Elephant: King Of The Kalahari

to be the largest animal that walks the Earth for Powers an exceptional brain to find food and water two senses to detect Danger and opportunity and to do battle with a deadly enemy oh it takes guts [Music] [Music] Botswana at this time of year a wetland Paradise home to the largest population of elephants on the planet Lush Marshland stretches to the horizon an ideal world for 130 000 gentle Giants life seems perfect but this paradise has its monsters [Music] these lions are expert elephant Hunters [Music] but they face a mighty battle [Music] foreign [Music] s are experts at defending themselves this young female is outnumbered but she has size and strength on her side the come on the Lions latch on but their razor-sharp claws are no match for her inch thick skin foreign weight of these 300 pound Killers fails to bring her down [Music] it's a Face-Off [Music] her will to survive is indestructible she's safely back with her family but the Lions will be back [Music] it's the dry season elephant families begin an epic 9 000 mile Journey cushioned feet spread the load their tracks etch life-saving routes across the landscape the herd's oldest wisest matriarch leads the way her wisdom is her experience [Music] she has memorized every path her mental map will lead the family to food and water foreign are prime enemies each elephant needs up to 50 gallons of water a day and almost 500 pounds of food [Music] and if the tenderest leaves are hard to reach no problem [Music] tree trunks 2-inch thorns [Music] Nothing Stops a hungry elephant their two-fingered trunk is dexterous like a human hand teeth the size of house bricks grind wood and bark to pulp [Music] but as the adults eat there's precious little time to relax the family detects Danger there's an evil scent in the air [Music] foreign the Lions are back a lone bull is surrounded [Applause] but a six ton giant can't hide in the bushes for long [Music] he won't be intimidated thank you with every step he shakes the ground [Music] he shows off his power sends out deep Rumble warnings [Music] Mommy but the lions are not giving up this giant stops the lions in their tracks his warning calls Rumble through the ground for miles a family picks up the danger signals [Music] they have exceptional hearing but also listen with their feet [Music] this new mother uses her trunk to detect the seismic vibrations the message is clear they form a protective shield around the calf staying on high alert mother and ants are ready to defend their infant oh they listen until danger passes finally it's safe to resume their Journey foreign [Music] the herds get bigger elephants can live to 70 years old [Music] and have large extended families [Music] relatives and friends meet and join forces as they travel [Music] together [Music] adult Bulls add muscle to the Convoy following the matriarch as she leads them all to water [Music] but this family is on a different mission they heard alarm calls and they're coming to the rescue they're too late [Music] a calf stands over his dead mother [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] he will protect her body with his life the Lion's wait they know he can't stay here forever the herd Waits too until he is ready to leave [Music] this is his family he will be safe with them everybody a matriarch makes it to water [Music] a welcome sight for the whole family [Music] they can suck up over a gallon in every trunk full [Applause] the whole herd satisfies their thirst [Music] this Waterhole is still deep enough for a swim okay but they are not alone and one resident has its sights set on baby elephants [Music] [Applause] young Crocs are no problem but the adults are a different story in Africa having a drink can be dangerous [Music] adult Crocs will take on an elephant calf some bear the scars of unlucky encounters for a human it's like losing both arms [Applause] but elephants are smart there's always a way [Music] [Music] days pass with no rain water evaporates into mud [Music] but even mud creates opportunities it makes the best sunscreen bug spray and it's perfect for a refreshing bath [Music] traps the mud and cools them down but for this family luxury comes at a price foreign where there's water there are predators Lions know exactly where to hunt they zero in on a calf [Music] but the elephants are clever enough to read the Lion's moves thank you they know their tactics as soon as the mother sees them getting into position she scatters them [Music] [Applause] yeah [Music] the calf is safe [Music] so the pride goes hungry [Music] but as Darkness Falls the balance of power shifts the night belongs to the Lions blue blue water holes are the perfect place to mount a night ambush these elephants know lions are waiting as the night gets darker the Lions grow bone all right they single out a young bull he tries his best to intimidate them [Music] but they will not give up foreign it's too dark for the elephant to see but his incredible sense of hearing picks up their every move [Music] finally the tables turn [Music] backup arrives yeah [Music] [Applause] tonight the Lions will go without [Music] elephant families are constantly on the march from one vital water hole to the next [Music] some watch as they move on through thank you others know it's an opportunity too good to miss the matriarch's knowledge and the elephant's Superior sense of smell will guide them to water foreign [Music] [Music] but even elephants need a break from the midday Sun [Music] this Shady spot is already taken but not for long out here the heat can kill it takes the week of the old this family has lost one of their own they grieve for their loved one friends and family pay their respects but they can't stay here for long Lions have found the free meal thank you this Feast will distract them for a while but the drought is taking its toll on the elephants and the Lions know it it's just a matter of time before they find their next victim there's nothing like an easy meal lions are patient ready to seize any opportunity [Music] [Music] all right fast-moving gazelles are hard to catch but a tiny elephant is a tempting Target thank you it's hard to keep up with the herd but if she drops behind the Lions won't Miss A Beat they follow waiting for their moment to strike [Music] everything [Music] calf and mother split from The Herd this is the moment but a protective mother is not to be messed with [Applause] yours harmful trumpet blasts scare the big cats the calf sticks to Mom Like Glue staying between her legs oh [Music] [Music] the Lions can't find a way in they are outmaneuvered by this devoted mother at every turn the cap is safe for now [Music] storms are on the horizon but they don't bring rain the land is drying out [Music] bro with so little to drink tensions Run High desperation spills over into fights [Music] they are running out of options soon they'll be fighting to stay alive the land is reduced to a parched wilderness lesser Mortals are dropping like flies [Music] elephants battle the heat by pumping extra blood through their ears [Music] okay constant flapping cools it and brings their temperature down the water holes are gone but elephants know how to get a few vital drops [Music] they did in times of need they even eat the dirt oh essential minerals and salt in every mouthful this mother does all she can to keep herself and her newborn calf going foreign she draws water from a pouch in her throat to cool herself [Music] while her baby uses her for shade what they really need is fresh water luckily this mother knows exactly where to find it [Music] uh foreign she joins hundreds of other elephants all streaming towards one special place [Music] from miles around they turn to a dry riverbed that is coming back to life thank you movements in the earth release underground water [Music] a trickle becomes a stream [Music] stream becomes a torrent [Music] no one is sure how elephants know to come here perhaps it's their incredible memory [Music] or the fact that they can smell water from 12 miles away [Music] the elephant's intelligence power and skills keep them alive against brutal odds elephants gather as far as the eye can see some mothers give birth just as the river starts to flow that their nemesis returns [Music] [Music] [Music] this newborn is still unsteady on his feet but after 22 months of carrying him mom is determined not to lose him now foreign charges summon backup everyone comes to the rescue [Music] true strength of elephants comes from family [Music] family that is all-powerful and Unstoppable to be the largest animal that walks the Earth take superpowers an exceptional brain to find food and water fine-tuned senses to detect Danger and opportunity and to do battle with a deadly enemy it takes guts [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: National Geographic Africa

Views: 9,434,274

Keywords: National Geographic

Id: YL_S4UjgdJ4

Length: 45min 47sec (2747 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 11 2017