The Kalahari Transfrontier Park demonstrates how diverse species have evolved remarkable adaptations to survive in one of Earth's harshest deserts, including deep root systems accessing underground water, specialized heat tolerance mechanisms, and cooperative social behaviors that enable life to persist in extreme conditions.
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How Life Cheats Death in One of Earth’s Harshest Deserts | Great Parks of Africa 105Añadido:
In the southern reaches of Africa's great Kalahari Basin, the air quivers [music] with heat.
Everything is [music] made tough.
>> [snorts] >> Ancient rivers harbor water deep underground.
These are hidden [music] lifelines creating a fragile link to survival.
>> [music] >> This is a land of deep thirst and raw beauty.
This is the Kalahari Transfrontier Park.
>> [music] >> The Kalahari Basin is one of southern Africa's most striking landscapes.
Millions of years [music] of erosion have formed the sandy soils that define this vast high-altitude plateau.
A thirsty wilderness covering some [music] 900,000 square kilometers.
Within this expanse lies the Kalahari [music] Transfrontier Park.
It straddles the border between South Africa and West Botswana and covers more than 36,000 [music] square kilometers.
Life here is hard, characterized by long dry months and unpredictable sporadic rains.
As little as 150 mm [music] of rain falls in a year.
Most of this vanishes quickly, drained through the sandy soils [music] and evaporated by the beating sun.
>> [music] >> But two unlikely veins of life weave their [music] way through the park.
Ancient dry riverbeds that hold Earth's most precious resource [music] deep below.
Here camelthorn trees grow tall, their long roots tapping into the hidden water.
Their boughs becoming havens and their seeds food for many desert inhabitants.
Smaller grasses and herbs take advantage of nutrient-rich [music] soils around them.
Even with these [music] resources, the hardy creatures of the Kalahari have had to adapt to survive this harsh environment.
From colonies of master builders [music] to herds of herbivores, these in turn feed a host of desert predators.
From Africa's most iconic to the diminutive and shy, hunting for their living on land and from the air, and completing a food chain in which every link relies on the perseverance of the others.
It's midwinter, the height of the dry season in the park, when quality plant food is hard to find.
Herbivores congregate in dry riverbeds where underground water can still support the toughest plant life.
But crowds can attract danger.
Africa's most powerful hunters live here.
And few [music] are fiercer than lions.
>> [music] >> These sisters are in the [music] prime of their lives.
They've lived together since birth, spending [music] much of the dry season around the riverbed, attracted by the abundance of potential [music] prey.
Their pride is ruled by a coalition of a young male with a growing mane and his more [music] imposing ally.
He weighs in at around 200 [music] kg, capable of bringing down prey four times his own weight.
With animals concentrated in the riverbeds, the lions [music] have prime real estate.
But with low game densities beyond the riverbeds, their range could be as big [music] as 2,800 square kilometers.
Lions dominate the Kalahari food chain, hunting mainly by the cover of darkness and sleeping away most of the hot day.
But they're not the park's only predators.
For another group of the Kalahari's iconic cats, the day's schedule will soon have a lot more in store.
In the Nossob riverbed, a family of cheetahs is about to stir.
They're one of the few species of diurnal cat and spend the night lying low to avoid the threat of their fierce competitors like lions.
Cubs are vulnerable to attack by a range of predators >> [music] >> and in some areas fewer than half will survive past 3 months.
But this mother has done a remarkable job in successfully raising her four cubs [music] to the brink of independence.
When they reach around 18 months, the youngsters will leave their mother and so they must take every opportunity to learn to kill.
Clocking top [music] speeds of more than 110 km/h, these are the fastest land mammals on Earth.
Unlike other cats, their claws are permanently exposed, providing high-speed traction on the loose sandy [music] terrain like an athlete's spikes.
And while they may not be the fiercest predators, [music] they are among the most efficient in the Kalahari, enjoying success in two out of seven hunts, a rate almost twice as productive as the area's lions.
Here in the riverbeds, their favorite prey is the dainty springbok.
Nearly 70% of the Kalahari springbok will fall prey to cheetahs.
But a medium-sized antelope doesn't go far when spread between five hungry cats.
Today's lesson will focus on bigger prey.
The cheetah head off to look for a more substantial meal.
So for today, these springbok can feed peacefully.
With its triple-toned coat, the springbok is one of Africa's prettiest antelope.
But its pelt is also of particular importance for survival here.
Summer days in the Kalahari regularly top 40°C.
But even in the cooler winter months, temperatures can exceed 30°.
To deal with the heat, springbok turn their white rumps in the direction of the sun, reflecting up to 95% of its rays.
But in this world of sun-baked sand, the ground acts as a mirror, reflecting hot sunlight from below.
The springbok's white bellies repel these rays, too, preventing overheating.
This enables springbok to spend more time in the open, while other animals retreat, looking for the refuge of shade.
For shade, the Kalahari's animals rely largely on one of the most iconic and important of the park's plant species, the camelthorn tree.
Reaching 15 m tall, these grow prolifically along the Kalahari's riverbeds.
But the park's rivers rarely flow.
They see surface water only once every 11 or so years.
The real source of moisture lies deep beneath the ground, and the camelthorns access it with taproots descending as far as 60 m below the surface.
Using this moisture to grow tall and strong, the camelthorns perform a number of functions crucial to life in the Kalahari.
None is more important than their role as scaffolding.
This mass of sticks may seem lifeless from a distance, but a closer look reveals a hive of activity.
It is home to a colony of incredible architects, sociable weavers.
At 14 cm in height, these weavers weigh only 27 g.
But when they combine their powers for design, their homes can spread 7 m through the camelthorn canopy, and weigh in at more than a ton.
Males and females all contribute to building the [music] mega structures, which can house as many as 300 pairs.
During the day, the nest [music] is akin to an international airport, a buzz with business, with arrivals, departures, and hundreds [music] of flights, >> [music] >> all masterfully avoiding each other in the immediate airspace.
Most of the weavers will spend their entire lives living in this nest, and it's essential to their ability to survive in the park's extreme weather conditions.
The thick walls offer excellent insulation, meaning that even on the hottest days, the internal temperature never rises above 31°C.
On freezing winter nights, the birds' shared heat can raise the internal temperature by as much as 23°.
Some of the camelthorn trees in the Kalahari are 250 years old.
These have continuously supported sociable weavers' nests for more than a century, or almost 30 generations.
The trees thrive in the riverbeds, where nutrients collect, leached from the sand of the surrounding dunes by the occasional rain.
But there are places in the park where nothing grows at all.
The Kalahari is dotted with multiple broad, barren depressions, known as pans.
These are the last remnants of long-since deceased rivers.
When erratic Kalahari rains do fall, surface water collects on the compacted clay, only to evaporate under the hot sun.
Minerals and salts are left behind, which over time become too concentrated for plants to grow.
For a pair of desert experts like these ostriches, there is no land too foreboding.
The largest species of bird in the world, they stand 2 m tall and weigh 100 kg.
They cannot fly, but make up for this by running at up to 70 km/h, 10 km an hour faster than a lion.
More remarkable than their speed is their ability to survive in the heat of the Kalahari.
They have exceptionally low water demands, getting almost all of the moisture they need from their mostly plant-based diet.
For the ostriches, there is little time spent resting, as they spend more than 60% of the day striding the landscape looking for food.
While nothing grows in the middle of the pan, animals still visit these open wastelands.
They will congregate at these hollows and eat the soil in small quantities, taking on the minerals as a supplement to their diet, which is lacking at this tough time of the year.
The dry earth is not the only source of extra minerals available in the Kalahari.
This female gemsbok is heavily pregnant.
In the dry winter, her diet is lacking much-needed nutrients, which will become ever more important when nursing her newborn.
To make up for this lack, she turns to an unlikely source, the rib [music] of a large herbivore, perhaps a wildebeest, or perhaps even another gemsbok.
She'll chew the bones of other animals to extract minerals such as calcium [music] and phosphorus.
It's an example of nature's innovation, which allows animals like her to survive in incredibly difficult habitats.
She belongs to possibly the most well-adapted and iconic of all the desert-dwelling species.
At about 1.2 [music] m tall at the shoulder, gemsbok weigh around 240 kg.
These majestic antelope are known for their horns, which average more than a meter [music] long from ribbed base to razor-sharp tip.
An injury at a young age can cause a deformity in growth.
This could put the pregnant cow at a disadvantage when it comes to defense against predators.
Thus far, she's been unhindered by the deformity.
Able to live life as a productive member of the herd.
But things are different for the bulls.
Gemsbok are one of the few antelope [music] in which the horns of males are shorter than those of females.
But they're also thicker and stronger.
Better preparing their bearers for battles for dominance and the right to mate.
When two bulls come to a stalemate, only a third can come between them.
The skin around the bulls' necks is up to 6 mm thick to protect them during these skirmishes.
>> [music] >> The gemsbok survive thanks to a range of adaptations [music] to life in a parched land.
They are able [music] to go much of their lives without drinking.
Getting the moisture [music] they need from their food instead.
To make this [music] possible, the gemsbok's bodies are geared towards saving water.
While many mammals will pant or sweat to cool down, both processes waste water.
Instead, the gemsbok can allow their normal body temperature of 35.7° C to rise to rise to a staggering 45°.
They can handle a hot body, but an overheated brain can be life-threatening.
To counter this, in the gemsbok's moist, cool nasal passages, [music] there's an extensive network of blood capillaries.
This cools the blood, keeping the animal's head at a safe temperature while the body temperature soars.
The gemsbok will then lose the excess heat in the cooler night, which is also when they do most of their grazing.
At night, even dead grass can absorb 40% of its weight in airborne moisture.
It's enough to satisfy the gemsbok's low water requirements.
And it allows them to spend more time in the dunes than their smaller antelope counterparts.
>> [music] >> In the southwest portions of the park lie dune fields extending for a full 800 km.
Their sand is turned [music] ochre red from iron oxide enveloping the grains.
Here, tough grasses take [music] hold along the ridges.
And in some areas, grow in thick, dense swaths.
It's an apparent banquet for animals like the gemsbok.
But there's more to [music] this grass than meets the eye.
Known as Kalahari sour grass, its young shoots soon toughen and secrete an acidic substance which is unpalatable to the animals and causes them skin [music] irritations.
An inedible sea of seeming abundance, as cruel as any desert mirage.
But not all of the Kalahari's plants are as deceptive.
In the nutrient-rich riverbeds, the camelthorns are a lot more than just scaffolding for nests.
In the driest time, they produce large seed pods.
Their silvery coat reflects the sun's hot rays, just like the springbok's rumps.
Thus, minimizing evaporation.
Low in tannins and high in protein, these pods are an important source of nutrition for many of the Kalahari's animals.
And this herd of wildebeest cashes in [music] on the feast.
In order to germinate, the hard-shelled seeds must pass through their digestive systems, where enzymes break down their outer shells.
They will soon be spread by the wildebeest in repayment of the trees' nutritious [music] favor.
In the cooler part of the day, the herd takes to the riverbed [music] to lie in the sun.
With many eyes on the lookout, they can take time to relax.
But a herd in the Nossob riverbed is about to have an altogether more dramatic day.
The cheetah family have been on the move [music] all morning, seeking a meal fit for five.
And they've spotted the wildebeest.
The day's hunt is about to begin.
The cats keep a low profile, getting as close as possible.
Suddenly, the chase is on.
A calf injures itself in the chaos of the herd.
The cheetahs surround it, but are cautious of the bucking prey.
Outnumbered five to one, this will surely be the end for [music] the young wildebeest.
But the cheetahs are inexperienced.
And the calf [music] isn't going to go down without a fight.
They're at a loss of how to make the kill.
Tired from the exertion of the chase, the cheetahs retreat to the shade to recover their strength.
And the wildebeest has a chance to get away.
But they're not about to let it go that easily.
And it's every wildebeest for itself.
The injured calf is abandoned to its fate.
Barely able to [music] carry its own weight, the calf manages to keep eyes on the closest threat.
It matches its [music] harassers move for move in a terrifying dance.
Eventually, exhaustion [music] begins to take hold in both predators and [music] prey.
After a drawn-out saga, the day [music] comes to the strangest of ends.
The cheetahs abandon the opportunity.
Despite the huge investment of energy, they will see no reward.
The calf's refusal to surrender has bought it extra time.
A fine example of the fact that there are few foregone conclusions in this unpredictable land.
But as night falls, a different [music] set of threats may present itself.
And with [music] lions around, the calf will be lucky to make it to morning.
As day breaks, the Kalahari's springbok are making the most of the early hours.
While they rely largely on fresh grass after periods of rain, springbok have adapted to make the most of scant resources during the barren winter.
And in some cases, these occur in an unlikely location.
Beneath the bone-dry sands of the Auob riverbed, the antelope uncover hidden roots before plucking them with dexterous lips.
By adapting their diets, springbok can sustain themselves well enough to continue with life as usual, despite the apparent lack in their environment.
And even in these tough times, the males are preoccupied by the desire for dominance and mating opportunities.
This male moves between the surrounding females, checking each in turn for reproductive readiness.
But they're unresponsive.
The brief rut and mating season happened months ago after the wet season, when the herd was in prime condition.
Now, the females share none of the males' interest. [music] Young males will still size each other up, >> [music] >> but their contests hold none of the intensity that will occur when the herd is at full fitness.
>> [music] >> While the springbok have had an early start to the day, another group of Kalahari cons are later to rise.
A family of meerkats.
>> [music] >> The pack takes great caution before leaving the safety of the burrow, scanning their surroundings for threats.
>> [music] >> And for good reason, they have pups with them.
>> [music] >> Like the sociable weavers, meerkats work together to insulate [music] themselves from the extremes of the environment.
>> [music] >> But instead of building up, they dig down, making their homes beneath the ground.
>> [music] >> And they're not the only ones living here.
>> [music] >> Their roommates, the yellow mongooses, have had a sleep-in.
>> [music] >> But they have less patience when it comes to finding breakfast >> [music] >> and are first to go hunting for insects.
>> [music] [music] >> Following their lead, the meerkats venture out, slowly at first. [music] >> [music] >> They soon come across their other neighbors, the ground squirrels.
They too live as a family, [music] with mom keeping a careful eye out.
>> [music] >> Unlike the others, the squirrels are satisfied with a mainly vegetable-based diet, nibbling away contentedly.
>> [music] >> These three social species happily share their turf with each other, but will all jealously [music] defend it against rivals from their own species.
As the day goes on, each makes the most [music] of what their surroundings have to offer.
While the mongoose and squirrels will [music] split up to forage as individuals, the meerkats stick together, watching each others' backs [music] to the last.
While the meerkats' day is just beginning, one of the Kalahari's other subterranean dwellers is getting ready to head back underground.
This Cape fox spent the cold winter night hunting alone, digging for its favorite prey of mice.
It enjoys the morning warmth before heading to sleep in its den, where it will raise its pups come early summer.
Weighing in at 5 kg, the Cape fox is the smallest canid in southern Africa.
It's also the only true fox living here and is endemic to the region.
The little predator is vulnerable to bigger carnivores, and it must return to safety below ground.
The entrance to its den is carefully concealed beneath the branches of one of the Kalahari's hardy shrubs.
These plants are almost as well adapted as the animals which eat them.
Like the three-thorn, so named for the way it grows, always branching off in increments of three.
And the black hook, named for its dark thorns.
To survive here, these plants have tiny, thin leaves to minimize water loss through evaporation.
And thorns to avoid being devoured in large quantities.
Like the smaller shrubs, thorns are crucial to the survival of camel thorns.
This young tree will eventually grow to resemble the comparative giant behind it.
And when it does, it will serve another important purpose for the Kalahari's birds, giving them branches on which to perch.
Red-headed finches are the same size as the sociable weavers.
These grain eaters will gather in flocks numbering in the hundreds.
Unlike many in the Kalahari, they must drink frequently, congregating around the park's rare water sources.
But the finches are vulnerable to predation by birds of prey, and they dare not relax on open ground.
Diving in for two sips [music] before returning to the camel of the camel thorn's branches.
>> [music] >> But as much as the camel thorn serves them with a protected perch, it provides the same service to the birds of prey that hunt them.
The Kalahari is a hotbed of raptor activity.
This southern pale chanting goshawk will prey on small birds like weavers and finches, but its favorite food is small mammals.
>> [music] >> It devours its latest victim in the branches of a camel thorn.
The Kalahari riverbeds provide ideal [music] habitat for the goshawk.
Open ground leaves rodents visible, and the branches of camel [music] thorns provide high perches from which to launch diving attacks.
And when mice are few [music] and far between at around 80 sociable weavers per kilometer of riverbed, there's no shortage of food for the goshawk.
Having eaten its fill, it uses the tree for one last purpose.
Cleaning its sharp beak by rubbing it against the rough bark.
The goshawk isn't the only hunter that relies on camel thorns.
While their branches are a launching pad for the raptor, they also provide a favorite resting place of another of the Kalahari's cats.
>> [music] >> But this little predator may seem out of place in its wild environment.
The African wildcat looks surprisingly domestic. [music] Mainly active at night, it spends much of its day relaxing in these branches.
Its stripy legs are perfectly camouflaged against the tree's gnarled bark.
At around 5 kg, it could easily be confused with a domestic tabby cat, distinguished only by its longer legs and the rufous coloring behind its ears.
It was cats like these that were [music] first domesticated 6,000 years ago in ancient Egypt to control rat populations.
And like [music] those ancient ancestors, this wildcat's favorite prey are mice and rats.
>> [music] >> High densities of rodents mean that it can get all it needs in a small territory of just [music] 1 square kilometer.
Unlike the Cape fox, >> [music] >> it finds daytime safety above the ground in the shaded boughs of its favorite tree.
This predator, as familiar in its appearance as it is strange in its wild setting, is yet another reminder that not everything [music] is as it seems in this unpredictable land.
>> [music] >> After a good grooming session, the African wildcat settles down to sleep the hot day away.
Here it will remain until evening when it heads out to hunt, taking its place alongside the bigger predators that prowl the park by night.
The riverbeds carving [music] their way through the Kalahari Transfrontier Park are havens of life in a harsh land.
Here tall trees have grown for centuries, providing both substance and structure for life to persist.
While living in this thirsty [music] land is challenging, the park's creatures are perfectly adapted to survive, enjoying success and persevering through failure, relying on teamwork and their own determination.
>> [music] >> They defy the odds, carving out their own place in the cycle of life that drives this great park.
Together, these creatures bring vibrant life to this vast wilderness in the heart of the Kalahari.
>> [music]
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