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In Africa's oldest game reserve,

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One of its most threatty.ened
species finds safe

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During a long drought they have
suffered under the beating sun.

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00:00:21,255 --> 00:00:24,057
But late autumn rains
bring relief

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to rolling hills
and broad savannas.

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As the landscape is refreshed,

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Life is rejuvenated
in all its forms.

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This is Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park -

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Last stronghold of the rhino.

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It's late autumn in
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park,

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Until recently,
drought gripped the land,

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but unseasonably late rains have
finally brought relief.

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Muddy wallows and waterholes
pepper the landscape.

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At one such wallow,
a white rhino mother

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has been indulging
in a cooling bath with her calf.

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Now she scrapes the mud
off her remarkable horn.

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It's made up entirely
of keratin -

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the same material that makes up
human fingernails -

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and it could grow up to
a meter and a half long.

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A misguided belief that it has
remarkable medicinal properties

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means that she is at risk
of being killed for it.

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In South Africa alone

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poachers have killed
more than 1,000 rhinos each year

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since 2013.

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But the park has an elite unit

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of highly trained
anti-poaching personnel

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ready to fight for her survival.

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Helicopters
routinely rumble overhead,

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patrolling the park to keep
an eye on its inhabitants...

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And warn off
any potential poachers.

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The recent battle
against poaching

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is just the latest development

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in this park's rich
and successful history

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of rhino conservation.

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When it was first established,

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the park saved the white rhino
from the brink of extinction.

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For early European settlers,

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rhinos became one of the most
sought after trophies to hunt

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in Africa.

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By the late eighteen hundreds,

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fewer than 100 southern white
rhinos remained in the wild.

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In 1895
they were handed a lifeline

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in the form of the Hluhluwe
and uMfolozi reserves -

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the first areas in Africa

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officially protected under
colonial rule.

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Lying in the heart of Zululand
in the east of South Africa,

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the two parks are now merged
as one reserve

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of 900 square kilometers.

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The park takes its name

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form three major rivers
flowing through it,

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the Hluhluwe in the north

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and the black uMfolozi
and white uMfolozi in the south.

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Covering the traditional
hunting ground

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of the great Zulu King, Shaka,

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this wildlife haven

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boasts a fantastic array
of habitats and animals.

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eys.
To the north, great hills
rise above deep vall

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To the south, broad riverbeds
carve through the land.

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Between these stretch
undulating open savannahs.

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In this varied
and beautiful park,

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white rhinos found sanctuary,

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and their numbers grew.

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Alongside them, a great variety
of life calls this park home,

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from Africa's
most iconic creatures -

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To the tiny,
toiling away unseen.

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This is the latest chapter

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of the story of life
in Africa's oldest park.

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In the warming morning sun,
the birds are the first to stir.

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While they have
a peaceful start to the day,

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ier.
others are bus

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Autumn is breeding season
for Impala -

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and competition
is the order of the day.

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These bachelors are too young

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to challenge mature rams
for territories and mates,

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and they spend the rut
as a small separate herd.

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Like all young males,

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they're eager
to flex their growing muscles

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er.and measure their strength
against each oth

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The defeated ram flees,

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and the victor
takes seniority in the herd.

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As the remaining two rams
square up,

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their roughhousing is cut short.

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It's the dominant ram,

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and he's had enough
of their child's play.

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For him, there's a lot more
at stake this breeding season

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than for the youngsters.

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He controls a territory
and a herd of potential mates.

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But keeping everything in order
is no easy task.

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The females
are playing hard to get,

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and he has to repeatedly
herd them back onto his turf.

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Another male approaches,

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and the ram
quickly sends him running.

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He won't tolerate competitors

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and he shows his anger
with roaring snorts.

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As if keeping control
isn't enough,

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a group of yearlings
seems intent on provoking him.

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Like a gang
of excitable teenagers,

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they add to the commotion.

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To the male,
this is serious business.

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He simepends up to
a quarter of his t

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obsessively guarding his
territory and females.

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But eventually he gets a chance
to enjoy a bit of breakfast.

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The Impala ram may work hard
to control what's his,

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but he's a far cry
from being lord of this land.

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That title
belongs to an old lion

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that's on the move
through his kingdom.

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His roars
reverberate through the valleys,

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alerting his pride
to his whereabouts.

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His wounded face

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tells the tale of a recent
battle for dominance.

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The old male is in a coalition

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with three younger lions
who are brothers.

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Together
they control these hills,

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and the pride of females
living here.

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Unlike the Impala

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which are spurred into action
by the rains,

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lions have no
set breeding season.

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This female is in heat.

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She solicits the attention
of one of young males.

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But the pair
is rudely interrupted.

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The brothers and the older male
work together,

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and they all
share mating rights.

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For a couple of days

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the female will mate
more than twice an hour,

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and the first male
will likely get another turn.

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If all goes well,

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she will give birth
to the next generation of lions

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in about
three and a half months.

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While some of the park's animals
are preoccupied with mating,

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others look to take advantage of
the renewed abundance of water.

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In the valley,
a herd of Burchell's zebra

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is heading for a morning drink.

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Until recently,
the drought forced the herd

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toward
a handful of water sources,

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making their movements
predictable to predators.

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The rains have filled
many dry pans,

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meaning more choice and less
chance of running into lions.

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Nevertheless,
mothers are constantly alert,

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scanning their surroundings
with eyes and ears.

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The mares and youngsters
lead the way...

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while the stallion
brings up the rear.

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There's time to enjoy a good
scratch along the way.

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The foal's fluffy coat

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protects it against the chill
of the late autumn morning.

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But under the hot African sun,
things don't stay cool for long.

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As the day heats up,

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a herd of African buffalo

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heads toward another of the
park's newly formed muddy pans.

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They're in no rush
and feed as they go.

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A wide row of incisors

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helps crop
even the toughest of grasses,

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but for now

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they enjoy the sweet tender
growth after the recent rains.

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For the buffalos, pests
and parasites are part of life.

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Ticks feed on their blood,

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gathering in their ears

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and around their eyes.

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The buffalos
get some help from ox-peckers

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that eat the parasites.

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But, like all good medicine,

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they're not always
happily received.

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Luckily the buffalos
have another remedy

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for the pest problem.

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Mud.

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The filthier they get,
the better,

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especially in those
hard to reach places.

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The mud forms layers
around the pests,

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making it easier for the
buffalos to scratch them away.

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It's a cure-all.

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Even in winter, temperatures can
reach the high twenties Celsius.

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The wet earth cools the skin,
and works as a sunscreen.

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While most of the herd wallows,

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some males take the chance
to test their strength

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and establish ranks.

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Only high-ranking bulls
will get the chance to mate.

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This female is coming into heat.

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A senior bull sticks by her side

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to guard her from the interests
of other males.

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She's not quite ready to mate.

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If he hopes
to sire more offspring,

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he'll have to stay by her side
until she's receptive.

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But he has other concerns.

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Two foreign bulls have arrived,

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and they're
impressive specimens.

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One makes the most of a wallow
he has all to himself.

186
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He's altogether too comfortable
for the liking of the old bull,

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who has enough competition
in the herd as it is.

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He moves over
with plodding intent,

189
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but is in no rush to fight.

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Instead, he throws down
the gauntlet buffalo style -

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by assaulting a thorn bush.

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Unwilling
to take up the challenge,

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the strangers move slowly off.

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His dominance secured,

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the old bull rejoins his herd

196
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as they move off
to continue their day.

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For the park's
most famous species,

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herd dynamics
are far less complicated.

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This bull
spends much of his life alone.

200
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With his huge horn,
and impressive bulk,

201
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he's a force
to be reckoned with,

202
00:20:32,498 --> 00:20:35,701
and he's the only male
allowed to mate with females

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00:20:35,701 --> 00:20:37,803
in his territory.

204
00:20:37,803 --> 00:20:42,308
But even the mightiest of rhinos
isn't impervious to pe

205
00:20:47,947 --> 00:20:50,015
Or sunburn -

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00:20:50,015 --> 00:20:52,685
a mud bath
will soon be in order.

207
00:21:02,895 --> 00:21:04,530
Close by, a mother and calf

208
00:21:04,530 --> 00:21:07,633
are already on the move
toward the nearest wallow.

209
00:21:09,668 --> 00:21:14,840
The cow's investment in her calf
began with a 15-month gestation,

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and will continue
for at least a year of suckling.

211
00:21:20,212 --> 00:21:21,714
With a well-armed

212
00:21:21,714 --> 00:21:24,116
one and a half-ton mother
watching over her,

213
00:21:24,116 --> 00:21:28,120
the calf strides through
the bush at ease.

214
00:21:36,328 --> 00:21:38,664
When they find the mud
they're looking for,

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00:21:38,664 --> 00:21:41,267
they waste no time
getting dirty.

216
00:21:45,237 --> 00:21:46,705
In a year or two,

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when the mother
gives birth to her next calf,

218
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she may reject this youngster.

219
00:21:54,313 --> 00:21:57,316
But some stay with their mothers
long after the birth

220
00:21:57,316 --> 00:21:59,251
of younger siblings.

221
00:22:05,824 --> 00:22:07,426
Further south

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00:22:07,426 --> 00:22:11,130
a remarkable family of rhinos
grazes on the hillside.

223
00:22:21,373 --> 00:22:25,778
The mother and her youngest live
with the calf's elder siblings.

224
00:22:27,846 --> 00:22:29,648
They're a special pair.

225
00:22:30,983 --> 00:22:34,820
Almost all rhinos give birth
to only one offspring,

226
00:22:34,820 --> 00:22:37,756
but these two are twins -

227
00:22:37,756 --> 00:22:40,259
a male and a female.

228
00:22:41,627 --> 00:22:44,063
They live together happily
for now,

229
00:22:44,063 --> 00:22:45,631
but soon enough

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00:22:45,631 --> 00:22:48,400
the twins will leave
to forge lives of their own.

231
00:22:52,538 --> 00:22:54,974
With her horn
just beginning to develop,

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00:22:54,974 --> 00:22:59,178
the youngest has more time left
with her protective mother.

233
00:23:11,624 --> 00:23:15,628
The rains have provided plenty
of new growth for the family.

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00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:25,070
It takes a lot of food
to fuel these big animals,

235
00:23:26,038 --> 00:23:29,141
and what comes in, must go out.

236
00:23:32,111 --> 00:23:33,512
Territorial males

237
00:23:33,512 --> 00:23:35,447
frequent specific points
in their territory

238
00:23:35,447 --> 00:23:39,251
to leave their dung in large
heaps known as middens.

239
00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,623
In this midden some of
the park's smallest creatures

240
00:23:44,623 --> 00:23:47,259
are taking advantage
of an opportunity.

241
00:23:53,098 --> 00:23:54,566
A colony of ants

242
00:23:54,566 --> 00:23:58,037
is out to collect food to last
them the winter.

243
00:24:00,706 --> 00:24:04,076
They've found giant grubs
in the dung.

244
00:24:06,979 --> 00:24:09,048
They slowly pull the prey apart

245
00:24:09,048 --> 00:24:11,650
to be carried away to
underground nests.

246
00:24:17,956 --> 00:24:19,525
They aren't the only insects

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00:24:19,525 --> 00:24:21,627
preparing
for the cold months ahead.

248
00:24:27,633 --> 00:24:31,503
A colony of harvester termites
is hard at work too.

249
00:24:52,324 --> 00:24:56,362
They carry and drag
blades of grass into their nest.

250
00:25:19,084 --> 00:25:21,754
Their work rate is relentless.

251
00:25:37,236 --> 00:25:39,805
The most industrious
climb the grass stalks,

252
00:25:39,805 --> 00:25:43,642
and cut through sections
with their strong mandibles.

253
00:25:51,817 --> 00:25:56,321
Pieces that fall are quickly
collected and carried home.

254
00:26:10,269 --> 00:26:11,970
Working like this,

255
00:26:11,970 --> 00:26:14,640
harvester termites can remove
more than a ton of forage

256
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:16,408
per hectare of land.

257
00:26:23,115 --> 00:26:24,516
The grass will be moved

258
00:26:24,516 --> 00:26:26,685
to storage chambers
deep below ground,

259
00:26:26,685 --> 00:26:30,055
to feed the colony
for the rest of winter.

260
00:26:54,513 --> 00:26:57,249
While the harvester termites
carry grass down,

261
00:26:57,249 --> 00:27:00,118
their neighbors
are busy building up.

262
00:27:04,857 --> 00:27:09,428
These fungus-harvesting termites
are constructing a metropolis.

263
00:27:12,231 --> 00:27:14,166
As the cold season sets in,

264
00:27:14,166 --> 00:27:17,102
they add an above-ground section
to their home,

265
00:27:17,102 --> 00:27:19,471
closer to the warmth of the sun.

266
00:27:21,507 --> 00:27:24,810
The rising water level has
softened the soil underground,

267
00:27:24,810 --> 00:27:28,013
and the termites carry the
building material to the surface

268
00:27:28,013 --> 00:27:30,315
from as deep as ten meters.

269
00:27:33,285 --> 00:27:36,355
It's a monumental team effort.

270
00:27:39,758 --> 00:27:42,594
Exposing themselves is risky.

271
00:27:49,468 --> 00:27:53,171
Ants stream to the surface
from their nearby nest,

272
00:28:01,446 --> 00:28:04,716
and they're
on a murderous mission,

273
00:28:04,716 --> 00:28:07,019
.
picking off the termit

274
00:28:36,448 --> 00:28:39,718
Despite the commotion,
the termites toil away,

275
00:28:39,718 --> 00:28:42,454
with no concern
for their own safety.

276
00:28:44,856 --> 00:28:48,393
With winter on its way,
there's no time to pause,

277
00:28:48,393 --> 00:28:52,464
and reinforcements arrive from
below to continue the labor.

278
00:28:59,037 --> 00:29:01,306
With this dedication
and hard work,

279
00:29:01,306 --> 00:29:05,077
the colony will add to its home
year after year.

280
00:29:06,845 --> 00:29:08,547
Eventually,

281
00:29:08,547 --> 00:29:11,383
after around thirty years
of additions and renovations,

282
00:29:11,383 --> 00:29:14,686
it could reach the size
of this mega-home.

283
00:29:19,558 --> 00:29:21,460
As evening sets in,

284
00:29:21,460 --> 00:29:25,597
the termites retreat below
ground where they will be warm.

285
00:29:27,099 --> 00:29:30,135
They'll renew their work
tomorrow.

286
00:29:44,182 --> 00:29:47,586
A new day brings with it
more wet weather.

287
00:29:50,689 --> 00:29:54,393
Clouds blow in,
shrouding the park in grey.

288
00:29:56,495 --> 00:29:58,764
On the undulating
woodland savanna

289
00:29:58,764 --> 00:30:00,432
of the park's southern reaches,

290
00:30:00,432 --> 00:30:03,568
four male white rhinos
graze in the breeze.

291
00:30:06,705 --> 00:30:08,340
None of them is big enough

292
00:30:08,340 --> 00:30:11,209
to challenge
the area's territorial bull,

293
00:30:11,209 --> 00:30:13,645
and they stick together
for company.

294
00:30:15,947 --> 00:30:18,517
Adult rhinos
are immune to predation,

295
00:30:18,517 --> 00:30:21,420
but they're still
naturally wary creatures.

296
00:30:23,622 --> 00:30:28,026
With poor eyesight, they can see
for only around forty meters.

297
00:30:29,761 --> 00:30:35,067
They make up for this with their
fantastic sense of smell,

298
00:30:35,067 --> 00:30:37,002
ars
And satellite-like e

299
00:30:37,002 --> 00:30:40,672
that move independently
to hear the slightest sound.

300
00:30:46,678 --> 00:30:51,483
But wind interferes with sounds,
and blows away smells.

301
00:30:53,251 --> 00:30:55,854
Even a group
of four mammoth males

302
00:30:55,854 --> 00:30:58,256
is skittish on a day like today.

303
00:31:01,226 --> 00:31:02,794
For the Impala rams,

304
00:31:02,794 --> 00:31:05,664
the chilly weather
is something of a blessing.

305
00:31:09,735 --> 00:31:13,939
There's little frantic chasing
today as the herd lies low,

306
00:31:13,939 --> 00:31:18,110
taking shelter from the breeze
between thick stands of bush.

307
00:31:19,578 --> 00:31:22,414
While they wait out the weather
they feed,

308
00:31:22,414 --> 00:31:26,118
eating both grass and leaves.

309
00:31:34,826 --> 00:31:40,398
To help digest their cellulose
rich food, Impala chew the cud.

310
00:31:43,335 --> 00:31:45,403
They swallow a mouthful,

311
00:31:47,239 --> 00:31:50,275
regurgitate it
and continue to chew.

312
00:31:52,477 --> 00:31:54,679
While the females
and youngsters eat,

313
00:31:54,679 --> 00:31:58,150
the ram in charge
is typically pre-occupied.

314
00:32:02,487 --> 00:32:06,792
Mating is the only thing
on his mind.

315
00:32:06,792 --> 00:32:10,328
He moves methoale.dically
from female to fem

316
00:32:16,234 --> 00:32:19,337
But none is interested
in his advances.

317
00:32:22,407 --> 00:32:24,509
He even checks
the herd's youngsters,

318
00:32:24,509 --> 00:32:26,845
but they
will only be ready to conceive

319
00:32:26,845 --> 00:32:30,348
next season when
they're a year and a half old.

320
00:32:35,053 --> 00:32:37,455
The wait continues.

321
00:32:49,034 --> 00:32:53,271
In the late afternoon the clouds
deliver on their threats.

322
00:32:59,444 --> 00:33:02,447
Rain falls in a deluge
across the park,

323
00:33:02,447 --> 00:33:06,017
adding to the waterholes
and pans.

324
00:33:16,361 --> 00:33:18,763
While other creatures
seek cover,

325
00:33:20,265 --> 00:33:24,069
an African spoonbill
enjoys an afternoon meal.

326
00:33:25,971 --> 00:33:29,307
He spends much of his life
wading through water,

327
00:33:29,307 --> 00:33:32,477
and is unperturbed
by the downfall.

328
00:33:37,716 --> 00:33:41,386
Spoonbills are usually seen
in groups of three or more,

329
00:33:41,386 --> 00:33:43,922
and he's cashing in
on the unusual chance

330
00:33:43,922 --> 00:33:45,523
ata private feast.

331
00:33:58,270 --> 00:34:02,207
With his broad bill
he snaps up anything edible.

332
00:34:20,759 --> 00:34:22,928
The spoonbill
will enjoy his banquet

333
00:34:22,928 --> 00:34:26,631
until he takes to the trees
to roost for the night.

334
00:34:51,489 --> 00:34:54,659
Another morning reveals
the northern foothills

335
00:34:54,659 --> 00:34:56,494
shrouded in mist.

336
00:35:04,669 --> 00:35:10,108
The sun is unimpeded by clouds,
promising a hot day to come.

337
00:35:21,086 --> 00:35:24,289
Butterflies revel
in its re-emergence.

338
00:35:34,466 --> 00:35:37,469
They will have plenty of nectar
to drink today.

339
00:35:49,381 --> 00:35:51,016
But they should be careful

340
00:35:51,016 --> 00:35:54,185
if they want to avoid
becoming breakfast themselves.

341
00:36:16,875 --> 00:36:19,144
A Golden orb web spider

342
00:36:19,144 --> 00:36:21,713
has built the perfect trap
for insects.

343
00:36:23,848 --> 00:36:27,719
Its large web is anchored
between a tree and bushes,

344
00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:29,354
low to the ground.

345
00:36:32,524 --> 00:36:37,562
Golden orb weavers spin
remarkably strong webs.

346
00:36:37,562 --> 00:36:41,633
This death trads,p is sturdy eno
to catch small bir

347
00:36:41,633 --> 00:36:45,503
although the spider couldn't eat
such accidental prey.

348
00:36:48,673 --> 00:36:51,443
She is huge;

349
00:36:51,443 --> 00:36:55,213
her abdomen alone measures
almost four centimet

350
00:36:58,249 --> 00:37:01,586
A trail of insect parts
hangs ominously.

351
00:37:10,995 --> 00:37:15,467
This morning, it's an unlucky
fly that falls into her trap.

352
00:37:17,669 --> 00:37:19,637
It's immediately stuck.

353
00:37:21,272 --> 00:37:24,109
She bides her time

354
00:37:25,677 --> 00:37:27,979
before making her move.

355
00:37:34,586 --> 00:37:38,957
It may not be a big meal,
but as long as her web lasts,

356
00:37:38,957 --> 00:37:41,292
there will be
plenty more to come.

357
00:37:45,096 --> 00:37:47,665
But with
destructive giants around,

358
00:37:47,665 --> 00:37:50,435
a lasting web
isn't a sure thing.

359
00:37:52,604 --> 00:37:56,474
A lone elephant bull moves
slowly through the thicket.

360
00:37:59,477 --> 00:38:03,615
The rain has painted the park's
trees green with new growth,

361
00:38:05,750 --> 00:38:08,119
and he takes full advantage.

362
00:38:10,622 --> 00:38:14,692
He tears off whole branches
and munches them down,

363
00:38:16,928 --> 00:38:18,630
thorns and all.

364
00:38:20,465 --> 00:38:22,800
His strong, dexterous trunk

365
00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,670
is the perfect tool
for stripping branches.

366
00:38:27,038 --> 00:38:29,741
He barely needs to move
his huge head.

367
00:38:38,750 --> 00:38:43,354
A fully-grown bull can eat
up to 300 kilograms a day.

368
00:38:45,590 --> 00:38:48,560
Elephants have one of the most
inclusive diets

369
00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:50,061
of all herbivores,

370
00:38:50,061 --> 00:38:53,264
and almost all plants
are on the menu.

371
00:38:57,135 --> 00:38:58,570
And they're not the only

372
00:38:58,570 --> 00:39:01,139
ones with specialized tools
for feeding.

373
00:39:04,409 --> 00:39:08,613
At 45 centimeters long,
a giraffe's prehensile tongue

374
00:39:08,613 --> 00:39:12,283
is the perfect tool
for plucking leaves from trees.

375
00:39:18,156 --> 00:39:20,725
Standing up to
5 and a half meters tall,

376
00:39:20,725 --> 00:39:24,562
giraffes evolved to reach leaves
that other animals can't.

377
00:39:35,273 --> 00:39:38,743
Today they're feeding
from the tops of bushes.

378
00:39:38,743 --> 00:39:40,278
Apnk,art from when they dri

379
00:39:40,278 --> 00:39:43,081
this is usually
as low as they'll stoop.

380
00:39:51,689 --> 00:39:53,524
But there's something
in the grass

381
00:39:53,524 --> 00:39:55,593
that's worth bending down for.

382
00:40:00,198 --> 00:40:02,333
It's the bones
of another animal,

383
00:40:02,333 --> 00:40:04,369
a valuable calcium supplement

384
00:40:04,369 --> 00:40:07,038
for a creature
with a huge skeleton.

385
00:40:17,815 --> 00:40:19,350
The giraffe's tongue

386
00:40:19,350 --> 00:40:22,186
isn't meant for maneuvering
the awkward snack.

387
00:40:39,604 --> 00:40:40,938
Eventually

388
00:40:40,938 --> 00:40:44,142
it can grind away some
of the bone between its molars.

389
00:40:46,544 --> 00:40:49,380
And before long
it's got its fix.

390
00:40:56,454 --> 00:40:57,889
The young giraffe male

391
00:40:57,889 --> 00:41:00,658
will eventually
lose the tufts on his horns,

392
00:41:02,060 --> 00:41:04,462
like the old bull in the herd.

393
00:41:06,230 --> 00:41:09,867
He uses his short horns
in battles for dominance,

394
00:41:09,867 --> 00:41:11,769
wearing them bald at the tips.

395
00:41:13,571 --> 00:41:18,242
His dark coat is a sure sign
of a bull in his prime.

396
00:41:19,610 --> 00:41:22,313
One of the herd's females
is in estrus,

397
00:41:22,313 --> 00:41:24,515
and he's not leaving her side.

398
00:41:28,753 --> 00:41:30,154
As the herd moves off,

399
00:41:30,154 --> 00:41:32,490
he follows her doggedly,
as he'll do

400
00:41:32,490 --> 00:41:36,594
for as long as it takes for her
to accept his advances.

401
00:41:39,430 --> 00:41:41,699
Zebra and giraffes' fur coats

402
00:41:41,699 --> 00:41:43,801
protect them
from the sun's harsh rays,

403
00:41:43,801 --> 00:41:48,706
but, like rhinos, elephants have
no such protection.

404
00:41:53,277 --> 00:41:55,613
At another of the park's
mud wallows,

405
00:41:55,613 --> 00:41:59,250
the young elephant bull
arrives for a cooling splash.

406
00:42:02,487 --> 00:42:05,590
His trunk is the perfect tool
for all jobs,

407
00:42:09,494 --> 00:42:12,130
including
spraying himself with mud.

408
00:42:18,202 --> 00:42:21,038
Another bull soon arrives.

409
00:42:33,651 --> 00:42:36,220
This is a popular
cooling off point,

410
00:42:37,422 --> 00:42:41,259
and in time
a whole breeding herd arrives.

411
00:42:56,574 --> 00:43:01,078
The mud wallow is a place of
pure indulgence and enjoyment.

412
00:43:04,015 --> 00:43:06,517
Especially on a hot afternoon.

413
00:43:17,361 --> 00:43:20,298
But while the giants
head for water,

414
00:43:20,298 --> 00:43:23,301
others head for higher ground.

415
00:43:28,906 --> 00:43:33,344
A family of baboons climbs
into the highest hilltops.

416
00:43:37,782 --> 00:43:42,787
The air is cooler up here, but
that's not the main attraction.

417
00:43:46,858 --> 00:43:48,459
They've come to feast

418
00:43:48,459 --> 00:43:51,496
on the tall grasses
that grow in these highlands.

419
00:43:53,965 --> 00:43:58,402
Baboons feed on a wide variety
of plant and animal foods,

420
00:43:58,402 --> 00:44:02,073
but grass can make up
more than half of their diet.

421
00:44:04,642 --> 00:44:09,313
The new seeds are a treat
worthy of the long climb.

422
00:44:12,783 --> 00:44:14,452
They're sticky,

423
00:44:14,452 --> 00:44:17,889
so the fussy baboons move
with tails delicately raised

424
00:44:17,889 --> 00:44:20,391
to avoid too much matted hair.

425
00:44:25,429 --> 00:44:28,633
A sentry sits high in the trees,

426
00:44:30,568 --> 00:44:35,540
keeping an eye out for danger
so the troop can eat at ease.

427
00:44:39,610 --> 00:44:42,513
They all settle down
to enjoy the meal,

428
00:44:42,513 --> 00:44:45,683
which includes side dishes
of leaves and bark.

429
00:44:55,026 --> 00:44:59,997
When things get itchy, it helps
to have four long limbs.

430
00:45:02,867 --> 00:45:06,203
With opposable thumbs,
the baboons can pick and choose

431
00:45:06,203 --> 00:45:09,240
which part of each plant
they want to eat.

432
00:45:16,347 --> 00:45:20,318
For a white rhino and her calf,
things are different.

433
00:45:23,955 --> 00:45:28,159
They use their wide, flat lips
to bite off big mouthfuls,

434
00:45:28,159 --> 00:45:30,361
but not any grass will do -

435
00:45:30,361 --> 00:45:33,397
they rely
on short tender growth.

436
00:45:37,034 --> 00:45:38,669
The recent rains

437
00:45:38,669 --> 00:45:42,406
have carpeted Hluhluwe's hills
in sweet new grass,

438
00:45:42,406 --> 00:45:45,242
so there's plenty
of suitable fodder.

439
00:45:46,611 --> 00:45:47,945
Here, in the place

440
00:45:47,945 --> 00:45:51,148
that saved their very species
from extinction,

441
00:45:51,148 --> 00:45:54,485
they can roam the hills together
in peace.

442
00:45:58,656 --> 00:46:02,059
For a species under constant
threat from poachers

443
00:46:02,059 --> 00:46:05,296
things are looking dire,

444
00:46:05,296 --> 00:46:08,199
with around five perceionnt
of the total populat

445
00:46:08,199 --> 00:46:10,434
being killed every year.

446
00:46:15,539 --> 00:46:19,510
But in this park, with its rich
conservation history,

447
00:46:19,510 --> 00:46:22,380
there is hope
for these gentle giants.

448
00:46:27,051 --> 00:46:30,154
In time the calf
will leave his mother's side

449
00:46:30,154 --> 00:46:31,889
to father offspring of his own,

450
00:46:31,889 --> 00:46:35,493
and produce the next generation
to roam these hills.

451
00:46:44,301 --> 00:46:48,072
But for now, his mother finally
gives in to his begging,

452
00:46:48,072 --> 00:46:50,608
and settles down
to let him suckle.

453
00:46:56,380 --> 00:46:58,983
Tomorrow will be another day
for the rhinos,

454
00:46:58,983 --> 00:47:02,119
and all the other creatures
that live with them,

455
00:47:02,119 --> 00:47:04,722
sharing this remarkable park.