1 00:00:00,367 --> 00:00:03,437 I'm on the bank of the Mara River where over two million 2 00:00:03,437 --> 00:00:06,206 wildebeest are gathered for an epic journey. 3 00:00:06,206 --> 00:00:08,675 (Male narrator) Jean Du Plessis is on the trail of the great wildebeest 4 00:00:08,675 --> 00:00:10,277 migration. 5 00:00:10,277 --> 00:00:12,713 From the dangerous crossing of the crocodile infested Mara 6 00:00:12,713 --> 00:00:15,749 River to the plains where he hopes to witness the largest 7 00:00:15,749 --> 00:00:18,118 mass birth on the planet. 8 00:00:18,118 --> 00:00:19,586 (Du Plessis) We just arrived on the short grass plains, 9 00:00:19,586 --> 00:00:22,623 and with us arrived this enormous herd. 10 00:00:22,623 --> 00:00:26,526 The predators in the area must be thinking, 11 00:00:26,526 --> 00:00:27,928 this is christmas arriving. 12 00:00:27,928 --> 00:00:30,731 (Narrator) But unusual weather patterns threaten to disrupt this year's 13 00:00:30,731 --> 00:00:32,132 migration. 14 00:00:32,132 --> 00:00:34,801 In Africa, nothing is guaranteed, 15 00:00:34,801 --> 00:00:40,507 especially for these nomads of the Serengeti. 16 00:00:40,507 --> 00:00:50,550 ♪♪ 17 00:00:50,550 --> 00:01:10,570 ♪♪ 18 00:01:10,570 --> 00:01:18,378 ♪♪ 19 00:01:18,378 --> 00:01:21,882 It's one of the last great wildlife habitats on earth. 20 00:01:21,882 --> 00:01:25,719 At nearly the size of Belgium, this vast and diverse ecosystem 21 00:01:25,719 --> 00:01:30,157 stretches from the Masai Mara in Kenya to the active volcanic 22 00:01:30,157 --> 00:01:33,694 highlands of the Tanzanian Rift Valley. 23 00:01:33,694 --> 00:01:37,464 It is home to 70 species of large mammals. 24 00:01:37,464 --> 00:01:40,834 It's a world heritage site, and it has been named as one of the 25 00:01:40,834 --> 00:01:44,705 greatest natural wonders on earth. 26 00:01:44,705 --> 00:01:52,479 This is the Serengeti. 27 00:01:52,479 --> 00:01:55,716 The name Serengeti comes from the Masaii language. 28 00:01:55,716 --> 00:01:58,719 It means endless plains. 29 00:01:58,719 --> 00:02:01,521 At its center is the migration, where more than two million 30 00:02:01,521 --> 00:02:06,526 wildebeest and Zebra move in a continuous year long cycle. 31 00:02:06,526 --> 00:02:10,630 Driven by two distinct rainy seasons they follow the rains to 32 00:02:10,630 --> 00:02:13,367 find the best grazing. 33 00:02:13,367 --> 00:02:15,802 Where there are millions of animals, 34 00:02:15,802 --> 00:02:21,808 you are sure to find predators, and scavengers in abundance. 35 00:02:21,808 --> 00:02:24,244 They all play an important part in this circle of life on the 36 00:02:24,244 --> 00:02:29,249 Serengeti plains. 37 00:02:29,249 --> 00:02:30,550 For 20 years, wildlife expert 38 00:02:30,550 --> 00:02:32,519 and safari guide Jean Du Plessis 39 00:02:32,519 --> 00:02:38,525 has guided clients to see parts of the migration. 40 00:02:38,525 --> 00:02:41,261 Now he plans to follow the wildebeests from the north to 41 00:02:41,261 --> 00:02:43,463 the short grass plains. 42 00:02:43,463 --> 00:02:45,866 That's where the females will drop their young in the largest 43 00:02:45,866 --> 00:02:49,736 mass birth of 44 00:02:45,866 --> 00:02:49,736 mammals on the planet. 45 00:02:49,736 --> 00:02:52,305 But it all starts with an incredibly treacherous river 46 00:02:52,305 --> 00:02:54,441 crossing. 47 00:02:54,441 --> 00:02:57,310 (Du Plessis) I'm on the bank of the Mara River where over two million 48 00:02:57,310 --> 00:02:59,746 wildebeest are gathered for an epic journey, 49 00:02:59,746 --> 00:03:02,482 traveling more then 500 kilometers into the southern 50 00:03:02,482 --> 00:03:03,784 Serengeti. 51 00:03:03,784 --> 00:03:08,355 That journey starts now in the Serengeti. 52 00:03:08,355 --> 00:03:10,991 (Narrator) What drives the migration is rain, 53 00:03:10,991 --> 00:03:14,327 For the past three months, the rains have stayed in the north, 54 00:03:14,327 --> 00:03:16,797 but come October, there is a change, 55 00:03:16,797 --> 00:03:18,865 and the storms begin to move south, 56 00:03:18,865 --> 00:03:23,870 triggering an instinct in the wildebeest to move. 57 00:03:28,909 --> 00:03:31,845 Their first major obstacle is to cross the treacherous Mara 58 00:03:31,845 --> 00:03:34,314 River. 59 00:03:34,314 --> 00:03:38,351 And this morning Jean is in the middle of the action. 60 00:03:38,351 --> 00:03:40,587 (Du Plessis) I'm following a group of wildebeest. 61 00:03:40,587 --> 00:03:42,656 This group has now grown and this is constantly getting 62 00:03:42,656 --> 00:03:43,824 bigger. 63 00:03:43,824 --> 00:03:47,794 Off to my right are still streams of wildebeest coming out 64 00:03:47,794 --> 00:03:49,996 of the hills. 65 00:03:49,996 --> 00:03:54,601 Last night there was a huge amount of rain in this area, 66 00:03:54,601 --> 00:03:58,538 and there was thunder showers that's now pulling down these 67 00:03:58,538 --> 00:04:00,640 wildebeests onto the river bank. 68 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,311 (Narrator) This journey is their destiny, but it is fraught with dangers. 69 00:04:04,311 --> 00:04:08,982 About 250 thousand wildebeest will die over the next year of 70 00:04:08,982 --> 00:04:13,553 natural causes like thirst, hunger or exhaustion. 71 00:04:13,553 --> 00:04:16,089 And many more will die at the hands of predators, 72 00:04:16,089 --> 00:04:20,994 such as lions or crocodiles that wait along the route. 73 00:04:20,994 --> 00:04:23,663 They approach the river crossing with caution. 74 00:04:23,663 --> 00:04:26,666 They sense the lurking dangers. 75 00:04:37,978 --> 00:04:42,983 But their instinct to move is stronger than their fear. 76 00:05:00,767 --> 00:05:03,503 Soon it becomes a mad rush. 77 00:05:03,503 --> 00:05:08,108 Now there are thousands jumping in. 78 00:05:08,108 --> 00:05:11,878 There are over two million wildebeest and zebra. 79 00:05:11,878 --> 00:05:14,781 It will take several weeks at many different crossing points 80 00:05:14,781 --> 00:05:17,951 before they have passed. 81 00:05:17,951 --> 00:05:23,957 The Mara's crocodiles hope to get in one last feed. 82 00:05:56,156 --> 00:05:58,858 (Du Plessis) This was amazing, just towards the end of the crossing, 83 00:05:58,858 --> 00:06:02,796 there was this enormous croc that got hold of a yearling and 84 00:06:02,796 --> 00:06:05,999 literally just took the entire head of this wildebeest in his 85 00:06:05,999 --> 00:06:09,169 mouth and all of them submerged, and that's the last we ever saw 86 00:06:09,169 --> 00:06:11,371 all of them. 87 00:06:13,206 --> 00:06:16,776 (Narrator) The wildebeest migrate between two grassland areas the Masai 88 00:06:16,776 --> 00:06:18,878 Mara in the North where they mate, 89 00:06:18,878 --> 00:06:22,549 and the short grass plains in the south where they give birth. 90 00:06:22,549 --> 00:06:25,085 They will be congregating on each grassland for approximately 91 00:06:25,085 --> 00:06:28,788 three months before the rains shift and they begin to migrate 92 00:06:28,788 --> 00:06:30,690 out. 93 00:06:30,690 --> 00:06:34,628 The Tanzanian side of the Masai Mara is called the Lamai Wedge, 94 00:06:34,628 --> 00:06:37,831 and it's unique because it has an unusually high numbers of 95 00:06:37,831 --> 00:06:39,966 predators in the area. 96 00:06:39,966 --> 00:06:42,936 In the open grass lands, Jean will have an easier time 97 00:06:42,936 --> 00:06:47,107 spotting them. 98 00:06:47,107 --> 00:06:50,644 To get there, Jean will have to brave the river too. 99 00:06:50,644 --> 00:06:54,948 But, there's a problem, the bridge is flooded. 100 00:06:54,948 --> 00:06:58,118 Just a few days earlier, a vehicle tried to cross, 101 00:06:58,118 --> 00:07:01,021 but got caught in the strong currents and plunged into the 102 00:07:01,021 --> 00:07:05,725 crocodile infested waters stranding five men. 103 00:07:05,725 --> 00:07:09,095 Despite the danger, Jean decides to go anyway. 104 00:07:09,095 --> 00:07:12,198 If he waits, the area could clear out of wildebeest and he 105 00:07:12,198 --> 00:07:16,236 will miss his best chance to see the lions in action. 106 00:07:16,236 --> 00:07:19,506 Crossing the bridge is nerve wracking. 107 00:07:19,506 --> 00:07:22,242 The trick is not to look down. 108 00:07:22,242 --> 00:07:32,485 If he does, he could begin to drift. 109 00:07:32,485 --> 00:07:43,963 If he does, he could begin to drift. 110 00:07:43,963 --> 00:07:46,132 Jean's experience serves him well. 111 00:07:46,132 --> 00:07:51,137 He makes it safely across to the Lamai Wedge. 112 00:07:51,137 --> 00:07:53,606 (Du Plessis) When looking for lions, the easiest way to find them is to 113 00:07:53,606 --> 00:07:56,076 look for these clearings in between the herds of 114 00:07:56,076 --> 00:07:57,243 wildebeests. 115 00:07:57,243 --> 00:07:59,579 At this time of the morning, they would more than likely be 116 00:07:59,579 --> 00:08:02,582 moving or they are already be on the kill, 117 00:08:02,582 --> 00:08:04,918 but about an hour or two from now, 118 00:08:04,918 --> 00:08:07,787 it would get too warm and they would be searching for shade. 119 00:08:07,787 --> 00:08:10,590 But for now, we're focusing on the plains. 120 00:08:10,590 --> 00:08:14,994 I will get to a bit of an elevation and scan with 121 00:08:14,994 --> 00:08:18,998 binoculars and see if we can pick them out. 122 00:08:34,214 --> 00:08:37,083 (Narrator) It's October and our herds are in the midst of dealing with 123 00:08:37,083 --> 00:08:39,819 their first and biggest obstacle, 124 00:08:39,819 --> 00:08:42,822 crossing the Mara River where slippery rocks, 125 00:08:42,822 --> 00:08:46,092 rough currents and crocodiles are some of the deadly obstacles 126 00:08:46,092 --> 00:08:50,930 that will claim thousands of the animals. 127 00:08:50,930 --> 00:08:54,200 The wildebeests that make it across will continue south and 128 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,336 to the next phase of the journey, 129 00:08:56,336 --> 00:09:01,274 the largest mass birthing grounds on the planet. 130 00:09:01,274 --> 00:09:07,814 And Jean wants to be there to witness the births. 131 00:09:07,814 --> 00:09:10,750 Before the migration moves, Jean wants to observe predator 132 00:09:10,750 --> 00:09:12,018 behavior. 133 00:09:12,018 --> 00:09:15,688 The best place to see this is in the area north of the Mara River 134 00:09:15,688 --> 00:09:18,792 known as the Lamai Wedge. 135 00:09:18,792 --> 00:09:22,195 As the millions of wildebeests cross the Lamai, 136 00:09:22,195 --> 00:09:26,199 large predators come out in force. 137 00:09:28,835 --> 00:09:31,104 (Du Plessis) When looking for lions, the easiest way to find them is to 138 00:09:31,104 --> 00:09:33,740 look for these clearings in between the herds of 139 00:09:33,740 --> 00:09:35,041 wildebeests. 140 00:09:35,041 --> 00:09:37,310 But for now, we're focusing on the plains. 141 00:09:37,310 --> 00:09:41,948 I will get to a bit of an elevation and then scan. 142 00:09:41,948 --> 00:09:43,850 At this time of the morning, they would more likely to be 143 00:09:43,850 --> 00:09:48,087 moving or they are already be on the kill. 144 00:09:48,087 --> 00:09:51,357 (Narrator) Jean is looking for one of the clear signs of a kill, 145 00:09:51,357 --> 00:09:55,361 birds of prey circling above the Serengeti. 146 00:09:59,265 --> 00:10:02,702 We're coming up on some vultures that's sitting on a carcass of 147 00:10:02,702 --> 00:10:03,837 something. 148 00:10:03,837 --> 00:10:05,939 Obviously, more than likely a wildebeest. 149 00:10:05,939 --> 00:10:08,942 It looks quite fresh. 150 00:10:11,845 --> 00:10:14,314 Yeah it's a wildebeest that's been killed and it doesn't look 151 00:10:14,314 --> 00:10:16,049 like hyenas. 152 00:10:16,049 --> 00:10:18,718 It's more than likely lions that had their full, 153 00:10:18,718 --> 00:10:22,121 and as the sun rose, the vultures would pick up these 154 00:10:22,121 --> 00:10:25,758 kills and they came to completely clean it off and eat 155 00:10:25,758 --> 00:10:28,761 every small piece of meat. 156 00:10:33,166 --> 00:10:35,368 (Narrator) With Wildebeests kills scattered everywhere, 157 00:10:35,368 --> 00:10:38,271 Jean takes a closer look to see what he can learn about the 158 00:10:38,271 --> 00:10:41,274 predator behavior in the area. 159 00:10:41,274 --> 00:10:45,378 (Du Plessis) What I am seeing here is a clear indication of predators that's 160 00:10:45,378 --> 00:10:47,046 not very hungry. 161 00:10:47,046 --> 00:10:52,218 One can see that very small part of the rib cage 162 00:10:52,218 --> 00:10:53,953 has actually been consumed. 163 00:10:53,953 --> 00:10:56,789 Nice signs of hyenas chewing this off. 164 00:10:56,789 --> 00:10:59,926 But also not hungry hyenas, because had they been hungry, 165 00:10:59,926 --> 00:11:02,462 they would have eaten this entire rib cage. 166 00:11:02,462 --> 00:11:07,233 For a hyena it takes no effort to consume thick bones such as 167 00:11:07,233 --> 00:11:08,434 this. 168 00:11:08,434 --> 00:11:12,405 Other things that point out to me are the skin that remains, 169 00:11:12,405 --> 00:11:17,844 the legs, and generally when there's huge competition for 170 00:11:17,844 --> 00:11:21,814 food in an area, hyenas would come in and grab a piece of leg 171 00:11:21,814 --> 00:11:25,752 and would run off, so the entire carcass would disperse over a 172 00:11:25,752 --> 00:11:27,353 very big area. 173 00:11:27,353 --> 00:11:30,056 So this points out to me that there potentially wasn't a lot 174 00:11:30,056 --> 00:11:34,394 of conflict around this carcass, because animals are not hungry. 175 00:11:34,394 --> 00:11:38,398 There's food all over this system. 176 00:11:45,438 --> 00:11:47,106 I've got some hyenas and a kill here. 177 00:11:47,106 --> 00:11:48,808 It's a fresh kill. 178 00:11:48,808 --> 00:11:51,911 They're all kind of feeding quite ferociously. 179 00:11:51,911 --> 00:11:53,413 There's about five or six of them, 180 00:11:53,413 --> 00:11:55,882 and a lot of them are still kind of pups. 181 00:11:55,882 --> 00:12:00,186 What's very interesting is there's a silver backed jackal 182 00:12:00,186 --> 00:12:05,191 that's constantly darting and trying to take a bite, 183 00:12:05,191 --> 00:12:08,261 but these hyenas are having none of that. 184 00:12:08,261 --> 00:12:10,930 They tend to kind of chase him off. 185 00:12:10,930 --> 00:12:13,800 But a little bit away, it seems where the actual kill happened 186 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,970 is, there's some skin and pieces of meat lying around. 187 00:12:16,970 --> 00:12:21,841 There's a big group of vultures there and the jackal that's also 188 00:12:21,841 --> 00:12:24,911 focused, and there he is coming in now. 189 00:12:24,911 --> 00:12:27,814 He's getting his head right between the legs of the hyenas. 190 00:12:27,814 --> 00:12:32,218 It's an extremely brave act for something so small, 191 00:12:32,218 --> 00:12:37,156 because it will just take one bite of a hyena to kill him. 192 00:12:37,156 --> 00:12:39,826 They would tolerate him up to a certain point, 193 00:12:39,826 --> 00:12:42,996 and then there's this half hearted attempt of chasing him 194 00:12:42,996 --> 00:12:44,163 away. 195 00:12:44,163 --> 00:12:46,432 Now he would just kind of scatter away a couple of meters 196 00:12:46,432 --> 00:12:48,368 and then come back immediately again. 197 00:12:48,368 --> 00:12:51,204 There's one incident when he grabbed a big piece of skin and 198 00:12:51,204 --> 00:12:53,139 I think that was enough for the hyenas, 199 00:12:53,139 --> 00:12:57,343 and then they chase him around the bush a couple of times. 200 00:12:57,343 --> 00:13:02,115 Interesting, these hyenas will consume most of the carcass. 201 00:13:02,115 --> 00:13:04,951 They've got incredibly powerful jaws, 202 00:13:04,951 --> 00:13:06,552 huge carnassial teeth. 203 00:13:06,552 --> 00:13:11,557 When lions would feed on a kill, they would not eat the bones as 204 00:13:11,557 --> 00:13:13,626 much as hyenas would do that. 205 00:13:13,626 --> 00:13:16,596 Most of the rib cage is already gone. 206 00:13:16,596 --> 00:13:19,232 There's so much food around. 207 00:13:19,232 --> 00:13:23,036 They are fat, very, very well fed, 208 00:13:23,036 --> 00:13:26,339 and they must eat once or twice a day. 209 00:13:26,339 --> 00:13:29,876 It's easy for a hyena to go three or four days. 210 00:13:29,876 --> 00:13:32,945 This is definitely not out of hunger. 211 00:13:32,945 --> 00:13:37,583 It's purely out of greed. 212 00:13:37,583 --> 00:13:40,286 Not all the predators are hunting wildebeest. 213 00:13:40,286 --> 00:13:43,956 Jean comes across another resident of the Lamai Wedge, 214 00:13:43,956 --> 00:13:46,592 a smaller species of the cat family. 215 00:13:46,592 --> 00:13:48,294 There's a serval cat here. 216 00:13:48,294 --> 00:13:49,962 I can see it moving up here now. 217 00:13:49,962 --> 00:13:52,298 It's a very, very well camouflaged, 218 00:13:52,298 --> 00:13:55,401 but you kind of just see It's back moving through the grass. 219 00:13:55,401 --> 00:13:58,604 It came around a corner and there's an open clearing in 220 00:13:58,604 --> 00:14:01,040 between all of these wildebeest that indicated for me that 221 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,076 there's a predator around. 222 00:14:03,076 --> 00:14:07,080 Now I don't think this single serval created this clearing, 223 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:08,581 so possibly some lions here. 224 00:14:08,581 --> 00:14:11,284 But this serval is down in a drainage ditch. 225 00:14:11,284 --> 00:14:14,454 He is clearly out hunting, and in these grass lands, 226 00:14:14,454 --> 00:14:18,157 there would be after things like mice and birds, 227 00:14:18,157 --> 00:14:20,226 and they have got an incredible leap. 228 00:14:20,226 --> 00:14:23,196 So they will have grass birds, shoot up into the sky, 229 00:14:23,196 --> 00:14:26,632 and they pretty much follow them up and take them out of the air. 230 00:14:26,632 --> 00:14:27,667 (Narrator) Jean pushes on. 231 00:14:27,667 --> 00:14:30,136 He's working his way up through the plains, 232 00:14:30,136 --> 00:14:35,108 along the boundary of the resident pride's territory. 233 00:14:35,108 --> 00:14:38,444 (Du Plessis) There's a lioness in the rocky outcrop in front of me. 234 00:14:38,444 --> 00:14:42,648 This is a perfect place for a pride of lions to be hanging out 235 00:14:42,648 --> 00:14:43,916 on these plains. 236 00:14:43,916 --> 00:14:48,554 It's full shady, but it's also a great natural observation point. 237 00:14:48,554 --> 00:14:52,458 I'm just trying to, it's extremely rocky so I'm trying to 238 00:14:52,458 --> 00:14:57,497 get a bit closer and see what they're up to. 239 00:14:57,497 --> 00:14:58,498 There they are. 240 00:14:58,498 --> 00:15:00,566 They are quite relaxed. 241 00:15:00,566 --> 00:15:04,537 These must be very well-fed lions. 242 00:15:04,537 --> 00:15:08,007 The flip side of course is when the migration moves out and the 243 00:15:08,007 --> 00:15:09,375 grasses are tall. 244 00:15:09,375 --> 00:15:17,683 it is extremely hard for lions to make a kill. 245 00:15:17,683 --> 00:15:19,552 She's lying down. 246 00:15:19,552 --> 00:15:21,654 This is an old female. 247 00:15:21,654 --> 00:15:25,091 I can see her ears are all tatty. 248 00:15:25,091 --> 00:15:28,394 Very dark, black nose. 249 00:15:28,394 --> 00:15:33,766 I can see two of them, and that's also a female and she's a 250 00:15:33,766 --> 00:15:37,136 bit younger. 251 00:15:37,136 --> 00:15:40,373 (Narrator) It's getting towards midday and Jean is not seeing any predators 252 00:15:40,373 --> 00:15:42,542 on the hunt. 253 00:15:42,542 --> 00:15:45,111 In this heat, it's likely that the predators are doing their 254 00:15:45,111 --> 00:15:50,583 hunting early in the morning when it's still cool. 255 00:15:50,583 --> 00:15:53,686 So Jean decides to go back to camp and start again early 256 00:15:53,686 --> 00:15:59,025 tomorrow when he hopes the lions will be on the prowl. 257 00:15:59,025 --> 00:16:03,296 So he heads back across the still flooded bridge to camp for 258 00:16:03,296 --> 00:16:05,298 the night. 259 00:16:11,070 --> 00:16:17,810 The following morning, he starts out at sunrise. 260 00:16:17,810 --> 00:16:23,616 Within minutes, he gets lucky, a pride of lion has made a kill. 261 00:16:23,616 --> 00:16:26,686 (Du Plessis) These guys are a resident pride. 262 00:16:26,686 --> 00:16:31,557 They're living fairly close to camp. 263 00:16:31,557 --> 00:16:33,793 They must be the most fortunate lions on the Serengeti at the 264 00:16:33,793 --> 00:16:37,230 moment having the entire migration moving through. 265 00:16:37,230 --> 00:16:40,333 Every wildebeest in the area kind of moved past here on these 266 00:16:40,333 --> 00:16:42,768 shorter grass when the only thing they need to do just lie 267 00:16:42,768 --> 00:16:46,839 up in this drainage area, and it's literally littered with 268 00:16:46,839 --> 00:16:47,907 carcasses. 269 00:16:47,907 --> 00:16:51,711 They are on a carcass of a wildebeest right now. 270 00:16:51,711 --> 00:16:53,646 Right now only the cubs are feeding. 271 00:16:53,646 --> 00:16:56,749 There's quite a few cubs, two different ages, 272 00:16:56,749 --> 00:17:00,519 around 4-6 months. 273 00:17:00,519 --> 00:17:04,457 These cubs are now turning feeding into a bit of a game. 274 00:17:04,457 --> 00:17:09,195 they are constantly trying to pull the carcass away from the 275 00:17:09,195 --> 00:17:10,830 rest of the group. 276 00:17:10,830 --> 00:17:16,469 It's also a good practice for later in the life. 277 00:17:16,469 --> 00:17:20,406 (Narrator) Living on the Serengeti is a mixed blessing for the lions. 278 00:17:20,406 --> 00:17:23,509 During the migration the resident prides eat well, 279 00:17:23,509 --> 00:17:25,811 but once the wildebeest have left the area, 280 00:17:25,811 --> 00:17:34,186 the lions have to survive on leaner times. 281 00:17:34,186 --> 00:17:36,756 The never ending cycle of the wildebeest migration on the 282 00:17:36,756 --> 00:17:43,396 Serengeti is a story of instinct and survival. 283 00:17:43,396 --> 00:17:46,432 Wildlife expert and safari guide Jean Du Plessis has been 284 00:17:46,432 --> 00:17:49,402 watching the most spectacular part of the journey, 285 00:17:49,402 --> 00:17:53,472 the mass crossing of the Mara River. 286 00:17:53,472 --> 00:17:58,144 As deadly as predators are, the river poses a greater danger to 287 00:17:58,144 --> 00:17:59,378 the wildebeest. 288 00:17:59,378 --> 00:18:03,349 It's fast flowing currents can sweep a wildebeest down stream, 289 00:18:03,349 --> 00:18:06,285 or if the herds choose a bad crossing point, 290 00:18:06,285 --> 00:18:10,356 hundreds of the animals can die. 291 00:18:10,356 --> 00:18:16,162 Jean is with a herd in trouble. 292 00:18:16,162 --> 00:18:17,496 (Du Plessis) This is like worst-case scenario. 293 00:18:17,496 --> 00:18:19,732 This is a very bad place for them to cross. 294 00:18:19,732 --> 00:18:24,303 The far side is kind of piling up with bodies and then these 295 00:18:24,303 --> 00:18:28,374 guys down below just can not get out of the river because of all 296 00:18:28,374 --> 00:18:32,778 of this exit being congested by dead animals. 297 00:18:32,778 --> 00:18:37,249 As far as I look down the river, there's just bodies drifting all 298 00:18:37,249 --> 00:18:39,452 the way down, and that's going to get trapped down in the 299 00:18:39,452 --> 00:18:43,656 rapids, a bit lower down, and there's still hundreds of 300 00:18:43,656 --> 00:18:47,293 thousands of wildebeests coming in behind me waiting to cross 301 00:18:47,293 --> 00:18:48,894 here. 302 00:18:48,894 --> 00:18:50,830 (Narrator) And for the young and adolescents wildebeest in the 303 00:18:50,830 --> 00:18:56,569 herd, crossing the Mara is especially dangerous. 304 00:18:56,569 --> 00:19:00,206 (Du Plessis) For an adult wildebeest, it's one thing to cross a high fast 305 00:19:00,206 --> 00:19:02,675 flowing river like this, but it's a massive challenge for the 306 00:19:02,675 --> 00:19:03,909 younger ones. 307 00:19:03,909 --> 00:19:07,680 In February-March this year, a lot of new wildebeest were born, 308 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,649 so they have made the journey up in the Masai Mara and they have 309 00:19:10,649 --> 00:19:12,818 crossed a much lower river. 310 00:19:12,818 --> 00:19:14,920 So they went into the Mara and now suddenly they're coming 311 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,723 back, facing these massive currents, 312 00:19:17,723 --> 00:19:20,726 and that's a huge challenge for an animal that's not even a year 313 00:19:20,726 --> 00:19:22,728 old yet. 314 00:19:26,332 --> 00:19:29,368 The majority of the carcasses that I can see here are actually 315 00:19:29,368 --> 00:19:32,371 yearlings, are these young ones that just could not get through 316 00:19:32,371 --> 00:19:34,507 this deep a river. 317 00:19:34,507 --> 00:19:38,944 Also, by the time a wildebeest calf reach about this stage, 318 00:19:38,944 --> 00:19:41,747 they are more than likely separated from their mother. 319 00:19:41,747 --> 00:19:45,418 So they form these little groups or herds of calves, 320 00:19:45,418 --> 00:19:49,688 and a lot of the times you will have a yearling herd getting 321 00:19:49,688 --> 00:19:52,758 cross by themselves, and that can be catastrophic for an 322 00:19:52,758 --> 00:19:56,829 entire herd like that if they hit a river that is flowing as 323 00:19:56,829 --> 00:20:00,999 fast and deep as this right now. 324 00:20:00,999 --> 00:20:03,569 And you can see, there's like hundreds of vultures and storks 325 00:20:03,569 --> 00:20:06,972 that's kind of sitting on top this island and is now eating 326 00:20:06,972 --> 00:20:08,941 these dead animals. 327 00:20:08,941 --> 00:20:12,611 These vultures are the clean up crews of the Serengeti and 328 00:20:12,611 --> 00:20:18,784 without them it would clearly just be a mess of rotting bodies 329 00:20:18,784 --> 00:20:21,720 Big groups of vultures like this can consume thousands of 330 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:23,989 kilograms of meat in one day. 331 00:20:23,989 --> 00:20:26,926 So they form a crucial part in the cleaning up of the 332 00:20:26,926 --> 00:20:29,628 Serengeti. 333 00:20:29,628 --> 00:20:32,698 It is very difficulty for vultures to actually tear up the 334 00:20:32,698 --> 00:20:36,936 skin of this tough wildebeest, so they have to wait for the 335 00:20:36,936 --> 00:20:39,672 bodies to party decompose. 336 00:20:39,672 --> 00:20:42,575 Luckily, we are sitting a little bit up wind of all of this, 337 00:20:42,575 --> 00:20:47,079 because it must smell incredibly bad as you go down wind from 338 00:20:47,079 --> 00:20:48,914 this. 339 00:20:48,914 --> 00:20:51,617 (Narrator) The crossing was catastrophic for this group, 340 00:20:51,617 --> 00:20:56,088 but what is bad for one species is good for another. 341 00:20:56,088 --> 00:20:58,524 Although scavengers like vultures sometimes get a bad 342 00:20:58,524 --> 00:21:01,560 rap, the work they do is of vital importance to the 343 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:03,362 Serengeti. 344 00:21:03,362 --> 00:21:05,431 If all these carcasses were left to rot, 345 00:21:05,431 --> 00:21:09,502 the entire eco system would be in danger of contamination from 346 00:21:09,502 --> 00:21:12,905 diseases that go along with the rot. 347 00:21:12,905 --> 00:21:15,908 Vultures feed on dead meat or carrion. 348 00:21:15,908 --> 00:21:19,011 They can strip a carcass in a few hours. 349 00:21:19,011 --> 00:21:22,047 Surprisingly, it's not lions that eat the most meat, 350 00:21:22,047 --> 00:21:23,582 but vultures. 351 00:21:23,582 --> 00:21:31,624 The birds eat 70 percent of the meat on the plains. 352 00:21:31,624 --> 00:21:35,027 There are five different kinds of vultures on the Serengeti. 353 00:21:35,027 --> 00:21:37,496 These are the Ruppell's Griffon vultures, 354 00:21:37,496 --> 00:21:44,803 identified by white streaked feathers and yellow beaks. 355 00:21:44,803 --> 00:21:47,139 These vultures don't make their nests in trees, 356 00:21:47,139 --> 00:21:50,342 They lay their eggs on cliffs. 357 00:21:57,049 --> 00:21:59,885 The vultures congregate in an area several hours southeast 358 00:21:59,885 --> 00:22:01,987 of the Mara River. 359 00:22:01,987 --> 00:22:05,891 It's Masai territory, and Jean is going to meet with a Masai 360 00:22:05,891 --> 00:22:09,161 guide who will take him to the cliffs where these birds make 361 00:22:09,161 --> 00:22:11,363 their nests 362 00:22:38,757 --> 00:22:41,427 (Du Plessis) This gorge is called Ol Karien gorge and this is one 363 00:22:41,427 --> 00:22:44,597 of very few breeding sites for these Ruppell's Griffon 364 00:22:44,597 --> 00:22:45,831 vultures. 365 00:22:45,831 --> 00:22:49,535 These cliffs behind me are white with their droppings and they 366 00:22:49,535 --> 00:22:54,673 must have used this area to breed for thousands of years. 367 00:22:54,673 --> 00:22:58,043 It's the ideal nesting site for them because it's not entirely 368 00:22:58,043 --> 00:22:59,745 flat cliffs. 369 00:22:59,745 --> 00:23:03,682 There's hundreds of these little ledges that makes the perfect 370 00:23:03,682 --> 00:23:07,119 nesting site, and the nest really isn't much more than a 371 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:09,755 couple of rough sticks thrown into a heap, 372 00:23:09,755 --> 00:23:11,991 and that's where the female will lay her eggs. 373 00:23:11,991 --> 00:23:14,960 This couple will pair up for the breeding season and form a 374 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:20,999 monogamous pair and together they would raise the chicks. 375 00:23:20,999 --> 00:23:25,537 What's quite amazing about these vultures are that they need to 376 00:23:25,537 --> 00:23:29,041 make daily excursions into the Serengeti plains to feed. 377 00:23:29,041 --> 00:23:32,011 At the moment when the migration is down here in the short grass 378 00:23:32,011 --> 00:23:35,014 plains, it might only be about 50 kilometers, 379 00:23:35,014 --> 00:23:38,717 but as the migration moves northwards later on in the year, 380 00:23:38,717 --> 00:23:41,553 it can be hundreds and hundreds of kilometers in a return 381 00:23:41,553 --> 00:23:45,491 journey for them to go feed and come back to their chicks. 382 00:23:45,491 --> 00:23:47,860 It's interesting how they handle these huge journeys. 383 00:23:47,860 --> 00:23:50,496 It's not like they fly away and flap their wings. 384 00:23:50,496 --> 00:23:53,766 They would shoot up immediately from here into this high thermal 385 00:23:53,766 --> 00:23:56,869 all around this gorge, it's extremely hot, 386 00:23:56,869 --> 00:23:59,938 so very effective thermals taking them thousands of feet up 387 00:23:59,938 --> 00:24:04,043 in the sky, and they basically glide down into the area where 388 00:24:04,043 --> 00:24:08,580 the migration would be at that time of year. 389 00:24:08,580 --> 00:24:11,917 (Narrator) These vultures are the highest flying birds in the world. 390 00:24:11,917 --> 00:24:26,632 They soar at an altitude as high as a jumbo jet. 391 00:24:26,632 --> 00:24:29,034 (Du Plessis) There's huge amount of vultures around there's feathers lying 392 00:24:29,034 --> 00:24:32,738 all over this gorge and I have picked up two here. 393 00:24:32,738 --> 00:24:35,874 This one here is a secondary feather and this is a primary. 394 00:24:35,874 --> 00:24:38,610 These primaries are going at the edges of the wings, 395 00:24:38,610 --> 00:24:41,714 and that's what create a lift for the bird when they flap 396 00:24:41,714 --> 00:24:42,915 their wings. 397 00:24:42,915 --> 00:24:46,251 And it's the secondaries that will keep the bird in the sky, 398 00:24:46,251 --> 00:24:49,788 where they are actually soaring up in these thermals. 399 00:24:49,788 --> 00:24:52,791 The reason that birds do preening is they fix their 400 00:24:52,791 --> 00:24:57,996 feathers, where they bring these together and they stick them 401 00:24:57,996 --> 00:25:02,134 like velcro, and this will create the solid platform for 402 00:25:02,134 --> 00:25:04,136 them to get up in the sky. 403 00:25:04,136 --> 00:25:07,973 The Ruppell's Griffon vulture is one of the biggest birds in 404 00:25:07,973 --> 00:25:09,041 Africa. 405 00:25:09,041 --> 00:25:10,342 It's the second largest vulture, 406 00:25:10,342 --> 00:25:15,547 only rivaled by the Nubians or Lappet-faced vulture. 407 00:25:21,353 --> 00:25:25,290 This is now where the gorge narrows and when there's flash 408 00:25:25,290 --> 00:25:30,129 floods, this must be pretty deep. 409 00:25:30,129 --> 00:25:32,865 Quite incredible to think that this gorge has been here for 410 00:25:32,865 --> 00:25:35,901 hundreds of thousands of years, and we are very close to the 411 00:25:35,901 --> 00:25:38,804 cradle of man, Olduvai Gorge. 412 00:25:38,804 --> 00:25:44,143 So some form of hominids must have been walking through here, 413 00:25:44,143 --> 00:25:47,312 getting water in the dry season, probably for the last 414 00:25:47,312 --> 00:25:50,315 hundred thousand years. 415 00:26:09,168 --> 00:26:11,336 I'm quite a bit up into the gorge now. 416 00:26:11,336 --> 00:26:16,074 This is one of the main reasons this gorge is so important to 417 00:26:16,074 --> 00:26:17,342 the Masai. 418 00:26:17,342 --> 00:26:20,145 There's always year round water in the forms of these pools and 419 00:26:20,145 --> 00:26:23,215 puddles, that they can bring their livestock and to drink 420 00:26:23,215 --> 00:26:24,450 from. 421 00:26:24,450 --> 00:26:27,653 They're collecting this water to now take back to the village. 422 00:26:27,653 --> 00:26:30,956 This is pretty much the main purpose of a donkey is that they 423 00:26:30,956 --> 00:26:35,027 can carry water out of such hard places down to the village. 424 00:26:35,027 --> 00:26:38,697 Apparently, this water up here is more for human consumption, 425 00:26:38,697 --> 00:26:42,201 and the water down below will be for donkeys. 426 00:27:05,924 --> 00:27:08,126 (Narrator) It's now been three months since the herds finished the most 427 00:27:08,126 --> 00:27:13,999 dangerous part of the trip, the crossing of the Mara River. 428 00:27:13,999 --> 00:27:16,001 All throughout the 3-month leg, 429 00:27:16,001 --> 00:27:21,306 the wildebeest have had to contend with predators. 430 00:27:21,306 --> 00:27:24,042 It is a war of attrition, but the first herds have made it 431 00:27:24,042 --> 00:27:28,380 through and begin to push out of the woodlands. 432 00:27:28,380 --> 00:27:31,083 The wildebeest are now heading to the Southern short grass 433 00:27:31,083 --> 00:27:34,353 plains where perhaps the most important event of the annual 434 00:27:34,353 --> 00:27:37,322 migration takes place. 435 00:27:37,322 --> 00:27:40,859 This is where the females give birth to more than 200,000 436 00:27:40,859 --> 00:27:43,228 young over a three week period. 437 00:27:43,228 --> 00:27:46,164 It is the largest mass birth on the planet, 438 00:27:46,164 --> 00:27:52,771 and a spectacle that Jean does not want to miss. 439 00:27:52,771 --> 00:27:53,972 (Du Plessis) Incredible! 440 00:27:53,972 --> 00:27:56,742 We've just arrived on the short grass plains and with us are 441 00:27:56,742 --> 00:28:00,112 arriving this enormous herd of wildebeest, 442 00:28:00,112 --> 00:28:02,781 and they're all funneling through this gully right now. 443 00:28:02,781 --> 00:28:06,051 In the other side of he plain must be tens of thousands of 444 00:28:06,051 --> 00:28:10,856 wildebeest. 445 00:28:10,856 --> 00:28:13,191 The roads are clearly very wet meaning there must have been a 446 00:28:13,191 --> 00:28:15,160 big thundershower here last night, 447 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,329 and that's the driving force for the migration. 448 00:28:17,329 --> 00:28:19,865 There's very little instincts in these guys. 449 00:28:19,865 --> 00:28:21,833 It's all about following the rain, 450 00:28:21,833 --> 00:28:23,835 and this is where it's raining right now. 451 00:28:23,835 --> 00:28:25,971 So last night they must have seen the thunder, 452 00:28:25,971 --> 00:28:29,308 smelled the rain and the water, and this is why they are moving 453 00:28:29,308 --> 00:28:30,576 into this area. 454 00:28:30,576 --> 00:28:33,045 And this is generally what pulls the wildebeest from the north to 455 00:28:33,045 --> 00:28:36,815 the south, are these thundershowers that move from 456 00:28:36,815 --> 00:28:39,384 the north down into this area. 457 00:28:39,384 --> 00:28:41,954 The grasses here are fantastic. 458 00:28:41,954 --> 00:28:45,023 Right now I am not seeing any young calves with them which is 459 00:28:45,023 --> 00:28:49,094 great for us, because giving us some great opportunity to 460 00:28:49,094 --> 00:28:51,296 potentially witness a birth. 461 00:28:51,296 --> 00:28:54,900 But some of these females are looking very round and ready to 462 00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:56,001 pop. 463 00:28:56,001 --> 00:28:59,838 I'm certain in the next week we will see some births. 464 00:29:04,443 --> 00:29:07,579 (Narrator) Now just being on the short grass plains does not guarantee 465 00:29:07,579 --> 00:29:10,949 Jean will be able to stay with the herds. 466 00:29:10,949 --> 00:29:12,551 There are millions of wildebeests. 467 00:29:12,551 --> 00:29:14,886 But they can move fast. 468 00:29:14,886 --> 00:29:17,889 The entire wildebeest herd can completely vacate an area 469 00:29:17,889 --> 00:29:20,258 overnight. 470 00:29:20,258 --> 00:29:22,394 There are some parts of the park that are off limits 471 00:29:22,394 --> 00:29:25,964 to tourists, including Jean. 472 00:29:25,964 --> 00:29:28,166 If the wildebeest go into one of these areas, 473 00:29:28,166 --> 00:29:36,108 Jean would miss the entire calving season. 474 00:29:36,108 --> 00:29:39,244 Jean has decided to base himself at Sanctuary Camps 475 00:29:39,244 --> 00:29:48,120 in a spectacular area known as Kusini. 476 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,422 From the camp, he'll have the perfect vantage point to keep 477 00:29:50,422 --> 00:29:53,025 his eye on the migration. 478 00:29:53,025 --> 00:29:56,061 Its central location should keep Jean in striking distance when 479 00:29:56,061 --> 00:30:01,066 they begin dropping their young. 480 00:30:01,066 --> 00:30:03,402 But even the best thought out plans are subject to approval 481 00:30:03,402 --> 00:30:05,437 by Mother nature. 482 00:30:05,437 --> 00:30:08,306 Today things are not looking good for Jean. 483 00:30:08,306 --> 00:30:12,077 A massive storm is rolling in fueled by a tropical storm off 484 00:30:12,077 --> 00:30:15,080 Tanzania's coast. 485 00:30:15,614 --> 00:30:23,889 (thunder claps) 486 00:30:23,889 --> 00:30:25,891 An entire month's rain falls overnight 487 00:30:25,891 --> 00:30:29,094 on the short grass plains, turning the entire area 488 00:30:29,094 --> 00:30:34,099 into a swamp. 489 00:30:34,099 --> 00:30:36,401 The rains have triggered the herds to move again, 490 00:30:36,401 --> 00:30:40,105 but the heavy dump has created a major problem. 491 00:30:40,105 --> 00:30:43,241 Reports say the roads are impassable and that vehicles are 492 00:30:43,241 --> 00:30:48,513 stranded all over the plains. 493 00:30:48,513 --> 00:30:51,983 If he waits, he could lose track of the herds. 494 00:30:51,983 --> 00:30:55,987 So Jean decides to brave the conditions. 495 00:31:02,027 --> 00:31:05,597 He realizes quickly this is going to be a tough day. 496 00:31:05,597 --> 00:31:09,267 Jean is driving on black cotton soil which behaves 497 00:31:09,267 --> 00:31:12,270 a lot like ice. 498 00:31:17,309 --> 00:31:20,278 (Du Plessis) Key is to keep your car moving. 499 00:31:20,278 --> 00:31:25,283 (Narrator) If he stops, he won't have the traction to get moving again. 500 00:31:28,653 --> 00:31:30,622 (passengers in back seat) There we go, there we go. 501 00:31:30,622 --> 00:31:32,624 (Du Plessis) Hooya! 502 00:31:45,737 --> 00:31:47,939 Not good. 503 00:31:55,213 --> 00:31:58,083 Not good at all. 504 00:31:58,083 --> 00:32:01,319 However we have a hyena to our right. 505 00:32:01,319 --> 00:32:03,488 That's not going to help us much right now. 506 00:32:03,488 --> 00:32:08,093 (engine revving) 507 00:32:10,695 --> 00:32:14,166 Next thing is to try and dig out these pockets so we can make 508 00:32:14,166 --> 00:32:16,401 ourselves a little bit of a runway. 509 00:32:16,401 --> 00:32:20,739 Ideally it would be nice to find some wood to now put in front of 510 00:32:20,739 --> 00:32:23,408 the tire and we just need to get moving again and get that 511 00:32:23,408 --> 00:32:26,611 momentum. 512 00:32:26,611 --> 00:32:29,714 (Narrator) Jean has to dig out each tire. 513 00:32:29,714 --> 00:32:32,751 He lines the ruts with grass hoping it will give him enough 514 00:32:32,751 --> 00:32:35,654 traction to get back on the road. 515 00:32:35,654 --> 00:32:43,195 (Du Plessis) I think we'll just stick with the motto of momentum. 516 00:32:43,195 --> 00:32:46,131 Probably get stuck down the road, 517 00:32:46,131 --> 00:32:46,998 track. 518 00:32:46,998 --> 00:32:48,967 We can't really call this a road can we? 519 00:32:53,271 --> 00:32:55,273 Woo hoo! 520 00:33:02,814 --> 00:33:06,051 (Narrator) Wildlife expert Jean Du Plessis is following the wildebeest 521 00:33:06,051 --> 00:33:09,187 herds as they travel through the Serengeti on their year long 522 00:33:09,187 --> 00:33:14,226 migration. 523 00:33:14,226 --> 00:33:16,661 They are just days away from the most important event in their 524 00:33:16,661 --> 00:33:20,665 yearly migration, where the wildebeest females give birth to 525 00:33:20,665 --> 00:33:24,703 200,000 young over a two to three week period. 526 00:33:24,703 --> 00:33:28,073 It is the largest mass birth on the planet. 527 00:33:28,073 --> 00:33:30,242 A massive rain storm swept through the area, 528 00:33:30,242 --> 00:33:32,677 flooding the short grass plains. 529 00:33:32,677 --> 00:33:35,647 With the rain, the wildebeests have moved out. 530 00:33:35,647 --> 00:33:40,252 Jean is in the area called Moru Kopjes where he hopes to see the 531 00:33:40,252 --> 00:33:41,853 mass births. 532 00:33:41,853 --> 00:33:44,356 While he waits for the advancing herds to arrive, 533 00:33:44,356 --> 00:33:49,427 he has time to explore the area's unique geology. 534 00:33:49,427 --> 00:33:51,396 (Du Plessis) This area is known as Moru Kopjes, 535 00:33:51,396 --> 00:33:55,233 and the word kopjes is really a dutch word that refers to these 536 00:33:55,233 --> 00:33:57,168 rocky outcrops. 537 00:33:57,168 --> 00:34:00,772 That's such a prominent feature all around us. 538 00:34:00,772 --> 00:34:04,509 What it really is, is a fault line in the rift, 539 00:34:04,509 --> 00:34:06,711 and as the rift was splitting apart, 540 00:34:06,711 --> 00:34:08,847 you have all this magma pushing through, 541 00:34:08,847 --> 00:34:12,317 trying to get to the surface, but actually solidifying quite 542 00:34:12,317 --> 00:34:15,420 deep under the ground, cooling down quite slowly, 543 00:34:15,420 --> 00:34:17,856 making these incredible boulders. 544 00:34:17,856 --> 00:34:22,861 And now many years later on, you have the surfaces eroding away 545 00:34:22,861 --> 00:34:28,366 and starting to expose the top of these intrusive igneous rocks 546 00:34:28,366 --> 00:34:33,271 and it makes very nice refuge for things like lions. 547 00:34:33,271 --> 00:34:37,442 (Narrator) Moru is home to an unusually high number of lion prides. 548 00:34:37,442 --> 00:34:41,146 And in no time he finds the resident pride which is headed 549 00:34:41,146 --> 00:34:43,214 by two dominant males. 550 00:34:43,214 --> 00:34:47,218 (Du Plessis) This pride of lions have four young cubs that's about two 551 00:34:47,218 --> 00:34:49,154 to three months old. 552 00:34:49,154 --> 00:34:51,523 Right until now, it's has been extremely quiet in terms of 553 00:34:51,523 --> 00:34:55,360 prey, so it must have been a hard going for this pride to 554 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:58,263 even get these cubs to be two months old. 555 00:34:58,263 --> 00:35:01,399 Soon It's going to be like a massive party on their doorstep 556 00:35:01,399 --> 00:35:03,668 all the time with these millions of wildebeests pushing into 557 00:35:03,668 --> 00:35:06,504 these plains. 558 00:35:06,504 --> 00:35:08,873 (Narrator) In spite of the 'king of the beast' reputation, 559 00:35:08,873 --> 00:35:12,510 territories are actually controlled by the females. 560 00:35:12,510 --> 00:35:14,779 They're the ones who create the social structure, 561 00:35:14,779 --> 00:35:18,450 raise the cubs, and do most of the hunting. 562 00:35:18,450 --> 00:35:22,320 Prides have as many as five or six females and their cubs. 563 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:25,390 (Du Plessis) This is possibly the best time for lions to have cubs here in 564 00:35:25,390 --> 00:35:26,624 the Southern Serengeti. 565 00:35:26,624 --> 00:35:29,828 All around the southern plains are drying out and here in Moru 566 00:35:29,828 --> 00:35:33,765 Kopjes are the last areas with green grass, 567 00:35:33,765 --> 00:35:36,468 and about in a week's time you will have all these herds of 568 00:35:36,468 --> 00:35:38,903 wildebeest pushing into Moru Kopje, 569 00:35:38,903 --> 00:35:41,673 making it extremely easy for these lions to kill something 570 00:35:41,673 --> 00:35:43,908 and have a constant source of food. 571 00:35:43,908 --> 00:35:46,611 (Narrator) While the territory is controlled by the females, 572 00:35:46,611 --> 00:35:49,781 the prides are controlled by the males. 573 00:35:49,781 --> 00:35:53,818 In the key areas, it takes more then one male to hold a pride. 574 00:35:53,818 --> 00:35:56,554 That is known as a coalition. 575 00:35:56,554 --> 00:36:00,692 This pride is controlled by a coalition of two strong males. 576 00:36:00,692 --> 00:36:03,528 Part of their job is to defend their pride from being taken 577 00:36:03,528 --> 00:36:06,698 over by nomadic male lions. 578 00:36:06,698 --> 00:36:09,868 As the wildebeest migration moves in providing an abundant 579 00:36:09,868 --> 00:36:13,405 supply of food, nomadic males come in as well, 580 00:36:13,405 --> 00:36:17,409 following the food, and ready for a fight. 581 00:36:21,846 --> 00:36:24,849 Males are forced out when they're about two years old. 582 00:36:24,849 --> 00:36:29,654 They are looking to establish or take over a pride of their own. 583 00:36:29,654 --> 00:36:34,192 And for a lion, there is no better place than Moru Kopjes. 584 00:36:41,699 --> 00:36:46,738 The following Morning, Jean is out early, 585 00:36:46,738 --> 00:36:50,875 and immediately finds a serious threat to the resident pride. 586 00:36:50,875 --> 00:36:55,547 (Du Plessis) I just came across three nomadic male lions. 587 00:36:55,547 --> 00:36:57,715 They seem to be about three years of age. 588 00:36:57,715 --> 00:37:01,319 They've got a scruffy smallish mane, 589 00:37:01,319 --> 00:37:03,455 but they are huge in body. 590 00:37:03,455 --> 00:37:05,657 They obviously made a kill last night, 591 00:37:05,657 --> 00:37:07,492 and this guy is carrying his dinner. 592 00:37:07,492 --> 00:37:10,295 It's a wildebeest, no it's a young zebra. 593 00:37:10,295 --> 00:37:13,031 Yeah it's a small zebra. 594 00:37:13,031 --> 00:37:17,802 What's interesting is that when there's three and more males 595 00:37:17,802 --> 00:37:20,972 together in a coalition that they will always been related. 596 00:37:20,972 --> 00:37:24,876 So they are definitely brothers, and even when you look at them, 597 00:37:24,876 --> 00:37:27,045 they seem to be exactly the same age; 598 00:37:27,045 --> 00:37:29,481 same size manes. 599 00:37:29,481 --> 00:37:32,383 (Narrator) Usually a three-year old male is too young to challenge the 600 00:37:32,383 --> 00:37:33,351 dominants. 601 00:37:33,351 --> 00:37:37,422 But Jean thinks this trio is ready for a fight. 602 00:37:37,422 --> 00:37:41,493 (Du Plessis) Already by walking around like this in the open is brave. 603 00:37:41,493 --> 00:37:45,763 A nomadic lion theoretically is always sneaking through the 604 00:37:45,763 --> 00:37:48,566 territory of a dominant male in some way. 605 00:37:48,566 --> 00:37:52,570 And that dominant male is constantly looking out for 606 00:37:52,570 --> 00:37:54,806 guys like this to come beat and up. 607 00:37:54,806 --> 00:37:58,676 Generally, a lion will be dominant in the pride when it's 608 00:37:58,676 --> 00:38:03,548 about age five or six even, but three big brothers like this 609 00:38:03,548 --> 00:38:08,686 will more than likely be able to overthrow all the males in the 610 00:38:08,686 --> 00:38:15,126 pride when they are only four or four and a half. 611 00:38:15,126 --> 00:38:19,931 These guys are so powerful that they might dominate a couple of 612 00:38:19,931 --> 00:38:24,469 prides of females, especially like in area like Moru Kopjes 613 00:38:24,469 --> 00:38:26,771 where you've got so much diversity and landscape. 614 00:38:26,771 --> 00:38:31,442 There's quite a few prides of females in a fairly small area, 615 00:38:31,442 --> 00:38:35,446 and they can quite easily become dominant over two or three 616 00:38:35,446 --> 00:38:38,049 prides of females, making them, of course, 617 00:38:38,049 --> 00:38:40,418 very powerful. 618 00:38:40,418 --> 00:38:43,087 It's rare in the Serengeti that the male lion gets much older 619 00:38:43,087 --> 00:38:48,493 than 10 at a push 12, and it's quite common that a lion in a 620 00:38:48,493 --> 00:38:51,963 zoo can reach age 20, 25. 621 00:38:51,963 --> 00:38:57,168 There's even a lion in Germany in a zoo that's age 40. 622 00:38:57,168 --> 00:39:01,072 But out here in the wild where they need to really work for a 623 00:39:01,072 --> 00:39:05,076 life, that cuts a few years off their lives. 624 00:39:11,082 --> 00:39:12,951 (Narrator) When a new male takes over the pride, 625 00:39:12,951 --> 00:39:17,555 he kills all the cubs to make room for his own. 626 00:39:17,555 --> 00:39:20,658 With these cubs already a few months old, 627 00:39:20,658 --> 00:39:23,595 the females are counting on the two males for the survival of 628 00:39:23,595 --> 00:39:26,497 the pride. 629 00:39:26,497 --> 00:39:29,901 If the three males challenge, it will be a long night in 630 00:39:29,901 --> 00:39:31,903 Moru Kopjes. 631 00:39:55,560 --> 00:40:00,598 After a noisy night, Jean heads out before sunrise. 632 00:40:00,598 --> 00:40:04,602 He's greeted by an incredible sight. 633 00:40:07,505 --> 00:40:10,575 (Du Plessis) Where did they come from so quickly? 634 00:40:10,575 --> 00:40:15,079 I'm out here on the short grass plains and overnight hundreds of 635 00:40:15,079 --> 00:40:18,750 thousands of wildebeest just appeared. 636 00:40:18,750 --> 00:40:21,686 Yesterday there was very little around and today suddenly 637 00:40:21,686 --> 00:40:23,521 they're everywhere. 638 00:40:23,521 --> 00:40:24,889 I mean as far as the eye can see, 639 00:40:24,889 --> 00:40:26,257 it just looks like pepper. 640 00:40:26,257 --> 00:40:28,926 There's hundreds of thousands even. 641 00:40:28,926 --> 00:40:30,995 (Narrator) This is good news for Jean. 642 00:40:30,995 --> 00:40:33,765 For a while, it looked like the wildebeest herds were heading 643 00:40:33,765 --> 00:40:37,969 towards protected land that is off limits. 644 00:40:37,969 --> 00:40:40,505 It would mean that he would not be able to witness the mass 645 00:40:40,505 --> 00:40:41,806 births. 646 00:40:41,806 --> 00:40:45,910 (Du Plessis) Our objective still is to find a female giving birth. 647 00:40:45,910 --> 00:40:47,745 Right now there are no calves around, 648 00:40:47,745 --> 00:40:48,980 which is a very good sign for us, 649 00:40:48,980 --> 00:40:53,284 because once the calving starts, it's a very rapid process and 650 00:40:53,284 --> 00:40:58,289 these females will all be dropping their calves to I guess 651 00:40:58,289 --> 00:40:59,524 flood the market. 652 00:40:59,524 --> 00:41:02,827 There will be too many calves for predators to take advantage 653 00:41:02,827 --> 00:41:04,829 of. 654 00:41:04,829 --> 00:41:08,266 Jean is not the only one out cruising the herds. 655 00:41:08,266 --> 00:41:10,568 He finds the dominant male lions, 656 00:41:10,568 --> 00:41:13,204 but by the looks of them, there was an epic battle during the 657 00:41:13,204 --> 00:41:14,605 night. 658 00:41:14,605 --> 00:41:16,741 They are both beaten up quite badly. 659 00:41:16,741 --> 00:41:19,977 The one have a real messed up eye and the other one have quite 660 00:41:19,977 --> 00:41:22,680 a bad limp. 661 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:25,917 (Narrator) They may look badly injured, and They've lost a lot of fur around 662 00:41:25,917 --> 00:41:28,553 their manes, but they seem to have won the fight against the 663 00:41:28,553 --> 00:41:31,055 nomadic males. 664 00:41:31,055 --> 00:41:34,125 (Du Plessis) If a dominant male would get injured in the fight. 665 00:41:34,125 --> 00:41:38,663 he's extremely fortunate to be dominant inside a pride, 666 00:41:38,663 --> 00:41:41,099 because these females will continue to hunt and he can 667 00:41:41,099 --> 00:41:45,903 benefit from their efforts and the food that they catch. 668 00:41:45,903 --> 00:41:49,607 There's five lionesses walking through the herd. 669 00:41:49,607 --> 00:41:52,877 This is kind of classic lion hunting behavior in the 670 00:41:52,877 --> 00:41:55,279 migration is they are looking for anything that might be 671 00:41:55,279 --> 00:41:57,982 injured, that's just easy picking, 672 00:41:57,982 --> 00:42:03,788 and it's almost like why expel any energy if you don't have to. 673 00:42:03,788 --> 00:42:09,026 We are in the calving season and generally female wildebeest will 674 00:42:09,026 --> 00:42:12,063 give birth before 10 o'clock in the morning, 675 00:42:12,063 --> 00:42:14,799 and obviously when that baby is born it's very, 676 00:42:14,799 --> 00:42:15,967 very vulnerable. 677 00:42:15,967 --> 00:42:19,937 So these lions are kind of fanned out. 678 00:42:19,937 --> 00:42:23,975 Certainly they're looking for a female giving birth or a young 679 00:42:23,975 --> 00:42:26,978 one that was just born. 680 00:42:35,319 --> 00:42:37,922 So these lions didn't make a kill. 681 00:42:37,922 --> 00:42:42,026 But they are not very well fed, so they will definitely have to 682 00:42:42,026 --> 00:42:46,731 hunt within the next 12 hours, probably later this afternoon 683 00:42:46,731 --> 00:42:49,333 when it cools down again, and I suspect now they are heading 684 00:42:49,333 --> 00:42:52,403 into one of the kopjes where the wildebeest will also need to 685 00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:55,006 drink during the day, and they are probably going to lie up 686 00:42:55,006 --> 00:42:58,309 there and hope for a better chance later. 687 00:42:58,309 --> 00:43:02,180 (Narrator) Wildlife expert Jean Du Plessis has been following the great 688 00:43:02,180 --> 00:43:06,150 wildebeest migration since October when the two million 689 00:43:06,150 --> 00:43:09,287 animals made their deadly and dangerous crossing of the Mara 690 00:43:09,287 --> 00:43:12,924 River where thousands died. 691 00:43:12,924 --> 00:43:14,992 It's now February, and the survivors 692 00:43:14,992 --> 00:43:18,763 have made it to the short grass plains where the females are 693 00:43:18,763 --> 00:43:20,765 about to give birth. 694 00:43:20,765 --> 00:43:23,434 It is a true phenomenon of the natural world, 695 00:43:23,434 --> 00:43:27,238 the largest mass birth on the planet. 696 00:43:27,238 --> 00:43:30,908 (Du Plessis) We just got a call from one of our drivers saying he is with 697 00:43:30,908 --> 00:43:33,911 two wildebeests that are giving birth. 698 00:43:33,911 --> 00:43:36,814 So we are just trying to race to get there, 699 00:43:36,814 --> 00:43:41,352 because once it's started, it's quite quick for it to happen. 700 00:43:41,352 --> 00:43:44,055 It's interesting that wildebeest will only give birth up until 701 00:43:44,055 --> 00:43:48,259 about 10 o'clock in the morning, because the baby will need the 702 00:43:48,259 --> 00:43:53,698 rest of the day to get strong to be running by nightfall and 703 00:43:53,698 --> 00:43:56,300 escaping predators. 704 00:43:56,300 --> 00:43:59,937 (Narrator) Jean makes it to the area to where his guide and clients have 705 00:43:59,937 --> 00:44:02,273 a front row seat. 706 00:44:05,343 --> 00:44:07,778 (Du Plessis) We just passed a female with a leg sticking out of her, 707 00:44:07,778 --> 00:44:15,219 so there's a birth about to happen. 708 00:44:15,219 --> 00:44:17,421 So she has found a flat patch and she is just kind of circling 709 00:44:17,421 --> 00:44:18,656 around. 710 00:44:18,656 --> 00:44:22,126 They tend to prefer an area that doesn't have a huge amount of 711 00:44:22,126 --> 00:44:24,228 tall grass. 712 00:44:24,228 --> 00:44:28,232 She has chosen the safety of the herd to give birth for obvious 713 00:44:28,232 --> 00:44:29,500 reasons. 714 00:44:29,500 --> 00:44:34,038 There is this young calf coming out who is extremely vulnerable. 715 00:44:34,038 --> 00:44:38,009 Hyaenas, lions, and all kinds of predators are out on the prowl 716 00:44:38,009 --> 00:44:42,280 at this time of the morning, and they are keeping a watchful eye 717 00:44:42,280 --> 00:44:45,283 out for something just like this. 718 00:44:49,453 --> 00:44:53,190 Yeah. It's going to happen any moment now. 719 00:44:53,190 --> 00:44:59,196 There you go, she just stood back up and that's like having 720 00:44:59,196 --> 00:45:02,733 gravity help her, but then there the baby drops. 721 00:45:04,268 --> 00:45:05,403 Incredible. 722 00:45:05,403 --> 00:45:08,339 She is just coming around, sniffing on the baby now. 723 00:45:08,339 --> 00:45:11,342 It's amazing how quickly this all happens. 724 00:45:14,412 --> 00:45:18,349 Now it's about 5-10 minutes and the baby is starting to move 725 00:45:18,349 --> 00:45:19,617 around a bit more. 726 00:45:19,617 --> 00:45:24,922 It's kind of trying to stand up, pushing it up on his hind legs, 727 00:45:24,922 --> 00:45:28,092 but very off-balance still. 728 00:45:28,092 --> 00:45:34,231 This young guy will be ready to go in the next five minutes. 729 00:45:34,231 --> 00:45:37,201 Ten minutes later, ready to run with his mum, 730 00:45:37,201 --> 00:45:42,340 because now hyenas are really watching for young calves just 731 00:45:42,340 --> 00:45:45,142 falling over like that, and they would be here in a flash if they 732 00:45:45,142 --> 00:45:47,144 can see it. 733 00:46:02,126 --> 00:46:02,960 There you go. 734 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:05,863 A new generation starting all over. 735 00:46:05,863 --> 00:46:08,432 In a few months time, this baby would even be strong enough to 736 00:46:08,432 --> 00:46:12,903 start up the migration up north and by July-August even cross 737 00:46:12,903 --> 00:46:14,071 the Mara River. 738 00:46:14,071 --> 00:46:16,440 It's incredible to think that that little thing just born 739 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:21,879 there, so helpless, in six months time will be crossing 740 00:46:21,879 --> 00:46:27,618 huge rivers full of crocodiles that's like 12-13 feet long, 741 00:46:27,618 --> 00:46:32,089 and besides that, of course, they also have to travel 400 742 00:46:32,089 --> 00:46:36,127 kilometers to get there through hyena and lion infested 743 00:46:36,127 --> 00:46:37,595 savannah. 744 00:46:37,595 --> 00:46:41,565 (Narrator) For just over three months, Jean has been following the first leg 745 00:46:41,565 --> 00:46:45,169 of one of the greatest journeys in nature: the wildebeest 746 00:46:45,169 --> 00:46:47,905 migration. 747 00:46:47,905 --> 00:46:51,509 From the crossing of the Mara River to the mass birthing 748 00:46:51,509 --> 00:46:57,581 grounds, the millions of animals are in constant motion. 749 00:46:57,581 --> 00:47:02,653 Their movement is crucial to the Serengeti ecosystem. 750 00:47:02,653 --> 00:47:05,589 Everything in it thrives off of their impact, 751 00:47:05,589 --> 00:47:10,928 from the grasses, insects, to the birds and predators, 752 00:47:10,928 --> 00:47:13,898 everything is connected, defining the circle of life 753 00:47:13,898 --> 00:47:16,400 on the Serengeti. 754 00:47:18,369 --> 00:47:28,412 ♪♪ 755 00:47:28,412 --> 00:47:41,392 ♪♪