Maasai Mara - The Big Hunt | Free Documentary Nature

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 Maasai Mara in Kenya is an ideal location for some stunning combat us heavyweight conflicts and touching family scenes the show centers on the age-old theme of the hunted and the hunters life and death [Music] but none of the other protagonists can match this one the killer that comes out of the water [Music] thank you foreign 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 [Music] is our 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 southwest 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 Maasai Mara Forever on the lookout for fresh pastures during this migration they have to cross several Rivers [Music] and that has to be crossed is the mara River it flows from Kenya through the Masai Mara 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 Maasai Mara 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 foreign s 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 [Music] 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 Maasai 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 tail that makes up around half of their six meter length is what drives them but 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 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 foreign if it's still too hot it moves into the water [Music] a lunchtime doze underwater is only possible for a crocodile if the water is very warm the geographical range of their existence is restricted to Tropical and subtropical 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 [Music] [Music] 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 [Music] 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 they're 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 [Music] 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 [Music] what is that thing that neither runs away nor attacks [Music] but what she has discovered does indeed run away she Begins the hunt [Music] 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 [Music] foreign [Music] ERS are famous for their zigzag running strategy but the cheetah is nearly as smart [Music] the big cats strategy is to cause the prey to trip up with a carefully aimed hit of the poor and yet foreign 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 [Music] 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 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 Sun 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 cores they produce while still inside the eggs appear to stimulate The Brood they all hatch at the same time [Music] hardly have they left their nest when they are approached by a cavernous mouth [Music] just hatched and their short lives already at an end thank you 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 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 that 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 foreign these two young Bulls are merely practicing they're gauging their strikes very carefully [Music] they live in Loosely structured Bachelor groups but later become loners foreign 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 aussicones 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 Masai Mara 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 [Music] even if they go out as a group each Mongoose searches for itself [Music] 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 [Music] in the Masai Mara this results in groups of around 35 animals foreign 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 there 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 [Music] 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 [Music] the king of the Savannah still does not appear to be in a hunting mood but soon he will set off on that errand [Music] Masai Mara have to be constantly on the lookout [Music] 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 its 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 foreign [Music] s and with it the start of the greatest drama of the Maasai Mara [Music] the first wildebeest reached the River Region behind them is an 800 kilometer energy draining migration [Music] foreign [Music] ER here than in the overgrazed Serengeti in the Masai Mara 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 graced 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 [Applause] for some though the Luscious green came too late and it doesn't take long before they're discovered for the vultures will the beasts that die of exhaustion are a feast ripples vultures specialize in large carriers such as wildebeest the Marabou may be larger than them but the vulture's sharp curved beaks are far superior both as meat cutting tools and weapons thank you [Music] it's feathered scavengers do not like sharing some are so involved in infighting they forget to eat [Music] but these quarrelsome creatures provide an important service to the Maasai Mara by stripping carcasses often right down to the Bare Bones they prevent the spread of epidemic diseases [Applause] 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 there Phil they find taking off a bit cumbersome together with the first wildebeest we see many zebras arriving the Masai Mara 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 and 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 [Music] the Lions know exactly which points on the river are the easiest for the zebras and wildebeest to cross all right while some of the lionesses keep a watchful eye on the young others are closely watching out for the arrivals by the river [Music] 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 marrow in many places are hard to overcome [Music] but the wildebeest have no choice I'm 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 [Applause] [Music] there is simply no end to this Sumptuous meal the wildebeest are well aware of the dangers but they have to get through [Music] the river literally puts obstacles in their way and those rocks are often deceptively slippery foreign 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 [Applause] now the wildebeest have to run the gauntlet foreign they have managed to reach the safety of the bank but some didn't make it the wildebeest summoned 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 [Music] but the crocodiles are not alone [Music] once one of them has grabbed a wildebeest it attempts to drag it underwater the other crocodiles will help foreign [Music] each byte has the force of 2 000 kilos crocodiles are merciless opponents [Music] 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 foreign [Music] the river they can still be trampled underfoot [Music] 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 [Music] 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 cook its own wildebeest there are plenty of fallen 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 [Music] foreign [Music] stomach feels good both the adults and their young feel playful [Music] but this unconcerned rollicking can't last long adult Lions know that if they leave the carcasses unattended for long there will soon be nothing left [Music] so they dragged them to a safe ladder a tough task even for a fully grown lioness hunting and eating are thirsty work [Music] 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 [Music] the surface area of the Maasai Mara is a mere tenth of the size of the Serengeti foreign 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 [Music] in the Searing midday heat every unnecessary movement is avoided even the Jackal can't summon the energy to hunt [Music] the hyenas are no different [Music] 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 [Music] but that time is still some way off mother hyenas suck all 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 role 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 Maasai Mara an African Buffalo has died and has not yet been discovered by scavengers its companions tried 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 [Music] related cows form a group with a very strict hierarchy if a high-ranking animal dies the herd first has to reorganize itself [Music] the saddle build stork is also a carrion eater but has to wait until others have ripped open the carcass [Music] the young Tony 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 [Music] 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 [Music] 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 [Music] the aggressive rhinoceros ball considers the elephants to be a threat well the lead cow wastes no time and is ready to protect her herd [Music] [Music] 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 [Music] but they're back in someone's sights again [Music] the cows Remain unperturbed the young are safe as long as they are close [Music] as usual working out what a useful tool the trunk is is fun [Music] 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 [Music] foreign [Music] River there are many smaller Woodland areas and the Impalas love to retreat to these places one story higher up and a newbies baboon keeps a watchful eye on the ground its fellow baboons are searching for tidbits the baboons dig in the ground for insects and roots [Music] 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 [Music] the lion has no chance strong males hold their posts until the danger has passed ready at a moment's notice to attack if the hariom is jeopardized he is a far more dangerous risk for the baboons leopards attack from an ambush the martial 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'll 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 blackback jackals did not want to wait any longer foreign a tough time keeping those annoying vultures at Bay [Music] the moderate or 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 Maasai Mara 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 the each of them has its own way to play the game and each produces a slightly different often unexpected result [Music] 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 Maasai Mara [Music] 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 [Music] and whatever happens [Music] the result is not known in advance [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 9,788,044

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Documentary 2021, Maasai Mara, Masai Mara, The Big Hunt, Wildebeest, Wildebeest Migration, Serengeti, Serengeti National Park, Cheetah, Cheetah Documentary, Big Cats, Africa, West Africa, Kenya, Tansania, African Wildlife, Animals Hunting, Animals, Big Cats Documentary

Id: owkUGfLWn0I

Length: 50min 42sec (3042 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 30 2021