --> 00:19:42,889
...not only in looks,
but also in character.
207
00:19:43,098 --> 00:19:44,690
The stuffy-looking marabous...
208
00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:47,792
...are members of the elegant
and aristocratic stork family...
209
00:19:48,003 --> 00:19:51,495
...but thousands of years ago, they
started making their living by disposing...
210
00:19:51,707 --> 00:19:53,197
...of the remains of dead animals...
211
00:19:53,408 --> 00:19:57,208
...and they began to look more and more
like unsuccessful undertakers.
212
00:19:57,412 --> 00:20:00,404
Nowadays, the marabou wears
a threadbare black coat...
213
00:20:00,616 --> 00:20:04,712
...and a holier-than-thou expression
on his unlovely face.
214
00:20:05,220 --> 00:20:08,121
They seem to look down their noses
at everyone else...
215
00:20:08,223 --> 00:20:10,020
...and always seem to be discussing...
216
00:20:10,125 --> 00:20:13,322
...the follies and the sinfulness
of the other animals.
217
00:20:14,830 --> 00:20:19,733
The female ostrich is a dull gray,
but the male is a handsome devil.
218
00:20:45,861 --> 00:20:50,560
At mating time, the handsome boys
flash their plumage to impress the girls.
219
00:20:50,666 --> 00:20:55,069
And the less good-looking ones
have to fight for their lady loves.
220
00:21:09,885 --> 00:21:12,786
Finally, a loving couple
will find a secluded spot...
221
00:21:12,988 --> 00:21:16,389
...to do their beautiful mating dance.
222
00:21:37,512 --> 00:21:40,709
Pretty soon, they start a family.
223
00:21:42,117 --> 00:21:44,608
Actually, he's a better parent than she is.
224
00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:48,622
And on a hot afternoon, she will join
the rest of the gang at the water hole...
225
00:21:48,724 --> 00:21:51,215
...leaving him to keep an eye
on the nest.
226
00:21:51,426 --> 00:21:55,123
This is a full-time job,
because each egg is a whole meal...
227
00:21:55,230 --> 00:21:59,223
...and there are many freeloaders
in the Namib.
228
00:23:50,045 --> 00:23:51,535
Meanwhile, back at the nest...
229
00:23:51,646 --> 00:23:54,547
...young Oscar chooses
this moment to get born.
230
00:23:54,749 --> 00:23:58,241
There's no one to welcome him
because Mother is out swimming...
231
00:23:58,353 --> 00:24:00,548
...and Father is out fighting Hottentots.
232
00:24:08,763 --> 00:24:14,065
Oscar feels very lonely,
so he wobbles off to find company.
233
00:24:37,492 --> 00:24:42,191
He is now only two minutes old,
but already he knows about camouflage.
234
00:25:28,543 --> 00:25:29,840
On the morning of his wedding day...
235
00:25:30,245 --> 00:25:32,736
...the wart hog goes down
to the water hole for a bath...
236
00:25:32,948 --> 00:25:36,440
...because he wants to look nice
for his bride-to-be.
237
00:25:40,355 --> 00:25:42,550
That's enough.
238
00:25:43,258 --> 00:25:47,251
Meanwhile, the young lady of his choice
moves into his bachelor apartment...
239
00:25:47,462 --> 00:25:50,761
...and immediately starts changing things.
240
00:25:53,168 --> 00:25:56,467
He does a thorough job
of grooming himself today...
241
00:25:56,671 --> 00:25:59,572
...and she wants her future home
to be just right.
242
00:25:59,874 --> 00:26:01,967
And when he comes home,
he begins to realize...
243
00:26:02,077 --> 00:26:06,980
...that you have to make some adjustments
to your lifestyle when you get married.
244
00:26:11,186 --> 00:26:16,886
And there you have as handsome a couple
of young newlyweds as you can hope to find.
245
00:26:17,092 --> 00:26:19,890
The friendliest and the most
affectionate little creatures...
246
00:26:19,995 --> 00:26:22,088
...in the desert are the meerkats.
247
00:26:35,010 --> 00:26:37,205
Sorry, fella.
248
00:26:41,816 --> 00:26:45,013
They're also most inquisitive,
and when a stranger intrudes...
249
00:26:45,220 --> 00:26:48,917
...he's received with courtesy
and friendly curiosity.
250
00:27:00,835 --> 00:27:06,330
Even a poisonous cobra
is inspected and invited to be friendly.
251
00:27:55,590 --> 00:27:58,184
An egg is pure frustration.
252
00:27:58,393 --> 00:28:02,887
He knows there's something good in there,
but how do you get to it?
253
00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:09,793
The mongoose looks like the meerkat,
but he's from a different family.
254
00:28:09,904 --> 00:28:13,203
When he finds an egg,
he hikes it to the nearest rock...
255
00:28:13,408 --> 00:28:17,606
...juggles it into position,
takes a quick sighting, and shoots.
256
00:28:22,217 --> 00:28:24,310
But the meerkat doesn't
have the know-how.
257
00:28:24,519 --> 00:28:26,009
He always digs for his food...
258
00:28:26,221 --> 00:28:30,624
...so instinctively, he tries to solve
this problem by digging.
259
00:28:31,326 --> 00:28:33,317
But it doesn't work.
260
00:28:33,928 --> 00:28:37,420
Maybe he can learn
by watching the mongoose.
261
00:28:37,632 --> 00:28:40,430
All right, he'll try that.
262
00:28:44,539 --> 00:28:47,633
That guy makes it look so easy.
263
00:28:54,649 --> 00:28:56,139
But the egg-eater snake...
264
00:28:56,351 --> 00:28:58,444
...can swallow an egg
10 times as big as his head...
265
00:28:58,653 --> 00:29:01,645
...without breaking it or his head.
266
00:29:03,458 --> 00:29:06,359
He unhooks his lower jaw
from the rest of his face...
267
00:29:06,561 --> 00:29:09,758
...so he can open his mouth wide enough.
268
00:29:12,066 --> 00:29:16,662
At first, the egg keeps slipping away,
and he goes around in circles.
269
00:29:16,771 --> 00:29:18,762
But he has a good reason for that.
270
00:29:18,973 --> 00:29:23,069
Eventually, he has the egg surrounded
so it can't slip away anymore.
271
00:29:23,278 --> 00:29:26,179
And now he can do his trick.
272
00:29:43,198 --> 00:29:45,689
Once the egg is safely inside him,
he crushes it...
273
00:29:45,900 --> 00:29:49,392
...and squeezes out all the good stuff
without spilling a drop.
274
00:29:49,504 --> 00:29:54,999
And a few minutes later, he ejects the shell
in a neat, disposable package.
275
00:29:55,410 --> 00:29:59,403
But if you want to swallow eggs whole,
there's no room for teeth in your mouth.
276
00:29:59,614 --> 00:30:02,014
That makes him the most defenseless snake
in the world...
277
00:30:02,517 --> 00:30:06,317
...so apparently, Mother Nature
has played a nasty trick on him.
278
00:30:06,521 --> 00:30:09,217
But to make up for it,
she painted phony teeth on his lips...
279
00:30:09,424 --> 00:30:12,018
...and she taught him to put up
such an act of ferocity...
280
00:30:12,126 --> 00:30:15,527
...that he can even intimidate an elephant.
281
00:30:16,030 --> 00:30:19,022
That intricate winding movement
makes him look twice his size...
282
00:30:19,234 --> 00:30:22,931
...and lets his scales make
an angry rasping sound as they rub together.
283
00:30:23,738 --> 00:30:27,731
He pretends to strike viciously,
but he has to make sure he misses...
284
00:30:27,842 --> 00:30:30,834
...otherwise his enemy will find out
that he has no teeth.
285
00:30:31,045 --> 00:30:34,139
But his act is so good
that no one ever calls his bluff...
286
00:30:34,349 --> 00:30:36,840
...and everyone believes
he's very dangerous.
287
00:30:37,051 --> 00:30:41,545
A baboon will eat every creepy-crawly
thing he can find under rocks...
288
00:30:41,756 --> 00:30:43,951
...but if he should come across
an egg-eater snake...
289
00:30:44,158 --> 00:30:46,752
...he'll fall down in a dead faint.
290
00:30:57,272 --> 00:31:03,268
And would you believe it, he looks
under the same rock and faints again.
291
00:31:16,991 --> 00:31:21,394
Sometimes he's sorry he got married,
because she's always cleaning house.
292
00:31:27,702 --> 00:31:30,796
He wants a girlfriend,
and that's his way of advertising.
293
00:31:30,905 --> 00:31:34,102
He knows if there's a lady tapping beetle
within half a mile...
294
00:31:34,309 --> 00:31:36,209
...she'll hear him and answer back.
295
00:31:36,311 --> 00:31:40,805
So all day and all night,
he taps and listens, taps and listens...
296
00:31:41,015 --> 00:31:44,007
...because tapping beetles
are scarce here...
297
00:31:44,218 --> 00:31:47,915
...and he has a long
and lonely quest ahead of him.
298
00:31:59,033 --> 00:32:05,029
The backfiring beetle doesn't use his rear
end for tapping. He uses it to defend himself.
299
00:32:05,239 --> 00:32:10,939
His ammunition is a stinging acid, and he
always hits his enemy right in the eye.
300
00:32:20,555 --> 00:32:24,252
These are some of the animals
who are at home in the Pre-Namib.
301
00:32:24,459 --> 00:32:29,556
They've accepted the hardships
of the changing planet and seem to enjoy...
302
00:32:29,764 --> 00:32:34,565
...living in this arid land where the rain
sometimes stays away for years.
303
00:32:36,070 --> 00:32:39,972
In the southern part of the Pre-Namib,
billions of seeds...
304
00:32:40,074 --> 00:32:43,475
...lie waiting for years in the dust
of the desert floor.
305
00:32:43,678 --> 00:32:48,377
When the rain comes at last,
a miraculous transformation happens.
306
00:32:52,787 --> 00:32:57,884
The desert covers itself in a wall-to-wall
carpet, and an incredible variety...
307
00:32:58,092 --> 00:33:01,391
...of flowers celebrate the coming
of the life-giving moisture.
308
00:33:01,896 --> 00:33:07,300
For a few weeks, the Pre-Namib tries
to recapture the glories of the past...
309
00:33:07,502 --> 00:33:09,493
...when this was a paradise.
310
00:35:09,223 --> 00:35:11,418
But the glory is short-lived.
311
00:35:11,526 --> 00:35:16,122
The sun dehydrates the earth again,
and the flowers return to dust.
312
00:35:16,230 --> 00:35:19,722
But they leave billions
of seeds in the desert soil...
313
00:35:19,934 --> 00:35:24,837
...because the rain may come again,
and they'll have another festival.
314
00:35:24,939 --> 00:35:28,033
For now, the desert reverts
to bleakness...
315
00:35:28,242 --> 00:35:32,736
...and those few weeks of color
seem as if they never happened.
316
00:35:35,049 --> 00:35:38,041
There is one spot in the Pre-Namib
that is a year-round paradise...
317
00:35:38,252 --> 00:35:42,052
...because the Cubango River
streams out of the Tropics.
318
00:35:42,256 --> 00:35:45,350
Unlike other rivers, it never reaches the sea.
319
00:35:45,459 --> 00:35:49,259
It blunders into the vastness
of the desert and is swallowed.
320
00:35:49,463 --> 00:35:54,059
But before those millions of gallons
of water disappear under the sand...
321
00:35:54,268 --> 00:35:59,467
...they create a luxuriant subtropical
jungle in the middle of the desert.
322
00:36:38,212 --> 00:36:43,309
A year-round Garden of Eden, complete
with serpent and other predators.
323
00:36:43,517 --> 00:36:46,611
The kingfisher pinpoints
his target precisely...
324
00:36:46,721 --> 00:36:50,418
...and gets into the exact position
by moving this way and that.
325
00:36:50,625 --> 00:36:51,922
Then he strikes.
326
00:36:52,526 --> 00:36:58,624
Like a fighter pilot, he dives with the sun
behind him so his prey can't see him coming.
327
00:36:58,833 --> 00:37:01,233
At high noon, he goes straight down.
328
00:37:01,435 --> 00:37:05,838
And later, when the sun is lower,
he comes in at an angle.
329
00:37:12,046 --> 00:37:17,245
Far below the lily pads, there's another
paradise where life is mostly placid...
330
00:37:17,451 --> 00:37:19,942
...with some hectic moments.
331
00:37:20,955 --> 00:37:24,447
The bream has as many
as a thousand babies at one time...
332
00:37:24,659 --> 00:37:28,857
...and she has a very cute trick
to protect them from predators.
333
00:37:28,963 --> 00:37:33,263
Father keeps a lookout so he can
warn Mother when danger comes.
334
00:37:38,773 --> 00:37:44,769
Old snaggletooth comes prowling out
of his lair, and Father nearly throws a fit.
335
00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:50,881
He gives the alarm, so the kids beeline
for Mother, who promptly swallows them...
336
00:37:51,085 --> 00:37:52,677
...the whole thousand.
337
00:38:00,695 --> 00:38:05,689
Whoops, little Wilbur is late.
Snaggletooth attacks once more.
338
00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:09,296
"Hey, Mom, let me in, let me in!"
339
00:38:11,205 --> 00:38:13,002
"Shucks!"
340
00:38:14,909 --> 00:38:21,109
The villain gives up and leaves, so Dad gives
the all clear, and Mother spits them out.
341
00:38:21,215 --> 00:38:23,911
Most of the kids are happy to be free...
342
00:38:24,118 --> 00:38:30,023
...but there are always some insecure sissies
who want to go back inside where it's safe...
343
00:38:30,224 --> 00:38:32,624
...and she cannot get rid of them.
344
00:38:32,827 --> 00:38:35,728
"Go and play outside."
345
00:38:40,534 --> 00:38:42,627
In the jungles
and on the flood plains...
346
00:38:42,937 --> 00:38:44,029
...on the banks of the Cubango...
347
00:38:44,238 --> 00:38:49,642
...nobody needs to work, because there's
plenty of water and food for everybody.
348
00:39:05,459 --> 00:39:10,453
There's no day-to-day struggle for
existence, and the animals enjoy a life...
349
00:39:10,564 --> 00:39:12,259
...of peace and plenty.
350
00:39:13,667 --> 00:39:18,070
One may wonder why animals
in the surrounding desert don't flock...
351
00:39:18,172 --> 00:39:21,266
...to share in this life of luxury.
352
00:39:22,777 --> 00:39:28,773
Here, the trees and plants bear fruits
and seeds and berries to suit every taste.
353
00:39:30,284 --> 00:39:33,185
The seeds of the tambuti tree
jump and cavort...
354
00:39:33,287 --> 00:39:38,088
...because inside each one
there's a little worm with the hiccups.
355
00:40:01,415 --> 00:40:04,213
In paradise, even the worms are cute.
356
00:40:04,418 --> 00:40:09,720
And in every tree, there's a whole parade
of characters from every walk of life.
357
00:40:11,225 --> 00:40:14,319
A lady with her hair in curlers.
358
00:40:14,528 --> 00:40:18,328
A cross between
a zebra and a vacuum cleaner.
359
00:40:18,532 --> 00:40:21,933
A little dachshund,
complete with waggly tail.
360
00:40:28,542 --> 00:40:31,340
A dizzy blond with a painted face.
361
00:40:34,248 --> 00:40:36,842
And other beautiful people.
362
00:40:38,652 --> 00:40:42,554
A portly old gentleman in conservative gray.
363
00:40:46,660 --> 00:40:48,651
The hobo.
364
00:40:51,866 --> 00:40:54,460
The poor guy on skid row.
365
00:40:55,769 --> 00:40:57,862
Longhaired hippie.
366
00:40:59,573 --> 00:41:04,567
And the real far-out weirdo
who does his own wild thing.
367
00:41:13,587 --> 00:41:18,388
And, of course, the bloated,
overfed, overdressed slob.
368
00:41:24,098 --> 00:41:27,397
He illustrates what's
wrong with living in paradise...
369
00:41:27,501 --> 00:41:32,803
...because many members of this society
have become blas� and bored with life.
370
00:41:34,808 --> 00:41:38,403
Things are just too easy
in the Cubango Basin.
371
00:41:38,612 --> 00:41:44,812
They no longer have a zest for living like
their cousins out in the inhospitable desert.
372
00:41:47,321 --> 00:41:53,419
Here, life offers no challenge, and many
of them have become slobs and easy riders.
373
00:41:58,432 --> 00:42:00,627
The only excitement in their lives
comes in high summer...
374
00:42:00,834 --> 00:42:03,826
...when the marula trees are in full fruit.
375
00:42:03,938 --> 00:42:07,840
At first, the marulas
are very tasty and hard to get at.
376
00:42:08,342 --> 00:42:12,244
You have to be either agile
or strong to get your share.
377
00:42:24,758 --> 00:42:30,458
After a few weeks, the marulas get overripe,
and they start dropping from the trees.
378
00:42:30,664 --> 00:42:35,658
Then all the animals wade in and
gorge themselves on the rotting fruit.
379
00:42:47,881 --> 00:42:52,875
It starts fermenting in their tummies
and turns into a very potent brew.
380
00:42:53,087 --> 00:42:56,887
On the way home,
things start happening to them.
381
00:44:43,297 --> 00:44:47,199
When night falls, there's peace again.
382
00:44:48,102 --> 00:44:50,297
A very blissful peace.
383
00:45:53,167 --> 00:45:56,864
Not everybody in the Cubango
leads a wasteful life.
384
00:45:56,970 --> 00:46:02,374
Some members of this too-prosperous
society are still sober, hardworking folk.
385
00:46:02,476 --> 00:46:06,970
The weavers here don't build
condos like those in the White Namib.
386
00:46:07,181 --> 00:46:10,082
Each one builds
his own free-swinging nest.
387
00:46:10,584 --> 00:46:13,576
To do that, he has
to perform a small miracle.
388
00:46:13,787 --> 00:46:18,781
He has no hands, only his little beak
to make all those intricate knots.
389
00:46:18,992 --> 00:46:24,487
So a newlywed is nervous when he builds
his first nest under the watch of his bride.
390
00:46:25,699 --> 00:46:31,604
When the job is done, he hops onto a twig
and timidly invites his wife to inspect it.
391
00:46:31,905 --> 00:46:36,103
She flits across and takes a long,
hard look at her future home.
392
00:46:36,310 --> 00:46:41,407
It doesn't look very neat, and she
doesn't even like the neighborhood.
393
00:46:41,615 --> 00:46:46,518
She's got to raise her kids in this?
"You like it, huh? You like it? Huh?"
394
00:46:46,720 --> 00:46:51,020
She makes a closer inspection
and subjects the house to testing...
395
00:46:51,124 --> 00:46:56,619
...to see whether it conforms to her
specifications, and he's in quite a flutter.
396
00:47:02,936 --> 00:47:07,737
She's not satisfied and vents her fury
on his substandard workmanship.
397
00:47:12,145 --> 00:47:16,741
"You didn't like it, huh?"
"You bet your life I didn't like it."
398
00:47:18,252 --> 00:47:23,053
He will try again, and this time he
chooses the neighborhood carefully.
399
00:47:23,257 --> 00:47:26,249
He's all of a twitter
because she's watching.
400
00:47:26,460 --> 00:47:32,763
First he has to tie two twigs together,
but it's not easy. Those twigs are springy.
401
00:47:36,970 --> 00:47:39,564
Oh, boy, it's not easy.
402
00:47:48,181 --> 00:47:51,378
But if all those others can do it,
he can too.
403
00:47:51,485 --> 00:47:54,784
One day, he'll build
a house he can be proud of...
404
00:47:54,888 --> 00:47:59,882
...although he'll still get nervous
when his wife comes to approve it.
405
00:48:00,093 --> 00:48:05,292
The hornbill installs his wife inside a tree
trunk and seals her up for three months.
406
00:48:05,399 --> 00:48:10,803
But first he cleans out her cell
to make sure she'll be comfortable in there.
407
00:48:11,004 --> 00:48:16,101
Then he flies off to get some clay
to wall her in, and she starts undressing.
408
00:48:16,310 --> 00:48:22,010
She plucks out her coarser feathers so she
can be soft for the chicks when they hatch.
409
00:48:22,115 --> 00:48:28,418
Without those feathers, she can't fly,
but she won't be using her wings for a while.
410
00:48:28,822 --> 00:48:33,020
He comes back with a beakful
of clay and blocks the entrance...
411
00:48:33,126 --> 00:48:35,720
...so she and her chicks will be safe.
412
00:48:37,230 --> 00:48:41,724
He leaves only a slit, the
size and shape for a hornbill's bill...
413
00:48:41,935 --> 00:48:46,929
...so he can bring her food and water
while she lays and hatches her eggs.
414
00:48:47,541 --> 00:48:53,446
And then there are suddenly five mouths to
feed, and Father has to provide for them all.
415
00:48:53,647 --> 00:48:57,344
Throughout the summer,
he's the hardest-working member...
416
00:48:57,551 --> 00:49:00,247
...of the opulent Cubango community.
417
00:49:10,564 --> 00:49:15,558
When the chicks grow bigger
he has to provide a balanced diet.
418
00:49:15,769 --> 00:49:21,469
One day, green stuff with lots of vitamins.
The next day, proteins.
419
00:49:24,778 --> 00:49:29,181
One lucky day, a swarm of proteins
comes buzzing around the nest...
420
00:49:29,383 --> 00:49:31,578
...saving Dad a lot of labor.
421
00:49:33,286 --> 00:49:35,982
He's quite sorry when they leave.
422
00:49:36,089 --> 00:49:38,284
Oh, well, back to the grind.
423
00:49:39,693 --> 00:49:45,598
The chicks have been taught not to pollute
their own nest, and their aim is remarkable.
424
00:49:49,703 --> 00:49:52,604
As they grow,
it gets crowded in the nursery.
425
00:49:52,806 --> 00:49:58,301
So one fine day, Mother breaks
open the roof, and out they come.
426
00:50:13,727 --> 00:50:17,527
Father feels happy and proud
to see his children at last...
427
00:50:17,731 --> 00:50:20,825
...but perhaps he also feels sad
and discarded.
428
00:50:20,934 --> 00:50:23,334
Now they don't need him anymore.
429
00:50:27,040 --> 00:50:29,736
Although wart hogs get as smashed...
430
00:50:30,043 --> 00:50:31,738
...as everybody else
during the marula binge...
431
00:50:31,945 --> 00:50:34,846
...they lead exemplary lives
for the rest of the year.
432
00:50:34,948 --> 00:50:39,749
Family ties are strong, and the little
ones are attached to their mother.
433
00:50:39,953 --> 00:50:43,047
Of course, in every family there
is always one unlucky one.
434
00:50:43,256 --> 00:50:47,352
If there are any knocks coming,
he gets them.
435
00:51:01,074 --> 00:51:04,373
The cheetah is the fastest
runner in the world...
436
00:51:04,578 --> 00:51:09,481
...and if Mrs. Wart Hog is not alert,
she can lose some of her family.
437
00:51:10,383 --> 00:51:15,582
But she's quick to sense danger,
and hogs are pretty fast on their feet too.
438
00:51:17,090 --> 00:51:20,491
Each one finds a hole and pops in tail-first.
439
00:51:20,694 --> 00:51:26,394
The unlucky one chooses a hole that's too
small, and now he can get neither in nor out.
440
00:52:15,549 --> 00:52:19,349
Luckless is trapped very far from home.
441
00:52:20,153 --> 00:52:25,853
They say hogs can't count, but Mother
knows that one of her children is missing.
442
00:52:29,462 --> 00:52:33,057
At last, the frustrated cheetah goes away.
443
00:52:34,568 --> 00:52:38,664
Mother searches every hole
and behind every bush for her child.
444
00:52:38,872 --> 00:52:41,773
She cannot rest before she finds him.
445
00:52:41,975 --> 00:52:44,671
Luckless guesses it's safe
to come out...
446
00:52:44,778 --> 00:52:48,578
...and it dawns on him
that he doesn't know the way home.
447
00:52:57,691 --> 00:53:01,991
All night long, Mother keeps
a vigil for her little lost one.
448
00:53:02,195 --> 00:53:05,892
He's never slept alone,
and in the middle of the night...
449
00:53:06,099 --> 00:53:08,795
...some big animals
come sniffing around.
450
00:53:09,002 --> 00:53:13,098
He tries to lie very still
and pretend he's only a stone...
451
00:53:13,306 --> 00:53:16,002
...but he's very frightened.
452
00:53:25,418 --> 00:53:31,118
When a baby wart hog gets separated from
its mother, it'll try to find a substitute.
453
00:53:32,826 --> 00:53:35,420
It's not easy to get yourself adopted...
454
00:53:35,629 --> 00:53:39,224
...when you have a face
that only your mother can love.
455
00:54:32,485 --> 00:54:36,285
The only one who will
adopt him is an old rotting log.
456
00:54:36,489 --> 00:54:39,481
He's a very sad little boy.
457
00:55:07,620 --> 00:55:10,316
When a honey badger is young,
his parents abandon him...
458
00:55:10,523 --> 00:55:13,321
...and he has to find his own food.
459
00:55:25,338 --> 00:55:27,329
He's not an expert hunter yet.
460
00:55:27,540 --> 00:55:32,239
He'll have to live on worms and grubs
in this land of milk and honey...
461
00:55:32,345 --> 00:55:35,439
...unless some fairy godmother
comes to his aid.
462
00:55:35,648 --> 00:55:41,450
Incredibly, nature provides just such a
godmother in the shape of a little bird.
463
00:55:49,062 --> 00:55:52,554
For a while, she looks on
as he scratches and digs...
464
00:55:52,665 --> 00:55:55,964
...for the few scraps of food he can find.
465
00:56:15,388 --> 00:56:18,983
When the time is ripe, she introduces herself.
466
00:56:26,199 --> 00:56:30,898
At first, he resents this noisy,
fluttering nuisance, but eventually...
467
00:56:31,104 --> 00:56:35,803
...some deep instinct makes him realize
dimly that he has to follow her.
468
00:57:12,445 --> 00:57:17,542
So she finally leads him to the objective:
A big, fat beehive.
469
00:57:17,750 --> 00:57:20,048
All his instincts come to the surface.
470
00:57:20,253 --> 00:57:24,553
He knows his favorite food is in there,
and nothing will stop him.
471
00:57:25,158 --> 00:57:31,256
His hide is impervious to bee stings. The only
vulnerable spot is the tip of his nose.
472
00:58:05,798 --> 00:58:07,789
At last, the payoff.
473
00:58:09,602 --> 00:58:13,504
This amazing partnership of the
honey guide bird and the badger...
474
00:58:13,606 --> 00:58:18,509
...is an intriguing example of teamwork
between different species.
475
00:58:18,611 --> 00:58:23,412
He doesn't eat all the loot,
because she's entitled to her share.
476
00:58:25,718 --> 00:58:28,209
The inhabitants of the Cubango Basin...
477
00:58:28,421 --> 00:58:32,323
...don't realize how lucky
they are to be living in luxury.
478
00:58:32,425 --> 00:58:35,223
To them, this land of plenty
is the whole universe.
479
00:58:36,529 --> 00:58:38,724
They're unaware that
their bounteous habitat...
480
00:58:39,032 --> 00:58:41,728
...is a small green world floating...
481
00:58:41,935 --> 00:58:45,132
...in the vast emptiness of the Pre-Namib.
482
00:58:45,338 --> 00:58:50,537
The Pre-Namib, again, is dwarfed
by its neighbor on Capricorn, the Kalahari.
483
00:58:50,743 --> 00:58:55,646
This is the most treacherous desert of all,
because after the short rainy season...
484
00:58:55,848 --> 00:59:01,150
...it looks like an immense paradise
that can rival the opulence of the Cubango.
485
00:59:14,067 --> 00:59:18,970
The grass is as high as an elephant's eye,
and while the surface water lasts...
486
00:59:19,172 --> 00:59:21,163
...everybody prospers.
487
01:00:24,037 --> 01:00:29,532
At the water holes, there is so much
traffic that all the grass is worn away.
488
01:00:29,742 --> 01:00:32,040
Zebra in their thousands.
489
01:00:32,645 --> 01:00:36,638
Graceful kudu, the males
with beautiful horns...
490
01:00:36,849 --> 01:00:39,249
...the females with beautiful ears.
491
01:00:39,552 --> 01:00:44,455
Oryx, who, unlike their cousins in the Namib,
revel in the abundant water.
492
01:00:44,957 --> 01:00:46,151
Ostrich.
493
01:00:46,659 --> 01:00:50,356
The fussy-looking secretary bird,
who's very good at short takeoffs...
494
01:00:50,563 --> 01:00:54,260
...but needs a heck of a long runway
for landing.
495
01:01:03,876 --> 01:01:08,575
The towering giraffe,
who makes the zebra look like toys.
496
01:01:24,397 --> 01:01:28,891
Some years there's even a vast shallow
lake for a short while after the rain...
497
01:01:29,102 --> 01:01:32,594
...where water birds converge
in great numbers.
498
01:01:32,805 --> 01:01:39,005
The lake covers 8000 square miles, but it's
only a few inches to a few feet in depth.
499
01:01:40,213 --> 01:01:43,512
And most years,
a great flock of pelicans establish...
500
01:01:43,716 --> 01:01:47,208
...their breeding colony
in the middle of the lake.
501
01:01:48,321 --> 01:01:53,725
They look stodgy and comical
on the ground and pompous in the air.
502
01:01:54,327 --> 01:01:57,728
But on water, they have style and elegance.
503
01:01:57,930 --> 01:02:01,525
They gather in flotillas
to herd fish into the shallows...
504
01:02:01,634 --> 01:02:06,230
...where they dip in a graceful ballet
to collect food for their chicks.
505
01:02:22,355 --> 01:02:26,052
But the lake and the many
water holes are impermanent.
506
01:02:26,259 --> 01:02:29,558
Soon the water will sink away
into the Kalahari sand...
507
01:02:29,762 --> 01:02:33,357
...and there'll be a long, grim wait
of nine months or more...
508
01:02:33,566 --> 01:02:35,056
...before the rain comes again.
509
01:02:36,269 --> 01:02:38,169
The only human beings...
510
01:02:38,371 --> 01:02:40,464
...in the deep Kalahari
are a few Bushmen.
511
01:02:40,673 --> 01:02:44,973
They don't live in tribes, but
roam about in small family groups.
512
01:02:45,077 --> 01:02:49,377
The region is so vast that
one family hardly ever meets another.
513
01:02:49,582 --> 01:02:53,074
They must be the most carefree
and contented people in the world...
514
01:02:53,286 --> 01:02:55,584
...because they own nothing.
515
01:02:55,788 --> 01:02:59,485
In the desert, there's nothing
you can own, but everything you need.
516
01:02:59,692 --> 01:03:03,389
They're also the most gentle people,
possibly because they've never seen...
517
01:03:03,496 --> 01:03:06,988
...anything as hard as
a rock or a stone in their lives.
518
01:03:07,200 --> 01:03:11,899
Where they live, there's only sand
and trees and grass and animals.
519
01:03:12,104 --> 01:03:16,200
So their tools are made of
leather or bone or wood.
520
01:03:16,409 --> 01:03:19,708
They never experience
anything harder than wood.
521
01:03:20,313 --> 01:03:23,612
When they find food,
they eat it all at one sitting...
522
01:03:23,816 --> 01:03:27,308
...so they have very
expandable stomachs.
523
01:03:27,420 --> 01:03:30,821
When they sleep, their heads
never touch the ground...
524
01:03:31,023 --> 01:03:34,720
...because there are crawly things
in the sand that can get into their ears.
525
01:03:35,428 --> 01:03:40,127
They dig their elbows into the soft sand
and use their shoulders as pillows.
526
01:03:53,546 --> 01:03:57,744
The children have to have an intimate
understanding of the animals around them.
527
01:03:57,850 --> 01:04:02,651
So the elders teach them,
in stereophonic sound yet.
528
01:04:02,855 --> 01:04:06,256
But somehow the children manage
to listen to two teachers at once.
529
01:04:33,386 --> 01:04:36,378
They are superb mimics,
and they feel a close affinity...
530
01:04:36,589 --> 01:04:40,286
...with the animals who are
their neighbors and also their food.
531
01:05:13,726 --> 01:05:17,924
The Bushman is a very small man,
and his weapons are puny.
532
01:05:18,130 --> 01:05:21,327
He has to sneak up very close to his food...
533
01:05:21,434 --> 01:05:24,926
...because his arrow
can only kill at 30 paces.
534
01:05:32,745 --> 01:05:36,044
The biggest nuisance in his life
is the go-away bird...
535
01:05:36,248 --> 01:05:39,740
...who seems to take pleasure
in sabotaging him.
536
01:05:42,455 --> 01:05:45,549
It'll watch him stalking painstakingly
up to his quarry...
537
01:05:45,658 --> 01:05:47,649
...and then tell it to go away.
538
01:06:12,184 --> 01:06:14,584
Such beautiful targets.
539
01:06:39,111 --> 01:06:42,410
When the water holes begin to
grow smaller, the animals get restless.
540
01:06:43,416 --> 01:06:47,910
Soon they'll have to move away,
leaving all that beautiful grass uneaten.
541
01:06:48,120 --> 01:06:51,112
They're loath to leave this
bountiful food supply...
542
01:06:51,323 --> 01:06:55,316
...and they'll hang on until
the last of the water disappears.
543
01:07:02,935 --> 01:07:07,736
Fights break out easily, and when
two oryx bulls lose their tempers...
544
01:07:07,940 --> 01:07:12,536
...the outcome can be fatal, so the leader
of the herd will try to make peace.
545
01:07:12,745 --> 01:07:18,547
Those horns are like rapiers, and the
oryx use them like expert swordsmen.
546
01:07:24,156 --> 01:07:27,557
The peacemaker's efforts
are not very successful.
547
01:07:27,660 --> 01:07:31,255
He only succeeds in goading them further.
548
01:07:43,576 --> 01:07:47,979
With a sudden jab, one gets his horn
into position for the fatal thrust.
549
01:07:48,180 --> 01:07:53,277
If he can drive that horn in a few more
inches, he'll go right to the heart.
550
01:07:55,187 --> 01:07:59,590
When things get too hot,
the loser breaks and runs.
551
01:08:01,293 --> 01:08:04,285
He'll live to fight another day.
552
01:08:07,399 --> 01:08:09,890
The smaller water holes dry up first...
553
01:08:10,002 --> 01:08:13,096
...but sometimes there's plenty
of water below the sand.
554
01:08:13,305 --> 01:08:16,399
You just have to know where to dig.
555
01:08:31,724 --> 01:08:36,525
But elephants are finicky,
and this water stinks.
556
01:08:56,849 --> 01:09:00,842
The royal family has its own
water supply, and when it runs low...
557
01:09:01,053 --> 01:09:06,355
...a young female always gets the job
of keeping all the other animals away.
558
01:09:08,060 --> 01:09:11,757
She has to work out there on the
hot plain while the rest of the family...
559
01:09:11,964 --> 01:09:13,363
...take it easy in the shade.
560
01:09:15,968 --> 01:09:19,062
She grew fat and lazy during
the affluent season...
561
01:09:19,271 --> 01:09:21,762
...and finds it a very tedious assignment.
562
01:09:49,802 --> 01:09:53,602
One pesky impala in particular
makes her life a misery.
563
01:09:54,707 --> 01:09:58,199
The strange thing is that the impala
doesn't really need the water.
564
01:09:58,310 --> 01:10:01,404
He can get enough moisture
by licking the dew off the grass...
565
01:10:01,614 --> 01:10:03,411
...in the early morning.
566
01:10:03,616 --> 01:10:09,213
Maybe he gets up too late, or maybe he
just likes to pester her for the hell of it.
567
01:11:29,601 --> 01:11:33,503
Of course, lion is king only until
elephants make the scene...
568
01:11:33,706 --> 01:11:36,504
...even if they're only youngsters.
569
01:12:02,634 --> 01:12:04,932
The Bushman is not dependent
on water holes.
570
01:12:06,038 --> 01:12:10,134
His forebears have had thousands
of years to adapt to the Kalahari...
571
01:12:10,242 --> 01:12:14,235
...so he needs very little liquid,
and he knows where to find it.
572
01:12:14,446 --> 01:12:19,247
An insignificant-looking
dry twig tells him where to dig.
573
01:12:28,861 --> 01:12:31,455
Anyone else would die
of thirst in a few days...
574
01:12:31,663 --> 01:12:34,962
...in this treacherous desert
that doesn't look like a desert...
575
01:12:35,167 --> 01:12:38,762
...but he can survive for months on end.
576
01:12:40,672 --> 01:12:42,469
He unearths a bulbous root...
577
01:12:42,674 --> 01:12:47,077
...which is really just a solid lump of wood
with hard fibers that are merely damp.
578
01:12:47,279 --> 01:12:50,680
Civilized man would need
some pretty complicated technology...
579
01:12:50,883 --> 01:12:55,980
...and machinery to get water out of it,
but he uses the very simplest of tools.
580
01:12:56,688 --> 01:13:00,283
His scraper is a stick that has been
split to give it a sharp edge...
581
01:13:00,492 --> 01:13:03,484
...and he produces some
dry-looking shavings.
582
01:13:04,496 --> 01:13:07,693
But you take a handful,
point your thumb at your mouth...
583
01:13:07,900 --> 01:13:11,597
...squeeze very hard and wait for it.
584
01:13:17,609 --> 01:13:20,601
The baboons always have
a secret supply of water...
585
01:13:20,813 --> 01:13:23,805
...and they're not going to
tell anybody where it is.
586
01:13:23,916 --> 01:13:26,817
And when a Machalahari ventures
into the deep Kalahari...
587
01:13:26,919 --> 01:13:29,513
...on a hunting trip,
he has to find water...
588
01:13:29,621 --> 01:13:33,819
...because, unlike the Bushman, he doesn't
know how to make liquid from a root.
589
01:13:34,026 --> 01:13:37,325
But he has his own way of
finding out where the water is.
590
01:13:37,429 --> 01:13:42,731
First, he drills a hole in a giant ant heap
when he's sure a baboon is watching him...
591
01:13:42,935 --> 01:13:45,836
...because he knows baboons
are incurably inquisitive.
592
01:13:46,038 --> 01:13:48,939
Next, he puts some wild
melon seeds into the hole...
593
01:13:49,141 --> 01:13:51,735
...and works them in so that
they drop into a hollow.
594
01:13:52,444 --> 01:13:57,643
Then he saunters off, knowing the
baboon is burning with curiosity.
595
01:14:00,853 --> 01:14:05,449
The baboon doesn't trust that
human being at all, so he plays it cool.
596
01:14:05,657 --> 01:14:10,356
But he's dying to know what gives
in that confounded hole.
597
01:14:12,664 --> 01:14:15,963
Finally, Mr. Inquisitive
can't take it any longer.
598
01:14:16,068 --> 01:14:18,969
He's got to know what's in there.
599
01:14:21,874 --> 01:14:27,278
He reaches in, grabs a fistful,
and now his hand's too big to come out.
600
01:14:30,282 --> 01:14:34,776
If he had the sense to drop the seeds,
he could free his hand.
601
01:14:41,593 --> 01:14:44,585
Now he lets go when it's too late.
602
01:14:50,102 --> 01:14:52,900
So that was a smart enough way
to catch a baboon...
603
01:14:53,005 --> 01:14:56,202
...but he still has to make him talk.
604
01:14:56,708 --> 01:15:00,109
Now, he knows that salt is very scarce
in this particular area...
605
01:15:00,312 --> 01:15:05,011
...and that baboon is going to
eat those lumps like candy.
606
01:15:05,217 --> 01:15:09,711
In fact, he has such a ball eating salt that
he completely forgets he's under arrest...
607
01:15:09,922 --> 01:15:14,621
...and that in a little while
he's going to be a mighty thirsty baboon.
608
01:15:41,153 --> 01:15:44,452
Next morning, the Machalahari
goes to have a closer look...
609
01:15:44,656 --> 01:15:47,557
...to see whether his prisoner
is ready to talk.
610
01:15:54,166 --> 01:15:57,761
He decides the brainwashing
has worked, so he sets him free...
611
01:15:57,970 --> 01:16:01,167
...knowing that in his condition
he won't care who follows him...
612
01:16:01,373 --> 01:16:02,965
...to the secret reservoir.
613
01:16:35,607 --> 01:16:39,008
The Machalahari has no eyes
for the beauty of the setting.
614
01:16:39,211 --> 01:16:42,305
To him, water is beautiful.
615
01:16:48,020 --> 01:16:51,012
Now the water holes have dried up
to only a trickle...
616
01:16:52,124 --> 01:16:54,820
...and soon that will be hard-baked soil.
617
01:16:56,928 --> 01:17:01,524
In a few short weeks,
paradise turns into purgatory.
618
01:17:01,733 --> 01:17:05,635
The merciless sun scorches down,
and dust devils dance...
619
01:17:05,837 --> 01:17:08,431
...across the parching earth.
620
01:17:40,872 --> 01:17:44,672
Most of the animals migrate
to other regions...
621
01:17:45,277 --> 01:17:49,270
...but some hardy and
some foolhardy ones remain.
622
01:17:50,582 --> 01:17:55,383
And the vultures know that their
prosperous time is approaching.
623
01:18:07,099 --> 01:18:10,193
By this time, the great lake
has dried up completely...
624
01:18:10,302 --> 01:18:12,998
...into a boundless, white expanse.
625
01:18:14,806 --> 01:18:19,300
Mummified fish lie scattered
on the dry, cracked surface.
626
01:18:19,911 --> 01:18:23,005
Animals migrating across the lake
from the Kalahari...
627
01:18:23,115 --> 01:18:27,313
...plod through cruel mirages of water
that doesn't splash under their feet...
628
01:18:27,519 --> 01:18:31,319
...and they pass phantom trees
that offer no shade.
629
01:18:37,729 --> 01:18:40,527
After days of plodding,
some begin to panic...
630
01:18:40,632 --> 01:18:44,124
...when there seems to be
no end to the vastness.
631
01:18:50,242 --> 01:18:52,836
Some just give up and stop walking.
632
01:19:02,654 --> 01:19:05,452
Some years, the drought comes
too soon for the pelicans...
633
01:19:05,557 --> 01:19:07,752
...who nested in the center of the lake.
634
01:19:07,859 --> 01:19:11,260
The parents stand around helplessly
as their little black chicks...
635
01:19:11,363 --> 01:19:14,958
...suffer agonies of hunger
and thirst and heat.
636
01:19:15,167 --> 01:19:18,762
They're almost fully grown,
but are still too young to fly...
637
01:19:18,970 --> 01:19:21,962
...so they're trapped in
this boundless desolation.
638
01:19:23,275 --> 01:19:27,268
One little one begins to walk
blindly away into the searing heat...
639
01:19:27,479 --> 01:19:30,175
...and his parents can only look on in despair.
640
01:19:34,486 --> 01:19:38,479
In the first weeks of his life,
this was a bountiful lake.
641
01:19:38,690 --> 01:19:43,684
He cannot understand how his beautiful
world could change into this pitiless void.
642
01:19:43,895 --> 01:19:49,697
So he walks and walks, hoping in despair
to find his beautiful world again...
643
01:19:49,901 --> 01:19:53,098
...somewhere in this vast emptiness.
644
01:19:53,305 --> 01:19:55,398
In the evening, cool, moist air...
645
01:19:55,607 --> 01:20:01,011
...comes drifting into the desert,
bringing a promise of life-giving rain.
646
01:20:20,932 --> 01:20:24,732
In the morning, the clouds are still
streaming into the desert sky...
647
01:20:24,836 --> 01:20:27,930
...but the sun burns mercilessly,
and one by one...
648
01:20:28,139 --> 01:20:31,131
...they shrivel in the searing heat.
649
01:20:45,957 --> 01:20:50,360
A few stragglers survive, but as they
penetrate deeper into the desert...
650
01:20:50,462 --> 01:20:53,659
...they, too, dwindle and fade.
651
01:21:17,589 --> 01:21:20,683
In the end, the parents have to
abandon their chicks...
652
01:21:20,892 --> 01:21:23,793
...and fly away to the sea.
653
01:21:24,195 --> 01:21:26,789
And the chicks begin to walk.
654
01:21:42,614 --> 01:21:47,813
They are very weak now,
and the dried-out lake is endless.
655
01:21:50,922 --> 01:21:54,016
It is a death march that
leaves a trail of little bodies...
656
01:21:54,225 --> 01:21:56,523
...for mile upon mile on the vastness...
657
01:21:56,928 --> 01:22:00,921
...until only a pitiful few are left alive.
658
01:22:17,649 --> 01:22:21,642
Far away from the desert, the clouds
build up into towering masses...
659
01:22:21,953 --> 01:22:26,652
...as they prepare to invade
the stronghold of the sun once more.
660
01:22:35,967 --> 01:22:39,664
Like a liberating army,
wave after wave of cumulus...
661
01:22:39,871 --> 01:22:42,863
...surges across the African plains.
662
01:22:49,581 --> 01:22:54,382
Even before they reach the desert, the sun
begins to pound down on the upper layers...
663
01:22:54,586 --> 01:22:58,181
...and it tears great gaps
in the ranks of the invaders.
664
01:22:58,390 --> 01:23:02,884
But when the advance guard reaches
the desert, it is still a formidable force.
665
01:23:02,994 --> 01:23:05,792
It penetrates several miles into the desert...
666
01:23:05,997 --> 01:23:08,591
...and some clouds even discharge
their load of rain.
667
01:23:08,700 --> 01:23:12,693
But the rain never reaches the ground
because the relentless sun evaporates...
668
01:23:12,804 --> 01:23:16,604
...the water before it can fall
on the thirsting earth.
669
01:23:16,808 --> 01:23:19,800
The invasion loses impetus
under the fury of the sun...
670
01:23:20,011 --> 01:23:22,707
...and the clouds are vanquished.
671
01:23:23,014 --> 01:23:28,213
And the surviving chicks wait in vain
for relief from their anguish.
672
01:23:30,622 --> 01:23:36,219
By nightfall, only a few scattered
remnants drift around aimlessly.
673
01:23:39,030 --> 01:23:42,022
During the night,
the clouds regroup their forces.
674
01:23:42,233 --> 01:23:46,431
Great masses move around in the
darkness like vast engines of war...
675
01:23:46,638 --> 01:23:50,540
...as they maneuver into position
for another invasion.
676
01:23:59,651 --> 01:24:02,552
At dawn, they launch
another massive attack.
677
01:24:14,966 --> 01:24:18,060
Again, wave after wave
sweeps towards the desert.
678
01:24:18,269 --> 01:24:24,174
And in the turmoil of a titanic battle of the
elements, the sun is finally obliterated.
679
01:24:24,375 --> 01:24:27,276
Then there is a great hush.
680
01:25:20,231 --> 01:25:25,533
Strangely, when deliverance comes at last,
the animals show no signs of rejoicing.
681
01:25:25,737 --> 01:25:29,434
They merely wait impassively
for the rain to pass.
682
01:25:29,941 --> 01:25:32,842
And after a few minutes, it stops.
683
01:25:32,944 --> 01:25:35,640
Abruptly and suddenly.
684
01:25:42,053 --> 01:25:45,648
The thirsty earth soaks up
the long-awaited moisture.
685
01:25:46,758 --> 01:25:49,659
But in the rocky parts, the water
runs off and brings new perils.
686
01:27:49,881 --> 01:27:52,873
The flash floods drain off
as suddenly as they started.
687
01:27:53,084 --> 01:27:58,078
And now the desert can settle down
to enjoy the return of prosperity.
688
01:27:58,589 --> 01:28:02,286
But still the animals show
no sign of rejoicing.
689
01:28:02,393 --> 01:28:04,987
It takes several days before
it dawns on them that...
690
01:28:05,196 --> 01:28:07,892
...paradise has returned to the desert.
691
01:28:07,999 --> 01:28:11,992
Then their joy of living comes bursting out.
65264
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