(dramatic music) - [Colin] The vast expanse
of the Kalahari Desert is punctured at its heart by a lush, tropical oasis. Its river arteries swell with the rains attracting wildlife in abundance. (water splashing)
(dramatic music) Yet by the end of the dry season, 95% of the water has vanished. (dramatic music) This place of flood and drought is called the Okavango Delta. (dramatic music) What causes this extreme
natural phenomenon? (dramatic music) (stick whooshing) (singing in foreign language) (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(insects chirping) Kalahari means big thirst. It's the second biggest
desert in the world, covering over 93,000 square kilometers. It blankets most of Botswana. It's also home to the largest
game reserve in the world and to a conundrum. (dramatic music) It's a place where a
staggering 30 million liters of water a day, drained
from the Okavango River through a labyrinth of
lagoons and hidden channels that form the Okavango Delta. (dramatic music) This island of green covers an
area the size of Connecticut, over 15,000 square kilometers. It's the largest inland
delta in the world, but it's also an anomaly. The waters from the mighty Okavango River never reach the sea, instead, they're sucked into the sands of the Kalahari Desert or
evaporate into the dry atmosphere. (dramatic music) How is it possible for
this luxurious green haven to exist right in the heart
of one of the largest deserts in the world? (dramatic music) The Okavango Delta is a
story of two extremes, flood and drought. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) During January and February, rain falling on the Angolan
highlands to the north, drains into the Okavango River. (dramatic music) In one month, a massive surge of water races 1,200 kilometers down river. (dramatic music) Over the following four
months it floods the delta. Water now dominates the land, there is no getting away from it. Lions usually avoid getting wet, but here in the delta, they
must wade through the swamps to patrol their territory and search for prey. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) So the lions of the Okavango have learned to overcome
their deepest fears and teach their young to
get wet from the word go. (dramatic music)
(river waves crushing) (singing in foreign language)
(river waves crushing) The delta is also home
to the lechwe antelope. They're specialized for life in the swamps and graze in the rich water meadows. (dramatic music)
(river waves crushing) They prefer grasses that
grow in shallow waters and so they advance and
withdraw across the delta with the ebb and flow of
the annual flood cycle. They can't outrun killers
like hyenas or wild dogs on dry ground, so they stay
in the knee-deep waters as a protection from predators, but sometimes even the swamps aren't safe. The pride wades through
the water looking for prey, they're focused on making a kill. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) And when there's lions on the hunt, freeloaders are never far behind. (dramatic music)
(river waves crushing) A hyena has spotted the pride
stalking through the swamp's long grass. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Hoping for an easy meal,
it decides to follow. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) The lionesses focus on a group of lechwe. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) (dramatic music)
(water splashing) (birds chirping) But in the water, the swamp
adapted deer just too quick and agile to catch. This time, the lions leave empty handed. Hunting in the watery swamps
demands exceptional skill. (dramatic music) When the flood waters approach
the delta in early May, they're funneled through a natural gateway called the panhandle. (dramatic music) Here, water dominates
the landscape year round. (dramatic music) The panhandle's permanent water channels are home to some well known inhabitants. King of the waterways is a
title claimed by the hippo. (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(hippo grunts) (dramatic music)
(water splashing) (dramatic music)
(hippos grunting) (dramatic music) Hippos are totally
dependent on permanent water deep enough for them
to completely submerge. Their sensitive skin loses
water much more quickly than other mammals, so
hippos must stay water bound during the heat of the
day to avoid dehydration and overheating. (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(river waves crushing) But hippos manage to
travel all around the delta through a network of swampy labyrinths. (river waves crushing)
(dramatic music) By propelling their huge
frames through the weeds and grasses, they create hippo highways. (dramatic music) As they bulldoze new waterways, they allow the panhandles water and fish to spread from one area to the next. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) And these thousands of
fish feed many mouths. Attracted by an easy
catch, twice as many people live in this small area of Botswana than in the surrounding Kalahari Desert. (dramatic music)
(speaking in foreign language) The annual floods bring a
bounty to the panhandle. All these women have to
do is scoop them out. (dramatic music)
(singing in foreign language) Or net them in their thousands. (dramatic music)
(singing in foreign language) The men fish in the panhandles
waters all year round. (dramatic music) They navigate its channels
in traditional mokoro canoes. (dramatic music) The local people have learned to adapt their whole way of life
to the panhandle swamps and water ways. (dramatic music) (singing in foreign language) Local Hambukushu women harvest the reeds that lie in the banks. (singing in foreign language) They're dried and then
delicately woven together to construct and repair houses. (singing in foreign language) Homes are built on higher ground to keep clear of the flood waters. Flash floods could devastate
villages and sweep people away in an instant, but with a healthy respect for the river's fluctuating ferocity, local people have learned to thrive here. The Okavango's waters provide everything these people need to survive. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) And provides rich surroundings
where wildlife can flourish. (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(insects chirping) From May onwards, the flood waters continue
to push through the delta. (dramatic music)
(river waves crushing) As the floods move through
the delta's arteries, it travels slowly at
about one kilometer a day. It takes four months
for the incoming floods to travel through the whole delta. The water struggles to penetrate
the thick swamp vegetation, so the flood water doesn't actually reach the
southern part of the delta until August. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) (leaves rustling) (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) But things used to be very different. Thousands of years ago, the delta's waters extended much further than today. (dramatic music) They even reached as far as
the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, 90 kilometers southeast of today's delta. (dramatic music) They are one of the largest
salt flats in the world, covering over 15,000 square kilometers. (wind whooshing) (dramatic music) And during the dry season,
almost nothing can survive here. (dramatic music) But in extremely wet years, the delta's waters still
sometimes get as far as the Boteti River which reaches out to the edge of the pans. (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) But it's been almost two decades since the delta's precious
flood waters reached the Makgadikgadi area. It seems fated to remain dry forever. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) (elephant grunts)
(dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) This year, the rains have
been especially heavy in the north. There's a change in the air. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Animals are drawn towards the
parch to Boteti River bed. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) And all of a sudden, a trickle of water wets the dusty ground. (water gurgling)
(dramatic music) The dry channel of the Boteti River is flooding at long last. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Only about 2% of the
Okavango's flood waters have made it to the far end of the delta to fill this river bed once again. (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Elephants have picked up
the scent of the water several kilometers away and after surviving the long dry season, they feel like celebrating. (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Fishermen who used to
live by the Boteti River were forced to move or face starvation. Now, they've returned. (dramatic music)
(river waves crushing) The arriving flood
waters quench the thirst of the parched lands to the delta's south. (dramatic music) (elephant grunting) (dramatic music)
(river waves crushing) Life finally returns to the areas around the Makgadikgadi Pans, but this reprieve will be short-lived. Soon, this precious wet will
disappear into the ground or evaporate in the face
of the unrelenting sun. (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(river waves crushing) (dramatic music) (birds chirping) But for now, the flood continues and in the heart of the delta,
the wildlife is thriving. Although the desert is never far away, this verdant wetland offers
a home for unlikely residents right in the heart of the Kalahari. (birds chirping) This clawless otter hunts
for food in the delta swamps. (dramatic music)
(water gurgling) (dramatic music) Crabs, frogs, fish, even
snakes and waterbirds are on the menu. Its body is long and streamlined, propelled by strong hind feet. It's flattened tail is used as a radar, making this otter a swift
and formidable predator. It's clawless, tactile hands are ideal for probing and grasping. (dramatic music)
(water gurgling) And its strong teeth can
crush tough body armor. (dramatic music)
(water gurgling) Even though the waters are
murky, the otters' sensitive and searching hands can easily find crabs. (dramatic music)
(water gurgles) Fish though, are more difficult to catch. The otter must hunt them
by sight rather than touch. (dramatic music)
(water gurgles) This catfish's swift escape
maneuvers make it a tough catch. (dramatic music)
(water gurgles) But once caught, rough
skin on the otter's hands means that the slippery
fish can't get away. (birds chirping)
(insects chirping) Having eaten his fill, the
otter rolls in the long grass to dry his sodden coat. (birds chirping)
(grass rustling) Everything about life in the
delta revolves around the wet. (birds chirping) Sheets of water cover
much of the delta's planes at the height of the flood season. (dramatic music) This vast shallow lake is
punctuated with literally millions of small islands. (dramatic music) They are all shapes and sizes and rise just high enough
above the surrounding weed beds and flood plains to support
the growth of trees. (dramatic music) And this is where many
local animals seek refuge from the unrelenting waters. (dramatic music) About 70% of these islands
began as termite mounds. (dramatic music) Trees and other plants colonized the soil and gradually the mounds
growing to islands catching more and more deposits from the murky waters. (dramatic music) This old termite mound may well have been the
foundation of this island. Now abandoned by its original inhabitants, it is a welcomed shelter for
a group of banded mongooses. (singing in foreign language) These gregarious animals
live in large family groups of up to 70 members and
an abandoned termite mound makes an ideal den for the whole tribe. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Mongooses search for food in small groups, digging in leaf litter or
searching under tree bark for tasty morsels. (birds chirping) Some of the band stumble
upon a leopard tortoise. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Mongooses are very inquisitive and this tortoise is
thoroughly investigated. It doesn't seem to be edible or willing to react to the
mongooses playful probing, so eventually they abandon their find. After suffering the
indignity of being used as a marking post, the tortoise tentatively
emerges from its shell and continues on its way. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) The band comes across a
small herd of grazing impala. They decide to stay and
forage alongside them. Mongooses often seek the
company of grazing herds or even troops of baboons. More eyes on the lookout
for potential predators make them more relaxed feeding, but they can never relax
their guard for too long, hungry killers lurk everywhere. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) An unwary moment, a quick pounce and this mongoose has lost
to the expert hunting skills of a leopard, but despite this bad luck, the life of the delta mongooses is easy compared to those
outcasts to the badlands. (dramatic music) Just a few kilometers away,
the dry brush of the Kalahari takes over. Water quickly becomes a rare luxury. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Despite the delta's seasonal ebb and flow, it's nearly always hot and dry here. (wildebeest bellows) (dramatic music) Life is a constant struggle for survival against the dry heat. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Summer temperatures can reach a blistering 45 degrees celsius. (dramatic music)
(wildebeest bellows) Delta animals like the
water reliant hippos simply cannot endure
this hot arid conditions and so savanna animals take their place. (dramatic music) But people have also found ways to survive outside the delta. These are the Bushmen. (dramatic music)
(insects chirping) The secret to their success
in this dry extreme desert is the passing on of key knowledge from generation to generation. (wood clunking)
(dramatic music) This is done using elaborate
dances, rituals and stories and so lifesaving wisdom and experience is passed on to the next generation. Children learn by observing their elders and the lessons start
as early as possible. This village elder knows exactly how to handle
this deadly scorpion. The child pays attention, his life could well depend
on this knowledge someday. Poisonous insects and deadly animals are part of the Bushman's
daily struggle for survival. (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(boys howling) Finding food is the other crucial lesson. (dramatic music)
(boys howling) Boys are taught to hunt by the men. (boys howling) Much of the skill is passed on through dramatic reenactments
of hunting stories. (boys howling)
(dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) (stick whooshing) These children are
practicing throwing sticks as deadly weapons. Once they've mastered the
art of aiming and throwing, they will graduate onto
a range of other weapons, but there's no substitute
for firsthand experience. Hunting is vital to
the Bushmen's survival. They track on foot. (dramatic music) Patience and stamina is
what's needed stalk prey. Bows and arrows are the weapons of choice. These weapons require
exceptional hunting ability. The Bushmen have to get within
25 meters of their victim to achieve a deadly hit, but their chances of a kill are increased by a secret weapon. (dramatic music) Poison. (dramatic music) They've been expert toxicologists
for thousands of years and make a whole range of
concoctions to tip their arrows. (dramatic music) Once hit, it may take hours or even days for the poison to take effect, but death is inevitable. (dramatic music) (arrow whooshing) (dramatic music) The Kalahari has been the Bushman's home for tens of thousands of
years and over this time, they have refined their
extraordinary abilities to get the most from
this drought ridden land. (dramatic music)
(footsteps thumping) They've learned to rely
on the brief rainy season to bring just enough
water to last the year. (dramatic music)
(footsteps thumping) It takes knowledge, perseverance
and preparation to survive. They know exactly where
to find food and water, often in the most unlikely places. (dramatic music) The juicy fibers of the bi root are an excellent source of water and it can be used over several years. By replanting after use,
it has time to regenerate, ready for next time. (dramatic music) But animals also know about
this underground water store, so to avoid confrontation, the Bushman protect a
known bi root water sources with prickly Acacia branches
to stop them being raided. Wild summer melons are also a vital part of the Bushman diet. The seeds are roasted
and crushed to make meal and the flesh is boiled
to produce a drink, but when all other water
sources have been exhausted, the ever resourceful
Bushman have a last reserve (speaking in foreign language) During the brief rainy
season, they collect water and store it underground
in the blown out shells of ostrich eggs. (dramatic music) (speaking in foreign language)
(dramatic music) The holes are sealed using a leaf from the Kalahari Tibouch bush. This plant is known for its antifungal and antioxygen properties and it's possible that these properties keep the stored water fresh
for an incredible six months. (dramatic music) The Bushmen are completely
at home in the desert and know all its secrets
and natural ladders. (dramatic music) (wood clunking)
(dramatic music) (dramatic music) (rope thumping)
(dramatic music) They spend their days
gathering wild plants and roots from the land. (dramatic music) (wood gnashing)
(dramatic music) (speaking in foreign language)
(dramatic music) Roots, beans and truffles
are roasted on the fire and shared by everyone. (dramatic music)
(speaking in foreign language) (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(insects chirping) But at night, there's time to socialize, exchange hunting stories and
practice age-old rituals. (singing in foreign language)
(insects chirping) The men string dried insect cocoons filled with seeds together
to make dancing rattles. (singing in foreign language)
(insects chirping) These are used to provide a dance beat and at the earliest
form of a strung rattle used in human culture. (singing in foreign language)
(insects chirping) It's their rich history and
deep understanding of the land that has enabled the Bushmen's
continued survival here, despite the challenges posed by the forbidden Kalahari Desert. (singing in foreign language)
(dramatic music) (birds chirping)
(dramatic music) In late August, the delta's
heart still has ample water, but the Kalahari dry
season is in full swing. (dramatic music) Water becomes scarce. (dramatic music) Like the Bushman, the animals
here have had to learn to cope with this dusty
landscape's severe lack of water. (dramatic music) The life giving rains won't arrive until at least mid-October. (dramatic music) As the land gets
increasingly hot and dusty, the drought claims its first victims. (dramatic music) (wildebeest bellows)
(dramatic music) The young, weak and
elderly are most at risk, but their deaths provide
a steady supply of food for the regions' scavengers. This elephant's carcass has already attracted a
hoard of vultures and hyenas. (dramatic music) These scavengers play a pivotal role in the perpetual cycle of life and death. (dramatic music) They clear up carcasses
as soon as they appear, nothing goes to waste. (dramatic music)
(insects chirping) But by August, the parched land can no longer support grazers, so the herds of buffalo and antelope head towards better grazing within the delta's lash boundaries. (birds chirping)
(dramatic music) But predators are extremely territorial and are forced to remain
to stand their ground. The lion prides in these marginal areas are struggling to find enough food. (birds chirping)
(dramatic music) And this is one of the last
remaining buffalo herds in the area. (birds chirping)
(dramatic music) So the hunters constantly stalk them. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Working together, they
sneak as close to their prey as possible. (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(buffaloes grunting) They aren't designed
to run their prey down over long distances, so they
have to get within 30 meters of their target. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Buffalo, a formidable foes. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Weighing in at up to 900 kilos. (dramatic music) They're equipped with a huge set of horns and could make short work
of these mighty cats. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) One of the lionesses spots a
straggler and makes her move. The young calf is caught unawares. (calf bleating) (dramatic music) But the buffalo aren't about to give up on a fellow herd member. (dramatic music)
(buffaloes bellowing) Sensing a second chance,
the lions attack again. (dramatic music)
(buffaloes bellowing) This time, they stand their
ground and are rewarded. (dramatic music) But whilst prey is fast
running out in the desert, it's still in plentiful supply
for the delta's predators. By September, the dry
season has a tight grip on the Kalahari. Just a few miles away, the
delta's channels and water holes still hold water and as more
and more animals flock here, the local hunters are spoiled for choice with available prey. One of these predators is the serval cat. These close relatives of lions
are well adapted hunters. Exceptional hearing helps
them to home in on prey. Eyes closed, they listen for
the slightest giveaway sounds of their prey. (birds chirping) They also have proportionally,
the longest legs in the cat world, this means they can sneak
easily through tall grass and reach impressive speeds of
up to 80 kilometers per hour and its super long neck allows it to see over high vegetation, but most incredible of all, servals can perform astounding
leaps from a standing start up to five meters high
and six meters across, landing precisely on
target with enough force to stun or even kill their prey on impact. With a success rate of over 50%, servals are one of the
most efficient killers amongst all cats and
rodents aren't the only food on their menu. (dramatic music)
(ground rustling) (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Their spectacular leaps are
ideal for plucking birds straight out of the air, but a catch doesn't guarantee a meal. (dramatic music)
(bird squeaking) A second serval has witnessed
the hunter's success. (dramatic music) And is intent on snatching a free meal. (dramatic music)
(leaves rustling) But this free loader has bitten
off more than he can chew. (birds chirping) Eventually, he's forced to admit defeat. (birds chirping) Finally, the winner can get
on with a difficult task of plucking and eating his prayer. (birds chirping) (dramatic music) By October, it's the late dry season. Every creature in the
surrounding Kalahari Desert has either died, left
or remains in suffering. (dramatic music) (hooves thumping)
(dramatic music) The long wait for the rains continues. (dramatic music)
(hooves thumping) It's been eight long months
since any water fell here and even then, it only
amounted to 180 millimeters. (dramatic music) (elephant grunts) (dramatic music) (dramatic music)
(insects chirping) Even the delta's water
supplies are running low. The lush green turns to
brown and the swamps recede. Most of the rich waters of the Okavango have now disappeared into the ground. (dramatic music) Hippos have nowhere left to hide. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Desperate times call
for desperate measures, hyenas even attempt unlikely kills. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) The shrinking pools become
fierce battlegrounds. (dramatic music) The last of the waters will soon evaporate into the atmosphere in the
face of the unrelenting sun. (thunder rumbling)
(dramatic music) But at long last, the
scent of rain fills the air as storms begin to build. (thunder rumbling)
(dramatic music) (rain pattering)
(dramatic music) A savior has arrived just
in time for many animals. (dramatic music) And once more the Okavango's
extraordinary cycle of wet and dry can begin again. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) Sustaining life in the delta's wetlands and supporting the surrounding Kalahari for yet another year. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) (dramatic music) The waxing and waning of the
Okavango Delta's water levels, it's alternating floods and droughts are all part of a natural equilibrium. The delta is a living heart
in the Kalahari Desert. Its labyrinths and channels function like an organism's
circulatory system bringing life to all
those who are drawn here. (dramatic music)
(birds chirping) The perpetual rotation of wet and dry, beats out a natural
rhythm of life and death. (dramatic music)
(water splashing) (dramatic music)
