1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:25,000 © anoXmous @ http://thepiratebay.sx/user/Zen_Bud 1 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,950 Vast open plains. 2 00:00:36,450 --> 00:00:38,450 Immense spaces. 3 00:00:39,830 --> 00:00:41,250 Eerie silence. 4 00:00:44,670 --> 00:00:47,840 But any feeling of emptiness is an illusion. 5 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:57,350 The plains of our planet support the greatest gatherings of wildlife on Earth. 6 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:07,230 At the heart of all that happens here is a single living thing. 7 00:01:09,190 --> 00:01:10,360 Grass. 8 00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:20,080 This miraculous plant covers a quarter of all the lands of the Earth. 9 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:42,270 Grasslands exist wherever there is a little rain, but not enough to sustain a forest. 10 00:01:43,270 --> 00:01:45,520 Some are huge. 11 00:01:45,650 --> 00:01:51,730 The Central Asian Steppe alone extends one third of the way around our planet. 12 00:01:57,910 --> 00:02:02,250 It's summer, and eagles effortlessly cruise the thermals, 13 00:02:02,330 --> 00:02:05,460 scanning the ground beneath for signs of prey. 14 00:02:08,460 --> 00:02:11,300 In the distant reaches of outer Mongolia, 15 00:02:11,380 --> 00:02:14,840 one of the planet's great migrations is underway. 16 00:02:21,850 --> 00:02:26,140 Few people ever see this extraordinary annual event. 17 00:02:34,650 --> 00:02:36,950 Mongolian gazelle. 18 00:02:37,030 --> 00:02:41,530 Two million are thought to live here, but no one really knows. 19 00:02:44,700 --> 00:02:48,710 For much of the time, they're scattered through this vast landscape, 20 00:02:48,830 --> 00:02:52,340 but once a year they come together to have their young. 21 00:02:54,260 --> 00:02:58,550 Nearly all will give birth within the next 10 days. 22 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:08,440 0ut in the open, communal calving is the safest way to have young. 23 00:03:08,810 --> 00:03:11,110 With so many pairs of eyes keeping watch, 24 00:03:11,190 --> 00:03:14,360 it's almost impossible for predators to sneak up. 25 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:26,000 There are no bushes, no trees. There's only one thing to hide behind. 26 00:03:26,870 --> 00:03:28,040 Grass. 27 00:03:30,420 --> 00:03:32,670 And it's not very effective. 28 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:45,520 Predators also have a hard time raising their young on open grassland. 29 00:03:46,140 --> 00:03:50,400 Without trees, eagles have to nest directly on the ground. 30 00:03:53,820 --> 00:03:58,070 All the inhabitants of the Great Plains are exposed to the elements. 31 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,010 Fire sparks panic in the herd. 32 00:04:27,060 --> 00:04:28,980 Gazelles are born to run 33 00:04:29,100 --> 00:04:32,730 and even young calves easily outpace the flames, 34 00:04:32,980 --> 00:04:35,400 if they can avoid being trampled. 35 00:05:10,310 --> 00:05:12,600 With nothing to stand in its way, 36 00:05:12,690 --> 00:05:15,810 the blaze consumes anything that can't flee. 37 00:05:17,270 --> 00:05:22,030 Huge quantities of grass, valuable food, have been lost. 38 00:05:26,490 --> 00:05:28,950 And with it, the old and the weak. 39 00:05:35,210 --> 00:05:40,800 The gazelles move on to new pastures and leave the desolation behind them. 40 00:05:44,590 --> 00:05:48,010 From the ashes rises the phoenix. 41 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,890 Grass, the incredible survivor. 42 00:05:54,980 --> 00:05:59,190 Because it grows from a protected part at the base of its stems, 43 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:01,860 grass is almost indestructible. 44 00:06:13,910 --> 00:06:17,170 Able to repair and reproduce itself rapidly, 45 00:06:17,250 --> 00:06:21,050 it covers more of the Earth's land than any other plant 46 00:06:21,170 --> 00:06:24,010 and feeds more wildlife than any other. 47 00:06:45,490 --> 00:06:47,450 Red-billed quelea. 48 00:06:47,820 --> 00:06:51,740 0ne and a half billion swarm across the savannahs of Africa. 49 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:56,370 These are the most numerous birds on Earth. 50 00:07:00,710 --> 00:07:03,210 Some flocks are so vast 51 00:07:03,300 --> 00:07:06,840 that they can take five hours to pass overhead. 52 00:07:40,790 --> 00:07:44,920 0nly grass can feed plagues of these proportions. 53 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,970 The ravenous hordes devour the seeds. 54 00:07:50,180 --> 00:07:54,720 And the leaves and stems are cropped by great herds of antelope. 55 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:11,700 The East African savannahs alone sustain nearly two million wildebeest. 56 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:29,340 They trim the grass down to its roots, leaving little in their wake, 57 00:08:29,590 --> 00:08:32,510 but within days the plant will recover 58 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,260 and continue to sustain the biggest herds on Earth. 59 00:08:48,530 --> 00:08:51,650 Grass is not confined to the tropics. 60 00:08:56,450 --> 00:09:01,210 It manages to grow even in the bitter conditions of the Arctic. 61 00:09:09,550 --> 00:09:15,220 Beyond the limits of the last tree, the planet is barren and ice-locked. 62 00:09:15,930 --> 00:09:19,350 A frozen no-man's land at the end of the Earth. 63 00:09:20,430 --> 00:09:26,900 But for a short time each year, the long, dark winter releases its grip. 64 00:09:38,830 --> 00:09:40,540 Temperatures rise 65 00:09:40,620 --> 00:09:45,960 and grass that has lain dormant and frozen throughout the winter sprouts once more. 66 00:09:51,630 --> 00:09:54,300 Green returns to the Arctic. 67 00:09:56,220 --> 00:10:01,600 The receding ice reveals an immense flat plain the size of Australia. 68 00:10:02,020 --> 00:10:04,770 This is the Arctic tundra. 69 00:10:11,820 --> 00:10:14,530 It's a desolate, silent wilderness. 70 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:17,320 But it's about to change. 71 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,380 Snow geese. 72 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,430 They winter along the Gulf of Mexico, 73 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:45,350 and in spring they fly the entire length of North America 74 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:47,600 to reach the Arctic tundra. 75 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,070 Five million birds make this journey every year. 76 00:11:10,460 --> 00:11:14,880 Their marathon migration is almost 3,000 miles long 77 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,130 and has taken them three months. 78 00:11:24,350 --> 00:11:29,480 Exhausted and starving, they touch down inside the Arctic Circle, 79 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:33,400 back at their traditional breeding grounds at last. 80 00:11:35,490 --> 00:11:37,570 Snow geese pair for life. 81 00:11:37,950 --> 00:11:42,910 As soon as couples arrive, they must stake a claim to a nesting patch. 82 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:52,590 Ideal sites are in short supply and quarrelsome neighbours are all around. 83 00:11:56,670 --> 00:11:58,680 Disputes can be vicious. 84 00:12:33,750 --> 00:12:35,300 Point taken! 85 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:44,510 It's a long way to travel, but for a short period, the tundra is the ideal place for a grazer. 86 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:48,390 The grass grows vigorously during the short, intense summer 87 00:12:48,470 --> 00:12:51,770 and there are fewer predators than further south. 88 00:12:55,940 --> 00:12:59,860 Here, geese can nest on the ground in relative safety. 89 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:04,530 Nonetheless, this female must incubate her eggs for three weeks 90 00:13:04,660 --> 00:13:08,240 and throughout this time she will be very vulnerable. 91 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,850 An Arctic fox surveys the colony. 92 00:13:25,930 --> 00:13:29,020 She's been waiting for the geese all winter. 93 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,320 Sneaking up unnoticed is impossible. 94 00:13:47,870 --> 00:13:50,540 Perhaps fortune will favour the bold. 95 00:14:06,090 --> 00:14:10,680 The colony is well-defended. There are no easy pickings here. 96 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:27,530 She's driven away from every nest, but hunger compels her to continue. 97 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:00,400 There are more eggs here than she can possibly eat now. 98 00:15:00,650 --> 00:15:02,980 But the nesting season is short. 99 00:15:03,110 --> 00:15:06,530 So she stashes much of her plunder for later in the year 100 00:15:06,610 --> 00:15:09,030 when all the geese have gone. 101 00:15:21,090 --> 00:15:25,420 Further south, other bigger predators prowl the tundra. 102 00:15:28,260 --> 00:15:29,470 Wolves. 103 00:15:29,590 --> 00:15:34,060 For them, finding food on the plains is an even greater challenge. 104 00:15:34,470 --> 00:15:38,390 Not only is their prey seasonal, it's also hard to find. 105 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,610 They've been searching for days without a sign. 106 00:15:48,910 --> 00:15:53,530 Somewhere in this immense landscape there is food for them. 107 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,340 This is it. Caribou. 108 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:07,970 Travelling 30 miles a day, 109 00:16:08,050 --> 00:16:12,640 they can cover nearly 2,000 miles during the summer months. 110 00:16:20,980 --> 00:16:24,570 The wolves will starve if they don't find the caribou. 111 00:16:24,650 --> 00:16:29,320 But it's no easy task to locate prey that never stops travelling. 112 00:16:50,630 --> 00:16:56,640 Biting flies and the quest for new pasture drives the migration ever onwards. 113 00:17:34,010 --> 00:17:36,720 A wolf has finally picked up the trail. 114 00:17:38,850 --> 00:17:40,810 The caribou are close. 115 00:17:45,770 --> 00:17:47,610 At last, a chance. 116 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:52,900 The hunt is on. 117 00:18:04,620 --> 00:18:08,840 The wolf panics the herd, and the weak and young are singled out. 118 00:18:18,220 --> 00:18:20,890 A calf is separated from its mother. 119 00:18:59,140 --> 00:19:03,770 At the goose colony, it's high summer and eggs are hatching. 120 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:10,940 The young all emerge within a day or two, a marvel of timing. 121 00:19:11,190 --> 00:19:14,780 The colony is now home to a million goslings. 122 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,920 The fox is still gathering all she can get. 123 00:19:40,260 --> 00:19:43,930 Sometimes one mouth simply isn't enough. 124 00:20:19,930 --> 00:20:21,890 0ne will have to do. 125 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,610 Not all food is stored. Some is needed right now. 126 00:20:34,820 --> 00:20:37,650 She has seven hungry cubs to feed. 127 00:20:44,530 --> 00:20:49,540 As their appetites grow, the mother must work tirelessly to raise her family. 128 00:20:49,620 --> 00:20:53,500 0nly fat, healthy cubs will survive the Arctic winter. 129 00:21:10,180 --> 00:21:13,730 The vast majority of the goslings are still flourishing. 130 00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:17,360 Their parents lead them down to the safety of the water 131 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,860 as soon as they're strong enough to make the journey. 132 00:21:26,490 --> 00:21:30,120 For the foxes, boom time has come to an end. 133 00:21:30,710 --> 00:21:35,210 But the mother has given her cubs the best possible start in life. 134 00:21:38,130 --> 00:21:40,590 The geese will continue grazing the tundra 135 00:21:40,670 --> 00:21:45,260 until the summer ends and they're forced to head south for the winter. 136 00:21:53,810 --> 00:21:56,810 At these latitudes, the sun's rays are weak 137 00:21:56,900 --> 00:22:00,400 and grass can only grow here for a few months a year. 138 00:22:00,490 --> 00:22:05,570 But further south, summers are longer and the grasslands flourish. 139 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,130 The prairies of North America. 140 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:31,560 This rich pasture once supported the greatest herds ever seen on our planet. 141 00:22:42,030 --> 00:22:44,990 There were once 60 million bison, 142 00:22:45,070 --> 00:22:48,580 but no animal is immune to intensive hunting by man 143 00:22:48,700 --> 00:22:51,410 or the destruction of its habitat. 144 00:22:51,490 --> 00:22:56,250 And a century ago, the bison were reduced to barely 1,000. 145 00:22:57,250 --> 00:23:02,010 Now, thanks to rigorous protection, the species is recovering. 146 00:23:07,590 --> 00:23:09,470 The growing season is long, 147 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:13,140 and the grass here can support herds all year round. 148 00:23:19,610 --> 00:23:23,230 Male bison weigh in at one ton. 149 00:23:39,500 --> 00:23:42,880 In high summer, the bulls are fat from the rich grazing 150 00:23:43,130 --> 00:23:46,670 and in prime condition, but only a few will mate. 151 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,090 Exactly which few is about to be decided. 152 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:29,180 0n temperate plains around the world, summer is a time for growth and reproduction. 153 00:24:32,350 --> 00:24:35,430 Now the grass produces its flowers. 154 00:24:48,570 --> 00:24:52,120 New colours also come to the plains. 155 00:25:29,900 --> 00:25:35,870 The northern flowering is mirrored by the grasslands of the southern hemisphere, 156 00:25:35,950 --> 00:25:40,620 and nowhere is more impressive than on the veldt of South Africa. 157 00:26:29,420 --> 00:26:34,880 Not all temperate plains are so rich and colourful in the summer. 158 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:46,230 This is midsummer on the Tibetan plateau, 159 00:26:46,350 --> 00:26:49,190 the highest great plain in the world. 160 00:26:50,940 --> 00:26:53,570 Despite the conditions, grass survives 161 00:26:53,700 --> 00:26:59,280 and in sufficient quantities to support the highest of all grazing herds, 162 00:26:59,370 --> 00:27:01,370 those of the wild yak. 163 00:27:04,870 --> 00:27:07,130 Even in summer, life is hard. 164 00:27:07,710 --> 00:27:12,010 Temperatures rarely rise above freezing and the air is thin. 165 00:27:19,350 --> 00:27:24,270 It's also exceptionally dry for one very big reason, 166 00:27:27,980 --> 00:27:29,560 the Himalayas. 167 00:27:32,110 --> 00:27:38,200 The great mountain range acts as a barrier, preventing clouds moving in from the south, 168 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:43,950 and this casts a giant rain shadow that leaves Tibet high and dry. 169 00:28:03,220 --> 00:28:05,390 Grass clings to life 170 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:10,980 even as desiccating winds remove what little moisture remains in the soil. 171 00:28:20,820 --> 00:28:24,910 So long as grass can survive, so can grazers. 172 00:28:30,540 --> 00:28:32,000 Wild ass. 173 00:28:41,510 --> 00:28:44,430 The males are fighting to win territories. 174 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:49,100 Those that hold the best are more likely to attract a herd of females. 175 00:29:05,950 --> 00:29:08,540 It's a frisky business. 176 00:29:13,540 --> 00:29:15,340 That counts as a victory, 177 00:29:15,420 --> 00:29:19,090 but he can't assume the females will actually turn up. 178 00:29:24,300 --> 00:29:27,680 Female asses are mysterious creatures. 179 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:32,480 They come and go as they please 180 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:37,230 and much of their behaviour seems unfathomable to an outsider. 181 00:29:49,540 --> 00:29:52,290 They're the great nomads of the plateau 182 00:29:52,370 --> 00:29:56,630 and will often trek vast distances across these parched plains 183 00:29:56,710 --> 00:29:58,760 in search of oases. 184 00:30:00,590 --> 00:30:02,880 But when they do find paradise, 185 00:30:03,010 --> 00:30:06,390 they are liable to feed and drink for just a few hours 186 00:30:06,470 --> 00:30:10,310 and then head back to the dust for no apparent reason. 187 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:20,740 Wild ass are the most conspicuous pioneers of this high frontier, 188 00:30:20,860 --> 00:30:25,030 but the most numerous grazer in Tibet lives underground. 189 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:34,080 Pika, a relative of the rabbit. It, too, feeds on grass. 190 00:30:40,380 --> 00:30:45,470 0n the exposed plateau, pikas never stray far from their burrows. 191 00:30:45,590 --> 00:30:50,220 But even so, squatters will move in given half a chance. 192 00:31:03,860 --> 00:31:07,820 While ground peckers and snow finches can be a nuisance, 193 00:31:07,910 --> 00:31:12,870 they're worth tolerating because they provide a valuable early warning system. 194 00:31:27,340 --> 00:31:31,560 The bizarre Tibetan fox. The pika's nemesis. 195 00:31:56,410 --> 00:32:00,170 When stalking, it keeps below the skyline, 196 00:32:00,290 --> 00:32:03,380 perhaps helped by its curious body shape. 197 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:06,840 But why the square head? 198 00:33:00,940 --> 00:33:04,320 In summer, the Tibetan plateau heats up, 199 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:07,650 drawing in warm, wet air from the south. 200 00:33:07,780 --> 00:33:10,570 But the water never arrives. 201 00:33:10,660 --> 00:33:14,990 As the moist air approaches, it's forced upwards by the Himalayas 202 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:18,330 and condenses into huge rain clouds. 203 00:33:33,550 --> 00:33:38,890 These clouds drop all their water on the southern side of the mountains. 204 00:33:38,980 --> 00:33:41,730 The very peaks that keep Tibet dry 205 00:33:41,810 --> 00:33:45,770 are responsible for the monsoon rains falling farther south 206 00:33:45,860 --> 00:33:47,940 and the greening of India. 207 00:33:58,620 --> 00:34:02,420 Here, soaked by rain and bathed in tropical sun, 208 00:34:02,540 --> 00:34:05,290 grass reaches its full potential. 209 00:34:08,170 --> 00:34:11,420 Elephant grass is the tallest in the world. 210 00:34:24,650 --> 00:34:30,030 Grass that towers over an elephant can conceal all sorts of surprises. 211 00:34:39,540 --> 00:34:41,580 The male Lesser Florican. 212 00:34:42,210 --> 00:34:47,380 It's hard work getting noticed when you go courting in high grass. 213 00:35:01,350 --> 00:35:03,980 The long-grass plains of tropical India 214 00:35:04,060 --> 00:35:08,360 are home to some of the largest grass-eating mammals on our planet. 215 00:35:08,820 --> 00:35:11,280 And some of the smallest. 216 00:35:13,530 --> 00:35:16,490 Pygmy hogs are no bigger than rabbits. 217 00:35:16,610 --> 00:35:20,290 They're the tiniest and rarest of all wild pigs. 218 00:35:25,620 --> 00:35:30,170 The female is busy collecting grass, but not for eating. 219 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:40,600 She's building a nest. 220 00:35:55,570 --> 00:35:59,950 Each piglet may be small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, 221 00:36:00,070 --> 00:36:02,040 but she does have 10. 222 00:36:16,590 --> 00:36:21,800 This is how grass can grow, given unlimited sunshine and water. 223 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,890 But on most tropical plains across our planet, 224 00:36:25,980 --> 00:36:28,980 the wet season is followed by a dry one. 225 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:41,280 0n the African savannahs, 226 00:36:41,410 --> 00:36:45,250 grazers are marching in search of grass and water. 227 00:37:07,390 --> 00:37:11,480 Without rain, these plains can become dust bowls. 228 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:14,070 Grass can now lose its hold. 229 00:37:24,530 --> 00:37:27,410 Elephants are in immediate danger. 230 00:37:27,540 --> 00:37:30,330 They must drink almost daily. 231 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:37,550 Driven on by thirst, 232 00:37:37,630 --> 00:37:41,630 they march hundreds of miles across the parched plains. 233 00:38:00,650 --> 00:38:04,910 Relying on memory, the matriarchs lead their families 234 00:38:04,990 --> 00:38:09,750 to those special water holes that saved them in previous years. 235 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:21,300 This one still has water, but they must share what remains 236 00:38:21,420 --> 00:38:25,300 with desperately thirsty animals of all kinds. 237 00:38:43,150 --> 00:38:45,740 These are tense times. 238 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:05,470 The elephants dominate the water hole, 239 00:39:05,550 --> 00:39:09,350 but as night falls the balance of power will shift. 240 00:39:23,610 --> 00:39:27,910 Thirsty herds continue to arrive throughout the night. 241 00:39:27,990 --> 00:39:30,290 It's a cooler time to travel. 242 00:39:51,510 --> 00:39:54,230 In the darkness, the tables turn. 243 00:39:58,610 --> 00:40:02,440 The elephant's night vision is little better than our own. 244 00:40:05,900 --> 00:40:09,660 But lions have much more sensitive eyes. 245 00:40:23,380 --> 00:40:26,930 The cats are hungry and the elephants seem to sense it. 246 00:41:08,970 --> 00:41:12,050 Lions don't usually hunt elephants, 247 00:41:12,140 --> 00:41:15,890 but desperate times require desperate measures. 248 00:41:17,230 --> 00:41:21,150 This herd contains calves, easier targets. 249 00:41:26,030 --> 00:41:28,280 But how to reach them? 250 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:46,500 The adults encircle their young. 251 00:41:46,630 --> 00:41:49,630 It's an impenetrable wall of grey. 252 00:42:18,450 --> 00:42:22,750 A few exhausted stragglers are still arriving. 253 00:42:26,500 --> 00:42:28,630 0ne of them is alone. 254 00:42:49,530 --> 00:42:53,200 But it's too big for the lions to tackle. 255 00:42:58,530 --> 00:43:01,160 This one looks a little smaller. 256 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:18,680 A solitary lion stands no chance, 257 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:20,810 but the whole pride is here. 258 00:43:25,060 --> 00:43:29,150 There are 30 of them and they are specialist elephant hunters. 259 00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:43,060 This elephant will feed the whole pride for at least a week. 260 00:44:53,190 --> 00:44:56,950 Elephants know these drinking holes are dangerous, 261 00:44:57,030 --> 00:44:59,660 but they have no choice. 262 00:44:59,740 --> 00:45:03,790 The dramas that play out here are a savage reminder 263 00:45:03,870 --> 00:45:08,500 of how important water is for all life on these plains. 264 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:21,340 As the dry season finally draws to a close, 265 00:45:21,470 --> 00:45:25,890 Africa's baked savannahs undergo a radical change. 266 00:45:28,270 --> 00:45:31,270 Rain sweeps across the continent 267 00:45:31,350 --> 00:45:34,980 and grass, the great survivor, rises again. 268 00:45:35,980 --> 00:45:37,690 And the herds return. 269 00:45:40,860 --> 00:45:44,330 For months they've been scattered over huge areas, 270 00:45:44,410 --> 00:45:48,000 clinging to existence around tiny water holes. 271 00:45:48,750 --> 00:45:51,750 Now, the good times are back. 272 00:45:57,840 --> 00:46:01,180 A few African savannahs are very special. 273 00:46:02,010 --> 00:46:07,470 Here, rainwater from far and wide flows across the flat plains. 274 00:46:08,390 --> 00:46:12,310 Grass is submerged, but still it grows. 275 00:46:33,540 --> 00:46:40,010 Flooded, burnt, baked and frozen, grass can withstand it all. 276 00:46:45,720 --> 00:46:47,850 After six months of drought, 277 00:46:47,930 --> 00:46:51,430 grass replaces dust over great areas. 278 00:47:02,700 --> 00:47:06,820 Fresh new shoots draw animals from great distances. 279 00:47:19,340 --> 00:47:23,880 Many undertake epic migrations to catch the boom time. 280 00:47:32,310 --> 00:47:36,850 Some resourceful animals live here all the year round. 281 00:47:44,780 --> 00:47:49,530 Baboons are permanent residents, but they have to change their behaviour 282 00:47:49,620 --> 00:47:53,830 if they are to gather what they need on the newly flooded plains. 283 00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:00,800 There's plenty to eat, 284 00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:04,510 but getting to it can be a little uncomfortable. 285 00:48:55,730 --> 00:48:59,730 New water poses problems for the youngsters, 286 00:48:59,850 --> 00:49:02,610 but they know where to find a dry seat. 287 00:49:12,830 --> 00:49:17,660 Ajuicy snail is ample recompense for sodden paws. 288 00:49:29,550 --> 00:49:32,760 Having survived the dry, barren times, 289 00:49:32,850 --> 00:49:35,850 animals can now reap the rewards. 290 00:49:42,480 --> 00:49:44,440 0n this seasonal planet, 291 00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:48,320 the great plains are lands of feast and famine. 292 00:49:49,740 --> 00:49:56,160 At their peak, they support the greatest gatherings of wildlife found anywhere on Earth. 254 00:50:07,686 --> 00:50:22,686 © anoXmous @ http://thepiratebay.sx/user/Zen_Bud