Tune In or Stream May 19 at 8/7c
Explore the drama as African wildlife flock to a manmade waterhole rigged with cameras.
Explore the daily drama as African wildlife flock to a manmade waterhole rigged with cameras. Dr. M. Sanjayan and his team uncover the complex dynamic of this bustling oasis where elephants, lions, leopards and more meet and compete for water.
Explore the daily drama as African wildlife flock to a manmade waterhole rigged with cameras. Dr. M. Sanjayan and his team uncover the complex dynamic of this bustling oasis where elephants, lions, leopards and more meet and compete for water.
![Preview]()
Explore the daily drama as African wildlife flock to a manmade waterhole with cameras.
Preview
Providing Support for PBS.org
Providing Support for PBS.org
Photos from Episode 1 of Life at the Waterhole
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During the dry season, the waterhole provides life-saving water for a whole community, including mammals and birds.
Clare Jones
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African elephants take a dip in the cool, refreshing water during the heat of the day.
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Waterholes provide a vital lifeline to a whole community of species, from the flora to the mega fauna.
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A herd of African elephants come for a drink at dusk.
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Giraffes must splay their enormous front legs in order to be able to get low enough to drink.
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Leopards are able to survive for days without drinking water, getting moisture from the blood of their kills.
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Warthogs are named after the protrusions on the side of their face, which are made of bone and cartilage.
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A thirsty lioness laps up a well needed drink.
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About the Show
Waterholes are vital to the African ecosystem; bustling oases where elephants, lions, leopards and hundreds of other species meet and compete for water. But little is known about how they support so much life. The BBC Studios Natural History Unit and PBS worked with Mwiba Wildlife Reserve and local communities in Tanzania to build the world's first waterhole with a built-in specialist camera rig.
With half-submerged and weather-proofed remote cameras, Dr. M. Sanjayan leads a team to uncover the complex dynamics of the waterhole for the very first time. Filming takes place across three dramatic periods: the middle of the dry season, the hottest time of year and the height of the first rains to gain unique insights into the lives of some of Africa's most iconic animals. As warthogs, giraffes, monkeys and big cats all jostle for position at the new waterhole the team uncovers the increasingly important role of water in Africa as its wildlife faces the growing impact of climate change.
Episode 1
In a ground-breaking natural history series, remote cameras capture life at a specially built African waterhole. Which animals find it, how do they use it, and will they share?
Episode 2
It's the hottest time of year and the waterhole gets busier when the sun sets. But a new predator lurks in the shadows: hyena have a dramatic impact on life at this new oasis.
Episode 3
The rains hit the waterhole and for the first time in half a year grass begins to grow and water is everywhere, dramatically changing the fortunes for the wild residents.
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