1 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:46,359 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: Africa. 2 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,479 The world's greatest wilderness. 3 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,759 The only place on Earth to see the full majesty of nature. 4 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:07,119 (ELEPHANT GROWLS) 5 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,839 There's so much more here than we ever imagined. 6 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,839 I'm standing where the equator 7 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,519 cuts right across the middle of the continent. 8 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,439 To the north of me, there's an immense desert 9 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:30,479 the size of the United States of America. 10 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,759 To the west, a vast rainforest, the size of India. 11 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,239 And behind me, for thousands of miles, 12 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,519 the most fertile savannahs in the world. 13 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,279 From the roof of Africa 14 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,119 to the deepest jungle, 15 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,559 rarely seen places 16 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,639 and untold stories. 17 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:10,039 There's nowhere in the world where wildlife puts on a greater show. 18 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,159 This is the last place on Earth where you can come eye to eye 19 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,039 with the greatest animals that walk our planet. 20 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,159 This is Africa. 21 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,799 Our journey starts in the far southwest 22 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:09,359 in the oldest and strangest corner of the continent. 23 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,799 Here, the thirsty land is covered with thousands upon thousands 24 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:22,479 of circles. 25 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:30,759 We still don't know their origins. 26 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:35,759 Poisonous plants, foraging insects and even magnetism 27 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:37,639 have all been suggested. 28 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:39,759 But each ruled out. 29 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,119 The circles don't move and their shape never varies. 30 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:54,999 They're unchanging, 31 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,559 much like this part of Africa itself. 32 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:07,279 Ancient and arid, it almost never rains on this land. 33 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,159 Yet there is water here, hidden away. 34 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,679 To survive here, life must use every trick in the book. 35 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:38,679 Winter. 36 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,039 Dawn temperatures can fall well below freezing. 37 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:46,199 (CHIRPING URGENTLY) 38 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:49,479 And that's a problem for this drongo. 39 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:53,519 It's too cold for his normal prey, flying insects. 40 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,359 But he has a plan. 41 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,679 The drongo is the Kalahari's greatest trickster. 42 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,639 And these are his victims. 43 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:15,919 A family of meerkats, desert specialists. 44 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,119 After warming up in the morning sun, 45 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,999 the meerkats begin their search for breakfast. 46 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,399 The drongo can now begin his tricks. 47 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,799 But he must first win the confidence of his victims. 48 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:44,199 He spots an eagle on the hunt and sounds a warning. 49 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:45,999 (CHIRPS A WARNING) 50 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:50,319 One that sends the meerkats gratefully scurrying to safety. 51 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:58,679 Danger over. 52 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:03,919 And now, he has their trust. 53 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,879 He sounds another warning. 54 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:11,159 (CHIRPS A WARNING) 55 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,839 But this time, it's a false alarm. 56 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:22,799 Thank you very much. 57 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:30,759 The meerkats fell for it. 58 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:35,919 (GROWLING) 59 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,199 This all seems too easy. 60 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:42,599 He tries the same trick again. 61 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,239 (CHIRPS A WARNING) 62 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:57,279 But the meerkats aren't stupid. They'll only fall for it once. 63 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:04,919 (GROANS) 64 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:10,039 The juicy scorpion won't be for him. 65 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,599 Then suddenly, the sound of a sentry's warning. 66 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,159 No meerkat can ignore that. 67 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:22,599 Sentries never lie. 68 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:24,959 But the sentry sees no danger. 69 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:27,039 (CHIRPS A WARNING) 70 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:30,839 Guess who? 71 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,239 Of course, it's the drongo. 72 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,959 He's learned to mimic the meerkats' own warning call. 73 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,919 And now he can enjoy his prize. 74 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,319 A gang of meerkats, outsmarted... 75 00:07:58,800 --> 00:07:59,799 ..by a bird. 76 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:08,159 The drongo is only deceitful in the hardest winter months. 77 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:12,559 For the rest of the year, he provides honest protection. 78 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:15,639 So, in the long run, 79 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,759 the meerkat family profit as well as the drongo. 80 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:23,799 (CHIRPS A WARNING) 81 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:28,799 It's a much harder life 82 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,039 if you haven't yet learned the tricks of your trade. 83 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:37,359 (CHIRPS A WARNING) 84 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,239 This young leopard is just a year old 85 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,079 and at a critical point in his life. 86 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,959 His mother has battled to raise her two cubs, 87 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:21,479 but finding enough food for them is now beyond her. 88 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:26,959 From today, 89 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,519 he'll have to fend for himself. 90 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:42,879 Kalahari means "land of great thirst". 91 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:48,919 Prey is scarce. 92 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:54,079 Of all the leopards in Africa, these have to be the most resourceful. 93 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:02,839 A big warthog, 94 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:04,879 potential prey 95 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,359 but armed and dangerous. 96 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:14,959 His mother tried to tackle one but it nearly killed her. 97 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,599 He spots something more promising. 98 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:49,999 A steenbok. 99 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:52,399 That's more like it. 100 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,919 He won't strike unless he can get to within just four metres, 101 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,639 and without making the slightest sound. 102 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:12,799 (JACKAL WARNING CALL) 103 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:15,479 A jackal barks an alarm. 104 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:23,559 But the steenbok still has no idea it's being stalked. 105 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:31,559 The nearer he gets, 106 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:33,959 the quieter he must be. 107 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:12,799 He's blown it. 108 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,559 A good opportunity like that won't come around very often. 109 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,759 Hungry and thirsty, he heads back home, 110 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,839 and spots a kill stashed in a tree, 111 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,839 almost certainly by his own mother. 112 00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:50,359 And like any teenager, 113 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,239 he thinks nothing of raiding her larder. 114 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:06,359 Booby-trapped. 115 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:37,879 (LEOPARD GROANS) 116 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,479 It's not really his day, is it? 117 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,519 Some young leopards grow up to be brilliant opportunists. 118 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:01,959 But even they find life hard here in the Kalahari. 119 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,799 These bizarre little birds are baby ostriches. 120 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:20,719 They're just a few days old. 121 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,839 In time, they'll become superb desert survivors. 122 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:34,119 But in the Kalahari, these early days are perilous. 123 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:37,639 Like leopards and meerkats, 124 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:42,679 adult ostriches can extract all the moisture they require from their food. 125 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:45,519 Their chicks, however, won't survive 126 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,279 much more than another day without water. 127 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:51,759 But there's none in sight. 128 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,999 How can their parents conjure up water out here? 129 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,079 The youngsters follow their parents 130 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:18,919 as they head out onto a featureless wasteland. 131 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:26,319 It seems like a suicidal journey. 132 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,439 The Etosha Salt Pan. 133 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:47,239 Here, water is more often a mirage than reality. 134 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:54,559 It's now well over 40 degrees centigrade. 135 00:15:56,360 --> 00:16:00,439 Their father shades his chicks from the midday sun. 136 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:10,519 Another mirage? 137 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:15,479 No. 138 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,559 The ostrich family is not alone out here. 139 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:30,319 Surrounded by miles of sun-baked mud, 140 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:35,639 sweet fresh water wells up from deep below ground 141 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:38,879 like a miracle. 142 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,079 (EPIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) 143 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,359 Although the ostrich parents have guided their chicks to water, 144 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:04,799 there's still a problem. 145 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:06,799 Traffic. 146 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:08,519 (ELEPHANT TRUMPETS) 147 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:09,919 Heavy traffic. 148 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:18,479 These tiny, fragile birds could easily be trampled underfoot. 149 00:17:21,120 --> 00:17:23,999 The water is tantalisingly close. 150 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,319 Where prey gathers, predators are never far behind. 151 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:38,159 (GROWLING) 152 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,319 (FAST-PACED INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) 153 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,999 The brawling lions have unwittingly done the young ostriches a favour. 154 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:36,719 The water hole is now clear. 155 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,119 Sometimes, you need a bit of luck in life. 156 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,039 Their first-ever drink. 157 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,159 And just in time. 158 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:13,999 Their father's done his job. 159 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:31,999 A black rhinoceros, 160 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,039 the Kalahari's most cantankerous resident. 161 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:40,799 They don't like company. 162 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,319 And they certainly don't like sharing a water hole with lions. 163 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:49,399 Fortunately, for everyone else, that is, 164 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:51,719 they only visit twice a week. 165 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:08,359 The Kalahari is the black rhino's last stronghold. 166 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:13,879 And here, under the cover of darkness, 167 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,759 at one secret and very special waterhole, 168 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,879 rhino abandon their normally solitary life, 169 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:24,239 and come from miles around to meet under the stars. 170 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,199 Using the latest starlight camera, 171 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:37,479 we can reveal for the first time the rhino's true character. 172 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:45,319 This young female seems nervous. 173 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,959 She senses other rhinos close by. 174 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,519 A mother appears from the shadows with her calf. 175 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:07,479 Tentatively, they greet one another. 176 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,439 They may be ill-tempered by day, 177 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:17,159 but now they become gentle and affectionate. 178 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,999 More and more arrive. 179 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,079 We had no idea that rhinos met to socialise 180 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:42,519 and build friendships like this. 181 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,879 The young female has an admirer. 182 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,039 But she doesn't seem keen on him. 183 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:26,599 She's excited about something, 184 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:30,479 or someone. 185 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:39,239 Here comes a really big male. 186 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:46,759 This time she's much more welcoming. 187 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,639 Who would have thought that rhino could be so flirtatious? 188 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,159 The first male tries to come between them. 189 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,839 Somehow or other, he's got a pair of antelope horns stuck on his nose. 190 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,479 It looks as if she's been won over by his eccentric style. 191 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:31,719 He leads her off, away from the party. 192 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,679 He may have style, 193 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,799 but he's turning out to be something of a disappointment. 194 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,879 A girl can only put up with so much. 195 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:25,799 The only way she can get rid of him is to pretend she's asleep. 196 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,999 To see so many rhino in one place is a revelation. 197 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:37,719 And that's the power water has here, 198 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:43,279 the power to bring together the greatest gathering of rhinos anywhere on Earth. 199 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:05,399 Spitzkoppe, 200 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:13,119 an ancient volcano that towers above a plateau that is two billion years old. 201 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:21,919 This land has remained unchanged for longer than any other part of Africa. 202 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:30,079 Animals here have had a long time to find inventive solutions 203 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,399 to the challenge of finding water. 204 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:03,479 Out on the open plains, life must await the chance arrival of rain. 205 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:05,919 (THUNDER RUMBLING) 206 00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:11,159 When it does fall, it has an extraordinary effect. 207 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,879 Each sporadic downpour may only last minutes, 208 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,999 but it can bring life. And in spectacular numbers. 209 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:33,039 Red-billed quelea. 210 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:41,199 They're the most numerous bird in the world. 211 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:45,039 In all, more than a billion live here in the Kalahari. 212 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:47,559 No one knows quite how, 213 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,759 but they seem to have an extraordinary ability to locate the fall of rain 214 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,199 and then instantly exploit the bonanza that follows. 215 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:18,159 These nomads now have just five weeks to find food, build a nest, 216 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:19,239 and raise a brood. 217 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:32,679 But they're not alone. 218 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:39,599 The rains have also created a plague. 219 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,679 These are armoured ground crickets, 220 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:58,639 giant insects with voracious appetites for meat. 221 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:11,639 With the quelea parents away feeding, their chicks are defenceless. 222 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,639 (SUSPENSEFUL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) 223 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:56,839 The adults return. 224 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,519 But the cricket fights back, 225 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,079 squirting its own foul-tasting blood into their eyes. 226 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,039 The cricket is still alive, 227 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:47,399 but the stench of its blood attracts the attention of others. 228 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,719 Now it is the target. 229 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,759 These crickets become cannibals. 230 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:23,199 All too soon, the bonanza brought by the rain is over. 231 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:28,359 And the quelea head off in search of the next rare downpour. 232 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:51,319 The Kalahari is scarred by rivers that have long since run dry. 233 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:55,319 The water claimed by the thirsty land. 234 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,639 But it's not gone far. 235 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,279 Deep below lies a secret, 236 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:20,719 one that was discovered only 25 years ago. 237 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:39,959 Humid air rushing to the surface, gives this place its name. 238 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:42,479 Dragon's Breath Cave. 239 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:54,759 The shaft descends for 60 metres until it meets 240 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:00,399 water. 241 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:07,959 Here there is a massive chamber, big enough to swallow three jumbo jets 242 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:09,519 nose to tail, 243 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,319 filled with cool, fresh water. 244 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,439 The world's largest underground lake. 245 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,519 This is fossil water. 246 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:37,359 It's been trapped here undisturbed for thousands, if not millions of years. 247 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:46,039 We have no idea how deep the lake is. 248 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:51,759 Divers have been down to 100 metres and still there's no sign of the bottom. 249 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:02,479 Remarkably, Dragon's Breath is part of a vast cave system 250 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:06,439 that extends beneath the Kalahari for thousands of miles. 251 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:16,199 Even here in this lonely cave, there is life. 252 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:29,639 Golden catfish, only found in this one cave. 253 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:35,039 They're the rarest and most isolated fish in the world. 254 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:43,119 Life down here is as challenging as it is in the desert above. 255 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:49,599 There's no food, except the debris that occasionally falls onto the surface. 256 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:57,479 And these catfish are totally blind. 257 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:02,439 The only world they know is the one that they sense through touch. 258 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:10,279 A blind fish living in perpetual darkness 259 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:14,399 deep beneath one of the most arid regions of Africa. 260 00:34:22,720 --> 00:34:24,559 Such cruel irony, 261 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:28,879 so much water hidden away out of reach. 262 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:36,759 Along the western edge of the Kalahari, 263 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:39,999 the land becomes so dry, it seems impossible 264 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:42,359 that any life could survive here. 265 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:01,199 The Namib. 266 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:07,239 A million square miles of sand, exquisitely sculpted by the wind. 267 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:13,119 This is the oldest desert in the world. 268 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:26,799 Respite comes from fog rolling in from the Atlantic Ocean. 269 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,959 It condenses into a few precious drops. 270 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:39,159 Just enough to sustain life. 271 00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:48,919 A pompilid wasp is searching the dunes. 272 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,199 She's not looking for a drink, 273 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,999 but for somewhere moist to lay her egg. 274 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:05,879 How will she pull off a trick like that? 275 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:16,199 The entrance to a burrow. That's worth investigating. 276 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:26,879 She may be tiny, but once she decides to dig, 277 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,919 she can shift extraordinary quantities of sand. 278 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,599 She's unearthed this spider for a grisly purpose. 279 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:59,879 It's so dry, the only place with enough moisture for her egg 280 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:03,239 is within the body of another living thing. 281 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,719 First, she must paralyse her victim. 282 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,559 But then, the spider plays its trump card. 283 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:37,639 The aptly named golden wheel spider 284 00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:41,679 can cartwheel fast enough to escape its gruesome fate. 285 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:56,879 For the wasp, her near-impossible search goes on. 286 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:25,159 If it's hard enough for a tiny wasp to survive here in the Namib, 287 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:27,959 how is it possible for a giant? 288 00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:40,479 A desert giraffe. 289 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,039 It's difficult to imagine how such a huge animal 290 00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:48,599 can live in a place with so little water. 291 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,799 This old male is at the very limit of his endurance. 292 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:14,679 The land may be bone dry, 293 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:18,479 but there are signs that water once flowed here. 294 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:26,399 The Hoanib, 295 00:39:26,720 --> 00:39:28,999 one of Namibia's rivers. 296 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:33,999 A river of sand. 297 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:49,279 The trees that line these sand rivers, 298 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:51,879 send roots down over 30 metres 299 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:55,479 to tap water that lies deep beneath the river bed. 300 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:02,119 These trees are the giraffe's salvation. 301 00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:06,679 Even if he has to stretch to his very tallest to get a mouthful. 302 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:16,639 Even on tiptoe, he still needs a half-metre-long tongue 303 00:40:16,720 --> 00:40:19,359 to reach the leaves he so badly needs. 304 00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:44,239 He's ruled this stretch of the Hoanib for over a decade. 305 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:47,359 And this prime territory is attracting females. 306 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:00,999 He waits confidently for her. 307 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:13,439 But they've got company, 308 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:15,879 a young male. 309 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:00,239 The old bull won't tolerate a rival. 310 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:10,239 Pushing and shoving, they size each other up. 311 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:18,719 The young rival seems to think he has a chance 312 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:20,199 and attacks. 313 00:42:33,160 --> 00:42:36,599 The first few blows usually settle things in such battles, 314 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:38,879 but here the stakes are high. 315 00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:49,599 To lose means exile in the desert. 316 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:55,879 Neither will back down. 317 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:03,919 As the fight intensifies, they change tactics. 318 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:07,159 The young male aims for the rump. 319 00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:11,439 The old bull targets his rival's legs. 320 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:02,839 The old bull is down. 321 00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:13,799 Is this the end of his reign? 322 00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:21,999 He knows a knockout blow is coming. 323 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:38,039 But the old bull ducks, 324 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:46,519 and strikes a blow to his rival's underbelly. 325 00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:24,439 Out for the count. 326 00:45:36,560 --> 00:45:38,599 The old bull is victorious, 327 00:45:42,720 --> 00:45:44,199 but only just. 328 00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:55,479 The sand river remains his to rule. 329 00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:21,719 It's a river that is about to be transformed. 330 00:46:28,240 --> 00:46:31,639 Under clear blue skies, water floods down the Hoanib. 331 00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:41,879 The welcome consequence of rain that fell hundreds of miles away. 332 00:46:56,440 --> 00:46:59,439 The water may only flow for a matter of hours, 333 00:47:02,560 --> 00:47:04,799 but this miraculous flood 334 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:07,879 is enough to provide a lifeline for the trees, 335 00:47:08,320 --> 00:47:11,119 and the giraffes of the Hoanib river. 336 00:47:17,720 --> 00:47:20,719 It's what makes this place worth fighting for. 337 00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:40,919 Here, fossil lakes, secret water holes, 338 00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:44,759 desert fog, and ephemeral rivers like this 339 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:48,839 provide just enough water for life to get by, 340 00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:51,839 no matter how tough it gets. 341 00:47:55,800 --> 00:47:59,479 It's hard to find more inventive solutions to staying alive 342 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:03,399 than in this, the most ancient corner of Africa. 343 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:32,239 For four years, the Africa team searched the continent 344 00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:34,479 for new and surprising stories. 345 00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:37,599 Not only of strange and unfamiliar creatures, 346 00:48:37,680 --> 00:48:40,079 but also of some we think we know. 347 00:48:42,400 --> 00:48:45,199 Veteran wildlife cameraman Martyn Colbeck 348 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:47,399 took on the challenge of shedding new light 349 00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:50,159 on the life of Namibia's desert giraffe. 350 00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:58,319 I jumped at the opportunity of working with an animal 351 00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:00,279 that I hadn't really spent much time with. 352 00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:02,079 ATTENBOROUGH: Straight away, they proved to be 353 00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:03,919 quite an eye-opener. 354 00:49:04,160 --> 00:49:06,439 COLBECK: They're very bizarre-looking animals. 355 00:49:06,520 --> 00:49:09,239 We just kept looking at them from different angles. 356 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:11,479 And they looked even weirder. 357 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:18,279 The combination of the sort of weird close-ups, the beautiful landscape that they're in... 358 00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:20,279 They're amusing. 359 00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:24,639 I got really attached to them, actually. 360 00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:31,879 Overlying all this, we were always waiting for a fight. 361 00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:35,799 But to see a full-blooded fight is very rare. 362 00:49:36,920 --> 00:49:39,039 So, the only way that we were going to see it 363 00:49:39,120 --> 00:49:40,639 is if we stuck at it 364 00:49:40,720 --> 00:49:43,319 day after day, every day, for 30 days. 365 00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:48,959 We were lucky enough that we found a male guarding a female. 366 00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:57,239 And, out of nowhere, this male came round the corner. 367 00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:04,279 And almost immediately 368 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:07,079 faced up to our male. 369 00:50:09,720 --> 00:50:12,039 Absolutely no warning that this was going to happen, 370 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:14,519 so it was complete pandemonium in the car. 371 00:50:15,320 --> 00:50:17,319 But luckily, I got the camera 372 00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:20,079 up and running in time to actually capture this fight. 373 00:50:20,160 --> 00:50:21,919 And it all came down 374 00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:24,479 to one minute in real time. 375 00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:31,799 When I filmed it, you don't see it in slow-motion. 376 00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:34,999 And you just have to go with the flow. 377 00:50:35,720 --> 00:50:40,279 You're not experiencing the fight. You're just basically framing it and capturing it. 378 00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:43,679 So it was only afterwards, when we looked at it in slow-motion 379 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:47,199 that you could really understand how ferocious it was. 380 00:50:53,040 --> 00:50:57,639 You can see the impact on the skin. You see the ripples going through the flesh. 381 00:51:01,320 --> 00:51:05,439 ATTENBOROUGH: But it was the final blows that delivered the real surprise. 382 00:51:05,520 --> 00:51:08,559 It was like one of those chimneys falling down. 383 00:51:11,760 --> 00:51:14,759 At the last moment, the head just went clunk. 384 00:51:31,240 --> 00:51:33,319 And we thought it was dead. 385 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:38,159 We thought this thing was dead. 386 00:51:39,600 --> 00:51:41,999 And it lay there for, it must have been three minutes. 387 00:51:43,320 --> 00:51:45,959 Eventually, this thing suddenly got up. 388 00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:48,439 The one that was lying down. 389 00:51:48,520 --> 00:51:50,599 And the two of them were then standing. 390 00:51:50,680 --> 00:51:53,839 And the one that had been knocked over completely 391 00:51:53,920 --> 00:51:55,799 then just said, "I've had enough. 392 00:51:55,880 --> 00:51:58,039 "Okay. Okay, you won. And I'm off." 393 00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:07,399 I think it's very unlikely I'm going to see anything like that again. 394 00:52:07,480 --> 00:52:10,679 I think that's a once-in-a-lifetimer, I really do. 395 00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:15,879 ATTENBOROUGH: It won't be easy to look at giraffes 396 00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:17,759 in the same way again. 397 00:52:22,640 --> 00:52:26,959 On the other side of the desert, another of Africa's great animal icons 398 00:52:27,600 --> 00:52:32,439 was attracting the attention of the team as they staked out a secret water hole. 399 00:52:38,080 --> 00:52:40,719 They hoped to reveal a very different side 400 00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:43,599 to the personality of the black rhinoceros. 401 00:52:46,800 --> 00:52:49,079 The team have heard that at night 402 00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:51,599 rhinos behave a little strangely. 403 00:53:05,240 --> 00:53:09,959 A specially-built starlight camera would allow the team to pierce the darkness. 404 00:53:15,760 --> 00:53:19,519 BLAKENEY: It's amazing. That's filming something we can't even see. 405 00:53:19,720 --> 00:53:21,079 EVANS: Yeah, if you look out there now... 406 00:53:21,160 --> 00:53:23,439 Yeah, it's just black, isn't it? 407 00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:26,119 But through this, it looks as sharp as day. 408 00:53:26,200 --> 00:53:29,079 ATTENBOROUGH: Rhinos are notoriously antisocial. 409 00:53:29,720 --> 00:53:33,039 Yet here they come to revel in each other's company. 410 00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:37,479 EVANS: This is amazing. 411 00:53:39,400 --> 00:53:41,999 This is such intimate behaviour, which 412 00:53:42,840 --> 00:53:45,999 you could only see filming them at night like this. 413 00:53:46,920 --> 00:53:48,519 It's incredible. 414 00:53:55,160 --> 00:53:57,079 ATTENBOROUGH: But it wasn't just cameras 415 00:53:57,160 --> 00:53:59,679 that would show a new side to rhinos. 416 00:54:01,320 --> 00:54:04,679 By concealing tiny radio microphones around the water hole, 417 00:54:05,360 --> 00:54:08,799 the crew hoped to eavesdrop on the night's activity. 418 00:54:11,240 --> 00:54:12,239 (RHINOS HOWL) 419 00:54:13,120 --> 00:54:14,159 (RHINOS GROWL) 420 00:54:16,560 --> 00:54:17,719 (RHINOS HOWL) 421 00:54:24,040 --> 00:54:27,039 ATTENBOROUGH: And what they heard was astonishing. 422 00:54:27,600 --> 00:54:28,599 (RHINOS GROWL) 423 00:54:31,320 --> 00:54:33,639 BREHEM: They're really talkative. 424 00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:36,799 They really are having a good chat. 425 00:54:38,880 --> 00:54:39,879 (RHINOS GROWL) 426 00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:44,199 These guys are far more communicative than elephants even. 427 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:48,439 It's just going on and on. Chatting or whatever. 428 00:54:48,520 --> 00:54:49,999 (RHINOS GROWL) 429 00:54:50,920 --> 00:54:51,919 (RHINOS HOWL) 430 00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:55,359 It's a beautiful, crystal clear night. 431 00:54:55,440 --> 00:54:59,439 So you've got beautiful, starry shots, loads of amazing noise. 432 00:54:59,880 --> 00:55:02,239 They're all puffing and huffing. 433 00:55:05,280 --> 00:55:06,359 (RHINOS GROWL) 434 00:55:08,480 --> 00:55:12,039 So it's... it's about 2:00 in the morning. We've one rhino left out there. 435 00:55:12,120 --> 00:55:16,679 The rest have gone to bed, but he's decided to lie down right on top of the radio mic. 436 00:55:29,560 --> 00:55:32,719 ATTENBOROUGH: The crew prepared for one more night at the water hole 437 00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:34,559 under the full moon. 438 00:55:42,640 --> 00:55:45,439 EVANS: It seems that they're not really here for the water. 439 00:55:45,520 --> 00:55:49,039 But more to socialise. A bit like going out for the evening. 440 00:55:55,000 --> 00:55:57,479 He's got some kudu horns on his face, 441 00:55:57,960 --> 00:56:00,559 draped over his nose. (LAUGHS QUIETLY) 442 00:56:01,520 --> 00:56:02,519 BLAKENEY: It's on camera, too. 443 00:56:03,840 --> 00:56:04,839 (EVANS LAUGHS) 444 00:56:06,600 --> 00:56:09,839 ATTENBOROUGH: These images have a particular poignancy 445 00:56:09,920 --> 00:56:13,999 in a world where rhino horn is worth more than its weight in gold. 446 00:56:15,440 --> 00:56:18,799 Poaching is going through a really bad time right now 447 00:56:19,160 --> 00:56:20,879 in Southern Africa. 448 00:56:21,040 --> 00:56:24,399 If you average it out, a rhino has been killed every day 449 00:56:24,480 --> 00:56:26,159 for the last year. 450 00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:30,159 That's really serious poaching. 451 00:56:31,280 --> 00:56:33,039 It's a huge concern 452 00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:37,039 that what we saw and filmed just won't happen again, ever. 453 00:56:40,560 --> 00:56:44,479 ATTENBOROUGH: It's only now that technology has revealed a new side 454 00:56:44,720 --> 00:56:46,799 to the rhino's personality. 455 00:56:47,320 --> 00:56:48,839 (RHINOS SNORT) 456 00:56:53,400 --> 00:56:56,759 The black rhinoceros is a symbol of the African bush. 457 00:56:58,120 --> 00:57:01,879 But it seems that this creature has been long misunderstood. 458 00:57:06,240 --> 00:57:10,399 For the Africa team, revealing giraffes and rhinos in this new light 459 00:57:11,640 --> 00:57:13,559 was just the beginning. 460 00:57:14,520 --> 00:57:17,319 Africa may be a continent we think we know, 461 00:57:17,920 --> 00:57:20,239 but it's still full of surprises.