All language subtitles for Great Parks of Africa - 01x02 - 2 Eng

narrator: at the
southwestern tip of africa

lies one of the most
spectacular parks on earth.

Surrounded
by the vast atlantic ocean

and the growing metropolis
of cape town.

It is home to an extraordinary
diversity of plants and animals.

Many exist nowhere else.

this is an extreme

and unforgiving environment.

At its core

is one of the world's
most iconic mountains.

This is table mountain
national park.

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table mountain is one of the
natural wonders of the world.

its flat top is formed by a cap
of super-hardened sandstone

that has resisted
millions of years of erosion.

the mountain
is the northernmost extent

of one of africa's
most diverse parks.

from here,
table mountain national park

extends south along a rugged
spine of mountains

to the end of the peninsula
at cape point.

85 square miles
of incredible diversity.

containing more than
2000 plant species;

90 of which exist
nowhere else in the world.

this sanctuary is surrounded
on all sides

by ocean

or by humanity,

3000 foot peaks stand
with their feet in the sea.

two sharply contrasting worlds

on land

and in the ocean.

cold, dry winds
and deep ocean currents

drive upwelling
along this coast,

drawing valuable
nutrients to the surface.

resulting in rich waters
teaming with life.

but on land
conditions are very different.

the winds that bring life
to the waters below

buffet the mountains
desiccating the landscape

and stunting the vegetation.

dry and windswept

just surviving here
is a struggle.

just about every
plant and animal

is adapted to overcome
this harsh world.

orange breasted sunbirds
flit between flowers

in a partnership

critical
to both species' survival.

where only the toughest species

can eke out a living
on the land,

in contrast below the waves in
the rich seas life is abundant.

seals play a life and death game
of hide and seek

in the offshore forests,

and an unusual colony
of african penguins thrives.

all protected

within table mountain's
incredible natural sanctuary.

for plants and animals alike,

living here
is a story of life on the edge.

it's midsummer
and an unlikely family

has come down to the beach near
cape point to escape the heat.

chacma baboons, the southernmost
primate in africa -

apart from humans.

one of the world's
largest monkeys,

males can weigh
nearly a hundred pounds.

they are remarkably resourceful
and occur across southern africa

in a range of habitats -

from forests and grasslands to
savanna and semi-deserts.

for a few days each month

during extreme low tides
they come down to the shore

in order to forage
among the exposed rocks.

this gives them a valuable
survival edge

in an unforgiving park.

they're one of only a few
baboon families in the world

whose lifestyle straddles
both land and sea.

the cape peninsula is an
isolated stretch of land

jutting out into the mighty
atlantic ocean.

it is one of the windiest spots
in the world;

gales blow roughly
100 days a year.

this makes life on land harsh,

but it brings
a bounty to the ocean.

southeasterly winds
and deep oceanic currents

bring cold nutrient rich water
to the surface

in a process called upwelling.

these nutrients
together with sunlight

fuel one of the most productive
habitats on the planet.

giant kelp forests

with plants towering
over 39 feet thrive.

with plenty of food available,

the only limiting factor is a
place to call your own.

space is at a premium

so there is
fierce competition for it.

fish such as this red roman
are territorial.

males jealously guard their
patch -

and to avoid competition they
have a trick up their sleeves.

young are all born female.

when the territorial male dies

the largest female changes sex

and takes over his territory.

seven-gill cow sharks
also patrol these forests.

a member of one of the planet's
most ancient shark lineages,

they hide from predators
such as great whites

during the day in the forest.

cape fur seals - another of the
great white's favored prey items

also find shelter
in the kelp beds.

in the relative safety of this
underwater haven

there's plenty of time
for mischief.

the relentless winds

that contribute to
the upwelling in the ocean

making it one of the most
fertile ecosystems

on the planet; also dictate
conditions on land -

but in the opposite way.

the vegetation blanketing the
park is called "fynbos"

translated as "fine bush";

it gets its name

from the delicate leaves
of many of its plants

which help
them to conserve water.

fynbos forms part
of the incredibly diverse

cape floristic region.

this region is second only
to tropical forests

in terms of diversity

although it is
only a fraction of the size.

covering 56,000 square miles,

the cape holds
more than 9,000 plant species.

almost 70 percent
of which live nowhere else.

more plant species
than the united kingdom.

fynbos is characterized
by four iconic plant types-

ericas, identifiable by their
tiny needle-like leaves,

reed-like restios,

large shrubby proteas
with showy flowers,

and geophytes with their
underground storage organs.

the soils of table mountain
national park are sandy

and hold few nutrients
and limited water.

where soils are poor
growing leaves is costly.

so plants need to deter animals
from eating them.

for this they fill their leaves
with chemicals called tannins

which make them bitter
and indigestible.

although the landscape appears

to be covered
with edible vegetation,

most of it is not.

this family
of cape mountain zebra

are searching for food
on the open plains

north of cape point.

they are
the smallest zebra species.

easily distinguished
from other zebras

by the fold of skin under
their necks - known as a dewlap.

they specialize in living in
dry, rocky environments.

they're searching
for new grass shoots.

eland, the largest antelope
in the world,

also rely
on isolated patches of grass

that grow in a few places
amongst the unpalatable fynbos.

bontebok are found only
in this part of south africa

and can survive on fynbos alone,

but they take full advantage of
table mountain's grazing lawns

to boost their diet.

for nearly all land animals

finding food
in this barren landscape

is a constant challenge.

the baboon troops often have to
make do with what they can find

high on the meager landscape
of the peninsula.

but this troop is led
by an experienced alpha male

and he knows where to look.

plants with
underground storage organs

such as bulbs and tubers -
known as geophytes -

are common in the park.

these store water and
carbohydrates underground

in order to survive the park's
hot dry summers.

but not all geophytes
are good eating.

march lilies appear in late
summer all over the peninsula.

the bulbs of these beautiful
plants are highly toxic -

able to kill a grown man.

being a big-brained primate

gives these baboons an advantage
in this tough landscape.

family life is important.

youngsters not only
learn from their parents

but spend hours playing.

this builds relations
between family members.

subordinates
often groom dominant
members to gain acceptance,

and females gain protection
for their young.

youngsters too always have
an eye out for opportunities

to get on top.

one species in the park

that comes out on top
more often than not

is the rock hyrax,

known locally as "dassies".

they are found throughout
the park on rocky outcrops,

and this family
are kings of their castle.

their home is on the iconic
flat mountain.

dassies may look
suspiciously like guinea pigs,

but they are not rodents at all.

as unlikely as it seems,

dna evidence shows
their closest living relatives

are elephants.

agama lizards
are also adapted to life here.

like all cold blooded animals

they cannot regulate
their own body temperatures

and rely on the sun's heat
to warm their bodies.

so they spend
large amount of time

lying on exposed sunny surfaces.

this makes them easy targets
for birds of prey

such as rock kestrels.

most species are camouflaged
to blend in with the rock,

but the black girdled lizard
stands out.

it's a dangerous trade off,

the lizard
is more visible to predators

but being darker helps it absorb
the maximum amount of heat.

dassies too
enjoy sunning themselves.

they are one of only a few
warm blooded mammals

capable of using the sun's heat

to increase
their body temperature

and aid their metabolism.

this also exposes them

to larger predators
such as this jackal buzzard.

but dassies
are expert rock jumpers.

small stubby toes with hoof-like
nails make rock jumping easy.

a special secretion keeps their
rubbery feet permanently moist.

they also have
a collapsible ribcage -

perfect for squeezing
into small rock crevices

to escape danger.

of all their adaptations
however,

it is possibly their ability to
tackle a variety of food

that gives them the greatest
advantage in this park.

a multi-chambered stomach filled
with symbiotic bacteria

enables them to eat
the otherwise

unpalatable leaves of fynbos.

most of the year,

fynbos tries to keep animals
at bay to prevent grazing.

but for some species,

animals are critically important
for pollination.

and to attract these animals,
plants produce lots of nectar.

growing leaves is expensive

because it requires nutrients
that are in short supply

in the soils of
table mountain national park.

but while leaves are expensive,
producing nectar is cheap.

all it takes is sunlight
and a little water.

it's early morning,

the flowers are full of nectar
and sunbirds are feasting.

orange-breasted sunbirds
exist only in the fynbos.

they play a crucial role
in the ecosystem.

flitting from flower to flower
feeding on nectar,

they become dusted with pollen.

which they transfer
from plant to plant

fertilizing the flowers.

southern
double-collared sunbirds

are also drawn
by the spoils on offer.

proteas, south africa's iconic
national flower,

are shrubby plants

and they attract
another larger bird.

cape sugarbirds, so named
for their love of nectar.

their tail
is long and cumbersome.

but females are attracted
by impressive tails;

the longer the tail the better
the male's potential as a mate.

sunbirds are also enjoying
the sugary spoils.

but they unwittingly cheat
the protea out of its nectar.

being small they can't reach

into the depths of the plant
from above, like the sugarbirds,

and are not dusted with pollen.

this is bad news for the plant.

their only reliable pollinators
are sugarbirds.

while more than 400 species
of fynbos plants

rely on birds
to enable them to produce seeds,

these are not the only
pollinators.

cape honeybees love nectar

and rely heavily on flowers
to get it.

bees also play a vital
pollinating role

in the fynbos ecosystem.

their proboscis is an airtight,
straw-like tube

that sucks up nectar.

an electrostatic charge

on the fine hairs that cover
their body and legs

helps them collect pollen.

of all pollinators in the park

perhaps the most unusual
is the striped field mouse.

around the world pollination by
rodents is extremely rare,

but mice
are attracted to proteas

because the flowers produce
large volumes of nectar.

in the fynbos
more than 35 plant species

depend
on this rare relationship.

living in a windy place
can be a hindrance

but some plants have
come to depend on it.

restios, another major
plant group of the fynbos

are wind pollinated.

they don't have
beautiful showy flowers

because they don't need
to attract pollinators

with fancy petals
or tasty nectar.

their pollinator
is indiscriminate

but everywhere.

wind pollination is not as
precise as animal pollination

but it's still highly effective
in this wind-driven ecosystem.

wind not only helps
to renew life on land,

it also brings nutrients
to the ocean surface,

enabling sea life to flourish.

table mountain national park

is home
to a rare marine character -

the african penguin.

it's breeding season in the
boulders beach colony

on the eastern shores
of the park.

this is one of only three
mainland breeding colonies

in africa.

ordinarily, african penguins
prefer to breed

on offshore islands -

but humans destroyed
their traditional homes

by stripping guano
off these islands for fertilizer

in the early 1900s.

with no guano

the breeding penguins had
nowhere to dig their burrows

and shelter their chicks.

in addition, commercial fishing

has stripped the oceans of food
for penguins.

historically

there were an estimated two
million breeding pairs

in southern africa,

today fewer than 25 000 survive.

the species is hanging on
by the finest of threads.

and the boulders beach penguins

are at the forefront
of the struggle.

it is one of the only colonies
growing in number.

not only is the breeding colony
protected,

the surrounding waters
of false bay

are also closed
to commercial fishing;

meaning food is plentiful.

penguins are not
the only flightless bird

benefitting from the sanctuary
of the park.

it's midsummer -
the driest time of the year.

this is the hottest day that
cape point has experienced

in a hundred years,

a sweltering
109 degrees fahrenheit.

fynbos offers little shade and
birds do not have the ability

to sweat
in order to cool down.

this ostrich
is feeling the heat.

so he's opening his mouth
and rapidly moving air

over a capillary filled pouch
in his throat

in order to cool his blood.

this is called
"gular fluttering" -

similar to panting dogs.

he also spreads his wings,

allowing the wind
to fan the thin skin beneath

reduces his core temperature.

the bontebok are also taking
strain in the exposed landscape.

males are highly territorial

and even in the heat their
priority is to assert dominance.

there are places in the park
where the desiccating winds

actually benefit
plants and animals.

on the summit the south-easterly
wind has formed a cloud

known to locals as
the mountain's "table cloth".

the lower slopes are parched,

but this thick cloud
brings some relief

to the park's higher elevations.

water condensing out of the air

is just enough to refresh
the last trickling streams.

these are home to an orchid
called the red disa.

disas can tolerate
hot summer temperatures,

but they need
moisture and humidity.

and so can only survive
in these permanent streams.

cape rivers are best known
for their dark water.

the bitter tannins fynbos plants
use to deter herbivores

leech into the rivers,

creating a tea-like color.

even here,
in this moist environment,

life is tough.

sundews are carnivorous plants

that can survive in these
nutrient-poor soils.

the droplets on their leaves
are sweet secretions.

insects are trapped
by this sticky substance

and the plant uses enzymes
to digest them

and absorb the nutrients.

the permanent streams allow
green pockets of life

to survive
on an unforgiving mountain.

afromontane forest covers
just 4 percent of the park,

and is a refuge for a number
of unusual species.

perhaps the most precious of all

is the table mountain
ghost frog -

one of the rarest
amphibians on the planet.

the entire world's population

lives in just 6 ravines

on the eastern side
of the mountain.

it is seldom seen,

living a secretive existence
in these perennial streams.

this frog has just metamorphosed
from a tadpole.

he still has a lot of growing
to reach his adult size

of 2 inches.

ghost frogs are perfectly
adapted to this habitat.

flattened bodies allow them to
crawl between narrow crevices.

webbed feet
make them excellent swimmers.

sticky discs on their toes
help them cling to rock faces

and their mottled
green and brown appearance

is ideal camouflage.

the tadpoles are also adapted to
life in fast flowing streams.

their huge mouth acts
as a strong sucker,

allowing them to hang onto rocks
while slowly feeding on algae.

tadpoles take a whole year to
develop to adulthood.

the ghost frog is a specialist

and is unable to traverse large
distances

between suitable habitats -

and therefore
exists nowhere else.

further downstream a curious
character also finds refuge -

a cape dwarf chameleon,

native to the southwestern
corner of south africa.

unlike ghost frogs, table
mountain's extreme specialist,

the secret of this chameleon's
success is its adaptability -

it can survive everywhere

from fynbos and forest
to urban gardens.

large individuals
such as this one

can grow up to
7 inches in length.

chameleons
are important predators.

with gripping feet
and a prehensile tail,

they are adapted
to life in the trees.

their eyes work independently

allowing them to scan different
directions at the same time.

even expert hunters can
sometimes miss the shot.

it's this grasshopper's
lucky day.

but persistence pays.

afromontane forests
are tucked away in moist ravines

protected from the dangers
of increasingly

hot and dry conditions
on the exposed slopes.

by the end of summer

table mountain national park
is a tinderbox.

one stray spark is all that it
takes to ignite the mountain.

once alight

runaway fires rapidly destroy
everything in their path.

animals not able to escape
are consumed by the flames,

but fire has always been a
natural part of this landscape

and it plays a pivotal role
in the fynbos ecosystem.

in only a matter of days
new growth starts to appear.

protea bushes in particular
are fire adapted.

some protect themselves
with thick bark

and then re-sprout
once the fire has passed.

others are stimulated by the
flames to release their seeds.

smoke, heat or charred wood

also triggers the growth
of seeds and bulbs

buried in the ground.

ironically the burnt landscape
is perfect for new seedlings.

with the dominant
adult plants gone,

there is no competition
for space or water.

and the nutrients
once stored in living vegetation

now lie as highly fertile ash
on the ground.

like a phoenix
rising from the ashes,

fynbos is reborn
after each fire.

table mountain national park's
rugged 62 mile coastline

is a sharp divide

between fynbos struggling under
the onslaught of summer

and cold waters full of life.

in order to survive
on table mountain,

every species needs to be able
to tip the scales in their favor

and none are better at seizing
new opportunities

than the mountain's
baboon troops.

by the end of the hot season
kelp beds are bloated with life.

older plants become dislodged

by swells rising out of
the southern ocean.

washing ashore

it's a valuable resource.

beach hoppers,

crustaceans distantly related
to lobsters and crabs,

have specially adapted gills
allowing them to breathe air.

they are effective scavengers,

removing tons of washed up kelp
in a matter of days.

the cape point
troop of chacma baboons

are also making the most
of the smorgasbord on the shore.

they have learned that there is
a feast to be had

if you know where to look.

when conditions are right

they come down from their
mountainside home

for an early morning
seafood buffet.

spring low tide is best.

when rocks are exposed
far down the beach,

covered in mussels and limpets.

this is one of the only places
in the world

where baboons
are known to do this.

shellfish are an incredible
source of protein.

these baboons spend only about
5 percent of their time

feasting at the shore,

but the nutrition they gain
is invaluable.

it is thought that
this same protein source

also helped fuel
human development

hundreds
of thousands of years ago.

there is evidence that some of
our earliest ancestors

ate large amounts of seafood
along these shores

fueling the growth
of a bigger brain.

just like
the earliest human ancestors,

baboons have adapted to make
the most of the opportunities

provided
by this challenging landscape,

gaining a valuable survival edge
on this unforgiving peninsula.

table mountain national park
is a land of contrasts,

driven by fire and wind.

it is harsh on land.

despite this

a number of plants
and animals thrive -

forming partnerships critical
for their survival.

a wealth of species that are
found nowhere else.

the surrounding oceans
teem with life,

fed by nutrient rich waters
upwelled from the deep.

there is plenty of food for a
multitude of plants and animals.

this is an island
of diversity and wonder

hemmed in by humanity

and surrounded by ocean.

table mountain national park

is a place like no other.

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