Elephant, Giraffe, Hippo, Zebra, wilddog, Africa (part 3) Okavango Nature 2018 Hd Documentary.

trapped in one of Africa's great deserts lies a lush hidden world and untamed wilderness unlike any other on earth fed by a mighty river that travels from distant mountains it is a vast mosaic of life which pulsates with living beauty that attracts Africa's most iconic animals and others less well known all drawn to this implausible paradise [Music] this is the jewel of the Kalahari the great Okavango Delta [Music] but SWANA is an arid country where rain falls only for a few short summer months much of its land is covered by desert yet it harbors possibly the greatest wildlife Haven on the African continent the Okavango Delta [Music] but how did this expanse of water come to be the Okavango Delta is a true anomaly of nature a shallow water filled Basin contained within the dry Kalahari Desert created by the Okavango River which flows 1,600 kilometres down from Angola's Highlands into the Kalahari basin trapped between tectonic ridges in this broad flat depression the water spreads out to make an inland Delta the size of Jamaica providing habitats varied enough to support all manner of life from the most water dependent to those which can go without and ranging from the small and slender to the biggest of all [Music] it is a landscape shaped by the unstoppable flow of annual floods where an abundance of prey makes perfect hunting grounds for a wide array of Africa's most accomplished predators it's June the height of the floods in the Delta and water has inundated the landscape making it ideal elephant country the African elephant is the largest land mammal on earth they grow massive on a varied plant-based diet with mature Bulls weighing up to five tonnes this makes them the largest land mammals in the world powering such considerable bulk takes a lot of fuel and large bulls need to eat up to 300 kilograms of food daily [Music] luckily the Delta is dotted with lush islands [Music] these two bowls are traveling together a common practice for young bachelors who have left their family herds for the younger ball it's a good opportunity to pick up some useful survival tips from his larger and more experienced companion [Music] one such lesson is learning how to harvest the seed pods of the camel form tree [Music] the trees nutritious pawns are too high to be plant but the big bowl knows how to get to them he has perfected his technique [Music] but the younger Bowl still needs some practice [Music] this behavior is testament to the great intelligence of these noble pachyderms [Music] coupled with robust digestion and a dexterous trunk the elephant is able to exploit a variety of food sources in the Okavango [Music] but the voracious appetites of elephants can be devastating [Music] this graveyard of trees is they're doing [Music] while stripping off bark to eat the elephant's ring bark the trees killing them [Music] this seemingly destructive activity does actually have some positive side effects it prevents the trees from forming a closed canopy allowing sunlight to access grass below a crucial influence in savanna biomes around the continent also creating micro habitats for another of the deltas smaller creatures African bush squirrels an old acacia skeleton makes an excellent home for them complete with a hole for nesting and escaping predators but while there is no threat around this pair has plenty of time for playful chases [Music] African bush squirrels live in tightly knit family groups and will chase away any squirrels who do not share their family's common scent grooming one another is one of the ways to ensure family members share the same smell and no spot is overlooked long tails making up half their total length of 35 centimetres are crucial balancing aids [Music] in the Okavango school winter months they are active all day coming down from the heights to forage for seeds fruits and insects but the squirrels never stray too far from the safety of the tree there's a reason for their caution the Delta is home to one of Africa's fiercest two Raptors the Marshall Eagles telescopic eyesight can spot a squirrel from up to six kilometres away [Music] weighing 4.7 kilograms and with a wingspan of 2.4 meters it is the biggest eagle in Africa capable of catching prey twice its weight a little tree squirrel would make a tasty morsel for this bird [Music] squirrels aren't the only small mammals taking cover from these deadly predators [Music] this old termite mound has been repurposed to house a pack of dwarf Mongoose who like the squirrels have found a haven in the Okavango they are the smallest member of the Mongoose family at around 350 grams and just 25 centimetres in length being small means they need to stick together giving them plenty of eyes on the lookout for danger while the diminutive carnivores of forage dwarf Mongoose seed mostly on insects especially beetles and their larvae as well as the original architects of their spacious home termites packs average 9 adults including their young only the oldest most socially dominant male and female in the pack will reproduce while younger members help to raise the litter of the breeding pair subordinate females will even lactate and nurse despite never having been pregnant this allows time for the dominant female to eat enough to rebuild her energy it's an incredible system of social breeding working to the benefit of the pack by ensuring strength in numbers many of the Okavango smaller creatures make their permanent homes on the deltas dry islands out of reach of the encroaching water but for them the real danger comes from above and it's not just the martial Eagle that they have to watch out for the deltas variety of habitats provides for more than 480 species of birds including a host of raptors Africa's biggest owl lives here to the verreaux's eagle owl weighs in at a hefty two point three kilograms mainly nocturnal it will occasionally hunt during the day and can fly off with prey bigger than a dwarf mongoose but the most successful raptor around is the african fish eagle there are more of these regal birds along the deltas fish filled waterways than anywhere else on the continent although they are famed for their fishing abilities they often steal prey from other birds including the martial eagle and the battler Eagle like the fish eagle this striking raptor is highly territorial preferring dead trees for roosting and surveying its range while it will hunt for small mammals it also gets much of its food from scavenging and is adept at finding small caucuses before the deltas most committed carrion eaters [Music] at more than five kilograms the white backed vulture Dwarfs even the martial Eagle vultures have evolved to rely on scavenging carrion which the deltas high density of mammals invariably provides they're capable of devouring up to a kilogram of meat in less than five minutes while others in the Delta are designed to kill and few are as efficient as Africa's largest canid the African wild dog also known as the painted dog it is one of africa's most threatened predators with fewer than 5,000 surviving in the world across the continent habitat loss persecution at the hands of humans and disease has had devastating effects on their populations but here in the Okavango the painted dog is thriving each member of this eight strong pack of predators has a unique coat pattern like the dwarf mongoose only the dominant male and female reproduce once the pups are born they are kept in quarantine in an underground den for the first three weeks of life it's up to the rest of the pack to hunt and bring home enough meat to keep mother and Cubs fit when not centered around a den the hardy wild dogs can cover immense hunting ranges as much as 2,000 square kilometers rely on teamwork and stamina rather than speed they run their prey to exhaustion and are some of the most efficient predatory mammals in the world but a mature elephant bull fears nothing and the dogs move hastily along like all predators they often come home from hunts with empty stomachs the pack rests waiting for the heat of the day to pass gathering their energy for the afternoon's attempt like the wild dog each of the individuals in this herd of plain zebra as a coat with a different striped pattern equivalent to a human fingerprint and as with the dogs the zebra relies on the Okavango for all their needs this breeding herd is led by a single stallion the herd must drink regularly and zebras seldom wander more than 12 kilometers from a water source but they're here for more than just water it's an essential if unusual dietary requirement found in the Okavango z-- earth that the zebra seek in the dry season their diet lacks important minerals which they supplement by eating mineral rich soil deposits known as salt licks this unusual practice is called G aphagia the sands of the deltas islands provide excellent salt licks [Music] the minerals of the Okavango present themselves in other more bizarre ways trees and plants pulled groundwater up to the surface where it evaporates over time leaving concentrated solid crystals this precipitation of minerals creates intricate formations which become alien visions of snow Under the Sun [Music] these build up in the soil over time to make up a staggering 40% of the total bulk of the deltas Islands [Music] impala herds also find soil based mineral deposits to supplement their diets these come in the shape of termite mounds built by a species which cultivates beds of fungus with a low ground for food in the process they enrich the soil of their mounds with minerals like copper and zinc which the Impala intuitively knows they need especially at this time of year winter is rutting season males older than four years mark out territories with glandular secretions from their foreheads they are eager to herd prospective mates into their territories and must keep bachelors at bay [Music] this ramp has a challenger [Music] they're sharp horns grow up to 70 centimeters long and can inflict serious damage he is experienced in battle using posture and confidence to push his opponent back the defender does not emerge unscathed he's successfully defended his territory and retained the right to mate after the rut males will lose territorial urge and regroup into bachelor herds or join breeding herds seven months later foals will appear within days of one another carefully timed to coincide with the rainy season while the floods bring new growth on the deltas floodplains the grasses of the arid islands are more nutritious and early the rainy seasons will replenish them the timing of the rut offers Impala young the best chance of survival but it could spell danger for the adults if their preoccupation with mating lowers their guard Impala are a favorite food of the deltas stealthiest predator leopards have the widest distribution of any wild cat living throughout sub-saharan Africa and in Asia this young female will grow to around 60 kilograms the same size as an adult Impala Ram she learned how to kill from her mother at the age of eight months and since she was two years old she has lived alone fending for herself [Music] capitalizing on her natural power and stealth [Music] she won't pounce unless she can get within 20 meters of her prey preferably to within five but this is easier said than done [Music] despite her camouflaged coat she has been spotted [Music] when not hunting she often takes to the trees [Music] using her elevated position to rest and survey her surroundings for more potential prey leopards will hunt a variety of prey species including reptiles birds and even fish but their staple is small antelope and the Delta has plenty of those to offer including red let's weigh an icon of the Okavango these are among the most water dependent of all antelopes grazie new growth on the margins of the deltas floodplains like the Impala males and females live in separate hurts both governed by territorial males Lecce are well adapted to life in the Okavango with powerful overdeveloped hindquarters and elongated hooves that help them outrun predators through reeds and water [Music] the sight of them bounding majestically across the shallows is a true Okavango trademark [Music] the leopard looks on sleepily surveying her land from a tree branch as another day draws to a close while the fleet-footed lecture come and go through the deltas waters another more cumbersome Okavango icon prefers a leisurely pace the hefty hippopotamus weighing more than two tons hippos generate large amounts of metabolic heat and porous skin loses water more quickly to the Sun than most mammals to stay cool hippo spend lazy days submerged emerging to graze on grass sea islands by night the trails carved by their regular movements through the water and onto land help shape and direct the deltas flow and while elephants have the biggest environmental impact no animal is as important to the Okavango system as the hippopotamus [Music] males aggressively defend territories and have a unique way of spreading their scent this seemingly unending activity of dumb flinging does fuel plant growth which in turn supports other species [Music] the Okavango x' water systems along rich an aquatic life with 71 fish species living in the numerous waterways and channels this attracts many birds to take advantage of the profuse fishing a pied kingfisher surveys the water from its perch but it's their aerial ability that sets this species apart at around 85 grams pied kingfishers are considered the largest bird in the world able to hover in one place continuously and they do so more than any other bird patiently waiting for the moment to dive but not every hunt is successful [Music] eventually persistence pays off [Music] he will fish continuously needing to eat up to half his body weight in a day while the little aerial experts food is locked within the Okavango waters one of the largest of the deltas inhabitants is far less dependent on the annual floods giraffe can get most of the moisture they need from their food going up to three days without drinking but at up to five meters tall and more than a ton in weight they need to eat around thirty five kilograms of food a day they browse only the foliage of woody plants so the rapid growth of grass accompanying the floods is of no use to them [Music] to find the food they need on the deltas dry islands they turn to the woodlands of the Mopani tree these more parney trees are exceptionally drought resistant often the last to lose their leaves in the dry season the giraffes elongated muzzle and prehensile tongue allow it to feed selectively plucking the freshest tastiest leaves available [Music] giraffes are often found in groups known as journeys but no rigid social organization exists individuals will come and go but there is a hard-won hierarchy among males two Bulls size each other up [Music] the rhythmic nature of the sparring belies the staggering power of each wrecking ball blow known as necking these contests establish hierarchy among bulls and determine who has the right to mate [Music] while the largest balls are preoccupied only with determining who is strongest younger giraffes must be cautious while growing up in the Okavango they are still small enough to fall prey to the deltas most powerful hunters [Music] a male vayan is massively built roughly 1.2 meters tall at the shoulder and weighing in at about 190 kilograms the only truly social cat Lions live in prides of two to 12 adult females plus their young males hold tenure over prides usually in coalition's are between two and six lions use teamwork as well as their incredible strength to bring down even the biggest prey but these predators typically spend around 20 hours a day resting their lives are woven with long bouts of rest and short bursts of dynamic action unlike the Lions wild dogs are among the most active of Africa's predators during the day after the midday heat has passed that pack has returned to the hunt but they are not hunting lych way today [Music] zebra are some of the largest prey hunted by wild dogs if they can startle the herd into fleeing they may be able to isolate one and bring it down some packs have learned that grabbing zebra by the lip has the effect of immobilizing the animal a 300 kilogram stallion can inflict serious damage to the slender dog but the dogs are willing to take the risk presenting a united front is the best option for the zebra [Music] [Music] with a knowledge of hungry mouths back at the den the dogs recruit [Music] the zebras instinctive choice to fight rather than flee pays off [Music] even for the most efficient hunters there are no sure bets in life [Music] at the Danny the alpha female greets the returning pack with anxious excitement she hopes that they will regurgitate meat for her and her pups but the pack has returned empty-handed although today's hunt has been unsuccessful overall the Delta provides a stable home for these beautiful and highly endangered creatures giving them the space they need to move away from the fences and guns of man the Okavango Delta 's verdant waterways are a haven for endangered species both iconic and little-known for these wattled cranes the deltas wetlands are a crucial lifeline [Music] they are the most threatened of Africa's six crane species with fewer than 8,000 adults surviving in the wild the rarity of wattled cranes is due to a combination of factors cranes are particularly susceptible to human disturbance chicks have a naturally low survival rate only around 6% make it to adulthood and breeding pairs have specific habitat requirements they need around 40 hectares of wetland combined with a hundred and 50 hectares of surrounding grassland or woodland this gives them access to their major food sources of grass seeds and the tubers of wetlands edges the deltas mosaic of waterways and Islands provides exactly such a combination of habitats the cranes spend as much as 75% of the day foraging feeling with their beaks for these tubers beneath the ground accompanying them is a Goliath heron the largest heron species in the world [Music] these blacksmith lapwings thrive in the deltas short moist grasslands global numbers of these highly adaptable birds have increased dramatically in the last hundred years now estimated by some to be around a million and they must be extra vigilant there are predators around the water monitor is one of Africa's biggest lizards growing up to two meters it's long powerful tail makes it a strong swimmer preying on fish and other aquatic life but it also eats Birds this territorial pair has recently fledged chicks and the lap weenie chicks are enticing but it will have to get by their parents first blacksmith lack wings are notoriously aggressive seemingly oblivious to their small size adults take turns guarding the chicks one staying close while the other launches attacks at potential predators [Music] despite being five times the Lapland size even secretary bird is discouraged by the aerial bombardment [Music] this largely terrestrial bird strides the landscape looking for prey it holds batter to death when it's long legs [Music] but it won't find anything to eat here [Music] after the excitement of the dive bowing the left wing cools down showing off its secret weapons against predators each wing is equipped with a sharp spur that can inflict significant damage on anyone the birds dive both [Music] which explains why so many larger animals are reluctant to tangle with these feisty little birds but some in the Delta need more than a mere puddle to get the bath they're after at the end of a long day under the Okavango baking Sun the elephant bachelors are keen for a swim and the Delta provides many first-rate pools like this one deep enough for even the big eared bathers to submerge elephants are fantastic swimmers known to cross Lakes as wide as 40 kilometres for the elephants of the Okavango this refreshing dip is one of the perks of being a delta local making the most of the abundant waters to cool themselves under the unrelenting Sun [Music] for these gentle nature Giants there is no better way to end the day [Music] the vast oasis of the Okavango Delta is a harbor of life in the midst of a great desert [Music] here wet means dry creating a diversity of habitats that nurtures an extraordinary abundance of creatures [Music] large and small from herbivores to hunters and reptiles to birds [Music] the Okavango presents us with a rare vision of nature in its most untainted form it is a place where time is told through the flow of water and the cries of eagles carry across the clear blue sky [Music] the great Okavango Delta is a true wildlife paradise [Music] [Music]

Channel: Roberto Channel

Views: 373,074

Rating: 4.6103716 out of 5

Keywords: Elephant, Giraffe, Hippo, Zebra, wilddog, Africa (part 3) Okavango Nature 2018 Hd Documentary.

Id: mawfZ1etCHY

Length: 46min 22sec (2782 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 09 2018