All language subtitles for Extreme Africa - 01x05 - Etosha the Great White Place Eng

In a place defined
by blistering heat -

a desolate
white wasteland dominates.

Scattered oases on its margins
attract thirsty herds.

All life is driven

by the back and forth search
for food and water.

This is the continual
ebb and flow of Etosha;

The Great White Place.

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As day breaks
in Etosha National Park,

a Black backed jackal quenches
his thirst at a waterhole.

The little scavenger is
vulnerable to attack

by bigger predators,

and is always wary.

After a drink

he wastes no time in moving on.

As he exits

a flock of Helmeted
guinea fowl quickly emerges.

They'd make
a good meal for the jackal,

and have been waiting
in the surrounding bush

keeping a safe distance.

With the coast clear

they take their opportunity to
drink from the only water source

for miles around.

Their home is in Namibia,

in south west Africa.

It's a country dominated by
baking heat and parched sands

and renowned
for its natural beauty.

In the north,
one national park stands out.

At just under
8,800 square miles,

Etosha is as big
as the state of New Jersey.

Around a quarter of it
is covered

by a vast barren expanse -

where nothing grows.

Known as the Etosha salt pan,

it was once a saline lake.

But 2.5 million years ago,

changes in the environment
gradually desiccated it,

leaving behind soil too salty
for plants to survive.

This is the extreme

of a park defined
by unforgiving conditions.

Annual rainfall averages
a mere 10 inches.

In the peak of summer,

temperatures
can reach a staggering

117 degrees Fahrenheit.

All life here runs to a rhythm
fueled by water.

To the south of the salt pan,

waterholes are scattered
throughout the dry veld.

These act as the driving force
of the park,

directing the movement
and survival of every species.

Without these oases,

life would cease to exist
in this barren land.

But water
isn't the main concern here;

food is.

During the dry season,

the animals concentrated
around Etosha's waterholes

deplete all available food -

forcing them
to travel further afield

in search of sustenance.

All lives here revolve
around this constant movement

between food and water.

For the birds, the to and fro

starts with mornings
at the waterhole.

Before long, large flocks
join the guinea fowl.

Cape turtle-doves spend most
of their time alone or in pairs.

But they congregate in flocks

to drink in the morning
and evening.

Drinking side by side

means more eyes
on the lookout for predators.

Other small species
have a strategy

to avoid the imposing crowds.

A Fork-tailed drongo
drinks on the wing.

Pied crows on the other hand,

are given plenty of space.

Their bigger frames
and mean looking beaks

keep the others at bay.

The pair of Namaqua sand grouse
behind them

may have flown as far as 40
miles to quench their thirst.

The crow
is unlikely to attack them,

but at half its size,

they dare not get too close.

Across the waterhole,

a more threatening Gabar goshawk

isn't here to drink.

But the bird of prey
isn't hunting either.

Remarkably it's eating
blades of grass.

He's having trouble
regurgitating

pellets of indigestible
hair and bone.

And the only green grass
for miles around

will help trigger a purge
of his digestive tract.

While the early birds take their
turn on the water's edge,

a terrapin soaks up the warmth
of the steadily rising sun.

Despite the lack of rain,

there's always
water available here.

The natural spring
rises to the surface

from the rocky substrate
deep below ground.

It gives this largely aquatic
creature a home in a dry land.

While he warms himself,

the day's business begins
to unfold around him.

It's not long before
the larger animals arrive.

Throughout the park
animals seek out waterholes;

Beginning their day
with a drink.

The enticing water excites
even the most nervous kudu.

Herds of Impala soon join them,

As do thirsty zebra.

Kudu spend most of their time
in the safety of cover,

relying on camouflage to escape
the attention of predators.

A mature kudu bull's horns

can grow as long as five feet,

the longest of any antelope.

These two evenly matched bulls

may soon compete
for the right to mate

with the females between them.

But for now their only concern
is satisfying their thirst.

As the largest land mammals
on the planet,

African elephants
have nothing to fear.

And in a league of giants,

Etosha's elephants
stand out above the rest.

They are the biggest
on the continent.

And these big bodies
build up quite a thirst.

Elephants drink up to
60 gallons of water a day.

The herd's matriarch
determines when they will drink,

and leads her clan to water.

With over 50 years of experience

she's developed intricate maps
of Etosha in her mind.

She's able to pinpoint
the closest waterhole

up to 31 miles away.

This is the ultimate tool
for surviving in the desert.

The herd consists
of the matriarch's offspring

and her grandchildren.

Still clumsy with their trunks,
it takes a while

for the babies to assert control
over these awkward appendages.

An elephant's trunk

has two finger-like projections
at the tip,

allowing for maximum dexterity.

These trunks
are their livelihood,

allowing them to drink
by sucking up the water,

and snorting it out
into their mouths.

Soon the babies will show expert
control of their long snouts,

just like their elders.

Elephants are vigilant mothers.

They never let their calves
wander far from their side.

And surrounded
by their enormous family,

calves need not fear
the park's predators.

Under the care
and guidance of the herd,

they will gradually learn
the routes to water themselves.

Impala lack the elephants'
size advantage

and are more
vulnerable to attack.

But with many members,

they always
have eyes on the lookout

that allow a pair of young males
to indulge in distraction.

They size each other up
in a game of strength.

This practice prepares them for
the world of serious competition

that awaits them.

But if they hope to challenge
a big ram like this,

hey have some growing up to do.

With no territory
or mates to be won yet,

they're not fully committed
to the contest.

As the day moves on,

hunger takes the place
of a sated thirst

for the animals
at the waterhole.

With the dry season's
tightening grip,

the land surrounding
the waterhole is exhausted

of good quality fodder.

To find enough to eat,

the herds must disperse away
from this center of activity.

In their own time,

they all head off
to begin their search for food.

For the young suckling kudu,

sustenance is always on hand.

But the rest of the herd

must leave the sanctuary
of the water to eat.

He carefully follows,

ears pricked and always alert.

The elephants follow
the lead of the matriarch,

who heads west.

In the search for food

her experience
will once again prove crucial.

Heading the wrong way

could take the elephants
onto the sprawling salt pan,

where there is
no sustenance to be found.

Here they would face a choice

between two
equally unattractive options.

Turn around

or face the 30 mile trek
to the other side

under the beating sun.

To the south of the salt pan

there is sustenance available to
those who know where to find it.

This giraffe
has spent the morning

feeding on the leaves
of acacia trees.

At more than 16 feet tall,

giraffe are adapted to take
advantage of a feeding niche

few others can -

at the tops of trees.

They can go
several days without drinking;

getting the moisture they need
from their food.

But in the height of winter,
when the park is driest,

even Etosha's hardiest
vegetation like the acacia,

has little to offer
in the way of moisture.

So this giraffe
must also strike out

across the park's barren lands,

though his is a quest for water.

While cows
stick together in herds,

this bull cuts a lonely form

in the stark landscape.

There is little for him
here in the grasslands

except the promise
of a satisfying drink

on the other side.

But some are far more at home
on the grasslands than him.

Gemsbok thrive away from water

and are among
the most iconic species

of the African desert.

Their bodies are well designed

to cope
with the harsh conditions.

They too
can go days without drinking -

and are even more independent
of water than the giraffe.

Their kidneys have evolved
to conserve water,

by concentrating their urine
to minimize water loss.

This allows them to travel far
across Etosha's flat grasslands,

feeding as they go.

These flats border the salt pan

and have shallow, saline soils.

Only the hardiest
desert grasses survive.

This small herd follows the lead
of its alpha male.

With his guidance and their
ability to range far from water,

they can subsist
mainly on these grasses.

But for the park's elephants

things are different.

A pair of bulls is
making the trek across Etosha's

dry, open land.

They scrape what sustenance
they can from the grass,

but it's not enough to give them
the hundreds of pounds

they need in a day.

Now, during the dry season,

elephants must drink daily

and prefer to remain within
two and a half miles of water.

But they may travel
more than 10 miles

to find the trees they need
to satisfy their hunger.

While Etosha's elephants
may be the biggest in the world,

they have a handicap

that stands testament
to their dry environment.

Almost half of the elephants'
tusks in Etosha

are fractured or broken -

the highest rate
of any elephant population.

This is directly related
to the area's low rainfall.

It may be due to fighting over
water sources;

or the tusks weakening
due to dehydration

but the most likely explanation

is the lack of nutrients
in the elephants' food.

These bulls must cross
this foreboding land

to reach more suitable fodder.

As they travel
the day gets hotter and hotter.

For a herd of Zebra the heat is
becoming almost unbearable.

Many of the mares are pregnant

and will give birth
in early summer

when rains give their young
the best chance at survival.

It will be this particular
mare's second birth.

Her current foal
is around a year old.

To prepare herself
for the new arrival,

she's started to wean him.

She needs to conserve her milk
and energy.

The herd would usually spend
almost all day grazing

to maintain their health.

But the temperature has risen

above
a hundred degrees Fahrenheit

and the heat paralyzes them.

Tied to the waterhole,

they avoid activity at all costs

and it's all they can do
to wait out the worst of it.

But the heat may be
a blessing in disguise.

Even the strongest of animals
are rendered weak

by the severity
of Etosha's climate.

The zebra are unaware
of a male lion in the grass.

But he has no interest in them.

The midday sun
has drained his energy too.

He can't even muster
a flick of his tail.

He will wait until dusk

when his eyesight is
better than the zebras'

and when the heat
has dissipated.

At this time of year

all animals must take advantage
of what's on offer.

Scavengers like the jackal

rely largely on carrion
from predator kills.

But when there's
no carrion to be had,

he's adept at making the most
of his dry environment.

He's an omnivore

and will eat
almost anything he can find,

including termites.

Although not his meal
of first choice,

he has no qualms about digging
into the pile of insects.

He's constantly alert.

For there are always those
looking to take advantage

of the success of others.

A pair of northern Black
korhaans skulks nearby,

Eager to get their fill.

The jackal would happily change
his meal from insects to birds.

So the korhaans
keep their distance.

As much as 30 percent of their
diet can consist of plant matter

like grass seeds.

And Etosha's grasslands
have seeds in plenty,

so these birds
survive in high numbers.

Males defend display territories
of 2000 to 3000 square feet,

and compete
for the attention of females.

For the korhaans, males will
fight for territory come summer

but for now

they settle with calling loudly
to advertise their presence.

For some in Etosha,
the battle for dominance

is a more constant concern.

A pair of Gemsbok males
battles for rank and territory.

In a land where food is scarce,

it's a huge investment
of energy for both.

The cause of the aggression
is not far away -

a tiny waterhole.

Access to water
is a prize worth fighting for.

Gemsbok usually get

most of the moisture they need
from their food,

which includes tubers
and wild melons

dug from below ground.

But at this time of year
these are in short supply,

so even Gemsbok must drink.

This small sunken waterhole

attracts herds
from far and wide.

A family of warthogs
is here too,

trying unsuccessfully
to escape the beating sun.

Over the years

Etosha's animals have dug deeper
and deeper into the sands here

to access
the little available water.

There's enough to satisfy
the Gemsbok for now.

Soon enough
they all resume their grazing,

covering ground to find enough
quality grass to get by.

For the giraffe, desperate times
call for desperate measures.

His journey to water
is sapping vital energy

and out here he must go
to unusual lengths to eat.

When you're built
for feeding in the treetops,

grazing at ground level
is a tall order.

For two elephant bulls, the
day's journey has been worth it.

Like the giraffe

they rely largely on
Etosha's trees for sustenance.

They've arrived
in a stand of woodland,

and they don't
just eat the leaves.

Elephants have
incredibly varied diets

and can take sustenance from
almost all parts of a plant

including branches
and their bark.

These mature bulls use their
trunks with expert dexterity.

Picking what they fancy

before grinding it
between massive molars.

Their stark white color

comes from dusting themselves
with the park's pale soil

for defense against
the sun's harsh rays.

But while it protects their skin

it can't cool them down.

For this
they rely on their ears.

Elephant ears can be 6-1/2 feet
long and 5 feet wide.

They have
extensive networks of veins

beneath a thin layer of skin.

Continuous flapping

causes airflow to cool
the blood in these veins,

which helps
to cool the whole body.

When males reach puberty,

they're extradited from the herd

and become bachelors.

These males each spend
long stretches alone.

But for now,

they have turned to one another
for companionship

as many bachelors do.

Being younger
and slightly smaller,

this bull assumes a lower rank

than his
more established companion.

It's a dynamic that's
easy to see while they feed.

As the senior notices
that his companion

has a tastier looking tree,

he swiftly muscles in.

The junior moves off
with no complaint.

Size is power between elephants

and the smaller bull
wouldn't risk a challenge.

There's plenty for both of them

in the acacia trees
of this patch of woodland.

Etosha's woody trees
are a larder for its giants.

After a long day
searching for food

many of the park's residents
return to Etosha's waterholes.

They offer an opportunity
to antelope

that is unusual
in the African wilderness;

time to drink without fear
of attack from below.

The small, isolated waterholes
can't support crocodiles.

In Africa's wetter places

antelope stick to the banks

to avoid jaws
lurking beneath the surface.

But here, these Springbok

can wade into the cooling water
without concern.

Before long,

even the toughest
of Etosha's inhabitants arrive.

Gemsbok waste no time
in getting wet.

And for a moment

they're liberated
from the heat's oppressive grip.

Their routine of regular grazing
and covering ground

will soon resume,

but for now they can relax

in the company of the
waterhole's many other visitors.

A giant soon joins the throng,

and he's given
all the space he needs.

At more than eleven feet tall,

he's less satisfied
by the water's depth.

Luckily he's well equipped
to splash himself.

As the afternoon draws on,
many more come and go.

The thirsty giraffe bull
finally arrives

after his long quest for water.

And he's not alone.

He's found the company
of a small herd.

Giraffe regularly
come and go from herds,

and he may spend weeks
with his companions

before going his own way again.

Giraffe are especially
vulnerable while drinking,

and it helps to have extra eyes
on the lookout.

As quickly as the herds arrive,

they leave again.

Dispersing back
into Etosha's expanse

in their
constant search for food.

The big elephant bull
is in no rush.

He finishes his mud bath.

Cool at last,

he too heads off on the next leg
of his perpetual to and fro

between food and water.

Etosha National Park
presents a natural enigma.

This foreboding expanse supports
a surprising abundance of life.

While their
environment is harsh,

those that persevere
can find enough to get by.

All must move
according to their own rhythm;

To satisfy their hunger

and quench their thirst.

This is the constant
ebb and flow of Etosha -

the Great White Place.

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