Baboons and Elephants of Chobe River, Nature 2018 full HD Documentary.

[Music] in the north of Botswana there is a Haven we're the Chobe River provides a lifeline for wildlife but in the dry season many animals face a daily battle with the fierce heat including three of Africa's most iconic families though they may be vastly different they all have the same goal to raise their young childhood in chobe is a time of vulnerability and learning and the only way to survive is with the guidance of family [Music] [Music] toby is Botswana's second-largest national park and for the sheer abundance of its animals it is among the greatest on the African continent [Music] home to vast numbers of game its immensity is matched only by the diversity of life found within its borders [Music] the Chobe River is the only permanent source of water all year-round flowing all the way from the Angolan highlands to the east it forms the northern border of the park it is a wonderland unrivaled for both its nourishment and security the large aggregations of game had continuously roamed the park funneled to this single oasis in the dry seasons some animals travel up to 500 kilometres to reach it [Applause] within this water world families make their home and though they may be vastly different the heard the truth and the pride all face the challenges of raising young [Music] this newborn elephant calf is dependent on the knowledge of her herds matriarch to guide her at this small size she's at her most vulnerable during her first few weeks of life the herd must show the youngster the necessary skills to survive she is the first of the new generation so she is in line to become the next matriarch a young lion cub faces very different challenges she must learn how to hunt she will need all of the experience and support of her family to show her what it takes to live in the savanna this young baboon is reliant on the protection of his entire truth he is completely dependent on all of those around him to show him how to navigate his world [Music] for him the river is a site of discovery he must learn how to eat climb and groom so that he can call on these skills when he most needs them leading a family through the wilderness of Kobe is a journey fraught with challenges during the summer months all inhabitants feel the oppressive heat as temperatures push 40 degrees Celsius the Savannah becomes unforgiving by mid-morning everyone is desperate to find shelter [Music] the pride and cub take refuge from the Sun in the shade of a thicket [Music] Lyons can spend up to 21 hours of their day resting they are doing this to conserve vital energy for the hunter [Music] when the time comes the youngest cub will have to pay close attention she will need to learn from her mother how to kill soon the pride will have to leave the shelter of the thicket to find food the survival of their young family depends on this the Lions must make a kill every few days to support all Pride members [Music] they do this through cooperation working as a unit to take down prey but hunting must wait until the cover of night when it's cooler chobe is home to over 120,000 elephants it is the highest concentration on the planet and they too need to deal with the harsh temperatures over the 55 million years that they have been around they have developed age-old tricks to cope with their landscape and it is through the family that these are passed from generation to generation as the smallest member of the herd the youngest has much to discover she is a Kalahari elephant though she is vulnerable now if she survives these early years she will one day tower above all other animals in the park to support their mass adults need at least 80 litres of water a day so the herd breaks cover and heads to the river despite its thickness an elephant's skin is very sensitive and requires frequent bathing but instead of water the family has chosen an unexpected substitute [Music] [Music] these impressive showers help to keep [Music] dust and sand not only protects them from UV radiation but from parasites too it is an important lesson for the young calf to learn and one who she seems to enjoy [Music] for the baboon's refuge is also found at the river and for the boisterous young male it is a training ground full of learning and play [Music] he will learn everything he needs to know by watching and respecting his elders and he is in the company of other youngsters who are discovering the world around them at the same time they are always active their antics start before and end after the other bedrooms have stirred but raising a child is not the mother's job alone she has a lot of help from the male's unrelated males play Godfather to youngsters from birth until their second year almost all friendly contact between males and infants stems from this relationship this includes holding grooming and even sharing food females benefit from this because it offers their babies protection what the male gains is the good favor of the mother increasing his chance to mate by proving that he can care for this infant this male is showing that he is fit enough to produce his own males move around from troop to troop so females make up the stable core of the group and they exist in a strict hierarchy higher ranking females and their offspring have the first choice of food and the entire group is led by a single dominant male he is the best fighter and most successful mating partner and everyone else shows him respect those that do not are harshly reminded of who is the best this hierarchy is the only way they can survive in such large numbers and has to be enforced the young male has much to learn if one day he is to rule over a troop of his own these seemingly innocuous jostles are the beginning of his climb to the top there are many others he will have to contend with but if he wants to lead the family he must prove that he is the strongest he must show everyone that he will be able to defend them when the time comes but for now the mothers are still in charge elephant herds also function in a complex hierarchy but leadership is not sought from the most dominant male but rather from the oldest female the matriarch can rule up to the age of 65 [Music] she is the wisest of the group drawing on all her knowledge to guide them through chobe elephants exist in family units consisting of closely related cows and their immature offspring and just like the baboons the new mother has lots of help caring for a youngster but unlike the balloons it is not the group's males that help care for the infant the young females called all mothers play a key role in raising little elephants and this is a role they take on gladly they help in the calf's education by babysitting guiding and protecting her in return they receive training for the day they will become mothers because she's young many of Kobe's sights sounds and smells are still new [Music] she must learn from every experience so that one day she too may be a successful member of the herd [Music] family structures are in place for a reason in a land as diverse dangerous and vast as this all the wisdom and learning of the whole group will be needed to make it through [Music] joby comprises ten and a half thousand square kilometers of undisturbed wilderness during the dry season all animals funneled towards the river to escape the heat with no more than three millimeters of rain falling a month it is the main source of water in the park [Music] as vast numbers are forced to share space conflict arises [Music] throughout the park rising temperatures raise tempers [Music] but soon it's too hot to fight by midday temperatures are pushing 40 degrees Celsius and the herd returns to the water for the calf that mud is not only a way to cool off it is also a great source of fun [Music] she discovers her dexterity by toggling around [Music] a new environment is a site of discovery as she explores her surroundings she learns vital lessons about how to endear her Toby one day she will have to pass them on to her own young intern with many residents seeking nourishment of the river it is at its most crowded buffalo of ruminants this means they must ferment their food in a special stomach before they can digest it it is then regurgitated and chewed again before it can be consumed this process requires great amounts of liquid so they need to spend a large portion of their day around water but mud is just as important for the Buffalo especially when it's hot Mudd helps the animal regulate its temperature [Music] it traps water close to the skin slowing down the rate at which it evaporates by caking itself in mud the animal can keep cool throughout the day [Music] being able to control your body temperature is vital at this time of year hippos are bound to the river for this very reason though they do leave the water to bask in the Sun if they are exposed for too long this skin dries and cracks when they do venture out it is only ever for brief periods to forage shelter of the water [Music] with so much life drawn to the river opportunities present themselves cattle egrets have developed an innovative hunting technique by hitching rides on the backs of far larger animals they can eat the small creatures that are disturbed in the grass this has allowed the cattle egret to form some unlikely friendships this unorthodox relationship highlights the benefits of cooperation by accommodating the birds the Buffalo gets an onboard insect repellent [Music] many species rely on the river and what it provides but some have to travel massive distances to reach it [Music] plains zebra hold the record for the longest migration of any mammal in Africa they sometimes travel nearly 500 kilometers across Namibia and Botswana as they follow the rains the Chobe River is a common stop along the journey providing a vital rest for the young fall but the river is also full of dangers those seeking to get to the other side have no option to get out the truth this is where their phone is most vulnerable seizing their chance they make it across but they are not the only family wanting to get to the other side the calf has to make the same hazardous trip this is the biggest test that she has had to face she will need to draw on all of the skills she has learned from her family a large crocodile is easily capable of taking a young elephant as the river deepens the crossing becomes more dangerous if the calf gets swept away now the herd will be powerless and unable to save her [Music] this is the first time ever she has been fully submerged drowning is a serious risk she must trust in the leadership of all those around her if she is going to survive [Music] with the help of her family she makes it across working hand in hand is vital in a land as varied as chobe cooperation is one of the most important aspects of family life across all species close personal relationships are the building blocks of a successful group it's now late afternoon and as temperatures cool the pride begins to stir forming a bond with dominant pride members especially the females is ever at most importance for the young cub female relationships are the very basis of lions Society prides are almost entirely made up of lionesses and their offspring competition for food and mates can be fierce so members form partnerships to help them navigate the hierarchies of group living it is something that cub needs to learn quickly there is more to this affection than meets the eye [Music] she has much to gain from being on the good side of a stronger pride member it has been a while since they last ate when times are tough having a dominant friend will help her in the competition for food [Music] when the females are successful in the hunt their favorites get first pick this bonding is as much tactical as it is tactile these two are forming a coalition one that could come back to help the cub when she most needs it it's not only the pride that exhibits this behavior it's an age-old trick of the troop as well and it is a result of similar circumstances to survive the predators and perils of chobe the baboon's have formed a giant group but sometimes numbers over a hundred with their combined strength they are a match for even their most dangerous adversaries living in large groups has many advantages but it also has one major drawback the need to compete for food and for mates the hierarchy of females bears the brunt of this pressure they are both the source of cooperation and of competition this double bind is solved by the most basic of battlin instincts grooming removes dirt flakes of skin and lice but there is more to it than hygiene when the baboon's groom each other they begin to form individual relationships those lower down in the hierarchy are willing to give more attention than they receive what they get in return is tolerance and choice feeding sites for this strategy to work a baboon will focus its grooming efforts on someone that will be able to support it in a fight weaker lower ranking members will spend much of their time grooming more dominant baboons these partnerships are born from the necessity for protection to survive the young male will need to choose his partners wisely he must learn that grooming is the glue that holds the troupe together it is a vital skill the better he is at it the quicker he will be able to rise through the ranks [Music] but there's another reason it's so important to the group dynamic [Music] grooming releases endorphins these lower stress levels this in turn aids conception success the more successfully a female conceives the higher her rank in the baboon society so it not only makes them feel better but it can improve their standing - this is both a physical and a political activity and one all young members of the troop must learn elephants rely on close contact to the young calf is rarely out of trunks reach and it is largely through touch that her mother will guide her through the early stages of life it's their primary method of communication and a habit that will remain with the youngster throughout her life the instrument used to convey the sense of touch is one of the most fascinating in the animal kingdom an elephant's trunk is extremely nimble powerful enough to uplift trees it can also plug Tufts of grass around 55,000 muscles allow it to bend and contort in any direction it has two finger like lips at the end and is covered in fine sensory hairs making it acutely sensitive and for this young one it's a vital way of accessing the world around her [Music] baby elephants learn to eat by putting their trunks inside the mouths of other herd members and it is through imitation that they discover the dimensions of their environment [Music] but the trunk is not only a useful way to feel its immediate surroundings it is also exceedingly good at maintaining contact through the long distances by lifting their trunks into a prevailing breeze elephants can use their deft sense of smell to gain a picture of what lies ahead this again the calf learns through imitation elephants Trump's enable them to gain knowledge not only sensually but vocally Tim a large portion of the elephants communication is oral the trunk is a resonating chamber able to amplify a variety of emotions an elephants call can be heard all across the savanna [Applause] communication is vital for holding the family together and keeping the youngsters out of harm's way unfortunately for one member of the herd the dry season has proved too long weakened by the heat one of the older members has died but this is important for the land the end of one life is sometimes necessary for the survival of others in need of food and water moves on [Music] as time passes the giant body attracts scavengers a carcass of this size goes a long way toward feeding some of the parks smaller carnivores [Music] Joby has many predators but not all of them are carnivores little be eaters are deft aerial hunters they manipulate the wind with ease overpowering their insect prey [Music] they owe their name to their proficiency at hunting bees to sustain their brilliant aerial prowess they need to eat at least 250 bees a day or find enough suitable alternatives and for the pride to patience and perseverance have finally paid off they have killed a warthog in the night bonding with a dominant female has allowed the cub a seat at the table the cub has learned how to get food and soon she must put this into practice by the time she's 11 months old she'll be expected to join on the Hunts and start providing for the pride the young baboon has an advantage over many in the park he is able to evade predators by going where they cannot this is something he must master he is discovering just what he is able to do [Music] the baboon's evolution to life in the trees has been driven by their need to escape predators and learning this skill starts at the earliest stages every family that lives in chobe is more vulnerable while they have young to look after [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] they have to survive the elements as well as the other residents of the park [Music] but one thing they all have in common is the opportunities that living along the riverfront provides [Applause] [Music] [Music] hundreds of thousands of animals rely on this water source creating a spectacular mix [Music] combined for the natural beauty of the park they make to be one of Africa's greatest wildlife and bowels [Music] [Music] for the pride the herd and the troop raising young in chobe is a journey where lessons are taught bonds are formed and enemies are encountered it is a place of unrivaled abundance [Music] and amongst the vast numbers of animals that roam this landscape the smallest must make their home [Music] only with the guidance of family can they endure the park and all of its challenges it is with the nurturing of elders that the young will learn how to survive toby is a land of learning and it is one of the most spectacular on the african continent [Music] you

Channel: Roberto Channel

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Rating: 4.5651174 out of 5

Keywords: Baboons and Elephants of Chobe River, Nature 2018 full HD Documentary., Roberto Channel

Id: UYKfTlj2bMI

Length: 46min 24sec (2784 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 30 2018