All language subtitles for Africa.s.Hidden.Kingdoms.S01E01.Drakensberg.Barrier.of.Spears.576p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.x264-RCVR Eng

NARRATOR: Lying
in South Africa's heartland

is a mystical world.

A land of extremes,

where high, barren peaks
border rich, rolling grasslands.

Giants soar in the skies,

and the most vulnerable
seek shelter.

The vast mountain range
poses a constant danger

and a daily challenge.

But for those that have adapted,
it's home.

Still, even for the mightiest,
life is never easy

in the Drakensberg's
barrier of spears.

XXX

NARRATOR:
The Zulu people

who live along the eastern
shadow of the mountain range

call it Ukhahlamba--
the Barrier of Spears.

The first Dutch settlers

to drive their ox-wagons
into the foothills

named it the Drakensberg--
the Dragon's Mountain.

Both names are still
in use today,

but most South Africans
simply refer to it as the Berg--

the Mountain.

Regardless of what it is called,

the gargantuan sequence of peaks
that divides Kwazulu-Natal

from the cloud-reaching
Kingdom of Lesotho

is among the most impressive
landscapes in South Africa.

The Drakensberg mountain range
extends more than 550 miles

across southern Africa.

It encompasses massive
sandstone buttresses,

grass-covered slopes,

and two mile high
cathedral-like rock towers.

Dangerous thunderstorms can
gather in a matter of moments.

(thunder rumbling)

And a mighty waterfall plummets

more than 3,000 feet
from its cliffs.

The mountains' rugged character

is paired with stunning
natural beauty,

and surviving here
requires the ability to adapt

and use the mountain
to your advantage.

Overnight temperatures
regularly drop below freezing,

so for many mountain residents,

the rising sun is their cue
to get moving.

The Drakensberg is home

to a number of species
of birds of prey.

Soaring high over the mountain,

they glide vast distances
along the many peaks and cliffs.

But one species requires
a little more assistance

to get airborne.

The Cape vulture
is not an early riser.

One of the most widely spread
scavengers on the mountain,

you don't see them out and about

until the sun
is well above the horizon

and the thermals
are strong enough

to get them,
and keep them, airborne.

Highly sociable,
they nest and roost

in large colonies
along the cliffs,

where they sit and wait

for the first air currents
of the day

to rise up the mountainside.

On still days,
they may not take off at all;

at almost 22 pounds
they are just too heavy.

But when the conditions
are right,

they launch themselves
off the cliffs.

XXX

Making use of updrafts

produced as wind blows
over the mountain ridges,

they fly back and forth
to gain height.

Once up, the vultures flap
as little as possible.

They have a special arrangement
of muscles

that enables them
to lock their wings,

keeping them extended
in the soaring position

for hours at a time.

Using thermals
decreases the need

to flap their huge,
three-feet-long wings,

meaning the birds use
three times less energy

than they would need
for flapping.

Vultures coast and soar
with so little wasted effort,

they can range over a distance
of almost 90 miles

on a good day.

As scavengers,
they feed mostly on carrion.

When searching for food,

they form a foraging net
across the sky,

watching each other
as they search large areas

to locate a suitable carcass.

This can require traveling
great distances.

When they spot a potential meal,
Cape vultures can swoop down,

circling in a two-and-a-half
mile radius

and dropping
980 feet to the ground

in less than six minutes.

These heavy birds have evolved

to use the updrafts and thermals
created by the warming sun

to master the skies
over the Drakensberg.

Cape vultures are one
of a number of species

that soar between the peaks.

Lammergeyers, black eagles,

and harrier hawks
are all found here.

And for many on the mountain,
they pose a constant threat.

As rocks warm in the morning,
cold-blooded reptiles

use the sun's heat
as an energy source.

The rocky outcrops
of the Drakensberg

provide a refuge
for many lizards,

and the ideal spot for basking.

Lizards control
their body temperature

through a process
known as thermoregulation.

They use the environment

to raise and lower
their body temperature.

Either by basking
in full sunlight

or by sheltering under a rock.

The mountains are home
to some striking species.

These speckled rock skinks

seem to almost enjoy
their sunbathing

despite the threat from above.

A lower transparent eyelid

provides a window
for the lizards to peep through

while closing their eyes,

an evolutionary adaptation

offering protection
to the skinks' eyes

as well as allowing them
to stay alert to predators.

Camouflage is crucial

when you have to lie
out in the open

for long periods,
unable to make a quick getaway.

It allows this southern
rock agama to blend in,

making it harder to spot
from above.

The Drakensberg's lizards

are not the only creatures
that depend on the sun.

A large mole snake has been
warming up in the grasslands.

Being cold-blooded,
they too must heat up

before they can perform their
regular reptilian activities.

Most days,
this means finding a meal.

Up on the exposed surface,
it is now a balancing act

between gaining enough warmth
from the sun,

while at the same time

having to deal
with a chilling wind.

It's a slow start to the day.

A cold snake cannot hunt.

They feed predominantly
on small warm-blooded mammals

such as rats, mice, and moles.

They are not venomous.

Instead, they constrict
their prey with powerful coils,

which they wrap
around the unfortunate rodents.

Once fully charged,

the three-foot-long serpent
heads off in search of a meal.

It pays to make the most
of the sun when it's out.

(thunder rumbling)

The weather can change
in a matter of hours

on the mountain.

At this altitude,
days and nights

can be bitterly cold,
often dropping below freezing.

To survive here,
it is vital you keep warm.

The Cape rock hyrax

live in large colonies
of up to 25 animals

among the crags and boulders
of the Drakensberg.

And there is nothing
they enjoy more

than a spot of sunbathing.

XXX

Once warm, the colony
begins to forage.

Their mountain home provides
all the food they need.

But on a warm day,

predators patrol the skies
above the Drakensberg.

The hyraxes are exposed,
vulnerable,

but they are always alert
to danger.

The black eagle dives.

(squeaking loudly)

The more pairs of eyes,
the better.

Up here, working as a team
can be the difference

between life and death.

Living in large groups

has provided the hyrax
with the security they need

to survive the slopes
of the Drakensberg.

But not all
of the Drakensberg's mammals

have chosen communal living
as a survival method.

Some have opted
for a life of solitude

and use the cover of darkness
to their advantage.

On the grasslands below,

one of the mountain's most
secretive residents emerges:

a climbing mouse.

At a little over two inches
long, it is minute.

Living in the shadow
of the mountain,

it inhabits the savanna,
feeding on grasses.

A long prehensile tail
and specially adapted toes

help them climb stalks

to reach the succulent seeds
at the top.

In this mighty landscape,
they can easily be overlooked.

But the Drakensberg has
supported the great and small

throughout its history.

The story of how this
extraordinary mountain range

got to be here begins
around three billion years ago,

when this landmass was part
of a supercontinent

known as Gondwana.

Scientists believe that
at that time,

a massive lake
covered the granite foundation

on which the mountain
now stands.

Over the course
of millions of years,

runoff carried sand and mud
into the lake,

where it settled
into sedimentary layers

that hardened
under the compacting weight.

This process carried on

until several hundred
million years ago.

The youngest of these
sedimentary layers

now lies exposed in the cliffs

at the base
of the Drakensberg range.

Then, around 160 million
years ago,

immense pressure
deep within the Earth

caused Gondwana to split apart.

The slowly drifting
tectonic plates

formed the continents of today.

In this period of great change,
vast lava flows poured out

through fractures
in the Earth's crust,

hardening into layers of basalt.

Over about 20 million years,
the basalt deposits grew to be

nearly a mile thick

over the sandstone below.

The results were majestic.

When the lava flows stopped,
it halted the construction

of this extraordinary
mountain range,

and a slow process
of wearing away began.

Along the escarpment,

erosion often follows
fracture planes

that form deep within the rock.

As the rocks crumble
along these planes,

broad cliff faces form,

sometimes extending
in a straight line

for many miles.

Higher still,
much of the hard basalt

has long since
been whittled down

by time and the elements.

Blocks and slabs
were shorn away,

then pulverized
over centuries of weathering,

or were swallowed by the
Drakensberg's deep ravines.

Now, only towering peaks remain,
a chain of sentinels

keeping watch
over the landscape.

The debris
from this long process

has been churned
into a black soil

that supports the grasses,
covering the slopes below.

From every vantage point,
this barrier of spears

bears the scars
of the powerful forces

that have shaped it
through the ages.

But the Drakensberg too
is a force,

and has an impact
on the surrounding landscape.

For this reason, it is also
known by another name:

the Creator of Rivers.

High rainfall combined
with winter snow

and porous basalt rock
makes the Drakensberg

the most important watershed
in southern Africa.

It's the source
of several significant rivers,

including South Africa's
two largest:

the west-flowing Orange,
which runs over 1,300 miles

before emptying
into the Atlantic Ocean;

and the east-flowing Thukela,

which flows over 300 miles
in the opposite direction

before it reaches
the east coast.

Up to 6-1/2 feet of rain

can fall on the high plateau
in a single year.

There is snow cover
for four months of the year

in protected gullies
and in south-facing slopes.

Mists shroud the peaks,

strong winds batter
their summits...

(thunder rumbling)

...and torrential thunderstorms
regularly build

during the summer months.

The lifeblood of the Drakensberg
combines and overflows,

pouring off the mountain.

Nowhere is this more impressive
than at the Thukela falls.

With a total drop of
over 3,000 feet,

it is the highest waterfall
in Africa

and the second highest
in the world.

It is so high that

by the time the water
has reached the bottom,

much of it has turned into mist,
disappearing into thin air.

From their very beginning,

the Drakensberg's rivers
support life

despite the harsh conditions.

River frogs embrace the cold.

Living in high altitude streams,

some even spend
the winter months sheltered

under a layer of ice.

Freshwater crabs breed
successfully,

populating the waterways.

XXX

And the abundance of life
attracts visitors.

A lone black stork
feeds along a river

on one of the high plateaus.

These migratory birds
are attracted to the mountain

as they make their way north.

An African spoonbill

has also made its way up
from the plains below.

The rich, fertile lands

provide a wealth of feeding
opportunities for them both,

with frogs and crabs
being favored items

on the stork's menu--

the perfect pit stop
on their annual migration.

As the waterways flow
further down the mountain,

they finally spread out
into the vast grasslands

surrounding its peaks.

Despite looking like
one homogenous mass,

these plains
are actually made up

of an incredibly diverse mix
of species.

The montane grasslands have

an exceptionally rich
biodiversity.

And this has contributed
to the Drakensberg's status

as a world heritage site.

The total number
of plant species recorded

equates to about a tenth of all
plant species in South Africa.

Incredibly, 13% of these
are found nowhere else on earth.

The grasslands harbor
a wealth of life.

The vast expanse of land

lying at the foot
of the mighty Drakensberg

plays host to animals
of all shapes and sizes.

Each species has adapted to make
the most of what's on offer.

But to do so,
they must cover huge distances

as food and resources
are spread far and wide.

Black-backed jackals thrive
on the lives the mountain takes,

scavenging on carcasses.

For one family,

the day's foraging starts
in the open grasslands.

After spending
the freezing nights

sheltering in the mountain's
endless caves and overhangs,

this troop of Chacma baboons
has come down to forage.

(baboon call)

The family move as one unit,

and those that can't keep up
are carried.

But out on the plains,
they are all vulnerable.

Exposed by the enormity
of the landscape,

the Drakensberg's
aerial predators

are a constant threat
even for these heavyweights.

But baboons are opportunists,
and a clear morning

has enticed them
out of last night's dwellings.

Chacma baboons
are highly adaptable

and can survive
in a range of habitats.

The key to their success
in the Drakensberg

is to not be picky eaters.

The baboons' diet includes
almost anything that is edible.

When foraging,
they use their fingers

to dig through the hard soil

to reach the nutritious plant
roots, bulbs, and grubs below.

This technique has allowed them
to carve out

a life for themselves
in this barren landscape.

These grasslands also attract
visitors from afar.

These white storks

spent the warm summer months
of the breeding season

in parts of central
and southern Europe,

the Middle East, and Asia.

As winter arrived,

they undertook
a spectacular migration,

flying directly across the
vast expanse of the Sahara...

Before eventually
taking up residence

in the shadow
of the Drakensberg's peaks.

The white stork is a largely
carnivorous bird,

consuming a wide range of prey

including snakes, frogs,
insects,

and, on occasion,
some rodent species.

They are not picky eaters;

almost anything will do,
allowing them to scrape a living

from the Drakensberg's
meager offerings.

The white stork
is a tough character,

but it's not the only animal
drawn to the Drakensberg.

Down on the plains,
large grazers gather,

but all are dwarfed
by their surroundings.

Black wildebeest used to migrate
across the region

in their thousands,
but due to human activity,

they are now restricted
to the Drakensberg's territory.

Small grazing herds
roam the grasslands and plateaus

as they feed.

They are hardy survivors.

Thick, dark coats insulate them

better than their relative,
the blue wildebeest,

making them more adapted
to the severe cold.

They require little protection

during the mountain's
cold winter

and at its higher altitudes.

Despite the abundance of land
in the Drakensberg,

the rules of Africa's savannas
still apply here

when it comes to territory.

The best are prime sparring
grounds for male hartebeests.

Their domains must incorporate
a rich source of food,

easy access to water,

and a firm footing
during the rains.

Competition for such
pivotal lands is fierce.

Ruling individuals will
regularly meet at their borders

and lock horns.

Serious fights, though rare,
can result in fatalities.

For now, it seems they are just
letting off a bit of steam.

With so many grazers competing

for the mountain's fresh,
succulent grasses,

some have been forced higher
to find land of their own.

The grey rhebok
ekes out a living

on these steep slopes.

It has evolved to survive here
by subsisting off grasses

that are either inaccessible
or unpalatable

to most other antelope
in the Drakensberg.

The rhebok lives in some
of the more barren areas

of the Drakensberg,

where some of the very first
species to settle here

continue to thrive.

XXX

One of the earliest life forms
to take hold

had a lasting influence.

The arrival of lichen
is a vital step

in the colonization
of bare rock.

As soil slowly begins
to accumulate

in the cracks of rocks

and the dead bodies of lichens
begin to gather,

larger plants are able to gain
a hold on the layer of remains.

As these gather,
they break up the rock even more

and they add their own
dead bodies to the pile...

Creating soil
where the seeds of small plants

are able to root and grow.

But the entire process starts
with the lowly lichen.

And without it,

the Drakensberg would have
a very different appearance.

Throughout the range,
plants and animals

have adapted to survive
the extreme conditions

faced on a daily basis.

At higher altitudes,
the soil is like a dry sponge.

This prevents it from freezing
in the severe cold.

Above the tree line,
plants survive

because many of them have
subterranean bulbs and roots.

While lower down, specialists
fringe the streams and rivers

running off the mountain.

(water dripping)

Mosses are perfectly adapted

to make the most
of the wet conditions.

Part of an ancient lineage,

they were one
of the first plants

to colonize
the mighty mountain range,

along with the pioneering
lichen.

The damp, shady,

sparsely vegetated rock faces
of the Drakensberg

are the ideal habitat for them
to thrive.

And they create an ideal
hiding place for a hunter.

A many-spotted snake
uses its surroundings as cover.

Only its breathing
gives it away.

Lurking along the Drakensberg's
streams, rivers, and marshes,

it searches for a meal.

It preys on amphibians,
like Karoo toads

that have adapted to blend
into the rocky banks.

But even when you are
well camouflaged,

sometimes the best defense
is a hasty retreat.

As the evening light settles
on the grasslands,

its residents head for shelter.

The white storks have to make do
with any form of high ground.

A lone tree does the job.

The travelers gather
in informal colonies.

The Chacma baboons
also need to head home.

They travel back up the mountain
to the safety of their caves.

They are not the only primates

to have used these caves
for shelter.

Over time, many have gazed out
over this dramatic landscape.

Formed over the centuries
by a slow process of weathering,

these hollows
have served as a refuge

from the Drakensberg's
fierce elements.

For more than 4,000 years,

they were home
to the indigenous San people,

who created a vast body
of rock art...

The largest and most prolific
collection in Africa.

There are some 600 sites
and 35,000 individual images

in the Drakensberg alone.

The Bushmen were drawn here

by the abundance of game
living on the grasslands.

The images depict
a detailed account

of their hunter-gather
existence.

Among the animals represented
in these paintings,

eland are given
a prominent role.

Both the quantity and quality
of the eland paintings

are remarkable,

suggesting they were very
important in San culture.

While most other animals

are regularly depicted
in a single color,

the eland are painted
in combinations of several,

often using sophisticated
shading techniques.

Today, eland still have
a central role

in the Drakensberg story.

They are one of the most common
large mammals in the area,

with an estimated
2,000 individuals

representing around 20%
of the South African population.

The Cape eland typically move
in herds of up to 15.

Even at a distance,

these giant 1,900 pound animals
are unmistakable.

Their unique bulk
and heavy dewlap,

once revered by the Bushmen
for its high fat content,

give the animals
an iconic image.

Their mountain home
has supported life

throughout the ages.

By the end of the 19th century,

the San had disappeared
from the Drakensberg completely,

driven out by European settlers.

But their drawings remained.

Based on known rates
of deterioration,

most of the rock art
remaining in the Drakensberg

belongs to the last 1,000 years
of occupation,

if not the last few centuries.

Today, they offer a glimpse
back in time,

a reminder of the people
who lived, survived,

and thrived for centuries
in this extreme land.

While some have come and gone,

others have stayed
and flourished.

Conquering the Drakensberg
is not easy,

but if successful, the mountain
will shelter and protect

those willing to live here.

The mighty barrier of spears

is a formidable
and unforgiving landscape,

a hostile wilderness

where harsh conditions
make every day a challenge.

But for the few
that have taken them on,

the rewards have been worth it.

In the mountain's
hidden corners,

a host of creatures
have found sanctuary.

While some rise
above the peaks,

others thrive
in their shadows.

Stretching as far
as the eye can see,

it is called the barrier
of spears for good reason.

It's a realm of sharp extremes,

an unforgiving land that also
harbors a wealth of life,

creating one of Africa's
greatest hidden kingdoms.

XXX