the Serengeti plains East Africa 1.3
million animals are about to embark on
the most epic migration on earth the
single greatest mass movement of land
mammals on the planet as they chase the
African storms in search of rain ripened
grass with a journey fraught with danger
more meat-eaters hunt to kill or
scavenge these savannas than almost
anywhere else in Africa and whenever the
herds arrived they Herald a frenzy of
feeding unparalleled in nature
this is Africa's great wildebeest
migration as you've never seen it before
the halcyon days for Africa's predators
Tanzania Central Africa a seasonal storm
clouds have watered the vast grass
plains of the southern Serengeti they've
brought the grasslands to life and
ushered in the greatest concentration of
grazing animals on the planet
yet the 1.3 million wildebeest haven't
come just for the lush grasslands it's
early spring and one of the most
significant events in the wildebeest
calendar is about to take place
wildebeest birth is a quick process
this is a dangerous time for both mother
and her unborn calf with one last push a
new runner joins the herd over the next
three short weeks around a quarter of a
million cars will be born 90% of all the
births of the year with five hundred
born every hour this must be one of the
world's greatest population explosions
world--as beasts calves learn to stand
faster than any other mammals the lives
depend on finding their feet as quickly
as possible
within just one day the calf will match
his mother for speed and agility it's an
ability written in its DNA as from now
on it will be running for its life in
the greatest race on earth
around a quarter of those trials when
survived their first year and the
migration to come
they're on the hit list of nearly every
African predator
many calves don't even make it to the
start of the great race this car
probably suffocated on its first and
final journey into the herd
on the plains of Africa nothing goes to
waste with a wingspan of two and a half
meters the lappet-faced vulture is the
largest scavenger here wings outspread
in what is known as a threat walk the
bird VARs the carcass from its
competitors only when they've made an
opening will the Griffon and white bat
vultures or the marabou storks get a
look-in they'll make quick work of the
carcass and by dusk little will remain
of the remains the grim end to a short
life
the diffused light of dawn reveals
another tragedy a lioness has killed an
adult ball in the night and concealed it
in the shade of an acacia tree
it's no coincidence that the Lions of
the short grass Plains in the southern
sound getty choose this time to raise
their young - and judging by the size of
their bellies her cubs haven't missed
out on the meat course either the mother
wildebeest now form nursery herds where
the calves can learn to play play is
good practice for the migration to come
but they never stray too far from their
mothers a wildebeest calf is reliant on
its mother for food protection and
guidance throughout its first year
the soils in the southern San getti are
richer in calcium potassium sodium and
phosphorus than anywhere else on the
wildebeest migration route absorbed by
the grass and passed on to the calf
through the mother's milk these minerals
help build strong bones and muscles this
concentration of minerals may be one of
the reasons why the wildebeest choose to
give birth on these short grass Plains
in the first place the grassland is now
being grazed hard
and the byproduct is something that one
enterprising animal has evolved to
exploit dung the wildebeest herd drops
an estimated 420 tons every day there
are over 100 different species of dung
beetle in the Serengeti they spend their
days on the lookout for fresh droppings
when they find them they fly in and
build a ball standing on its head it'll
roll are done away with its back legs
these amazing animals move up to 75% of
all the dung dropped on the sound getti
and 20% of the soil here is fertilized
by buried balls an underground ladder of
food for the beetle and its grubs there
it seems a smaller beetle is intent on
stealing from its rivals ball
without dung beetles the Serengeti would
quickly become unlivable throughout the
spring the wildebeest herds stock up on
the grasses of the southern San getti
but they never really stop moving as
they scour the plains for fresh pasture
and it's this gradual urban flow of
animals that ultimately ushers in the
great migration there's no set start
time and no set route but gradually an
incredible 90% of all the grazing
animals that once filled the short grass
plains of the South move on
wildebeest has scent glands in their
feet so head down it's a relatively
simple process to follow the leader
an epic journey that will take the
wildebeest up to a thousand miles has
begun and for the next two months
they'll barely stop walking
it's now midsummer and after 60 days on
the move the animals have reached a
turning point in their migration the
plains are awash with testosterone as
the wildebeest prepare to meet charging
at full speed the Bulls butt heads and
establish their dominance rutting is
such an all-consuming test of stamina
strength and endurance that over the
next three weeks
the Bulls may not feel at all mating
itself takes just a few seconds yet
wildebeest have one of the most
successful sexual practices of any
mammals and despite its brevity an
estimated 95% of females will become
pregnant during the rut in the process
the strongest males have ensure their
genes are the ones passed on to the next
generation of migrants
the wildebeest migration around Africa's
Serengeti is the most awe-inspiring
natural event on the planet
1.3 million animals on an endless March
it's now late summer and the worldA
beasts have reached the northern border
of Tanzania gateway to the lush
grassland of Kenya's Masai Mara
but one obstacle lies in their path the
mighty maha-rathah
there are no easy folding points here
the water flooded Rapids deep fast
flowing and filled with crocodiles
the riverbanks cliffs up to 20 meters
high
it's a seemingly impenetrable barrier
and for many days the herds are mass on
the bank
soon tens of thousands of animals line
the water's edge as pressure on the bank
continues to build there's nowhere left
to run the animals jostle for space and
a calf is pushed over the edge the rest
follow and the Stampede is on
there's no stopping them now launching
headfirst into the river the wildebeest
take the plunge
a high jump gives the ruler based a head
start a dive in that might help them
avoid the attention of crocodiles who
could be lurking beneath the water along
the shore
the current is powerful and the herd are
pushed downstream but wildebeest a
strong swimmers with a vigor to make it
across
a hippo defends her territory and her
calf this is her River hippos don't like
having their space invaded
bigger threats lurk beneath the surface
the Marez home to some of the largest
crocodiles in Africa
the frontrunners of the herd have now
reached the other side but the bank is
rocked and as slippery as ice it's
turning treacherous and the animals
struggle to make it out
there will be many rivers to cross
during their stay in the Masai Mara but
for now
soaking and exhausted the wildebeest
emerged triumphant onto the green
savanna
this is what they've been marching for a
promised land Nirvana for African
wildlife the Masai Mara is so productive
at this time of the year that from late
summer through autumn the animals will
stay put stock up and regain their
strength on the most prevalent plant
here grass each grazer
has evolved its own way of feeding on it
and the Mara's predators have evolved
their own ways of hunting them zebra
with their rounded mouths graze on the
main parts of grass the tall and fibrous
upright shoots like hey they have
evolved very acute senses of smell and
vision and that means predators must use
stealth to catch them
wildebeest don't compete with zebra for
food they use their flat wide mouths to
graze deeper and on finer shoots cutting
the grasses off right at ground level
around 150,000 Thomson's gazelle
complete the migration each year
alongside the wildebeest they don't
compete with a larger grazers for food
because with their delicate mouths they
can fish out the chutes the others leave
behind their small size does make them
appealing prey though and one of
Africa's big cats has evolved its own
way of catching them cheetah may be the
fastest animals on land but it's a close
race and the fastest most agile gazelles
can survive the chase
starting or leaping into the air is a
way for other gazelles to tell the
cheetah they've seen it too so there's
no point in pursuing them gazelle calves
could never outrun a cheetah so instead
they lie down lie still and hide in the
grass it doesn't always work
there is one grazer here that few
predators would attempt elephants
they'll use their feet to kick up great
pods of grass brushing the soil away
before eating the plants roots and all
the Mara's grazers coexist thanks to the
different ways they feed and the result
is perhaps the most diverse assemblage
of large animals on the planet
rain is the essence of the world of East
migration the driving force of that
Great Trek Masai Mara received more rain
than anywhere else on route averaging
over one metre per year most of that
water falls in the three-month period
when the migration is in termed this is
the Mara's wet season a single
thunderstorm can bring over five
centimeters of water that little shelter
so the animals line up facing away from
the deluge
all that water has to go somewhere and
the result is a series of Brooks and
streams that crisscross the plains
tributaries of the Mara River they form
homes for pods of hippos
although not as fast-flowing wide or
deep as the mighty mara for the
wildebeest approaching water like this
italic river is always risking their
safety in numbers
so the herd waits to reach critical mass
before crossing they graze oblivious to
the danger on the other bank lions
urged on by instinct a few animals take
their first tentative steps across the
water
one of last year's cars is taken
this truly is nature red in tooth and
claw the calf still kicking while the
lioness feeds
finally a death grip to the muzzle and
the wildebeest is suffocated out of his
misery the herd run off they can never
be sure whether there are other Lions in
the area for a lone lioness only one in
five hunts is ever successful yet
working together they can bring down
their quarry a third of the time they
are now gorge they'll consume up to a
quarter of their own bodyweight in flesh
in one sitting they must eat fast in
lion society it's the king that rules
and the male and the rest of the pride
are not far behind he's a third larger
and a third heavier than the lionesses
and he'll take the lion's share
only when the Mail's finished feeding
will they return to the carcass
for the wildebeest hard there's no time
to rest
lions are just one of the dangers they
must face the Masai Mara is home to what
could be one of the highest densities of
big predators found anywhere in Africa
and they've all evolved their own
specialized ways of dealing with the
bonanza of food
the wildebeest represents
cheaters these three brothers have been
patrolling the Mara for the last three
years
male cheaters often form alliances for
life their territory stretches across
large sways of the Maasai Mara and
they'll cover tens of kilometers in a
day on patrol they do have favorite
spots vantage points from where they can
survey the plains here there rest and
leave scent markings and droppings on
promontories signposts telling other
cheetahs they're in the area
with no herds in sight the tria relaxed
as the Sun sets over the Mara other
predators are on the prowl spotted hyena
they choose the dim confusion of dusk to
switch from reputable scavenging to
coordinated hunting hyena are the most
numerous big predators on the Mara their
clans can reach 80 animals strong and
this strength in numbers ensures a kill
almost every night they circle the
wildebeest looking for their best chance
hyenas have an extremely well developed
sense of smell and hearing an excellent
night vision they're on the lookout for
the sick starving or weakest individuals
one hyena breaks away
the hunt is on he dies into the herd
singling out one of this year's cars
hyenas may travel 50 miles from their
den in search of food and when hunting
their endurance is key to their success
their victims unable to keep up with the
hyenas staying power end up being run to
exhaustion
the calf is driven into the open here
the rest of the clan is waiting
hyenas have the strongest bite of any
mammals and can easily chew their way
through solid bone the carves fate
seemed sealed then something incredible
a hyena from a rival clan bears down on
the prey the pack breaks away hyena
won't tolerate a rival on their patch
and they can always catch another calf
battered bruised and no doubt terrified
the calf staggers to its feet and races
off to rejoin the herd it's been a close
shave the early morning light of dawn
reveals the hyena were lucky in the
night they managed to bring down another
wildebeest calf
now they've got to keep it jackholes
vultures marabou storks are always on
hand to steal what morsels they can but
they're our biggest scavengers on the
lookout this morning a young male lion
his pride hasn't been so successful and
they're hungry
in a reverse of popular perception the
Lions now turn scavenger and attempt to
drive the hyena off their kill it's a
standoff
the lion may be the biggest cat in
Africa but faced with overwhelming
numbers they stand little chance of
stealing the kill away the three male
cheetahs haven't moved far from their
vantage point in the night and they're
hungry
cheetahs usually hunter learn for small
prey but working as a team this trio
hoped to secure something much larger
the hard edges ever closer to the
Cheetahs the three crouch down like
runners on the starting blocks hiding in
the just low enough grass heads down
waiting for the wildebeest to approach
the cats play cat and mouse on a large
scale a waiting game they hope I still
lie hidden keep watching and let the
prey come in
a lone cheater would have little chance
against an adult wildebeest it weighs
more than all three cheetahs put
together so team Worth is the only way
to success
the wildebeest come within range the
cheetah
ready for the sprint
it may have looked chaotic yet slowed
down the hunt had almost military-like
precision first snipers perfectly still
they keep watch singling out their
target second springing from the ground
like lethal mortar bombs they cause
panic and chaos in the herd cheetah are
the fastest animals on land and can
accelerate from nought to 50 in just
three seconds third - cheetah spit
mother from calf separating them while
the third cheetah aims for the kill
deftly tripping the car for this front
paw yet the wildebeest aren't without
defense the mother charges in risking
her own life to save her calf back on
its feet
it's running for its likes the second
and third sheet are now returned once
more separating the wildebeest and
isolating the car
to aid its sprint the Cheetahs feet are
equipped with blunt claws that act like
spikes on running shoes unique amongst
all counts the drawers can't be
retracted into a sheath instead they're
always out and read it around and game
over once the prey is on the ground
its fate is sealed death by asphyxiation
cheetahs may be the fastest animals on
land but there's a drawback to that
speed it raises their body temperature
to near fatal limits as mussels produce
heat 60 times that of a cheetah at rest
panting helps the cats cool off
in large numbers
vultures can intimidate cheaters of
their kills having had their fill
they'll move off in search of water and
shade
scavengers will waste little times
tripping what's left of the carcass
the cat's paused to clean off the blood
of victory it's been a successful
morning wildebeest are built to walk and
the truth is their migration never
really ends instead they track a path
around the Serengeti in pursuit of
Africa's rain ripened grass and as the
seasonal rains move south the herds must
follow and that means once again
crossing the Mara River
year after year the wildebeest have
chosen one spot to cross as they move
the Maasai Mara the most direct route
sites getting restless agitated they
start to approach the water
nervously tentatively they edged forward
sniffing the ground as if checking for
crocodiles
the zebra our first to go in they have
more acute senses in the world of East
and often lead the way at crossings
the wildebeest follow
this is what the crocodiles have been
waiting for
they seemed to select particular animals
those of the edge of the part of
favorite like torpedoes
they homed in on the weak injured or
young cars their strategy used their own
body weight to drag their unfortunate
victims under and trail
crocodiles have the strongest bite of
any animal an incredible crushing force
of 340 atmosphere per square centimeter
compared to just ten from air and
measuring six meters
they're totally hostile
the calf's oblivious to the danger until
it's too late
and still the herds keep coming the
forward momentum of the crossing draws
the remaining animals off the plains
a lioness the herd is spooked
the lioness won't risk an attack until
the wildebeest are within 10 meters but
now she has a chance
the cough is taken down and dragged into
the scrub
the Stampede continues the animals
running in chaos like a shoal of fish
will to be seen to know that the middle
of the herd is the safest place to be
and jostle for safety using the low
scrub for cover another predator a
leopard approaches leopards are stealth
hunters masters of surprise ambush is
their way of life and chaos their best
chance grabbing the calf by the neck she
bites down on its windpipe and tightens
her grip
at 45 kilos she weighs a little less
than the calf which is much much
stronger and more agile she uses her
body weight to grapple a car to the
ground
now with surgical precision
she crunches at the neck crushing the
wildebeests windpipe with a turn of her
head she blocks the Airways
one last spasm and death takes a grip on
the calf
leopards are among the smallest members
of the big cat family so to prevent a
kill from being taken by lions hyena or
other scavengers she now drags it away
to a safe hiding place in the other
river
back in the river it's bedlam as tens of
thousands of animals try to make it up
on to the other side the banks are steep
and slippery and there are few places
where the animals can make it out
the river is so packed with wildebeest
even the crocodiles can't get out of the
way
yet still the hunt is on
the zebra herd have made it across the
crocodiles approach
one zebra panics and tries to head
downstream but there's no way out down
there
trapped by a vertical slippery wall of
mud the lone zebras fate seems sealed on
the bank above the rest of the zebra
herd wait brain watching
a fallen tree blocks the Zebras path
the waters deep it's tired it can barely
keep its head above the surface
in just a few days of river crossings
over 10,000 animals can die most are not
taken by the lions leopards or Crocs
that trampled on drowned or simply died
of exhaustion trying to find their way
out of the water
then somehow the zebra finds a way
through and up the bank to the waiting
herd
the crossing point is quieter yet it's
littered with the remains of the dead
the Predators feed on the spoils this
may be the last easy meal they'll have
until the herds return in a year's time
in the water the Crocs are feeding to
crocodiles have no chewing teeth so they
work together taking it in turns to hold
the carcass or rolling to rip off chunks
of flesh
there's swallow it whole a crocodiles
stomach acid is one of the strongest
found in any animal strong enough to
dissolve bone
and they could consume half their own
body weight in food in one sitting
they'll make do with fish for the rest
of the year
now the wildebeest have gone back south
on the bank above the cub has joined the
leopard mother she stashed her kill at
the base of a tree and it's time for
them to feed the cub is too young to
hunt for himself but he'd investigate
the carcass and play whilst the mother
eats clay helps him learn how to kill
the herds have started their long march
south back to their birthing grounds on
the short grass plains in the southern
Serengeti it's an epic journey that's
been repeated for perhaps a million
years but for how much longer in 2010
the government of Tanzania revisited
plans to build a major road across the
Serengeti
