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00:02Earth's great rivers
00:09make extraordinary journeys
00:14carving through continents
00:18feeding and connecting life
00:22nurturing culture
00:30providing a place for adventure
00:38from the frozen wilderness of the Yukon
00:43to the tropical heat of the Zambezi
00:50and the magical hidden worlds of the Danube
01:00the great rivers are the lifeblood of planet Earth
01:23in the heart of Africa is a forest
01:29a sacred place
01:35the Lunda people call it Yambeshi
01:39the heart of everything
01:43here a clear spring bubbles to the surface
01:50the source of a great river
01:55one day hippos will wallow in its deep dark pools
02:02an elephant will wrestle with its treacherous currents
02:08it will carve its way through bedrock
02:14and its waters will fill great lakes
02:19and spread out to form the largest curtain of water
02:22on Earth
02:27for this trickle to become one of Africa's mightiest rivers
02:32it will need to overcome many obstacles
02:38on its epic journey
02:41to the Indian Ocean
02:45but everywhere it touches
02:47it will bring life
02:52this is the story
02:54of the Zambezi
02:57Africa's wildest river
03:09from its source in the northwest of Zambia
03:13the Zambezi travels over one and a half thousand miles
03:17through six countries
03:19on its course to the Indian Ocean
03:31like many great rivers
03:33its beginnings are humble
03:38and its destiny by no means certain
03:45flowing down out of the forests of its birth
03:48the Zambezi starts its great journey
03:56but just as its waters are getting going
03:59it runs into trouble
04:06Barotzeland
04:09an endless flat plain
04:11in the far west of Zambia
04:16so flat
04:18the Zambezi completely loses momentum
04:23and it's September
04:25the peak of the dry season
04:31its waters are evaporating under the heat of the African sun
04:43but it's just now
04:45that the Zambezi is vitally important
04:49especially for the people that live here
04:52like cattle farmer Makalo Makolo
04:57September is the hottest time in the air
05:01where everything is dried out
05:05I tell you we are suffering because we depend on water
05:10here in Barotzeland
05:11everything depends on water
05:16every day in the dry season
05:18every day in the dry season
05:19to keep his cows alive
05:21Makala Makolo must take them from the arid grasslands
05:25to the Zambezi's life-giving waters
05:31the Zambezi river
05:32it's like a father to me
05:36the father who feeds his children
05:40the parent of Barotzeland is Zambezi
05:46but as the heat intensifies
05:49the Zambezi's waters are receding
05:54leaving miles of dry, hot riverbed
06:01a challenging place
06:03whatever your walk of life
06:27but there are advantages to the dry season
06:49for school boys and cattle farmers alike
06:52life goes on through the dry season
06:58as it does for the wildlife here
07:06these vast plains are home to some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife
07:11anywhere in Africa
07:16and this is their toughest time
07:26but the heat can only build for so long
07:32it's now October
07:33and a change is coming to Barotzeland
07:43over 30,000 wildebeest are on the move
07:50they are heading for their carving grounds
07:52in the south of the plains in anticipation of the rains
08:00a sign that six months of drought is coming to an end
08:12when the rains are coming
08:13everything is changing
08:16in October every year
08:18tropical rains push down from the equator
08:21and spill over into Barotzeland
08:33this is what all the inhabitants have been waiting for
08:38this is what all the inhabitants have been waiting for
09:10I don't know how even I express it
09:12because everything there
09:14because everything there even the nature of the land is changing
09:20the rains are completely transformative
09:27a greening of the land over 7,000 square miles
09:31that can even be seen from space
09:38my god why can't this period be like that always
09:43as the grasslands are revitalized
09:46they become a globally important wetland
09:51supporting 350 species of birds
09:58and finally the wildebeest arrive at their carving grounds
10:07over just a couple of weeks
10:09all the herds cows are born to coincide with this time of plenty
10:29but the rains are having an even more dramatic effect
10:35on the Zambezi
10:41it starts to flood
11:03the people of Barotzeland have always lived in tune
11:07with the annual flooding of the Zambezi
11:17larger villages are built on high ground
11:19so they stay dry during the flood
11:27but many smaller buildings are designed to be submerged for a while
11:34abandoned for four or five months until the waters subside
11:43the rising waters bring new challenges
11:47the rising waters bring new challenges
12:18most children have to stop going to school in the wet season
12:24but this school has been built with flooding in mind
12:32set on a mound of high ground
12:34set on a mound of high ground
12:35it even has dogs for the pupils to tie up to
12:40so long as they can brave the school run
12:42so long as they can brave the school run
12:43Gift and his classmates can keep learning
12:46while the waters keep rising
12:56cattle farmers don't have the option of staying in the floodplains
13:03they now take to canoes to swim their cattle to higher ground
13:13but beneath the waters
13:15the land is being fertilized by the Zambezi's silt
13:21so when the cattle return
13:22they will have some of the most nutritious grass around
13:31the floods are not only good for the inhabitants of Borotziland
13:37the waters of the entire floodplain
13:40are now gathering into one rejuvenated flow
13:49the Zambezi is on the move again
14:01heading out of Borotziland
14:02the Zambezi now turns east
14:05where for the next 300 miles
14:08it will form the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe
14:17boosted by the water from upstream
14:20the Zambezi grows
14:26and as it grows
14:28it brings more opportunity
14:31for life
14:38the Zambezi is starting to look like a great African river
14:46as it flows over a series of steps in the bedrock
14:51it starts to gather pace
14:59and in the distance
15:01a cloud of mist is rising
15:07a hint of what is to come
15:14right at the point where the Zambezi reaches its maximum power
15:23the entire river flows over a cliff
15:27the entire river flows over a cliff
15:34over a mile wide
15:38falling for over a hundred meters
15:44five hundred million liters of water per minute
15:52so much water
15:53it creates a plume of spray
15:56that rises five hundred meters into the sky
16:02giving it the name of Musi Otonia
16:05giving it the name of Musi Otonia
16:06the smoke that thunders
16:16this is Victoria Falls
16:18falls
16:21the largest curtain of water
16:25on earth
16:35you would think it's a place to stay well clear of
16:40but there is temptation here
16:47a group of male elephants
16:49have come down to the edge of the river
16:54at this time of year
16:55the islands right above the falls
16:58are lush with tasty vegetation
17:01an elephant's paradise
17:06but to reach them
17:08is dangerous
17:11the Zambezi in full flood
17:14is a formidable force
17:18this is not the place to get swept away by the current
17:26but the lure of the islands
17:28is strong
17:31these males are prepared to take the risk
17:42the further they go
17:44the stronger the current gets
17:49and now
17:50it's getting deeper
17:59they are forced to swim
18:06immediately
18:07the current starts to drag them downstream
18:16they need to reach an island
18:18or they could get swept over the falls
18:36one by one
18:37they find their footing
18:47but for smaller elephants
18:49the danger
18:50is greater
19:28at last
19:30they are all safely across
19:35and right away
19:36they start feasting on their prize
19:40of rich vegetation
19:44but elephants can eat 300 kilos of food in a day
19:52so they'll soon get through all the tastiest pickings here
19:57and will have to take their chances
19:59with the Zambezi all over again
20:09Victoria Falls
20:11Victoria Falls
20:11marks the next great transformation for the Zambezi
20:16as the entire river
20:18is swallowed up
20:19by a great chasm in the earth
20:22in the earth
20:22in the earth
20:23in the earth
20:29trapped in a channel
20:31just 25 meters wide
20:33the Zambezi now carves down
20:36through the rocky heart
20:38of Africa
20:42forming sheer walls
20:44over 140 meters high
20:50this is the Batoka Gorge
20:54and it's here that the Zambezi conjures up another phenomenon
21:02less well known than Victoria Falls
21:05but just as unique
21:11the Zambezi wave
21:16surf perfection
21:18for those brave enough
21:19to try it
21:29it's crazy that you can bring something like surfing here
21:33Mikey February is a professional surfer
21:39he's here 600 miles from the nearest ocean
21:42to surf the Zambezi wave
21:49it's once in a lifetime
21:50and only a few people have actually done it
21:52and I think that's you know
21:54one of the most special parts of actually coming here
22:01my key has come to the Zambezi
22:03at a key point in the year
22:08as the dry season returns
22:11over a period of three or four months
22:13the river changes again
22:23Victoria Falls starts to switch off
22:33every year
22:35every year
22:35the Zambezi goes through these dramatic cycles
22:40with 50 times less water flowing over the falls
22:44when it's dry
22:49but it's as the water levels in the gorge start dropping
22:53everything
22:54that conditions become just right
22:56for surfing
22:59when the water gets low enough
23:01it starts to interact with the rocky shelf on the riverbed
23:06and forms the Zambezi wave
23:11a wave that stays in exactly the same place
23:15and breaks continuously
23:19but only lasts for 10 days
23:28even for a pro like Mikey
23:30the Zambezi wave is not to be taken lightly
23:36you have rocks
23:37you have you know
23:38hectic rapids
23:39and the water is moving in such a different way
23:41through the ocean
23:44the fear factor is quite high
24:05because the wave is formed by a slab of rock just beneath the surface
24:10surfing it is dangerous
24:15and then
24:16and then
24:17there are the rapids
24:28Mikey needs to get out of the white water as fast as he can
24:31before he gets swept downstream
24:37he paddles for the pickup point on the riverbank
24:41but the current is too strong
24:46this is where his experience in the water comes in
24:50he keeps calm
24:54and the safety kayaker is immediately on hand
24:57to help guide him out of trouble
25:11Mikey is keen to try again
25:18the Zambezi wave is pretty much like catching an ocean wave but in reverse
25:23because the ocean is pushing you forward
25:25and the river is obviously going the opposite way
25:28it's just a completely different experience
25:34once you get it the first time
25:36then you actually
25:37you kind of get a gauge of what you should be doing
25:41and you kind of know exactly what to expect when you fall
25:52I do get scared surfing this wave
25:55it's like a balance of like surfing, survival mode, surfing, survival mode kind of thing
26:06I think the more time you spend in the river and on the wave you learn new things about it
26:14the way it moves and noticing its you know little subtleties
26:19it's also so beautiful you know obviously you get to surf this wave but you also get to appreciate the
26:25Zambezi and everything that it has to offer
26:56from the gorge
26:57from the gorge
26:57from the gorge
26:57the gorge
26:58the Mozambique
26:58the Zambezi journey is on
27:02winding it's way through the fractured land along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe
27:12But it's about to shapeshift once more, this time at the hands of an entirely different
27:20force, Kariba Dam.
27:33Built in the 1950s, it completely blocks the Zambezi and forces it to flow through its turbines
27:41to make electricity.
27:45It took just five years for the river, held back behind the dam, to rise a hundred meters,
27:55swelling up to form the vast Lake Kariba, 25 miles wide, 140 miles long, 44 cubic miles
28:08of water.
28:11So much water that it caused over 20 large earthquakes as it settled down on the land beneath.
28:20By volume, Lake Kariba is the largest man-made lake on the planet.
28:34But it has also become a haven for wildlife.
28:42Along the lake's shoreline, rich grasslands have grown up.
28:52And in the forests of drowned trees formed by the rising waters is a unique habitat, perfect
29:01for the Zambezi's most iconic bird, the African fish eagle.
29:17There are around 500 breeding pairs here.
29:23Each pair mates for life.
29:29The contorted shapes of the trees providing a platform for their nests, protected by the
29:37crocodile-infested waters below.
29:42The trees also provide the perfect vantage point to survey the lake for prey.
29:54On two-meter wings, they hunt for fish in the shallows.
30:11This place is so good for fish eagles, it has become their stronghold, their haunting call,
30:21the sound of Lake Kariba.
30:30The Zambezi is now at the halfway point on its journey to the Indian Ocean.
30:39As its waters break free of the Great Dam, the river flows on.
30:48And now it enters a lost world, spreading out into a valley 50 miles wide, nurturing a vast wilderness,
31:05some of the richest wildlife habitat in Africa.
31:19It has also become world famous as one of the places to come and watch wildlife.
31:29This part of the Zambezi and its tributaries is dotted with safari lodges.
31:37Places where people come to meet the Zambezi's iconic animals.
31:45But who's watching who?
31:51This safari lodge has operated for many years, and the wild animals are now used to people.
32:00And there's one main attraction just beyond the lobby.
32:07A wild mango tree.
32:13Its fruit is ripe for just a short time right at the end of the dry season.
32:21A mouthwatering treat when food is scarce.
32:28But it's not just baboons that have a thing for mangoes.
32:34There are larger guests about to check into this lodge.
32:59Elephants have been coming to this mango tree from the river nearby for generations.
33:06Following ancient pathways that existed long before the lodge was built.
33:14One family in particular has learned that the lodge and its inhabitants poses no threat.
33:25Why go around?
33:29When you can walk right through reception.
33:40These are completely wild elephants.
33:44But over the years, they have developed an understanding with the staff here.
33:48A trust passed down through elephant generations.
33:54We've definitely developed that relationship.
33:57And we've seen youngsters grow into almost adults now over the years.
34:03So it's a beautiful relationship we have.
34:07This young bull probably first followed its mother through here as a calf.
34:14Now he is so relaxed, he even takes time to browse the gift shop.
34:23And check in at reception.
34:31But soon, the lure of the mangoes is too great.
34:39Trees like this are vital for the wildlife here.
34:46Their roots draw water from deep underground so they can fruit even in the dry season.
34:55An important source of energy and vitamin C.
35:02And while the elephants are feasting, the guests get a wild encounter of a lifetime.
35:16When the elephants have had enough, they quietly leave.
35:25The same way they came in.
35:30Straight through reception.
35:45Elephants are big eaters.
35:50But they also drink over 200 litres of water a day.
35:57And for that, like all animals here, they rely on the river.
36:08But the Zambezi is not only a place to get a drink.
36:15For carmine bee eaters, the banks of the river provide the perfect place to make a home.
36:23Their colonies can contain up to a thousand nests.
36:31Each one dug into the sandy cliff face, over a metre deep, where their eggs are protected from predators.
36:43But outside the nest, the adults are vulnerable.
36:58African fish eagles don't only live on Lake Kariba.
37:03They can be found all along the Zambezi.
37:09The skills that make them so good at catching fish work just as well for birds.
37:15That's what we see.
37:44The笑
37:52Hippos spend the hot days wallowing in the Zambezi's cool waters.
38:00Schools of females live together in a territory ruled by a single male.
38:06And for the most part, they are peaceful creatures.
38:11Until the male's authority is challenged by a rival.
38:25Then hippos turn violent.
39:06In the safety of the river, hippos also save the land.
39:09are all powerful it's as the sun goes down that they start to lose their bravado
39:27hippos eat grass about 40 kilos every night
39:36they can't get that by staying in the river
39:42they may be huge over two tons but out of water they become cautious
39:53so what are they nervous about
40:01as the night progresses
40:05they travel further into the shadows
40:12up to five miles a night
40:16not making a sound
40:26soon the hippos are peacefully grazing in moonlit meadows
40:36but they are being watched
40:42lions
40:55a pride of lions patrol this stretch of the zambezi
41:06they know that animals are moving to and from the river
41:11and the dark is their friend
41:19but would they be bold enough to bother a two-ton hippo
41:29it's when the hippos start heading back to the zambezi
41:33that they are most vulnerable
41:38lions have formidable eyesight
41:42as the night gets darker they gain the advantage
41:48now anything is fair game
42:01a female lion tries for an impala
42:08alarmed by the chaos hippos scramble for the
42:11safety of the safety of the river
42:15but a young hippo is on its own
42:20that doesn't go unnoticed
42:27a male lion is onto it
42:41just in time
42:45the hippo makes good its escape
42:50safe once more
42:52in the waters
42:53of the zambezi
43:02as the zambezi journeys on
43:06it performs a last great feat of transformation
43:13flowing down onto the coastal plains of mozambique
43:19it spreads out into countless sinuous branches
43:26forming a great triangle that reaches all the way
43:30to the indian ocean
43:34the zambezi delta
43:43but this last chapter of the zambezi's journey
43:46is haunted by the past
43:50from 1977 to 1992
43:53this place was ravaged by civil war
43:59the human cost was immeasurable
44:04and it had a devastating effect on wildlife
44:11during that war
44:13during that war
44:14wildlife was killed for the mead but also
44:16were killed for the ivory for example elephants
44:20everything just declined drastically
44:26dominique gonsalves is a mozambican conservationist
44:30who's passionate who's passionate about forging a brighter future for the wildlife here
44:37she is part of a team
44:40tasked to go into the heart of the zambezi delta
44:43to find out what has happened to the wildlife
44:46since the devastation of the war
44:56dominique is an elephant specialist
45:01her plan is to put satellite collars on key elephants to understand their movements
45:07a first step in protecting all the wildlife of the delta
45:14if you protect the area that an elephant uses you're also protecting a huge area that many many other species
45:22are using
45:24but first she has to find them
45:31the zambezi delta is vast
45:35over four and a half thousand square miles
45:43once the delta was world famous for its extraordinary wealth of wildlife
45:52great herds of elephant and the largest numbers of buffalo in africa
46:01since the civil war few studies have been conducted here
46:05so little is known about what is left
46:10but after just half an hour's flying there's an encouraging sign
46:16elephants
46:18you really have to assess which individual we can work with
46:23so you have to think about the age
46:25and if it's a female is she very very pregnant or not if she has a young calf or not
46:31so you don't want to put the next stress on her
46:38the dart contains a fast acting sedative
46:43and by the time the helicopter has landed the elephant is already asleep
46:51a quick check on its breathing and they get to work
46:57they must work fast
46:59though the elephant is sleeping peacefully the quicker they are the quicker it can return to the herd
47:08while the vet is fitting the collar
47:11dominate gathers as much information as she can
47:15this is a rare opportunity to study these delta elephants
47:21blood samples
47:25foot size
47:27and getting a record of what it's been eating is a crucial but less glamorous part of the job
47:38all completed in just 15 minutes
47:50a final shot reverses the effects of the sedative
47:56they now have just a couple of minutes to get airborne
48:13to encounter elephants so early in the trip is a hopeful sign that good numbers are surviving in the delta
48:23in the next few days
48:25dominique successfully collars six elephants from different herds
48:30and straight away the collars start to deliver results
48:36she can see exactly where each elephant and their herd travels
48:41what space they need for socializing
48:44feeding and avoiding people
48:49traveling the delta with their satellite collars
48:53dominique's elephants are providing crucial hard data
48:58and are starting to map out the space that she hopes will one day protect all the wildlife of the
49:05delta
49:12even in such a brief visit
49:14visit there are tantalizing glimpses of the life the delta could hold
49:21a great herd
49:24many hundreds of buffalo
49:26an echo of the legendary herds that once roamed here
49:33and a vision of what this place could be
49:39here where the zambezi river finally comes to the end of its journey
49:52the zambezi river is extremely important
49:58not only in terms of biodiversity and nature but give us culture give us you know livelihoods give us
50:07many things
50:12perhaps without it wouldn't be the same
50:19i think that's the thing that made us all so proud to have the zambezi
50:24one of the greatest biggest rivers in africa to just finish here next home
50:36from a trickle of water in a far corner of zambia
50:42this great river has overcome many obstacles
50:46on its one and a half thousand mile journey
50:52the heat of the african sun
50:57the rugged geology at the heart of the continent
51:03the demands of a modern world
51:07but wherever it flows it brings life and opportunity
51:15no more so than here at the end of its journey
51:21as the waters of the zambezi are finally carried away by the indian ocean
51:43one of the biggest challenges for the earth's great rivers team
51:47was to film professional surfer mikey february riding the zambezi wave
51:56timing was key this unique wave only appears for a few days each year
52:04when water levels rise and fall with the rains
52:10it's also incredibly remote and dangerous to reach
52:14down steep jacket cliffs and through some of the most ferocious rapids on the planet
52:24it's been quite the logistic uh nightmare maybe to to organize we've had to postpone the shoot
52:31and a few times just because the river water levels are dropping but they're not dropping
52:35quickly enough and there's such a small window to sort of aim for for a wave that's surfable for mikey
52:43but the team decide tomorrow is their best bet to head off in search of the wave
52:51and to get everyone there safely are the zambezi's most experienced river guides
52:56this one as well
52:59we've got four cameras two drones all the batteries accessories all the cards
53:07there's a lot of expensive kit that could end up at the bottom of the zambezi
53:17it's an early start and the team head to the edge of the gorge
53:26we're gonna go down to the gorge now please don't fall don't slip we're going to some ladders
53:31lead river guide sean briefs the team on the treacherous 100 meter descent ahead
53:37it's an almost vertical drop down sheer rock and along rickety wooden ladders
53:44all good in the hood yeah has anyone fallen all the time all the time
53:50it begins
53:54louis is the first to follow the guides down
54:02so far so good
54:09actually terrifying
54:19the last thing the crew needs now is a twisted ankle or worse
54:28okay
54:31i'm okay
54:36the team make it down to the zambezi
54:41i've actually never been more happy to get into a raft
54:44but the journey to find the wave has only just begun
54:54precious cargo loaded
54:57lock and roll
55:01one two three up
55:05at first all seems calm
55:08but turbulent water lies just around the corner
55:11and the river starts to come alive
55:21the mighty zambezi throws everything it can at them
55:32suddenly the raft hits a violent swell and sends camera operator kevin hurtling into the rapids
55:47he must get out quickly before the river throws him into the rocks
55:51or drags him under
56:08but he's in safe hands thanks to the quick reactions of the guide kevin's pulled back on board
56:23and the team finally make it to the zambezi wave
56:32months of meticulous planning went into arriving at just the right moment
56:39but now it's all up to mikey
56:45it's so so scary and it's so you know sort of dangerous
56:51when you see a photo of the river when it's super low you can actually see the rock that it
56:56actually breaks off of and it kind of plays on your mind
57:01you know you obviously have to wear a helmet and then you also have to wear a life jacket
57:06in the ocean you're just wearing a wetsuit or board shorts or something
57:09you definitely feel out of your comfort zone
57:13but that's not mikey's only concern
57:18crocodiles what's the situation so i mean they're definitely here and we can't discount them
57:22the danger zone is actually just this pool they don't like the fast moving water
57:26so i think once you get into the rapids you're 100 it's really just this area but i mean we've
57:31all been watching we've been looking we've spoken to the fishermen and they haven't seen
57:35crocs here for ages so i think we're good
57:43so
58:03To get here at just the right time, Mikey and the team have descended cliffs and navigated
58:10whitewater rapids, but in return they experienced an entirely new side of one of Earth's great rivers.
58:20Everyone's got a different relationship with this river and surfing that wave is mine.
58:52We'll see you next time.