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NARRATOR:
Botswana's Okavango Delta.
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Fed by the Cubango River,
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this is the jewel in the crown
of Botswana's wilderness.
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It teems with life...
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...including Africa's deadliest.
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(theme music)
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Big and buoyant, hippos cut vast
swathes through the vegetation...
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creating underwater highways
for other creatures.
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One of the most dangerous mammals
in Africa, they are viciously territorial.
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This big bull lords over
this prime piece of Okavango real estate.
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He may resemble a large beach ball,
but he's not to be toyed with.
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An intruding bull.
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His gaping yawn signals
he's staking a claim to the territory.
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(hippo groans)
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(water splashing)
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(dramatic music)
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Not without a fight.
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(groans)
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Each weigh as much as a car...
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...their mouths equipped
with 50-centimeter dagger-like tusks.
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They battle for hours...
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their roars reverberating
across the swamp.
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The victor wins
mating rights to any females.
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Finally, the smaller,
intruding bull concedes.
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The champ re-joins his harem.
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(chewing)
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He instantly turns from deadly foe
to floating father-figure.
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(light music)
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For the Okavango's herbivores,
the annual floods bring
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a bounty of grasses and sedges.
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The tastiest patches may be cut off
by deep channels and wide swampy moats.
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Survival means embracing
a semi-aquatic lifestyle...
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no problem for lechwe antelope.
They gather here by the hundreds.
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With long, splayed hooves
and thick waterproof fur,
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they wade through the boggy,
all-you-can-eat aquatic grass buffet.
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But there's no free lunch.
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They share the Okavango with one of the
world's largest populations of wild dogs.
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(splashes)
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A pack this size can kill twice a day.
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In deep water,
the lechwe have the advantage.
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But the dogs have something
the antelope lack--
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teamwork.
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These dogs bank on speed and endurance.
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Their 80% kill rate makes them some of
the planet's most successful predators.
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The dogs fan out, testing the herd...
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singling out any weaklings.
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(suspenseful music)
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Wild dogs, a true family,
share the spoils equally.
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Even late arrivals
get a seat at the table.
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The pack can devour
an entire lechwe in minutes.
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All the mother can do is watch
from afar, and live to run another day.
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(light theme music)
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While some animals live life on the run,
others must swim for their lives...
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steering clear of this hungry hunter.
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Secretive, streamlined, fast,
and focused--
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the spotted-necked otter.
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Her razor-sharp claws and crushing molars
make her deceptively deadly.
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Cute, but ruthless.
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(light suspenseful music)
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She's after more than fish.
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The thick mud and vegetation
conceals her other favorite food...
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freshwater crabs.
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Their strong front pincers
mean business...
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but she's got a plan.
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Her dexterous hands
keep the crab's pinching parts
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at arm's length while her molars
put the crush in crustacea.
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She can make almost a catch a minute.
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When another otter grabs a bite,
the ferocity factor doubles.
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(music builds)
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Eventually, the intruder relents,
and the female enjoys her spoils.
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While otters rely on speed and agility
to chase slippery prey...
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saddle-billed storks count
on patience, timing...
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and a powerful bill.
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The Okavango is home to
71 species of fish and 33 amphibians,
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making it a smorgasbord for hungry storks.
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At over 150 centimeters,
these painted beauties
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are the tallest storks on Earth...
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which gives them an edge
when wading through deeper water.
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They hunt mostly by feel.
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Their partially open bill
snaps shut at the slightest touch.
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For larger fish, such as this tilapia,
their bill becomes a spear.
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There's no escaping his grip.
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(light theme music)
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The fish always goes
down whole and headfirst.
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But sometimes, her food isn't bite-size...
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and bites back.
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The Mozambique spitting cobra
shares the stork's appetite for frogs.
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And it's slinking towards the
bird's fishing spot.
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(suspenseful music)
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The brightly painted bird
shows her true colors.
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She's a snake killer.
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The cobra is a worthy adversary,
armed with powerful cytotoxic venom.
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But its fangs can't penetrate
the stork's thick bill.
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Plan B. It can fire a jet of venom
almost two meters with 90% accuracy...
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and evade the stabbing stork
with every twist.
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Today, fangs flee beaks.
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The Busanga Swamps of Zambia.
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In the rainy season,
they're completely submerged.
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The receding waters cue the
return of the pride.
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These are the
swamp lions of Busanga Plains.
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Dry feet are not an option...
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(light theme music)
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because their prey is some
of Africa's most water-loving antelope.
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Puku and black lechwe antelope
gather in deeper swampy areas,
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seeking safety from the lions.
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Embracing swamp life,
this pride has honed the art of the hunt.
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But lions aren't
Busanga's only apex predator.
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In the water, Nile crocodiles
have the home advantage.
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Every step draws the lion deeper
into this ancient gladiator's arena.
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To reach the best hunting grounds,
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the lions of Busanga Swamps
must brave the croc-infested water.
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Risking her life to claim her prize--
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black lechwe.
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Literally bogged down,
she relies on stealth.
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She must get close.
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Very close.
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Using the long grass for cover,
she lets her prey come to her.
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One burst of explosive speed
and it's game over.
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Her success means a full belly...
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for her and her three hungry cubs.
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This watery world is new to them,
but they'll be swamp masters soon enough.
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They have an excellent teacher.
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Raising lion cubs falls mostly
on the shoulders of females.
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But some other young swamp-dwellers
find themselves entirely on their own.
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The onset of the wet season energizes
one of Africa's heavyweights--
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giant bullfrogs.
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Just 50 millimeters of
rainfall triggers a flood of activity--
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the breeding season...
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and a call to battle.
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These sumo wrestlers,
weighing in at 1.5 kilograms,
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use their size and booming calls
to attract mates.
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When a singing contest
doesn't determine the top frog,
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they'll go head-to-head.
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They fight dirty.
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Biting, head-butting and body-slamming
intimidate rivals and impress the ladies.
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His back legs propel him
as far as two meters in a single jump.
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Launching at full speed,
he can put the hurt on any rival.
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And three tooth-like bones in
his bottom jaw delivers a monstrous bite.
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The champions win mating rights
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to as many females as possible,
ensuring the most offspring.
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They're not above
stealing another male's partner.
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Mating season finished and eggs laid
it takes 30 days for the tadpoles
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to complete their metamorphosis.
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The tadpoles survive mostly on algae.
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But as they change, so does their diet.
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And this is where things get deadly.
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They're in a race to maturity,
and in this competitive environment,
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they'll get there by any means necessary.
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These amphibians will devour anything
they can overpower...
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from a fly to a small chicken.
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It's a "frog-eat-frog world".
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But cannibalism is only one
of the dangers they face.
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(theme music)
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A bullfrog can go from hunter to hunted
in the glint of an unblinking eye...
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or the flick of a tongue.
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NARRATOR: In Africa's swamps,
assassins lurk around every corner.
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The overgrown banks can't be trusted.
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This female boomslang leaves the
trees in search of an easy meal.
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She's craving, young, giant bullfrogs.
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Her sensitive eyes track the
smallest movements.
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She blends in perfectly
as she approaches the water's edge.
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She must keep an eye out
for big daddy bullfrog.
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He'll have no trouble turning the
tables and devouring her.
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But not today.
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Her fangs are small and
set far back in her jaw.
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Lacking brute force, she uses venom...
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chewing on her meal as it goes to work.
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The hemotoxic venom bursts blood cells,
so the victim bleeds to death internally.
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Drop for drop, it's the most potent venom
of any African snake.
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A meal this size
could keep her fed for a week.
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Like all snakes, she's a good swimmer,
but she's not the best.
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That title is held
by another killer reptile.
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The vast network of waterways
is the Nile crocodile's delight.
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They effortlessly troll
the channels for victims,
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or they lie motionless
at the water's edge,
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waiting for dinner to deliver itself.
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With wild dogs back on the hunt,
the antelope panic and flee.
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The pack has blocked all escape routes...
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leaving the impala only one choice.
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Facing almost certain death, one young
impala makes a desperate decision.
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Fear of crocodiles stops
most predators in their tracks,
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especially where the swamp is deep.
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The pack hangs back,
waiting for the impala to make its move.
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It faces a deadly dilemma--
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brave the shore bristling with teeth...
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or swim for its life
in croc-infested waters.
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(tense music)
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To avoid the dogs, the impala
must head to the opposite bank...
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and race against
Africa's deadliest aquatic predator,
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closing in fast.
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One bite from one of the
most powerful jaws in the animal kingdom
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is all it takes.
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The pack doesn't dare contest this meal.
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They won't set foot in the water.
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In Zambia's Liuwa Plain,
these three cheetah brothers
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have the run of the swampy grassland.
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And running is their specialty.
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Forming a coalition makes
them more lethal.
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They've spotted a herd of wildebeest
with calves in tow.
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(dramatic music)
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They kill the calf before the wildebeest
herd even realizes the cats are there.
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But when it comes to a drink,
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the cheetah don't need stealth,
they need their wits.
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Quenching their thirst
means braving the croc-lined banks.
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Cheetah have keen eyesight,
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but a crocodile is the
master of camouflage.
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Like a stealthy submarine,
it waits to strike.
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(tense music)
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Nothing can be done.
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(forlorn music)
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The coalition scans
for any sign of movement.
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But their brother is gone.
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Summer in the Okavango Delta...
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and mother warthog feels the heat.
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She picks a shallow spot
where crocodiles can't reach her.
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But she's got another stalker.
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This dip in the water
could become a bloodbath.
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The warthogs are
as happy as pigs in mud...
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oblivious to the danger creeping closer.
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Lionesses rarely hunt alone.
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She's brought backup.
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(theme music)
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They surround the warthogs,
using the patches of tall grass as cover--
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out of sight...
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until the last second.
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(music builds)
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Against all odds, the warthogs
must outmaneuver the whole pride.
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Warthogs are faster than they look.
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Bolting at 50 kilometers per hour,
they leave the lions in their dust.
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Their cover blown, the lions move on,
braving the channels for a chance to eat.
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Large water-loving creatures,
like elephants,
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easily navigate the channels
that separate feeding grounds.
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The cheetah brothers are more wary.
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Losing their brother
to a crocodile isn't easily forgotten.
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They have no choice.
They need to hunt...
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and must make a leap of faith.
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The warthog may
out-sprint a pride of lions...
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but cheetah are the
fastest mammals on land...
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going from zero to
110 kilometers per hour in three strides.
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(dramatic music)
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They can bank at a 50-degree angle
in a high-speed turn,
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better than a racing motorcycle.
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00:31:38,563 --> 00:31:40,723
Warthogs have weapons.
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00:31:43,243 --> 00:31:46,963
Lower tusks, sharp as daggers,
can kill a cheetah.
245
00:31:48,963 --> 00:31:52,843
But at the final moment,
the brothers' teamwork prevails.
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00:31:59,323 --> 00:32:05,323
The dry season brings the cheetah larger
hunting grounds and a time of plenty.
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00:32:06,483 --> 00:32:08,963
(thunder rumbling)
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00:32:11,883 --> 00:32:16,043
With the seasons,
the swamps are constantly changing.
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00:32:18,763 --> 00:32:23,043
As the rain-soaked catchments
of the Angolan highlands fill...
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00:32:24,323 --> 00:32:28,483
the Okavango floodplain returns
in all it's soggy glory.
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00:32:32,003 --> 00:32:38,003
In South Africa's St. Lucia Estuary,
this eastern green mamba must adapt
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00:32:38,083 --> 00:32:41,203
his hunting strategies
to the flooded plains.
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00:32:43,963 --> 00:32:50,043
It lives exclusively in the
green coastal regions of Southern Africa,
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00:32:50,123 --> 00:32:53,363
preferring to hunt in
these waterlogged places.
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00:32:57,363 --> 00:33:01,003
He's the brightly colored cousin
of the black mamba,
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00:33:01,083 --> 00:33:04,763
and his emerald-green scales
scream danger.
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00:33:05,683 --> 00:33:08,883
He even has a coffin shaped head.
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00:33:10,243 --> 00:33:15,003
A superb swimmer,
he scours the swamp's edges for prey.
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00:33:19,123 --> 00:33:23,163
Locking onto a tantalizing scent...
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00:33:24,443 --> 00:33:27,203
the hunt is on.
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00:33:30,083 --> 00:33:33,283
While the mere sight
of the green mamba strikes terror,
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00:33:33,363 --> 00:33:37,923
most of the time,
its prey never sees it coming.
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00:33:38,323 --> 00:33:42,643
His venom affects the nerves,
muscles, and heart,
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00:33:42,723 --> 00:33:46,043
triggering a quick death
by respiratory paralysis.
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00:33:48,163 --> 00:33:53,323
Powerful muscles along his length,
and supple skin beneath his scales,
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00:33:53,403 --> 00:33:57,243
help the rat go down whole and headfirst.
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00:33:58,483 --> 00:34:01,043
(theme music)
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00:34:02,083 --> 00:34:05,923
In the wet season in
Botswana's Linyanti swamps,
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00:34:06,003 --> 00:34:08,963
the grassland becomes a quagmire.
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00:34:11,083 --> 00:34:14,883
The hyena takes it
all in their sloping stride.
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00:34:33,043 --> 00:34:37,923
As some of the top carnivores here,
they dominate the best bathing spots.
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00:34:52,043 --> 00:34:56,363
The swamp provides a secret spot
to stash meat for a rainy day.
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00:35:06,643 --> 00:35:12,403
Often maligned as scavengers and thieves,
they are, in fact, expert hunters.
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00:35:18,723 --> 00:35:22,123
Their matriarch leads her clan
on the hunt.
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00:35:33,163 --> 00:35:38,443
Masters of the long game, hyenas
can run for kilometers without tiring.
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00:35:45,923 --> 00:35:50,483
Their stamina is matched
only by wild dogs.
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00:36:02,163 --> 00:36:05,163
This herd of kudu now have a big problem--
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00:36:11,123 --> 00:36:14,843
targeted by two different predators.
279
00:36:32,083 --> 00:36:35,803
(suspenseful music)
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00:36:55,523 --> 00:36:57,803
After kilometers on the run,
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00:36:57,883 --> 00:37:01,483
the exhausted kudu cow
can go no further.
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00:37:12,363 --> 00:37:16,723
There is no love lost
between hyena and wild dogs,
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00:37:16,803 --> 00:37:21,683
but the promise of meat
can create an unlikely alliance.
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00:37:33,523 --> 00:37:37,843
Unlike wild dogs and hyenas,
leopards hunt solo.
285
00:37:41,483 --> 00:37:45,803
She'll conceal her two cubs
and head out in search of food.
286
00:37:49,683 --> 00:37:53,803
She relies on stealth and camouflage
to ambush her prey.
287
00:38:05,643 --> 00:38:10,123
But Liuwa's open plains
leave her no place to hide.
288
00:38:16,603 --> 00:38:20,203
A lost wildebeest calf
presents an opportunity.
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00:38:26,203 --> 00:38:30,563
Will it be enough to make
this leopard change her spots?
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00:38:39,523 --> 00:38:44,883
An open, flooded grassland is not
in this female leopard's comfort zone.
291
00:38:51,443 --> 00:38:55,963
But a lost wildebeest calf
is too good to pass up...
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00:38:57,323 --> 00:39:00,083
especially with two cubs to feed.
293
00:39:19,763 --> 00:39:23,323
She'll need to get as close
as she can before she pounces...
294
00:39:33,403 --> 00:39:36,203
no easy feat without much cover.
295
00:39:46,043 --> 00:39:52,083
With each precise footfall, she places
her back paws in the print of the front.
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00:39:58,563 --> 00:40:01,643
(tense music)
297
00:40:21,243 --> 00:40:24,403
The calf is hungry and weak.
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00:40:24,763 --> 00:40:26,403
(calf cries)
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00:40:34,243 --> 00:40:38,643
Each year, the flooded plains
of Liuwa attract tens of thousands
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00:40:38,723 --> 00:40:40,843
of migrating wildebeest.
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00:40:45,643 --> 00:40:48,763
The pools are a lifeline
for the thirsty herds.
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00:40:54,443 --> 00:40:58,083
But wild dogs are hot on their heels.
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00:41:00,043 --> 00:41:05,443
The alpha male and female rally the
pack into hunting formation,
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00:41:05,523 --> 00:41:08,843
their puppies safely kept at a distance.
305
00:41:17,043 --> 00:41:19,403
(dramatic music)
306
00:41:22,203 --> 00:41:26,123
They charge the herd
to flush out any weaklings.
307
00:41:31,563 --> 00:41:35,483
A newborn calf,
slowed by the thick mud, fits the bill.
308
00:41:40,603 --> 00:41:42,723
The puppies join the meal.
309
00:41:43,883 --> 00:41:47,243
The small kill is not enough to go around.
310
00:41:48,603 --> 00:41:53,763
To the pack's surprise,
the calf's mother refuses to leave.
311
00:41:56,363 --> 00:42:00,203
Her maternal instincts put her
in the cross hairs,
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00:42:00,283 --> 00:42:02,643
of the ravenous pack.
313
00:42:14,003 --> 00:42:18,203
Wild dogs may be some
of Africa's most effective hunters,
314
00:42:18,283 --> 00:42:21,443
but an adult wildebeest is a tall order.
315
00:42:26,523 --> 00:42:29,283
Those sharp horns mean business.
316
00:42:36,923 --> 00:42:41,003
They mob her,
nipping at her back and sides.
317
00:42:42,523 --> 00:42:44,363
(birds caw)
318
00:42:47,683 --> 00:42:51,443
An inexperienced pack member
slips and gets gored.
319
00:42:57,363 --> 00:43:01,643
Thanks to the soft swampland,
the dog escapes serious injury.
320
00:43:10,923 --> 00:43:14,603
(music builds)
321
00:43:21,563 --> 00:43:27,763
The pups, only about six months old,
watch and learn from a safe distance.
322
00:43:29,043 --> 00:43:31,563
(wildebeest groans)
323
00:43:34,083 --> 00:43:37,883
In true wild dog fashion,
family comes first.
324
00:43:42,043 --> 00:43:46,083
The puppies get the prime cuts
and no one goes hungry.
325
00:43:49,683 --> 00:43:53,963
In the unending cycle of life
in these deadly swamps,
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00:43:54,083 --> 00:43:56,363
survival demands precision.
327
00:43:58,923 --> 00:44:03,123
Every creature must develop
the skill, strength, and tenacity
328
00:44:03,283 --> 00:44:07,163
to stay on top,
generation after generation.