All language subtitles for Wildlife Icons Series 1 Part 1 Savanna Life 1080p

Narrator: Africa's most
iconic landscape: Savanna.

A stage where nature's
greatest dramas unfold.

Famous for the "big five,"

It's also home to less
well-known creatures.

From predator to prey,

Energy flows through
this dynamic system.

Every species has a role to play

In the savanna's unique
web of life.

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Africa is dominated
by thorn bush savanna,

Vast, sweeping grasslands
that cover almost half

Of the continent's surface.

Savanna covers over 12 million
square miles,

Stretching across 27 african
countries, and beyond.

Twenty percent
of the planet's surface

Is dominated by grasslands.

Surprisingly, the plant
at the heart

Of the savanna's story
is a humble grass.

South african savanna
contains a rich diversity

Of grass species...

Countless slender stems
that feed an entire ecosystem.

The savanna is a complex web
of life, from the plants

At the bottom of the food chain,
to the predators at the top.

Stories of life and death

Have unfolded on these plains
for millions of years.

Grassland provides a feast
for herds of grazers...

And the carnivores
that track them down.

Lions are the savanna's
definitive hunter.

The impala instinctively
runs for cover.

But lions are masters of ambush.

The lionesses' hunting partner
greets her;

This is a shared success.

Most hunts end in failure.

This kill is good news
for their pride.

This meal will feed the family,
including their growing cubs,

Curbing their hunger
for several days.

It is through these fatal dramas

That energy flows
through the savanna's

Dynamic food chain.

Plants eaten by the herbivores

Ultimately also
sustain the carnivores.

The word "savanna" conjures
images of open, grassy plains

Devoid of trees--

Such as those of tanzania's
famous serengeti.

But these are not typical.

Most savannas have many trees,

Growing in delicate balance
with the grasses.

The key to the existence
of savanna is light.

Its trees must be widely spread,

So the canopy can't close
over and shade out the grasses.

The other essential ingredients

Are warm temperatures
year-round,

Peaking in a hot season...

Complete with summer rains.

During this wet season,
a precise amount of water--

More than 20 inches -- must fall
for the grasses to thrive.

Last but not least the savanna
depends on its animals,

Whose grazing habits
encourage new shoots.

Harnessing the sun's energy
is the first step in a cycle

That ultimately feeds all the
hungry mouths in this ecosystem.

But the savanna is not
only somewhere to eat.

It's also a refuge,

Providing shelter for animals.

Of all its creatures,
none are more important

To the landscape than elephants.

Their feeding habits maintain
these open grassy plains,

Which would otherwise
revert to forest.

Elephants live in stable groups
of closely related females

Led by a matriarch.

She has an intimate knowledge
of the landscape and,

In particular,
the best feeding places.

It's no surprise that elephants
have enormous appetites.

Bush elephants are the largest
of all terrestrial animals,

An adult female weighing in
at over three tons.

It takes five percent
of her body weight--

Around 150 kilograms
of vegetation per day--

To fuel a body this big.

Every day, elephants spend
up to 16 hours

Consuming everything
from grasses to bushes,

Even whole trees.

The herd leaves a trail
of destruction behind.

Or so it seems.

In fact, their
bulldozing activity

Is essential to the savanna.

By felling a proportion
of the trees in any one area,

They reduce the shady canopy;

Enabling light
to reach the understory,

So grasses have
a chance to grow.

The fallen branches also protect
these new shoots,

Preventing grazers
reaching them.

Elephant activity renews
the grasses and, surprisingly,

The damaged trees also benefit.

Resilient species such as acacia
have adapted to cope

With their brutal pruning
by re-sprouting.

The acacia also relies
on them to help plant its seeds.

Elephants have
inefficient digestion,

So many of the seeds
they consume

Pass through their gut
undamaged.

The dung is so rich in minerals
it provides the perfect compost

For the acacia seeds
to germinate.

The nutrients also support
other life forms.

Dung beetles eat it,

And roll dung balls over large
distances to use as nests,

Fully stocked with food
for their larvae.

These busy beetles help to
fertilize the surrounding soils

And spread the seeds,
which take root in new areas.

So the plants eaten by elephants
are also fed by their dung...

And the interconnected cycle
of life continues.

Once her family is full,

The matriarch leads them on
to new feeding areas.

Elephants play a central role

In the renewal
of the landscape,

Making homes for a diverse
community of wildlife.

Africa has the world's greatest
concentration of antelope,

Most of which live
on the savanna.

Blue wildebeest gather
in large herds,

Consuming grasses rich
in phosphorous and nitrogen.

Once the grasses are exhausted,

The wildebeest will be forced
to move on,

Often joining mass migrations
in search of fresh pastures.

Wildebeest herd together for
protection against predators,

Frequently associating with
other grazers such as zebra.

Remarkably there is
little competition

For food between species,

Because they have distinct
feeding habits.

Most of the year there's plenty
to go around,

But the landscape is changing.

It's the end of the dry season,
a tense time on the savanna.

After months without rain,

The tender grasses have been
cropped to ground level,

Nibbled by an army
of hungry grazers.

This hasn't killed them.

If the rains come
they will re-sprout.

But now only the old
indigestible vegetation remains.

At this time of year grazers
struggle to find enough to eat.

Surprisingly,
even in times of shortage,

There's little conflict
over food.

The secret to life
on the savanna is sharing.

But competition is fierce
for another reason.

This is the start
of the breeding season.

The animals are sizing each
other up as potential mates,

Or rivals.

The predators are here to pick
off the weaker individuals...

And the scavengers
to pick up the pieces.

Lions are always on the lookout
for their next meal.

They live in groups,
called prides,

Consisting of
closely related females

And the area's dominant males.

Lions may be deadly predators,
but they actually spend

Most of their lives sleeping...

Up to 20 hours a day.

This pride is mainly
active at night

When their nocturnal vision
gives them greater advantage

Over their prey.

The reflective strip
under the eye helps lions

To see better in low light.

For now, though, they do
as little as possible.

Thanks to the cool shade
of the tree,

The family can relax.

But the peace won't last.

There is fierce competition
amongst carnivores

On the savanna...

They all eat meat,
which is challenging to kill.

Within the pride,
it's the lionesses

That are the main hunters.

Even with their combined power,
a kill is not guaranteed.

With the pride taking
every chance to hunt,

The savanna community
must watch its back.

Adult rhino though,
have little to fear.

Like many savanna grazers,
they're grass specialists.

They lack incisors,
relying instead

On their strong flat lips
to hoover up short grass,

Chewing it between
massive molars.

White rhino are the
world's largest species,

Like this bull, weighing in
at around 4,800 pounds.

This female is accompanied
by her youngster,

Around six months old.

But with the bull nearby,
they're heading towards danger.

Mothers with young
normally steer clear.

Bulls are known
to attack other rhinos

That get between them
and a potential mate.

Even the very young.

But, unusually,
the mother allows her calf

To approach this large bull.

He could easily
kill the youngster

With one stab
of his lethal horn.

But the bull's reaction
is surprising.

He seems to welcome
the youngster's attention

And responds gently,
even playfully.

Bulls spend most
of their lives alone,

But do occasionally tolerate
other submissive males

In their territory.

After his risky adventure,
the little calf returns

To the safety of his mother.

She is key to his survival
on the savanna,

Protecting him for his first
two vulnerable years of life.

Although she's started
to wean him,

The calf will rely
on his mother's milk

Until he is a year old.

Adult rhino have
no natural predators

Because they are large,
thick-skinned and well armed.

However, calves do occasionally
fall victim to lions.

Rhinos have poor vision,

Relying instead
on their excellent hearing

And sense of smell to detect
threats at a distance.

The mother can't see
the lion clearly.

But she can smell him.

With her precious calf
an easy target,

She's not taking any chances.

Rhino can charge at speeds
up to 25 miles an hour,

A lethal battering ram.

The female is more than a match,
even for a big male lion.

At last the calf's back
with his mother,

Where he can suckle in safety,

Thanks to her devoted
protection.

One of the lions' favorite prey
is buffalo.

The young ones are
an easy target.

Even adults regularly
fall victim.

To protect themselves,
buffalo find safety in numbers,

Living in large herds:

Complex, ever-changing societies
of males and females.

As a strong, united front, these
herds can fight off an attack

From a whole pride of lions.

But the herds are also targeted
by smaller creatures

With a taste for their blood.

Plagues of parasites feast
on their skin.

Horns are useless against this
onslaught of biting insects.

But buffalo have a strategy.

Close co-operation
with red-billed oxpeckers.

These helpful birds pick off
fleas, ticks and swarming flies.

Buffalo trust them
to remove the tormenting insects

And the oxpeckers benefit
from a constant supply

Of nourishing food.

And wherever the herd goes,
the oxpeckers go too.

Communal living has advantages,
but also creates a problem.

For buffalo, life in the herd
means many mouths to feed.

So they can't be too fussy
about what they eat.

Their savanna staple is grass,

But there are some treats
on the buffalo's menu too.

Being large animals,
they can reach high

Into the savanna's bushes.

Another savanna specialist
is the world's largest antelope,

The eland.

Large males are almost
as tall as a man,

Over five feet
at the shoulder,

But are up to ten times
as heavy.

Like buffalo, eland eat a
combination of grass and leaves.

They adapt their diet

According to what is available.

Eland have the peculiar
characteristic

Of clicking as they walk.

It signals dominance--

The larger the bull,
the deeper the clicking sound.

Smaller and more elusive
is another

Of the savanna's antelope,
perhaps the most elegant of all:

Kudu.

Secretive creatures, they are
rarely seen out in the open.

Targeted by many
savanna predators,

Kudu have camouflaged,
striped coats that blend

Into the background so they can
hide in the thickets.

Like all ruminant animals,

This female must chew the cud.

Every mouthful is chewed,
swallowed, regurgitated--

And chewed a little more.

Bacteria from the animal's
stomach helps to break down

The cellulose in the leaves
as it is processed

For a second time.

Like the kudu,
in its leafy hideaway,

All the savanna's animals
ultimately owe their existence

To the variety of habitats
in this unique landscape.

The savanna is one
of the world's richest biomes--

Boasting exceptional
plant diversity--

In some areas
over 5,000 plant species.

A variety of savanna trees
grace the landscape,

Including the resilient acacia.

This definitive savanna species
is not only eaten by elephant,

It's the favorite food
of another iconic character,

The world's tallest animal:
Giraffe.

Their extreme height, with males
standing over sixteen feet tall,

Enables them
to graze the treetops.

Long legs give giraffe
an unusual way of walking.

To avoid tripping up over
their dinner-plate-sized hoofs,

Both legs on each side
move simultaneously.

And although acceleration
is slow,

Their top speed of over
30 miles per hour

Enables them to outrun lions.

Their stature not only provides
a vantage point

When it comes to predators,
but also gives access

To the sweetest new leaves
in the canopy.

This means that they don't have
to compete for food

With shorter animals.

And it's not just
their long necks

That give them the advantage...

They also have a prehensile,
18 inch tongue

Which extends their grasp.

Thorns, the acacia trees'
usual defense, don't deter them.

But the trees are not completely
at the giraffe's mercy.

The acacia does fight back
in a surprising way.

As soon as a tree is eaten
by browsers

Its leaves produce
poisonous tannins.

They also emit a chemical,
ethylene,

Into the air that can disperse
over 130 feet.

Incredibly, scientists have
discovered the acacia

Are one step ahead
of the giraffe.

The chemicals released
by a damaged tree

Are detected by its neighbors,

That rapidly activate
their own chemical defenses.

Within a few minutes all the
trees in the area are toxic.

It's an extraordinary
early-warning system,

Evolved to protect plants
from hungry animals.

But plant poisons aren't
enough to deter

The most destructive
grazers of all.

The matriarch and her family

Are tucking into
another stand of trees.

Elephants can tolerate high
levels of tannin in their food,

As well as latex and even
hydrogen cyanide.

This is only possible because
they vary their diet seasonally,

Switching to grasses
after the rains.

Every animal is adapted
to their place

In the savanna's food chain.

This is nature's
own recycling system...

Where destruction ultimately
promotes new life.

At the end of the dry season,

Testosterone is flowing.

In preparation for mating,

Wildebeest carve up the
landscape into territories.

The rut has begun.

Each male is fighting to defend
his tiny patch of turf.

If he can hold his ground
and guard his females,

He will get the chance to mate.

In the buffalo herds, males
are vying for position too.

Both sexes have horns,
but only the males

Grow heavyweight headgear,

Forming what is known as
a "boss."

This acts both as a weapon
and as protection

During head-to-head combat.

It can take eight years
for a bull

To win breeding females
and father offspring.

The zebra stallions
are fired up too.

A male can only control
his harem of females

If he can successfully fight off
the competition.

The challenger will steal his
harem if he can win this battle.

With so much to lose,
the stallion's not backing down.

But violence doesn't always pay.

Despite their size
and sharp horns,

Eland are peaceful creatures.

Male dominance is not decided
by sparring,

But according to a strict
social pecking order.

Subtle features,
such as size of the dewlap,

The thick skin fold
under the neck,

To the size of their horns,

Determines who gets access
to females.

But keeping the peace
is the exception to the rule

At this time of year.

Mature bull giraffes
are generally solitary,

But to gain mating rights
to females,

They come face to face
to establish dominance.

The only way to decide who's
boss is a "necking" contest.

Aiming at the legs they each try
to destabilize their opponent.

A male's head is like
a 60 pound wrecking ball

At the end of a long,
strong, flexible neck.

Short, bony horns
can cut and bruise.

Giraffe fights can last
for half an hour

And injuries sustained
can be devastating.

Jaws and necks
are sometimes broken.

But fights rarely prove fatal.

But in this instance,
there is a clear winner.

Head now held high,
he's secured himself

The best chance of attracting
a mate and passing on

His winning genes
to the next generation.

His next challenge
is to win over a female.

Giraffe bulls darken
in color as they mature.

This one's in the prime
of his life

And he's found a potential mate.

The flick of her tail indicates
she is receptive,

So he now has a good chance
of mating.

It's no coincidence that
most of the savanna community

Breeds at the same time.

For many species, the birth
of the new generation

Coincides with the rainy season.

The coming rains will flush the
savanna with fresh new grasses,

Vital if there is going
to be enough food

For the hungry new babies.

Predators are able
to breed year round,

Enabling them to raise their
young during times of plenty.

Birth rates amongst lions peak
when there are lots

Of vulnerable young prey
to catch.

This dominant male has already
secured his mating rights

To a pride of females,

Through fierce battles
with other males.

He warns the competition
to keep out by scent marking.

He's been tracking
a receptive female for days.

(lion grunting)

The pair have isolated
themselves from the rest

Of the pride
for the last 48 hours.

And they've started to mate,
regularly once every 15 minutes.

Lions mate quickly and often,
up to 40 times per day

And long into the night,

To maximize the chance
of fertilization.

Eventually the female
returns to the pride.

If she is now pregnant, in three
months she will give birth.

Many of the lionesses
already have cubs

And feeding their demanding
youngsters is thirsty work.

Within a pride females often
synchronize their breeding,

Sharing the childcare
and even the suckling duties.

Cubs of a similar age
are also more likely to survive,

Because being the same size
they have equal access to food.

At 11 months old,

Cubs are allowed
to join the adults

When they go out hunting; until
then, they have to stay behind

Under the watchful eye
of a babysitting lioness.

The breeding season is a drain
on energy for all species,

Particularly at the end
of the dry season

When food quality is poor.

Over recent months the elephants
have been traveling

Through a steadily
drying landscape.

At this time of year 70 percent
of their diet consists

Of trees and bushes.

But elephants also eat
fresh grasses,

And these can't grow
without water.

Everything now is waiting
for the rains.

The matriarch sniffs the air.

Elephants have an excellent
sense of smell.

They also have acute hearing,

Sensitive
to low frequency sounds,

Such as distant thunder,

And are believed to be able
to detect coming rains,

Hundreds of kilometers away.

(rumbling)

Rain...

The essential ingredient
for the renewal of the savanna.

Within days,

The first green shoots sprout
from moistened ground.

Fresh food for a growing
savanna community.

And there are new faces
everywhere.

Out on an open plain,
female blesbok antelope

Are beginning to drop
their lambs.

From its high vantage point,

A verreaux's eagle
has spotted the activity.

An adult is far too big
to be targeted by the raptor,

But newborns are vulnerable.

The eagle's found
the next best thing,

A discarded afterbirth.

It makes a perfect meal.

Verreaux's eagles mate for life,
and its partner is hungry too.

Eagles are efficient hunters,

But they will scavenge
if the opportunity arises.

Thus becoming a vital link
in the savanna food chain,

Recycling the nutrients back
into the system.

There are new additions
to the resident lion pride.

One of the females has returned
with her six-week-old cubs.

Isolated with their mother
in the safety

Of a birthing den until now,

They're ready to join
their extended family.

For the female cubs that will
remain in the pride for life,

This is the start of a long
cooperative relationship.

Born at this time of year,
there should be plenty of food

For the growing family.

And, with the cubs close in age,
they'll be equally matched

When it comes to seizing
their share.

In time their mothers will teach
the youngsters how to hunt

And take their place
as apex predators.

For now, though, their carefree
days are full of play.

The rainy season has
brought water in volumes

And the waterholes are full.

Elephants love to get wet.

The matriarch and her family
indulge in a deep bath.

Elephants are experts
at finding drinking water,

Even during drought,
but it's a treat to find water

Deep enough to plunge into.

Bathing is part of
an elephant's cleaning routine,

Which also involves scratching
against trees

To slough off loose skin
and parasites.

The whole family joins in.

The savanna lies at the heart
of untamed africa...

Where the fortunes of animals
and plants are interlinked

In a eternal cycle which brings
renewal and fresh growth.

Now flushed green,

The landscape will nourish its
animals for months to come...

Creating energy to feed the
savanna's dynamic web of life.

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