:00:00. > :00:12.The Here in Zambia's Luangwa Valley, there is a sense of anticipation. It
:00:13. > :00:15.hasn't rained here for seven months. And temperatures during the heat of
:00:16. > :00:18.the day soar to well above 45 degrees. Whatever water is left in
:00:19. > :00:28.the river here is dwindling fast. Vegetation is reduced to a few
:00:29. > :00:36.scrubby bushes and the grass is almost gone. For the wildlife here,
:00:37. > :01:07.life is on the brink. It is all about hanging on for a
:01:08. > :01:11.The Luangwa Valley runs right through the heart of the South
:01:12. > :01:14.Luangwa National Park and it supports one of the greatest
:01:15. > :01:21.concentrations of wildlife anywhere in the world. And at this time of
:01:22. > :01:27.year, more than any other, the river provides a lifeline for all the
:01:28. > :01:32.birds and animals. The Luangwa River flows the length
:01:33. > :01:37.of Zambia for 500 miles. We are in the Nsefu Sector of the park.
:01:38. > :01:42.We have been following the fortunes of the animals that live here and
:01:43. > :01:44.discovering how they are coping with one of the harshest dry seasons in
:01:45. > :02:05.recent memory. But all that is about one of the harshest dry seasons in
:02:06. > :02:12.staking out a key section of the river and we have brought plrnty of
:02:13. > :02:17.kit to capture the action. -- plenty. We've equipped a mile of
:02:18. > :02:20.this stretch with high-tech equipment to find out how the
:02:21. > :02:27.legions of animals surviving in this exceptional environment. There are
:02:28. > :02:33.remote cameras which stand at tilt and zoom. We call them cam-balls and
:02:34. > :02:48.they help us keep an eye on the river 24 hours a day.
:02:49. > :02:51.And to cover the area's others cameras can't reach, we have 22 of
:02:52. > :02:54.these fixed cameras dotted around. By day, they stream high resolution,
:02:55. > :02:56.but by night, they have infrared technology, producing lap and wide
:02:57. > :03:14.images that technology, producing lap and wide
:03:15. > :03:19.the winners and losers during this critical time.
:03:20. > :03:26.Simon and the team have already introduced us to the Salt Springs
:03:27. > :03:30.pride and their two cubs. This pride hold territory to the East of the
:03:31. > :03:36.studio. They have been thriving, but last week, two males were seen in
:03:37. > :03:40.the area. They could be a threat to our cubs.
:03:41. > :03:45.The level of the river continues to fall, putting increasing pressure on
:03:46. > :03:51.the hippos. Relief will come with the rains, but will they come soon
:03:52. > :03:52.enough? Or will we see more aggression and eviction of the young
:03:53. > :04:00.males? We also have the astonishing
:04:01. > :04:23.privilege to find a newborn elephant We also have the astonishing
:04:24. > :04:27.introduce you to others and the strategies they adopt to survive
:04:28. > :04:35.this extreme environment. This is the final Countdown to the rains.
:04:36. > :04:43.Our studio is on the banks of the River but has become -- that has
:04:44. > :04:46.become one of the last sources of water. In the day and night,
:04:47. > :04:48.animals, he had to drink but they risk predators that patrolled the
:04:49. > :05:16.banks in search of easy pickings. She just attempted to take down a
:05:17. > :05:33.female? Really? She is
:05:34. > :05:37.female? Really? We are getting a great shot of
:05:38. > :05:41.panting lions as nobody has ever seen them before. Now she is doing
:05:42. > :05:46.what lions do best. This lion is part of the Salt Springs pride Simon
:05:47. > :05:52.has been following. But there is no sign of the rest of them.
:05:53. > :05:55.This is the course of the river and this is where the studio is and we
:05:56. > :06:01.have been getting good views of lions along the river bank. A lot of
:06:02. > :06:05.the activity is in this area, the area we call the Salt Springs. To
:06:06. > :06:12.give a sense of scale, that is about five miles. It is where the pride of
:06:13. > :06:18.lions is, not surprisingly. And I am going to catch up with them now and
:06:19. > :06:23.hopefully see those gorgeous cubs. I say hopefully because I was
:06:24. > :06:24.concerned for them last week. Two male lions had trespassed onto Salt
:06:25. > :06:46.Springs male lions had trespassed onto Salt
:06:47. > :06:49.They are in fantastic condition. The Lions can get a lot of moisture they
:06:50. > :06:55.need from the animals they kill through the blood and content of the
:06:56. > :07:01.guts. In this searing heat, they need to drink regulate, especially
:07:02. > :07:04.the cubs. And their mother because she is still lactating and she needs
:07:05. > :07:12.more fluid than usual to produce the milk she is offering these two cubs.
:07:13. > :07:20.It is a relief to see the pride so relaxed. No sign of the invading
:07:21. > :07:25.males. But then I get a call from the studio.
:07:26. > :07:32.They have spotted the two young males on the banks of the river.
:07:33. > :07:34.Question is, they heading back the Salt Springs pride
:07:35. > :07:57.drink? Showing a lot of interest in the river. Look at that! Look at
:07:58. > :08:04.puncturing is down his side and a chunk out of his leg, he has been in
:08:05. > :08:10.the wars! That group of three, see? Going straight into the side. That
:08:11. > :08:15.is a right. That is a canine. -- it right.
:08:16. > :08:18.They looked to be crossing the river away from the Salt Springs pride
:08:19. > :08:26.back to their home territory. They are looking past -- walking
:08:27. > :08:28.past another cam-ball. They are choosing wisely shallow
:08:29. > :08:39.narrow stretches of which there are many. Do you see him snarling? That
:08:40. > :08:41.is classic lion behaviour. They have a near pathological fear of
:08:42. > :09:05.crocodiles, especially if they have him, water equals pain.
:09:06. > :09:10.So why does he step in the water? He is on a mission to go somewhere,
:09:11. > :09:14.they go in because they want to cross it. So that would suggest
:09:15. > :09:18.their territory is on the other side of the river. They must have come
:09:19. > :09:24.across because that female was in season, smelling good, great
:09:25. > :09:31.opportunity to mate. He has found the end of that water.
:09:32. > :09:39.Yes! He has found his way round! Look at that! Amazing. The power in
:09:40. > :09:45.that animal. That is maybe ten feet. That is relieved. I wonder if we
:09:46. > :09:50.will see them again? Whether those matings will be successful and
:09:51. > :09:53.result in cubs, time will tell, I guess not. But chances are they will
:09:54. > :10:12.be back guess not. But chances are they will
:10:13. > :10:17.they are back to regroup but for now, the cubs safe. But with the
:10:18. > :10:22.water so low, those guys can cross whenever they choose and they could
:10:23. > :10:27.be any day. As the dry season tightens its grip,
:10:28. > :10:30.every day for the herbivores becomes more and more challenging. But on
:10:31. > :10:37.more so than for the hippos. Stressed out about by overcrowding
:10:38. > :10:42.in their pools -- stressed a lot about. Together with the distances
:10:43. > :10:49.they are travelling to get food. That is taking its toll. The level
:10:50. > :10:50.of the river has dropped so low, hippos are struggling to submerge
:10:51. > :10:58.themselves. The Luangwa River has one of the
:10:59. > :11:02.densest populations of hippo anywhere in Africa. And they are
:11:03. > :11:23.fast running out of anywhere in Africa. And they are
:11:24. > :11:30.away from the river. But if it does not rain soon, these refugees will
:11:31. > :11:39.become -- these refuges will become death traps. -- refuges.
:11:40. > :11:52.Not only that, but lap of food is forcing some hippos to forage even
:11:53. > :11:55.in the heat of the day. -- lap. I am joining Mike Holding to find out how
:11:56. > :11:59.the animals in the main river are faring.
:12:00. > :12:05.We have come down to a stretch of river below the camp and it is a
:12:06. > :12:06.notable stretch because of the unbelievable concentration of
:12:07. > :12:29.hippos. There are two unbelievable concentration of
:12:30. > :12:34.more and more hippo mortality. There were two dead this morning and a
:12:35. > :12:39.couple days ago. They are struggling with a lap of resources and the
:12:40. > :12:46.indicator is now it is a more tense situation. There has been high
:12:47. > :12:50.mortality over the last week. The hippo population is being hit
:12:51. > :13:00.particularly hard. Adults and young are succumbing. But nothing goes to
:13:01. > :13:03.waste. The death of a hippo divides a meal for the river 's most
:13:04. > :13:13.fearsome and efficient predators. The Nile crocodiles.
:13:14. > :13:50.This is about 100m in front of us a classic scene. A dead hippo in the
:13:51. > :13:56.water and about 30 crocodiles. What is amazing is there two, three
:13:57. > :14:05.hippos trying to force the crocodiles away.
:14:06. > :14:13.There seemed to be a gang trying to force the crocodiles of wild they
:14:14. > :14:19.tear this to pieces. It is very primeval. Hippos and crocodiles
:14:20. > :14:22.normally coexist peacefully, but crocodiles will take every
:14:23. > :14:28.opportunity to prey upon a week animal. We have seen some of these
:14:29. > :14:31.hippos doing big yawning displays which is a threat to the crocodiles,
:14:32. > :15:04.they are trying to drive them away with
:15:05. > :15:11.Alison Leslie is one of the foremost authorities on Nile crocodiles. She
:15:12. > :15:23.joins me at the river to witness the feeding frenzy. Alison, it is quite
:15:24. > :15:29.a dramatic scene. You would not say they have the best table manners in
:15:30. > :15:33.the world? They have this big mouth but they cannot chew? If it is bone,
:15:34. > :15:36.they will literally just crush, 2000 pounds per square inch, crush it
:15:37. > :15:41.until it is in a soft enough condition that they can swallow. If
:15:42. > :15:41.it is a chunk of skin or innards, they just
:15:42. > :16:01.it is a chunk of skin or innards, each other to grab onto another end
:16:02. > :16:04.of a piece of prey. They rotate it in opposite directions. So if you
:16:05. > :16:07.look at this mad frenzy and splashing, there is actually a
:16:08. > :16:14.really controlled system in place. Amazingly so. Everybody is
:16:15. > :16:17.concentrating on areas, we have animals that are dying slowly but
:16:18. > :16:25.these machines have come in to keep the system freshened up. Our
:16:26. > :16:28.observations of this tell us there is undeniably a big population of
:16:29. > :16:32.crocodiles here but how many exactly? Ten years ago, a survey
:16:33. > :16:37.revealed that there were 36 crocodiles per mile. Alison was
:16:38. > :16:41.pretty sure that with that the river being so low, concentrations would
:16:42. > :16:49.be much higher. So we go out today for a rough survey. It is naturally
:16:50. > :16:50.the best time of year to study crocodiles because of the richest
:16:51. > :17:17.water levels. around, just adult crocodile after
:17:18. > :17:28.adult crocodile. They are giants, aren't they? What do you think the
:17:29. > :17:32.head size is? It looks like it is quite big at the back. Definitely
:17:33. > :17:38.not small. I would guess maybe half a metre? I would say you are fairly
:17:39. > :17:42.spot-on. If you estimate the length of the head and multiply that by
:17:43. > :17:46.seven, you come up with a good guess at the length of the animal. You are
:17:47. > :17:54.looking at a 3.5 metre animal. Three-and-a-half metres is about 11
:17:55. > :17:58.feet. That is a good size for a Nile crocodile. They are masters of
:17:59. > :18:20.disguise. They are, they blend crocodile. They are masters of
:18:21. > :18:30.everywhere. It is fantastic. It is basically a croc minefield. Isn't
:18:31. > :18:40.it? 19, 20, 21, 22. OK, so we have walked 300 metres? Yes. 300 metres.
:18:41. > :18:46.54 crocs. 54 in 300 metres, is that a high density? That is incredibly
:18:47. > :18:53.high. If we extrapolate that over a mile, we are looking at 250 animals.
:18:54. > :19:27.The sheer number shows you just what is going on in the dry season.
:19:28. > :19:30.The sheer number shows you just what number of crocs going flat. -- going
:19:31. > :19:34.for it. And if they don't get rain, there will be an uproar in some of
:19:35. > :19:40.these areas. So for thirsty animals, this croc-infested river is as
:19:41. > :19:45.dangerous as it is necessary. The rains usually come in early
:19:46. > :19:54.November. And every day there are more indications that they are on
:19:55. > :19:58.the way. It looks like the rains are imminent. There are definitely
:19:59. > :20:07.sounds in the air that tell us that it is around the corner. -- signs.
:20:08. > :20:10.We are having a huge cloud build-up through the course of the afternoon.
:20:11. > :20:17.There is quite often isolated thunderstorms throughout the area.
:20:18. > :20:19.But so far it has come to nothing. And the clouds disappear as fast as
:20:20. > :20:38.they come. And the clouds disappear as fast as
:20:39. > :20:44.have on the wildlife? We have seen signs that wildlife is really
:20:45. > :20:48.starting to suffer. This will only escalate each day. Some of the
:20:49. > :20:51.animals predicted early rains. The warthogs have given birth and there
:20:52. > :20:57.are lots of little piglets running around and the impala are terribly
:20:58. > :21:05.stressed. They have to wait for the rains to give birth to their
:21:06. > :21:08.youngsters. They need that new grass coming through to help supplement
:21:09. > :21:11.their supply. But we have seen a lot of heavily pregnant impala,
:21:12. > :21:15.presumably there is only so long they can hang on and wait? Some can
:21:16. > :21:18.actually hang on to the birth of their youngsters for a good two
:21:19. > :21:21.months, they say. They are desperate. There is definitely rain
:21:22. > :21:25.in the area. It is imminent, it could be this afternoon, it could be
:21:26. > :21:28.tomorrow, it could be in four days' time. Another challenge for the
:21:29. > :21:52.animals at this time of year have to leave the shade every time
:21:53. > :21:58.they need to drink. They cannot sweat but they have other, equally
:21:59. > :22:05.effective, systems to keep cool. Their ears are like giant heat
:22:06. > :22:10.exchanges. On the thermal imaging camera, the colour blue indicates
:22:11. > :22:16.colder temperatures. Here, you can see how much cooler the ears are
:22:17. > :22:19.than the rest rest of the body. By flapping their ears, blood pumped
:22:20. > :22:22.into the network of veins at the surface is cooled and reduces the
:22:23. > :22:29.temperature by as much as ten degrees. They also use their trunks
:22:30. > :22:35.to great effect. Spraying themselves with water which then evaporates,
:22:36. > :22:37.cooling the skin. The trunk is a useful tool for drinking. They use
:22:38. > :23:01.it to suck up water and useful tool for drinking. They use
:23:02. > :23:10.problem. The elephant, nicknamed Stumpy, had not been seen for more
:23:11. > :23:16.than a week. Stumpy is back. Which is great. Aww. Just think, it is
:23:17. > :23:24.absolutely miraculous that that elephant has adapted so well. What
:23:25. > :23:28.would be interesting, because what we have never really seen, is how he
:23:29. > :23:32.drinks. He tucks himself into the middle of the herd very often. He
:23:33. > :23:39.was very obscured the last time so hopefully we will get a clearer
:23:40. > :23:46.view. Look at him. Come on, don't tuck yourself away. It is funny, he
:23:47. > :24:05.is always right in the middle. They rally around him.
:24:06. > :24:12.He curls the little stump of his trunk up. He looks like he is doing
:24:13. > :24:21.all right? Adapt to survive, and that is what he has done.
:24:22. > :24:31.Elephants have adapted to survive the hardships of extended periods
:24:32. > :24:38.without rain. This may be a particularly harsh dry season but so
:24:39. > :24:42.far the elephants are coping. They may have to travel further to find
:24:43. > :24:52.food but a varied diet enables them to avoid starvation. But very young
:24:53. > :24:54.animals may not fare so well. Last week, we had the rare privilege of
:24:55. > :25:28.finding a newborn elephant calf. It is heart-rending to see this. But
:25:29. > :25:33.it is tough in the bush and at the end of the dry season, when it is
:25:34. > :25:37.hot as hell, there is nothing to eat and there is very little water and
:25:38. > :25:39.they have to walk for miles. They have no chance, really. MOTHER
:25:40. > :25:53.GROWLS. That is a rumbling but it could also
:25:54. > :25:59.be a rumble to call the calf. She is trying to get it up, vocally. If you
:26:00. > :26:03.look at her trunk, there is a tension, she is sniffing the smell
:26:04. > :26:04.of the baby downwind. She is gently stiffing. She is not physically
:26:05. > :26:27.touching but she is smelling it. Owen Smith and Rachel McRobb, why
:26:28. > :26:36.they thought this calf had not made it. It is a sad end for our little
:26:37. > :26:40.calf. Yes, we did not see any reason why it was going to die when we saw
:26:41. > :26:44.it earlier. It has been unusually dry and it may have been weakened as
:26:45. > :26:48.a result. I cannot see anything, looking at the baby, it is not
:26:49. > :26:52.unusually skinny. And the mother neither. She is not in top condition
:26:53. > :26:58.but she is not looking exceedingly skinny. Unless she just was not
:26:59. > :27:03.producing enough milk. She is obviously still with it. She is
:27:04. > :27:07.standing around waiting for it to miraculously wake up. There has been
:27:08. > :27:12.a lot of conjecture about whether elephants grieve or whether that is
:27:13. > :27:14.an anthropomorphism. Looking at her behaviour, do you think this is an
:27:15. > :27:38.animal that is grieving? behaviour, do you think this is an
:27:39. > :27:46.to take. That night, the mother finally left her calf and travelled
:27:47. > :27:49.on with the herd. While this calf did not survive, we have seen lots
:27:50. > :27:57.of young elephant amongst the herds coming down to the river that are
:27:58. > :28:02.doing fine. They can suckle for as long as five years. And with the
:28:03. > :28:05.ever-vigilant protection of the herd, they are more resilient than
:28:06. > :28:12.many youngsters to the rigours of the dry season.
:28:13. > :28:18.Elephants can use a wide range of vegetation to survive the dry season
:28:19. > :28:23.on bark and dead leaves. Buffalo face a different challenge. There
:28:24. > :28:26.are lots here in the Luangwa Valley, up to 15,000. And they need a lot of
:28:27. > :28:46.food. Baby buffalo and wide to satisfy their hunger.
:28:47. > :28:49.Inevitably, there are stragglers, old and weak animals that fall
:28:50. > :28:58.behind, and there is safety find numbers. -- found in numbers. For
:28:59. > :29:02.the lions, it is a golden opportunity. I have made my way back
:29:03. > :29:06.to the Salt Springs, hoping to hook up with the pride I have been
:29:07. > :29:12.following. They really are in a top spot. One of the very few left with
:29:13. > :29:15.both food and water for the animals. The pride male, who was fitted with
:29:16. > :29:23.a radio collar, can afford to kick back and take it easy. And the
:29:24. > :30:17.little cubs have never had it so good.
:30:18. > :30:23.Lion cubs can only afford to spend hours playing like this if they are
:30:24. > :30:26.well fed and in top form. And that only happens if they are well
:30:27. > :30:29.catered for courtesy of the females in the pride. Who are always on the
:30:30. > :30:38.lookout for the next meal. The females' heads pop up, the
:30:39. > :30:42.lionesses are scanning and watching. If anything comes out to drink here
:30:43. > :30:46.at the Salt Springs, they are in a perfect position to hunt. In this
:30:47. > :31:18.heat, This is more like it. Buffalo coming
:31:19. > :31:22.out of the cover. Just one cow, one female buffalo. That is unusual, she
:31:23. > :31:32.does not look in great nick either, it has to be said.
:31:33. > :31:41.Look at that! That is teamwork. Proper cooperative hunting, all of
:31:42. > :31:47.the girls moving together, three taking the lead now, moving forward.
:31:48. > :31:52.Buffaloes, heads down, taking a much-needed drink. Lions, picking up
:31:53. > :32:19.the pace now. much-needed drink. Lions, picking up
:32:20. > :32:21.chance. Four adult lionesses. She is no match against these cats, and she
:32:22. > :32:42.is down. That is it. It is all over. Here come the cubs. Here come the
:32:43. > :32:57.little ones. They are coming in. And straight into it. Very tolerant.
:32:58. > :33:03.How about that? Rarely do you see lions get a meal so easily. It is
:33:04. > :33:23.illustrative of what is going on here in the Luangwa Valley.
:33:24. > :33:25.illustrative of what is going on whole time. And the predators know
:33:26. > :33:30.all about it. So life is good for the Salt Springs
:33:31. > :33:38.pride. Food is plentiful and, for now at least, the threat of invading
:33:39. > :33:42.males has passed. But there is a new problem because a
:33:43. > :33:48.huge pride of lions has shown up on the edge of the Salt Springs
:33:49. > :33:54.territory. About 20 animals have come together. But this pride
:33:55. > :33:58.doesn't belong on this side of this river. It is known as the Hollywood
:33:59. > :34:05.pride and its territory ends on the other bank. There are lions
:34:06. > :34:33.everywhere, making the most of the dry season. Buffalo that come down
:34:34. > :34:37.territory, they will kill our cubs. We will be keeping watch to see
:34:38. > :34:39.whether the Hollywood pride are here just for an abundance of food, or
:34:40. > :34:51.whether they have other intentions. All along the river, our cameras
:34:52. > :34:54.have been capturing views of a very different group of animals that has
:34:55. > :35:02.been benefiting from the dry season bonanza. Birds of prey and vultures
:35:03. > :35:13.are here in profusion, as are those that specialise on eating fish.
:35:14. > :35:23.For these birds, the dwindling water sources offer easy pickings as their
:35:24. > :35:43.fish diet has nowhere to hide. In this dry lagoon just three
:35:44. > :35:51.fish diet has nowhere to hide. In birds. These pelicans, look at that!
:35:52. > :36:01.Piling in to catch very, very large catfish.
:36:02. > :36:07.It is effectively a great big fishing net. As they open their
:36:08. > :36:11.beaks, the lower mandible expands like a fishing net and they sweep it
:36:12. > :36:21.through the water. And there really is no escape for these catfish. Some
:36:22. > :36:27.of them are this sort of size. You can see it in their pouch. You can
:36:28. > :36:30.see the fish thrashing around. And if they do escape, look. There are
:36:31. > :36:52.birds ready to pit them up. if they do escape, look. There are
:36:53. > :37:06.their mother! They are very efficient and great scavengers and
:37:07. > :37:09.great hoarders. Smaller birds. They are capturing smaller fish. But if
:37:10. > :37:13.it doesn't rain, sometime in the next week or ten days, I think the
:37:14. > :37:18.majority of this water, if not all of it will have dried up completely
:37:19. > :37:20.and with it will go the fish and the food source for these birds, so it
:37:21. > :37:33.better rain soon. Despite the signs pointing to
:37:34. > :37:39.imminent rain, it has yet to arrive. For other birds, a lack of rainfall
:37:40. > :37:44.could affect their breeding is assessed. -- breeding success. For
:37:45. > :38:08.But not for this little family. some,
:38:09. > :38:11.But not for this little family. These creatures will eat anything
:38:12. > :38:15.from the sets and Beatles to the eggs of other birds and they take
:38:16. > :38:21.full advantage of the unattended nest.
:38:22. > :38:28.Birds are not the only animals taking advantage of the impending
:38:29. > :38:34.rain to lay eggs and to hatch young. The sandbanks of the downstream from
:38:35. > :38:42.the studio perfect nesting grounds. -- are perfect. This is the map of
:38:43. > :38:48.the area. That is the Luangwa River. Our base is here. And the fixed
:38:49. > :38:53.cameras are set around that bend in the river. This morning, I got a
:38:54. > :39:18.shout from Alison the river. This morning, I got a
:39:19. > :39:26.Look at that! The perfect nest site. This is a nest? This is the find of
:39:27. > :39:35.the day. Tail marks have gone through it. That is the head of a
:39:36. > :39:40.crocodile. You have got it, exactly. And that is a tail drag when she
:39:41. > :39:43.came up and she lay there for a while and reversed slightly and
:39:44. > :39:49.turned around and went back to the water. Crocodiles will lay their
:39:50. > :39:55.eggs to hatch around the time of the reins. Incubated by the warm sand,
:39:56. > :40:00.they will take about three months to hatch. Something that has rarely
:40:01. > :40:21.been witnessed in the wild. So underneath that sand, they are
:40:22. > :40:23.been witnessed in the wild. So not incubating, she is not affecting
:40:24. > :40:31.temperature, she is merely protecting. This is a reptile that
:40:32. > :40:35.cares? She shows that maternal instinct and caring, it is
:40:36. > :40:51.incredible. She is hoping these will hatch to coincide with the reins?
:40:52. > :40:59.They are waiting for the first. They will call and she will help them out
:41:00. > :41:04.and straight to the water edge. And the primary prey are insects and
:41:05. > :41:10.they are hatching. So she and Shores by timing it perfectly that there is
:41:11. > :41:32.enough food. -- she ensures. Would it be
:41:33. > :41:35.enough food. -- she ensures. Would amazing footage. We will put remote
:41:36. > :41:40.cameras at a safe distance in the hope of seeing the hatchlings
:41:41. > :41:44.emerge. Back at the lagoon where I have been
:41:45. > :41:52.filming the pelicans, the new super pride of lions with a junk cubs has
:41:53. > :41:57.turned up. -- with their young cubs. They are just five kilometres
:41:58. > :42:04.apart. This pride is pushing into Salt Springs territory. They have,
:42:05. > :42:12.to this area, 99% is dry Earth. There is a puddle of water and it is
:42:13. > :42:19.so important. Lions get a lot of the moisture they need from the kill
:42:20. > :42:21.they make. But in this phenomenal furnace, they have to quench their
:42:22. > :42:41.There is still distance between the thirst. Quite regularly.
:42:42. > :42:48.There is still distance between the groups but there is no sign that
:42:49. > :42:54.this Hollywood pride is anything but confident and they have every reason
:42:55. > :43:00.to be so. They really are pushing, pushing the boundaries. No
:43:01. > :43:05.competition, I have to say. If he's lions and counter the pride we have
:43:06. > :43:11.been following, they are going to win -- if these lions encounter.
:43:12. > :43:13.They have a lot of might and muscle.
:43:14. > :43:17.Until the rains come, the river and the Salt Springs of vital water
:43:18. > :43:23.sources. Prey animals and their predators are in constant close
:43:24. > :43:30.proximity. But one carnivore in particular has so far eluded our
:43:31. > :43:49.cameras. It is the African wild dog. As one of the rarest
:43:50. > :43:52.cameras. It is the African wild dog. country and out of nowhere, a wild
:43:53. > :43:55.dog shot in front of those. We might only have minutes with these guys,
:43:56. > :44:10.they tend to disappear quickly. For carnivores like these, this
:44:11. > :44:16.could be a time of plenty. Dogs hunt by sight. They do not need the
:44:17. > :44:20.camouflage or the cover, it is a lot easier for them to hunt at this
:44:21. > :44:24.time. When the rains come, it is a different story because the foliage
:44:25. > :44:29.is back and their prey have places to hide and the tables are turned.
:44:30. > :44:34.Their favourite prey is Impala and although hunting conditions are at
:44:35. > :44:40.their best in the dry season, they do have competition.
:44:41. > :45:00.Lions and heads back to the studio. I want to
:45:01. > :45:03.show you amazing, wonderful creatures. The African wild dog is a
:45:04. > :45:07.really completely different animal from the rest of the dogs that we
:45:08. > :45:10.know. 55 billion years ago they shared a common ancestor but in
:45:11. > :45:20.about two million years that line split into two. --55 million years.
:45:21. > :45:25.On one side of it was the jackals and the foxes and all the doggy
:45:26. > :45:29.things that we know. And the other side of it really only produced the
:45:30. > :45:33.African wild dog and a chap called the fossa. So wild dogs are a
:45:34. > :45:37.distinct entity and they have all the features we know and love. Think
:45:38. > :45:43.about a greyhound. Deep chest, narrow. They are not wide at the
:45:44. > :45:48.chest, they are deep and have long necks, they are masters of hunting
:45:49. > :45:50.because of speed and endurance. These are an extraordinarily rare
:45:51. > :46:12.animal. These are an extraordinarily rare
:46:13. > :46:16.on the endangered list? Highly endangered. Congratulations on
:46:17. > :46:20.finding them and we hoped that we might. We did not dare speak it. But
:46:21. > :46:28.this is absolutely magnificent. We have been very lucky. There is still
:46:29. > :46:32.no sign of rain. But Lanny and Allison have been busy rigging
:46:33. > :46:36.cameras at the croc nest in the hope of catching sight of a female coming
:46:37. > :46:41.to check the nest. The cameras are triggered by infrared sensors that
:46:42. > :46:44.pick up the smallest of movements. The very first images that came back
:46:45. > :46:48.from the cameras were disappointing. We got shots of the nest but it
:46:49. > :46:53.seemed that Mum was not coming back. For some reason we were not getting
:46:54. > :46:57.her. You can tell right here that she has definitely been there. So
:46:58. > :46:59.what is going on? We have got a crocodile that is maybe, what do you
:47:00. > :47:17.think, size-wise? crocodile that is maybe, what do you
:47:18. > :47:20.the sensors to trigger. So a bird or a human being or a warm-blooded
:47:21. > :47:27.mammal will trigger it easily. Right. But a cold-blooded... It is
:47:28. > :47:30.relatively the same temperature as the ambient temperature. It could
:47:31. > :47:35.walk up and be completely unnoticed. We did get her on camera, but it was
:47:36. > :47:39.courtesy of something else. A hippo walks past the sensor and triggers
:47:40. > :47:45.it and the croc is just sitting. Sitting on the nest. She was already
:47:46. > :47:48.there. This presents a problem, really, because it would be a real
:47:49. > :47:54.shame to miss the hatching. So, go on then, what are you going to do?
:47:55. > :47:58.We're going to put another camera in that focuses directly on the nest
:47:59. > :48:05.and I will put that on time-lapse to take one frame every second. I want
:48:06. > :48:09.to put down a trip-line that the tail will drag over so when she
:48:10. > :48:09.walks over, it will pull some wire contacts and
:48:10. > :48:29.walks over, it will pull some wire would probably be the first rains,
:48:30. > :48:33.the first good rains. Any big rains, mum would have to be careful because
:48:34. > :48:42.the nest could be flooded. It is a very fine line. And I think a few
:48:43. > :48:45.days after some good rain, we should see something. OK. We'll keep our
:48:46. > :48:51.fingers crossed. Good luck down there. Don't lose anything. We
:48:52. > :48:57.won't. There is another, much more elusive, animal in the
:48:58. > :49:01.neighbourhood. There used to be half a million wild dogs in Africa and
:49:02. > :49:04.now there are fewer than 5000. They are incredibly difficult to locate.
:49:05. > :49:08.But in the dry season, all their prey is concentrated around what
:49:09. > :49:15.water is available and that gives us a chance of catching up with them. I
:49:16. > :49:17.set out early with high hopes. I cannot tell you how jealous I am
:49:18. > :49:43.that Mike saw wild cannot tell you how jealous I am
:49:44. > :49:47.remaining days of this dry season. To get that, we have got to find
:49:48. > :49:55.them again. We do still stand a chance of seeing them again. They
:49:56. > :49:59.are so dynamic, there are no guarantees, but we do have the
:50:00. > :50:03.back-up of Matt. He has kindly suggested that he will do a survey
:50:04. > :50:06.flight in this area and if he picks up a signal from one of those wild
:50:07. > :50:09.flight in this area and if he picks dog radio tracking collars, he will
:50:10. > :50:12.let us know where it is. So, fingers firmly crossed. These animals move
:50:13. > :50:16.over hundreds, if not thousands, of square kilometres, moving 2k a day
:50:17. > :50:19.is not unusual. If you don't get to that location quite quickly, they
:50:20. > :50:27.could be gone. We will depart towards the north. We have to hurry.
:50:28. > :50:45.It is so hot so the dogs are likely holed up somewhere, resting in
:50:46. > :50:50.It is so hot so the dogs are likely the dogs in the thickets. Say again?
:50:51. > :50:55.We have got a signal. Then, Matt locks onto the signal sent from one
:50:56. > :50:59.of the collars. It looks like they are about a couple of miles south of
:51:00. > :51:01.the Salt Springs. If we're going to see them today, we're going to have
:51:02. > :51:18.to get a wiggle on. I am just hoping we will not have to
:51:19. > :51:26.go through too much thick brush to reach where they are.
:51:27. > :51:32.Hopefully they will be down in the shade somewhere. I'm crashing
:51:33. > :52:06.through the brush like a nutter! This is great! I am very chuffed, I
:52:07. > :52:11.can tell you. There is an amazing 11 puppies in this pack. That is one
:52:12. > :52:14.huge family. And one thing that really sets wild dogs apart from
:52:15. > :52:20.most other predators is their very tight, extended family bond. These
:52:21. > :52:25.large, cooperative packs have a huge advantage when it comes to hunting.
:52:26. > :52:29.It gives him the highest strike rate of any large predator on the
:52:30. > :52:35.continent. They are forced to come to more or less the same spot as a
:52:36. > :52:39.result of this drought. The honeypot, the focus of all life, is
:52:40. > :53:05.around the river and around the Salt Springs.
:53:06. > :53:08.around the river and around the Salt benefit of great teamwork. Now we
:53:09. > :53:12.have got this pack in our sights, we are going to keep tabs on them over
:53:13. > :53:15.the final days of the dry season as they focus their hunting activity
:53:16. > :53:19.around the Salt Springs. But this is where our lion pride is holding
:53:20. > :53:22.fort, so it could spell trouble. Just a few hundred metres downstream
:53:23. > :53:27.is one of the Salt Springs lion pride, the female with the collar.
:53:28. > :53:34.Only a day or so ago the entire pride was just upstream of a buffalo
:53:35. > :53:40.kill. These dogs are really caught between a rock and a hard place
:53:41. > :53:47.because lions are their arch enemy. For now, they are oblivious to the
:53:48. > :53:51.danger. I reckon you can often judge an animal's success by how much the
:53:52. > :53:56.youngsters play. And these guys play a lot! All the time increasing their
:53:57. > :54:16.agility and building their a lot! All the time increasing their
:54:17. > :54:26.scene. Well hidden in a thicket. She has not been spotted. Yet. Those
:54:27. > :54:27.huge ears give acute hearing and the dog's attention is grabbed by an
:54:28. > :54:50.impala's alarm call. Straightaway, one of the adults is
:54:51. > :55:26.on the case. The lioness will kill a dog she can catch up with.
:55:27. > :55:29.One by one, the adults and the sub-adults in the pack try to
:55:30. > :55:44.distract her. It gives the dog with the broken leg
:55:45. > :55:58.time to chaperone the puppies to safety.
:55:59. > :56:11.Now that's what I call a team effort. As if to offer respite after
:56:12. > :56:15.such a close encounter, the incredible happens.
:56:16. > :56:35.such a close encounter, the sure - the dogs seem to enjoy the
:56:36. > :56:41.cooling shower after so much excitement. For the hippos crammed
:56:42. > :56:43.into the dwindling river channels, it will offer help in an
:56:44. > :56:49.increasingly life-threatening situation.
:56:50. > :56:55.It feels like we are right on the cusp of change. The wind has been
:56:56. > :56:58.blowing all day and it has gathered strength this afternoon. The clouds,
:56:59. > :57:01.which were sort of hanging around this morning, did not dissipate like
:57:02. > :57:05.they normally do. They have just built and built and look at this
:57:06. > :57:14.behind me - this great wall of dark, occasionally thunderous, cloud.
:57:15. > :57:19.DISTANT RUMBLING. It is very distant but there is definitely rumbling.
:57:20. > :57:21.What has not happened yet is the wonderful smell that really heralds
:57:22. > :57:47.the rain. It is still just wonderful smell that really heralds
:57:48. > :57:53.be on its way? If the rains do come, the fortunes of all the animals here
:57:54. > :57:56.will shift. More water sources will allow the elephant and other
:57:57. > :58:03.herbivores to disperse and find more food. But for the Salt Springs
:58:04. > :58:09.lions, it will bring new challenges. With greater pressure from invaders
:58:10. > :58:15.to take over the key territories. And, in turn, what will that mean
:58:16. > :58:19.for the wild dogs? Join us on Red Button for more wildlife action,
:58:20. > :58:22.insight and debate. And don't forget, you can send in your
:58:23. > :58:25.questions. To do that is very simple. Go onto the BBC Nature
:58:26. > :58:28.Facebook page or Twitter. Simon and I am our team of experts will do our
:58:29. > :58:34.very best to answer.