Climate changes and population growth
are threatening the natural equilibrium of our planet.
Nowhere is the challenge greater than in Africa
where the population is projected to grow
from one to two billion within a few decades.
More land is needed each year
to provide for this rapid growth
and vast areas of African wilderness
are vanishing at an alarming pace.
In years to come,
what remains of the untouched wilderness on this vast continent
could shrink to a few pockets of fenced in game reserves
that will be little more than large outdoor zoos.
Before it is too late,
we want you, to join us
on a safari adventure across the continent
to survey what remains of the real African wilderness.
Look who's join us.
Welcome, it's good to have you on board,
I am Mara Douglas-Hamilton...
and I am Kevin Richardson.
Welcome to Namibia.
We're going to take you on an incredible journey
across Africa all the way to Kilimanjaro.
And remember there is just one rule,
please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times...
Oh yeah, remember to have some fun.
Let's.
I am really excited to share this incredible experience with Mara.
Born in a family of prominent conservationists in Kenya,
she was raised among wild elephants.
Inspired by her close connection to nature,
she has explored the remotest corners of the continent
and is active in the fight to protect African elephants.
As a child born in the suburbs of Johannesburg,
Kevin who always had a keen interest in animals
was not pre-destined to become
a world renowned wildlife expert.
But at the age of 23, a chance encounter
with the owner of a Lion Park in South Africa
ignited his passion for big cats.
With a lot of hard work and an amazing gift,
he managed to be accepted by a large pride of lion
as one of their own.
To achieve this amazing feat,
Kevin broke safety rules in the book.
Joining us on the expedition
are location manager, Marc Baar,
field engineer, Hal Bowker
and balloonist, Dany Cleyet Marrel.
Dany has customized a balloon, called the Cinebulle,
especially for this adventure.
Instead of a heavy basket,
the passenger sits on a lightweight aluminum bench,
increasing the balloon's flying range dramatically.
The propeller at the back gives us the ability to steer
instead of merely drifting along with the wind current.
As we take off on our maiden flight,
it is reassuring to know that
Dany is one of the world's leading ballooning expert.
He has lead countless...
scientific hot air balloon expeditions on all continents
and is the inventor of a wide range of flying devices
used in the famous canopy raft missions.
We will count on Dany
to get access to some remote parts of the African Wilderness.
The only draw back of the Cinebulle
is that it can only take one passenger.
So Kevin and I will have to take turns,
but today the pleasure is all mine.
My hair got all messed up!
A short distance from the dunes,
we drive east through some of the oldest canyons on earth,
the gateway to one of last safe havens for the elusive black rhino.
Numbering in the hundreds of thousands a century ago,
illegal poaching caused their population
to dwindle to less than 2500.
Thanks to aggressive protection programs in countries like Namibia,
the species recovered somewhat over the last decade to over 5000.
But poaching is on the rise again.
Around 120 black rhinos were killed last year alone.
Thought to have healing powers,
rhino horn is in fact mere keratin,
the same substance as our fingernail.
This protein has zero medicinal value,
yet it is pushing a magnificent species to the brink of extinction.
A number of private game reserves in Africa
have been restocked with rhinos.
But to see them in the wild would be a real treat.
Extremely skittish and fearful of poachers,
black rhinos spend most of their time hidden in thick bush.
There is no guarantee we will meet this pre-historic animal.
I think just up ahead here is where the road forks.
- Yeah, looks like it. - Did you see the Jackal!
- No. - Over there!
I think this is where we turn. Right about here.
Yeah. The river is on the right,
we head to the higher plateau on the left.
Hi, hi, Captain!
I'm glad you know who is in charge here...
Oh, give me a break, Mara!
In order to fight the renewed poaching activity,
Namibia has made vast areas of rhino habitat
inaccessible to the public.
On the express condition
that we do not reveal our actual location,
we've received special permission
to penetrate deep into a rhino sanctuary
accompanied by heavily armed anti-poaching rangers.
Over there in the hills.
- Is that where the hide is? - Yes.
OK. Bye guys. Good luck.
OK, thanks and you too, cheers.
As Mara goes to her hide with Bazil,
I am taken to an even more secret place,
a water hole next to a very remote research station.
A nearby radio tower used by the scientists
could be spotted on Google Earth
enabling poachers to find the location,
so we have been asked not to show any pictures of the surrounding area.
So Bazil, how many Rhinos are we going to see?
20, maybe more.
I wish.
I can't believe it,
we've been here less than an hour
and already our first sighting.
That's Eliza,
she has the longest horn on record of any white rhino in Africa.
You know her by name?
Yes, we see her quite often,
she's been around this area for years.
So we gave her a name.
This is such a great place to view rhinos.
Unlike white rhinos,
black rhinos are reclusive solitary animals,
seldom seen during the day.
But they do need to drink daily,
so they usually head for the waterholes after sunset.
Using infra red lights and special viewing equipment,
I hope to catch a glimpse of the elusive mammals.
Let's see if Kevin or I will have better luck...
See, a jackal!
He seems really nervous.
He must have heard something.
Hey, look at that, a leopard.
That's very unusual,
we seldom see them around here.
Did you hear that?
I think there are some rhinos approaching.
A jackal, a leopard, a white rhino,
all in a few minutes.
There are more coming.
This place is amazing, it's incredible.
I wonder how Mara is doing?
Still nothing.
I know, but sitting and waiting for rhinos is a patience game.
Look to the left Kevin, two more Rhinos.
What a night...
You are really lucky,
look at their mouths.
These are black rhinos.
These majestic animal.
I can't believe poachers would shoot them just for their horns...
But not if we shoot them first!
That's one way to look at it.
They are very skittish, look at their ears.
They know we are here, that's for sure.
Mara to the right...
Oh look, how wonderful.
A mother and her calf.
We must be very quiet.
See how nervous they are.
Oh no, they are leaving already.
What was that?
Something flashing over there.
It's an infra red camera trap.
That's how the researchers keep track of the animals around here.
Oh look here is another male who's approaching.
This is very unique to see so many rhinos in one place.
You are very fortunate,
sometimes we don't see any for a week or more.
Oh shoot...
I hit my lamp against the tablet.
It is sad to see how such fearless animal
have become so nervous because of poaching.
Leaving the Canyon region,
we head west to the Waterberg plateau,
the home of the Cheetah Conservation research center
and one of the largest protected habitats
for the fastest predator on earth.
Like black rhinos,
Cheetahs are on the verge of extinction.
About half of the 6000 remaining specimens
are found in Namibia.
This predator has a large hunting range
often spanning over 150 km.
The abundant wildlife and low population density
make Namibia an ideal sanctuary
for this majestic cat.
Contrary to lion and leopard
who from time to time may be a threat to humans,
cheetah represent no danger to people,
but they do kill domestic animals
and are considered vermin by the local farmers.
In Southern Africa,
photo safaris often take place
in fenced-in games reserves
that have been re-stocked with wild animals.
It is not unusual to see the big five in a single day.
But it can take a lot of driving and patience
to find what you are looking for in the real African wilderness.
And this is certainly true for cheetah.
The plains at the foot of the Waterberg plateau,
teaming with antelope
are the ideal hunting ground for cheetah.
But the tall grass makes it difficult for us to spot them.
So we ask Dany
to do a quick survey of the area from the air before sunset.
It is Kevin's turn to fly.
Mara, Mara do you copy!
- Loud and clear! - Okay.
Soon after take off,
the wind comes up unexpectedly,
pushing the balloon towards the acacia forest bordering the plains.
A landing in the thorny trees would spell disaster
and shred the balloon to pieces.
We have to brace for a rough landing.
Hey Kevin, what's happening!
Are you landing?
We've got a little bit of a situation.
Wind Shift,
we are being push towards the acacia trees.
We're gonna go down...
It's an emergency.
We're going too fast!
It's going to be rough.
Kevin, you're not hurt?
No, I'm OK. I am fine!
Thanks, I am fine.
What a wind shift, I didn't see it coming...
Yes.
The next morning,
with the help of the Cheetah Conservation Fund researchers
who monitor cheetah activity with infra red camera traps,
we head for an area where several predators
have been spotted earlier in the day.
This is a really exciting opportunity for me.
I have done a lot of work with lions and hyenas,
but I never had a chance
to observe cheetahs at such close range in the wild before.
This could be the day.
Look over there... a cheetah.
What is he chasing?
Well, I don't see anything.
Still running.
Maybe he is chasing us.
Yeah, could be.
I am just going to give him some space...
He seems a bit aground.
I'll give him a bit of a wide berth.
That must be the tree.
Yeah, I am just gonna get in a bit closer.
Look at that, our timing is perfect.
It is the first time in my life I've seen a cheetah in a tree.
Yeah, it's unusual.
Look, cubs in the grass.
I didn't even see them there.
I was too busy looking up.
Contrary to leopards who spend most of their days in trees,
cheetah only use them briefly as vantage point
to scan the plains for potential prey.
The oryx she spotted
are certainly too big for a lone cheetah
but a coalition of two or three of them
could probably take such a big antelope down.
Most predators do quite well in national parks
and private game reserves,
as there are plenty of prey for them to hunt.
But Cheetahs have a much tougher time
competing with the bigger cats
like lion or leopard.
The fences around the parks
reduce their hunting range drastically
and they often become prey themselves.
To survive
they need vast protected areas like this one.
The sighting left us speechless.
In just a few days, we've had multiple encounters with
two of the most endangered animals on the continent.
What an auspicious start to our journey across Africa.
But the day wasn't over yet.
As we are driving away,
I catch a glimpse of a wonderful sight in my rear view mirror.
Considering the loss of habitat
due to population explosion in Africa
and the hunting by local farmers,
man is unquestionably the cheetah's biggest threat.
But ironically, without man's intervention
the species won't make it on its own.
The most graceful cat on our planet
is literally racing for its survival.
Leaving Namibia
for the Okavango Delta in Botswana,
we cross the northern part of the Kalahari desert,
the home of some the biggest and most powerful lions in Africa.
As we are looking for a campsite along the northern border of the reserve,
we come across a coalition of three big male lions.
A worrisome sight so close to local villages.
Lions normally do not hunt on farmland,
but the loss of their habitat
force them occasionally to raid villages for domestic animals.
This resulting conflict is the main cause
for the rapid decline of the number of lions in the wild.
Having lost about 80% of their habitat,
it is estimated that fewer than 25000 lions still roam free.
Look, the three lions we saw yesterday evening.
Can you see what they killed?
No, I'm not sure...
it's definitely not a cow.
It looks like a buffalo,
but there's none around here.
Oh no, I can't believe it...
It's a horse.
If the villagers find out about it,
these lions are definitely history.
Yeah still eating.
One on the carcass, and then there is another in the back.
They've eaten quite a lot,
you can smell it from here.
Yeah, but the good thing is
they're not gonna leave their kill until it's all gone.
I mean this leaves us a day or two
to observe them at close range.
They seemed pretty relaxed,
but they are really exposed out here.
We could be angry villagers.
Yeah, but I think they know we're OK.
I mean we followed them around for awhile yesterday afternoon,
and then into the whole of last night.
Where is the third lion?
I think he probably went for a drink.
You know that's all they do really,
eat, drink and then rest.
Now what are these fellows up to?
It's a bit weird,
I mean they should not be marking their territory.
You see the second lion.
That may keep other lions away.
But it's people they have to watch out for.
That's for sure,
but it's amazing how comfortable they are with us.
We've only been with them in a few hours.
They must have heard something,
they are on full alert!
No... False alarm.
This is what lions really like to do.
Snooze lazily in the shade of a bush.
Yeah but when you look at them,
you think they are completely oblivious to their surroundings,
but they're actually not.
Looks like they're heading back to the carcass.
Known as the river that never finds the sea,
the Okavango spills billions of liters of water daily
in the Kalahari desert,
creating one of the most pristine...
untouched wildlife refuges in the world.
Most of the delta is totally inaccessible by car,
so the best way to appreciate this piece of Eden
is from the air.
The trick for Dany will be to find a place to land,
but we'll worry about that later.
The biggest threat to the Okavango
does not come from the encroachment of the local population,
but rather from Botswana's neighbors to the north:
Namibia and Angola
where the river has its source.
The population of Angola has doubled since 1990.
The pressure to extract water for agriculture irrigation
and to build hydro-electrical dams
might just prove impossible to withstand in years to come.
Such human interference with the seasonal cycles of the delta
would have catastrophic consequences for this unique ecosystem.
The Okavango is the largest inland delta on earth,
but it is very shallow in most parts.
A significant change in the natural water flow
would set in motion a domino effect
that would be hard to stop.
Large parts of the delta would dry up
and most of the wildlife would vanish.
The upper part of the delta known as the panhandle
is a shallow valley.
15 km wide, it is flooded with one to ten meters of water
depending on the time of the year.
The entire valley is covered with a thick layer of papyrus
floating on top of the waterbed.
In the deepest part of the valley where the current is the strongest,
the water flow opens up wide channels
that meander downstream like giant snakes.
Further south,
the delta fans out like a hand spreading its fingers.
Small islands pop up everywhere,
offering a sanctuary to a great variety of big game animals.
On our way to recover the balloon on a remote island
with the help of the local crew,
we have two very close encounters with elephants.
Elephants in the delta are a sight to behold.
If you happen to cross their path,
a face-to-face encounter always leaves a big impression.
Although the Chobe river
is less than 300 km from the Okavango,
there are no roads crossing the delta,
so we have to drive around the Southern part of the flood plains.
It will take us two days to get there.
In the 1960's, the government of Botswana
embarked on an ambitious project
to protect the country's wilderness.
Ironically, the program has been so successful
that the authorities now have to
cope with increasing elephant numbers.
Their population has increased from 40,000 in the 1980s
to 130,000 today.
The large herds that concentrate along the river
have destroyed most of the trees in the area
and human-elephant conflict is on the rise.
There is no easy solution to this problem.
The Botswana government is against culling
and translocating mass numbers of elephants
to other parts of Africa where their numbers are dwindling.
It is expensive and impractical.
If nature is left to take its course, a severe drought
could wipe out thousands of elephants with starvation.
But the future of the elephant is in the balance.
With heavy poaching for ivory
in the rest of Africa,
I believe it is only a matter of time before this population too is affected.
It's getting late,
we should look for a place to camp.
Not too close to the water though,
there are huge crocodiles in the Chobe.
Let's check out the sunset first.
Yeah, look at that.
A picture perfect scene,
with elephants in the foreground.
Stunning man, stunning.
The next day, we drive along the bank of the Chobe,
hoping to observe large herds of elephants.
I have been around wild elephants since I was a child,
but this is my first visit to Chobe.
It is not unusual here to see scores of elephant families
numbering in the hundreds gather along the river.
These impalas are unusually relaxed.
Yeah, in most places they just bolt off in front of an approaching vehicle.
It is a bit early in the day for the elephants to come to the river,
but there is always something to see along the Chobe.
Over there, hippos...
What are they doing out of the water at this time of the day?
- Oh Kevin, look what's coming. - What?
In the distance... fantastic!
Beautiful, what a scene!
What a sighting.
The two largest African mammals
are rarely seen together.
Hippos mostly venture out of the water at night.
During the day, they chill out in the river
and are seldom seen on the bank.
Elephants on the other hand, mostly head to the river in the afternoon
to escape the heat of the day.
This is such a fun scene.
In a few minutes we witness
the entire ritual of the elephants' daily trip to the river,
drinking, mud splashing, dusting
and socializing!
It's back to the water for that battle scarred old male.
It looks like the beach is getting too crowded for him.
A one-month-old baby in the hole.
I am wondering if he is going to make it out on his own.
Later in the day,
we got exactly what we were looking for.
A close encounter with a large herd of elephants...
very exciting
and at the same time, quite intimidating.
That mother with her calf is not too sure about us.
Yeah, I don't think she is happy with us blocking her path.
I think she's OK.
She really does not look aggressive.
We should stay absolutely quiet
and I think she'll move.
The next morning,
we hooked up with Ishmail, a local guide
who took us on game viewing expedition on the river,
a great opportunity to observe
the wildlife from a unique vantage point.
It's amazing how calm they are.
They let us come very close.
Yeah, maybe a bit too close...
That female is not happy.
She's giving us a warning sign.
Ishmail, I think we should get out of here.
In the wild, there is always a thin line
between an exciting game viewing experience
and a dangerous encounter.
Ishmail knows that better than anyone
as he paddles slowly to a safe distance.
Minutes later,
we become privy to another exciting scene
as the herd decided to swim across the river
to feed on a patch of tall grass in the middle of the Chobe.
A few kilometers downstream the Chobe river
merges with the mighty Zambezi
and lead us to one of the seven wonders of nature,
Victoria Falls
on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
David Livingston was the first European explorer
to lay his eyes on them in 1855.
Located right in the middle of Southern Africa,
the falls mark the halfway point of our journey.
Climate changes and human intervention
is of great concern for this world heritage site.
Right now, in the middle of the dry season
the water flow over the falls
is about 70% lower than during the wet season.
It will drop ever further in the weeks ahead.
If some of the irrigation scheme on the drawing board
were to materialize,
the falls could be totally dry part of the year.
Once a year when the water flow is just right
and the full moon is shining
the falls deliver an enchanted and magical display of a rare phenomenon,
the moonlight rainbows.
After a night of magic,
I embark with Dany on the most
daring balloon flight of the journey
in the deep canyon over the Zambezi rapids.
At the end of this smooth early morning flight,
we have to find a suitable place
to land on the Zambian side of the river
as we have no authorization to fly to Zimbabwe.
Oh shoot, the wind turbulence
pushes us down into a thorn bush.
There is no way to deflate the balloon without damaging it.
Dany has to take off again
and find another place to land.
If two-seat design makes the balloon more maneuverable
and gives it a greater flying range,
it also makes the landing much more challenging.
But for me it is all part of the adventure.
I actually enjoy the unpredictability of these rough landings...
as long as no one gets hurt.
- We gonna land there? - Yeah.
There is a lot of untouched wilderness in Zambia
worth exploring.
But the short-rain season
has come early in the East African plains
and we are anxious to head to the Serengeti
for a chance to see the herds of the great migration.
The journey is going to take about a week.
First, we will drive along the Zambesi
all the way to Lake Kariba,
before cutting across the Northern part of Zambia
to the border.
It is not the shortest way,
but it is so spectacular.
It's definitely worth the detour.
As we drive along the river,
I spot lions tracks on the dirt road.
With a little luck we'll catch up with them.
It would be great to see them swim across the river.
There is no better expert than Kevin
to handle this kind of situation.
Back in South Africa,
after months of patient work
he was accepted by a pride of lion as one of their own.
If we catch up with the lions roaming in this area,
he will use his skill
to try to get as close as possible.
I think I saw a lioness down there.
Yes you're right, I think you're right,
let's check it out.
A beautiful lioness and a big male...
Hey Kevin, there is another male in front of the car,
This could get very very interesting.
Lions, like all cats,
don't normally like water.
But if river cuts through their hunting ground,
they don't mind crossing the water.
Occasionally they will even go for a swim in the heat of the day.
Our first stop in Tanzania
is the Tarangire marsh land,
where lots of big game animals gather during the dry season.
Next we will head to Lake Manyara forest,
Ngorongoro crater, Serengeti
and finally Mount Kilimanjaro.
I think I see Dany and Marc over there by the edge of the marsh.
Yes it is them,
but the balloon isn't up yet.
Well, maybe the conditions aren't right.
There is a slight wind coming from that side.
It would so be nice to be able to fly today.
There are a lot of animals out there.
Yes and most of them are on this side of the marsh.
We'll see.
So Dany? What is happening?
Are we going?
I don't know yet.
We are going to be blown away.
- Too much wind? - Yes.
Coming form that side.
Wrong direction, we wait a bit.
Maybe right before sunset.
Yes.
Smile for the camera Mara.
Right before sunset, the wind suddenly dies down,
enabling the Cinebulle to take off safely.
As I am heading north
to pick up Dany and Mara on the other side of the marsh,
I am really puzzled to see the balloon coming down already.
That was not the plan.
With the arrival of the first rain the prior week,
some of the larger herds have already left the area.
But there is still plenty of wildlife around.
I don't understand what Dany is doing.
Mara... do you copy?
What is going on?
Yes Kevin, copy.
We're having engine problems.
It keeps on cutting off,
we probably gonna have to land.
Guys, you need to land there otherwise,
I can't get to you.
Hold it for me.
We're landing.
In order to fix the engine,
Dany has to pick up some spare parts in the nearest town,
a full day's drive away.
So we decide to leave the Tarangire early
and head to Lake Manyara,
somewhat disappointed by the turn of events.
Hey, a leopard.
He is heading for the trees back there.
Let's go off road to have a closer look.
Do you see him?
No... I think he went behind the bush...
There to the left, in front of the termite mount.
Yes... I see him now.
I think it's a she, look up in the tree.
Fantastic, a mating couple.
What a sighting.
We'd be lucky to see them mate before it gets dark.
It is hard to believe
that Lake Manyara with its small tropical forest
is less than an hour drive from Tarangire.
For me, this is a very special place.
I spent my early childhood here,
while my father studied the social behavior of elephants.
From a very young age, this wonderful experience
ignited my passion for the wildlife.
I've been hooked ever since.
It's so good to be back here after all these years.
This is where my dad used to take us right up to the elephants.
What a childhood.
Traffic jam in the forest.
I love it.
I am jealous you're going up in the Cinebulle today.
It's going to be spectacular.
I got a problem.
We're going to land very fast.
Oh my...
The balloon is open.
How come?
You see. On top.
I don't understand what happened...
That is weird.
Poor Dany, he looks so depressed.
I can understand. I mean,
first the engine failure, now this...
I hope he can fix it quickly.
Don't you think you should give the hot seat to me?
No... Mara.
This is not the way it works.
You flew in Tarangire
and now I fly in Lake Manyara.
Well no more crashes.
The next day the balloon was fixed
and the conditions were perfect for a flight over the forest canopy.
The vegetation below is not a rainforest.
It is a ground water forest.
It seldom rains around here
but natural springs that surge up at the foot of the great rift valley escarpment,
provide moisture for this lush vegetation to grow.
Beautiful.
It's gorgeous.
I truly feel like a bird.
As soon as we clear the top of the escarpment,
we reach the slope of the Ngorongoro crater,
the largest volcanic cauldron on earth
and one of the most unique African ecosystems.
The forest that blankets the southern half of the crater
is a direct result of the clouds that often get stuck on this side of the hill.
We are only three hours from the dry Serengeti plains
but it feels like we are in the middle of the Amazon
and as soon as we get to the edge of the crater
it is going to be a totally different landscape.
- Better than I imagined. - Isn't that something?
Only 20 km in diameter,
the crater teems with a great variety of wildlife,
making Ngorongoro a miniature version of the Serengeti.
In the half hour it took us to get down here,
all the clouds have vanished.
But they could come back just as quickly,
it's not unusual to have four or five weather changes in one day.
And look at the vegetation,
what a transition!
- So what do you think? - Oh man,
it was definitely worth the detour.
It's pretty unique for sure.
There is wildlife everywhere.
That's some herd of wildebeest!
Yeah and some zebras over there.
There is a herd of buffaloes,
way back there in the sunlight.
Yeah, let's check it out.
Hippos, buffaloes...
What a piece of paradise.
I know this is what makes this place so special.
Absolutely...
Let me have a look.
Check it out, have a look over there.
Look at that, two lionesses.
Do you think they gonna go for the buffalo?
Well, it's unlikely,
they don't look like they're in hunting mode.
Look to your left,
they already have made a kill.
Where?
Straight ahead of that walking lioness.
Well, these guys can relax now,
they won't be bothered for awhile.
Look up there, the clouds are back.
Let's hope it does not rain on us before we set up camp.
Yeah!
That evening, as everyone
was settling in for the night,
we are visited by some unruly guests.
- Mara! - What?
- Mara! - Yeah?
Are you OK?
There's lions in camp.
I don't know how many.
It sounds like one by your tent.
Hey bugger off, shoot shoot...
- Are you OK? - I think so.
Move off...
Get out of here...
- What happened Kevin? - He ran off with the mat.
He's back...
- They're all there. - What are we going to do?
Oh no. He grabbed the side of the tent.
He is relentless, get out of here!
Go!
What happened, Kevin?
This male is trying to get in my tent.
Get out of here, go...
I think they are leaving.
I am coming out.
I am coming to your tent.
The events of last night
left everyone on the expedition pretty unsettled.
We've had predators roam through our camp at night on several occasions,
but never did they cause any damage.
Luckily no one got hurt.
Some tents need repair though.
Fortunately we have been able to
book accommodations at a commercial safari camp
near the Moru Kopjes in the Serengeti,
our next destination.
As we are getting close to camp,
things get pretty exciting.
Large herds of wildebeest and zebras everywhere we look!
A sure sign that the first wave of the great migration
has already arrived to this part of the Serengeti.
About two million animals take part in the migration
from the Masai Mara region in Kenya
to the Serengeti in Tanzania
following the rain in a big circular motion.
However, it is often hard to predict the exact location of the herds.
Many factors affect their movement.
We're very lucky,
we seem to have come at the right time.
Our only worry is the storm system blowing across the region.
Depending on where it rains,
big herds can appear or disappear overnight,
attracted by greener pastures elsewhere.
In the 19603,
Tanzania set out to protect more wilderness
than any other nation on earth
and eco-tourism has become big business.
But the needs of the local population
that grew from 10 million to almost 50 million today
and is projected to double over the next 40 years
will make it hard to justify
the existence of such vast protected areas.
Watching the sun set on this amazing scenery,
one can only reflect on the dramatic impact a new government project
to build a major commercial highway
through the Serengeti
would have on this world heritage site.
Under intense international pressure
the plan to link Lake Victoria
with Eastern Tanzania
has been put on hold,
but for how long?
Oh perfect light!
Check, they're everywhere.
I can see...
This is the real wild Africa!
What a disaster!
By the break of dawn
the herds of zebras and wildebeest have vanished.
We did not get a drop of water at camp during the night,
but we heard big storms rage off in the distance.
As we drive around,
we realize the worst-case scenario is unraveling.
Even though there still is lots of green grass to feed on,
the animals have left the area.
Terribly disappointed,
we head for the plains where it rained during the night,
hoping to catch up with the migration.
That's all what's left.
Alone spotted hyena.
It's not looking good!
Let's see if I can spot the herds.
They must be nearby.
Mara, have a look out there,
by that dry lake...
There's a herd.
I just don't understand,
they heading in the wrong direction.
I mean it's all dry here.
There is much green grass where they came from.
But I guess they are just following the rain.
Yeah, I don't know,
maybe we should also head out early to the Kilimanjaro.
The weather condition can be really tricky over there.
Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania
right on the border with Kenya,
peaking at 5,895 m.
The tallest mountain in Africa
is often shrouded with clouds
and is not visible for weeks on end.
This afternoon, only a thin ring of clouds
crown the top of the mountain in the distance.
Most of the wildlife at the base of mount Kilimanjaro
is found on the Kenyan side of the border,
but long term conservation efforts
and intense anti-poaching surveillance is paying off.
Large herds of elephants, antelopes and predators
have returned to the foothills in Tanzania.
In the days ahead,
we will fly around Kilimanjaro in the Cinebulle
and a micro light that belongs to a friend of mine
who works in the area.
But as dark clouds burgeon all around the mountain,
we know there will be no flying today.
So we decide to take the time
to follow a mother elephant and her calf in the bush.
But it is the elephant
who wants to have an up close and personal look at us.
It is unusual for elephants to interact with vehicles this way.
She's clearly had previous close-up encounter with people
who probably gave her food.
As we approach mount Kilimanjaro, we cannot help
but reflect on our extraordinary journey across the continent.
There is still plenty of untouched wilderness in Africa
worth protecting.
But the melting glaciers at the top of the mountain
which will completely disappear before the decade is over
are a stark reminder as to how fragile our planet really is.
There is lion tracks, all over the place.
Yeah, let's follow them
and find out where they are.
Yeah definitely,
we don't want to set up the camp and have it raided all over again.
Oh great Kev... look at this.
Three cubs, brilliant,
the rest of the pride must be on a hunt.
I think we disturbed them.
Hopefully they won't go too far,
I mean they should hide from predators.
They already coming back.
That's great.
Yeah, it's just as well.
A visitor...
Now, this could be interesting...
My friend Damian Bell
supervises the anti-poaching efforts around mount Kilimanjaro.
His micro light is a very useful tool
to survey the area for illegal activities.
But today it is all fun and pleasure,
as we will join Dany and Kevin in the air
in an attempt to fly towards the slopes of Kilimanjaro.
In this stunningly beautiful part of Africa,
we cannot help but think that
despite the great efforts by local governments and NGOs,
it is going to be a daunting task to preserve it all.
Over the next decades the population of Africa will grow
by the equivalent of a city the size of New York every five months.
The real challenge will be to find the right balance
between the need of a fast growing local population
and the desire to protect this invaluable natural heritage
for generations to come.
As conservationists who have lived all our lives in Africa,
this has been an unforgettable adventure
and we will cherish the memories forever.
Manual corrected, synchronized, and spell checked by H@w-to-kiLL.