Original subtitles

The Kalahari,

the largest expanse of sand on the planet.

At its center lies a living, breathing miracle...

the Okavango Delta.

Each year, when the land is at its driest,

distant rainfall fills its veins once again.

The Great Flood is the heartbeat...

transforming this land

into a wildlife paradise

like none on Earth.

It's the start of winter.

The land is dry.

The rivers have vanished and the flood is yet to come.

Flocks of hungry quelea scour the floodplains

by the thousands.

The grasses have withered and died.

Now only their seeds lie dormant in the dry sand.

The scramble for food is underway.

These dry, unbroken floodplains are the ideal

hunting grounds for a cheetah...

especially a mother with three growing cubs to feed.

Her cubs are completely dependent on her for food.

An impala would make the perfect meal.

But the cubs are still too young to hunt.

They'll stay behind to watch and learn.

She is a skilled hunter.

Approaching in silence, she selects her quarry.

Impala horns can be lethal,

she cannot afford to make a mistake.

Speed yes, but agility too.

These are the cheetah's greatest assets.

It's a dangerous take down,

but she knows precisely how to kill.

Her son is eager to help.

He is learning fast.

His sister is a little less confident.

For now, feeding her family is easy.

But when the flood comes, it will be another story.

To survive in this dry season, timing is everything...

and the leopard is to timing as the cheetah is to speed.

Just when most plants have withered and died,

that's when Kigelia trees burst into life.

Their deep red flowers are filled with sweet nectar.

Vervet monkeys are enticed to drink

and they help pollinate the trees.

In a land that has grown so dry,

the juicy blossoms are simply irresistible.

Soon, a velvet carpet covers the ground,

drawing the impala to join the feast.

And it's the impala that this leopard is after.

She'll wait until the monkeys leave.

There can be no witnesses.

Now is the time to make her move.

Silently.

Stealthily.

The leopard's ambush is set.

All she must do is wait.

The impala have no idea who's about to drop by.

The leopard is surely the most cunning of cats.

Every year in the highlands far to the north,

heavy rains fall.

From a trickle to a flow,

this is the Great Flood's first pulse...

filling the veins and arteries of this thirsty land.

It rejuvenates the barren sands,

and brings the promise of renewal.

This wave of water will transform everything,

as a great oasis is born.

The scent of water beckons on the wind,

drawing herds of grazers back to their winter pastures.

For thousands of Cape buffalo, the flood rolls out a green,

life-sustaining banquet.

Some travel many miles to get here.

The resident lions lie in wait.

For this travel-weary mother, there is no rest yet.

Her calf now faces the most perilous challenge of its life.

(snorting, growling).

(mooing, growling).

These young lions think they have an easy meal.

(mooing, growling).

But the harder they try, the harder this mother fights.

Backup is not far away.

That's one advantage of living in a herd.

(mooing, growling).

Just in time, the other buffalo rally to her cause.

Pick a fight with one and you must fight them all.

The lions are outnumbered and outmatched by a

herd that stands shoulder to shoulder.

Together, this fortress of buffalo cannot be breached.

And for now, mothers and calves are safe.

Night and day, the flood's fingers fill deeper and deeper

into the delta, spreading out and feeding the land.

Channels, once empty,

now overflow with the abundance of life.

As water and land merge and become one,

a new world takes shape beneath the surface.

Here, migrants find a welcoming home.

Wild dogs revel in the flood's healing waters.

The emerging swamp makes a great playground.

But there's something strange lurking here,

and they can't resist investigating.

Not all that comes with the flood is welcome.

For a giant rock python, a wild dog pup would

make a tasty meal.

The wild dogs are wary of this unknown visitor.

Although a pack this big could take him on,

when in doubt, the best approach is

to live and let live.

In the cold of winter,

the Great Flood has saturated the land.

Now begins one of the Okavango's greatest spectacles.

Swarms of tiny insects fill the air,

midges and mayflies.

Their emergence is a vital source of protein,

another generous gift of the all-giving flood.

Even the Quelea forego their usual diet of seeds.

Other insects are drawn to the feast,

dragonflies and their smaller cousins,

damselflies.

Over 100 different species gather here.

The Okavango becomes home to one of the biggest

concentrations of their kind anywhere on Earth.

They are here not only to feed, but to mate.

The male makes the first move...

clasping his partner behind her head.

She bends toward him to receive his sperm.

They can remain locked in their heart-shaped embrace

for hours.

The male will keep a firm grip on the female until

she deposits their eggs,

and a new cycle of life begins,

courtesy of the flood.

In just a few months, billions of gallons of water engulf

what was a vast savanna.

As the flood reaches its peak,

only small islands break the surface,

and dry land is hard to come by.

There are some antelope that thrive in wetlands.

Lechwe, with their long hind legs,

can easily outrun any pursuers in this swamp.

Other animals find their own ways to adapt.

(trumpeting, rumbling).

But if you're a giant, water is no barrier.

The flood brings new food, and the elephant's needs

are greater than most.

They act as tree surgeons, removing the weakest.

The sound of a fallen tree rings out like a dinner bell.

All within earshot rush in, and very little will be wasted.

In a few hours, only a skeleton remains.

Sword Grass chokes the waterways.

Keeping this in check is another job for

the constant gardener.

An elephant can rip out the grass by the root,

rinse it off, and eat it by the ton.

The elephants' insatiable appetites make them the

architects of the swamp.

By managing vegetation, they direct the flow of water.

But underwater, even more construction work is done,

and the hippopotamus is the Okavango's greatest engineer.

Hippos are natural-born earth-moving machines.

With their massive lumbering bodies,

they reconstruct the underwater world

simply by moving.

The flood's main arteries are now deep channels,

and hippos are right at home.

They are the masters of this realm.

Not even crocodiles dare to challenge them.

Able to hold their breath for up to five minutes,

hippos are perfectly adapted to their workplace.

As they move in search of food,

they bulldoze paths through the vegetation.

(groaning, grunting).

Soon, there's a network of hippo-sized highways

linking the larger rivers to the smaller pools,

and the pools to the floodplains.

Where these highways lead, the water follows.

Hippos direct the flow, creating the watery web

that shapes the entire delta.

On the flat open floodplains, the water begins to slow.

Water lilies thrive in the shallows.

They root in thick mud, and their candelabra stems

reach for the sky.

The lily pads spread across the surface,

fragile and paper-thin.

But for one special bird, the pads are a floating home.

This is the 'lily trotter'.

With oversized feet, he can skip across the water

from pad to pad.

But life in the swamp is a delicate balance.

(rumbling, squawking).

His home is being invaded by a giant,

one whose feeding habits could wreck this world.

The flowers and lily pads are of little interest

to this elephant...

it's the nutritious stems and roots he's after.

To satisfy his appetite,

he'll yank out hundreds of them in a day.

But this lily trotter can't simply escape to a different pond,

this is home and he has a nest to protect.

He's a father who takes his domestic responsibility seriously.

His mate laid her eggs and then she left the

rest up to him.

Now, he's a single parent and a stay-at-home dad.

He's been tending his floating nest for 21 days.

But today, he must rise to a new challenge.

There's no mistaking those legs.

His first chick is making a somewhat awkward entrance.

Housekeeping is a priority.

To hide any evidence of the new young one,

he removes the shell from the nest,

breaks it up and sinks it.

Now he'll keep his first chick safely tucked away.

It might take two more days before his others hatch.

He just needs to hold on tight.

This devoted Dad now has two chicks.

He keeps a watchful eye on the newly-hatched lily trotters as

they find their footing.

When you're only two inches tall,

obstacles are everywhere.

Exploring this watery world can be tricky.

A gap between the pads presents a serious water hazard.

Try as he might, Dad is only making things worse

while his chick struggles.

Desperate times demand desperate measures.

That was a close call.

Taking both chicks under his wing,

he'll keep them out of trouble,

for now.

But even for a hard-working Dad like this one,

a third chick will be a real handful.

The Great Flood has changed everything it touched.

The world has turned.

New creatures lurk in the dappled light of the swamp.

Lions are no longer in command.

They don't mind getting their feet wet.

But with their hunting grounds submerged,

they've lost their usual advantages.

(snorting, mooing).

Perhaps it's better to go after something

a little slower.

The lions try to corner a lone hippo.

If he reaches deep water, he'll be in his element,

and they'll be out of theirs.

He makes his move before they can make theirs.

And he's safe.

The flood has brought challenges and promise.

The only constant here is constant change.

And even greater changes lie ahead.

Four months after it began, the flood is at its peak.

Billions of gallons of water have now spilled

into the Kalahari.

Creating a vast wetland that fans out for

thousands of square miles.

The Okavango overflows with life.

Beneath the surface a whole new world has taken root.

Secret gardens flourish.

Fish flit in forests of lilies.

And even the largest residents have all the space they need.

The Great Flood is the gift that keeps on giving.

Crocodiles are in their element,

waiting in the shallows of the swamp.

Lions cautiously navigate their now

unfamiliar territory.

To patrol what was once all theirs,

they must cross the swamp.

These brothers must stick together.

And watch each other's backs.

But they're entering a place of unseen perils.

Today, they were lucky.

But now, they're separated and alone.

Lions are no longer kings here.

The flood has changed all the rules.

The waters remain high for several months.

But the Okavango is an inland delta.

Countless channels meander without ever reaching the sea.

Instead, after nurturing the land and its creatures

the water slowly disappears, captured by the summer sun.

In this land of continual change,

it's time for the next transformation.

Flashes of color sparkle on the receding waters.

Countless carmine bee eaters

flock to the newly dried ground.

These summer visitors are here to find mates

and start families.

They get to work digging out their nests.

Once the foundations of their seasonal city are laid out,

all attention turns to courtship.

And with so many rivals around,

first impressions are everything.

Posturing with a prize proves you can provide

if you can hold on to it.

It's every bird for himself as males try to prove

they have the right stuff.

Finally, winners are declared

and matches are made.

But just as they're getting down to business

in walks trouble.

An intruder slithers into the city of carmines.

A monitor lizard, on the lookout for eggs and chicks.

Rivalries are forgotten, as the carmines form

a united front.

They'll do whatever it takes to safeguard

the next generation.

Turning the tables on the chancer,

they send him packing.

As the land begins to dry, there are opportunities for

those who can seize the tactical advantage.

Wild dogs work the edge of the swamp.

They're a coordinated team, with a cunning strategy.

Slowly they push the impala to the water.

Until there's only one place left to go.

The dog's trap is set.

Or is it?

They aren't the only ones with eyes on this prize.

The dogs are about to be robbed.

The crocodile holds fast.

But there's strength in numbers,

and the pack gains the upper hand.

Brains and dogged determination wins out,

this time.

But the dogs must always be on their game in this

constantly changing world.

This family is up early.

Even in paradise, it's the early bird that gets the worm.

So they're off with the dawn.

Fresh delicacies emerge as the channels dry out.

The falling water levels reveal lilies and sedges.

It takes patience and hard work.

But it's worth the effort.

There's plenty of food here for the whole troop

and the neighbors.

The patriarch keeps a watchful eye.

Abundance can breed discord.

In a growing baboon troop,

young males push their limits,

trying to fight their way up the ranks.

It's up to the boss to restore order.

The squabbling has drawn unwelcome attention.

Internal tensions are brushed aside.

Time for this family to move on and find

somewhere safer to feast.

As the sun evaporates the water from above,

the vegetation siphons it off from below.

With falling water levels,

some residents need to relocate.

A young male hippo has outgrown his pool.

Out of his element, but he'll trudge for miles if he has to.

He's just looking for a place to live,

but he could be wading into trouble.

This pool already has a tenant, a big bull

and he doesn't want a roommate.

The youngster will have to keep looking.

Deep water is now prime real estate,

worth fighting for.

Vast floodplains fill with water when the Okavango

spills over its banks.

Creating rich breeding grounds

for a wide range of aquatic life.

Now, as they begin to dry,

these hidden treasures are exposed.

Open billed storks are the first to flock in.

They have just the tools to tackle another of the

flood's seasonal offerings.

With bills like nutcrackers, they forage for snails

in the shallows.

Millions of small fish that hatched out here

on the floodplains are now leaving their nursery

for deeper waters.

Black egrets arrive in hot pursuit.

These birds work undercover.

They form umbrellas with their wings,

casting shadows that mimic water lily pads.

The perfect place for little fish to hide.

The illusion is fatal.

With attacks coming from all sides,

the small fish make their escape.

They crowd the edges of the channels in long ribbons and

make their way upstream.

But up ahead, others are waiting.

While large fish wait in ambush,

shoals of small fish run the deadly gauntlet.

And are picked off, one by one.

Survival in the drying delta is a game of hit and miss.

As the Okavango's main channels start to run dry,

sand banks are exposed.

The perfect nesting sites for African skimmers.

Nature has endowed them with extended lower beaks,

perfect for catching small fish.

Summer time on the delta and the fishing is fine.

Synchronized squadrons ride the air in perfect formation.

A skimmer's bill slices the water until it encounters

a fish, then, snap!

Back at the nest, the angler's partner

guards a precious secret.

Their newborn is ready for its first meal.

Food must be passed from beak to tiny beak.

If it's dropped the parents can't pick it up from the sand.

This might take a while.

But Dad will persevere and keep his grip on the groceries.

Even if it takes all day.

Finally!

Patience really is a virtue.

The sandbanks have become a nursery for little skimmers.

And lots of busy new parents

are going through the same routine.

Skim, catch,

feed, repeat.

The abundance of fish is the receding flood's

parting gift to them all.

The Okavango's once watery world

has disappeared into memory.

Evaporated into the sky above or absorbed by the land below.

only small channels and pools still remain.

What was floodplain is now savanna,

covered with succulent young grasses.

Herds of grazers move in to enjoy the harvest.

The lions now find solid footing.

They've returned, this time with young cubs in tow.

With no swamp left for the antelope to escape into,

the lions are back in business.

The dry floodplains are a lion's paradise.

(growling, zebra squeaking).

With food in abundance, it's easy for a mother

to provide for her family.

She and her cubs can eat their fill.

And in this time of plenty,

her pride will grow ever stronger.

As the flood makes its final retreat,

only permanent channels in the north are still

flush with water.

Dense tangles of papyrus line the banks.

The floating root beds sway in the current and filter

nutrients from the water.

They also provide lodgings for some very strange little fish.

Mormyrids have large brains in their oddly shaped heads.

They send out tiny electrical pulses to orientate through

their murky surroundings.

The young fish emit pulses too small to be detected

by most predators.

But now, most of them have matured and they are now

firmly on the radar of bigger fish.

Catfish have picked up their signals

and so begins one of the Okavango's

largest feeding frenzies.

Massing in vast schools, the catfish race along

the edge of the papyrus.

And gorge themselves on mormyrids.

Egrets and eagles are drawn to the fray.

Tiger fish hunt the mormyrids from below

only to find themselves targeted from above.

Even the hunters become hunted.

No wonder it's chaotic, this deadly spectacle is unequalled

anywhere on earth.

Temperatures are soaring, now the Okavango's summer

heat reaches its peak.

The land is bone dry.

But the humidity is rising too.

And the elephants know there is rain on the horizon.

It's the perfect time for their babies to be born.

And other elephants are ready to mate.

Their hormones raging,

bulls in musth are very aggressive.

They're spoiling for a fight.

(rumbling, roaring).

As the Okavango dries out, tensions rise and

bull elephants compete for the right to mate.

Sparring escalates to full blown combat.

Once blood is drawn, victory is declared.

Lightning storms herald the approach of rain.

But with the land still as dry as tinder,

fire is born.

Each year, vast swathes of the Okavango burn.

The flames trigger the next stage of the Okavango's

miraculous cycle.

Where giant papyrus once dominated,

dry peat beds are consumed in the inferno.

They release valuable nutrients

ready to be washed back into the system,

when the rains arrive.

Relief is here.

The wheel keeps turning, the cycle of wet and dry.

Holds sway over all life in the Okavango.

Precious water revives the thirsty land,

at least for a while.

Timing is everything.

Grasses and flowers burst into life.

Insects flourish.

And a new generation of carmine bee eaters has

fledged, right on time.

In this world of feast and famine,

each seasonal change triggers an intricate sequence of

miraculous events.

Soon the short summer rains will end,

and the Okavango will be dry for a few more months.

Until the cycle begins again,

with the return of The Great Flood.

Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.