African Safari Page #2

of the animals around here.

Oh look here is another

male who's approaching.

This is very unique to see

so many rhinos in one place.

You are very fortunate,

sometimes we don't see any

for a week or more.

Oh shoot...

I hit my lamp against the tablet.

It is sad to see how

such fearless animal

have become so nervous

because of poaching.

Leaving the Canyon region,

we head west to the Waterberg plateau,

the home of the Cheetah Conservation

research center

and one of the largest

protected habitats

for the fastest predator on earth.

Like black rhinos,

Cheetahs are on the verge of extinction.

About half of the 6000

remaining specimens

are found in Namibia.

This predator has a large hunting range

often spanning over 150 km.

The abundant wildlife

and low population density

make Namibia an ideal sanctuary

for this majestic cat.

Contrary to lion and leopard

who from time to time

may be a threat to humans,

cheetah represent no danger to people,

but they do kill domestic animals

and are considered vermin

by the local farmers.

In Southern Africa,

photo safaris often take place

in fenced-in games reserves

that have been re-stocked

with wild animals.

It is not unusual to see the big five

in a single day.

But it can take a lot of

driving and patience

to find what you are looking for

in the real African wilderness.

And this is certainly true for cheetah.

The plains at the foot

of the Waterberg plateau,

teaming with antelope

are the ideal hunting ground

for cheetah.

But the tall grass makes it difficult

for us to spot them.

So we ask Dany

to do a quick survey of the area

from the air before sunset.

It is Kevin's turn to fly.

Mara, Mara do you copy!

- Loud and clear!

- Okay.

Soon after take off,

the wind comes up unexpectedly,

pushing the balloon towards

the acacia forest bordering the plains.

A landing in the thorny trees

would spell disaster

and shred the balloon to pieces.

We have to brace for a rough landing.

Hey Kevin, what's happening!

Are you landing?

We've got a little bit of a situation.

Wind Shift,

we are being push towards

the acacia trees.

We're gonna go down...

It's an emergency.

We're going too fast!

It's going to be rough.

Kevin, you're not hurt?

No, I'm OK. I am fine!

Thanks, I am fine.

What a wind shift,

I didn't see it coming...

Yes.

The next morning,

with the help of the Cheetah

Conservation Fund researchers

who monitor cheetah activity

with infra red camera traps,

we head for an area

where several predators

have been spotted earlier in the day.

This is a really exciting

opportunity for me.

I have done a lot of work with lions

and hyenas,

but I never had a chance

to observe cheetahs at such close range

in the wild before.

This could be the day.

Look over there... a cheetah.

What is he chasing?

Well, I don't see anything.

Still running.

Maybe he is chasing us.

Yeah, could be.

I am just going to

give him some space...

He seems a bit aground.

I'll give him a bit of a wide berth.

That must be the tree.

Yeah, I am just gonna

get in a bit closer.

Look at that, our timing is perfect.

It is the first time in my life

I've seen a cheetah in a tree.

Yeah, it's unusual.

Look, cubs in the grass.

I didn't even see them there.

I was too busy looking up.

Contrary to leopards who spend most

of their days in trees,

cheetah only use them

briefly as vantage point

to scan the plains for potential prey.

The oryx she spotted

are certainly too big for a lone cheetah

but a coalition of two or three of them

could probably take such

a big antelope down.

Most predators do quite well

in national parks

and private game reserves,

as there are plenty of prey

for them to hunt.

But Cheetahs have a much tougher time

competing with the bigger cats

like lion or leopard.

The fences around the parks

reduce their hunting range drastically

and they often become prey themselves.

To survive

they need vast protected

areas like this one.

The sighting left us speechless.

In just a few days,

we've had multiple encounters with

two of the most endangered animals

on the continent.

What an auspicious start

to our journey across Africa.

But the day wasn't over yet.

As we are driving away,

I catch a glimpse of a wonderful sight

in my rear view mirror.

Considering the loss of habitat

due to population explosion in Africa

and the hunting by local farmers,

man is unquestionably

the cheetah's biggest threat.

But ironically,

without man's intervention

the species won't make it on its own.

The most graceful cat on our planet

is literally racing for its survival.

Leaving Namibia

for the Okavango Delta in Botswana,

we cross the northern part

of the Kalahari desert,

the home of some the biggest

and most powerful lions in Africa.

As we are looking for a campsite along

the northern border of the reserve,

we come across a coalition

of three big male lions.

A worrisome sight so close

to local villages.

Lions normally do not hunt on farmland,

but the loss of their habitat

force them occasionally to raid villages

for domestic animals.

This resulting conflict

is the main cause

for the rapid decline of the number

of lions in the wild.

Having lost about 80% of their habitat,

it is estimated that fewer than

25000 lions still roam free.

Look, the three lions

we saw yesterday evening.

Can you see what they killed?

No, I'm not sure...

it's definitely not a cow.

It looks like a buffalo,

but there's none around here.

Oh no, I can't believe it...

It's a horse.

If the villagers find out about it,

these lions are definitely history.

Yeah still eating.

One on the carcass,

and then there is another in the back.

They've eaten quite a lot,

you can smell it from here.

Yeah, but the good thing is

they're not gonna leave their kill

until it's all gone.

I mean this leaves us a day or two

to observe them at close range.

They seemed pretty relaxed,

but they are really exposed out here.

We could be angry villagers.

Yeah, but I think they know we're OK.

I mean we followed them around

for awhile yesterday afternoon,

and then into the whole of last night.

Where is the third lion?

I think he probably went for a drink.

You know that's all they do really,

eat, drink and then rest.

Now what are these fellows up to?

It's a bit weird,

I mean they should not be

marking their territory.

You see the second lion.

That may keep other lions away.

But it's people they have

to watch out for.

That's for sure,

but it's amazing how comfortable

they are with us.

We've only been with them

in a few hours.

They must have heard something,

they are on full alert!

No... False alarm.

This is what lions really like to do.

Snooze lazily in the shade of a bush.

Yeah but when you look at them,

you think they are completely oblivious

to their surroundings,

but they're actually not.

Looks like they're heading

back to the carcass.

Known as the river that

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