El río Zambeze es uno de los más poderosos de África. En su épico viaje desde su nacimiento en Zambia hasta el océano Índico, recorre más de 2500 km a través de seis países diferentes llevando la vida y oportunidades con él, creando cultura y facilitando medios de vida a los humanos.
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00:00The great rivers of the Earth make extraordinary journeys.
00:09They flow through continents, feeding and connecting life.
00:17Developing new ways of life.
00:21Providing a place for adventure.
00:29From the icy desert of the Yukon,
00:34to the tropical heat of the Alps,
00:39the great rivers of the world
00:44make extraordinary journeys.
00:51From the tropical desert of Zambezi
00:57to the magical hidden worlds of the Danube.
01:05The great rivers are the wisdom of the planet Earth.
01:22In the heart of Africa, there is a forest.
01:28A sacred place.
01:33The people of Lunda call it Zambezi, the heart of everything.
01:41In this place, a new world emerges.
01:47In this place, a crystal clear spring emerges.
01:55It is the birthplace of a great river.
02:01The hippos will bathe in its dark pools.
02:08And the elephants will fight against its dangerous currents.
02:14In turn, it will swallow the rocky ground.
02:20Its waters will fill large lakes.
02:25And it will spread until it forms the largest water curtain on the planet.
02:33For this stream to become one of the most powerful rivers in Africa,
02:39it will have to overcome all the obstacles it will find on its epic journey
02:47to the Indian Ocean.
02:51But wherever it goes, it will bring life.
02:58This is the story of Zambezi,
03:03the wildest river in Africa.
03:10Zambezi, the wildest river in Africa
03:15Since its birth in the northwest of Zambia,
03:20the Zambezi river has traveled more than 2,500 kilometers
03:25and crosses six different countries on its way to the Indian Ocean.
03:32Like many great rivers, its beginnings are modest
03:38and its destination is uncertain.
03:47The great journey of the Zambezi begins in the forests where it is born.
04:02But it doesn't take long to run into problems.
04:11Barotxelandia, an endless plain in the far west of Zambia.
04:22It is so flat that the Zambezi loses its momentum.
04:28In addition, we are in September, the critical moment of the dry season.
04:37Its water evaporates under the heat of the African sun.
04:49But in this place, the Zambezi is vital for the inhabitants of the area.
04:56Like the rancher Macalo Macaulo.
05:03September is the hottest month of the year.
05:08Everything dries up.
05:11We have a hard time because we depend on the water.
05:16Here in Barotxelandia, everything depends on the water.
05:21To keep his cows alive, Macalo Macaulo must carry them every day
05:28from the arid meadows to the revitalizing waters of the Zambezi.
05:36For me, the Zambezi River is like a father.
05:42A father who feeds his children.
05:46The father of Barotxelandia is the Zambezi.
05:51But as the heat increases, the waters of the Zambezi fade away
06:00and leave kilometers and kilometers of a dry and scorching bed.
06:07A very difficult place, whatever your way of life.
06:13My name is Giftimo Angala and I am 13 years old.
06:21In the dry season, when the sun embraces everything,
06:29our heads hurt.
06:33But the dry season also has advantages.
06:39During the dry season, we can go anywhere, without limits.
06:45And play football wherever we want.
06:53The lives of schoolchildren and ranchers continue during the dry season,
07:01just like the wild life in the area.
07:06These huge plains are home to some of the largest concentrations of wild life in Africa.
07:16And this is its most difficult time.
07:26But the heat has not come to stay.
07:31We are in October and the change is coming to Barotxelandia.
07:43More than 30,000 news have been launched.
07:50They are heading to the breeding territories, south of the plain.
07:55Anticipating the rains.
08:01It is the sign that the six months of drought are coming to an end.
08:12When the rain comes, everything changes.
08:18In October of each year, the rain falls.
08:23In October of each year, the tropical rains descend from Ecuador and spread through Barotxelandia.
08:39It is what all the inhabitants expected.
08:43When it rains, we are all very happy,
08:48because we know that good things are coming.
09:14I don't know how to express it.
09:18Everything changes. It changes to the nature of the soil.
09:26The rains are a total transformation.
09:32The greening of these 10,000 square kilometers is visible, even from space.
09:44And why can't time always be like this?
09:50As the meadows revitalize,
09:53they become an important wetland for the whole planet,
09:57as it houses 350 species of birds.
10:04And the news finally reach their breeding areas.
10:13In a couple of weeks, coinciding with this time of abundance,
10:17all the calves of the herd will be born.
10:35But the rain has an even more spectacular effect.
10:40And the Zambeze...
10:45...begins to overflow.
10:57During the growing season, it is easier to go to school.
11:02You take the canoe and row.
11:09The population of Varotselandia has always lived in sync
11:13with the annual growth of the Zambeze.
11:22The largest populations are built on high ground
11:26so as not to suffer flooding.
11:33But there are small constructions designed
11:36to remain submerged for a while.
11:40And they remain abandoned until the water level drops.
11:50Growth brings new challenges.
11:56When rowing to school,
11:58you can find a hippopotamus coming out of the water.
12:07And there are also many crocodiles.
12:14When you see them, you have to row as fast as possible
12:18in the opposite direction.
12:24Many children do not go to school during the wet season.
12:30But this school has been built taking into account the growth.
12:37It is located on a mound.
12:40And it even has springs for the students to tie their canoes.
12:45Although the river continues to grow,
12:48while they can get to their canoes,
12:51Gif and his companions will continue to study.
12:56The cattle do not have the option of staying in the flooded plains.
13:02And they also use canoes to guide the cattle to a higher place.
13:15But under the water, the Zambeze lime is fertilizing the land.
13:21And when the cattle return,
13:23they will have the most nutritious pastures in the area.
13:32Floods are not only good for the inhabitants of Varotselandia.
13:38The water that has covered the plain
13:41is concentrating again in a renewed current.
13:46The Zambeze is on the move again.
14:00When leaving Varotselandia, the Zambeze turns east.
14:05And for the next 500 kilometers,
14:08it will serve as a gateway to the south.
14:11And for the next 500 kilometers,
14:14it will serve as a border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
14:23Driven by the current,
14:26the Zambeze's flow increases non-stop.
14:31And as it grows,
14:33it creates more opportunities for life.
14:42The Zambeze is already beginning to appear,
14:45the great African river that it is.
14:52And it begins to gain speed
14:54as it flows over a series of steps on the rocky bed.
15:05In the distance, the fog cloud is already visible.
15:12An anticipation of what is coming.
15:20Right where the Zambeze reaches its maximum power,
15:29it falls through a cliff.
15:32Almost 2 kilometers wide.
15:37And a fall of more than 100 meters.
15:42500 million liters of water per minute.
15:50So much water causes a cloud of vaporized water
15:54to come out of the Zambeze.
15:58So much water causes a cloud of vaporized water
16:02that reaches 500 meters high.
16:09It is called Musi Otonia.
16:12The smoke that thunders.
16:21These are the Victoria Falls.
16:27The largest water curtain on Earth.
16:41It would be normal to think
16:43that it is better to stay away from this place,
16:46but it has certain attractions.
16:52A group of male elephants approaches the riverbank.
16:58At this time of year,
17:00the islands just above the waterfalls
17:03are covered with fresh vegetation.
17:06A paradise for elephants.
17:12But it is dangerous to get to them.
17:17At its peak, the Zambeze descends with extraordinary strength.
17:23It is a very dangerous place to get carried away by the current.
17:32But the islands are too tempting.
17:37These males are willing to take the risk.
17:42The more they advance, the stronger the current.
17:50And there is more depth.
18:01Swimming is the only option.
18:05At that moment, the current begins to drag them downriver.
18:14If they do not reach one of the islands,
18:17they will fall through the waterfalls.
18:35One after the other, they reach the firm ground.
18:49For the smallest elephants, the danger is greater.
19:05But for the bigger elephants,
19:08the danger is greater.
19:15The elephants are not afraid of the current.
19:20They are not afraid of the current.
19:24They are not afraid of the current.
19:28They are not afraid of the current.
19:31They are not afraid of the current.
19:35They have all crossed and are safe.
19:41They can start their feast.
19:46All the vegetation is for them.
19:50But the elephants eat up to 300 kilos of food a day.
19:56And when they finish with the tastiest vegetation on this island,
20:01they will have to take the risk again
20:04and cross the Zambezi again.
20:14The Victoria Falls mark the next transformation of the Zambezi.
20:20The river is completely engulfed by a huge abyss.
20:34Trapped in a channel only 25 meters wide,
20:38the Zambezi opens a furrow in the rocky heart of Africa
20:43and forms steep walls of more than 140 meters high.
20:52It is the throat of Batoca,
20:56where the Zambezi creates another phenomenon.
21:04It is less known than the Victoria Falls.
21:07But it is just as unique.
21:12The Zambezi wave.
21:17The perfect wave for surfing,
21:21reserved for the bravest.
21:31Coming here to surf is amazing.
21:34Mikey February is a professional surfer.
21:39He is 1000 kilometers from the nearest ocean,
21:43but he has come to surf the Zambezi wave.
21:49It is something that happens once in a lifetime.
21:53Very few people have done it,
21:57and that makes it even more special.
22:05Mikey has come to the Zambezi at a very specific time of the year.
22:12When the dry season arrives,
22:16in three or four months,
22:20the river will change again.
22:28And the Victoria Falls begin to stop.
22:34The Zambezi experiences these extreme cycles year after year,
22:38with 50 times less water flowing through the waterfalls.
22:54And when the water level in the throat drops,
22:58ideal conditions are created for surfing.
23:04When the water level drops to a certain level,
23:08the rocky platform of the riverbed modifies the current
23:12and forms the Zambezi wave.
23:17The wave stays exactly in the same place
23:21and breaks constantly.
23:25But it only lasts 10 days.
23:28The Zambezi wave should not be taken lightly,
23:32not even by a professional like Mikey.
23:36There are rocks, very strong rapids,
23:40and a current of water that moves in a very different way from the sea.
23:44The fear factor is very intense.
23:59The wave is formed by a rock slab underneath.
24:03It is very dangerous to ride it.
24:07And then there are the rapids.
24:28Mikey has to get out of the white area
24:32as quickly as possible
24:36so that the current does not catch up with him.
24:40He rows to the pick-up point on the riverbank,
24:44but the current is too strong.
24:48This is where his experience in the water is demonstrated.
24:52He is able to maintain the current
24:55and the safety kayak comes immediately
24:59to help him get out of danger.
25:15Mikey is willing to try again.
25:18Getting the Zambezi wave is like getting a sea wave backwards.
25:22The sea pushes you forward
25:26and the river obviously goes in the opposite direction.
25:30It's a totally different feeling.
25:34Once you get it for the first time,
25:38you get an idea of what you have to do.
25:42And you know what's waiting for you
25:45when you fall.
25:57It's scary to surf that wave.
26:01It's like finding the middle ground
26:05between surfing and getting out of the wave alive.
26:09And the more time you spend in the river and in the wave,
26:13the more you learn about it.
26:17You discover how it moves and its nuances.
26:21And besides surfing in this wave,
26:25it's wonderful to have the opportunity
26:29to appreciate the Zambezi and everything it represents.
26:38ZAMBEZI
26:42ZAMBEZI
26:46ZAMBEZI
26:50ZAMBEZI
26:54ZAMBEZI
26:58ZAMBEZI
27:02Once the throat is gone, the Zambezi continues its journey.
27:05Now it makes its way through the landslide
27:09along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
27:17And it's about to change shape once again.
27:21This time, because of a very different force.
27:24The Caribbean Dam.
27:28Built in the 1950s,
27:32it completely blocks the Zambezi
27:36and makes it flow through its turbines
27:40to produce electricity.
27:44After the construction of the dam,
27:48the Zambezi River flows through the dam
27:51and takes only five years to rise 100 meters.
27:55And that growth created the huge Caribbean Lake.
27:59It is more than 30 kilometers wide,
28:03280 meters long
28:07and contains 185 cubic kilometers of water.
28:11When such a large amount of water
28:15settled on the bottom,
28:18it caused more than 20 major earthquakes.
28:22Due to the volume of water,
28:26the Caribbean Lake is the largest artificial lake on the planet.
28:38And it has also become an important refuge
28:42for wildlife.
28:48On the coast around the lake,
28:52very fertile meadows have grown.
28:58And in the forests,
29:01where the water rises,
29:05a unique and perfect habitat has been created
29:09for the most emblematic bird of the Zambezi,
29:13the African eagle.
29:18There are about 500 couples
29:22with reproductive capacity.
29:26They mate for life.
29:30The twisted branches of the trees
29:34form ideal platforms for nests.
29:38The waters of the lake, infested with crocodiles,
29:42serve as protection.
29:45Trees are also ideal observation points
29:49for locating prey in the lake.
29:57With a wingspan of 2 meters,
30:01they easily fish in shallow waters.
30:16It is such an advantageous place for eagle fishermen
30:20that they have completely dominated it.
30:24And its disturbing cry
30:27has become the sound of the Caribbean Lake.
30:35The Zambezi is now halfway
30:39on its journey to the Indian Ocean.
30:45When its waters are freed from the great dam,
30:49the river continues its course
30:54and enters a lost world,
30:59scattering in a valley 50 kilometers wide,
31:06which feeds a huge natural land,
31:11one of Africa's richest habitats.
31:15It is also one of the most famous places in the world
31:19to observe wildlife.
31:24This area of the Zambezi and its surroundings
31:28is full of safari lodgings.
31:32Places where people come to relax
31:36and enjoy the beauty of nature.
31:39But who observes whom?
31:43This tourist complex has been in operation for many years,
31:47and wild animals have become accustomed to humans.
31:51As soon as they pass through the vestibule,
31:55they find themselves in the middle of the jungle.
31:59They are not afraid of humans,
32:03but they are afraid of the wild.
32:06As soon as they pass through the vestibule,
32:10they find another important attraction,
32:14a huge wild mango.
32:19Its fruit has the right maturity for a short time,
32:23at the end of the dry season.
32:27And it is a delight when the food is scarce.
32:30But baboons are not the only ones
32:34who are fascinated by a mango.
32:38There are more guests who want to stay in this place.
33:01Elephants have been coming from the nearby river
33:05to this mango for many generations.
33:09They follow ancient paths,
33:13already drawn long before the complex was built.
33:17And there is a family in particular
33:21who knows that neither the building nor its inhabitants
33:25pose a threat to them.
33:29Why walk around
33:33when you can cross the vestibule of the reception?
33:45They are totally wild elephants,
33:49but over the years they have developed
33:53a special relationship with the staff.
33:56This relationship has been passed on
34:00through several generations.
34:04We have established a relationship
34:08and we have seen how the young
34:11became almost adults over the years.
34:15We have a very beautiful relationship.
34:19It is very likely that this young male
34:22will be relaxed and even take the time
34:26to visit the gift shop
34:30and register at the reception.
34:37But they cannot resist the temptation of mangoes.
34:45These trees are vital for the wild life of the area.
34:52Their roots extract water from the subsurface,
34:56so they can even bear fruit in the dry season.
35:00And they are an important source of energy and vitamin C.
35:08While the elephants enjoy their feast,
35:12the guests enjoy a unique encounter with wildlife.
35:22And when they have eaten enough,
35:26they leave quietly,
35:31just as they arrived,
35:36crossing the vestibule.
35:39The elephants not only eat a lot,
35:43but they also drink up to 200 liters of water a day.
35:48And for this, they depend on the river,
35:52just like all the animals around here.
35:56The elephants are a great source of energy
36:00and vitamin C.
36:03And for this, they depend on the river,
36:07just like all the animals around here.
36:14But the Zambezi is not just a place to drink.
36:21For the Abejaruco carmesí,
36:25the Zambezi banks are an ideal place to build a home.
36:29They form colonies of thousands of nests.
36:33Each of them is dug into the sandy wall of the cliff,
36:37and is more than a meter deep
36:41to protect its eggs from predators.
36:45But outside the nest,
36:49the adults are very vulnerable.
37:04The African eagles not only live in the Caribbean lake,
37:08but they also inhabit a large part of the Zambezi.
37:14Their skills as fishermen
37:18also allow them to hunt birds.
37:33The African eagle
37:37is the largest bird of prey in the world.
37:41It is the largest bird of prey in the world.
37:45It is the largest bird of prey in the world.
37:58The hippos spend the warmest days
38:01in the cool waters of the Zambezi.
38:05The females live in groups
38:09in a territory ruled by a single male.
38:13They are very peaceful creatures,
38:17until the authority of a male is challenged by a rival.
38:20Then they become very violent.
38:50In the safety of the river,
38:54the hippos are omnipotent.
39:21But when the sun sets,
39:25they lose their bravado.
39:32The hippos eat grass,
39:36about 40 kilos each night.
39:42And they can't get it if they stay in the river.
39:46Although they are huge,
39:50with their two tons of weight out of the water,
39:54they become very prudent.
39:58What makes them so nervous?
40:06As the night progresses,
40:10they go deeper into the shadows.
40:16They go up to five kilometers at night,
40:20in complete silence.
40:31And they peacefully graze in the meadow lit by the moon.
40:41But they are being watched.
40:46Lions.
41:01A herd of lions patrol this part of the Zambezi.
41:06They know that there are animals that come and go from the river.
41:11And darkness is their ally.
41:19But you have to be very brave
41:23to bother a two-ton hippo.
41:35On the way back to the river,
41:39they are very vulnerable.
41:44The lions have an extraordinary sight,
41:48and their advantage increases at the darkest hour of the night.
41:55Now they have everything in their favor.
42:06A lioness tries to hunt an impala.
42:14Alarmed by the noise,
42:17the hippos run to take refuge in the river's safety.
42:21But a calf has been left alone.
42:25And it doesn't go unnoticed.
42:28A male lion chases it.
42:44Just in time.
42:48The hippo has managed to escape.
42:52And it's safe again.
42:56And it's safe again in the waters of the Zambezi.
43:07To end its journey,
43:11the Zambezi undertakes the last great feat of transformation.
43:19Before landing on the coastal plains of Mozambique,
43:24it branches off into innumerable sinuous streams.
43:32And it forms a great triangle that reaches the Indian Ocean.
43:39It is the Zambezi Delta.
43:48But this last chapter of the journey
43:51of the Zambezi Delta
43:54bears the weight of the past.
43:58Between 1977 and 1992,
44:02the delta was ravaged by civil war.
44:06The human cost was enormous,
44:10and it also had a disastrous effect on wildlife.
44:15During the war,
44:19wild animals were killed for their meat,
44:23and in the case of elephants, for their ivory.
44:27Nature was dramatically resented.
44:31Dominique Gonsalves is a Mozambican conservationist
44:35who is driven by passion
44:38to forge a better future for the country's wildlife.
44:42He is part of a team
44:45whose mission is to enter the heart of the Zambezi Delta
44:49to assess the state of wildlife
44:52after the ravages of the war.
45:01Dominique specializes in elephants.
45:07His plan is to put GPS necklaces
45:11on the most important elephants to know their movements.
45:15It is the first step to protect the entire delta fauna.
45:20By protecting the area where an elephant lives,
45:24you protect a huge area that many other species use.
45:30But first you have to find them.
45:37The Zambezi Delta is huge.
45:41It covers 8,000 square kilometers.
45:49The delta was famous
45:52for the extraordinary richness of its wildlife.
45:58Huge flocks of elephants lived in it,
46:02and the largest herds of buffalo in Africa.
46:06Since the Civil War,
46:08few studies have been carried out in this area,
46:12so not much is known about their situation.
46:16But after half an hour of flight,
46:19they discover a hopeful sign.
46:22Elephants.
46:24It's important to decide which individual we want to work with.
46:29You have to take into account their age,
46:32and if it's a female, you have to know if she's pregnant or not,
46:35so you don't put her under a lot of stress.
46:42The dart contains a very fast sedative.
46:48And when the helicopter lands,
46:51the elephant is already asleep.
46:55They check that it's breathing properly,
46:58and they start working.
47:01They have to do it very quickly.
47:03Even if the elephant is deeply asleep,
47:06the sooner they finish, the sooner it can return to its herd.
47:13While they adjust its collar,
47:16Dominic gathers all the information he can.
47:20It's a good opportunity to study the delta elephants.
47:26A blood sample.
47:28The feet are very small.
47:30The size of the foot.
47:31And although knowing that it has recently eaten
47:34is a vital part of the job,
47:37it is a very unglamorous task.
47:44All finished in just 15 minutes.
47:49It's not snorting.
47:55An injection counteracts the effects of the sedative.
48:02They only have a few minutes to take off.
48:19Finding elephants as soon as the search begins
48:23is a very hopeful sign that there are many survivors in the delta.
48:28In the following days,
48:31Dominic put a collar on six elephants from different herds,
48:35and the data began to arrive.
48:41Now he will know exactly where each herd of elephants moves,
48:47and how much space they need to relate,
48:50eat, and avoid humans.
48:52Dominic's elephants travel the delta with their GPS collars,
48:57generating very valuable data.
49:01And they are starting to trace the space
49:04that will someday protect all the wildlife of the delta.
49:15Despite the briefness of the flight,
49:18there are many indications that show the life of the elephants.
49:22A life that could develop again in the delta.
49:28A large herd with hundreds of buffalos.
49:33It is a poor memory of the legendary herds
49:36that traveled the delta in other times.
49:40But also the anticipation of a possible future.
49:45Here, where the Zambezi River reaches the end of its journey.
49:53The Zambezi River is extremely important.
49:58Not only for biodiversity and nature,
50:02but for the culture it creates,
50:05and the means of life it provides.
50:12Without it, nothing would be the same.
50:15I think that's why we're so proud
50:18that the Zambezi, one of the biggest rivers in Africa,
50:22ends here, in our home.
50:30Since its birth as a wild animal,
50:33the Zambezi River has been a source of food,
50:37water, and water.
50:40Since its birth as a stream in a distant corner of Zambia,
50:45this great river has overcome many obstacles
50:49in its 2,500 kilometers of journey.
50:56The heat of the African sun.
51:01The accidental orography of the heart of the continent.
51:09And the demands of the modern world.
51:13Wherever it flows, it brings life and opportunities.
51:22Also here, at the end of its journey.
51:27When the waters of the Zambezi
51:30are diluted in the Indian Ocean.
51:40The Zambezi River
51:43The Zambezi River
51:46The Zambezi River
51:49The Zambezi River
51:52The Zambezi River
51:55The Zambezi River
51:58The Zambezi River
52:01The Zambezi River
52:04The Zambezi River
52:06The Zambezi River