Island of the Hippos - Go Wild

[Music] foreign [Music] has a new Prince you must be about three months old and he can't yet fend for himself or spend more than a minute underwater so he passes the time perched on his mother's back an island of over a thousand kilos of ferocious unconditional affection where he knows he is safe and from which he will only come down to feed on her milk [Music] he is the youngest descendant of an unusual hippopotamus lineage which is unique in the world [Music] [Applause] [Music] their footprints on the beach reveal this singular nature these hippopotamuses are

the only ones in the world to frequent continuously the coastal salt water of the island where they live the home of the hippopotamuses is part of the bisago soccer pelago opposite the coast of Guinea bissau in West Africa [Music] it consists of 88 islands where the wildlife is an explosion of diversity and abundance indeed it is for example the second most important area in the west of Africa for the number and variety of the migratory Birds which visited the low density of human population and its geographical location favor the extraordinary biodiversity of this region which

has been declared a biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO it is a hybrid world of vague frontiers of lands which emerge or disappear in accordance with the tides which also feed the liquid veins winding between the dense mangrove swamps savannas and jungles which cover these islands as the dry season began not long ago the herd of hippopotamuses can still enjoy lagoons like this one which has been created by the Abundant rainfall characteristic of the other half of the meteorological year in the bisayos islands but day by day and month by month the harsh Tropical Sun Will

gradually dry it out which will drive the hippopotamuses to the Salt Waters of the vicinity this is because hippopotamuses cannot live without the protection of water during the day their smooth naked skin is practically defenseless from the power of the sun which dries it out and burns it easily they do however secrete a pink substance which acts as sun protection this led the first European explorers who discovered them to say that those monstrous animals sweated blood but it is much more effective and safer for their health to spend the day in the water the youngest

in the group not only enjoys the protection of his mother the whole herd of tens of females and some young males tolerated by the great leader stands opposite them in an overwhelming wall of tusks and muscles watchful to any threat which may arise to he who now personifies the future of his career uh [Music] hippopotamuses are not very prolific the females usually give birth to a single Cub every two years this season he is the only son of the imposing male who Reigns on the Lagoon [Music] submerged also helps them to avoid the harassment of

the mosquitoes which infest their Lagoon but the fact that the latter is so abundant is largely their own fault mosquito larvae feed voraciously in these Waters which are very rich in organic matter thanks to the excrements of the hippopotamuses this is until they become pupae in the next stage of their metamorphosis prior to the miniature Prodigy which has repeated millions of times the birth of an adult mosquito foreign foreign [Music] for the hippopotamuses is a blessing for other inhabitants of the Lagoon the African jakana is a specialist in the capturing of insects Evolution has given

its extremely long toes to enable it to walk safely on aquatic plant in search of its favorite food it should not however lower its guard if any neighbor with threatening Jaws is prowling in the vicinity the females mate with several males at the same time and leave to the latter the tasks of incubating the eggs and looking after the nestlings while they teach them to fend for themselves it is not unusual for the various males and the female with which they have reproduced to join forces to look after all their offspring the Lagoon of the

hippopotamuses has other neighbors on its banks which are also in the middle of the breeding season [Music] they have converted a solitary tree into a Motley and bustling housing estate of hanging nests in contrast to the African chicanas it is the males of the village Weavers who mate with several females whether they achieve this or not depends on their ability to build nests which are attractive to the females it is no easy task to win the heart of the latter The Nest which she now visits to feed her chicks was subjected by the female to

a conscientious inspection to ensure that it was safe and comfortable for her future Young [Music] thank you she will only accept the male and mate with him if the nest passes her expert assessment at the start of the breeding season each male expertly weaves up to five nests of Blades of grass which he ties with his bill and feet he then places them on the Weaver property market for the females to choose the nests which do not achieve their purpose are destroyed by the male who recycles the material to make others when the breeding season

ends a male Village Weaver may have built as many as 20 nests [Music] it is thus easy to understand that the activity in the Weaver colony is now frenzied whilst the females continue to bring all kinds of insects to feed their young the males spend the day building nests they also defend the spaces where they are located which is no easy task in such a populist Colony squabbled between neighbors are therefore frequent the building skills of the Weaver pale into insignificance compared with those of other inhabitants of the island of the hippopotamuses here and there

Rising several meters above the surrounding vegetation stand peculiar mud structures they are slender as Cathedrals as solid as castles and as mysterious as fairytale palaces these constructions are the home of extraordinary animals termites [Music] the work of the construction and maintenance of the termite Nest falls to the cast of the workers they come quickly to repair any damage that may occur making with their mouths tiny balls of Earth moistened with their saliva with which they erect the walls of their enormous home the soldiers with their huge heads and Jaws guarantee their safety while they work

all termites are blind and communicate between themselves thanks to their antennae with which they detect smells tastes vibrations and temperature the Society of the termites is a Marvel of efficiency and organization in which each member knows what to do and carries out its task the welfare and future of the whole of the colony depends on it because outside the termite Nest a thousand dangers lie in weight however Brave and well-armed it may be a single soldier termite is no match for the powerful gambian boxer mantis [Music] tomorrow for this voracious and deadly predator insects such

as termites or ants occupied with their own maintenance are a tasty and feasible objective to capture the camouflage sharp eyesight and a neck which can turn quickly towards any movement that reveals the presence of possible prey foreign but not even someone this well equipped is free from a bitter surprise a bite seasoned with irritating acid helps the ant to avoid the jaws of the Mantis for the inhabitants of the dense Jungle of the heart of the island of the hippopotamuses the search for food may also become a risky challenge the soil is covered with delicious

fruits which are irresistible to an African squirrel but here it is much more vulnerable and there may be something other than food hidden among the Dead Leaves foreign there is no doubt that the Treetops are a much safer place for the African squirrel where it moves about the Labyrinth of the branches in all confidence safer but not inaccessible if anyone can compete with a squirrel in agility moving through the Treetops it is the blanding's cat snake it specializes in feeding on tree life and moves along the branches as if on a Motorway capturing with its

tongue the olfactory traces left by the animals which live here they are hard put to discover it thanks to its silent approach and the camouflage of the design of its scales and when the road comes to an end its powerful muscles help it to continue hunting something is not going well the squirrel flattens itself against the branch in an effort to escape notice in the face of a threat which it perhaps feels rather than Seas it has been discovered the cat snake will have to continue on its way in search of less suspicious prey in

their aerial and Labyrinthian Kingdom African squirrels live a solitary existence or at the most one shared with a mate and they're young here they can find shelter and abundant food they spend the day enjoying a very varied diet which ranges from eggs to insects and reptiles above all however they feed on the fruits of the trees in which they live which benefits the ecosystem as squirrels disseminate the seeds with great efficiency [Music] foreign [Music] The Heat Of The Sun lessens as the afternoon Falls while the squirrels gather leaves in the cavities of trees to spend

a more comfortable night other inhabitants of the island take advantage of the waning light to find a last mouthful before also going off to bed okay now is the moment however when the hippopotamuses can finally eat and they will do so voraciously they haven't eaten anything since the previous night as the sun has restricted them to their Lagoon as soon as it sets they take to the banks to graze and they will not allow any neighbor to get between them and their supper although in the water and during the day they are highly sociable animals

when they are eating hippopotamuses become extremely individualistic with the only company of an Entourage of cattle egrets AVID for the parasites which torment them and the small animals which flee as it passes this member of the herd seeks the places where it will find the grass it will devour every night it travels several kilometers to find the amount of between 30 and 50 kilos which an adult animal generally eats once satiated it will also rest on Solid Ground until the arrival of the new day obliges it to return to the Lagoon it may also go

down to the beach to take a bath to free it from the parasites clinging to its delicate skin today perhaps it will not do so because the hippopotamuses of the bisangos islands prefer moonless nights for taking a dip in salty water the night is also when an inhabitant of the island as small as it is insatiable prefers to feed it has a sharp snout full of sensory receivers and Keen hearing and eyesight and powerful jaws that rarely allow prey to escape the Shrew is the victim of a highly accelerated metabolism which means that it does

not live long and also that it must eat very often but this isn't a problem for someone so well equipped for hunting this small mammal is capable of capturing a wide range of prey species including those of almost its own size the night tide has left a gift for the carrion feeders of the island the carcass of a barracuda which appears to have succumbed to the attack of another Marine predator and it isn't the only one the pied crows know very well that a morning rock along the beaches will provide them with a good breakfast

the ocean which bathes the bisandos islands is even richer in biodiversity than the land thanks to the Abundant nutrients it contains the pine crows tend to be the first to discover tasty carrion but they are hardly ever alone they must eat in haste as other diners are already approaching and they have short arguments to steal the food from them foreign ERS are not so ceremonious when they eat as other vultures which generally wait their turn they have come to eat and they know how to use their strength both against other hooded vultures and the stubborn

crows the beach becomes a battlefield around the carcass where nobody seems to be willing to give way each mouthful means a row and each quarrel is an opportunity to take advantage of a distraction on the part of an opponent oblivious to the altercations of its cousins upon that vulture enjoys its breakfast in peace in the knowledge that nobody will dare to challenge it [Music] pied crows have thick bills with which to defend their rights above all they have a courage that verges on recklessness if we take into account that the hooded vultures are larger more

heavily armed and stronger than they are foreign [Music] [Music] it's clear that the tactic of worrying the vultures until they tire and leave isn't working at all well for the crows perhaps it's best to use patience a satiated vulture may become more generous with its neighbors where food is concerned however it seems that on this beach you can never be sure the beaches and sand banks of the island of the hippopotamuses are very attractive for birds on migration indeed the whole archipelago to which it belongs receives each season over a million of these birds which

arrive to spend the winter or to rest a while before continuing their migration turns sandpipers and other Travelers like them stop here to feed and regain their strength on these beaches which they share with many other animals when the sea Retreats the still wet sand reveals a wide variety of inhabitants swarms with those who put their faith in fine weaponry and armor-plated bodies and also with those like this sea snail which prefer to entrust their safety to the shells in which they live [Music] the fiddler crabs are those who show off their armor the males

have a highly developed pincer with which to defend their home each individual digs a hole in the sand to shelter in When the tide covers its territory when the water has retreated this serves as a refuge to which it comes quickly when it senses Danger luckily for the males they have other smaller and more efficient pincers for feeding with thanks to them they can raise sand to their mouths where they sieve it so as to extract the organic matter it contains [Applause] they can do so with admirable persistence as long as the tide remains low

[Music] thank you living so close to each other and being highly territorial doesn't make for good neighbors the disputes between males owing to the invasion of the space of others tends to lead to harsh confrontations in which the disproportionate pincers become terrible weapons which may cause serious damage to opponents to avoid this male fiddler crabs prefer to warn others rather than having to fight and they do so by dancing their dance not only serves to dissuade other males it is also an incitement to females to choose him as a partner and mate in his gallery

however an incipient Love Story between crabs may come to a sudden end owing to Hungry neighbors such as the wimble in order to be looking for food on this beach in northwest Africa this wimble has had to face a long and hazardous Journey it has arrived from its breeding grounds thousands of kilometers away in Northern and Central Europe it will spend the winter here probing the intertidal areas with its extraordinary bill it is an expert in this work unfortunately for any crab it comes across one of the most extensive and fascinating ecosystems of the island

of the hippopotamuses is the mangrove swamp this uncertain territory which is neither dry land nor Ocean and which is flooded and emptied in accordance with the tides sustains itself secured to the roots of an amazing tree the red mangrove in order to grow and support itself in such soft and unstable soil as a result of the regular invasion of the sea this true fighter unfolds a tangle of aerial Roots which intertwine with those of its Brothers to create an intricate Labyrinth of plants The Mangrove swamp thus becomes a wall which protects the coast from the

onslaughts of the ocean and the storms in an environment of great vitality another of its noteworthy adaptations to such a hostile atmosphere is its seed as it leaves the tree its tapering shape helps it embed itself in the mud and culminate its germination if this doesn't happen it can still fulfill its Mission by being Swept Away by currents to a new environment to colonize the red Mangrove also knows how to free itself of the salt it absorbs through its roots which would be lethal for any other plant it accumulates the salt in its oldest leaves

which end up turning yellow and falling off if there is one animal which as much as the mangrove symbolizes life in this imprecise salty and amphibious world it's the mudskipper this fish does what no other of the mangrove swamp does when the sea goes down it stays its whole Anatomy is a Marvel of adaptation to life Between Two Worlds they moisten their eyes which are located on the top of their heads with the water they store in their eye sockets their robust pectoral fins help them to walk on the mud while thanks to their equally

powerful tail they make spectacular leaps or take the skips which have given them their name observing mudskippers in the mangrove swamp allows us to imagine how marine life may have begun to colonize dry land millions of years ago [Music] their way of obtaining food is equally peculiar they fill their mouths with water to use them as a kind of hydraulic tongue with which to suck up their prey as long as their territory is free from the flood which will come from the sea mudskippers spend most of their time feeding they also work at avoiding being

eaten by other neighbors of the mangrove swamp not far from the mangrove swamps the heart of the island is dotted with large expanses of Savannah to which the hippopotamuses come every night to Devour the grass which grows there the dry season advances implacably yellowing the plants and drying the pools it certainly doesn't appear to be a suitable place for an amphibian to survive but there is one which does the plain Reed frog is unique in the world owing to its estivation in order to endure the hottest part of the year the young of this species

do not seek refuge in humid areas like other amphibians they enter a state of lethargy and contract their bodies so as to minimize water loss moreover they cover themselves with mucus which dries to seal their bodies and secure them to the plant which supports them with the higher temperatures their skin turns white and reflects the Rays of the Sun in this manner they can survive for months until the rains return hippopotamuses have none of the adaptations of the plain Reed frog to face the dry season on their Island [Music] luckily for them there are still

areas of water where they can protect themselves from the severity of the Tropical Sun furthermore their Anatomy is well suited to this environment the shape of their heads allows them to keep their eyes and nostrils above water while the remainder of their bodies are out of the punishing Sun they are capable of remaining submerged for up to six minutes when they dive they don't swim but rather jump along the bottom with great agility and speed these huge animals the largest land mammals after the elephant and the Rhinoceros spend the hours which remain until they can

go out to eat on their Lagoon in compact groups [Music] here they lead a peaceful life practically without scares or dangers to face a Placid existence which is only interrupted by some of the young animals starting a little inoffensive romping which does not annoy the adults and especially not the great male who leads the group how did their ancestors travel from the mainland to this island where they lived today we have no way of knowing perhaps they walked on land which is now covered by the ocean or perhaps they swam as their descendants continue to

do today all the serenity which emanates from the Society of the hippopotamuses turns into a frenzy on the nearby housing estate of the village Weavers the chicks continue to grow thanks to the work of their mothers and the vigilance of their fathers some already realize that it is best to stay close in case a good mouthful comes their way [Music] the obsession with food of the young may make them vulnerable to falling through the lower hole which allows their mother to feed them [Music] and a young bird on the ground too young to fly is

totally defenseless foreign which a Nile monitor has no intention of allowing to escape [Music] [Music] its father flies down to intervene but his gesture is as Brave as it is useless against such a large enemy the dye is cast for the little Weaver other Hunters come to the Fresh Meat Market they don't have to wait to Feast on the Weavers they have wings to rise up to the branches and bills like daggers with which to attack the nests sacred Ibis and great egrets are the most numerous of the Predators which are now hovering over the

colony like a punishment of God decimating the young without their terrified parents being able to do anything to prevent it foreign [Music] [Music] when it is finally satiated itself the horde of attackers departs to leave the colony profoundly shaken and broken but life must go on also for these Disturbed families there are nests to repair or to build and the chicks which have escaped the massacre need to be fed the freshwater wetlands of the island of the hippopotamuses bring together a large number of bird species at this time of year this is an ideal environment

for bringing up or starting a family Egyptian geese form one of the most abundant groups they are highly gregarious and generally peaceful Birds but now the males are restless because of the urgency of procreation which means that there are frequent skirmishes between them foreign [Music] foreign this hippopotamus must wish he had someone with him even if only to argue if he lives isolated from the herd which is truly exceptional given the social behavior of these large mammals this young male has become a sad Pariah he has remained at a lagoon which has already lost a

large part of its water owing to which the rest of the herd have laughed perhaps his first sexual impulses led him to challenge the leading male with this unfortunate result for him it must be a distressing and sorrowful period of Abandonment which can only be relieved by finding another herd or being readmitted to his own while he waits for better days he takes refuge in the deepest part of the Lagoon where he ruminates on his enforced solitude please under cover of Darkness another animal has found a recondite and sheltered place on a beach but she

has not been driven to do so by either sadness or fear indeed she's experiencing one of the culminating moments of her long existence she's helping the future of her species because she's going to lay her eggs in the nest she is digging with such great effort foreign [Music] the fact that this green turtle is now here is one of the most amazing wonders of nature if this is her first egg laying she has not been on this beach for decades she abandoned it soon after birth and has spent her whole life in the ocean until

reaching sexual maturity the call of maternity has led her to return to the place where she was born so many years ago she digs for hours until she is exhausted after she has laid her eggs she covers them once adults female green turtles do this every two or three years each season they lay between three and five clutches of over a hundred eggs each the watchful mother not only takes care of Excavating the nest and suitably hiding the eggs in the sand she also tries to remove the traces of her word by moving the surrounding

sand she must sense that all efforts are needed to avoid the attack of the many predators which crowd the island [Music] when she finishes her task she is exhausted but resting is a luxury that this mother cannot afford she is far from her natural environment and her weight of over 200 kilos means that her movements are clumsy and she is very vulnerable so she summons up her last reserves of strength to reach the safety of the ocean the murmur of the waves is ever closer and Spurs her on in her weakness come on one step

further the fact that the sand is wetter and wetter must make her realize that her goal is ever nearer oh she cannot slacker now yes the sea is there awaiting her one step further [Music] [Music] [Applause] during the egg laying season these beaches are the setting for a continuous coming and going of female green turtles driven by the need to deposit their eggs they all must make an exhausting physical effort for some of them however the return route to the ocean may become a death trap had low tide Rocky barriers emerge which come between the

heavy turtle and her destination a wall to climb for an animal so unsuited to overcoming obstacles [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you thank you [Music] beaches with their Sands full of the traces of such self-sacrificing mothers constitute Clear Proof of the importance of this island and its Sisters of the visago archipelago for the survival of the green turtle as a species indeed it is the most important site in all of Africa and the third in the world for its reproduction for one more season they have accomplished their mission but the egg laying is

only the first stage of a process full of dangers this Nile monitor is in luck all the work of the mother turtle to hide her traces has been in vain Guided by its efficient forked tongue the monitor has found a nest as it is an expert Digger it is not had much difficulty in reaching the buried eggs and having a real feast New Life emerges from the sand after between 45 and 75 days the green turtle eggs which have managed to remain intact hatch Nature has not made the start in life of these baby turtles

at all easy right from the beginning they will have to use all their strength and determination firstly to reach the surface from the bottom of the buried nest and then to reach the safety of the sea on a route on which coming up against rocks would be the least of their problems [Music] they Advance with determination and all the speed their limbs will allow them as these are more suitable for swimming than running they only spend a few minutes here but the females will be able to return to the same place many years from now

when they come to lay their own eggs [Music] however the future cannot be taken for granted in the wild world of the island of the hippopotamuses Palm nut vultures feed above all on the fruits which give them their name but they are also efficient Hunters who will not refuse the succulent gift which is now running on the beaches in its hundreds and they are not the only ones sudden abundance is an irresistible magnet for many other predators the distance which separates the baby green turtles from the ocean becomes a desperate race for their lives [Music]

the turtles which hatch during the night are likely to have more opportunities for surviving their first day of life [Music] the mantle of Darkness protects them from the Predators which have decimated their sisters during the day [Music] perhaps one of these is the estimated one turtle in a thousand born which comes back to reproduce foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] the Giants of the Lagoon know nothing of threats or urgency the young prince of the herd only needs to worry about keeping his balance while he serves his mother's back [Music] even when the heat finishes off the

area of water where they now rest they will still have the watercourses and mangrove swamps which are abundant in the vicinity to protect themselves from the sun because these hippopotamuses also have the ability to live in salt water and this makes them unique in the world [Music] thank you [Music] [Music]