Zanzibar: Land of Giants - Wildest Islands - Go Wild

it's been labeled the most exotic island chain in the world Steen Sands Azure blue seas and colorful reefs like Zanzibar a much-loved holiday destination for centuries the lure of ivory spices and gold has attracted Empire Builders from across the globe people aren't alone in their quest to set up home here bizarre creatures many of enormous size run wild throughout the archipelago Marine Giants Patrol the Island Shores Zanzibar is an untamed wilderness Zanzibar is a land of giants [Music] foreign [Music] 40 kilometers off the east coast of Tanzania in Africa the Zanzibar archipelago is dominated by two islands on guja and Pemba and guja is the larger of the two measuring just a hundred kilometers long by 30 wide around 130 000 years ago the Indian Ocean sea levels began to drop enormous fossilized coral reefs were revealed giving birth to Zanzibar and the many smaller Islands surrounding its Coast foreign [Music] some creatures began colonizing the island from day one both along with other primates people set up home here more recently two thousand years ago settlers arrived along Zanzibar Shores living simple lives governed by the tides ever since the islands have been a trade Hub between Mainland Africa and Asia and the population has risen to around 1 million but Zanzibar still has a wild side and as the tides come and go the Island's giant creatures reveal themselves [Applause] nothing looks more tranquil than warm tropical waves lapping over a white Sandy Shore however on zanzibar's beaches there's far more than meets the eye thank you some of the Island's earliest colonizers came ashore in search of food long before the arrival of man and they never left [Music] at low tide shore-dwelling crabs have important jobs to do Excavating and maintaining Burrows Burns lots of energy algae and fungus scraped off filtered sand particles forms the bulk of this crab's diet feeding is a production line process leaving Sand pellets dotted along the shore foreign black herons are also on the lookout for a meal [Music] although the crabs take cover [Music] this bird has bigger fish to fry for one species meal times prove a little more challenging than for others adult male fiddler crabs have an oversized claw it's the violin playing motion they make while eating that has given rise to their name [Music] foreign female fiddler crabs are better balanced than males and cause quite a stir whenever they Venture among the boys [Music] this frantic waving is all about catching the eye of a passing lady [Music] the faster the Rhythm the better the chance of being noticed and out doing the competition [Music] thank you females prefer fast waivers and this male has struck the right cord as his Conquest enters his borrow not all mating is a private affair some females prefer using the safety of their own Burrows to incubate their eggs [Music] [Music] for male fiddler crabs size also matters when it comes to protecting territory [Music] shows of strength like these deter Neighbors from cramping their style and also keep potential squatters at Bay [Music] as the new tide approaches it's a scramble to retreat to safety Underground those who've wandered too far from their Burrows muscle in on someone else's hard-earned home foreign the Turning of zanzibar's Tides governs the lives of many creatures but certain life forms have set up permanent home on dry land [Music] at just a kilometer long and 300 meters wide zanzibar's chumbai Island reveals the fossilized coral that forms the Region's bedrock devoid of soil chumbay's Forest is home to a highly specialized plant community that survives without any groundwater [Music] giant Roots spread out in all directions and smaller species cling to any surface they can [Music] many plants and trees get their water from the humid air others like The Baobab stockpile reserved during the rainy season [Music] these are the green Giants within this Forest [Music] lining the island Shore is another Tall Tree although these coconut palms fall short on girth at 30 meters tall they match The Baobab for height this slender giant is key to the existence of a Colossus creature that thrives on the Flesh of its seeds as night draws in the world's biggest creepy crawly reveals itself [Music] weighing over four kilograms with a leg span up to a meter the coconut crab is the world's largest land living invertebrate it's actually a giant hermit crab and while it's young it carries another creature's abandoned shell on its back for protection fully grown it develops tough outer skin [Music] it stays hidden during the day to reduce water loss from Heat but at night this solitary stalker heads off in search of its favorite food unlike most of its relatives the coconut crab can't survive in water it would drown if submerged [Music] its gills have evolved to work like lungs although they need to be kept moist in order to function [Music] its antennae have also evolved enabling it to pick up Airborne scents the same way insects do this Forest forager along with others is onto something also known as the rubber crab or Palm Thief coconut crabs are great climbers they can't cut down coconuts by themselves however Fallen fruits are quickly seized upon [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] although the surrounding sea is a no-go zone for these land-based Giants it wasn't always that way they started life in the water a female coconut crab makes her way to the shore she's been carrying a batch of eggs glued to her abdomen for two months at high tide they're ready to be released oh in contact with water the eggs hatch immediately the juvenile Giants eventually make their way ashore they live a hermit's life before becoming permanent dry land residents Giants don't just live above zanzibar's Island Shores beneath the surface of the surrounding Seas lies some of the biggest of all this coral reef is a living Seascape made up of millions of tiny plant-like animals known as Coral polyps together they act as a single super-sized organism [Music] secreting calcium carbonate from their base the polyps form complex and striking sculptures [Music] colonies grow over thousands of years eventually joining other communities to become a reef [Music] some stretch 90 kilometers across the ocean floor and have been growing for over 50 million years [Music] Zanzibar hosts some of the most spectacular Coral Gardens in the world and over 90 percent of East Africa's hard coral species are found here [Music] these rainforests of the sea are at the heart of an entire underwater ecosystem [Music] anemones sea cucumbers eels and an array of tropical fish make this underwater Eden their permanent home [Music] foreign [Music] further along the reef looms another Giant [Music] of the 400 or so species of Ray the Manta is the largest [Music] these alien looking creatures can grow up to an incredible seven meters across and weigh as much as two tons [Music] they lead solitary lives and only come together in large numbers under certain conditions [Music] these manta rays have traveled far to this section of reef for a special service this cleaning station provides the opportunity for a good once over from attentive cleaner fish flashes of blue and yellow advertise their presence the clients happily flood in [Music] but before the manta rays take up this service they need to form a queue individuals size one another up by swimming parallel to the reef [Applause] once a hierarchy is established they take turns swooping into the station each species of cleaner fish nibbles a different section to reduce competition this mutually beneficial relationship provides the fish with a steady supply of food and ensures that manta's skin is free of dead cells and parasites foreign ing sessions can last up to three hours and once thoroughly scrubbed the manta rays head back into the deep unlike many of their shark cousins these graceful Giants pose no threat to other fish manta rays are filter feeders and when Plankton blooms everyone joins The Feeding Frenzy [Music] filtering large volumes of water they funneled a miniature prey into their gaping mouths [Music] a single Manta can save up to 17 kilos of plankton a day Barrel rolling is a quick way of returning to a particularly dense perch of food foreign man to join The Feeding Frenzy they're Suddenly eclipsed by one of zanzibar's greatest Oceanic Giants [Music] whale sharks can grow to over 20 meters and weigh up to 34 tons that's more than five African elephants they are by far the largest fish in the world [Music] dwarfing everything in their wake they survive on some of the smallest organisms in the ocean [Music] they can sift over six thousand liters of water an hour foreign [Music] filters also known as Gill rakers trap any organism over two millimeters wide most species of Shark Wave their tails to propel themselves however whale sharks are unique in moving their entire bodies from side to side [Music] they remain close to the surface and their top speed is a modest five kilometers per hour it isn't just giants that are attracted to these Plankton blooms smaller fish also move in to feed but dining with this particular giant has its downside these fishermen have just received a precious sign knowing where and when to cast their Nets is the key to a good catch the whale shark's tail acts as a valuable time to go fishing flag this small Dugout canoe makes light work of catching up with a shark thank you [Music] their efforts pay off it would normally take a whole day to land a hole of this size Guided by their giant neighbor the fisherman's Nets are soon full as aquatic Giants Patrol the shores on one Island a unique species of primate has taken refuge in the trees unlike most of zanzibar's archipelago Pember island is formed from a true land mass rather than coral reefs and sandbags flying 40 kilometers north of anguja Rolling Hills and forested Valleys have earned Pember another name Green Island [Music] the Region's vast number of trees are home to one of the rarest primates in the world isolated from Mainland Africa for over ten thousand years the Zanzibar Red Columbus monkey has evolved to become a distinct species color and some of its habits are unique feeding is a group activity that begins in the early morning [Music] Columbus and leaf eaters [Music] leaves are highly nutritious but most animals are unable to digest the cellulose that makes up plant cell walls [Music] Columbus monkeys have a solution they have a four-chambered stomach like many hooved animals which enables bacteria to ferment and break down what they eat after an aeroso's munching it's time to rest their peculiar digestive system leads to long periods of inactivity up to 70 of the time they're awake but not all members of this troop are sleepy unlike most other monkeys young red colibus continue suckling for around 18 months [Music] energy from their mother's milk is quickly converted [Music] and while the grown-ups take a nap the youngsters decide it play thank you for an adult Red Columbus monkey grabbing a peaceful forty Winks is easier said than done [Music] alongside the annoying antics of the troops teenagers the process of digesting large volumes of leaves creates an inevitable byproduct foreign [Music] and carbon dioxide are two gases these youngsters will just have to learn to live with [Music] zanzibar's Red Columbus are also fond of unripe berries and seeds unlike many primates their stomachs can't digest the sugars contain the normal mature fruits here on Pember Island is a giant creature that does have a sweet tooth the Pember flying fox is the largest bat in the world [Music] it has a wingspan in excess of a meter and a half most other bats use a cute hearing to capture insects but flying foxes rely on large eyes to track down their meals Blossom nectar and ripe fruit make up the majority of their vegetarian diet these Mega bats have excellent vision and good hearing they're also very vocal especially when neighbors get a little too close living in large groups of up to 850 as its downside especially when all you want to do is sleep but as Nitros in the inconvenience of sharing a tree with so many reaps its reward flying foxes split up in search of food when they return to the roost different scents indicating which trees are in fruit are shared among the entire group individuals now know where to forage the following night while Pember Island's flying foxes help pollinate plants and disperse seeds another mammal causes nothing but trouble [Music] vervets a medium-sized monkeys that hang around in troops of up to 50. unlike the Island's Red Columbus that suck off for well over a year vervet youngster's nurse for approximately four months the School of Hard Knocks starts early in verbit society and this troop are up to no good [Music] [Music] [Music] fruits berries and leaves make up a large part of this monkey's diet but one of their favorite foods is cassava something this starchy tuberous root is full of carbohydrates and is one of the most drought tolerant crops on the planet after rice cassava is the second most important food crop throughout Zanzibar foreign Fields is a constant battle for pember's farmers the verbits realize they've been spotted and scrambled back to the trees [Music] the farmer's catapults and sticks Act only as a temporary deterrent the vervets don't just pose a problem to people's livelihoods one of the Island's animal residents often Falls foul to this monkey's antics they've dislodged a mother and baby flying fox from their tree [Music] unable to take off from the ground the farmers realize the pair need help [Music] [Music] 20 years ago these giant bats were virtually hunted to extinction by local Islanders [Music] today the species is protected the Pember people realize the important role the bats play in dispersing pollen and seeds they're vital for keeping the Region's forests alive [Music] on on gujar island the tide Retreats and local women go to work [Music] the nungui people have hunted along these Shores for centuries they're searching for food but in particular octopus every nook and cranny is checked the octopus could be hiding anywhere [Music] finally one of the group may be in luck finding an octopus is one thing coaxing it out of its Lair is another collecting octopus is a way of life for the nungwi as well as putting food on the table any excess catch is sold to the local market over hunting is avoided by only fishing on the last days of the month tides are at their lowest zanzibar's Tides also support another local business [Music] seaweed is used all over the world as an ingredient for fertilizers Cosmetics even cheese [Music] pegs set 10 meters apart are joined by a network of ropes to which plant cuttings are tied [Music] thank you [Music] the seaweed remains submerged in these intertidal lagoons and takes around two months to grow [Music] [Music] once harvested the plants are hung out to dry in the Sun [Music] Zanzibar exports around 7 000 tons of seaweed every year and most Farmers make around 40 a month [Music] foreign [Music] is highly prized by humans one of zanzibar's aquatic creatures is especially fond of it as well at high tide green Turtles enter the lagoons to Feast on any floating fare [Applause] when young these amphibious reptiles feed on jellyfish shrimps a small fish measuring over a meter long and tipping the scales at around 200 kilograms it's only during adulthood that these green Giants become strictly vegetarian apart from when they're nesting green turtles rarely come ashore however one of their giant relatives has set up permanent home on zanzibar's changu island less than five kilometers away foreign [Music] Ty kilograms in weight and with a shell length approaching one and a half meters the aldabra is one of the largest tortoises in the world it's one of the longest lived animals too some live for over 200 years giant tortoises feed mainly on grasses and Woody plants whenever these aren't Within Reach dried leaves will do this crunchy meal contains very little moisture so our damper tortoise is drawn a special method to rehydrate their enormous frames the fat stored beneath their shells can be converted to water burning these reserves releases fluid during the hottest part of the day and prevents them becoming dehydrated changu's giant tortoises can survive without water for long periods but for creatures less fortunate another location provides a permanent wetland [Music] on zanzibars and gujja Island the shoreline boundary isn't clearly defined small estuaries Venture into forests forming a unique relationship between Land and Sea [Music] mangroves thrive in Saline Coastal habitats [Music] a complex system of aerial Roots enables the intake of oxygen and traps organic debris that would otherwise be washed out to sea [Music] these tidal swamps provide a breeding ground and nursery for several species of fish and invertebrates [Music] many of these will head out into the surrounding reefs and seabirds when adults some species of Mangrove have developed a unique method of reproducing the seeds germinate and become fully fledged seedlings while attached to the mother plant these pods are then released allowing them to immediately take root or they can remain dormant to float further afield [Music] adjoining The Mangrove is the largest reserve of mature Woodland on the entire archipelago [Music] living fossils like this cycad tree have remained unchanged for millions of years a lineage stretching back before the dinosaurs [Music] similar to pine trees this species doesn't produce any flowers [Music] however unlike their relatives each cycad tree produces only male or female seed cones [Music] these colorful structures can be up to a meter long and weigh over 30 kilos [Music] it's no wonder even herb loving dinosaurs became such Giants too jazani Forest lies at the heart of the island alongside the vast array of birds insects and reptiles it's home to two species of primate Sykes monkeys eat virtually anything leaves ripe fruits and flowers insects and even small vertebrates however not every prey makes an easy picking zanzibar's giant carpenter ants also have a giant bite at around two centimeters in length they put up a strong defensive fight this monkey soon realizes it's bitten off more than it can chew jazani's other primate the red colibus monkey is a strict vegetarian it's identical to the species found on Pember Island except this particular population has come up with a unique solution to their ongoing wind problem instead of sitting around feeling bloated after a belly full of leaves these monkeys are on a mission [Music] they single out their target and wait for the right moment to strike foreign they launched their attack it's a constant battle for the Island's charcoal sellers here in jazani Red Columbus have long worked out that eating charcoal AIDS the digestion of exotic leaves this learned behavior passed down from mother to Young is unique to unguja's troops as night draws in another of zanzibar's giants emerges from the Shadows [Music] this is no ordinary rat at over a meter in length it's one of the largest in the world [Music] known as a giant pouched rat it's able to store vast amounts of food in its expandable cheeks its eyesight is very poor but is compensated for by an excellent sense of smell and hearing its giant nose is so sensitive scientists have begun using this species to sniff out landmines and detect human diseases such as tuberculosis thank you [Music] to avoid Predators the rat changes its burrow site every two weeks and this may not be a bad thing a unique species of leopard is still thought to roam these Woods Legend has it many were kept by witches and used to Hound local villagers because of this Supernatural Association the Island's leopard has been hunted to the brink of Extinction zanzibar's giant rat population however continues to flourish Zanzibar is an island paradise [Music] people live by the Turning of the tides [Music] and its isolation has seen zanzibar's creatures evolve and grow [Music] many Mainland species are forced to remain small to escape predators yeah but Island animals have an easier life [Music] abundant food less competition and fewer Predators have had a positive effect [Music] they've allowed Zanzibar and its many islands to become a Wilderness of giants [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] thank you [Music]

Channel: Go Wild

Views: 312,957

Keywords: orf universum, documentary, blue chip, natural history, secrets of nature, planet earth, wildlife, free documentary, watch full documentary, nature films, wildlife films, go wild, nature, natura

Id: 50_oykqdyrI

Length: 52min 2sec (3122 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 10 2023