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S43E12: Salvation | Katavi: Africa's Fallen Paradise | Clip

Chaos at the Waterhole

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It’s extremely rare for crocodiles and hippos to mingle so closely, but extreme drought forces the animals to behave abnormally. As crocodiles and hippos crowd one of the few remaining waterholes, chaos erupts and threatens the life of a baby hippo.

TRANSCRIPT

- [Narrator] It's unheard of for crocodiles and hippos to mingle so closely.

But extreme drought is forcing everything here to behave abnormally.

Katavi gets more hellish every day.

For a mother and baby, the situation is particularly dire.

Hippos cannot sweat to keep cool.

Without refuge in water, the baby runs the risk of overheating.

She desperately tries to stay in the shade of her mother, but she's grown weaker.

(hippo grunting) Displacing crocs is risky, but they must cool off.

(hippo grunting) And at last, a few inches to lie in, (hippo grunting) but their next door neighbor doesn't want to share, and it's the final straw for this overwrought mother.

(water splashing) (hippos grunting) But losing her temper causes a ripple effect, and the whole pod erupts into chaos, which could put her baby in more danger.

(water splashing) (hippos grunting) A huge croc has become trapped in the middle of the hippo soup.

His only escape is to crowd surf.

It's a stunt that could cost him his life.

(hippos grunting) A hippo's jaws are powerful enough to bite a crocodile in half, (water splashing) (hippos grunting) but he must take his chances and run the gauntlet.

(water splashing) (hippos grunting) The baby hippo has survived the rampage and found deeper water at last, (hippos grunting) and the croc makes it safely to the bank.