Waterhole: Africa's Animal Oasis (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

In the baking heat of the
African savannah...

...as rivers dry up...

...animals flock to the waterhole.

But we've never fully understood

how a single water source can
support so many competing species.

So we're doing something
ground-breaking.

Welcome to Tanzania and to the
Mwiba Wildlife Reserve

and to this unique waterhole
behind us.

We are working with the reserve
to create the world's first

waterhole with a built-in
specialist camera system.

This waterhole has a half-submerged
filming hide right in the middle,



and it's rigged with
remote cameras so we can see

every angle of animal behaviour
like never before.

GIRAFFE GRUNTS

It's a unique chance to follow
the evolution of a waterhole

ecosystem and the lives
of the animals that depend

on it, from the very beginning.

This is our first visit from a lion.

We don't know who will turn up
and in what number...

...but we want to observe and record
every single species...

...over a period of six months.

We're filming from the start
of the life-sapping dry season

when water is scarce
and tempers fray.

That's not a happy elephant.

Until the pressure finally breaks...



THUNDER CRACKS

...and the annual rains
change everything.

From up here, you get a great view
of an ecosystem.

We'll follow the fight for survival
at the one place all animals gather.

Everything changed when the
predators turned up.

This is the story of life...

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

...and death at the waterhole.

In East Africa, Tanzania,

south of the Serengeti ecosystem

is a protected area spanning
53,000 hectares.

Mwiba Wildlife Reserve.

It's a safe haven for Africa's most
iconic species,

including elephant...

...hippo...

...giraffe...

...leopard...

...and lion.

But in our changing world,

this region faces a growing
shortage of water.

Look at it, so green, fresh,
verdant.

That said, in a couple of
months' time, all of this

will be parched and brown.

All of these tiny little pools
of water will be gone.

And the wildlife here is going
to be struggling to survive.

For half the year in 2018,

there was just nine millimetres
of rain.

Well below average for Tanzania.

And with the growing impact
of climate change,

life here is set to get tougher.

Temperatures in Africa are rising.

In just 30 years, it's predicted
the continent will endure 50%

more warming than the rest
of the planet.

As a result, many natural
water sources are drying up.

Let's just call this digger in.

To give its wildlife a much-needed
lifeline, Mwiba Reserve has decided

to build a waterhole
on an open patch of grassland,

easily accessible from all
directions.

Natural waterholes appear after
rains deep in the savannah,

but they're quickly populated by
wildlife and often dry up fast.

So this is a unique opportunity
for us to work with Mwiba and study

a waterhole built from scratch.

Look at that!

It's very exciting, isn't it?

We want to find out how hundreds
of different species find,

use and interact around a new
water source.

Wow. OK. Now, I measure about...

I don't measure about anything.

I'm 1.83 metres
and I'm still above this.

We ideally, I think, we want about

two metres depth at our deepest
point.

But what's essential is going
to be the slope like this,

because a lot of animals are not
going to literally go in.

That's going to be our wallowers -
our, you know, elephant,

our buffalo, our warthog.

I think many of the ungulates
are going to come to the edge here,

stand on that edge and sip.

And certainly all of the bathing

animals are going to be in this
zone, so the shallow part of the

waterhole is going to be
equally important.

It's going to be fascinating.

I honestly think that we're going
to see an enormous diversity

of species coming to this waterhole.

To uncover the secret world
of the waterhole, we're bringing in

a weatherproofed remote camera
system,

able to record day and night.

To help make it
wildlife tamper-proof,

we dig two-metre-deep trenches...

...excavating over 100 tonnes
of soil for 4km

of fibre-optic cable.

60,000 litres of water
fill two separate pools,

giving more access points
for thirsty animals.

This is a project on a grand scale.

It's bigger than any of the other
waterholes that are currently

here at the end of the wet season -
they're just puddles.

This is going to be a pool
of some significance.

We are going to film here at three
of the most critical times of year

for local wildlife.

From the middle of the tough
dry season.

Then, a couple of months later,
when temperatures soar into the 40s

at the hottest time of year.

And finally, at the height
of the first rains.

Now, it's the middle of the
dry season.

20 cameras are set to record

every detail of life
for the next two weeks.

They are remote controlled
from our base camp,

where biologist Ella Al-Shamahi

and I can watch them live
and play back footage.

We've got our team monitoring
these cameras 24/7.

Those strange triangular structures,
those are so that the elephants

hopefully won't step on the cameras
and damage them.

As Ella says, it's 24/7, we're
watching them throughout the course

of the day and the night
using infrared.

And, of course, we're also watching
this waterhole from the air.

We've got a drone up at the moment.

And there you can see from mission
control, it's about 200 metres

across this parched grassland
down to our waterhole complex here.

A tunnel leads into our hides
so that we can sneak in

without the animals seeing us.

And we've got the two pools
either side here.

For our first two-week filming
window, I will be attempting

to collate data for every visitor
and create a species list

so we can track how many animals
come to a new waterhole.

Chris will be reviewing footage
to analyse the complex animal

behaviour behind every interaction.

Our first question - how long
does it take wildlife to find

a new waterhole?

The answer - 45 minutes.

WARTHOG GRUNTS

Here, top right, we've got warthog.

Wow, that's awesome. Yeah.

It's a whole family there.

Mwiba wildlife expert
Eugene Raymond joins us to review

the footage, to offer some
local insight

into our waterhole pioneers.

We've seen these in
and around Mwiba area,

and it's one that's got a very
interesting story

cos the mama died and then

the four little ones managed
to get to this level.

So you've seen them growing up?
Yeah, I've seen them growing up.

These warthog orphans live
250 metres away.

They probably discovered the
waterhole whilst foraging for food,

but, interestingly, they're not
here to drink.

What they really need...

...is mud!

It's a stifling 35 Celsius,

but warthogs don't have sweat glands

that regulate their body
temperature...

...so they must use mud
to cool themselves down.

Our camera rig includes a
specialist thermal camera,

which reveals how effective
this behaviour is.

The warthogs' bodies turn blue
as their temperature decreases.

Mud bathing can reduce their body
temperature

by a life-saving 3.6 Celsius.

The warthogs weren't on their own
for very long.

Look, the warthogs scarper as soon
as the elephant arrives.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

They would normally give respect
for this big beast to come in

and get some water.

What's interesting is that they have
the capacity to smell water.

Ah, yes, that's very true.
Absolutely.

What, 15 miles away at least,
I imagine.

I believe they have incredible
ability to do it even

farther than that. Further than
15 miles? Yeah, for sure.

It's not really that much
of a surprise, then,

that they would be amongst
the first to turn up.

So here's another one.
That's another male.

Do you know this elephant?

Oh, that's a young bull
that I know, for sure. Yeah.

You see the right tusk is shorter
than the left tusk.

If you look at one tusk
that is shorter than the other,

then you get to know...

This elephant is either
right-handed or left-handed.

The guides call this elephant Nusu,
which in Swahili means "half".

And his companion is Ndogo,
which translates as "small"

because he has short tusks.

An African elephant needs to drink
nearly a bathtub of water each day.

They may have to walk up to
195km to find enough.

We've made elephants happy by giving
them fresh, clean water.

It's not often you get to make,
you know, megafauna happy.

Especially in the dry season.

Elephants are thought to help

other animals locate water
in the dry season.

As they forage, the two males
inadvertently create pathways

through the bush leading
directly to the waterhole.

This area is home to lions,
leopards and giraffes.

We know they're out there,
but we don't know

when and if they'll turn up
to the waterhole.

And you've got to remember
that up until fairly recently,

this waterhole simply wasn't here.

15 minutes after the elephants,
more new species arrive.

And by reviewing the footage
from day one, we discover

how different animals approach
a new water source.

Ella! Ella.

Got impala that have come in.

Waterholes are dangerous places
for impala, as big cats often hunt

them when they come to drink.

I mean, they are extremely nervous.

They're essentially a
forest antelope,

so coming into the open like this
is a perilous exercise.

Impala aren't the only species
that are wary at the new waterhole.

Now we have zebras.

The first zebra also approach
with caution, but there's a theory

that suggests they have some natural
protection from predators.

I don't think there's a definitive
answer, but do you know why the

zebra's got stripes?

I'm assuming it's some kind of
a camouflage thing.

I was looking at some work
relatively recently that shows

that when you get a large herd
of zebra moving,

the way that their bodies move
cycles the stripes

and visually is disorientating.

It forms an optical illusion,
which generates an enormous amount

of confusion in terms of the
visual capabilities

of any pursuing predator. Really?

It's confusion colouration.

That's interesting. Hm.

To add four species to our list
on day one, within just a few hours

of the waterhole being finished,

shows just how harsh
the dry season is.

50 metres away, the nearest water
source in the area,

the Arugusinyai River,
is completely dry.

And for herbivores, it's not
just water that is in short supply.

Look at it, it's absolutely parched.

Imagine trying to eke a living,
eating something like this.

I mean, there must be
nutrients there,

but trying to firstly digest it
and then process it...

Thankfully, there is some evergreen
foliage left here.

This acacia, look at this.

Looks relatively lush and green,

but it comes with a cost - protected
by these vicious spikes, of course.

Again, not all of those herbivores

are going to be able to nibble this.

And then lastly, there is something
that makes this environment very,

very hostile at this time of year,

not just for all of those animals,
but for us, too.

And it lurks... here.

Look at that, almost bumped into it.

You see this little brown smudge

in the crook of the grass here?

That is a solid mass of ticks.

They call them pepper ticks at
this stage because they're so small,

they're about the size of a
ground piece of pepper.

And any animal that brushes into
this grass here is coated.

They get under the skin
and they start to suck its blood.

At this time of year,

this part of Tanzania is a
tough place to be wildlife.

At night there is some relief,
as temperatures drop to 15 Celsius.

But this is often the most dangerous
time to be at a waterhole.

Lions, leopards and hyena
are more active after dark.

Our specialist camera system
switches to infrared light...

...so we can watch the waterhole
for nocturnal predators.

And on the first night,
just before 8pm,

the cameras catch one of
Mwiba Reserve's most elusive

and powerful hunters.

Leopards have the largest ranges
of any big cat.

Males can range over
2,000 square kilometres.

It's not clear if this male
is a Mwiba resident

or just passing through.

LEOPARD GROWLS SOFTLY

We collate all the camera footage.

THUNDER RUMBLES

Wow. Oh, look at the elegance.

And expert guide Eugene joins us

again to review the shots in order
to identify him.

It's probably one of the leopard
that I know in the area.

We've named him jasiri.
And what does that mean?

Jasiri is a Swahili word
and it means "brave".

He's not very skittish,
he's quite relaxed.

Those rosettes are unique to
every leopard.

Every leopard has a unique
spot pattern.

Those markings on the whiskers,
up to the nose on the side,

these are the ones that will tell
you which one it is.

They will never be the same.

Jasiri's arrival is a sign that our
new waterhole is beginning to get

the attention of Mwiba's carnivores.

Leopards hunt a wide variety
of prey, feeding on everything

from insects to rodents
to large antelopes.

The waterhole could be a new
important hunting ground for jasiri.

So what do we think? Do we think
he's already had a kill?

He's probably got a kill somewhere
and put the kill up a tree.

Look at his neck, the muscles
in the neck and that gives them

the power of getting up, carrying
stuff, heavy stuff,

pretty much the same size,
and they will take it up a tree.

Because they are in so many
competitions with other predators

like hyenas, lions,

and they would come for a drink

and go back on their same spot
at the kill.

It doesn't need water
every single day.

They get it in two ways.

They get it from the body fluids
that they take out of the animal.

And then they also,
when they're digesting it,

they produce metabolic water.

So in the process of digesting
that food, the hydrogen teams up

with the oxygen and produces
water and that can provide them

with up to 10% of the water
that they need.

And that's the difference
between dying of thirst

and not dying of thirst.

So it's really important
for these types of animal,

that metabolic water.

What a view, and what an animal.

Mwiba Reserve is home to lions
and spotted hyena,

but Jasiri the leopard beats them
to be the first apex predator

on our species list.

After his visit, the night is quiet
at the waterhole.

But the silence doesn't last long.

BUFFALO GRU NT

At 7.30 on the second morning,

the biggest herd of animals
comes for a drink.

80 Cape buffalo.

If we go to this camera over here,

can we take a closer look at them
on the ground?

BUFFALO GRU NT

They're an enormously robust
and powerful animal.

The males weigh up to a tonne.

Their horns grow to a metre
across, fused in the middle.

They're very much front-heavy,
massive fore-limbs.

Look at that, you can see the

pulsing throat of a buffalo.

Some of the species that we have
here don't need to drink every day,

but buffalo like to drink every day

and they drink an enormous
quantity of water.

That's the equivalent of a
nice cold pint of lager

at the end of a very hot afternoon.

Look at the look of satisfaction
on that buffalo's face.

Well, maybe I'm pushing
the anthropomorphism there

a little bit, but I can imagine
it's a happy buffalo.

The waterhole is a lifeline
to water-dependent animals

like Cape buffalo.

This herd can drink up to
3,000 litres in just one visit.

And the buffalo
aren't travelling alone.

Oxpeckers provide an
invaluable service

to buffalo in the dry season.

And in return,

they get a free ride to water
and all the food they can eat.

They're on there removing parasites,

plenty of ticks here at this
time of year.

Ooh, straight... straight in!

And, look, right inside the ear,

and you can see where there's less
hair in there, how it will be easier

for the ticks to attach.

Look at that, it's feeding
furiously.

So we can't see them,
but undoubtedly, this oxpecker can.

CHRIS LAUGHS

Can't imagine what it must be like
to be the buffalo with a bird

right inside your ear.

But, clearly, it is happy

with that compromise because

this bird is feasting on

those parasites which are
inside that ear.

Love that! Little cameo of natural
history that we're able to see

because we've got these
extraordinary cameras

and we're so close to these animals.

Over the next few clays we add
an incredible 40 new species

to our list.

Including four birds.

Yellow-billed storks often hunt
in shallow water.

Black-faced sandgrouse come
to waterholes not only to drink,

but to wet their breast feathers

to carry water back to their chicks.

Cape turtle doves are found
across southern Africa.

Bare-faced go-aways.

The species get their name from
their distinctive call,

which sounds like, "Go away."

GO-AWAY CALLS OUT

African hare hop in.

Water helps them digest vegetation.

On night three,

a lone waterbuck that needs water

daily to survive,

comes for a drink.

Two species of primates also find
the waterhole -

olive baboons and vervet monkeys.

They like to socialise around
water sources,

much to the annoyance
of some of our residents.

SQUAWKING, CHATTERING

By day five, the list has grown
to 20 species.

We are also seeing the same animals
returning every day.

Our cameras have already recorded

nearly 200 hours of footage
combined.

And I'm seeing a pattern emerge.

We're actually starting to see

some really interesting data.

We're looking at which species

are turning up to the waterhole
at what time.

Some of these animals have
pretty much set times

and they're turning up
like clockwork.

There is already a schedule to life
at the waterhole.

From around 8am, a steady stream
of impala come for a drink.

11.00 is the most frequent time
for zebra.

ZEBRA SNORTS

Around 1pm, the very punctual
warthog orphans come to mud-bathe.

3pm is when elephants
often turn up.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

And the herd of buffalo are coming

first thing in the morning
and at dusk.

BUFFALO SNORT

I have a theory as to why
this routine has been set

so early on within this new
waterhole community.

There's certain patterns that
indicate survival strategies.

It's interesting that during
that midday sun, that real heat,

the place doesn't become deserted.

So some of the species that are most
vulnerable from predators,

they're willing to brave
that scorching heat

because if they turn up later
in the day,

that's when the predators are about.

The fear of predators is affecting
when animals come to the waterhole.

But that's not the only thing
the cameras are revealing.

After eight days, a hierarchy

is developing within the waterhole
community,

and by analysing footage,
we discover that one species

is trying to dominate.

What we've got is a waterbuck here,
and where we're seeing these come

to our waterhole, this male,
they're always coming on their own.

The buffalo approach...
So he was there first.

He has a look round...
Oh! He darts off, doesn't he?

He doesn't even bother to entertain
any thought of staying there

with a huge herd of buffalo.

They encircle the waterhole
and they basically just own

that very valuable resource.

We've got another bit as well.
Here we go.

So these small group of zebra
have come all the way round the side

of the pool to the other end

where they're hoping
to have a little sip.

But as you can see,
there's another buffalo.

Just wait to see what happens.

ZEBRA SCREECH

That's deliberate aggression,
isn't it?

The buffalo are completely
monopolising the area. Yeah.

OK. So the big boys have pushed out
the zebra,

but what happens when an even
bigger boy turns up?

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

BUFFALO SNORT

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

That's not a happy elephant.

The buffalo are not drinking,

notice, they've had to stop
drinking.

They're casually strolling
in both directions. Yeah.

They don't know where to go,
but they're definitely not drinking

and they realise that they're...
And look. Ooh!

Yeah. This is a frustrated,
frustrated elephant.

And it gets a little bit worse
because he comes round this side.

ELEPHANT SNORTS

This is a bit of displacement
behaviour, I think.

He's so cross with the buffalo,
he can't do much about them,

so he's kicking the ground, look,
still flaring his ears,

waving his trunk.

Both elephants and buffalo

came to the waterhole
in the first 48 hours.

They are our most regular
and heaviest drinkers.

And as the dry season intensifies,

they're encountering each other
much more often.

The buffalo have strength
in numbers,

but an elephant weighs
up to 6,000 kilos

and the buffalo aren't willing
to put up much of a fight... for now.

For these two giants, a changing
climate and a growing scarcity

of water has potentially
life-threatening consequences.

In the '90s, the number of buffalo
were decimated in the Serengeti,

and the Maasai Mara
because of drought.

So it's interesting to see that
behaviour that created

this dominant presence.

That's for very good reason,
I guess.

They really, really need
that water.

In 24 hours, we measure
that between them,

buffalo and elephant are drinking
over 7,000 litres of water.

A natural waterhole might dry up
with this level of demand.

But this one has a plumbed in
fresh water supply

that we can keep topping up.

It's been tremendously busy
at the waterhole overnight,

and as a consequence,
the water level has gone down,

quite significantly, by at least
two or three centimetres.

We are keeping track of water usage.

A centimetre drop in both pools

is approximately 2,000 litres
of water.

L'lljust turn this tap on.

You can hear it bubbling away.

WATER GU RGLES

This water is from a
naturally occurring reservoir

47 metres underground.

It's a sustainable water source

that's replenished every
rainy season.

Wind turbines power the pump,

which can deliver up to
12,000 litres per hour...

"should we need it."

Over the next couple of clays,

the important role our waterhole

is starting to play in the region

is underlined by a staggering

20 new species that come
for a drink.

Including the hadada ibis,

which are native

to Sub-Saharan Africa.

The white-tailed mongoose,

which is the largest of the
mongoose species,

reaching one metre in length.

Kirk's dik-dik, one of the world's

smallest antelope,

standing at just 35cm tall.

And a black-backed jackal,

that wastes no time

marking this territory.

So far, 40 species have visited
the waterhole.

And on day ten, the tallest animals
on Earth come for a drink.

Extraordinary animals, giraffe,
absolutely extraordinary.

That looks like a terribly
uncomfortable position to be in,

to have to drink, but that's
the least of its problems.

The first thing is if you've got
your head all the way up here

on a very long, stout neck
and then you tip it down to drink

like this, all of the blood
would rush down into your brain

and you would presumably black out
straight away, but not the giraffe.

They've evolved something
called a rete -

it's a tight bundle of arteries.

So the blood does run down the neck,

but when it gets to this rete
at the base of the skull,

it slows it up so it doesn't
flood the brain.

And then equally, when they tip
their head back up again,

having had a drink, you would think
that all the blood would drain out

of the brain and they would
simply faint, but they don't.

They have valves in those
blood vessels which stop that blood

cascading back into their body.

They've also got very strong
oesophageal muscles.

I mean, look, it's now got to pump
the water all the way from its lips

up to its body.

We tip water into our mouths and use
gravity

to get it into our stomach.

This one's got a reverse gravity
and that's what they do,

they've got very powerful muscles
to suck that water up.

ELEPHANTS TRUMPET

It's only taken ten days for the
waterhole to look like

an established oasis
in Mwiba Reserve.

But on day 12, the area
goes eerily quiet.

To help discover where the animals
have gone...

...we've sent wildlife cameraman
and tracker, Bob Poole,

to investigate.

Less than 100 metres away, he spots
a potential reason

for the sudden quietness
at the waterhole.

Right there, that's a pretty
big animal, you see.

One, two, three, four, and the pad
going to here.

Look at that... look at that
distance in that.

It's definitely a big cat,

whether it's a lion or a big
leopard.

Look at the size of this here.

You see?

So you can tell this is a very fresh
track because you've got

a vehicle track here,

and right on top of that
is a big cat.

Chris. Chris, do you copy?

Hi, Bob.

Hey, I've just found some big cat
tracks on the road here.

Whereabouts are you relative
to the waterhole?

Yeah, we're only about 100 yards
away from you on the main track

to the north.
Must have been...

I would have to assume it had to be
early this morning.

I'd like to follow these tracks
and see where they go.

OK. Well, I'll see you a bit later.

While a predator is in the area,
only a handful of species will feel

safe at the waterhole, including
the largest land mammal on Earth.

Elephants are rarely predated
by big cats in Tanzania,

and this herd also has strength
in numbers.

Look at that!

Oh, my goodness. How many?
How many are we looking at?

OK, look. So that's eight adults.

One, two, three, four juveniles.

Look at that shot.

Look at the view we've got there.
That's amazing.

Look at the little youngster.

A herd of 12 makes this the
biggest number of elephants

at the waterhole so far.

Elephant herds are led by
a matriarch, who is identifiable

by being bigger and older
than the others.

This one is around 30 years old.

The youngest calf is just over
a year old.

Elephants are notoriously protective
of their young,

but this family are completely
at ease with our remote cameras.

And they're the first animals
to take a proper dip

in the waterhole.

But they're not just bathing -

they, like our warthog orphans,
need mud.

And this is what it's about with the
mud. They're chucking it on there,

it's going to evaporate the water
out of the mud.

What's interesting here, though,

is that the elephants have
very wrinkly skin. Yes.

So the mud goes into the wrinkles
and therefore it takes

longer to evaporate.

And this means that the cooling
process will go on longer

than if they had smooth skin.

But also, that wrinkly skin,

that increases the surface area
and it helps with heat loss.

And, interestingly, the
Asian elephants, of course,

don't have the same level
of wrinkles in their skin...

No, they don't... because these guys
need to cool down a bit more.

Mud can also act as sunscreen
for elephants,

but it is often in short supply
during the dry season,

which explains why this herd

is exploring every corner
of the waterhole.

Right now we've got a very expensive
camera very, very close...

SHE CHUCKLES

I know... to an elephant's feet.
Great. Yeah.

Oh. Oh! It's... it's destroyed
the camera!

SHE LAUGHS
There goes the camera.

And immediately, we can switch
to another one.

Look at that.
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

Oh, they're having fun, aren't they?

Oh, the calves are having
a great time.

CALF HOOTS

There's a serious side to
all this play.

This calf needs to get to grips
with trunk control.

There are 40,000 muscles in an
elephant trunk and it can take

calves over a year to master.

It's a vital skill, especially
during the dry season

when water and mud are scarce.

It's interesting that they've
come out of the mud...

...and now they're actively covering
themselves in dust.

It's from one extreme to another,
isn't it?

So this dust bathing, have you ever
seen this before?

Yeah, I've seen them dust bathing...
But after... but not...

No, not immediately after they've
been made mud bathing, you know.

Potentially might be
seeing different cultures here.

We know the same species in
different parts of a country

will exhibit different cultures,
just like we do. Yeah.

So this might be something that's
a bit more unique. A peculiar habit

to this little group.

They get sticky and then
they get dry.

They've started to move off,
haven't they?

Can we see camera six?

The remains of camera six.

Look at the destruction of that!

It's still working, it's just
a but dirty. It's worth it.

I mean, I'm not paying the bill,
but from my point of view,

that shot was sensational.

After the elephant family leave,

the waterhole goes quiet again.

Bob is still following the big cat
prints that are just 100 metres away

from the waterhole, but the trail
has gone cold.

From now on, he'll have to rely
on his tracking skills.

The guineafowls' alarm calling
over there sounds like,

"Gah! Geh-geh-geh-geh-geh-geh"

They give away predators
all the time.

Perhaps there's a lion or a leopard
right in this bush.

That noise right there -
"Gah! Geh-geh-geh-geh-geh-gehP"

It's an alarm call.

GUINEAFOWL CALL OUT

Guineafowl are a ground-dwelling
bird found across Africa.

They're known for being highly vocal
when there are predators about.

Might go up there and see what
they're cackling at.

WHISPERS: There's a lion
right there.

There's a big lion right there,
do you see it?

At the base of the tree right there.

Wow. We found it.

He's just waking up from a
long day's sleep.

LION GROWLS SOFTLY He's huge.

He's wearing a collar
so he's obviously being studied.

But he's a seriously big lion.

Tanzania is home to nearly half
of all wild lions on Earth...

...with approximately 11,500
spread across the country.

Males are not always part of a
pride, so this large lion

could be travelling alone.

It's likely that he's noticed
the increased prey activity

at the new waterhole.

In the dry season like this,

wildlife gets concentrated around
water points

and that makes it easier for lions

because they can ambush
those water points.

And so that gives lions
an advantage.

It's a good chance that this guy
has shown up over here

because there's water nearby.

Here he comes.

Wow, that is a big lion.

And he's headed in the direction
of the waterhole.

Sure enough, just after midnight,

the lion arrives at the waterhole.

By roaring...
MUFFLED LION ROAR

...this male is claiming
his territory.

The surrounding trees provide
the perfect hiding place

for this ambush predator.

To find out more about this lion,

we're enlisting the help of
Nuhu Mhapa,

one of Mwiba's top guides,

who's familiar with all of the
big cats in the area.

I think I know this guy.

He's... he's called Kalumass,

and he hasn't been here
for quite long.

It's just amazing that he has just
come back.

How do you recognise him?
Just from the size.

This is definitely Kalumass.

At over 250 kilos, Kalumass is one
of the largest lions in Tanzania.

He's such a unique individual.

Scientists from the
Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute

have been tracking his movements
for the past two years.

What do you know about him?

Do you know how old he is and where
he's come from, where he's been?

He was together with a pride of

four females, together with babies,
with the cubs.

That was in 2017, right.

From there he disappeared and left
the rest of the pride in the area.

He left the females and the cubs?
Yeah, and the cubs.

There was no other male involved?
No, no, no, no.

So he kind of abandoned them.
Yep, yep.

That's quite odd, isn't it?
That's what he did.

So he left them behind and
he disappeared.

And then we got a call from our
friends in Ngorongoro

and they said, "Hey, you know what?
Kalumass is here."

He's gone all the way to Ngorongoro?
All the way to Ngorongoro.

For the past year, Kalumass's
tracking data shows

he's been in the Ngorongoro Crater
area,

a neighbouring reserve teeming
with wildlife.

But now, this unusual male lion

has chosen to make a huge migration

to Mwiba, walking over 80km.

We think he's about nine years
old... Well, that's prime.

But, again, it's very impressive
to see such a lion that age

and he's still being highly nomadic
like this.

Which is, I mean,
is quite extraordinary.

At some point, this lion's going to
have to settle down! Well...

THEY LAUGH

He's getting on a bit.

Look, who's he got
to contend with here?

OK. We've got these two males
that just came in about

four months ago and they have

already met with the resident female
here.

Well, he's an impressive animal,
so they're going to have a

comeuppance when they meet him,
aren't they? Absolutely.

It takes courage for whoever
will see him to hold their ground.

Wow. It's going to be interesting
to see what happens. Absolutely.

What does Kalumass mean?

Kalumass means "sneaky". Sneaky boy.

Sneaky boy? Yeah, sneaky boy.

CHRIS LAUGHS
It's a fitting name - sneaky boy.

Yeah, he is a sneaky boy.

So, Kalumass has entered the
territory of the Mwiba pride.

What do we know about them?

Well, we know there are a couple
of males and a female,

and that she might have given birth
in the last month.

No-one's seen any of those cubs yet.

But if that is the case,
they're likely to be more protective

than ever of those cubs
and this area.

Now, the den is not too far away
from the waterhole,

so Bob has gone up there to see
if Kalumass

made it to the den last night.

The Mwiba pride den is just over
3km from the waterhole,

a distance Kalumass the lion
could have covered in half an hour.

On the way to the den,
Bob spots lions in the bushes.

There they are,

two male lions.

Wow.

I've probably just had a run-in
with Kalumass.

I think I see a little bit of a scar
on one of their eyes,

which makes sense because they would
really be defending their cubs.

Kalumass would kill them instantly.

There's a female. One of these two
is probably the dad.

Kalumass is a great big male and
he's formidable, even on his own.

But these two guys certainly
would overpower him,

but it could have been quite
a fight and they look

like they've had a rough night.

Kalumass may have been chased away,

but I'm discovering that his
presence seems to have altered

the routine of the waterhole
community

that has built up over
the past 13 days.

Everything changed when the lion
turned up.

You can see a shift in that
schedule.

So we're noticing that some species
are coming together.

So, for example, we're seeing the
giraffe, the impala and the zebra

turning up together.

Now, that's partly protection
in numbers, but there's something

really fascinating going on here,
and it's that they're relying on

each other's strengths to identify
the predators in the area.

Now, all of those three species rely
upon their eyesight, but of course,

the giraffes can see the landscape
much better.

And so those other two species are
relying on those giraffes to ID

the predators, and that's
why they're turning up

to the waterhole together.

Giraffe vision is so acute,

they can see movement from 2km away.

They are a life-saving early warning
system for other animals.

The waterhole is getting busy
again...

...and we're seeing more new
bird species...

BIRD COOS

...including Fischer's lovebirds,
that are only found in Tanzania.

Marabou storks, which are the
largest stork species,

reaching up to 1.5 metres tall.

Colourful lilac-breasted rollers.

They symbolise peace in many
African tribes.

And our first bird of prey -

an augur buzzard.

They often scope out waterholes

and predate on rodents and small
birds that come to drink.

Adding the augur buzzard brings
the species list to 61.

On average, we've had four new
species a day come for a

life-saving drink in the dry season.

And despite predators being
a constant threat,

there hasn't been any sign of
hunting at the waterhole.

But just 3km away,
Bob makes an ominous discovery.

I've just found this male kudu
carcass in the drainage right here.

This riverbed runs around
the waterhole.

It looks like predators are
picking off prey as they travel

to and from it.

So interesting, because it's just
been killed.

You can see the stomach
has been opened.

Whatever killed this kudu

is probably going to come back
to eat it,

so Bob is going to stake out
the carcass.

After four hours of waiting,

Bob spots something moving in
the bushes.

My goodness, that's incredible.

Wow, what a powerful animal.

It's the Mwiba pride lioness
that's made the kill.

The males are nowhere to be seen,

but this meal isn't all for her.

Whoa! Look at that, look at that

right over there on left side of
the screen.

Cubs coming down the bank.

Whoa.

That's incredible. Look at that.

I haven't seen any other lionesses.

So it means she's all alone,
at least as far as I can tell.

Lion prides vary in size,

but usually have up to a
dozen females.

A lone mother like this is highly
unusuaL

especially with two cubs that are
just six weeks old.

That's a really tough thing
for a lioness to be all alone

like that with two cubs.

Very difficult for her
moving forward.

Only about 50% of the cubs make it
when their mother's alone like this.

The waterhole could become
a very important focal point

for this lone mother, as it provides
a reliable and potentially

easy source of food and water.

It's been 14 days since the
waterhole was built.

The species list is now up to 70.

There are still new animals coming,

but you have to look harder
to find them.

I've spotted a direct physical
relationship between our HQ here

and the waterhole all the way
down there, 200 metres away,

and it's in the form of mud.

Look up here in the apex
of the tent.

This is the nest of a
parasitic wasp,

and it's made this little
muddy chamber.

This is it. She's come in.
Look at this.

Look at that! Now, what an insect.

Now, typically, they like to hunt
caterpillars.

She'll sting it and paralyse it -

critically, not kill it -

and entomb it in that mud nest
whilst it's still alive.

Then she'll lay an egg on it,
then she'll go and catch another.

And when the nest is filled,
she'll plug that little hole

and those eggs will hatch.

And they'll eat the non-essential
organs first, thus keeping

them alive - fresh meat, you see -

and then they'll pupate
and hatch out.

I've got to tell you, these are
insect super predators.

And the thing is, she's only able
to do this because of our waterhole,

because you can't make a nest
like that without water,

cos you need top-quality mud.

So we provided a resource
for elephants, buffalo,

all of those birds and also some
really smart insects as well.

The parasitic wasp takes
the species list to new highs.

We're currently at 71,
and the interesting thing is,

it's a wide variety of species.

You've got small birds,
all the way up to

the great African elephant and
they're all here sharing this water.

But already that's really
impressive,

and it will be really interesting
to see how that number shifts

as the seasons progress.

In just two weeks,
a fully-functioning ecosystem

has sprung up at our waterhole.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

From butterflies to buffalo

and lapwings to lions...

...we've seen a wild community
build from nothing.

ZEBRA SNORTS

But their lives
are going to get tougher.

In two months, this corner
of Tanzania enters

the hottest time of year.

We'll be back to follow our
waterhole animals for

two critical weeks when the heat
is at its peak.

Next time... Temperatures surpass
4O Celsius.

Tensions reach boiling point when
a new predator swarms the waterhole.

Hyenas take over and invade
our camp.

There's a trail of footprints right
down to the opening of my tent.

The species list expands with an
unexpected African giant.

To think that we could have made
a home for a hippo.

Now, come on, I'd put that on my CV!

And for one extraordinary elephant,

the waterhole becomes
a vital lifeline.

That's a severed trunk. It's amazing
that he's still surviving.