Los elefantes cavan pozos cuando de repente comienza a llover mientras un grupo de leones mata a uno de los cachorros del guepardo Kureta.
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00:00In the arid lands of Kenya, water is life, the elixir without which no one can survive.
00:24But the last rains fell almost two months ago.
00:34And that forces heroic mothers to face their greatest challenge.
00:39Look for other sources of water to make fun of the cruel dry season and get their families to survive.
01:39The rain is coming.
01:57Chasing the rain.
01:59In the north of Kenya, the effects of the drought are terrifying.
02:18And the Iguazon has turned into a river of dry sand that runs between arid plains.
02:29Animals and also humans use ingenious methods to extract water from their beds to the last drop.
02:59Almost all the herds of elephants that flocked to Samburu left the river a long time ago and left in search of springs and pastures.
03:17But some decided to stay and put up with it.
03:32The naturalists gave this herd the name of the artists.
03:41These elephants live all year in Samburu and know the best techniques to extract the precious water.
03:55Their extraordinary sense of smell tells them the precise place where they must dig.
04:06This adult female is an experienced mother and an expert in digging wells.
04:25When they have already drunk, their calf tries to enlarge the hole.
04:32But she is not aware of it.
04:37With her infantile impetus, she can throw sand in the hole.
04:44And it is essential to keep the water as clean as possible.
04:50It is a treasure that must be preserved, because there are still many months left for the wet season.
05:01All the local fauna faces an extreme situation.
05:11When everyone has drunk, the artists enjoy a relaxing mud bath.
05:20An essential practice to cool down and protect themselves from the sun.
05:28But seeing how fast the drought progresses, this mud bath could be the last.
05:36About 300 kilometers south of Samburu, the green meadows of Naboiso have turned yellow.
05:56Here, too, the rain is a distant memory.
06:06The herbivores are migrating.
06:16And to be able to eat, Culeta and her four puppies also do it.
06:26If they were still here, they would starve to death not being able to find prey, so they have set off.
06:46It is a hard walk for the little ones.
06:59So they make a stop.
07:08But this tree is busy.
07:17By a family of green cercopithecus that now look close.
07:28These primates are not part of their diet, but the climbing female does not resist trying to catch one.
07:46This little one has practiced a lot to improve her technique and now climbs quite loosely.
08:08The arrival of a hyena puts an end to the rest.
08:19But the hyena also leaves.
08:25And that is because Culeta has entered the domains of the largest predator in Africa.
08:35Here there are more lions than anywhere else on the planet.
08:43And when they can, they kill cheetahs.
09:00The lionesses turn to hunt and take care of the puppies, but Culeta must do both.
09:11And she will have to be very alert to keep her family safe from such relentless neighbors.
09:40160 kilometers north of Navoixo, the great plateau of La Iquipia extends.
09:52At this altitude, the Iguazoniro river still carries water, which has allowed the Icaones family to continue drinking.
10:02But it is getting more and more scarce.
10:07So Phoenix, the matriarch, gathers the herd.
10:18The puppies are already four months old, have left the burrow and are ready for nomadic life.
10:32But there is little time for games.
10:39Because although it rained a little more here, the drought has already arrived.
10:46The prey is migrating.
10:50And chasing the rain is the only solution.
11:06But the best hunting grounds are on the other side of the river.
11:19And although it seems easy to cross, the Icaones are nervous.
11:25And very right.
11:34They have seen relatives and companions die, attacked by hippos and crocodiles.
11:43But on this shore there is an even greater danger.
11:52Hyenas, their deadly enemies.
11:59Seeing that the herbivores are leaving, the hyena clan has proposed to chase the herd to snatch their prey,
12:07which would deprive the puppies of the food they need.
12:16The hesitation is over.
12:22It is time to put all the possible distance between the youngest and the hyenas that go after them.
12:36Each puppy crosses next to an adult.
12:50In the society of the Icaones, no one is left behind.
13:03But their enemies will also cross the river.
13:10Wherever the herd goes, the hyenas will go after it.
13:24Sixty kilometers downriver, the Iguazo Niro is a snake-like dust belt.
13:38The artists have finished with the wells today and are heading to the forest to look for food.
13:52And that is when their neighbors benefit from their work.
14:05The wells dug by the elephants save the lives of a multitude of animals that come from several kilometers around.
14:32To survive in such extreme conditions, the animals must cooperate.
14:44And the artists collaborate in their own benefit with the baboon army.
14:54There are still many fruits left in the Dum palm trees.
15:01So the artists follow the primates to pick up those that fall.
15:10Although they are not very nutritious.
15:21Both species will need all their experience and ingenuity to overcome such a long and complicated dry season.
15:51In their tireless search for food, Culeta continues to enter the lion's domain.
16:00It is a risk that must be taken because almost all the prey are concentrated in this area.
16:10For the puppies, there is always a new lesson to learn.
16:19Thompson's gazelle is the most affordable prey in this area.
16:34Culeta's acceleration is amazing.
16:37It has reached 97 kilometers per hour in less than three seconds.
16:45But it needed the surprise factor.
16:56This time it has failed.
17:01But when it recovers, it will try again.
17:11The hungry puppies will have to wait.
17:15They are already four months old and are almost naked.
17:20But they still demand their milk from time to time.
17:35Breastfeeding strengthens the bond between them and their mother.
17:43But milk does not cover their food needs.
17:50So Culeta will try to bring them meat as soon as possible.
18:06Phoenix and his herd have already traveled 30 kilometers since they crossed the river.
18:18And they have reached the wavy landscape of the Loishaba Reserve, a paradise compared to the dusty basin they have left behind.
18:33And at the moment, there are no hyenas in sight.
18:39In these hills, the rain fell hard.
18:43Among the bushes, there is still a lot of stagnant water.
18:47And in front of them, hundreds of square kilometers of territory in which they will be able to hunt.
19:02An Ikaone herd usually travels more than 20 kilometers a day in search of prey.
19:10And on these journeys, the youngest learn valuable lessons.
19:16Such as that it is impossible to kill an adult and healthy zebra protected by its herd.
19:22Puppies are instinctively kept at a distance.
19:31And when they come across a pair of oryxes, they will receive another important lesson.
19:46The group harasses them to detect a possible weakness and to show how to approach dangerous prey.
19:57The oryxes stand behind a bush and have a formidable defense.
20:05Their sharp horns could pierce a Ikaone without difficulty.
20:17Puppies soon learn that there are easier targets.
20:33The dikdiks are much smaller and their horns are tiny.
20:39And in this land of abundance, there seems to be one hidden in each bush.
20:51Here there are so many prey that it is not necessary to undertake great persecutions.
21:10You have to wait for one to stumble.
21:34But they must eat quickly, because the clan of hyenas that has followed them is getting closer and closer.
21:54In the land of the Samburu tribe, it is said that you will not learn to value each drop of water until you carry it yourself.
22:17And in such a cruel drought, it is something that no child will ever forget.
22:31After two months of dry season, here the water is more valuable than gold.
22:42Many years ago, the Samburu did not suffer such a harsh drought.
22:47They do not expect any rain in at least two months, and the land is suffering.
23:01Deep crevices erode the desolate northern basin of the Iwaso Niro.
23:13The grass, the pastures and the water have disappeared. Everything seems to have become dust.
23:35The shepherds and their herds lie on the dry bed next to the wild animals, which sometimes unleashes serious conflicts.
23:55Even the elephants must give way to the thousands of goats, cows and camels that surround the reserve today.
24:16And that has forced families like the Artistas to leave, who have been forced to enter dangerous terrain outside the protected areas.
24:31The youngest are thirsty.
24:37A two-year-old elephant needs more than 10 liters of milk a day.
24:45His mother will not refuse to breastfeed him, but the shortage of resources also reduces the production of milk.
24:59The Artistas have set off and left the river behind, but they do not have a safe place to go, and the competition outside the reserve is even more intense.
25:15That some do not reach the end is now more than possible.
25:37Akuleta is doing well in the plains of Naboiso, because thanks to the cover that the grass offers, he can attack from closer.
25:58He has escaped for a short time.
26:04But it was not this adult gazelle that Akuleta was chasing, but his young, which is hidden here in this sea of grass.
26:25Its body odor is almost nil, so for a cheetah it is as undetectable as a stone, as long as it is still, without moving a muscle.
26:45The mother tries to distract Akuleta to keep her away from her young, but with four mouths to feed, she does not think to give up.
27:03It is a hide-and-seek game in which life bets.
27:33Here it is.
27:43Akuleta calls the puppies, and they approach with fearful curiosity.
28:02The cruelty of this scene seems unnecessary, but the puppies must learn to handle a live prey if they want to reach adulthood.
28:31After putting an end to his suffering, Akuleta lets the puppies eat, because it is a very small prey for the five, but his possible feast is not far, because the pain has prevented the gazelle mother from fleeing to be safe.
29:00Hunting at dusk entangles the risk of being seen by other predators, but it needs to eat.
29:26The puppies leave the small prey to follow their mother.
29:31It is a dangerous maneuver, because there are hardly any places to hide in this open plain of Navoiso, and the uproar has not gone unnoticed.
30:25The gazelles form a powerful group, but hunting at dusk is also dangerous for them.
30:40Today's objective is to look for a group of impalas.
30:56It is a simple surveillance work that everyone has ever performed, and the little ones will be safe as long as the nanny does not get distracted.
31:09But a hare running among the bushes is an irresistible temptation.
31:23The five puppies, who at first tried to follow him, have been unprotected at the mercy of any predator on the lookout.
31:34And here the hidden predators abound.
31:43Next to the nearest hill, Phoenix's patrol has captured an impala.
31:51But the chase group of hyenas has stolen the piece, and the war has broken out.
32:02The impalas will not leave without fighting.
32:15They outnumber the hyenas, but they weigh half, and can be badly injured if they take too many risks.
32:34Meanwhile, the repentant watchdog has returned, and has regrouped the puppies.
32:41But he accidentally takes them to the battlefield.
32:48Ten more hyenas have joined the fight.
32:59Now the impalas are also at a numerical disadvantage, and with the puppies in the cold.
33:12So Phoenix gives the order to retreat, but he does not resist launching a final raid.
33:35As Phoenix feared, the hyenas have usurped the territory they had just conquered.
33:44So the most advisable option is to cross the river again.
34:13In Naboisho, the animals enjoy a cool sunrise.
34:25And this great male proclaims his authority.
34:44Culeta is only a kilometer away.
34:55And his pitiful cries reveal his despair.
35:02A puppy has disappeared.
35:14The other three imitate his mother, and also call his brother.
35:32The search does not stop at dusk.
35:58And the sun continues to rise, for two agonizing days.
36:16Culeta has completed the circle. He has returned to the place where he last saw the missing calf.
36:28The little ones want to play, but she is not willing to give up.
36:35So he tries again to locate his trace.
36:43And the strong smell tells him that his calf has been a victim of the lions.
36:56Culeta knows that these three brothers will have to grow up quickly so as not to run the same fate.
37:08So he decides to end the search and focus on looking for food.
37:29The artists are already many kilometers from their old home in Samburu.
37:34And they have been forced to intern in these wild lands.
37:56But their young soon learn that even here it is possible to find food.
38:06Among the dust there are bushes of dry grass that can tear.
38:17And as a last resort, they also get food from the dry acacias.
38:30It is not a very appetizing delicacy, but the strong mouth of an elephant is prepared to crush the sharpest thorns.
38:48The palm trees have also begun to dry out and their fruits are too hard for baboons.
38:59But not for elephants.
39:03A powerful male finds a way to access them.
39:11Using brute force.
39:34In exchange for this favor, he hopes to obtain some mating right.
39:41But drought has paralyzed reproductive cycles and not a single female is in heat.
39:51He is not in condition either.
39:58Until the conditions improve, no elephant will be available.
40:22Culetta has already moved away from the lion's domains and has entered an unknown area.
40:32Where heat and humidity are infernal.
40:39Perhaps because there are no lions.
40:42Here the prey is quite abundant.
40:45But since he lost a puppy, Culetta is not in the mood to hunt again.
40:56The puppies ate for the last time several days ago.
41:01So he has to recover.
41:12The suffocating humidity seems to restore its energy in some way.
41:26He has located several males of Thompson's gazelle.
41:31They are not easy to hunt.
42:02Culetta is back in shape.
42:12And his hungry young will eat until they are full.
42:27The high humidity causes the fall of scattered drops of rain.
42:35Which is always a relief.
42:38But there are still several months left for the humid season.
42:45Culetta will have to overcome many challenges to keep his family safe.
42:52The loss they have suffered and shared has strengthened the bond between her and her puppies.
42:59And they form a team that will not be easy to defeat.
43:19The lives of Phoenix and his pack have completed a cycle.
43:25After giving up their new territory to the hyenas, they now hunt east of the Iguazo Nido.
43:35Where the drought is extreme.
43:44The prey is very scarce.
43:47And there are hardly any puddles of water.
43:54Phoenix gathers everyone to go hunting at dusk.
44:15Soon they spot a group of impalas.
44:46They have chosen a young female.
44:55And they approach her very quickly.
45:18Her prey is right on the other side, but Phoenix does not want to run into the hyenas again.
45:29Which again teaches the puppies that sometimes it is better to be prudent in the face of a possible threat.
45:40The pack retreats without knowing that the sky is going to give them an unexpected gift.
45:49Even in the middle of the dry season, in the highlands of the Iquipia, there may be unexpected waterfalls from time to time.
46:00And in Kenya, it is worth chasing even the lightest rain.
46:10The strong storm will begin to fill the upper reaches of the river.
46:26And in a slow but constant way, the water will return to the Samburu Reserve.
46:39It advances little by little like a snake.
46:43And it is filling the ponds and bringing life back to the dry riverbed.
47:12The elephants know that the water has returned.
47:17So they have hurried back to their home.
47:23To enjoy a happy reunion with the river.
47:53Plethoric of joy, large and small, express their emotion with a gymnastics exhibition on the shore.
48:24The artists and the other families will no longer have to compete with the shepherds and the nomads.
48:30Because now there is plenty of water for everyone.
48:40But an elephant does not live only from the water.
48:48And for this land to come back to life, it will take much more than a beneficial unexpected waterfall.
48:58The drought will last at least six more weeks.
49:03And we will have to keep fighting to witness its sunset.
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