All language subtitles for The Great African Migration 1of4 720p HDTV

The Serengeti, East Africa.

The stage to one of the world's most
extraordinary natural spectacles.

Each year, 1.3 million wildebeest

make an incredible 650km journey

from the vast Serengeti plains
in Tanzania

to the highlands of Kenya's
Maasai Mara, and back again.

I am spending a year following them
on their epic journey.

From the birthing plains

to the treacherous river crossings.

The crocodile -
It's got it, it's got it.

Wow.

And the perilous fight for survival.

(GROWLS)

I'll get up close with the animals.

Really? Really?!

The male is right next to me.

My heart's still pounding.

And meet the people...

Oh.

This is nuts.

..who are an integral part of this.

One of the largest mammal migrations
on Earth.

My first day in the Serengeti,
Tanzania.

I've taken to the air to catch
my first glimpse
of the wildebeest herds.

Look at this.
I've always wanted to see this.

One of the greatest
wildlife spectacles.

I've been lucky enough to come
to Africa a number of times.

But never over such a prolonged
period, focusing on one animal.

With me is Dr Grant Hopcraft.

One of the world's leading
researchers of wildebeest

and their great migration.

Why do these millions of wildebeest
all make this great journey?

It's all about food.

For the wildebeest,
it's all about food.

Those animals are consuming about
4,500 tonnes of grass a day.

They eat so much
that they have to move.

They're eating themselves
out of house and home.

They have to keep on marching,
finding food.

This vast savannah covers
25,000 square kilometres.

And is home to hundreds
of species of animals.

Wildebeest are part of the antelope
family.

Their population outnumbers all
the other mammals here combined.

Here in the Serengeti, the healthy
ecosystem is one driven
by wildebeest.

If you imagine it's a big engine,

the wildebeest are the major cog.

Everything else spins off
on the side of that.

If you're eating 4,500 tonnes
of grass a day,

you can imagine the dung and urine
that's getting deposited.

That determines the nutrient cycles,

which determines
the availability of insects,

which determines
the abundance of birds.

Also, 4,500 tonnes of grass a day
means it doesn't get burnt.

Which means that all the tree
seedlings survive.

So everything that we see here
is related to the wildebeest.

I feel like the luckiest person
in the world.

But I genuinely want to understand
this incredible creature.

And not just the animal. I want to
find out about the interactions
with the other wildlife.

And also the people
that call this place home.

It's February, and my journey with
the wildebeest

starts in the short grass plains
in the southern Serengeti.

There's new life everywhere.

But no species gives birth in such
synch as the wildebeest.

At the same time each year,
for just three weeks,

a quarter of a million calves
are born.

It's mid-morning, and Grant and I
head in amongst the herds.

How many will be giving birth today?

I'm putting you on the spot there.

On average, probably 12,000.

That works out to be
500 calves an hour.

500 calves an hour
are getting born today.

No wonder it's so noisy here!
It's noisy. Everybody's excited.

Everybody's just had their baby.

Some will be the first baby
that this cow has ever had.

It's unbelievable.

That long-leggedness, is that to try
and get that speed to be able
to get away from predators?

You're born to run.

Absolutely born to run.
Up in the air, that's all we saw.

Running.
That's my image.

When I think back to my childhood,
the gnu ran.

I was known as a gnu!
That's right.

Once a calf is born, it can stand
within seven minutes.

Some have a little more trouble
than others.

But once they get the hang of it,

the calves can be trotting alongside
their mothers in under an hour.

Is this their way
of protecting themselves?

Absolutely. For wildebeest calves,
there are two things that are
absolutely imperative tosurvive.

One is imprint.

Know who your mother is.

Mothers don't share calves.
Never?

They never take an orphan?
Never take an orphan.

The second thing is be precocial.

Get up and start moving immediately.

What you'll find is that as soon
as this area starts to dry,

that calf needs to be able to move
maybe three or four kilometres
today.

And by tomorrow... By the end
of the week, it's probably moved
maybe 50km and it's onlya week old.

This is the start of the migration.
This is the start.

On your marks, get set, go.
Wow.

This is nuts.
It's impressive, isn't it? Yep.

Feasting on fresh grasses,

the wildebeest and their newborns
are not alone.

250,000 zebra
and over 300,000 other antelope

also make the migration together.

But where there are herbivores,
there are carnivores.

Predators lurk everywhere.

A pack of hyenas can devour a
wildebeest in less than half an hour.

Bones and all.

Male wildebeest travel together
in bachelor herds.

But rely on the vigilance of females
nearby, who are more alert to danger.

They form creches for their newborns,

protecting them as they travel.

The calves soon grow in confidence.

And with 12,000 of them
born each day,

there are simply too many
for the predators to eat.

This female spotted hyena,

still full from a morning's kill,

merely waits amongst the herd.

They know she's not in hunting mode.

But stand on guard just in case.

But when a calf gets separated
from its mother,

it becomes vulnerable.

(BLEATS)

The herd disappear.

And this abandoned youngster
can do nothing but watch.

It's left for easy pickings.

(SCREECHES)

For others, injury
will see their demise.

Tonight, I'm camping out
on the plains,

in amongst the herds
and the other wildlife.

(GROWLING)
Can you hear that?

That is lions.

They've got the largest
concentration of lions on Earth here.

(GROWLING)

They are everywhere.

I've been told I am to stay put.
I am not allowed to leave my tent.

Good night.

(GROWLING)

It's 5am and I've spent the night
camping in the middle of the
Serengeti

amongst the wildebeest herds.

The noises last night
were just crazy.

Roaring, barking, yelping,

shouting.

Every animal noise
you can possibly imagine.

There's 35 species
of carnivores here.

And they all walked through the camp.

It's scary...and magnificent
at the same time.

The wildebeest herds
feed on fresh grass.

But a few hundred metres
from my camp,

it looks like the limping female
I saw yesterday met her fate.

Together, they could eat almost a
third of their kill in one sitting.

Up to 60kg of meat.

The scent of flesh soon attracts
other visitors.

But it's only when the hyenas think
the lions have finished their meal

do they dare approach the leftovers.

It's often overlooked that hyenas
are in fact skilful hunters
in their own right.

But in this situation, opportunistic.

Tenacity is key.

But they always keep an eye
on their bigger cohorts.

Just as well, as this lion
is still hungry.

(GROWLS)

Proving this morning,
it is he who is king of the jungle.

The magnificent lions
of the Serengeti

have been studied
for almost 50 years.

So as the wildebeest continue
feeding on the birthing plains,

I am breaking away from the herd

to find out more about the other
300 lions that dominate this area.

The Lion Research Project
now monitors 28 prides
of these apex predators.

Today, lead field assistant
Daniel Rosengren is my guide.

Are some of these lions collared?
Yes.

We have a collar in each pride
to help us find the pride.

How far away do you think they are?

Probably about a kilometre.

Each collar has a radio transmitter.

And with Daniel
picking up the signal,

we can make our way
closer to the pride.

(BEEPING)

The signal is getting very loud now.

It gets louder as I get closer.

Here on the edge of the riverbank,

we find this area's biggest threat
to the travelling wildebeest.

An entire pride.

In the distance, the migration
passes perilously close by.

There are two adult males,

ten females, and 16 youngsters.

This is amazing, Daniel.

I'm sure you get used to seeing lions
because you do this on a daily basis.

To see these alpha predators
so close,

it makes all the hairs on my arms
stand on end.

I've done this for four and a half
years and I still enjoy doing it.

Last night, I could hear the lions
roaring all night long.

Feel pretty exposed just thinking
there's a thin piece of fabric
between you and them.

Do they ever attack people in tents?

No, not here in Serengeti.

They, for some reason,
don't touch the tents.

I think it's because we have
a very healthy ecosystem.

They have plenty of other food.

They might touch your tent, but
that's more out of curiosity

rather than wanting to eat
what's inside.

But it has happened
in other places in Africa.

They do learn how to get into tents
and eat people.

But that's normally when there's not
much else food to choose between.

I should be grateful
for the wildebeest, then.

There's enough of them.
Yes.

1.3 million wildebeest
saving your life.

With this many cubs,

Daniel is curious to see
how they'll react

if we deploy our beetle camera
towards the pride.

(WHIRRING)

(GROWLS)

The sound of the small motor inside

soon gets the attention
of the youngsters.

While Dad keeps a close eye
on his inquisitive offspring.

That's a much quicker investigation
than I was thinking.

Oh, tip it up.

I hope they'll put it back again.

The male is coming.

Look, look.

Look, look.

That's a very expensive toy.

Before it gets destroyed,

Daniel thinks it's best
we retrieve the camera.

You're joking me.

Are you sure my window is OK?

Yeah.
Are you sure?

Yeah.

You might have to grab it
through your window.

Really?
Where is it now?

It's just there.

The male is right next to me.

Just open the door a bit
and grab it.

Just grab it from underneath.

Can you turn the mirror back?

Really? Really?!

Open the door slowly and see
the reaction of the lions.

Hide behind the door a bit.

That was easy.

See?

I can smell lion all over this.

Lion slobber.

My heart's still pounding.

It's pretty intimidating.

If I can use that to benefit my
understanding of the migration,

that's what those wildebeest
are confronted with.

They're confronted
with 2,500 of those.

The obstacle course throughout
this migratory route.

That's terrifying.

It's an intimidating sight to see
these powerful predators there.

That, for a wildebeest, would be
the last thing they'd ever see.

Fortunately, I had a steel horse
to protect me.

They don't have anything like that.

The word serengeti translates
as endless plains.

Wow!

Delving into this incredible
animal kingdom,

it's hard to imagine a human
population ever living here.

But they do.

As the migration continues west
through the birthing plains,

the wildebeest pass
the area of the Hadzabe.

They are one of the world's last
tribes who still hunter-gather.

Living a life unchanged
for 10,000 years.

While the wildebeest will spend
another week giving birth
in this area,

I take my opportunity
to visit the tribe.

Hello, hello. Wow. Hi.

The chief of this family is Julius.

As the tribe's ambassador,

he's one of the few people on Earth

to speak both the tribe's language
and Swahili.

And he had to learn some English to
communicate with the outside world.

I'd like to return the gesture.

Julius, what is the language
that they're speaking?

The Hadza language.
Which has these clicks.

Can you show me some?

(CLICKS) Anna.

Annaco. Ann-aco.

Annaco.
Annaco.

Yes.
How do I say hello in Hadzabe?

Api.
Api.

Te.
Te.

Apite.
Apite.

How are you, my friend?
Apite.

Apite.

ALL: Apite!

Hadza is one of a group of languages

thought to be the oldest in Africa.

I can but try.

Hua apitate.

Wherever I go,
people just laugh at me.

That's the story of my life.

(SINGING)

This large family of 35

are like the other 1,000 Hadzabe
living in this area.

They don't grow food,
raise livestock,

nor build permanent homes.

Instead, they travel
between hunting grounds,

setting up camp
until food becomes scarce.

Then they move on.

Do you think that you could compare
your lifestyle,

the fact that you move around,

with the other wild animals here?

Like the wildebeest, you do the same.

You move according to food,
according to water,

according to what you need
to sustain your family.

I am the first foreigner Julius and
his family have invited to stay.

And it's the most social part
of the day,

maintaining their weapons.

This is all you use
to hunt your animals.

Small animal like a dig dig,
or birds like guinea fowl.

What about a bigger animal
like an eland?

Arrow.
An arrow?

Do you have an arrow here?

These ones? May I have a look?

Wow. And wildebeest?

Wildebeest, yes.

Then you take it and put poison.

The black...
The black ones are poison.

What is the poison?

Take from special tree.

The poison could kill a big animal?

Big animal.
Me?

You, if you are cutting,
maybe two minutes.

I'd die?
Die.

Keep that away from me, thank you.
Dangerous.

To protect the animals
in the national park,

the Hadzabe were moved to the edges
of the Serengeti.

Here, they cohabit successfully
with animals.

Each day, the women gather fruits
and berries and dig for roots.

While the men meticulously hand-craft
arrows using bush materials.

As night falls in the camp,

the final touches are made
for tomorrow's hunt.

Which I've been invited to join.

Julius, when we go hunting tomorrow,

what tips can you give me?

Do I need to stay low?
Do I need to be very quiet?

Do we need to run?

Or do we go very slowly?

Really slowly. Ssshh.

Don't speak.

(SLAPS THIGH)

Psst!
(WHISTLES)

That's how we talk?
(CLICKS)

Small sound.

How do we make sure
we don't shoot each other?

(LAUGHS)
Make sure.

The Hadzabe people
and their lifestyle

are unlike anything I've seen before.

This is what they've always done.

If anything, my lifestyle is odder
and stranger than theirs.

But...it's quite full on.

I've got in the back of my mind
that, in the morning, I'm getting up
to go hunting.

With bows and arrows. With poison
that can take down an elephant.

But I am here to experience
all of this

around this extraordinary migration.

And this is all part of it.

This is the hidden world that
most of us don't get to see.

It's dawn in the southern Serengeti.

The wildebeest herds have travelled
a further 10km along their great
migration.

Really?

And leave me with my hosts, the
Hadzabe tribe, to find breakfast.

There are telltale signs that
we are in a good hunting area.

What is this one?

It's like a big cat super-highway
here.

Everything going through.

It's a bit chaotic. I'm not really
sure what's happening.

I think we're heading
about two miles this way.

There are two hunting parties.

Trekking into the bush,
I'm already disorientated.

Unlike my guides.

They're like heat-seeking missiles.

They know exactly
where they want to go.

And they're just marching.

Soon, the hunters ahead of us
call out.

(SHOUTING)

(SHOUTING)

I can't believe what we find.

I don't really know what to say.

It's shocking, it's amazing,
it's unexpected.

I had no idea where we were going.

But obviously
there was an advance party.

For all I know,
they're going after more baboons.

Suddenly, I'm next to three baboons.
They're already cooking
the intestines on thefire.

And there's a whole other
hunting party.

It's crazy. And look.

I mean... How does that
make you feel?

Personally...

It's hard to take all this in.

But the reality
is that the Hadzabe people

need these baboons to survive.

This is life.

I'm on an unstoppable train now.
I'm just with them.

There's a baboon in this tree.

They're not stopping.

The tribe take pot-shots
at the baboons.

And things get a bit too close
for comfort.

Julius, you nearly took me out.

That arrow very nearly hit me.

Wow, this is nuts.

This is nuts.

Honestly, I came out here confident
that I would have a go at a bird,
a small animal.

I want to experience what they do,
but I can't.

I can't bring myself to do that.

Not a baboon.

I can't justify for myself.

I leave the hunters
waiting for a clear shot.

As a team, the tribesmen work fast.

Continually collecting
and repairing fired arrows.

Or skilfully fashioning clothes
out of their catch.

This skin was on a living baboon
less than an hour ago.

This is amazing.

This is incredible.

Nature shop like.
Nature's shop.

Nature's shop.

Wow.

Breakfast will be eaten right here,

while another of the baboons is
taken back for the family to eat.

At 8:30, we've been going
for a few hours.

I'm OK for now, thank you, sir.

All due respect, I prefer
boiled eggs for my breakfast.

I'm starving. I just don't think...

I've lost my appetite.

I don't want to be rude
to these guys.

When Julius offers me some,

it's difficult to refuse.

You test?

Tastes sort of gamey.

It's good meat because baboon,
monkeys, chimpanzee,

80% is eating fruits.

Maybe this is good food because
there are many energy.

Especially for children.

A successful hunt is the difference
between eating or going hungry.

This morning has been
a good one for the tribe.

And tonight they are going to
celebrate.

I don't think I've ever really met
a peoples quite like the Hadzabe.

It's an extraordinary way of life.

This is about as close to the earth
as you can possibly get.

Let's be honest. I didn't come out
here to follow this magnificent
migration

expecting to see baboons
caught with a bow and arrow

and chopped up and eaten on the fire.

It was the last thing I expected.

But you mustn't ignore it.

It's a part of life out here.

It's the end of March.

Six weeks since the wildebeest
birthing season,

and the Serengeti plains
in the south are now bone dry.

The rains are late and the migration
is nowhere to be seen.

I wonder where the animals
are going to find food.

So I head to the Park Central
Research Centre

to meet back up with wildebeest
expert Dr Grant Hopcraft.

So we've got the migration
hypothesis.

What's the reality this year?

This year, the rains
are all different.

From the wildebeest perspective,

everything is dependent
upon the rains.

If you can predict the rain,
you can predict the wildebeest.

Calving took place where it usually
happens, down here.

This soil is so shallow. There's
a hardpan underneath the soil.

Sometimes it's only 10cm deep.

Which means that as soon
as it stops raining, it dries.

And that's catastrophic
for the calves.

It means that the cows, the females,
can no longer produce enough milk
to support the calf.

The closest place they go to when
the rains fail during the wet season

is they start heading
into the woodlands here.

These are what we call
the wet season refuge.

We do eventually find the wildebeest.

20km off-course, scattered across
the wet season refuge.

Keeping track of the herds
is essential for Grant's research.

And this has been made possible
by advances in technology.

His project is the only one
in the world

allowed to collar the wildebeest
and monitor them via GPS.

Where do the wildebeest go?
Why do they do it?

When do they move?
When are they choosing to move?

Mainly because this is the key
attribute about this ecosystem is
the wildebeest.

How does this collar work?

The bulk of it is the battery.

This is where all the goodies lie.

That's the key information.

What's happening there

is that inside here
is a data logger.

It's recording information.

In addition to that,

there is a mobile phone engine
in there.

That's transmitting data through
that little transmitter on the top.

Which is also where the GPS lies.

It's going to give us the date, the
time, and the location
of the animal.

This piece of kit is giving you
priceless information.

It's giving us information that you
would not be able to get
any other way.

Grant only collars wildebeest once
the birthing season is over

to minimise stress amongst the herd.

Now that the calves are six weeks
old, it's the right time.

We begin our search for an eligible
animal to collar.

You think we want to head off
this way?

Head over this rise a little bit.

We'll see what's on
the back side of this hill.

The migration route is 650km.

But an individual wildebeest
can travel 1,500km

as it zigzags across the plain
searching for food.

Grant's aim is to understand
how the wildebeest make choices

in relation to their environment.

And it's the females
who give the best data.

They make the critical decisions
on where to search for food

because they have calves to feed.

She's perfect.

Look at that. Big and strong.

A calf.

She's probably done a few laps
around the Serengeti, that one.

So you're looking for migratory
veterans?!

Yeah.

Ideally, we want a female who has
experienced the system before.

And is well tuned to the system.

Parked away from the herd,

preparations are made to safely
anaesthetise the animal
using a dart gun.

It's this point I need
to leave the experts.

Under park regulations, filming
the darting is not allowed.

The whole process takes just
15 minutes.

And then Grant calls me in.

Ben to Grant, I am on my way.

The wildebeest is up
and keen to rejoin her herd.

Grant and his team keep back
so as not to spook her.

In order to find her again,

we need to pick up a signal from
her newly fitted radio collar.

(BEEP)
Yeah, straight.

You're bang on target.
OK.

This must be an exciting time
for you.

When you've got one of the collars
on and a whole story is beginning.

Yeah. We've clipped her tail hair,
we've got samples.

This is where the science
for this animal really begins.

She's going to be somewhere fairly
close by here.

Er...

Shall I stop and have a look?
Yeah.

It's probably a good idea.

I think she's in this group
ahead of us.

Can you see anything?

That's her! There she is!

Well done.

Look at that!

I can definitely see the collar.

The calf is with her.

That must be a relief for you.
It is.

We had to be quick
about getting the collar on.

You can see how small that calf is
in relation to the other calves
running around withit.

She's walking confidently.
Her legs are coming up.

Quite often with the drug,
they look like a prancing horse.

But she's walking like a proper
wildebeest should.

You can name her now.
What are you going to name her?

I think she has to be named after
one of my heroines, Jane Goodall.

Let's call her Jane.
Excellent.

We can name the other three...
There were four in total.

We'll go for Rachel Carson.

That's a good idea.
Great environmentalist.

Let's go for Virginia McKenna.
Born Free!

Did so much work out here.

And not forgetting Dian Fossey,
primatologist.

All great scientists.

This is how we are going to be able
to follow this incredible migration.

Absolutely. This is how all this
new technology is going to help us.

I look forward to tracking Jane,
Rachel, Virginia, and Dian

as they continue their journey
on the great migration.

It's almost April in Tanzania.

The rains have still not graced
the Serengeti.

And the migrating wildebeest
continue their search for water
and fresh grass.

The herds are now 130km
into their 650km journey.

While the wildebeest can migrate
to find fresh grass,

there are people who live here
that can't.

Back on the birthing plains,

the Maasai have been left in drought.

For them, good pasture and water

is vital for livestock grazing.

I come to meet Paaka Puni
and his family

to see how the tribe cope
as this climate is changing.

Welcome.
Thank you.

A present.
Wow.

For you.

Thank you.

As far as my eye can see is a long
fence line of pieces of fabric.

What is this for?

The danger is that the wildebeest
carry a virus

which doesn't affect them
but is fatal to the Maasai's cattle.

Paaka Puni tells me that the tribe
have lost a quarter of their herd
through disease.

But things could get worse
if the rains don't come.

There's no milk in there.

Like the Hadzabe,

the Maasai were moved out of the
Serengeti national park
to its borders.

Their population was growing,

and the government wanted to ensure
protection for the great
migration routes.

Rain and fresh grass were in
abundance in their old region.

But here, it's very different.

Each one of the family's animals
is valuable.

But today, they've slaughtered
a goat to prey for the rains.

They've also invited
their neighbours,

meaning everyone can eat.

The Maasai want the rains
just as much as the wildebeest.

And subsequently all the other
animals here.

This is a complex ecosystem.

It's a reminder of how man has lived
for a long time.

Some of the earliest forms of man,
our earliest ancestors,

were found not far from this spot.

Man belongs here as well.
Who are we to say that this is
the animals' domain?

But technology is progressing.

The Maasai here
are keeping to their roots,

keeping to their traditions.

But they are certainly embracing
technology.

It probably won't be long before
they've got apps to follow the rain!

Or to look for the best grazing
for their goats.

Really. I don't doubt that
that will happen.

But you can't help but see this way
of life and wonder how long
this can sustain itself.

This is a whole question between
heritage and history and the future.

In their search for fresh grass,

the wildebeest have moved a further
20km into the woodlands.

I meet up with Grant to track our
collared females via satellite.

Grant, I shouldn't be surprised,
given the technology we're using on
the wildebeest,

but this is just amazing you can do
this in the middle of the Serengeti.

We're tagged into 3G. Mobiles
tethered into a laptop.

We're seeing, in real time,
where these animals are.

As well as the wildebeest
we named Jane,

Grant and his team have put collars
on three other females

to follow them over the next year.

We've got Virginia, we've got Dian.

We've got Jane.

And we've got Rachel.

And using the satellite image,

you can have an idea of what
the ground is looking like.

That's right. In fact, honest to
God, this is Jane.

That's that mountain there.

And there's the road.

Virginia has decided to go west.

Unfortunately, we don't know
what she's doing.

She's right on the edge. I think
she's hoping it's going to rain.

She's going to be first in line if
it rains on the short grass plains.

This one has decided to go north.

That's Dian.

Crunch time.

Your calf is on its last legs
probably.

Where am I going to go?

You've got to predict now, where are
these four going to go next?

I know.

My bet is that everybody
is going to head northwest.

In this direction here.

Everybody is going to pull
a very fast U-turn

as soon as these clouds
start breaking.

They're going to do a complete
U-turn and come right back
this way over here.

We'll be watching.

Across the parched landscape,

the migration journeys towards
its next phase,

the wildebeest mating season.

But the weather must now do its part
in supporting this incredible
natural wonder.

The rain should be here by now.

The clouds build up and they tease
everyone who's here, the animals.

But the rain still hasn't come.

The earth looks like it's been
scorched. It's brown.

There's nothing to sustain
neither animal nor man here.

So the migration
isn't where it should be.

Which throws everything else
out of kilter.

What I've discovered here
is it's not just about the
wildebeest, this migration,

it's the nomadic lions,
it's the zebra that follow,

it's the people that rely on
some of those creatures.

It's all inter-weaved.

I suppose what I've really discovered
is that the Serengeti hasn't just
been shaped by the animals.

It's as much a part of the people
as it is the animal kingdom.

Next time, I'm in the middle
of the wildebeest rut.

Are the males doing this solidly?

They're going to do this solidly.
They're not spending time eating.

Because they're just
thinking about sex?

They're obsessed by sex.

I'll witness power-plays,
not just between the animals,

but from humans who pose
an even greater threat.

And I come face to face with a
majestic species on the brink
of extinction.

To find one with its calf is amazing.

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