Earth's Great Rivers II (2022–…): Season 2, Episode 1 - Zambezi - full transcript

Earth's great rivers...

..make extraordinary journeys.

Carving through continents...

..feeding and connecting life...

..nurturing culture...

..providing a place for adventure.

From the frozen wilderness
of the Yukon...

..to the tropical heat of
the Zambezi...

..and the magical, hidden worlds
of the Danube...

..great rivers are the lifeblood
of Planet Earth.

In the heart of Africa



is a forest.

A sacred place.

The Lunda people call it
"yambeshi"...

..the heart of everything.

Here, a clear spring

bubbles to the surface.

The source of a great river.

One day, hippos will wallow
in its deep, dark pools...

..and elephants will wrestle
with its treacherous currents.

It will carve its way
through bedrock...

..and its waters will fill
great lakes...

..and spread out to form the largest
curtain of water on Earth.

For this trickle to become
one of Africa's mightiest rivers,

it will need to overcome many
obstacles...



..on its epic journey

to the Indian Ocean.

But everywhere it touches,

it will bring life.

This is the story of the Zambezi...

..Africa's wildest river.

From its source in the northwest
of Zambia, the Zambezi travels

over one and a half thousand miles,

through six countries, on its course

to the Indian Ocean.

Like many great rivers,
its beginnings are humble.

And its destiny
by no means certain.

Flowing down out of the forests
of its birth, the Zambezi

starts its great journey.

But just as its waters are getting
going, it runs into trouble.

Barotseland.

An endless flat plane
in the far west of Zambia.

So flat, the Zambezi completely
loses momentum.

And it's September, the peak
of the dry season.

Its waters are evaporating
under the heat of the African sun.

But it's just now that the Zambezi
is vitally important.

Especially for the people
that live here,

like cattle farmer Makalo Makaulo.

September is the hottest time
in the year,

where everything is dried out.

I tell you we are suffering
because we depend on water.

Here in Barotseland,

everything depends on water.

Every day in the dry season

to keep his cows alive,

Makalo Makaulo must take them
from the arid grasslands

to the Zambezi's life-giving waters.

Zambezi River,

it's like a father to me.

The father who feeds his children.

The parent of Barotseland
is Zambezi.

But as the heat
intensifies,

the Zambezi's waters are receding...

..leaving miles of dry,
hot riverbed.

A challenging place,

whatever your walk of life.

But there are advantages
to the dry season.

For schoolboys
and cattle farmers alike,

life goes on through the dry season.

As it does for the wildlife here.

These vast plains are home to some
of the greatest concentrations

of wildlife anywhere in Africa.

And this is their toughest time.

But the heat can only build
for so long.

It's now October, and a change
is coming to Barotseland.

Over 30,000 wildebeest
are on the move.

They are heading for their calving
grounds in the south of the plains,

in anticipation of the rains.

A sign that six months of drought
is coming to an end.

When the rain is coming,

everything is changing.

In October every year

tropical rains push down
from the equator, and spill

over into Barotseland.

This is what all the inhabitants
have been waiting for.

So when the rains come, our hearts
are feeling very happy,

because we are expecting
good things to come.

I don't know how you even express
it, because everything there, even

the nature of the land
is changing.

The rains are completely
transformative.

A greening of the land over 7,000
square miles...

..that can even be seen
from space.

My God, why can't this period
be like that always?

As the grasslands are revitalized,

they become a globally important
wetland,

supporting 350 species of birds.

And finally,

the wildebeest arrive
at their calving grounds.

Over just a couple of weeks,

all the herd's calves are born

to coincide with this time
of plenty.

CROAKING

But the rains are having an even
more dramatic effect...

..on the Zambezi.

It starts to flood.

The people of Barotseland
have always lived in tune

with the annual flooding
of the Zambezi.

Larger villages are built on high
ground,

so they stay dry
during the flood.

But many smaller buildings

are designed to be submerged
for a while.

Abandoned for four or five months
until the waters subside.

The rising waters bring
new challenges.

Most children have to stop
going to school in the wet season.

But this school has been built
with flooding in mind.

Set on a
mound of high ground,

it even has docks for the pupils
to tie up to.

So long as they can brave the school
run,

Gift and his classmates can keep

learning while the waters
keep rising.

Cattle farmers don't have the option
of staying in the floodplains.

They now take to canoes
to swim their cattle

to higher ground.

But beneath the waters,

the land is being fertilised

by the Zambezi's silt.

So when the cattle return,

they will have some of the most

nutritious grass around.

The floods are not only
good for the inhabitants

of Barotseland...

..the waters of the entire flood
plain are now gathering

into one rejuvenated flow.

The Zambezi

is on the move again.

Heading out of Barotseland,

the Zambezi now turns east

where, for the next 300 miles,
it will form the border

between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Boosted by the water from upstream,

the Zambezi grows.

And, as it grows, it brings
more opportunity for life.

The Zambezi is starting to look
like a great African river.

As it flows over a series of steps
in the bedrock,

it starts to gather pace.

And, in the distance, a cloud
of mist is rising.

A hint of what is to come.

Right at the point where the Zambezi
reaches its maximum power...

..the entire river flows over a
cliff.

Over a mile wide...

..falling for over a hundred
metres...

..500 million litres of water
per minute.

So much water, it creates a plume
of spray

that rises 500 metres
into the sky...

..giving it the name of
Mosi-oa-Tunya,

The Smoke That Thunders.

This is Victoria Falls.

The largest curtain of water...

..on Earth.

You would think it's a place
to steer well clear of.

But there is temptation here.

A group of male elephants have come
down to the edge of the river.

At this time of year, the islands
right above the falls are lush

with tasty vegetation,

an elephant's paradise.

But to reach them is dangerous.

The Zambezi in full flood
is a formidable force.

This is not the place to get
swept away by the current.

But the lure of the islands
is strong.

These males are prepared
to take the risk.

The further they go,

the stronger the current gets.

And now it's getting deeper.

They are forced to swim.

Immediately, the current starts
to drag them downstream.

They need to reach an island

or they could get swept
over the falls.

One by one, they find their footing.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

But for smaller elephants,

the danger is greater.

At last, they are all safely across.

And right away, they start
feasting on their prize

of rich vegetation.

But elephants can eat 300
kilos of food in a day.

So they'll soon get through all
the tastiest pickings here...

..and will have to take their
chances with Zambezi all over again.

Victoria Falls marks the next
great transformation

for the Zambezi...

..as the entire river is swallowed
up by a great chasm in the Earth.

Trapped in a channel just 25
metres wide,

the Zambezi now carves down through
the rocky heart of Africa...

..forming sheer walls of 140
metres high.

This is the Batoka Gorge.

And it's here that the Zambezi
conjures up another phenomenon...

..less well-known than Victoria
Falls,

but just as unique.

The Zambezi Wave.

Surf perfection for those brave
enough to try it.

It's crazy that you can bring
something like surfing here.

Mikey February is a professional
surfer.

He's here, 600 miles from the
nearest ocean,

to surf the Zambezi Wave.

It's once in a lifetime, and only
a few people have actually done it,

and I think that's, you know, one of
the most special parts

of actually coming here.

Mikey has come to the Zambezi
at a key point in the year.

As the dry season returns,
over a period of three or four

months, the river changes again.

Victoria Falls starts to switch off.

Every year, the Zambezi goes
through these dramatic cycles...

..with 50 times less water flowing
over the falls when it's dry.

But it's as the water levels
in the gorge start dropping

that conditions become just right
for surfing.

When the water gets low enough,

it starts to interact with a rocky

shelf on the riverbed...

..and forms the Zambezi Wave.

A wave that stays in exactly
the same place,

and breaks continuously.

But only lasts for ten days.

Even for a pro like Mikey,

the Zambezi Wave is not

to be taken lightly.

You have rocks, you have, you know,

hectic rapids and the water's moving

in such a different way
to the ocean.

The fear factor is quite high.

Because the wave is formed by a slab
of rock just beneath the surface,

surfing it is dangerous.

And then there are the rapids.

Mikey needs to get out of
the white water as fast as he can,

before he gets swept downstream.

He paddles for the pickup
point on the riverbank.

But the current is too strong.

This is where his experience
in the water comes in.

He keeps calm.

And the safety kayaker is
immediately on hand to help

guide him out of trouble.

Mikey is keen to try again.

The Zambezi Wave is pretty much
like catching an ocean wave

but in reverse, because the ocean
is pushing you forward and the river

is obviously going the opposite way.

It's just a completely different
experience.

Once you get it the first time,

then you actually kind of get a
gauge

of what you should be doing.

And you kind of know exactly
what to expect when you fall.

I did get scared surfing this wave.

It's like a balance of, like,
surfing, survival mode,

surfing, survival mode kind of
thing.

I think the more time you spend
in the river and on the wave,

you learn new things about it.

The way it moves and noticing its,
you know, little subtleties.

It's also so beautiful, you know,

obviously you get to surf this wave,

but you also get to appreciate
the Zambezi and everything

that it has to offer.

From the gorge,
the Zambezi journeys on.

Winding its way through
the fractured land along the border

between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

But it's about to shapeshift
once more.

This time, at the hands of
an entirely different force.

Kariba Dam.

Built in the 1950s,

it completely blocks the Zambezi,

and forces it to flow through its
turbines to make electricity.

It took just five years
for the river, held back

behind the dam,

to rise 100 metres.

Swelling up to form the vast
Lake Kariba.

25 miles wide.

140 miles long.

44 cubic miles of water.

So much water that it caused over 20
large earthquakes as it settled

down on the land beneath.

By volume, Lake Kariba is
the largest manmade lake

on the planet.

But it has also become a haven
for wildlife.

Along the lake's shoreline, rich
grasslands have grown up.

And in the forests of drowned trees

formed by the rising waters

is a unique habitat.

Perfect for the Zambezi's most
iconic bird.

The African fish eagle.

There are around 500 breeding
pairs here.

Each pair mates for life...

..the contorted shapes of the trees
providing a platform

for their nests...

..protected by the
crocodile-infested waters below.

The trees also provide the perfect
vantage point

to survey the lake for prey.

On two-metre wings, they hunt
for fish in the shallows.

This place is so good for fish
eagles,

it has become their stronghold...

..their haunting call, the sound
of Lake Kariba.

The Zambezi is now at the halfway
point on its journey

to the Indian Ocean.

As its waters break free
of the great dam,

the river flows on.

And now it enters a lost world,

spreading out into a valley
50 miles wide...

..nurturing a vast wilderness...

..some of the richest wildlife
habitat in Africa.

It has also become world famous
as one of THE places to come

and watch wildlife.

This part of the Zambezi
and its tributaries is dotted

with safari lodges...

..places where people come to meet
the Zambezi's iconic animals.

But who's watching who?

This safari lodge
has operated for many years,

and the wild animals are now
used to people.

And there's one main attraction
just beyond the lobby.

A wild mango tree.

Its fruit is ripe
for just a short time,

right at the end of the dry season.

A mouth-watering treat when food
is scarce.

But it's not just baboons
that have a thing for mangoes.

There are larger guests
about to check into this lodge.

Elephants have been coming
to this mango tree

from the river nearby for
generations,

following ancient pathways that
existed long before

the lodge was built.

One family in particular has learned
that the lodge and its inhabitants

poses no threat.

Why go around?

When you can walk
right through reception.

These are completely wild elephants.

But over the years,
they have developed an understanding

with the staff here.

A trust passed
down through elephant generations.

We've definitely developed
that relationship and we've seen

youngsters grow into almost
adults now over the years.

So it's it's a beautiful
relationship we have.

This young bull probably
first followed its mother

through here as a calf.

Now he is so relaxed,

he even takes time to browse
the gift shop.

And check in at reception.

But soon, the lure of the mangoes
is too great.

Trees like this are vital
for the wildlife here.

Their roots draw water from deep
underground,

so they can fruit even
in the dry season.

An important source of energy
and vitamin C.

And while the elephants
are feasting,

the guests get a wild
encounter of a lifetime.

When the elephants have had enough,

they quietly leave.

The same way they came in.

Straight through reception.

Elephants are big eaters.

But they also drink over 200
litres of water a day.

And for that, like all animals here,
they rely on the river.

But the Zambezi is not only a place
to get a drink.

For carmine bee-aters,

the banks of the river provide
the perfect place to make a home.

Their colonies can contain
up to a thousand nests...

..each one dug into the sandy cliff
face over a metre deep...

..where their eggs are protected
from predators.

But outside the nest, the adults
are vulnerable.

African fish eagles don't only live
on Lake Kariba -

they can be found
all along the Zambezi.

The skills that make them
so good at catching fish

work just as well for birds.

Hippos spend the hot days wallowing
in the Zambezi's cool waters.

Schools of females live together
in a territory ruled

by a single male.

And for the most part
they are peaceful creatures.

Until the male's authority
is challenged by a rival.

Then hippos turn violent.

In the safety of the river,

hippos are all-powerful.

It's as the sun goes down that
they start to lose their bravado.

Hippos eat grass.

About 40 kilos every night.

They can't get that by staying
in the river.

They may be huge - over two
tons, but out of water

they become cautious.

So what are they nervous about?

As the night progresses...

..they travel
further into the shadows.

Up to five miles a night.

Not making a sound.

Soon, the hippos are peacefully
grazing in moonlit meadows.

But they are being watched.

Lions.

A pride of lions patrol this
stretch of the Zambezi.

They know that animals are moving
to and from the river,

and the dark is their friend.

But would they be bold enough
to bother a two-ton hippo?

It's when the hippos start
heading back to the Zambezi

that they are most vulnerable.

Lions have formidable eyesight.

As the night gets darker,

they gain the advantage.

Now anything is fair game.

A female lion tries for an impala.

Alarmed by the chaos, hippos
scramble for the safety

of the river.

But a young hippo is on its own.

That doesn't go unnoticed.

A male lion is on to it.

Just in time.

The hippo makes good its escape,

safe once more in the waters
of the Zambezi.

As the Zambezi journeys
on, it performs a last

great feat of transformation.

Flowing down on to the coastal
plains of Mozambique...

..it spreads out into countless
sinuous branches...

..forming a great triangle
that reaches all the way

to the Indian Ocean.

The Zambezi Delta.

But this last chapter of the
Zambezi's journey

is haunted by the past.

From 1977 to 1992,

this place
was ravaged by civil war.

The human cost was immeasurable.

And it had a devastating
effect on wildlife.

During that war, wildlife was killed
for the meat,

but also be killed for the ivory,
for example, elephants,

everything
just declined drastically.

Dominique Goncalves is a Mozambican
conservationist who's passionate

about forging a brighter
future for the wildlife here.

She is part of a team tasked to go
into the heart of the Zambezi Delta,

to find out what has happened
to the wildlife

since the devastation of the war.

Dominique is an elephant specialist.

Her plan is to put satellite
collars on key elephants

to understand their movements.

The first step in protecting
all the wildlife of the delta.

If you protect the area
that an elephant uses, you're also

protecting a huge area that many,
many other species are using.

But first, she has to find them.

The Zambezi Delta is vast -

over four and a half thousand
square miles.

Once, the Delta was world-famous
for its extraordinary

wealth of wildlife.

Great herds of elephant,
and the largest numbers

of buffalo in Africa.

Since the civil war, few studies
have been conducted here.

So little is known about what is
left, but after just half an hour's

flying, there's an encouraging sign.

Elephants.

You really have to assess
which individual we can work with.

So you have to think about the age
and if it's a female, is she very,

very pregnant or not?
If she has a young calf or not.

So you don't want to put
an extra stress on her.

The dart contains a fast-acting
sedative.

And by the time the helicopter
has landed,

the elephant is already asleep.

A quick check on its breathing,

and they get to work.

They must work fast.

Though the elephant is sleeping
peacefully,

the quicker they are, the quicker
it can return to the herd.

And while the vet is fitting
the collar,

Dominique gathers as much
information as she can.

This is a rare opportunity
to study these delta elephants.

Blood samples...

Her feet is very small.

..foot size,

and getting a record of
what it's been eating is a crucial

but less glamorous part of the job.

All completed in just 15 minutes.

SNORING

Snoring!

A final shot reverses the effects
of the sedative.

They now have just a couple
of minutes to get airborne.

To encounter elephants so early
in the trip is a hopeful sign

that good numbers are surviving
in the delta.

In the next few days, Dominique
successfully collars six elephants

from different herds.

And straight away, the collars
start to deliver results.

She can see exactly where each
elephant and their herd travels.

What space they need
for socializing, feeding

and avoiding people.

Travelling the delta
with their satellite collars,

Dominique's elephants are providing
crucial hard data,

and are starting to map out the
space that she hopes will

one day protect
all the wildlife of the delta.

Even in such a brief visit,

there are tantalizing glimpses

of the life the delta could hold.

A great herd,

many hundreds of buffalo -

an echo of the legendary
herds that once roamed here.

And a vision of what this place
could be.

Here, where the Zambezi River

finally comes to the end
of its journey.

The Zambezi River is extremely
important.

Not only in terms of biodiversity
and nature,

but give us culture,

give us, you know, livelihoods,

give us many things.

Perhaps without it,
it wouldn't be the same.

I think that's the thing that makes
us all so proud to have the Zambezi,

one of the greatest, biggest rivers
in Africa,

to just finish here,
next to home.

From a trickle of water
in a far corner of Zambia...

..this great river has overcome
many obstacles on its

1,500-mile journey.

The heat of the African sun...

..the rugged geology at the heart
of the continent...

..the demands of a modern world...

..but wherever it flows, it brings
life and opportunity.

No more so than here at the end
of its journey...

..as the waters of the Zambezi

are finally carried away

by the Indian Ocean.

One of the biggest challenges
for the Earth's Great Rivers team

was to film professional
surfer Mikey February riding

the Zambezi Wave.

Timing was key.

This unique wave only appears
for a few days each year...

..when water levels rise and fall
with the rains.

It's also incredibly remote,

and dangerous to reach -

down steep, jagged cliffs

and through some of the most
ferocious rapids

on the planet.

It's been quite the logistic
nightmare, maybe, to organise.

We've had to postpone the shoot
a few times just because the river

water levels are dropping,
but they're not

dropping quickly enough.

And there's such a small window
to sort of aim for,

for a wave that's
surfable for Mikey.

But the team decide tomorrow
is their best bet to head off

in search of the wave.

And to get everyone there
safely are

the Zambezi's most experienced
river guides.

This one as well.

We've got four cameras, two drones,
all the batteries, accessories,

all the cards.

There's a lot of expensive kit

that could end up at the bottom
of the Zambezi.

It's an early start,

and the team head to the edge
of the gorge.

We're going to go
down to the gorge now.

Please don't fall, don't slip,
we're going just on ladders, so...

Lead river guide Sean

briefs the team on the treacherous
100 metre-descent ahead.

It's an almost vertical
drop down sheer rock,

and along rickety wooden ladders.

All good in the hood? Yeah.

Has anyone fallen? All the time.

All the time!

It begins.

Lewis is the first to follow
the guides down.

So far, so good.

Actually terrified.

But we must push forward.

The last thing the crew needs
now is a twisted ankle or worse.

OK? I'm OK.

The team make
it down to the Zambezi.

Actually never been more happy
to get into a raft.

But the journey to find
the wave has only just begun.

Precious cargo loaded.

Time to rock and roll. Let's go!

One, two, three!

At first, all seems calm,
but turbulent water lies

just around the corner.

And the river starts to come alive.

The mighty Zambezi throws
everything it can at them.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Suddenly, the raft hits a violent
swell,

and sends camera operator
Kevin hurtling into the rapids.

He must get out quickly
before the river throws him

into the rocks or drags him under.

But he's in safe hands.

Thanks to the quick reactions
of the guide, Kevin's pulled

back on board.

And the team finally make it

to the Zambezi Wave.

Months of meticulous planning
went into arriving

at just the right moment.

But now it's all up to Mikey.

It's so scary, and it's so,
you know, sort of dangerous.

When you see a photo of the river,
when it's super low,

you can actually see the rock
that it actually breaks

off of, and it kind of plays
on your mind.

You know, you obviously have to wear
a helmet,

and then you also have to wear a
life jacket.

In the ocean, you're just wearing
a wetsuit or board shorts

or something - you definitely feel
out of your comfort zone.

But that's not Mikey's only concern.

Crocodiles, what's the situation?

So I mean, they're definitely here,
and we can't discount them.

The danger zone is actually
just this pool.

They don't like the fast-moving
water.

So I think once you get

into the rapids, you're 100%,
it's really just this area.

But I mean, we've all been watching,
we've been looking, we've spoken

to the fishermen and they haven't
seen crocs here for ages,

so I think we're good.

To get here at just the right
time, Mikey and the team

have descended cliffs,

and navigated white water rapids.

But in return, they experienced
an entirely new side of one

of Earth's great rivers.

Everyone's got a different
relationship with this river,

and surfing that wave is mine.