Swimming with Giants: Elephant Migration at Victoria Falls | Full Wildlife Documentary

[Applause] [Music] [Music] the Victoria Falls between Zambia and   Zimbabwe the world's widest [Music]  waterfalls home for special animals and a retreat for the Earth's largest land [Music] mammals sometimes here it's like  living in Paradise but there are   times when it is like being in hell  then it's a matter of life or [Music] death Mo Oona the smoke that Thunders  this is how the natives refer to the   Victoria [Music] Falls the fog  Cloud Rises up to 300 [Music] M on a clear day it can be seen 30 km away [Music]   it's June the rainy season has been and  gone now the Falls have just half their strength nevertheless they cause  a huge spray Cloud all year round on the opposite side humidity Rises  once again enabling the creation of a   tropical [Music] rainforest an incredible  variety of plants and fruits grow here under normal circumstances a mini rainforest like   this couldn't exist but the year-  round spume renders the impossible possible the first European to discover the  Victoria Falls was the Scottish missionary David Livingston he had traveled some six years through  Africa as he first saw the falls in November 1855 deeply impressed he described the waterfalls  as the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in   Africa without further Ado he named The Falls  in honor of the British monarch Victoria Falls [Music] they are fed by the mighty zambesi directly above the falls the  River Course is dotted with dozens of islands some are no larger than a football pitch  like Palm [Music] Island others cover the entire   River and are several kilm long this is Long  [Music] Island home for the world's largest land animals elephants a group of Bachelors to be precise the pyms have a lot in common they are all males and they were all left behind by their families which is normal for Elephants now they represent a family of Bachelors The Adolescents have to eat  at least 50,000 calories daily there are plenty of plants  [Music] here and they find food   on the islands the whole year round  and something even more important water access to water is not usually as  simple as this normally elephants have to   cover large distances for a similar  [Applause] Supply the teenages at   the Victoria Falls have a seemingly  ideal introduction to Independence but the time will come when they  will return to their birthplace   some 100 km southeast of the Victoria  Falls lies the wangi national [Music] park this is where their families  live their mothers and the next   generation of [Music] youngsters a  paradise for pads orbe it with minor imperfections with the onset of the dry  season the water holes of wangi dry up completely then the elephants have  to migrate some of them will come   come to the Victoria Falls perhaps  there will be a reunion with the [Music] Bachelors male elephants are  fundamentally lone wolves so to speak at   some point even The Bachelors will leave  one another's company to live on their own the young males will never know  how it is to have a real family   as elephants actually live in a solely female Society the balls are only allowed  to join the females during The   Mating Season and even then only the  strongest they will have to wait a   long time to be able to return to their  Homeland and assert themselves as Bulls apart from the elephants other animals  appear to have discovered the waterfalls for themselves [Music] baboons they have conquered the mini rain forest for the primates this is the Garden of Eden [Music]   no matter where you look in the forest  there is always something tasty [Music] somewhere theoo normally spread out when  combing their territory in order to find food the Apes from the cloud forest find this unnecessary they rarely roam from whatever they  find they only eat the very best a totally uncharacteristic way of life all of the other animals have to  adapt to the constant changes between   the dry and the Rainy Seasons the baboons in  the rainforest are only familiar with the good times the fog Cloud prevents  supplies from drying up [Music] a Carefree [Music] life but it is not so  paradisiacal everywhere at the Victoria [Music] Falls just 1 kilometer Downstream  and the world looks entirely different there Out Of Reach of the fog  Cloud the vegetation is anything but [Music] Lush a baboon family lives here [Music] too instead of figs and wild lemons it's TR fod this male is in charge of the family the boss  is unmistakable a part of his tail is missing [Music] he has a large Herm and almost a dozen children an enormous responsibility the females require plenty of   food otherwise they will be unable  to produce enough milk for their offspring and exactly this is such a huge [Music] challenge while there is enough to eat in the  rainforest here simply a few leaves constitute the jackpot fruit too has definitely  seen better days what the baboons   have found reminds one more of of  dried fruit it has to be softened   for hours on end in their mouths they  always keep a small Supply in their cheeks by watching carefully the youngsters  learn how to deal with the scarce resources enough school for now  it's time for a break [Music] and this pleases the boss too [Music] [Music] the family Harmony is deceptive [Music] the  food supply here is extremely scarce the   Victoria Falls may be within sight but  the rainforest is beyond [Music] reach   beneath them is the ptoa gorge the black  basil walls bear witness to their volcanic origin in some places they  reach Heights of up to 100 m insurmountable for the baboons the miniature rainforest  with all of its fruit is simply inaccessible the boss has decided to  retire for a while before long things   will become even harder for his family in  a matter of weeks the dry season begins [Music] this is now becoming increasingly clear in  the early hours clouds of fog drift across   the water the African winter coincides  with the beginning of the dry season   the water from the zambesi has cooled  significantly instead of 25 de it's just 15 the hippos don't like that at [Music] all   the animals freeze off Palm  Island despite their massive bodies large sections of the river  have already run dry [Music] the   once Mighty waterfalls are now nothing more than a trickle the landscape becomes ever  more hostile many animals have no   choice they have to get back to  the zambesi in order to [Music] survive as is the case for the elephants  in the wangi National Park [Music] the females and their offspring  crowd around the last water holes The Matriarch has no other  choice she has to lead her family [Music] on she is not alone in making  this decision do of females make their   way with their young they all have the  same goal the islands at the Victoria [Music] Falls The Bachelors will not  have the river world to themselves   for much longer they have spent  the past few days on Long Island now they want to swim to another Island elephants are greedy  creatures the vegetation only   has a chance to regenerate if  they constantly change their location but the decision to  go into the water is a tough one finally one of them sends a signal [Applause] there is no leader to make decisions in a bachelor group just who will one day dominate remains to   be seen and the elephants use  the water to check their ranks they test their strength in play [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] r [Music] the youngsters don't seem to take it all that  seriously on to New Horizons their ability to   swim gives the padm an invaluable advantage over  all other animals while they go from one Island to   the next to eat most other animals are subjected  to to the full harshness of the dry [Applause] season the situation is also critical  for the baboons further away from the Falls now there are not even any leaves yet until now they  are not showing any signs   of malnutrition instead one notices the  large number of injuries on their [Music] bodies even some of the young  have incurred quite serious [Music] wounds do they have disputes  with other groups [Music] and how do they manage so well despite the   obvious lack of resources which  secret is held by the clan boss's family not only the baboons  are affected by the dry period [Music]   a few weeks ago this female warthog delivered her babies they have been searching for food  with their mother for days the young are exhausted now even unusual  food sources are welcome [Music] they find what they need in hotels and their Parks it's Evergreen here even during the drought and it's not the first  time the mothers have been here initially being close to humans is strange but their insecurity is [Music]  shortlived the fresh grass is simply   too enticing [Music] warthogs are actually  omnivores but their diet is mainly [Music] plant-based their example is coped  increasingly more families join   in and who could be more happy  about that than the little ones [Music] [Music] it's late afternoon but instead of leaving  the hotel grounds the family remains they will not return to their  territory until the rainy season begins now everything depends on food and water the same goes for the  elephants the first families   from the wangi National Park Mark arrive at the islands for some it's their very  first time and they've never been   in water before mothers and aunts  keep them in the middle for their protection The Matriarch is always at the  front many females lead their families here [Music] [Music]   food and drink at long last apart from them the islands are only  inhabited by a solitary [Music] bull   he is probably in his 60s and has already seen  his best days he chose to live near the Falls himself just like The Bachelors the old ball  benefit from the paradisiacal conditions and   not only that here where there are no females  he no longer has to prove himself against   other balls he will presumably never leave  the island world above the Victoria Falls again the hippos take advantage of the sunny day they too live on the banks of Long  Island they enjoy the warmth on the mainland the water has become too cold for them a   rare sight as hippos feel insecure  on land in the day time at least this is why the leader is always on alert back to the elephant families the little ones can still  feel the long journey in their bones   but the several days long march from  wangy to here will soon be forgotten [Music] on Long Island the pads and their offspring  are doing fine food and water are always Within [Music] Reach adult elephants eat up  to 500 kg of plants every day [Music] the island vegetation would suffer greatly  if the elephants were not so extremely intelligent countless families have  spread themselves out across the   island the only way for the  plants to have a chance to regenerate they all adhere to the same route   nonetheless they move from Long Islands North  slowly toward the [Music] south in doing so   they gradually approach hippo territory this  is immediately registered by the hippo [Music] bull time to vacate hippos have a great deal of respect for Elephants the time in which they had  Long Island to themselves is over when night falls the Islanders at  the Victoria Falls also come to   rest thousands of birds search for a room for the night they prefer bushes and  trees directly in the river these are the [Music] safest October it hasn't rained  now for months the Victoria Falls   are practically unrecognizable [Music] just a few months ago the world's  widest waterfalls noisily made their   way downwards now the water levels  haven't been this low for almost 30 years of all times the marabo  now have Offspring both children   of this family are already mature only their  fluffy head hair distinguishes them from their mother many challenges now face  the [Music] adults the parents   do all they can to protect their young  from the [Music] heat not the the only problem they usually feed their offspring  with food they have stored in their throat   sack but regardless of how much  the parent regurgitates there is   nothing left in its crop it's imperative they find food water levels have sub decided in the past   few days some sections of the  zambesi are little more than puddles fish have been caught in them they scour the ponds systematically the fish have hidden themselves  somewhere in mud patience is a virtue in the nest the situation worsens dramatically   distressed both mother and  child snap at anything that moves [Music] persevere not far from the maribus the  elephant families are also on the lookout for   for something edible they have to keep changing  Islands so as not to jeopardize their nutrient   Source but the families have a problem they  cannot take the direct route through the zambesi some of the young are so small  that they cannot swim for any length   of [Music] time this family's  matriarch has a very young calf she has to find a way of changing the  island without her baby getting wet as it [Music] were the family has to maneuver several  Stony hurdles they all keep close together   they accept the inconveniences of  a land route especially for the the calf at the same time elsewhere the  marabu family's foraging remains unsuccessful as they are hidden deep in the  mud it's almost impossible to catch any fish   unlike herons and Pelicans maribus are not fish  Hunters they feed onaran just as vultures do   their water search is more show  than anything else but there is one chance some fish are determined to flee the   impending [Music] catastrophe  it tries to get back to the river but not without causing quite a stir [Music] [Music] the struggle for fish will continue for  weeks on [Music] end this marabu dad was   successful under the eyes of the mother  at last fish for The Offspring [Music] for the time being the young are taken care of but they have to depend on their  parents' care for many weeks to [Music] come the old Bull's condition worsens considerably  he can only continue agonizingly slowly his sh footedness has almost  disappeared these past [Music] weeks the old boy is just a  shadow of his former self [Music] the elephant family is still in search of a land bridge the little one can  hardly keep up he keeps falling behind the fellowship Waits  until he reaches his mother again not just the cough  they all have faith in their leader hours of searching have taken  their toll on the little [Music] one but his mother's experience  pays off in the [Music] end she   finally found a land bridge  to the neighboring Island the cough follows his mother  literally on his last [Music] legs they have made it at last despite all of the efforts  elephants at the zambesi endure   the dry season well others have to fight for their survival the baboons Beyond The Gorge  are particularly affected by the drought there is nothing left to eat here it hits the chief's Offspring [Music] most many have difficulties  with the heart har conditions if the   boss doesn't come up with  something his family faces starvation time to change all [Music] this they all follow their leader a raid of a most special order the group increases in speed the  closer they come to their destination the Border Road between Zambia and Zimbabwe most motorists utilize the  waiting time at Customs for a break   when humans travel they take Provisions  with them and leave a lot of rabbish behind the youngsters concentrate on the rubbish bins they always find something here the  adults go one step further bristling with   self-confidence the boss simply makes the road his territory he and his Entourage  search for opportunities like this the baboons have no inhibitions sometimes all they find is  a piece of fruit on other occasions it's   an entire day's ration the boss and his family  certainly get their money's worth at the border post as lavish as the supply may be danger lurks everywhere this is where the  boss even lost part of his tail   the others also suffered their injuries here during the drought the baboons  regularly visit the Border Station   they have found a way to get by and are obviously   more than satisfied and until now they have  never attempted to conquer the rainforest the beginning of December  change comes suddenly out of nowhere it begins with a gust of wind the Weaver birds can sense  it precisely ly and then it's [Music] there after more than 6 months  of drought salvation arrives [Music] [Music] the first rain has fallen but it will  take weeks for the zambesi to flood [Music] again the rain doesn't  mean a new beginning for everyone the old bull has [Music] died the  rain has arrived too late for him   it doesn't take long for his carcass to be [Music] found the giant reptiles won't  miss an opportunity like this   crocodiles usually live on a diet  of fish but hunting fish is hard work for them finding the  Dead bull is like winning the [Music] lottery quarrels are inevitable the carcass will keep them fed for  weeks the crocodiles are in no mind to leave its side almost 2 months have  passed since the first rain   fell but the water from the Hinterlands  has only just reached the Victoria Falls now the spray Cloud Rises on high [Music] again the water now plummets  over a distance of almost 2,000 m   into the btoa [Music] gorge now the Victoria  Falls are once again the world's widest [Music] waterfalls as far as the elephants are  concerned the re birth of the falls are   an important sign and in the nick of time  too as the island vegetation has suffered significantly they're returning to the  wangi National Park it's green there again one last time they gather on  the shores of Long Island it's quite   a challenge for those the little  ones there are no more land [Music] bridges once again the adults protect the lives of   the Cales without their help the  young would be swept away in the current then finally they made it and  will be back again next year [Music] Only The Bachelors can be  found on the islands above the Falls The Bachelor crew is In Perpetual flux  new Young elephants join them others leave the   group and finally spend the rest of their  lives alone a process of emancipation for   as long as this has not been completed they  enjoy their time within the group [Music] [Music] [Applause] the Victoria Falls are one of  our planet's greatest natural   wonders some animals have found a  permanent home here for others The   Falls are a refuge during the dry period  without which they would hardly survive for us humans they have been  a place of astonishment for centuries moosy oron the  smoke that Thunders [Music]

Channel: Get.factual

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Keywords: Documentary, Documentary series, Full Documentary, Nature, science, history, biography, biographical documentary, historical documentary, wildlife, wildlife film, wildlife documentary, science documentary, nature documentary, Documentaries, get factual, get.factual, getfactual, get factual documentary, documentary, history documentary, documentaries, elephant migration, Victoria Falls, wildlife spectacle, nature's marvel, Zambesi River, Hwange National Park, elephant, migration, victoria

Id: TyIqLbA7eRU

Length: 50min 44sec (3044 seconds)

Published: Wed May 08 2024