1
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:06,000


2
00:00:06,001 --> 00:00:07,000


3
00:00:07,001 --> 00:00:09,000


4
00:00:09,001 --> 00:00:15,000


5
00:00:55,222 --> 00:00:58,225
Oh, wise and gentle soul.

6
00:01:06,233 --> 00:01:07,442
Do you remember...

7
00:01:11,738 --> 00:01:13,448
when we had it all?

8
00:01:18,662 --> 00:01:19,746
Do you dream...

9
00:01:22,583 --> 00:01:24,126
of when we had to leave?

10
00:01:52,112 --> 00:01:53,530
When you led us out...

11
00:01:58,869 --> 00:02:01,163
and how it all began.

12
00:03:37,509 --> 00:03:42,764
Our story starts beside a water hole
that was filled by the storm.

13
00:03:52,316 --> 00:03:56,778
Among the great herds here
are the world's last giant tuskers.

14
00:03:59,406 --> 00:04:04,036
Descendants of a noble lineage
that once stretched across Africa.

15
00:04:19,927 --> 00:04:22,638
Queen of them all is Athena.

16
00:04:32,940 --> 00:04:37,611
She is a 50-year-old matriarch,
head of her extended family.

17
00:04:40,614 --> 00:04:43,033
Like most of us, she has neighbors.

18
00:04:44,034 --> 00:04:45,661
And this is their story too.

19
00:04:51,041 --> 00:04:55,087
Her family is made up
of female relatives and their calves.

20
00:05:08,809 --> 00:05:13,897
They are so close that the youngsters
might as well be brothers and sisters.

21
00:05:21,613 --> 00:05:25,492
Athena's family rely
on her experience and wisdom,

22
00:05:26,076 --> 00:05:29,496
for she makes the decisions
that determine their survival.

23
00:05:32,499 --> 00:05:36,170
Her most recent daughter, Princess,
is a year old,

24
00:05:36,670 --> 00:05:38,589
and calm, like her mother.

25
00:05:43,844 --> 00:05:45,387
Then there's Wewe,

26
00:05:46,096 --> 00:05:47,514
the herd's naughty boy.

27
00:05:59,359 --> 00:06:01,653
He's always trying
to make friends with Princess.

28
00:06:02,613 --> 00:06:07,075
But he tries too hard,
and often it just gets him into trouble.

29
00:06:19,713 --> 00:06:23,258
As a boy, Wewe will stay
with the family until he's a teenager

30
00:06:24,343 --> 00:06:27,179
and then leave home
to join an all-male herd.

31
00:06:30,057 --> 00:06:32,768
Mimi is the family's newest arrival.

32
00:06:33,393 --> 00:06:34,937
She was born in the storm.

33
00:06:38,065 --> 00:06:41,401
It's day one for her
on a lifetime of learning.

34
00:06:51,036 --> 00:06:54,831
For the next two years, she'll be
totally dependent on her mother's milk.

35
00:07:00,087 --> 00:07:04,216
Her mother, Mala,
gives birth only once in five years,

36
00:07:04,842 --> 00:07:07,094
which makes every calf precious.

37
00:07:12,850 --> 00:07:15,060
While Mala might be the one who feeds her,

38
00:07:15,769 --> 00:07:17,855
Mimi will be cherished by them all,

39
00:07:18,397 --> 00:07:21,066
for it takes a herd
to raise an elephant calf.

40
00:07:36,790 --> 00:07:39,251
This is Athena's kingdom.

41
00:07:39,877 --> 00:07:42,504
For now, it has everything they need.

42
00:07:46,466 --> 00:07:49,511
Every day she brings her family
to the main water hole,

43
00:07:51,305 --> 00:07:53,307
which can be a nuisance for her neighbors.

44
00:07:56,768 --> 00:07:58,145
But they need the elephants

45
00:07:59,897 --> 00:08:03,650
'cause they made the water hole
and now keep it open.

46
00:08:12,993 --> 00:08:17,664
But for bullfrog, it can feel
like the construction never ends.

47
00:08:32,346 --> 00:08:36,058
Most of the family's neighbors
live at elephant toenail height.

48
00:08:39,811 --> 00:08:45,025
In one way or another,
they all depend on their giant friends.

49
00:08:55,953 --> 00:08:58,664
The water hole is home to them all.

50
00:08:59,706 --> 00:09:01,583
But from the moment the sun comes out,

51
00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:04,169
it starts to shrink.

52
00:09:04,795 --> 00:09:07,256
So the race is on to raise their families.

53
00:09:10,050 --> 00:09:12,261
Bullfrog is on it immediately,

54
00:09:13,220 --> 00:09:15,305
and there will be tadpoles in no time.

55
00:09:20,394 --> 00:09:23,897
Beneath them,
the killifish have no way of knowing

56
00:09:23,981 --> 00:09:27,150
how or when
Athena's family will help them.

57
00:09:28,193 --> 00:09:31,154
For now,
they have eyes only for each other.

58
00:09:36,326 --> 00:09:40,038
Each time the male hugs the female,
she lays an egg...

59
00:09:42,082 --> 00:09:43,125
and then buries it.

60
00:10:02,269 --> 00:10:05,981
With nightfall, Athena knows
she has to be especially vigilant.

61
00:10:06,773 --> 00:10:11,195
So her family will sleep on their feet
to better protect Wewe and Mimi.

62
00:10:22,706 --> 00:10:24,041
But for some of their neighbors...

63
00:10:26,627 --> 00:10:28,670
the party is just getting going.

64
00:10:45,312 --> 00:10:50,192
If you're a female foam frog,
a single partner is simply not enough.

65
00:10:50,943 --> 00:10:53,904
She invites a whole crowd to a foam party.

66
00:10:58,992 --> 00:11:02,329
It's the first event of the season
at Athena's water hole.

67
00:11:06,416 --> 00:11:09,253
She'll lay her eggs
in the froth whipped up by the males,

68
00:11:10,295 --> 00:11:12,256
and they will develop safely inside.

69
00:11:21,974 --> 00:11:25,269
Up above,
an Egyptian goose is a step ahead.

70
00:11:28,522 --> 00:11:30,691
She laid her eggs a few weeks ago.

71
00:11:36,196 --> 00:11:39,074
It will be two months
before her chicks are ready to fly.

72
00:11:41,368 --> 00:11:44,663
Until then,
the water hole will be their home.

73
00:12:02,723 --> 00:12:06,310
With Mimi so young,
Athena won't move far from the water.

74
00:12:07,477 --> 00:12:12,232
She's always cautious until a newborn
starts to put on weight and gets stronger.

75
00:12:15,986 --> 00:12:18,488
It's the first time
Wewe has met someone younger,

76
00:12:19,406 --> 00:12:21,533
and he's doing his best to make friends.

77
00:12:44,598 --> 00:12:46,850
While some are getting started
with their nests,

78
00:12:47,434 --> 00:12:48,977
others are finishing up.

79
00:12:50,187 --> 00:12:52,189
It's been a long night for the foam frogs,

80
00:12:53,398 --> 00:12:54,858
and they're beginning to tire.

81
00:12:59,947 --> 00:13:03,075
But for one reveler,
at least there's a taxi ride home.

82
00:13:18,131 --> 00:13:21,218
Sometimes,
a foam frog gets taken for a ride

83
00:13:21,718 --> 00:13:22,970
whether he wants it or not.

84
00:13:49,246 --> 00:13:51,498
The foam frog is happy
to sit out in the sun.

85
00:13:54,001 --> 00:13:55,794
But it can burn a baby's skin,

86
00:13:56,503 --> 00:13:59,673
so Wewe shows Mimi
where best to find shade.

87
00:14:13,687 --> 00:14:15,272
While the living is easy,

88
00:14:15,355 --> 00:14:18,817
Athena can relax
and allow the babies to rest.

89
00:14:22,279 --> 00:14:24,865
But Wewe never goes down for long.

90
00:14:25,866 --> 00:14:27,826
He's excited by Mimi's arrival

91
00:14:28,285 --> 00:14:30,746
and would rather try
and wake his new friend to play.

92
00:14:38,462 --> 00:14:40,214
Mimi must rest while she can.

93
00:14:41,715 --> 00:14:45,260
She needs to get strong
so she can keep up with her family.

94
00:14:54,478 --> 00:14:58,190
Mother Goose wants to get her chicks
to the safety of the water hole.

95
00:15:00,734 --> 00:15:02,319
It's day one for them too.

96
00:15:02,736 --> 00:15:06,073
And after a tiring night,
they are in no hurry.

97
00:15:10,202 --> 00:15:15,249
Besides, what she's proposing
requires a huge leap of faith.

98
00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:28,512
They've a conflict of instinct

99
00:15:28,595 --> 00:15:32,057
between wanting to stay together
and joining their parents.

100
00:16:13,724 --> 00:16:15,809
It takes just a flyby to convince them

101
00:16:16,476 --> 00:16:20,898
that their best chance of surviving
is to stick close to Mum and Dad.

102
00:16:27,946 --> 00:16:31,491
In any family, there is always one
who is last and late.

103
00:16:32,409 --> 00:16:33,619
We'll call him Stephen.

104
00:16:35,495 --> 00:16:37,998
The parents rely
on their young keeping up with them,

105
00:16:38,498 --> 00:16:41,001
so they don't know
that Stephen's left behind.

106
00:17:45,232 --> 00:17:49,319
Just occasionally,
last and late is also lucky.

107
00:17:57,911 --> 00:17:59,830
Athena's knowledge of the kingdom

108
00:17:59,913 --> 00:18:03,500
has been handed down
from mother to daughter over centuries.

109
00:18:05,836 --> 00:18:08,422
Her tusks are the largest
of any matriarch.

110
00:18:14,595 --> 00:18:17,890
The notch comes
from years of snagging grass and vines.

111
00:18:26,940 --> 00:18:31,111
The vines she likes most
flower for just a few days each year.

112
00:18:31,778 --> 00:18:33,572
And she knows just where to find them.

113
00:18:36,533 --> 00:18:39,536
The prospect of a feast
distracts the family

114
00:18:39,620 --> 00:18:41,538
from what's happening at toenail height,

115
00:18:42,539 --> 00:18:44,958
so it's up to her neighbors
to get out of the way.

116
00:18:57,221 --> 00:19:00,307
Chameleon relies
on her camouflage for protection.

117
00:19:12,819 --> 00:19:15,781
But there are times
when choosing to stay still and blend in

118
00:19:16,657 --> 00:19:18,408
is the worst decision to make.

119
00:19:29,336 --> 00:19:30,963
She's probably as close to panic

120
00:19:33,507 --> 00:19:35,217
as a chameleon ever comes.

121
00:20:04,872 --> 00:20:06,290
For Athena's family,

122
00:20:06,373 --> 00:20:09,877
life at home in the green season
acquires a gentle rhythm.

123
00:20:11,545 --> 00:20:13,505
She'll let them eat until it warms up

124
00:20:14,047 --> 00:20:15,924
and then lead them down for a drink.

125
00:20:21,972 --> 00:20:24,141
It's been only four days since the storm,

126
00:20:25,475 --> 00:20:28,187
but the foam frogs' nests
have baked in the sun.

127
00:20:29,104 --> 00:20:30,105
And they are ready.

128
00:20:49,499 --> 00:20:54,254
For the next few weeks, the water hole
will be home to the frogs' tiny tadpoles.

129
00:20:59,259 --> 00:21:02,596
As they hatch,
they'll go unnoticed by Athena's family,

130
00:21:05,265 --> 00:21:06,517
but they won't go unnoticed

131
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,353
by the killifish and terrapins
living beneath them.

132
00:21:23,784 --> 00:21:25,619
Only the largest terrapin can reach them.

133
00:21:35,712 --> 00:21:40,467
His prize is a meringue
with a soft tadpole filling.

134
00:22:11,665 --> 00:22:13,584
It's Mimi's first time in the water.

135
00:22:14,418 --> 00:22:16,086
So she starts at the shallow end,

136
00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:18,881
and she needs no encouragement.

137
00:22:27,598 --> 00:22:31,101
For Athena's family, this is paradise.

138
00:22:36,690 --> 00:22:41,069
But unless it rains again,
the water holes will vanish within weeks.

139
00:22:45,324 --> 00:22:49,161
If that happens, Athena knows
they'll be forced out of the kingdom.

140
00:22:50,579 --> 00:22:53,332
So they must make the most
of this time of plenty.

141
00:23:02,674 --> 00:23:05,469
Princess learns what to eat
by copying her mum.

142
00:23:06,887 --> 00:23:08,639
But the babies are still on milk,

143
00:23:09,389 --> 00:23:13,227
which gives Wewe time
to brush up on his foot-and-trunk skills.

144
00:23:19,650 --> 00:23:23,153
But it will be months
before he achieves this level of control.

145
00:23:32,371 --> 00:23:35,040
Athena is aware
that there is a dry season coming.

146
00:23:35,999 --> 00:23:38,710
And the only way to prepare for it
is to put on weight.

147
00:23:39,837 --> 00:23:41,713
It means piling it in.

148
00:23:47,261 --> 00:23:50,180
But what goes in... must come out.

149
00:23:54,101 --> 00:23:57,396
For a dung beetle,
it is a gift from the gods.

150
00:24:45,485 --> 00:24:47,779
The message has traveled far and wide.

151
00:24:48,488 --> 00:24:49,865
And with others homing in,

152
00:24:50,824 --> 00:24:52,993
there's no time for a leisurely lunch.

153
00:24:54,203 --> 00:24:57,789
He needs to ball it up and roll it away
as quickly as possible,

154
00:24:58,665 --> 00:25:00,459
for there are bandits out there.

155
00:25:58,976 --> 00:26:03,021
The victor now has to find ground
soft enough to bury his ball

156
00:26:03,647 --> 00:26:05,524
so he can feed in peace.

157
00:26:13,657 --> 00:26:15,242
Besides feeding dung beetles,

158
00:26:15,993 --> 00:26:19,371
Athena's family provides the kingdom
with a free gardening service.

159
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,128
Most of the seeds they eat
pass through them undigested,

160
00:26:27,087 --> 00:26:30,632
to be planted in neat balls of compost
wherever they go.

161
00:26:39,892 --> 00:26:41,768
Tortoise is waiting for someone.

162
00:26:43,687 --> 00:26:48,400
And for what he has in mind,
he needs to snack now while he can.

163
00:26:56,283 --> 00:27:01,830
With no sign of rain, every day is hotter
and tempers start to fray.

164
00:27:10,214 --> 00:27:13,217
With incoming elephants
and such a young family,

165
00:27:14,927 --> 00:27:17,012
the geese need to keep a safe distance.

166
00:27:18,555 --> 00:27:22,184
But with the water level dropping
and a hot herd,

167
00:27:22,267 --> 00:27:23,644
that becomes difficult.

168
00:27:38,033 --> 00:27:40,661
They know better than to react to a bully.

169
00:27:47,835 --> 00:27:52,047
So she decides to save face
by taking it out on a dove.

170
00:28:24,746 --> 00:28:27,916
Once again, Stephen's left it late.

171
00:28:28,542 --> 00:28:29,793
And he's left behind.

172
00:28:55,986 --> 00:28:58,322
And this time, he is lost.

173
00:29:08,207 --> 00:29:10,375
For tortoise, life is looking up.

174
00:29:11,084 --> 00:29:13,212
A female has come down to drink.

175
00:29:14,129 --> 00:29:16,673
He can intercept her easily enough.

176
00:29:17,216 --> 00:29:21,386
But to impress her, he has to prove
he has stamina equal to her own.

177
00:29:24,056 --> 00:29:25,682
And that means going for a walk.

178
00:29:28,352 --> 00:29:30,062
A long walk.

179
00:29:39,821 --> 00:29:42,783
Stephen has never seen
such creatures before.

180
00:29:49,581 --> 00:29:51,750
But he's going to have to get streetwise

181
00:29:51,834 --> 00:29:55,170
if he's to stand any chance
of being reunited with his family.

182
00:30:44,136 --> 00:30:45,512
From being last and late,

183
00:30:46,388 --> 00:30:49,224
Stephen has progressed
to being lost and lucky.

184
00:31:08,911 --> 00:31:13,040
Some of Athena's neighbors drop by
only when the grasslands start to dry

185
00:31:13,498 --> 00:31:14,666
and food is on offer.

186
00:31:17,586 --> 00:31:20,881
The bee-eaters join Athena's family
for just a few days,

187
00:31:21,673 --> 00:31:24,593
when the kingdom's grasshoppers
are at their juiciest.

188
00:31:26,261 --> 00:31:28,597
They rely on the family to flush them out.

189
00:31:52,955 --> 00:31:57,251
The bee-eaters' friendship will last
just as long as there are grasshoppers.

190
00:32:01,797 --> 00:32:04,758
As soon as they're finished,
the birds will move on.

191
00:32:11,139 --> 00:32:14,601
Stephen is as excited about grasshoppers
as anyone.

192
00:32:18,897 --> 00:32:22,734
He might lack ability, but not ambition.

193
00:32:29,408 --> 00:32:33,245
Down at toenail height,
dung beetle is still on a mission.

194
00:32:34,580 --> 00:32:37,332
He might look
like he's pushing his ball forwards,

195
00:32:37,416 --> 00:32:41,086
but he's actually upside down,
dribbling it backwards.

196
00:32:43,338 --> 00:32:46,466
He can't see where he's going,
but that doesn't bother him.

197
00:32:48,177 --> 00:32:52,014
His determination
is out of all proportion to his size.

198
00:32:53,765 --> 00:32:57,144
Now that he's got the ball,
he just hates to let go of it...

199
00:33:00,105 --> 00:33:02,608
no matter how big the opposition.

200
00:33:49,821 --> 00:33:51,823
Athena's team haven't scored,

201
00:33:51,907 --> 00:33:53,825
but they have kicked the ball out of play,

202
00:33:54,493 --> 00:33:57,788
which allows dung beetle
to regain possession.

203
00:34:12,177 --> 00:34:15,304
Athena's family rarely get
to meet some of their neighbors.

204
00:34:18,976 --> 00:34:22,603
Whenever the terrapins hear them coming,
they make themselves scarce.

205
00:34:42,875 --> 00:34:44,501
But the storm was weeks ago,

206
00:34:45,460 --> 00:34:49,547
and the water is now so shallow
that there's nowhere to hide.

207
00:35:03,645 --> 00:35:06,273
Even a killifish
finds himself high and dry.

208
00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:10,694
The water hole has been his entire world.

209
00:35:11,570 --> 00:35:15,824
But with so little water left,
his time is almost over.

210
00:35:24,917 --> 00:35:26,710
With the pool party getting rowdy,

211
00:35:27,836 --> 00:35:29,338
they all risk getting squashed.

212
00:35:33,008 --> 00:35:35,636
So those that can leave
make a break for it.

213
00:35:43,268 --> 00:35:45,479
And that just attracts attention.

214
00:36:09,795 --> 00:36:11,672
Elephants live tactile lives.

215
00:36:12,965 --> 00:36:16,927
They use their sensitive trunks and feet
to explore anything new.

216
00:36:18,554 --> 00:36:21,932
There's no malice here, just curiosity.

217
00:36:36,405 --> 00:36:39,449
In elephant society, aggression is rare...

218
00:36:42,911 --> 00:36:44,413
even between bulls

219
00:36:44,496 --> 00:36:47,624
when they join Athena's family
at the kingdom's salt lick.

220
00:36:51,253 --> 00:36:54,173
Instead, there's a greeting,

221
00:36:54,256 --> 00:36:56,300
a quiet acknowledgement of status...

222
00:36:58,135 --> 00:36:59,303
and then sharing.

223
00:37:24,703 --> 00:37:27,789
Mining the salt-rich soil takes practice.

224
00:37:28,832 --> 00:37:32,961
It's about foot-and-trunk coordination
and then breath control.

225
00:37:40,636 --> 00:37:42,638
For Wewe, it's a challenge.

226
00:37:44,556 --> 00:37:48,185
If he breathes too hard,
the tickly dust goes straight up his nose.

227
00:37:49,895 --> 00:37:52,648
But he's working on ways
to stop a sneeze from getting out.

228
00:38:08,205 --> 00:38:13,168
It's so distracting that, for a moment,
he loses sight of his friend.

229
00:38:30,769 --> 00:38:32,521
Mimi always seems to be hungry,

230
00:38:33,564 --> 00:38:35,107
yet she never suckles for long.

231
00:38:41,113 --> 00:38:43,866
It's the only time her big sister, Milly,
gets involved

232
00:38:45,033 --> 00:38:46,994
and tries to keep Wewe away.

233
00:38:51,957 --> 00:38:53,917
For Mala is not producing much milk...

234
00:38:56,795 --> 00:38:58,964
and Mimi needs every mouthful she can get.

235
00:39:15,147 --> 00:39:18,650
At the end of each day, everyone is tired.

236
00:39:25,407 --> 00:39:29,244
Mother Goose has no way of knowing
that Stephen is still missing.

237
00:40:01,443 --> 00:40:05,280
Throughout the kingdom, most
of the water holes have already dried,

238
00:40:06,031 --> 00:40:08,075
and Athena is getting restless.

239
00:40:09,368 --> 00:40:11,537
She knows now
that they will have to leave,

240
00:40:12,371 --> 00:40:16,458
but she's concerned that Mimi might not
be strong enough to make the journey.

241
00:40:19,628 --> 00:40:21,964
She seems to get hung up in situations

242
00:40:22,047 --> 00:40:24,341
that most babies
would take in their stride.

243
00:40:36,895 --> 00:40:40,816
For her friends, it's difficult to know
whether she's in trouble

244
00:40:40,899 --> 00:40:42,484
or just very tired.

245
00:40:52,995 --> 00:40:55,247
But when Athena rumbles, "Move on,"

246
00:40:55,831 --> 00:40:57,833
everyone has to fall in line.

247
00:41:01,753 --> 00:41:04,631
And for a baby elephant,
there is nothing worse

248
00:41:04,715 --> 00:41:07,176
than the prospect of being left behind.

249
00:41:18,770 --> 00:41:22,816
It's not just Athena who feels
the approach of a time of change.

250
00:41:28,363 --> 00:41:32,034
Almost overnight,
bullfrog's new family have grown legs

251
00:41:33,285 --> 00:41:36,747
and are now driven to leave the water
to start a life on land.

252
00:41:43,545 --> 00:41:47,674
Luckily for them,
their new bones are still very soft.

253
00:42:14,076 --> 00:42:17,538
But they'd rather not push their luck
with three tons of elephant.

254
00:42:49,361 --> 00:42:52,739
Athena hasn't set off
for their dry-season refuge yet

255
00:42:53,699 --> 00:42:55,701
because Mimi is struggling.

256
00:43:02,708 --> 00:43:04,543
She needs her mother's encouragement.

257
00:43:29,985 --> 00:43:33,363
With the dry season setting in,
there's no going back.

258
00:43:35,407 --> 00:43:38,535
But just occasionally, nature smiles

259
00:43:38,994 --> 00:43:41,038
and gives back what she took away.

260
00:44:11,443 --> 00:44:14,029
Hopefully, Stephen's night alone

261
00:44:14,112 --> 00:44:17,324
has shown him
just how much he needs his family.

262
00:44:25,707 --> 00:44:28,126
The last froglets
are now ready to come ashore.

263
00:44:29,711 --> 00:44:32,464
But those that emerged first are bigger,

264
00:44:33,632 --> 00:44:34,633
and they are waiting.

265
00:44:59,950 --> 00:45:02,202
For a bullfrog
to get the best start in life,

266
00:45:03,620 --> 00:45:07,249
it helps to have a big mouth
and small relatives.

267
00:45:22,514 --> 00:45:25,684
In the kingdom,
weeks without rain have taken their toll.

268
00:45:26,351 --> 00:45:28,812
But if Athena was ever
in doubt about what's coming,

269
00:45:29,271 --> 00:45:31,940
the arrival
of the great flocks confirms it.

270
00:45:53,212 --> 00:45:57,549
As the lands around dry,
quelea are forced to migrate.

271
00:46:17,694 --> 00:46:20,822
Their whirlwind arrival
can be overwhelming.

272
00:46:28,830 --> 00:46:33,001
And they'll drink in a day
what Athena's family drinks in a week.

273
00:47:02,614 --> 00:47:06,201
By the time they move on,
they've drunk the water hole dry.

274
00:47:18,380 --> 00:47:20,966
Athena's family
will use the mud as sunscreen.

275
00:47:22,092 --> 00:47:24,011
And this is vital for the killifish,

276
00:47:24,887 --> 00:47:27,306
for they left their eggs
hidden in the mud.

277
00:47:31,143 --> 00:47:33,979
They developed into tiny fish,
but never hatched.

278
00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:37,733
They can survive out of water for weeks.

279
00:47:38,984 --> 00:47:41,069
So when Athena's family move on,

280
00:47:41,486 --> 00:47:43,780
they will carry tiny passengers with them.

281
00:47:48,410 --> 00:47:52,539
In this way, the killifish babies
get to move between water holes

282
00:47:53,165 --> 00:47:54,499
by riding on elephants.

283
00:48:14,770 --> 00:48:16,855
Athena knows she should have left by now,

284
00:48:17,523 --> 00:48:21,360
but the nearest permanent water
is almost 100 miles away.

285
00:48:23,362 --> 00:48:27,366
And she delayed
in the hope that Mimi would get stronger.

286
00:48:32,955 --> 00:48:37,084
Mala is now so protective
that even Wewe is no longer welcome.

287
00:48:43,382 --> 00:48:46,134
Mimi's big sister, Milly,
can give her comfort

288
00:48:46,218 --> 00:48:49,137
but not the milk she so desperately needs.

289
00:48:52,516 --> 00:48:56,103
Only time will tell whether Athena's
decision to delay was the right one.

290
00:48:59,231 --> 00:49:00,649
She now has no choice.

291
00:49:01,900 --> 00:49:03,360
The kingdom is without water,

292
00:49:04,653 --> 00:49:06,655
and ahead of them the pools are drying.

293
00:49:08,240 --> 00:49:10,450
They must head for the refuge.

294
00:49:48,697 --> 00:49:51,575
Mala and Milly now work together.

295
00:50:36,828 --> 00:50:38,580
However much Athena might want to,

296
00:50:39,164 --> 00:50:43,961
as matriarch, she cannot put Mimi's needs
above those of the whole family.

297
00:51:18,620 --> 00:51:20,956
While Mala and Mimi head down to drink,

298
00:51:21,790 --> 00:51:23,959
Athena will take the others to feed,

299
00:51:24,543 --> 00:51:27,045
for she must try
to balance everyone's needs.

300
00:52:21,266 --> 00:52:26,021
Mimi's desperation to drink can only mean
that Mala's milk has dried up.

301
00:52:27,606 --> 00:52:28,774
But Mala can't know that.

302
00:52:29,942 --> 00:52:33,445
She knows that a weak calf
can easily become trapped in mud,

303
00:52:34,279 --> 00:52:37,824
and her instinct is to do
everything she can to keep Mimi away.

304
00:53:24,329 --> 00:53:25,956
Mimi is not yet weaned.

305
00:53:26,498 --> 00:53:28,500
So if she's not been getting milk,

306
00:53:29,168 --> 00:53:30,752
she's not been getting food.

307
00:54:03,285 --> 00:54:06,413
There are times when a mother
needs her daughter's support.

308
00:54:19,510 --> 00:54:21,428
It's what family is for.

309
00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:06,473
The next day, it is hotter,

310
00:55:07,015 --> 00:55:09,601
and Athena's predicament, even worse.

311
00:55:13,939 --> 00:55:16,149
She doesn't want to leave Mimi behind,

312
00:55:16,233 --> 00:55:19,069
but neither can she
put her entire family at risk.

313
00:55:30,789 --> 00:55:33,041
Athena knows
that they've reached the last pool.

314
00:55:34,126 --> 00:55:36,170
And today it will dry.

315
00:55:39,798 --> 00:55:44,303
A terrapin senses it too and will dig deep
into the mud while he can.

316
00:55:46,221 --> 00:55:50,309
He'd rather risk being stepped on
than caught out by the dry season.

317
00:56:03,238 --> 00:56:05,365
Mala will never give up.

318
00:56:41,610 --> 00:56:46,573
But in the end,
Mimi's tiny heart can take her no further.

319
00:59:35,617 --> 00:59:38,412
For a mother, there is nothing worse.

320
01:00:00,559 --> 01:00:04,897
Sometimes, however sad,
there is release in death.

321
01:00:21,496 --> 01:00:25,667
But for Wewe,
the loss of his friend is especially hard.

322
01:00:38,931 --> 01:00:41,558
Athena knows
she cannot afford another delay.

323
01:00:42,601 --> 01:00:45,687
It will take three days
to reach the dry-season refuge.

324
01:00:46,605 --> 01:00:48,106
And she has left it so late

325
01:00:49,107 --> 01:00:51,527
that there is nowhere
they can drink on the way.

326
01:01:10,879 --> 01:01:13,674
There is no time to stop and comfort Wewe.

327
01:01:36,822 --> 01:01:38,991
Behind them, where there was a water hole,

328
01:01:39,491 --> 01:01:42,536
is now the soft ground
that dung beetle's been looking for.

329
01:01:49,918 --> 01:01:52,129
The killifish are but a memory.

330
01:01:58,093 --> 01:02:02,598
Bullfrog will dig down to spend
the next months deep below ground.

331
01:02:08,187 --> 01:02:10,522
It's been two months
since Stephen hatched.

332
01:02:11,190 --> 01:02:13,525
And the young geese are now fully grown.

333
01:02:27,039 --> 01:02:29,249
They, too, will head for the refuge...

334
01:02:40,219 --> 01:02:43,263
following the same paths as the elephants.

335
01:02:47,809 --> 01:02:51,563
Every day,
Athena stops briefly so they can feed.

336
01:02:55,984 --> 01:02:57,528
They are kinder to Wewe now.

337
01:02:58,487 --> 01:03:00,280
Even Princess is more tolerant.

338
01:03:15,587 --> 01:03:17,506
Milly has no milk to give,

339
01:03:18,173 --> 01:03:20,759
but Wewe's suckling
will comfort them both.

340
01:03:38,777 --> 01:03:43,031
Athena's route out of the kingdom
is a mind map of elephant paths

341
01:03:43,824 --> 01:03:47,286
that she learned from her mother
and has never forgotten.

342
01:03:53,834 --> 01:03:55,711
There are badlands to cross.

343
01:05:02,986 --> 01:05:04,446
But they don't walk alone.

344
01:05:05,906 --> 01:05:08,325
All are heading for the refuge.

345
01:05:35,018 --> 01:05:38,063
The refuge is a water hole
fed from underground.

346
01:05:39,189 --> 01:05:42,860
Even at the height of the dry season,
there is water for all.

347
01:06:18,061 --> 01:06:21,648
Along with the elephants,
Stephen's family will be refugees,

348
01:06:23,233 --> 01:06:26,403
waiting here until the rains come
and they can all go home.

349
01:07:13,867 --> 01:07:16,578
Athena comes here
only in the driest years.

350
01:07:18,205 --> 01:07:22,042
It is the one occasion
that her status as monarch is equaled.

351
01:07:56,994 --> 01:08:01,206
This is Satao, king of them all.

352
01:08:03,083 --> 01:08:05,586
A tusker of mythical proportions.

353
01:08:14,845 --> 01:08:17,305
He is a gentle giant...

354
01:08:19,057 --> 01:08:20,975
to whom all defer.

355
01:09:15,738 --> 01:09:17,866
He's been out in the wilderness all year

356
01:09:18,825 --> 01:09:22,203
and will use this occasion to see
if any female is in season.

357
01:09:34,508 --> 01:09:37,135
Nusu is a young female
from Athena's family.

358
01:09:38,428 --> 01:09:39,763
But she's heavily pregnant.

359
01:10:01,201 --> 01:10:04,955
For the first time since Mimi died,
Wewe enjoys himself.

360
01:10:08,166 --> 01:10:10,836
It's a chance for him
to meet calves from other families.

361
01:10:18,969 --> 01:10:23,056
And when he's exhausted from playing,
there's always his family to help out.

362
01:10:41,992 --> 01:10:46,413
As the dry season progresses,
food at the refuge becomes scarce.

363
01:10:52,669 --> 01:10:56,507
So each evening, Athena's family
must travel further to feed.

364
01:11:20,030 --> 01:11:23,909
After every journey out,
they must all come back to water.

365
01:11:38,465 --> 01:11:39,675
It is their lifeline.

366
01:11:40,717 --> 01:11:43,136
But it ties them to the refuge,

367
01:11:43,220 --> 01:11:45,347
and the knot is slowly tightening.

368
01:11:55,148 --> 01:11:58,902
They have little energy,
for almost everything has been eaten.

369
01:12:01,572 --> 01:12:05,909
What started out as a refuge
has gradually turned into a prison.

370
01:12:17,629 --> 01:12:19,173
When the rains don't arrive,

371
01:12:19,756 --> 01:12:22,968
what began as a dry season
turns into a drought.

372
01:12:23,760 --> 01:12:27,639
And the consequences
and casualties start to build.

373
01:12:55,042 --> 01:12:56,543
Athena dares not leave,

374
01:12:57,211 --> 01:13:00,130
for there is no other water
within walking distance.

375
01:13:17,981 --> 01:13:23,028
In such a drought,
what kills is not thirst but starvation.

376
01:13:27,324 --> 01:13:31,036
For them all, it is only a matter of time.

377
01:14:07,531 --> 01:14:12,244
In her 50 years, Athena has never
experienced a drought so bad.

378
01:14:17,541 --> 01:14:21,420
The decision she now has to make
has never been more critical.

379
01:14:31,471 --> 01:14:34,975
This time, the lives of her entire family
are at stake.

380
01:14:36,643 --> 01:14:39,271
If she stays, they will starve.

381
01:14:40,647 --> 01:14:42,608
But if she leaves and times it wrong,

382
01:14:43,567 --> 01:14:44,985
they will all die of thirst.

383
01:14:49,573 --> 01:14:54,369
Whatever the outcome,
the responsibility is hers alone.

384
01:15:13,096 --> 01:15:14,598
Such is their faith in her,

385
01:15:15,516 --> 01:15:19,811
that when she decides to head
back to the kingdom, no one hesitates.

386
01:15:25,943 --> 01:15:27,986
For she is their matriarch.

387
01:15:29,613 --> 01:15:31,281
They would follow her anywhere.

388
01:16:21,498 --> 01:16:24,543
Back in her kingdom, it is no better.

389
01:16:54,531 --> 01:17:00,704
Where the water hole was, those
that dug down are alive but entombed,

390
01:17:04,458 --> 01:17:07,294
trapped in a state of suspended animation.

391
01:17:19,640 --> 01:17:22,476
For them all, for the spell to be broken,

392
01:17:23,602 --> 01:17:24,686
it must rain.

393
01:17:43,497 --> 01:17:44,873
Out in the badlands,

394
01:17:45,499 --> 01:17:48,335
the family do their best
to protect Wewe from the sun.

395
01:18:03,642 --> 01:18:06,395
But he has to walk two steps to their one.

396
01:18:12,526 --> 01:18:14,444
And that takes its toll.

397
01:18:53,567 --> 01:18:55,444
When Athena finally stops,

398
01:18:56,361 --> 01:19:01,074
it's not to look for food
but to remember one of their own.

399
01:19:27,935 --> 01:19:30,771
For a few moments,
the drought is forgotten

400
01:19:31,522 --> 01:19:34,441
as they join in an understanding
of what was

401
01:19:35,734 --> 01:19:38,570
and what it means to be one of their kind.

402
01:20:12,646 --> 01:20:15,691
Where they are heading
is still gripped by the drought.

403
01:21:08,285 --> 01:21:10,704
With the kingdom just a day's walk away,

404
01:21:11,538 --> 01:21:15,042
there is only one thing
that could cause Athena to stop.

405
01:21:24,843 --> 01:21:27,471
After carrying her baby
for almost two years,

406
01:21:29,056 --> 01:21:30,724
Nusu has given birth.

407
01:21:35,646 --> 01:21:37,314
Her baby is a girl.

408
01:21:45,239 --> 01:21:47,491
She knows nothing
of what she's been born into.

409
01:21:50,536 --> 01:21:53,163
Her priority is to find her first meal.

410
01:22:03,006 --> 01:22:06,218
As ever, Wewe is eager to make friends.

411
01:22:44,715 --> 01:22:47,342
It would seem the worst time to be born.

412
01:22:52,639 --> 01:22:54,349
But Athena knows differently.

413
01:22:57,269 --> 01:23:01,190
For thousands of years, her kind were
thought to be able to summon the rain.

414
01:23:03,483 --> 01:23:07,237
The truth is
that she could sense rain coming

415
01:23:07,321 --> 01:23:09,406
when it was over 100 miles away.

416
01:23:39,686 --> 01:23:43,065
There is only one way
to rebalance the kingdom.

417
01:24:37,369 --> 01:24:39,538
It's been a year
since they saw water flow,

418
01:24:40,038 --> 01:24:41,415
and it comes as a shock.

419
01:25:05,189 --> 01:25:09,735
In Africa, to be born on the cusp
of the rains is a sign of good fortune.

420
01:25:12,696 --> 01:25:14,990
For rain is always cause for celebration.

421
01:25:57,241 --> 01:26:01,912
Once again, the elephant paths
will channel water to fill water holes.

422
01:26:17,177 --> 01:26:19,972
Underground, the rain is a wake-up call.

423
01:28:03,617 --> 01:28:06,703
Just as every smile
leaves its impression on a face,

424
01:28:07,704 --> 01:28:11,124
so every journey
leaves its imprint on this continent.

425
01:28:18,131 --> 01:28:20,259
The young geese
are still a tight-knit group.

426
01:28:21,301 --> 01:28:24,513
But it won't be long before they start
to look for mates of their own.

427
01:28:38,402 --> 01:28:42,739
And true to form,
Stephen is last and late.

428
01:29:04,303 --> 01:29:07,097
Tortoise's courtship
has been slow and steady,

429
01:29:08,348 --> 01:29:10,267
but he has finally been accepted.

430
01:29:37,794 --> 01:29:41,882
Once again, the water hole
will be a lifeline for them all.

431
01:30:00,484 --> 01:30:03,779
For Wewe, there is no place like home.

432
01:30:07,407 --> 01:30:10,953
And there is nothing quite like
having a new friend to share it with.

433
01:30:25,759 --> 01:30:28,762
Great droughts bring great rains.

434
01:30:30,264 --> 01:30:34,309
And the kingdom's flush of new growth
draws in other families

435
01:30:34,393 --> 01:30:36,854
in a way that hasn't happened for decades.

436
01:30:53,954 --> 01:30:58,625
For a few days,
they form a super-herd, 1,000 strong.

437
01:30:59,418 --> 01:31:02,713
The largest gathering of their kind
on the planet.

438
01:31:32,326 --> 01:31:35,454
The journey has brought
Wewe and Princess together

439
01:31:36,455 --> 01:31:39,166
and has been the first step
in acquiring the knowledge

440
01:31:39,249 --> 01:31:41,251
that will help them through their lives.

441
01:31:44,296 --> 01:31:46,465
There will be more droughts to face,

442
01:31:47,591 --> 01:31:51,803
but Athena's family will never forget
the extraordinary matriarch

443
01:31:52,471 --> 01:31:55,641
who led them out... and brought them home.

444
01:32:20,958 --> 01:32:24,127
Only a handful
of such giant tuskers remain.

445
01:32:29,883 --> 01:32:34,596
Today, this small corner of the continent
still belongs to them.

446
01:32:39,226 --> 01:32:49,354