DEEP IN THE KALAHARI DESERT, AN OASIS OF LIFE ABOUNDS.
IT’S A PLACE STEEPED IN HISTORY,
FROM EARLY CIVILIZATIONS TO MYTHOLOGICAL ROCK ENGRAVINGS.
GLITTERING CITIES NOW STAND
WHERE EXPLORERS ONCE TREKKED ON FOOT.
AND WATER CHANNELS SURGE THROUGH PARCHED SAND
WHERE FISH EAGLES STILL SOAR.
THE DESERT ERUPTS INTO AN EXPLOSION OF LIFE...
AS MODERN AIRCRAFT GLIDE IN
AND TOURISTS HAVE THE BEST SAFARI ON EARTH.
FROM THUNDERING HERDS OF ANIMALS,
TO FLOCKS OF MIGRATORY BIRDS,
THIS IS THE WILD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF BOTSWANA.
♪
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST UNFORGIVING
AND DESOLATE PLACES ON EARTH.
♪
THE KALAHARI DESERT.
IT HARBORS THE LARGEST SAND BASIN IN THE WORLD,
WHICH SPANS 460,000 SQUARE MILES.
THE BASIN IS SO VAST;
IT EXTENDS THROUGH ABOUT
20 DEGREES OF LATITUDE,
AND CUTS ACROSS
SIX AFRICAN COUNTRIES.
GEMSTONES BUILT
THE COUNTRY OF BOTSWANA,
AND ONE LIFE-GIVING TREASURE CONTINUES TO SHAPE ITS CULTURE.
FOR AT LEAST 40,000 YEARS,
THE ONLY HUMANS TO SURVIVE THE DESERT
WERE THE SAN HUNTER-GATHERERS.
THEY WERE A NOMADIC PEOPLE
WHO FOLLOWED THE SEASONAL FLOW OF WATER AND LARGE ANIMAL HERDS.
THEY LIVED IN TEMPORARY STRUCTURES LIKE THIS ONE,
BUILT WITH NATURAL MATERIALS
EASY TO FIND AND FAST TO DISMANTLE.
THEY CALLED THE DESERT KGALAGADI--
LAND OF THIRST.
AND THE NAME HOLDS NO SURPRISES.
RAINFALL IS LESS THAN SIX INCHES A YEAR,
AND TEMPERATURES CAN TOP 130 DEGREES.
IT WAS UNKNOWN TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD UNTIL 1841,
WHEN DR. DAVID LIVINGSTONE, A SCOTTISH MISSIONARY DOCTOR,
WAS SENT TO BOTSWANA TO SPREAD THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
HIS THIRD MISSION STATION IN BOTSWANA WAS HERE IN KOLOBENG,
AT THE EDGE OF THE KALAHARI DESERT.
HERE HE BUILT BOTSWANA’S FIRST SCHOOL, CHURCH, CLINIC,
AND FOUR-CORNERED HOUSE
IN 1847.
IT WAS THE SITE OF A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
AT THE HEIGHT OF A DROUGHT,
LIVINGSTONE LOST HIS INFANT DAUGHTER TO BRONCHITIS.
THEN A CONFLICT BETWEEN EUROPEAN SETTLERS, THE BOERS,
AND THE LOCAL BAKWENA CAUSED AN ANGRY MOB
TO BURN DOWN THE MISSION AND SURROUNDING SETTLEMENT.
HE SENT HIS FAMILY BACK HOME TO ENGLAND
AND ABANDONED THIS MISSION.
BUT IT WAS A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD
FOR A MAN WHO WAS PREPARED TO RISK LIFE AND LIMB
TO ABOLISH SLAVERY,
AND HE HAD WON GREAT RESPECT FROM LOCAL TRIBES.
THE SAN HUNTER-GATHERERS TOLD LIVINGSTONE
ABOUT A VAST BODY OF WATER THAT LAY IN THE HEART OF THE DESERT.
LIVINGSTONE LAUNCHED HIS NEXT MISSION.
HE WAS LED TO A RIVERBED
SAID TO BE THE CORRIDOR TO THE VAST LAKE.
IT’S CALLED THE BOTETI,
AND AT 1,000 FEET ACROSS,
THE RIVER SUPPORTS COMMUNITIES AND AGRICULTURE
ALONG ITS FLANKS.
BUT IN LIVINGSTONE’S DAY, IT WAS NOTHING BUT DUST.
IT TOOK HIM NINE WEEKS TO NAVIGATE THE 600 MILES OF DESERT
WITH THE HELP OF TRIBESMEN,
HORSES AND 80 OXEN RAISED IN THESE TRADITIONAL HOMESTEADS.
BUT THE HEAT WAS DREADFUL.
ANIMALS TRUDGED ALONG HAULING HEAVY CARTS
THROUGH THE DESERT SAND; MANY DIED OF THIRST.
TO ADD TO HIS TROUBLES,
LIVINGSTONE’S SAN GUIDE FREQUENTLY LOST HIS WAY
IN THE DIZZYING HEAT.
AS THEY CONTEMPLATED THEIR NEXT MOVE,
THEY SPOTTED SMALL CLUMPS OF TREES ON THE HORIZON.
BUT THE DISTANCE WAS DECEIVING.
THE EXPLORERS THEN REALIZED THEY WERE WALKING TOWARDS
AN ISLAND OF MYSTERIOUS GIANTS...
THESE ANCIENT BAOBAB TREES.
THE TREES SURVIVE BY STORING UP TO 37,000 GALLONS OF WATER
IN THEIR TRUNKS.
IT SAVED THE THIRSTY EXPLORERS FROM CERTAIN DEATH.
THEY HARVESTED WATER FROM THE CLEFTS OF LARGE BRANCHES
AND CHEWED THE SPONGY BARK FOR MOISTURE.
ONE OF LIVINGSTONE’S FELLOW EXPLORERS, THOMAS BAINES,
WAS A VICTORIAN ARTIST.
HE USED LESS THAN A GALLON OF WATER AND PAINT COLOR
TO PRESERVE THESE TREES IN PAINTINGS.
THE EXPLORERS OFTEN FACED EXTREME HUNGER, THIRST, ILLNESS,
AND GUIDES TAKING OFF WITH SUPPLIES.
BUT DESPITE ALL THE DIFFICULTY, BAINES WROTE,
"I CONFESS I CAN NEVER QUITE GET OVER THE FEELING
THAT THE WONDERFUL PRODUCTS OF NATURE
ARE OBJECTS TO BE ADMIRED RATHER THAN DESTROYED."
BAINES WOULD BE PROUD TO KNOW THAT THESE TREES HAVEN’T CHANGED
SINCE HE IMMORTALIZED THEM 150 YEARS AGO.
MODERN EXPLORERS NOW RETRACE THEIR STEPS
AND REVEL IN THIS TIMELESS DESERT.
THEIR TRUCKS CRUNCH TRACKS INTO AN ANCIENT LAKEBED
AS THEY HEAD SOUTHWEST,
EVENTUALLY REACHING AN ISLAND RISING OUT OF THE SAND.
IT’S CALLED KUBU ISLAND.
KUBU MEANS HIPPO
AND SPEAKS OF A TIME WHEN THE GREAT LAKE LAPPED ITS SHORES.
NOW A GHOSTLY SILENCE HANGS IN THE AIR
WHERE WATERBIRDS ONCE FLOCKED.
SOME ROCKS ARE COVERED IN FOSSILIZED DUNG
OF BIRDS THAT NESTED HERE.
THESE BAOBABS HAVE BEEN CARBON DATED
TO OVER A THOUSAND YEARS OLD.
A SAN LEGEND SAYS, IN THE BEGINNING,
GOD HANDED OUT SEEDS TO ALL THE ANIMALS TO PLANT.
THE HYENA WAS PICKED LAST,
AND WAS SO MAD THAT HE PLANTED THE BAOBAB UPSIDE DOWN
WITH ROOTS EXPOSED.
WHEN DAVID LIVINGSTONE ARRIVED AT KUBU ISLAND,
HIS HUNGRY DESERT PARTY
THOUGHT THEY LOOKED JUST LIKE UPSIDE DOWN CARROTS.
IN THE COOL DUSK, THEY DISCOVERED BAOBAB SEEDPODS
PACKED WITH WHITE FRUIT,
LIKE MANNA PROVIDED BY GOD TO NOURISH THE HUNGRY MEN.
IT OFFERED HIGH DOSES OF VITAMIN C
AND OTHER MINERALS NECESSARY FOR THEIR HEALTH.
THE WHITE, CREAMY SNACKS WERE A SOOTHING TREAT
WHILE TRAVERSING THESE ARID PLAINS.
AS LIVINGSTONE’S PARTY ETCHED TRACKS ACROSS THE DRY EARTH,
HE RECORDED HIS TRAVELS IN DUSTY JOURNALS
AND WAS A PIONEER IN MAPPING THIS DESOLATE PLACE.
BY 1849 LIVINGSTONE HAD BECOME THE FIRST EUROPEAN
TO CROSS THE KALAHARI DESERT.
THE TALES OF HIS TRAVELS WERE CELEBRATED
WITH THE SAME WONDER AS SPACE TRAVEL IS TODAY.
THE BRITISH HAILED HIM AS A NATIONAL HERO.
BUT LIVINGSTONE WOULD NOT REST
UNTIL HE FOUND THE FAMED DESERT OASIS TO THE NORTH.
HE SHARED THE GOSPEL WITH AFRICANS AS HE TRAVELED.
HIS TEACHINGS OF LOVE AND GRACE WON THE HEARTS OF LOCAL TRIBES.
♪
THE KING OF THE BANGWATO TRIBE, KHAMA THE THIRD,
CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY AND BUILT THIS CHURCH.
BUT IN 1902 THE TRIBE MOVED TO THEIR CAPITAL,
AND THE CHURCH WAS DISMANTLED TO BUILD A SCHOOL.
KING KHAMA PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN BOTSWANA’S HISTORY.
UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP BOTSWANA BECAME A BRITISH PROTECTORATE.
HIS GRANDSON SERETSE KHAMA WAS SENT TO SCHOOL IN ENGLAND.
HE GREW UP TO LEAD THE COUNTRY TO FULL INDEPENDENCE,
BECOMING BOTSWANA’S FIRST PRESIDENT IN 1966.
IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST PEACEFUL TRANSITIONS IN AFRICAN HISTORY.
HE LIVED UP TO HIS NAME, WHICH MEANS "THE CLAY THAT BINDS."
TODAY RURAL VILLAGES LIKE THIS ONE AT MANYANA
GRAPPLE WITH POVERTY.
BUT IN 1966 BOTSWANA WAS ONE OF THE TEN POOREST COUNTRIES
IN THE WORLD.
THERE WERE NO HIGH SCHOOLS, INDUSTRY OR ECONOMY TO SPEAK OF.
IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY THERE WERE ONLY FIVE MILES OF PAVED ROADS.
BUT IN 1967 THE YOUNG NATION DISCOVERED A TREASURE
THAT WOULD DAZZLE THE WORLD.
PROSPECTING IN AN ANCIENT VOLCANO,
THE DE BEERS COMPANY FOUND A RICH VEIN OF GEMSTONES.
ROCKS BLASTED FROM THE PIT
SPARKLED WITH DIAMONDS OF INCREDIBLE CLARITY.
IT’S NOW THE WORLD’S LARGEST DIAMOND MINE,
SPANNING OVER 300 ACRES,
AND STILL PRODUCES 19 BILLION CARATS OF DIAMONDS A YEAR.
IN 2015 MINERS FOUND A DIAMOND THE SIZE OF A TENNIS BALL.
IT WEIGHED OVER A THOUSAND CARATS.
BOTSWANA’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH DIAMONDS
HAS MADE IT ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST NATIONS IN AFRICA.
THE GLAMOROUS FACETS OF GEMSTONES ARE REFLECTED
IN THE SKYLINE OF THE NATION’S CAPITAL...
GABORONE.
IT WAS BUILT HERE DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY
TO THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILWAY AND A RELIABLE WATER SOURCE.
BUT CHASING WATER IN BOTSWANA CAN BE A DANGEROUS DECEPTION.
♪
THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO
THIS DUSTY VALLEY BRIMMED WITH WATER.
IT’S NOW KNOWN AS DECEPTION VALLEY,
THE TWILIGHT ZONE OF THE KALAHARI.
MYSTERIOUS LAKES ON THIS HORIZON LURED THIRSTY EXPLORERS
INTO THE VALLEY’S SILENT DEPTHS.
DESPERATE MEN STOOD STUNNED IN THE DEAFENING SILENCE.
THEY HAD BEEN CONNED BY HEAT WAVES
MASQUERADING AS WATER.
THEIR SKIN WAS BLISTERED BY THE DRY HEAT,
AND THOSE TOO THIRSTY TO MAKE A RETREAT
PERISHED ON THE CRACKED EARTH.
THIS PHENOMENON STILL OCCURS TODAY
AND DECEIVES EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED ADVENTURERS.
BUT THE CONDITIONS THAT PROVE MURDEROUS FOR EXPLORERS
IS A BLESSING FOR WILDLIFE.
DECEPTION VALLEY NOW LIES WITHIN
THE CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE.
IT’S THE SECOND LARGEST RESERVE IN THE WORLD.
THE HARSH CLIMATE HAS MADE IT
ONE OF THE MOST PRISTINE WILD SPACES ON THE PLANET.
LARGE BREEDING HERDS OF ELEPHANTS
REQUIRE TONS OF VEGETATION TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT MILK
FOR YOUNG CALVES TO SURVIVE.
THIS ABUNDANCE MAKES IT A PERFECT SANCTUARY
FOR THE SAN HUNTER-GATHERERS
WHO STILL HUNT FOR FOOD WITH A BOW AND ARROW.
BUT MODERN CULTURE IS PUTTING A SQUEEZE
ON THE SAN WAY OF LIFE.
THE MANYANA HILLS, A SACRED SAN SITE,
BEARS TESTAMENT TO THE DISAPPEARING TRIBE.
THESE GRANITE BOULDERS ARE DECORATED IN ANCIENT ROCK ART.
BEAUTIFUL PAINTINGS SKETCHED ON THE ROCK FACE
SHOW A DETAILED RECORD OF WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE 2,000 YEARS AGO.
BUT THE SAN AREN’T THE ONLY PEOPLE
WHO LEFT AN IMPRESSION IN BOTSWANA.
♪
BOTSWANA IS NAMED AFTER THE TSWANA PEOPLE,
AND LEGEND HAS IT THAT IT ALL STARTED HERE.
A ONE-LEGGED GIANT CALLED MATSIENG,
SAID TO BE A TSWANA ANCESTOR,
LED HIS PEOPLE FROM THE CENTER OF THE EARTH.
HE EMERGED AT THIS FOOTPRINT,
A NATURAL ROCK FORMATION BELIEVED TO BE
BETWEEN 3,000 AND 10,000 YEARS OLD.
THIS FOOTPRINT IS PRESERVED IN SOLID ROCK AND FOLK LAW,
BUT THE SAN HUNTER-GATHERERS FACE A LESS CERTAIN FUTURE.
♪
50 YEARS AGO, 5,000 SAN LIVED HERE
IN THE CENTRAL KALAHARI RESERVE.
NOW, AFTER A CONTROVERSIAL RELOCATION MOVEMENT IN 2005,
ONLY 300 REMAIN.
THEY NOW STRADDLE THE DIVIDE BETWEEN ANCIENT TRADITION
AND THE NEW WORLD POPPING UP AROUND THEM.
SOME EARN EXTRA CASH
BY PERFORMING CULTURAL SPIRIT DANCES
AND SELLING CRAFTS TO WEALTHY VISITORS.
OTHERS ARE SAFARI GUIDES.
THEY WORK THE RESERVE’S 51,800 SQUARE MILES
IN SEARCH OF THE LEGENDARY KALAHARI BLACK-MANED LIONS
WHOSE FAVORITE PREY IS THE BLUE WILDEBEEST.
VULTURES TRAVEL HUNDREDS OF MILES EVERY DAY
TO FEED ON CARCASSES LEFT BY LIONS.
THEY WASH OFF AT WATERHOLES LIKE THIS,
AND THEN THE STUFFED BIRDS WAIT FOR A PERFECTLY TIMED UPDRAFT
TO GIVE THEM A LIFT.
THESE MASTER AVIATORS SPIRAL SKYWARD
BEFORE GLIDING EAST TO THE MOREMI GORGE.
IT’S A REFRESHMENT STATION FOR NATURE’S CLEANUP CREW.
THE GORGE WAS CARVED INTO THE HILLS
BY SEASONAL RIVERS FED FROM NATURAL SPRINGS.
IT’S KNOWN FOR ITS INCREDIBLE ROCK FORMATIONS,
SOME UP TO FOUR BILLION YEARS OLD.
HERE WATERFALLS TUMBLE INTO ROCK POOLS
SURROUNDED BY LUSH FERNS,
A RARE DESERT FEATURE.
WHITE STAINS OF VULTURE DROPPINGS
GIVE AWAY THEIR OVERNIGHT ROOSTING SPOTS.
AT FIRST LIGHT THEY READ THE WINDS.
IF THE CONDITIONS ARE GOOD, THEY LEAVE THE SAFETY OF THE GORGE,
HEADING NORTH TO THE NXAI PAN RESERVE,
WHERE HERDS OF ANIMALS GATHER
IN ANTICIPATION OF MUCH NEEDED RAIN.
TOURISTS REGISTER FOR ENTRY AT THE PARK GATE.
ALL VEHICLES MUST BE ACCOUNTED FOR;
A BREAKDOWN IN THIS VAST PARK COULD PROVE FATAL.
THE GAME RESERVE IS A 15-SQUARE-MILE FOSSIL LAKEBED
SURROUNDED BY GRASSLAND AND BUSH.
WHEN IT RAINS, THE DRY LAKE IS TRANSFORMED
INTO A MASSIVE BODY OF WATER,
DRAWING IN STAGGERING HERDS OF ZEBRA, ELEPHANTS, ANTELOPE,
AND HUNGRY PREDATORS.
EVAPORATION IS EXTREME, AND WATER LEVELS DROP
BY AS MUCH AS SEVEN FEET IN A YEAR.
THAT’S NEARLY HALF THE HEIGHT OF A FULL-GROWN GIRAFFE.
THAT’S WHY MOST DESERT ANIMALS HAVE ADAPTED
TO SURVIVE ON MOISTURE FROM VEGETATION.
GIRAFFES SPEND ABOUT 80% OF THEIR DAY
FEEDING ON THE SMALL ACACIA TREES
ALONG THE EDGE OF THE PANS.
THEY CAN LAST FOR OVER THREE WEEKS
WITHOUT DRINKING WATER,
EVEN LONGER THAN A CAMEL.
BUT ELEPHANTS NEED GALLONS OF WATER TO SURVIVE.
MATRIARCHS LEAD THE HERD TO SECRET WATER STASHES
DUG OPEN BY THEIR ANCESTORS.
THEY LUMBER BETWEEN THIS WATER SOURCE
AND THE DRY LAKES TO THE SOUTH,
IN THE CENTRAL KALAHARI RESERVE.
THEY DOMINATE THE WATERHOLE,
SUCKING UP GALLONS OF WATER IN THEIR TRUNKS.
THEY HEAD OUT ON ANCIENT MIGRATORY ROUTES
SNIFFING THE AIR FOR FRESHWATER.
♪
BUT TWO MILLION YEARS AGO,
THEIR TRUNKS WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST USEFUL AS SNORKELS.
THIS WHOLE AREA WAS A GIANT LAKE.
THEN, 10,000 YEARS AGO,
EARTHQUAKES STOPPED THE FLOW OF RIVERS.
THE LAKE STARVED, AND FRESHWATER TURNED TO BRINE.
IT FORMED SALT FLATS THE SIZE OF PORTUGAL.
THEY LOOK DEAD AS THE MOON,
BUT MINERALS BURIED HERE HELP BOTSWANA’S ECONOMY THRIVE.
SODA ASH IS A VITAL GLOBAL COMMODITY,
AND THIS FACTORY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PRODUCERS
OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOUND.
IT’S MAINLY USED TO MANUFACTURE GLASS,
BUT MEDICINE AND INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS
ARE OTHER APPLICATIONS FOR SODA ASH.
IT’S EXTRACTED BY PUMPING BRINE OUT OF THE DEEP WELLS
SUNK INTO UNDERGROUND AQUIFERS.
FROM THERE IT MOVES THROUGH A SERIES
OF VAST EVAPORATION PONDS.
THE FACTORY PRODUCES CLOSE TO 800,000 TONS
OF SODA ASH EVERY YEAR,
AND LARGE QUANTITIES OF PURE TABLE SALT.
THESE TRUCKS COLLECT THE RAW SALT AND DUMP IT HERE
TO BE PROCESSED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.
THIS GIANT FACTORY IS NECESSARY TO PRODUCE MINERALS
ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE.
BUT THESE SMALL BUILDINGS ARE CLUES
TO A STORY OF A ONCE FAMOUS MINING BOOMTOWN.
♪
IN 1865, RUMORS OF GOLD DEPOSITS IN THE SOUTH OF BOTSWANA
GARNERED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION.
PROSPECTOR KARL MAUCH SCOURED THE AREA FOR GOLD.
HE DISCOVERED A GOLD FIELD ON THE BANKS OF THE TATI RIVER.
THE ALLUVION GOLD FIELD STRETCHED FOR 80 MILES.
IT WAS HAILED AS AFRICA’S OPHIR,
A PLACE RENOWNED AS A SOURCE OF LARGE QUANTITIES OF GOLD
OF THE FINEST QUALITY DURING BIBLICAL TIMES.
PROSPECTORS FLOODED THE AREA,
HAILING FROM AUSTRALIA TO AMERICA.
IN A FEW YEARS, A SMALL VILLAGE ROSE ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER
AND WAS NAMED FRANCISTOWN.
AT THE TIME, THE TOWN WAS NOTHING BUT ONE MAIN STREET
LINED WITH WESTERN-STYLE SALOONS.
BLUE JACKET STREET WAS THE ORIGINAL ROAD THROUGH THE TOWN
AND IS NAMED AFTER SAM ANDERSON,
A PROSPECTOR WHO GAINED FAME
FOR ALWAYS WEARING HIS BLUE DENIM JACKET.
DAVID LIVINGSTONE WAS LOOKING
FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF TREASURE.
THE DRY BOTETI RIVER WOULD FINALLY LEAD HIM TO THE JEWEL
HE HAD SO LONGED TO FIND.
THE OKAVANGO DELTA IS KNOWN AS
"THE RIVER THAT NEVER FINDS THE SEA."
EVERY YEAR, 12 BILLION TONS OF WATER ENTERS THE DELTA.
BEFORE IT DIES OUT, THE RIVER FANS OUT
INTO THE LARGEST INLAND OASIS IN THE WORLD,
AND SUSTAINS THE GREATEST WILDLIFE SHOW ON EARTH.
♪
WHEN LIVINGSTONE SAW IT FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE ALMOST COLLAPSED.
HE WROTE,
"THERE LAY SPREAD BEFORE ME AN IMMENSE SHEET OF WATER,
ONLY BOUNDED BY THE HORIZON--
THE OBJECT OF MY AMBITION FOR YEARS,
AND FOR WHICH I HAD ABANDONED HOME AND FRIENDS,
AND RISKED MY LIFE."
SINCE LIVINGSTONE’S DISCOVERY,
THE DELTA HAS REMAINED RELATIVELY UNCHANGED.
BUT THE METHOD OF TRAVEL HAS EVOLVED IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS.
THIS IS MAUN, THE TOURIST CAPITAL OF BOTSWANA
AND THE NATION’S THIRD LARGEST TOWN.
SAFARI OPERATORS STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES FOR LODGES
THAT LIE TUCKED AWAY IN THE DEPTHS OF THE DELTA.
PASSENGER JETS ARRIVE WITH VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
TO EXPERIENCE "THE JEWEL OF THE KALAHARI."
BUT ONLY THE BEST BUSH PILOTS GET TO FLY INTO THE DELTA.
THEY ARE SKILLED AT TAKING OFF AND LANDING
ON RUNWAYS MADE OF DIRT
AND MUST BE ABLE TO PULL OFF AN UNASSISTED EMERGENCY LANDING.
BUT DESPITE THE DANGERS OF LIGHT AIRCRAFT,
IT’S EXHILARATING TO GLIDE LIKE A BIRD
LOOKING DOWN ON THE RICH TAPESTRY OF LIFE BELOW.
♪
BUT IT WASN’T ALWAYS SO WELL PRESERVED.
BOTSWANA’S PARKS WERE BADLY OVERRUN BY THOUSANDS OF VISITORS
WHO TRAMPLED THE ENVIRONMENT AND PAID VERY LITTLE.
THIS HAD TO CHANGE.
SO IN THE LATE 1980s
THE GOVERNMENT MULTIPLIED ALL PARK FEES BY TEN.
THE EFFECT WAS INSTANTANEOUS AND REVOLUTIONARY.
WHILE THE NUMBER OF VISITORS DWINDLED,
THE REVENUE KEPT COMING IN.
IT GAVE NATURE A CHANCE TO CATCH ITS BREATH.
ANIMAL NUMBERS AND DIVERSITY SOARED,
AND WITH IT THE QUALITY AND EXCLUSIVITY
OF A BOTSWANA SAFARI.
THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS RESORTS LIE IN THE HEART OF THE DELTA.
THEY ARE BUILT TO BLEND IN WITH THEIR NATURAL SURROUNDINGS,
AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
IS CLOSELY MONITORED.
EN ROUTE TO THE RESORTS, THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT
ARE ABLE TO FLY CLOSE TO THE GROUND,
GIVING TOURISTS A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE DELTA.
TOURISTS ARE BUYING MORE THAN A LUXURY HOLIDAY;
THEY’RE HELPING COMMUNITIES SURVIVE.
BOTSWANA USES A SYSTEM OF ECOTOURISM,
WHERE NATURE CONSERVATION IS IN THE HANDS OF LOCAL TRIBES.
THE TRIBES LEASE THE LAND OUT
TO PRIVATE OPERATORS RUNNING THE CAMPS.
THEY ARE SOME OF THE BEST HOTELS IN THE WORLD,
WITH PRICES TO MATCH.
EXPECT TO PAY UP TO $2,700 PER NIGHT.
THIS CAMP IS CALLED JAO.
IT SITS ON ITS OWN ISLAND
SURROUNDED BY THE PERMANENTLY FLOODED PART OF THE DELTA.
IT’S THE PINNACLE OF LUXURY.
THERE ARE ONLY NINE ROOMS,
AND MOST OF THE FACILITIES ARE OPEN-AIR.
RAISED WALKWAYS KEEP GUESTS OUT OF REACH OF HUNGRY PREDATORS,
WHICH ARE MOSTLY NOCTURNAL.
JAO PAYS FEES TO THE TRIBAL COMMUNITY,
WHILE SOURCING THEIR WORKFORCE LOCALLY.
THIS LIFTS THE WHOLE AREA OUT OF POVERTY.
AND SINCE THE LOCALS DON’T HAVE TO HUNT FOR FOOD ANYMORE,
ANIMAL POPULATIONS HAVE SKYROCKETED.
SO HAVE THE NUMBERS OF WATERCRAFT
USED AS VEHICLES FOR WATER SAFARIS.
MOTORIZED BOATS TRANSPORT GUESTS BETWEEN LODGES
ALONG THE DELTA’S DEEPER CHANNELS.
SOME TAKE A TOUR THROUGH THE SHALLOWS
IN A DUGOUT CANOE CALLED A MOKORO.
ORIGINAL ONES ARE MADE FROM SAUSAGE TREES,
BUT TODAY THEY’RE MADE FROM FIBERGLASS,
TO SAVE THE TREES FOR NESTING BIRDS LIKE HORNBILLS.
AND THIS IS AS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
TO WILD AFRICA AS IT GETS.
♪
CELEBRITIES AND ROYALTY APPRECIATE THE TRANQUILITY
OF A BOTSWANA SAFARI.
THEY VISIT LUXURY CAMPS LIKE THIS ONE, VUMBURA.
IT OFFERS ICONIC VIEWS OF THE FLOODPLAINS.
OPRAH WINFREY, MICHELLE OBAMA, BILL GATES,
NELSON MANDELA, AND SUSAN SARANDON
HAVE ALL COME TO BOTSWANA FOR A SAFARI.
BRITAIN’S PRINCE HARRY AND HIS GIRLFRIEND CRESSIDA
CAME HERE FOR A DREAM HOLIDAY.
NICKY HILTON HONEYMOONED HERE
WITH HER NEW HUSBAND, JAMES ROTHSCHILD.
AND NO WONDER, WHEN YOU CAN WATCH SCENES LIKE THIS
FROM YOUR BEDROOM DOOR!
♪
THE AREA TO THE NORTH OF THE OKAVANGO DELTA
IS FED BY A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT WATERWAYS.
THEY ENTWINE LIKE VEINS AND ARTERIES, JOINING RIVERS,
LAKES AND MARSHES INTO A LIVING WHOLE.
THIS IS THE SAVUTI CHANNEL.
IT CARRIES WATER OVER 60 MILES FROM THE LINYANTI RIVER
AND RELEASES IT INTO THE VAST SWAMPLAND TO THE SOUTH.
THE CHANNEL’S FLOW IS SPORADIC.
IT HAS DRIED UP AND RESTARTED SEVERAL TIMES,
AND SCIENTISTS CAN’T EXPLAIN WHY.
AFTER A DROUGHT SPELL LASTING 30 YEARS,
THE CHANNEL BEGAN TO FLOW AGAIN IN 2008.
MOST ANIMALS NEVER STRAY TOO FAR FROM THIS LIQUID LIFELINE.
AND THE SAME GOES FOR TOURISTS AT THE SAVUTI CAMP,
EAGER TO GET CAMERAS SNAPPING.
SOME BELIEVE THAT ONCE AN ELEPHANT IS TOO OLD
TO KEEP UP WITH THE HERD
IT MOVES OFF TO DIE IN A SECRET ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD.
ELEPHANTS’ MEMORIES ARE GREAT,
AND THEY SHOW SIGNS OF COMPASSION
FOR DEAD OR DYING ELEPHANTS.
BUT THE ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD MYTH HAS BEEN OVER-PUBLICIZED
BY BIG GAME HUNTERS AND FANTASY STORIES FROM MOVIES.
SOME BELIEVE THE STORY STEMS FROM PILES OF BONES LEFT BEHIND
BY GREEDY HUNTERS WHO SHOT ENTIRE HERDS
TO HARVEST TUSKS FOR THE IVORY TRADE.
ACTUALLY, WILD ELEPHANTS ARE NORMALLY FOUND DEAD IN NUMBERS
WHEN THEY GET TRAPPED IN REMOTE PARTS OF THE BUSH
WHERE THEY FIND THE LAST REMAINING WATER SOURCE.
THE TIRED AND WEAK VENTURE OFF IN DESPERATION, DYING ALONE.
OTHERS STAY TO EAT AND DRINK ALL THAT IS LEFT
UNTIL THE RAIN OR DEATH ARRIVES.
THESE DRYING MUD BATHS ARE DEATH TRAPS FOR ELEPHANTS.
THEY SIMPLY CAN’T RESIST MUD.
IT COOLS DOWN THEIR BODIES AND RIDS THEM OF PARASITES,
BUT THEIR BULKY WEIGHT QUICKLY TURNS FRIEND TO FOE.
ELEPHANTS SLIP EASILY IN MUD AND BREAK LIMBS,
OR GET STUCK IN VERTICAL SINKHOLES WITH NO WAY OF ESCAPE.
AS THE MUD DRIES, THE ANIMAL IS ENTOMBED IN THE CLAY COFFIN.
THIS ELEPHANT IS YOUNG, SO THIS COULD BE LEARNING, THROUGH PLAY.
BUT IT’S A STRIKING EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF WATER,
BOTH FOR LIFE AND DEATH IN THIS ECOSYSTEM.
♪
DURING THE DRY SEASON ELEPHANTS GATHER HERE
AT THE LINYANTI MARSH, ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING WATER SOURCES.
LARGE HERDS MOVE DOWN THIS RIVER AT THE START OF THE DRY SEASON,
AND ONLY MOVE BACK INLAND ONCE THE RAINS ARRIVE.
THEY TRAVEL MORE THAN 120 MILES IN ONE DIRECTION,
SOMETIMES BREAKING THROUGH MAN-MADE BORDERS
TO FIND FOOD AND WATER.
FENCES ARE NO MATCH FOR THESE SIX-TON BULLDOZERS,
BUT MEMORIES OF LANDMINES AND GUNFIRE IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES
PLAGUE THESE ELEPHANTS.
SOME WITNESSED THE CIVIL WAR IN ANGOLA,
OTHERS THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE IN NAMIBIA.
MANY WERE WOUNDED BY SOLDIERS HUNTING TO FEED HUNGRY TROOPS.
THE MEMORY OF RAPID GUNFIRE AND THE SMELL OF SPENT CARTRIDGES
HAS MADE SOME ELEPHANTS EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE,
AND MOST ATTACKS ON HUMANS ARE FATAL.
BUT THEY AREN’T THE ONLY WILD ANIMALS
THAT POSE A THREAT TO HUMANS.
A SUBMARINE CREATURE LURKING IN THE DEEPER POOL
IS JUST AS DEADLY.
THEY WEIGH CLOSE TO 4,000 POUNDS
AND COMMUNICATE WITH BOOMING GRUNTS
THAT CAN BE HEARD ABOVE AND BELOW WATER.
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS GIVES KINGS POOL ITS FAME.
THEY ARE VERY TERRITORIAL AND HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE;
HARDLY SURPRISING WHEN ONE CONSIDERS
THAT EVERY ANIMAL WANTS A TASTE OF THEIR TERRITORY.
AND THEIR CLOSEST NEIGHBOR, THE NILE CROCODILE,
LIKES TO SNACK ON BABY HIPPOS.
HUMANS ENTERING THIS WATERWAY IN MOKOROS SHOULD BEWARE.
HIPPOS CAN CRACK A CANOE IN HALF IN JUST ONE SNAP OF THEIR JAWS.
AND IF THEIR FOOT-LONG TEETH DON’T SLICE YOU IN HALF,
HUNGRY CROCODILES COULD FINISH YOU OFF.
DURING THE DAY, CROCODILES LAZE AROUND
THE BANKS OF THE WATERWAYS TO ABSORB HEAT FROM THE SUN,
IN PREPARATION FOR A NIGHT OF HUNTING
IN THE COOL, MURKY WATER.
BUT DON’T LET THEIR SUNBATHING FOOL YOU.
THE SOUND OF SPLASHING WATER TURNS A LAZY CROC
INTO A COLD-BLOODED KILLER.
THEY’VE EVEN BEEN KNOWN TO ATTACK ELEPHANTS!
♪
SOME OF THE BIGGEST CROCS ARE FOUND IN THE CHOBE RIVER.
IT SERVES AS A BORDER
BETWEEN BOTSWANA AND NAMIBIA.
ZEBRAS GALLOP TOWARDS THE RIVER
ON FERTILE FLOODPLAINS COVERED WITH NEW GROWTH.
IT’S THE END OF THEIR ANNUAL MIGRATION,
BUT THE START OF A FEEDING FRENZY.
CROCODILES MIMICKING DRIFTWOOD SAIL DOWNSTREAM,
GNASHING AT THE STRIPY UNGULATES.
BUT THEY AREN’T FUSSY FEEDERS
AND SUPPLEMENT THEIR DIET BY TAKING DOWN TASTY BEEF CATTLE
GRAZING ON THE NAMIBIAN SIDE OF THE RIVER.
THE DEEP CROC-INFESTED RIVER SEPARATES DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK
FROM THE WILD ANIMALS,
ENSURING THAT DISEASE IS NOT SPREAD TO THE BUFFALO HERDS
ON THE BOTSWANA SHORE.
BY 1853, EXPLORER DAVID LIVINGSTONE
HAD CROSSED THE VAST EXPANSE OF THE KALAHARI DESERT
AND DISCOVERED THE FAMED OKAVANGO DELTA.
BUT HE WAS DEEPLY SADDENED BY WHAT HE SAW AT THE CHOBE RIVER.
HE MET TRIBES THAT HAD NEVER SEEN A WHITE MAN BEFORE.
THEY LEARNED TO TRUST LIVINGSTONE,
BUT OTHER LESS NOBLE WHITE MEN WREAKED HAVOC ON THE TRIBES.
THE PORTUGUESE RAIDED THE INLAND, CAPTURING SLAVES,
AND BUYING OTHERS FROM LOCAL SLAVE TRADERS
WITH BEADS AND GUNS.
MANY AFRICANS WERE SENT TO BRAZIL
AND SOLD TO SLAVE OWNERS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
VILLAGES WHERE DESTROYED AND FAMILY BONDS SHATTERED.
LIVINGSTONE WATCHED IN HORROR AS A STRING OF SLAVES PASSED BY,
TIED TOGETHER BY CHAINS.
A MAN GRABBED A YOUNG BOY FROM HIS MOTHER,
DRAGGING HIM KICKING AND SCREAMING
INTO A LIFE OF SLAVERY.
IT WAS A DEFINING MOMENT FOR LIVINGSTONE.
HE WORKED TIRELESSLY TOWARDS ENDING SLAVERY FOR GOOD.
THE TRADE WAS FINALLY ABOLISHED IN AFRICA IN 1870,
BUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING REMAINS A PROBLEM ACROSS THE GLOBE.
IT IS CLOSELY TIED TO THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
THAT IS FED BY POACHERS
TRADING IN RHINO HORN, LION BONES AND ELEPHANT TUSKS.
BOTSWANA IS A LEADER IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION,
BUT DUE TO ITS POROUS BORDERS,
POACHERS OFTEN ENTER AND LEAVE WITHOUT BEING NOTICED.
THANKFULLY, MOST VISITORS TO BOTSWANA PLUNDER THE LANDSCAPE
TO TAKE PICTURES AND MAKE MEMORIES
WHILE THESE MAJESTIC BEASTS STILL WALK THE EARTH.
THE CONSTANT FLOW OF WATER IN THE CHOBE
DRAWS IN LARGE HERDS OF ELEPHANTS.
THEY NEED TO EAT CLOSE TO 600 POUNDS OF FOOD A DAY,
BUT IN ORDER TO DO SO, THEY DESTROY TONS OF VEGETATION.
DEAD TREES LIE FALLEN ALONG THE RIVERBANKS
WHERE ELEPHANTS HAVE DESTROYED THEIR ROOTS.
IT’S A FINE BALANCE THAT REMAINS CLOSELY MONITORED
BY PARK OFFICIALS.
IF THE FOOD-TO-THE-ELEPHANT RATIO
TIPS THE WRONG END OF THE SCALE,
THERE COULD BE A MASS DYING-OFF OF ELEPHANTS.
♪
POLICE AND PARK OFFICIALS PATROL THE RIVER BY BOAT,
WHILE LARGER RIVER CRUISERS FERRY TOURISTS
ALONG A STRETCH OF 60 MILES OF THE RIVER
GIVING UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS TO GAME PARKS.
BY LATE AFTERNOON,
REGAL LION PRIDES PATROL THE SHORES,
USING CLUMPS OF TREES TO AMBUSH UNSUSPECTING PREY.
HOLIDAY MAKERS ABOARD THE ZAMBEZI QUEEN
EXPERIENCE THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE UNFOLDING ON THE SHORES
FROM A SAFE VANTAGE POINT.
WITH BOTSWANA WILDLIFE ON ONE SIDE
AND NAMIBIAN CULTURE ON THE OTHER,
THIS WATERY NO-MAN’S-LAND IS A MODERN EXPLORER’S DREAM.
BY SUNDOWN BOAT CAPTAINS FIND MOORING SPOTS
ALONG THE RIVERBANKS, TREATING GUESTS TO A WILD NIGHT OUT.
♪
FURTHER ALONG ITS COURSE,
THE CHOBE FUSES WITH THE ZAMBEZI AND OKAVANGO RIVERS.
THEY SLICE THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE FORMING NATURAL BORDERS
AT THE MEETING POINT OF FOUR COUNTRIES.
THE CONVERGENCE OF THESE RIVERS
PRODUCES A FLOW OF WATER SO GREAT,
IT TRUMPS THE COMBINED FLOW
OF ALL OTHER RIVERS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.
BUT THERE ARE NO BRIDGES.
YOU NEED A BOAT TO CROSS THESE BORDERS.
THE KAZUNGULA FERRY TRANSPORTS VEHICLES
BETWEEN ZAMBIA AND BOTSWANA.
THE VERY FIRST FERRY WAS BUILT FROM SCRAP METAL
SALVAGED FROM A PAPYRUS-CUTTING MACHINE.
THE LONG GRASS STRANDS OF PAPYRUS GROW NATURALLY HERE
BUT CAN CHOKE UP WATERWAYS,
MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR BOATS TO NAVIGATE THE RIVER.
BUT HERE AT KAZUNGULA, THE WATER RUNS DEEP AND TRUE.
TRAVELERS HEADING SOUTH USE THIS ENTRY POINT
TO VISIT THE TOWN OF KASANE.
THERE ARE NO FENCES BETWEEN KASANE
AND THE SURROUNDING GAME PARKS.
SO IT’S NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE AN ELEPHANT OR HIPPO
WANDERING THROUGH THE TOWN.
AND IT’S ALWAYS OPEN TO TOURISTS,
ESPECIALLY WORLD FAMOUS ACTORS.
IN THE 1970s,
FILM STARS ELIZABETH TAYLOR AND RICHARD BURTON
DECIDED TO REMARRY HERE.
AND FAMOUS PEOPLE KEEP COMING,
TO SEE THE TRUE STARS OF BOTSWANA
AS LIVINGSTONE DID HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO.
♪
THIS IS WHAT THE OKAVANGO DELTA LOOKED LIKE
IN DAVID LIVINGSTONE’S TIME.
THE RICH WATER SYSTEM SPANS 8,500 SQUARE MILES.
IT FLOODS EVERY YEAR,
TRIPLING IN SIZE AS THE WATERS SURGE FROM THE NORTH.
A TRIBESMAN TOLD LIVINGSTONE THAT THE FLOODING WAS CAUSED
BY A CHIEFTAIN THAT KILLED A MAN EVERY YEAR
AND THREW HIS BODY INTO THE WATER.
THIS, HE SAID, WOULD APPEASE THE RIVER GODS
AND RESTART THE SEASONAL MIRACLE.
BUT NO LIVES WERE SACRIFICED.
ACTUALLY, THE FLOODWATERS COME FROM RAIN
THAT FALLS 500 MILES UPSTREAM IN THE HIGHLANDS OF ANGOLA.
IT CAN TAKE SIX MONTHS FOR THE WATER TO REACH THE DELTA
AT THE VERY TIME THE KALAHARI EXPERIENCES A SEASONAL DROUGHT.
AS IT SLOWS, THE WATER FORMS A MAZE OF CHANNELS
ENCAPSULATING HIGHER GROUND, FORMING ISLANDS.
SMALL ISLANDS LIKE THESE ARE SHAPED LIKE ICEBERGS.
TWO THIRDS OF THE STRUCTURE EXPANDS BELOW GROUND,
FORMING COMPLEX TUNNELS AND FERMENTATION CHAMBERS,
BUILT WITH A MIXTURE OF CLAY, SALT, SAND, AND SALIVA.
THE TURRETS, AS STRONG AS CONCRETE,
JUT TEN FEET INTO THE AIR,
REACHING ABOVE THE WATER LIKE A SNORKEL FOR VENTILATION.
THEY ARE FORMED BY ONE OF THE DELTA’S MOST HUMBLE CREATURES--
THE TERMITE.
THEY CARRY PLANT DEBRIS INTO THE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS
TO FARM FUNGUS FOR FOOD.
THE WARM CONDITIONS UNDERGROUND HELP SEEDS GERMINATE.
AS SAPLINGS SPROUT, NEW ISLANDS ARE FORMED.
THEY VARY IN SIZE FROM A FEW FEET TO SEVERAL MILES ACROSS.
THEN THE TREES PERFORM A VITAL FUNCTION.
THEY DRAW SALT OUT OF THE WATER
ACTING LITERALLY AS DESALINATION PLANTS.
AS THE SAND IS DEPOSITED AROUND THEIR ROOTS, THE ISLANDS EXPAND.
THE WHITE PATCHES IN THE CENTER OF THE ISLANDS
ARE CAUSED BY SALT DEPOSITS
AND BUSY TERMITES HARVESTING YOUNG PLANTS.
THE CHANNELS AROUND THE ISLANDS CAN FLOW FOR 100 YEARS OR MORE,
BUT CAN EASILY BECOME SILTED UP OR JAMMED BY PAPYRUS.
BUT THAT GETS TAKEN CARE OF BY NATURE’S PAPYRUS-CUTTER.
HIPPOS BREAK THROUGH VEGETATION AND SILT,
CREATING NEW CORRIDORS AND PATHS FOR THE WATER.
AND JUST IN TIME FOR THE THIRSTY HERDS
DRAWN TO THIS DESERT OASIS.
ESPECIALLY ELEPHANTS,
WHO DRINK UP TO 50 GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY.
THAT’S ENOUGH TO FILL A BATHTUB.
AND THIS NATURAL BATHTUB SUSTAINS MORE ELEPHANTS
THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY ON THE PLANET.
BUT IT WASN’T ALWAYS THAT WAY.
IN THE 1830s, ELEPHANTS WERE HUNTED WITHOUT MERCY.
IN LESS THAN 70 YEARS,
THERE WERE NO MORE ELEPHANTS IN THE DESERT,
AND HAD ALL BUT DISAPPEARED FROM THE DELTA.
HUNTING WAS ONLY BANNED FROM RESERVES IN THE 1980s.
THANKFULLY, POPULATIONS HAVE BOUNCED BACK.
IN 1981, THERE WERE 40,000 ELEPHANTS,
AND BY THE END OF THE MILLENNIUM HAD RISEN TO 105,000.
THAT’S 3,000 INCREDIBLY CUTE ELEPHANT CALVES BORN EVERY YEAR.
THEY ARE JOINED BY THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS,
DRAWN IN FROM THE DRIER REGIONS OF THE DESERT,
IN SEARCH OF FOOD AND WATER.
THE DIVERSITY IS BREATHTAKING--
122 SPECIES OF MAMMALS, 71 SPECIES OF FISH,
444 SPECIES OF BIRDS,
INCLUDING STORKS, HERONS AND EGYPTIAN GEESE,
64 SPECIES OF REPTILES,
AND 1,300 SPECIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS.
THE DELTA IS ALSO ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD
WHERE YOU CAN STILL SEE THE BIG FIVE--
THE LION, LEOPARD, RHINO, ELEPHANT, AND AFRICAN BUFFALO.
THEY ARE CALLED THE BIG FIVE
BECAUSE HUNTERS RATED THEM THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMALS TO HUNT.
BUT NO ANIMAL IS MORE PRIZED BY HUNTERS THAN THE RHINOCEROS.
THEIR HORNS ARE PRICELESS,
BUT BY THE 1980s, THEY WERE PRACTICALLY WIPED OUT.
THE GOVERNMENT ONCE AGAIN STEPPED IN,
DEPLOYING ARMED TROOPS TO PATROL THE DELTA.
ANYONE FOUND POACHING WAS TREATED AS AN INSURGENT
AND SHOT ON SIGHT.
TODAY BOTSWANA PROTECTS
OVER 2,500 CRITICALLY ENDANGERED RHINOS.
♪
BUFFALOES, ON THE OTHER HAND,
ARE IN LESS DANGER OF BECOMING EXTINCT.
THEY MOVE EN MASSE TO THE DELTA AS THE KALAHARI DRIES UP.
THE BUFFALO MOVE ACROSS THE PLAINS LIKE A GIANT HARVESTER,
MOWING DOWN VEGETATION
AND TRAMPLING THEIR DUNG INTO THE SOIL,
ENRICHING THE DESERT SAND AS THEY MOVE.
THE DUST CLOUD IS A DEAD GIVEAWAY
TO HUNGRY LIONS THAT MOVE IN,
PICKING OFF THE YOUNG AND THE WEAK FROM THE HERD.
BUT WHEN THE RAINS COME, THE BUFFALOES DISPERSE,
SPLITTING INTO SMALLER FAMILY UNITS.
THEY SPREAD OUT TO ENJOY
THE FRESH FIELDS OF SWEET GRASSLANDS.
MOTHERS GIVE BIRTH TO YOUNG
BEFORE MOVING BACK TO THE SAFETY OF THE HERD.
CATTLE EGRETS FEED ON INSECTS
FLUSHED OUT OF THE GRASS BY THE BUFFALO HERD.
IT’S THE LAST FEAST BEFORE THE SEASONAL FAMINE.
AS WATER DRIES UP AROUND THE DELTA AND GRASS BECOMES SCARCE,
ANIMALS MOVE BACK TO THE MAIN FLOW OF WATER.
IT’S A TIME OF FAMINE FOR HERBIVORES
TRAPPED TOO FAR FROM THE DELTA.
EVERY DAY LIVED IS A HARD-WON PRIZE.
BUT THIS IS WHEN SCAVENGERS PROSPER.
MARABOU STORKS AND VULTURES PICK ON CARCASSES OF ANIMALS
WHOSE BODIES SUCCUMB TO THE DROUGHT.
THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH IN BOTSWANA IS EXTREME.
BUT IT PRESERVES THESE WILD SPACES.
PIONEERING EXPLORERS MAPPED THE KALAHARI...
...WHERE ANCIENT RELICS STILL STAND FIRM.
SOME EMBRACE THEIR CHANGING WORLD,
WHILE OTHERS MAINTAIN ANCIENT TRADITIONS.
AS NEW WORLD GIANTS STRETCH TOWARDS THE SKY,
LIFE CONTINUES TO FLOURISH BELOW.
PRECIOUS MINERALS ARE FINITE,
BUT THE OKAVANGO’S SOURCE SURGES ON.
THE DELTA IS BOTSWANA’S ETERNAL JEWEL...
AN IMMOVABLE GEM THAT PROTECTS THE ESSENCE OF LIFE.
♪