Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00The power of the Sun drives the seasons, transforming our planet.
00:12Vast movements of ocean and air currents bring dramatic change throughout the year.
00:22And in a few special places, these seasonal changes
00:26create some of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth.
00:35One of the most awe-inspiring events takes place in the vast open plains of East Africa.
00:43Once a year, three million animals gather in a small corner of the Serengeti.
00:49This is the greatest concentration of grazing animals on the planet.
00:53But the herds only stay for a few months before continuing on their epic journey.
01:04And when the Great Migration moves on,
01:07the predators they leave behind become suddenly vulnerable.
01:11How can they survive until the Great Migration returns?
01:23The eastern edge of the Serengeti is dominated by a volcano known to the Maasai people as Ol Dorote.
01:28The eastern edge of the Serengeti is dominated by a volcano known to the Maasai people as Ol Dorote.
01:29The eastern edge of the Surregeti is dominated by a volcano known to the Maasai people as
01:52Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Mountain of God.
02:01It's one of the many volcanoes that have shaped the landscape here for millions of years that
02:07lie along Africa's great rift.
02:12To the west lie the grasslands of the Serengeti and a particularly fertile area known as the
02:18short grass plains.
02:26For a few months each year hundreds of thousands of grazers cram into this corner of the Serengeti.
02:35And of course wherever you find grazers you find predators.
02:45More meat eaters hunt and scavenge on the short grass plains than anywhere else in Africa.
03:00For lions in particular this is for the moment a savannah paradise.
03:05With so much food on offer it's a good time to raise young cubs.
03:26But lions are territorial.
03:31Each pride only controls a small area of grassland.
03:35They can only hunt the animals that come into their territory.
03:38So to give these cubs a good start they'll have to make the most of this bonanza while it's
03:52here.
03:56When the great herds move on the lions can't go with them and prides like this one face a
04:02stern test.
04:05What happens next is a side of lion life that is rarely seen.
04:16It's May.
04:17The rains that water the short grass plains have moved north and the vast herds follow seeking
04:23out fresh green pastures.
04:25Wildebeest are so in tune with the seasons that they can hear thunderstorms 30 miles away and
04:40they home in on the scent of wet soil that carries the promise of fresh grass.
04:54Unlike lions, wildebeest are free to travel wherever the quest for food leads them.
05:03This young calf is at the start of an incredible seven month journey.
05:18In the rain the grasslands behind them wither and die.
05:24Within weeks the short grass plains start to turn brown.
05:33Within a few months they're unrecognizable.
05:36Ninety percent of grazing animals have moved on.
05:40Not a single wildebeest remains.
05:50It's now August.
05:52With so few animals here the short grass plains are no longer a great place to be a lion.
06:03For the lion pride living at the southern edge of these plains in a place known as Ndutu,
06:08the test now is to survive until the herds return again.
06:17The Ndutu pride has four lionesses and seven cubs and already they're struggling to find enough food and water.
06:29The youngest are weak and underweight.
06:45Surrounded by other lion prides with their own territories, the Ndutu pride must make the most of what they can find here.
06:57But there isn't enough food for them all.
07:01This male cub is not only hungry, he's sick.
07:06On this morning the pride is heading for a woodland where there is more cover and more animals to hunt.
07:26It's a long journey for the exhausted cubs.
07:40For the weakest male, it's a real struggle to keep up.
07:45He's trying, but slowly he gets left behind.
07:51This is a brutal world.
08:03The lionesses simply cannot wait.
08:05If they don't keep hunting and eat soon, they too will become weak.
08:10And then there'll be no hope for any of them.
08:13Anyway, it's a brutal world.
08:14told!
08:31Warthogs are a valuable catch at this time of year.
08:34The lives of the cubs depend on a successful outcome.
08:40While one lioness slowly creeps forward.
08:49Another approaches from cover.
09:04It's been a while since their last kill, and all the hungry pride pile in.
09:34All, that is, except one.
09:45A mile away, a young life is fading away.
09:50The kill has come too late for him.
09:58At less than a year old, these cubs are still totally dependent on the lionesses.
10:05To survive, they must keep up.
10:12Only three months into the dry season, the Ndutu pride is down to six cubs.
10:20Sadly, this young male will not survive.
10:24It's late August, and the rains are still moving north, taking the grass and the wildebeest even further away from the Ndutu lions.
10:38With no territory to enclose them, the wildebeest can travel wherever they are.
10:42It's late August, and the rains are still moving north, taking the grass and the wildebeest even further away from the Ndutu lions.
10:52With no territory to enclose them, the wildebeest can travel wherever they like.
11:08But a calf, just like a lion cub, still has to stick close to mum.
11:14The biggest danger is getting lost in the vastness of the herd, as it treks up to 30 miles a day.
11:33Back at Ndutu, the dry season is biting harder.
12:01There's little grass here, but that's not a problem for some.
12:18Giraffe find most of the nutrients and moisture they need in acacia leaves.
12:23And like Impala, they can cope well in the dry season.
12:35Serengeti mice positively thrive in the drier months, thanks to the abundance of seeds.
12:42So some of the smaller predators, like wild cats, still find plenty of food.
12:47This kitten is unlikely to go hungry.
12:55Perhaps surprisingly, it's the creature often called the king of the beasts that is suffering the most.
13:13It's early September, and on this afternoon there are only two male cubs with the Ndutu lionesses.
13:27And they're little more than skin and bone.
13:34What's happened to the rest?
13:40Sadly, it seems others have been left behind.
13:44One young female cub is just two miles away.
13:53She's limping, and the black patches on her face reveal that she's losing her fur.
13:59But she hasn't given up.
14:08She calls for her pride.
14:18She hears a faint call and hurries towards it.
14:21And is reunited with one of her brothers.
14:40Nearby there is prey.
14:42But these cubs are unable to hunt.
14:45They are still too young.
14:46If they're going to survive, they must rejoin the pride.
14:53While she still has strength, she continues to try and make contact.
15:09The lionesses also call constantly.
15:21And listen for their lost youngsters.
15:25Even a sick cub joins in the search for his sisters and brothers.
15:37But there are no replies.
15:52After an hour of calling, the lionesses can wait no longer.
15:57They must move on.
15:59The pride will have to move to another part of their territory if they are to find food.
16:16None of them have eaten for days.
16:18And now the chances of being reunited with the lost cubs seems remote indeed.
16:24It's September.
16:39One of the driest months in Ndutu.
16:42The wildebeest herds are over a hundred miles away, having followed new pastures to the northern edge of the Serengeti.
16:49But they have a huge challenge of their own to face.
16:54They must cross the Mara River.
16:58Over several days, the herds crowd together at the water's edge.
17:16The adults seem to sense a hidden danger.
17:25But the numbers keep piling up on the river's edge, and ultimately they face the danger together.
17:35The crocodiles are spoilt for choice.
17:50But they can only take one victim at a time.
17:56There is safety in numbers here.
18:23And most of the wildebeest make it across to the grasslands beyond.
18:37Back in the south, the Ndutu plains are tinder-dry.
18:42Seed and insect eaters can scratch a living, and the smaller cats like Serval that hunt them can still find plenty to eat.
18:57And a cheetah mother is managing to keep her cubs fit and healthy on the small antelope that remain.
19:12It's now October, the peak of the dry season, and the Ndutu pride are resting in the heat of the day.
19:32In a bizarre twist of fate, one of the two male cubs has died.
19:39But amazingly, the lost female with the black face patches has found her way back.
19:45She's still weak, and clearly hasn't eaten for days.
19:58Meanwhile, it's getting hotter.
20:07Just when it seems life couldn't get any worse, it does.
20:32Flames race across the Ndutu pride territory, burning the last of the grass and any remaining bush cover.
21:02At first glance, there's little left here.
21:20Yet animals like Impala quickly return to investigate.
21:24The Impala's world has changed beyond recognition.
21:30There's nowhere left to hide.
21:37The Ndutu pride has also lost the cover they use for hunting.
21:44The young female may have survived her first fire, but her chances of a meal have fallen even lower.
21:51For the cheetah family, the fire is not such bad news.
22:07As their prey can actually become easier to find.
22:12The steamboch relies on blending into its surroundings and sitting still to avoid being spotted.
22:24But in this emptiness, its camouflage is useless.
22:29It's a sitting target.
22:36And apparently unaware of the approaching danger.
22:41It's a little bit of a
23:11I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do.
23:25Larger prey, like Grant's gazelle,
23:28are constantly on the lookout for danger
23:31and easily see the Ndutu pride in the distance.
23:34The task for the hunters now seems virtually impossible.
23:52But they do have one advantage.
23:56There are four lionesses,
23:58and they've been hunting together for years.
24:04It'll be hard to get close to the warthogs.
24:12But if they can split up and attack on two sides,
24:16they may stand a chance.
24:21This is how a young lioness learns.
24:24As ever, teamwork is critical.
24:36In a well-practiced routine,
24:43a lioness moves round to block the warthogs' escape.
24:53Aloha.
24:56In a well-practiced routine,
24:58a lioness moves round to block the warthogs' escape.
25:01the warthogs escape.
25:27As one is flushed into the open,
25:29the flanking lioness rushes in for the kill.
25:42Warthogs are a favorite food.
25:45It's a welcome feast enjoyed by all.
25:49At the toughest of times,
25:51the lionesses have provided for the cubs.
25:54But it's an unpredictable year in more ways than one.
26:08For the first time in 40 years,
26:11the sleeping mountain of God,
26:13Ol Doinyo Lenggai,
26:15awakens.
26:17Which Lou È
26:19in the water?
26:20It's just this way.
26:21The wind has moved in
26:22the sea.
26:23For the first time in the sea.
26:24The extinction of thechętakes
26:25is to burn the CNBs.
26:26The moon, the sky is reached in the sea.
26:27The stars are apparently nowhere.
26:28They cannot live in the sea.
26:29They cannot believe.
26:30What they will burn the sea.
26:31The sun is here to find the sky.
26:32The sea of the sea.
26:33The atmosphere will appear in the sea.
26:35Vast clouds of volcanic ash drift towards the short grass plains
26:48and the home of the Ndutu pride lands.
26:57Ravaged by fire, scorched by the sun,
27:01the plains now become shrouded in a layer of ash.
27:05It's November, and the rains that would bring the return of the grass
27:20and the herds are now overdue.
27:23The Ndutu lionesses rest in the intense heat,
27:34and the cubs' batteries are now running very low.
27:41But the winds are changing, a sign that the season is turning.
27:47The wildebeest seem to know what's about to happen.
28:01They begin heading south.
28:06One and a half million wildebeest start their journey back to the short grass plains.
28:12The great migration of the wildebeest is one of the longest treks of any land animal on our planet.
28:31As they follow the rains around the Serengeti, many will travel over a thousand miles.
28:43But there's no guarantee that these wildebeest will return to the territory of the Ndutu pride.
28:49They will feed only where the best grasses grow.
28:50All that's needed now is rain.
28:51All that's needed now is rain.
28:56I love the rain.
28:56They will feed only where the best grasses grow.
29:06All that's needed now is rain.
29:09Word me själv.
29:20I am a dog owners.
29:51For the Ndutu pride, rain brings hope, but how long will it take for the grass to grow and the herds to return?
30:21For the Ndutu pride, rain brings hope, but how long will it take for the Ndutu pride?
30:31For the Ndutu pride, rain brings hope, but how long will it take for the Ndutu pride?
30:41For the Ndutu pride, rain brings hope, but how long will it take for the Ndutu pride?
30:51For the Ndutu pride, rain brings hope, but how long will it take for the Ndutu pride?
31:01For the Ndutu pride, rain brings hope, but how long will it take for the Ndutu pride?
31:21Within a matter of days, fresh grass transforms the arid plains into the lush pastures that will lure the herds to return.
31:31It's December and the migrating herds start to arrive at the northern boundary of the short grass plains, just 30 miles from the Ndutu lines.
31:49Ndutu lines
31:52After seven months away, the herd is returning.
32:16After seven months away, the herd is returning.
32:22Stretching back some 25 miles, it will take weeks for all the wildebeest to arrive.
32:46And nothing will stop them now.
32:49The mountain of God chooses this moment to throw up a column of ash 15,000 meters into the air.
33:12But the link between this ash and these herds is more than a mere coincidence.
33:29For this ash is rich in minerals, and over several million years, as volcanoes in the Great Rift have erupted, layer upon layer of ash has fertilized the ground, creating this uniquely fertile grassland.
33:51It's this that draws animals from all over the Serengeti.
33:59The ash also discourages the growth of trees.
34:09So on these plains that might otherwise be covered in woodland, little grows except grass.
34:15It's possibly the best grazing land in all of Africa.
34:28And probably the only place where one and a half million wildebeest could feed together.
34:40In the northern half, the short grass plains have once again grown together.
34:42In the northern half, the short grass plains have once again grown together.
34:44a savannah paradise.
35:07The conditions are so good that the wildebeest also use these plains for another important purpose.
35:22The females are carrying the next generation, and they've come here to carve.
35:31It only takes seconds.
35:59Some calves are on their feet in just two minutes.
36:04Others take a little longer.
36:10Then they're good to go.
36:24Phosphorus and calcium in the volcanic ash pass through the grass, into the mother's milk, and into the growing calves.
36:43Nowhere else on their epic journey could young wildebeest get such a good start in life.
36:50In just two to three weeks, over half a million wildebeest calves are born here.
37:11And of course, this provides an irresistible opportunity for all of Africa's top predators.
37:21This is boom time for meat eaters.
37:26The undutu lions to the south have yet to enjoy this feast.
37:32But this cheetah family now has an endless supply of fresh meat.
37:37There is certainly enough to feed the six cubs.
37:52The us.
38:06The us...
38:13She'll make a kill every day to keep her cubs properly fed.
38:43And it's not just wildebeest the predators have come to eat.
38:50Many of Africa's antelope are here, too.
38:56Eland, Africa's largest.
39:01And they're joined by more than half a million Thompson and Grant's gazelles.
39:09And 200,000 zebra.
39:13Just north of the Ndutu lion territory,
39:22these lions are now lucky enough to enjoy a time of plenty.
39:29A favorite lion ploy is to wait by waterholes,
39:32knowing that the herd will ultimately have to drink.
39:43A little bit, not at all.
39:45At least, there's a number of lions that are not going to do.
39:49Are we gonna come to assist you?
39:51Are we going to?
39:52Are we going to meet you and in the near fight?
39:54Are we going to walk you and in the near future?
39:55Are we going to be doing something?
39:57Do we?
39:58Do we have time for help?
39:58So, is that you?
39:59Are we going to be able to keep it?
40:01If you have to be able to get to the top of the sun?
40:02Go to the top of the top of the next 100m.
40:03Let's go.
40:05I'll try.
40:06As the herds move further south they at last enter the homeland of the
40:36Undutu Pride. The question is, have the weak cubs managed to survive to witness the great return?
40:56The Undutu Pride is still together. They're healthy and strong.
41:01Somehow they've managed to make it through the long dry season and the endless wait for
41:11the returning herds. The young male now has the beginnings of a mane. And though still
41:20limping, the female has grown new fur over her black patches.
41:32Now at last, with endless food around them, the lion cubs have the time and the energy to play.
41:47And they can relax in a way that only lions know how.
42:09By March, the great event on the Undutu Plains is in full swing. And where there are kills,
42:28there are scavengers.
42:31Vultures fly in from all over the Serengeti.
42:35On her own, a mother cheetah has little chance of keeping this mob off her kill.
42:52She may be agile, but she lacks the necessary brute force.
43:04Even now, it's not easy raising cheetah cubs.
43:09Over half her kills will be stolen by thieves.
43:12Spotted hyenas are notorious scavengers, and they arrive in force.
43:28Hyenas now become the most numerous carnivores on the Undutu Plains.
43:34They'll even take on a lion pride.
43:42As the Undutu lions finish off a wildebeest, the hyena clans gather around, trying to intimidate them.
44:03The young male cub faces up to them.
44:05He's finally coming of age. He's learning how to protect a pride.
44:27But this time, with their bellies full, the pride decide the bones aren't worth the hassle.
44:35The young cubs are beginning to look more like adults.
44:45Well fed at last, the two young cubs are beginning to look more like adults.
44:54But it will be another six months before they can hunt on their own.
45:05It's April, and there's a flurry of excitement as the wildebeest turn their attention to courting.
45:15The young bulls nimble up for the rut when they will have to fight for the right to mate with a female.
45:27Or at least the males do.
45:29The young bulls nimble up for the rut when they will have to fight for the right to mate with a female.
45:35High spirits are infectious.
45:57In three months, the young calves become boisterous and bounce with good health.
46:02These plains have been a nursery.
46:26But change is in the air.
46:28The season is turning again.
46:44The arrival of seed-eating quillia is a sign that the grass on the Indutu Plains is changing.
46:58Once the grass flowers and sets seed, it loses the succulent green leaves that the wildebeest prefer.
47:18It's time for them to move on again.
47:31To follow the distant storms that are now rumbling to the north.
47:36Despite the arduous journey that lies ahead, a wildebeest calf in the Serengeti still has a better chance of surviving its first year than a lion calf.
47:51The great migration is leaving Undutu, and once again, the pride will have to face life without the herds.
48:05A brother and sister have survived an eventful year that has brought sickness and drought, fires and volcanic eruptions.
48:17Theirs is just one of countless stories that unfold every year on the short grass plains.
48:28The grasslands at the center of this great event.
48:31All in the shadow of the mountain of God.
48:50Exploring Britain's secret seas here on BBC HD this evening at 20 past one.
48:56But first, there's comedy headed your way next from Stuart Lee.
49:01There could be a family head body that would be remembered, but it's not from Ursula Gee.
49:05If there's anything thatospatialys ==
49:16The