Hunting and being hunted in Kenya's Masai Mara | Full Documentary

the show a breathtaking drama the location a  river in africa the main protagonists crocodiles supporting actors involved everything  africa's wildlife has to offer   the expansive stage of the masai mara in kenya  is an ideal location for some stunning combats heavyweight conflicts and touching family scenes the show centers on the age-old theme of  the hunted and the hunters life and death   but none of the other protagonists can match  this one the killer that comes out of the water hardly any other region in africa is home to a  greater multitude of animals than the maasai mara   this region in the southwest of kenya is the  land of the maasai these are semi-nomadic   pastoralists who live off their herds of  cattle and are known to be excellent warriors   the maasai mara national park lies in the south  west of kenya in east africa and borders on the   serengeti in tanzania when the dry period  begins in june in the southern serengeti   innumerable herds of wildebeest join up to  migrate over 800 kilometers to the masaimara   forever on the lookout for fresh pastures during  this migration they have to cross several rivers the greatest obstacle and one that has to be  crossed is the mara river it flows from kenya   through the masaimara region and continues on  across the border into tanzania and the serengeti   at first sight it may not  look particularly threatening   and it is indeed the main artery  that keeps the masaimara alive   these heat-sensitive hippos rely completely on  the river to secure their very existence in the   savannah nowhere else does the vegetation offer  such a wealth of food for the elephants depending   on their size these pachyderms also require  from 70 to 250 liters of drinking water a day and nowhere else can lions choose from such a  well-stocked table provided they're ready to   wait a bit the mara river is the only river in  this region that carries water all year round   only here can the yellow build stalk troll the  bottom of the river shallows for an endless supply   of fish only here can the heavy hoofed animals  of the masai mara find drinking water in plenty the banks are often crowded with wildlife for that  very reason that slip could have ended in tragedy because for many animals the mara river  that meanders for nearly 400 kilometers   through the savannah is the most hazardous river  in the whole of africa because of these fellows crocodiles spend the majority of their lives  just lying around in their armored skins doing   nothing as cold-blooded animals they can only  regulate their body temperature through their   own activities they have to enjoy extensive  sunbathing sessions to enable them to carry   out their sorties underwater the webs between  their toes on the rear feet help them to swim their tail that makes up around  half of their six meter length   is what drives them but it can only work if the  animal's operating temperature has been reached   if it falls below 30 degrees the  reptile will return to land to warm up half submerged half above the water line is a  popular position that way one can keep warm and   look as harmless as a large piece of wood but can  mutate into an underwater torpedo in an instant at the moment though there is little prey to  go for so a more leisurely pace is perfectly   acceptable walking along the riverbed uses less  energy than those powerful flicks of the tail what looks like boredom induced yawning is in fact   temperature regulation by opening its mouth  the reptile prevents its brain overheating if it's still too hot it moves into the water   a lunchtime dose under water is only possible  for a crocodile if the water is very warm   the geographical range of their existence is  restricted to tropical and sub-tropical regions   they can't afford to waste too much energy most of the time throughout  the year they just wait   ready to attack with their fearsome  jaws containing more than 70 teeth crocodiles share their habitat with hippos in the masai mara there are  especially large numbers of hippos   these socially orientated animals form  small herds of up to 30 individuals   underwater these heavyweights even  look elegant thanks to the buoyancy   effect of the water rather than actually  swimming they tend to walk underwater they spend most of the day  in the water because their   sensitive skin would crack  in the intense summer heat   they can stay underwater for up to five minutes  before they have to come up again for air as a rule one older bull will live together  with a group of females and their young   the animals are generally related and  maintain friendly contact with one another as long as there is sufficient water in  the river there are no grounds for rivalry elephants also like to  congregate around the mara river the smaller ones are best off  keeping close to the adults   that way they're less likely to  become a crocodile's next lunch elephants are among the most socially  orientated animals in the world this little elephant has not  yet learned how to use its trunk   to drink with that muscular  appendage is still in the way it takes a while for baby elephants to  learn what useful tools their trunks are the older adults can use their muscular  trunks as a most versatile multi-tool   during meal times it fulfills both the grab  and the cutlery functions this little one   can't start learning a moment too soon even if it  is kept fed by its mother's milk for many months in greetings the trunk acts  as a handshake appendage   and the mutual smells tell the other  party the identity of the caller and if it's not quite long enough to scratch  with one can always use a termite hill this mother cheetah and her three almost  fully grown young and two younger males have   made their way down to the river the brothers  share the remains of the gazelle they caught but the female cheetah also has to  get some fresh food in for the family the youngsters follow her hopefully the brothers are so involved that  they don't even notice the family this one has been distracted one  youngster has discovered the hidden camera but the mother has her sights on something else   what is that thing that  neither runs away nor attacks but what she has discovered does  indeed run away she begins the hunt   a hair can accelerate up to 70 kilometers an  hour but the cheetah is even faster this big   cat can even reach speeds of a hundred  kilometers an hour over short distances   hares are famous for their zigzag running  strategy but the cheetah is nearly as smart the big cat's strategy is to cause the prey to  trip up with a carefully aimed hit of the poor   and yet despite that particular failure no other  predator has such a high success rate   as the cheetah half of its  hunting sorties result in a catch after hunting the mother needs a long break  to protect herself against overheating   the brothers also need time to recover  full stomachs make one feel sleepy it's not only the main stretch of the  mara river that is attractive to animals   its stagnant oxbows are a haven  for thriving aquatic vegetation   which has a regular supply of fertilizer thanks to  the hippos the ibises make use of the heavyweight   creatures as platforms in their search for insects  some of which they find on the hippos heads the crocodiles are even better camouflaged  here than in the clear waters of the main river out on an inaccessible sand spit the  next generation is making its first moves the female will have laid the eggs here three  months ago in a nest made of sand and vegetation   residues the brooding temperature determines  the sex of the young ones in nile crocodiles   the young will only be male if the eggs are  maintained at a temperature of 32 to 35 degrees above or below that temperature range the young  will be female the calls they produce while   still inside the eggs appear to stimulate  the brood they all hatch at the same time hardly have they left their nest when  they are approached by a cavernous mouth just hatched and their short  lives already at an end but not a single scale will be damaged  their mother heard them calling   and is transporting them safely to the water  female crocodiles are extremely caring mothers   and keep a watchful eye on  their young for quite a while   early on these miniature lizards demonstrate  their talent at surprising their prey   a fully grown giraffe may not need to worry  much about a crocodile but the act of drinking   is still quite awkward it's not only the fact  that they almost have to kneel down to drink   the animal has to apply considerable muscular  effort to move its head downwards giraffes have   a powerful tendon that keeps their  head and neck upright when at rest the river and its green banks attract many  giraffes for a long time it was felt these animals   had developed their long necks simply to give them  unrivaled access to the higher leaves on the trees   however they often eat  vegetation at half their height an alternative theory suggests that  the long neck was used for a completely   different purpose to give the balls an  advantage when fighting over a female these two young bulls are merely practicing they're gauging their strikes very carefully they live in loosely structured  bachelor groups but later become loners if they then meet a rival during the mating  period there will be no consideration for the   other they will then apply full power to their  strikes and their rudimentary horns or ossicones   become dangerous weapons the objective  is to knock one's opponent off its feet   many contests of this kind have left  the loser dead these two are not in any   way intending to injure each other let  alone kill but practice makes perfect afternoon in the masaimara  not quite the ideal hunting   time for the lions this group of banded  mongooses is quite safe to pass by   these diurnal animals go hunting as a group the  leader of the pack is one of the older females still time for a little nap before work  starts in earnest in a couple of hours the mongooses scour the terrain for  beetles larvae and other insects now and again they dig down a little  to unearth a particularly tasty morsel even if they go out as a group  each mongoose searches for itself occasionally a mother and  her young will dig together   but normally mongooses hunt individually for food there are nevertheless close ties within the group   which will usually consist of three  to four pairs and they're young in the masai mara this results  in groups of around 35 animals impala are seldom seen alone this very young male is still  allowed to be in the herd   the female is presumably its mother otherwise  these herds consist of females and a few of   the older males who will fight each other  for mating rights during the mating period the dominant male will change from  time to time at the top of the field   outside the mating period  they graze peacefully together in contrast to the wildebeest and zebras  impalas do not migrate outside the national park   so the lions have always  got a steady source of food   that's an important point because  lions in contrast to crocodiles   can't go without fresh food for long periods  especially when they have young they may not   be babies anymore but they're not able to hunt  for themselves and rely completely on the adults   but it can take a while before they  actually manage to deliver the goods lions are the only big cats that form a  pride and maintain close social contacts by contrast the hippopotamus morphs every  evening from socially orientated family   member to lone individual each grazing on  its own the hippos have to graze at night   unlike the diurnal zebras hippos would not survive  extended grazing periods in the blazing sun the king of the savannah still does  not appear to be in a hunting mood   but soon he will set off on that errand the animals in the masaimara have  to be constantly on the lookout the fact that hippos have skin  that is so sensitive to the sun   making them nocturnal grazers may be linked  to their ancestors they're related to whales these massive creatures need not  fear the dark they have no predators and anyway the buffalo is busy with something else it's in particular the smaller hunters like the  mongooses that rely on the cover of darkness the hippo has to devour at least 40  kilograms of vegetation every night   which only accounts for one to one  and a half percent of his body weight lions and crocodiles will  generally avoid each other generally lions will indeed protect their young or  their dinner carcasses against crocodiles but   don't normally consider them to be prey perhaps  these lions were just after an adrenaline kick a new day dawns and with it the start  of the greatest drama of the masaimara the first wildebeest reached the river region behind them is an 800 kilometer  energy draining migration   it's far greener here than  in the overgrazed serengeti in the masaimara the rain and drought periods  are less extreme than in the southern serengeti   heavy thunderstorms keep ensuring a supply of  fresh water which benefits the green vegetation before the animals embark on the  most difficult part of their journey   crossing the river they enjoy a rest  and take the edge off their hunger   they specialize in short grass it replenishes  itself relatively quickly but is grazed to   nothing in a short time which is why these  animals keep searching for new pastures   their broad mouths large incisors and mobile  lips make them the perfect lawn mowers for some though the luscious green came too late  and it doesn't take long before they're discovered for the vultures wildebeests that  die of exhaustion are a feast ripples vultures specialize in  large carrions such as wildebeest the marabou may be larger  than them but the vultures   sharp curved beaks are far superior  both as meat cutting tools and weapons these feathered scavengers do not like sharing some are so involved in  infighting they forget to eat but these quarrelsome creatures provide an  important service to the masai mara by stripping   carcasses often right down to the bare bones  they prevent the spread of epidemic diseases when they're not fighting ripples  vultures can devour as much as a fifth   of their own body weight in one sitting  that can be one to two kilograms having eaten their fill they  find taking off a bit cumbersome together with the first wildebeest we  see many zebras arriving in the masaimara   zebras eat the longer tougher grass which opens up   the way for the wildebeest to get to the  shorter grass that's rich in nutrients as compensation the enormous herds  of wildebeest provide protection for   the zebras against attackers it's normally  the zebras that go down to the river first and they have been waiting for this  moment crocodiles know from experience   where the animals will cross the river driven by thirst the exhausted  travelers make their way to the water   as long as the crocs are moving  they will be detected in good time the lions have also taken up their positions  and have already had a successful hunt but it's not enough for the full pride the lions know exactly which  points on the river are the   easiest for the zebras and wildebeest to cross while some of the lionesses  keep a watchful eye on the young   others are closely watching out  for the arrivals by the river the lionesses mostly mothers and daughters  sisters aunts and nieces form the hunting party crocodiles may not be quite as social but  later they will need each other as well more and more wildebeests  gather on the opposite bank they're facing the greatest challenge of  their long journey the steep banks alone   that line the mara in many places are hard  to overcome but the wildebeest have no choice down by the river the life-saving herd becomes  a liability hundreds of animals push their way   forwards leaving no opportunity for escape  the underwater hunters are on their way there is simply no end to this sumptuous meal the wildebeest are well aware of the dangers but they have to get through the river literally puts obstacles in their way  and those rocks are often deceptively slippery once the first animals have dared to enter  the water there's nowhere to go but forward   the crocodiles try to attack the open flanks   if they get too close to the thick  of it they're at risk themselves now the wildebeest have to run the gauntlet they have managed to reach the safety of the bank but some didn't make it the wildebeest summon their  last reserves of strength   their ability to leap is their only chance the safety of the individual lies  in the sheer mass of the herd but the crocodiles are not alone once one of them has grabbed a wildebeest  it attempts to drag it underwater   the other crocodiles will help each bite has the force of 2 000 kilos  crocodiles are merciless opponents and the animals that passed the first  hurdle are faced with the next ambush   the lion attempts to immobilize the  wildebeest by biting into its throat even if they survive the river they  can still be trampled underfoot the youngest wildebeest born only a few months  before in the serengeti are experiencing this   terrifying migration for the first time they need  to get back up to strength but the trek must go on driven on by the stressful experience the  animals quickly take control of their new terrain this large-scale partnership of convenience  will now separate into smaller herds   until it's time to return to the serengeti in two  months time following well-trodden ancestral paths the battle of the mara is over for the time being   and the vultures will finish  what the crocodiles could not they're still living in the lap of a rare luxury  even if a crocodile didn't manage to kill its   own wildebeest there are plenty of foreign and  drowned animals floating right past their noses after a few days the carcasses are  easier for the crocodiles to tear apart   than freshly killed ones despite their armory of  teeth crocodiles can't bite off bits of their prey   they have to rip them to pieces  by shaking them from side to side even though they cooperated in  the hunt they do not like sharing for the lions the riverside hunt is now over but the pride had a successful hunting trip there's plenty for everyone  and even the chance for the   youngsters to practice dismembering the kill and practicing the fatal bite to the throat for the youngest it's all just a game   their teeth are not yet powerful enough to tear  the skin they still need the adults for that a full stomach feels good both the  adults and their young feel playful but this unconcerned rollicking can't last long the adult lions know that if they  leave the carcasses unattended for long   there will soon be nothing left so they drag them to a safe ladder a  tough task even for a fully grown lioness hunting and eating are thirsty work lions  do not scoop up water with their tongues   the rough surface of the tongue binds the  drops of water and that causes a pillar of   water to follow through the adhesive  action between the water molecules   the surface area of the masaimara is a  mere tenth of the size of the serengeti   and yet it provides sufficient food for both the  new arrivals and the long established indigents most of the steps zebras  and wildebeest are migrants these common sesame live here permanently the males like to stand on raised hammocks to  keep an eye on their territory and their females   since both sexes look very similar the females  often copy this behavior to confuse male intruders giraffes have an even better view of the  surroundings which is why zebras like to stay   close to the giraffes in the searing midday  heat every unnecessary movement is avoided even the jackal can't summon the energy to hunt the hyenas are no different   despite their reputation hyenas  are not merely dim scavengers these youngsters will grow up into skilled hunters  capable of attacking even large hoofed animals   such as wildebeest or zebras individually or  as a pack but that time is still some way off mother hyenas suckle their young for  a year longer than most other hunters hyenas live in clans controlled by the females   and with a clearly defined hierarchy the  mother will pass her row onto her cub common sesame are the preferred prey of  hyenas but not in the merciless midday heat   nevertheless even after the great migration   the drama of life and death is replayed  over and over again in the masai mara an african buffalo has died and has not yet  been discovered by scavengers its companions   try to protect it and it looks as if all of  them feel the need to reassure themselves   that their fellow buffalo really is dead the  herd is looking confused and disorientated   perhaps the dead animal was  a dominant mature female related cows form a group  with a very strict hierarchy   if a high-ranking animal dies the  herd first has to reorganize itself the saddle-billed stork is also a carry-and-eater  but has to wait until others have ripped open   the carcass the young tawny  eagle is much better equipped as pure vegetarians elephants are most  definitely not interested in carrion in contrast to popular belief however they do not  only eat leaves in the savanna they eat almost   exclusively grass and lots of it an adult elephant  will devour 200 to 300 kilograms of vegetation a   day they eat for as much as 17 hours a day but  this does not stop them having a little tiff   even the babies try to work out how mummy does it but this little one has chosen the wrong place despite gorging themselves in this way the  adolescents need a long time before they're fully   grown not until they are 20 years old are the  bulls in a position to take on other competitors the herd is not alone the rare hook-lipped rhinoceros is known to  be one of the most dangerous animals in africa   this herd of elephants is relatively vulnerable  because of the young calves they're not able to   run away very fast the aggressive rhinoceros  ball considers the elephants to be a threat but the lead cow wastes no time  and is ready to protect her herd even a rhinoceros is unlikely to  take on a three-ton heavyweight the herd relaxes again the younger ones  are practicing contests for later life but they're back in someone's sights again   the cows remain unperturbed the young  are safe as long as they are close as usual working out what a useful tool the trunk  is is fun however peaceful the scene may appear to   be the elephants face an uncertain future poachers  are still keen on killing these majestic animals   for their tusks every year the population  of african elephants drops by eight percent close to the mauro river there  are many smaller woodland areas   and the impalas love to retreat to these places one story higher up and the  newbis baboon keeps a watchful eye on the ground its fellow baboons  are searching for tit bits the baboons dig in the  ground for insects and roots to be able to ride piggyback an infant has to be  at least six weeks old until then the babies cling   to their mother's furry underbelly and once they  are a year old they have to fend for themselves at an age of around three  months the young begin to   take an interest in each other and play together the watchman issues a warning the lion has no chance the strong males hold their  posts until the danger has passed   ready at a moment's notice to  attack if their harem is jeopardized he is a far more dangerous risk for the  baboons leopards attack from an ambush the marshall eagle has already found its prey it's still too hot for the leopard  big cats do not go hunting until dusk but they are already being watched raptors often stay close to larger  hunters because there's a good   chance that a successful hunt  will leave something for them but it's looking as if they  will have to wait a bit or will they no this leopard has a rather different aim he uses a secretion from an anal gland   to mark out his territory the powerful smell  is a clear warning to rivals keep your distance the black back jackals did  not want to wait any longer but they're having a tough time  keeping those annoying vultures at bay the moderate the sized hunters are  clearly outnumbered by the vultures   and a fair amount of their freshly  replaced energy gets used up again even a successful hunt in the masaimara does  not mean that the spoils are all one's own   frequently the jackals will have to  relinquish their hard-won carcass   to larger hunters like lions and  hyenas jackals leopards lions cheetahs   they all make sure that the life and death  drama here is a continuous daily cycle each of them has its own way to play the game   and each produces a slightly  different often unexpected result but none of them plays the game in the same  dramatic and unusual way as these animals they're waiting for the day when  once again they play the leading role   in the greatest drama of the masai mara the day the wildebeest crossed the river until that day there will always  be more modest roles to play whether the prey is big or small the  director's instructions are always the same has this yellow build stalk not  noticed the living tree trunk or is that tree trunk still full  up from its last wildebeest supper whichever way it goes there's  permanent tension in the air   and whatever happens the result is not known in advance you

Channel: Free High-Quality Documentaries

Views: 4,073,997

Keywords: Free High-Quality Documentaries, HD, Full HD, Quality, Africa, Kenia, migration, crocodiles, hunt, prey, killing, survival, herd, animals, Mara, Tarek River, wildebeests, gazelles, zebras, antilopes, Serengeti, underwater, camera, following

Id: NhvlTGMQTZQ

Length: 50min 45sec (3045 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 03 2022