Gift Of The Rains: Africa's Great Rivers
tv show
13 total episodes
-
1 seasons
First Aired January 01, 2001
Genres:
Overview
In this series we choose 13 dramatically different rivers, each with its own unique characteristics, from the powerful Zambezi to the dry Hoanib River – a river that flows for only a few days a year. Each river flows through a different part of Africa, bringing life to dry deserts, flooding great plains and supplying constant water to tropical forests and bushveld. Some of the wildlife surrounding each of the chosen rivers is endemic, each species part of a unique ecosystem. The rivers have a formative influence on the lives of animals and plants that live along its banks and in its waters. Uniquely for television, we show detailed underwater sequences of creatures that live and hunt in the rivers of Africa. We follow the hunting techniques of the tiger fish, the protective instincts of mouth-brooding tilapia, the migratory instincts of barbel to reach spawning grounds, the eating habits of scavenging eels, and the hunting strategies of the fishing spider. Along the water’s edge, we show the nest-making rituals of migrant birds, the fishing methods of shoebills, herons and cormorants and the life cycles of frogs. And when the waters dry up we will show how terrapins, fish and mammals manage to survive in the harshness of their arid habitat.
Okavango – The Miracle River
Season 1 - Episode 4 - 0h 0m
Air Date
January 04, 2001
Overview
One of Africa’s most remarkable rivers spreads its waters over the desolate plains of the Kalahari Desert, forming the largest inland delta on Earth, the Okavango. Fed by the summer rains that fall over southern Angola, the Okavango River flows into the heart of the desert in Botswana. The water flows slowly over the flat expanse of the Kalahari and fans out into shallow lagoons and wide floodplains. Water plants germinate in the newly flooded lagoons and provide food for many water birds. At this time, several bird species such as marabou storks and herons breed and raise their young, living side by side in heronries. As the floodwaters recede, African skimmers also breed, hatch and fledge their brood. In the shrinking channels of the delta, thousands of fish are chased out of hiding by barbel weaving among the reeds. The fish are also caught by egrets, storks and herons from above. Another predator which benefits from the barbel run is the Cape clawless otter, which preys on the barbel themselves. As the water recedes further, the desert reclaims its land, except for a few permanent streams and lagoons. Eventually, the summer rains replenish the Okavango, and the delta once again becomes a bountiful oasis.