Wild Namibia: The Survival Battle Between Lions and Antelopes #animaldocumentary | Wild Wonders
Transcript
0:00
heat
0:19
heat
0:27
[Music] wild Namibia symphony of fragile life
0:45
in the far southwest of the Black Continent where dry winds blow across endless sands there exists a land that
0:52
seems to have been forgotten by time
1:04
namibia a land that is both harsh and gentle where the scorching heat of the day cannot hide the tranquility of life
1:16
it is not that there is no danger here but life here does not scream does not
1:23
fight
1:29
it is quiet like gentle footsteps on the sand
1:35
and the herbivores the gentlest are the most resilient souls in this wild land
1:49
where the horizon is shimmering with sunlight a neck stands tall silently like a tower living in the middle of the
1:55
plane [Music]
2:01
the giraffe the most noble creature of the savannah needs no roar no speed only
2:07
height and composure to look down on the world [Music]
2:25
the Namibian giraffe striding slowly through the dry shrublands its sturdy
2:30
silhouette like a line drawn against the fiery sky [Music]
2:41
standing up to 5 1/2 m tall it can observe the entire plane without moving
2:51
each step is gentle as if not wanting to disturb the surrounding air
3:01
the modeled coat of dark brown interspersed with light yellow is not only a natural camouflage between light
3:07
and shade but also a unique genetic map no two individuals are alike
3:14
[Music]
3:22
each is a fingerprint of the savannah [Music]
3:28
giraffes are masters of silence
3:34
they make no sound have no fierce expression but act as sentinels for the entire herd of herbivores
3:47
when the ears twitch the head is raised the gaze is fixed on the distance the whole step becomes silent
4:00
[Music] it is a wordless signal that something is coming
4:07
their diet is special acacia leaves which many species avoid are a favorite
4:12
thanks to their tongues up to half a meter long flexible and rough enough to squeeze through the thorns and pull down
4:19
each young leaf
4:32
the long necks the result of millions of years of evolution are not only to grow taller but also to survive when food
4:39
sources become stratified in the ecosystem
4:44
[Music]
4:53
drinking water seemingly simple is the most dangerous moment [Music]
5:04
to bend down to the ground the deer must spread their front legs lowering their heads through the skin full of blood
5:09
pressure
5:21
it is the most helpless position and the ideal time for predators to hide and wait
5:29
[Music] when the rainy season comes the trees bloom and grow green
5:36
[Music]
5:42
it is also the time when the males begin to fight for mates
5:51
instead of scratching or chasing they bang their necks together
5:57
a larger heavier and stronger neck is often an advantage in gaining the right to mate
6:06
[Music]
6:27
after more than 15 months of pregnancy one of the longest pregnancies in herbivores the mother giraffe gives
6:33
birth to a calf by letting it fall from a height of nearly 2 m to the ground
6:44
[Music] the first fall in its life is also the
6:49
first test of life [Music]
6:55
tall calm it seems that giraffes are never in a hurry
7:04
but it is that steadiness that has carried them through millions of years of change like a quiet note in the
7:09
survival music of the savannah [Music]
7:18
on the dry land where there are no trees or cliffs to hide the only thing that helps them survive is themselves and
7:25
their herd [Music]
7:34
zebras the mobile stripes of the savannah are living symbols of order in a chaotic world
7:44
[Music]
7:51
the plain zebra one of Africa's most recognizable creatures is characterized by its black and white striped coat that
7:58
resembles a moving abstract painting
8:05
[Music] each individual is a unique design of
8:11
nature no two zebras have exactly the same stripes
8:21
not only do these stripes distinguish individuals they also help camouflage the herd from predators
8:28
[Music]
8:36
when they move in groups the stripes intertwine to create an optical illusion that confuses the ability of lions or
8:43
hyenas to locate their targets [Music]
8:53
they are not as fast as antelopes not as tall as giraffes nor as strong as elephants
9:06
but they have something that many species do not have discipline and solidarity
9:13
[Music] a herd of zebras is a unified unit each
9:19
turn of the head each stomp of the feet is a warning or a sign
9:24
[Music]
9:37
breeding occurs year round but is usually concentrated at the beginning of the rainy season when food is more
9:43
abundant and the young have a better chance of survival
9:57
foss are born standing for a few minutes and can run with the herd after only a few hours
10:05
[Music] because in this step the weak do not have much time to learn how to survive
10:18
the males usually protect the female group and the young within the small herd
10:28
they are ready to launch fierce kicks to fight back the enemy
10:37
however when a child is captured the herd does not run away immediately
10:47
they turn their heads to look back as a silent farewell then continue their journey
10:53
[Music]
11:01
a short but heartbreaking moment showing the attachment in an animal that seems to only know how to run away
11:15
but not all dangers come from the outside
11:22
when a new male gains dominance he carries with him a silent but cruel instinct to eliminate young that are not
11:28
of the same bloodline
11:38
on the grass still wet with dew a newborn baby is born still trembling in its first breath
11:52
its mother stands close by licking the soft fur dry shielding it with her whole
11:57
body [Music]
12:05
from the edge of the herd the male approaches without hesitation it knows this child is not its own
12:16
it attacks the calf the mother does not stand still she
12:22
fights back fiercely
12:27
but in the face of the power of the ruler maternal love is only enough to delay tragedy not to stop it from
12:33
happening
12:47
they are not the strongest nor the fastest
12:53
but zebras with their quiet attachment and collective defense instinct are a testament to a natural truth in a harsh
13:01
world survival is not just a matter of strength but also the art of unity
13:13
[Music]
13:19
if the savannah is an epic of stone and wind then elephants are the keeper of memories
13:26
[Music] no other species remembers old paths old
13:33
water holes old feeding grounds like them
13:38
[Music]
13:45
elephants not only the largest creatures but also the living memory of Africa
13:56
african elephants the world's largest land animals but in Namibia they have a different stature
14:02
[Music]
14:09
desert elephants have longer legs lighter bodies and hooves specially adapted to walking on hot sand
14:16
[Music]
14:26
they are living examples of the resilient adaptability of life in harsh environments
14:34
[Music] they travel in herds led by the oldest female an experienced individual called
14:41
a matriarch
14:47
[Music] without a map without signs she remembers every dried up stream every
14:54
patch of land that was once soaked every grove of trees that grew after the rain
15:00
[Music]
15:08
when the drought reaches its peak she leads the herd across dozens of unmarked kilometers to find the exact spot where
15:15
a water hole once stood sometimes without one for years
15:32
their trunks are multi-purpose tools they feel touch dig pull water and even
15:37
soothe [Music]
15:46
their tusks are used to dig the ground turn over rocks destroy trees opening up
15:52
underground water sources that many other species cannot access
16:07
they unwittingly become ecological engineers regenerating the flow of life on barren land
16:13
[Music]
16:21
when water appears they do not monopolize it
16:27
other species antelopes zebras even natural enemies are given a share of the opportunity
16:41
because elephants know that where there is life there is hope [Music]
16:53
the elephant's reproductive process is a long and slow journey
17:02
the gestation period lasts up to 22 months the longest in the mamalian world
17:12
the newborn calf weighs up to 100 calors but is still small when standing next to its mother
17:25
the mother elephant along with the whole herd protects the baby like a precious asset because each newborn individual is
17:32
a glimmer of light in the dry and dangerous desert [Music]
17:42
elephants are not in a hurry but each step they take changes the landscape
17:51
in the silence of their eyes there is history instinct and something like
17:57
understanding
18:03
among
18:12
the giants of the savannah elephants giraffes zebras there is a small
18:18
creature seemingly fragile [Music]
18:29
but its lightningast legs and ever vigilant eyes make it the alarm clock of
18:34
this land the Thompson's gazelle the little arrow of the wind
18:41
[Music] thompson's gazels one of the smallest
18:48
herbivores in the Namibian grasslands are slender muscular and have sharp gently curved horns that resemble a
18:55
windswept streak their [Music]
19:07
smooth sandy brown coat white belly and black stripes across their flanks are an unmistakable hallmark
19:16
[Music]
19:22
they live in small mobile herds and rarely stand still
19:32
despite their vulnerable appearance Thompson's gazels are masters of the art of survival
19:39
[Music]
19:45
not by strength but by speed and reflexes [Music]
19:53
when they spot a predator they leap high into the air in a stotting dance a vertical jump with all four legs
19:59
together as a warning to their fellows and a challenge to the predator [Music]
20:11
it is this hyper vigilance that makes them the early warning system of the savannah
20:23
when a gazelle leaps off the ground herds of zebras giraffes and even elephants will stop to listen
20:29
[Music]
20:36
a small signal can save the herd from a sudden attack in the dust
20:41
[Music]
20:49
they eat short grass plants that larger species often ignore
20:55
[Music]
21:00
this helps them not compete directly for food but live in harmony as a separate ecological layer at the feet of the
21:06
giants [Music]
21:17
the breeding season comes quickly and urgently
21:26
female antelopes often retreat into the bush to give birth
21:32
[Music] the newborn calf will not run with its mother but is hidden in the bush for the
21:38
first few weeks [Music]
21:50
only once a day the mother returns to nurse then leaves again to avoid attracting predators
21:58
[Music] [Applause] [Music]
22:04
separate for protection separate for a chance to reunite they are not strong
22:09
nor are they large [Music]
22:16
but their agility and strong will to live have helped Thompson's antelope survive every dry season every hunt like
22:23
little arrows constantly flying in the wind
22:39
as the sun set behind the dry mountains to the west the entire step held its breath
22:52
not because of the beauty of the sunset but because it was the most dangerous hour of the day
23:02
in the midst of the drought there was only one small puddle left [Music]
23:10
and that was where everyone had to go [Music]
23:16
a depression held a few dozen meters of muddy water [Applause]
23:22
[Music] the smell of earth the smell of rotting grass the smell of life gathered in the
23:28
middle of a vast parched land
23:37
and then each species appeared meeting without appointment
23:45
[Music] the elephants led the way each step heavy but steady
23:53
[Applause] [Music] a female elephant led the herd her ears flapping like sails her old eyes darting
24:00
around [Music]
24:08
zebras followed tense but unable to resist the thirst
24:14
[Music] thompson's gazels loomed on the edge
24:19
fidgeting drinking quickly
24:26
in the distance giraffes stood motionless like statues their towering eyes scanning the space
24:33
[Music] [Applause] [Music]
24:40
in that moment these gentle people who never stood close to each other quietly shared a piece of sky a surface of water
24:48
and a danger
24:55
muscle the wind changed direction a few zebras raised their heads
25:04
antelopes twitched their ears [Music] old elephant stopped eyes wide
25:17
but it was too late a figure swept across the dry grass then
25:24
two more then a whole herd lions
25:29
[Music] they had waited all day
25:35
waiting for the savannah to have only one place to drink
25:42
and when the opportunity arose they split into small groups and began to charge
25:51
the elephants roared the zebras turned and fled raising red
25:58
dust
26:03
thompson's gazels darted in a zigzag pattern but one calf could not keep up with its mother
26:12
and in a flash a golden shadow came and pounced
26:20
the young antelope was caught by the lioness
26:26
the lion carried the prey back to the middle of the herd and immediately the other shadows rushed forward
26:34
[Music]
26:43
they fought biting pulling tearing
26:52
a group of lions silently followed an old and weak giraffe
27:00
they watched every step
27:27
when the opportunity came one jumped up and grabbed the giraffe
27:37
the giraffe lost its balance and fell heavily a slow death
27:57
not far away a baby elephant was walking after its mother
28:02
[Music]
28:09
[Music] but suddenly from the bushes another group of lions appeared
28:20
they surrounded it
28:26
[Music]
28:40
the baby elephant's body lay quietly on the ground its warmth dissipated in the wind
28:49
[Music]
29:04
[Music]
29:14
in another clearing a young zebra shared the same fate unable to escape the encirclement
29:33
he was dragged down amid the sound of flying sand and claws
29:39
a pack of lions rushed forward not waiting
29:50
his fur was stre with blood his body folded under the cruel bites
30:14
[Music]
30:23
in a few minutes the savannah which had been quiet all day suddenly became a chaotic stage of instinct and destiny
30:31
[Music]
30:38
[Music] there was no hatred no guilt [Music]
30:44
just the hunger of one species and the price of survival of another
30:51
[Music] the wind blew through the grasslands as
30:57
if there had never been bloodshed [Music]
31:06
the survivors retreated into the darkness as silently as they had come
31:17
the puddles became quiet
31:22
on the dry and death stained ground life continued fragile persistent as if the
31:28
pain had never existed [Music]
31:39
in Namibia life was not noisy
31:45
it hid under the dust of time rising from the cracks in the ground from silent glances from unhurried steps
31:54
[Music]
32:01
and in the midst of that seemingly silent desert the gentle people continue their journey with a wordless courage
32:08
but as steadfast as the wind and sand of this place [Music]
