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National Geographic Bat Eared Foxes Foxes of the Kalahari
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Africa's Kalahari is 100,000 |
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But in this place where dry winds |
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one creature lives |
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These are bat-eared foxes, |
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because of their enormous, oval ears. |
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>From their first days as pups, |
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where their survival will depend on |
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whether it's a meal hiding in the dirt, |
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or danger approaching |
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And at night, when vision dims, |
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they truly come into their own... |
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hunting their prey... |
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dodging those that stalk them. |
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This is the story of |
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a year in the realm of the desert fox. |
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In an isolated corner of Botswana, |
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along the dried-out bed |
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a fox we call Selene keeps |
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Together, she and her mate, Ajax, |
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have found a home |
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They've borrowed a den from their |
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Selene and Ajax need |
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It's November, early summer |
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and the foxes are raising a family. |
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As afternoon draws to a close, |
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leaving Ajax behind to baby-sit. |
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Only three weeks old, |
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the pups are just beginning |
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and Ajax is a protective father. |
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But these four little bundles of fur |
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even the most watchful parent. |
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There's Ajax's daughter, |
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Adventure is the explorer, |
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Kinky has a bent tail and, |
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a feisty little disposition... |
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unlike the runt of the litter, |
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The young pups are growing up |
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but in this part of the Kalahari, |
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a meerkat sentry keeping an eye |
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Ever vigilant in a precarious realm, |
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the meerkats are extremely |
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And what these animals lack in ears, |
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A guard is always ready |
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They spot the neighborhood menace, |
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>From a distance, |
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but he's a definite threat |
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Ajax senses the coming danger, |
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The jackal is bigger, but |
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the little fox is ready to fight... |
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The end of the dry season brings |
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in search of water |
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The bat-eared foxes' home range |
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of this scrubland. |
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An area |
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In daylight, |
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Termites are a dietary staple |
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as they scamper in the dirt. |
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As night falls, |
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Instead, it begins in earnest. |
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The dark hours are a dangerous time |
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But Selene is now in her element. |
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And all night |
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She uses those unmistakable ears |
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and they guide her to meals |
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By comparison, a scorpion is loud... |
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But bat-eared foxes will eat them, |
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The jackal also stalks at night... |
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and Selene's determined |
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Arching her back |
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she confronts the intruder |
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But the jackal isn't up |
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A cautious victor, |
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then settles down to the |
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This time her search is interrupted |
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It's another bat-eared fox, crippled, and on the run. |
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This little one was most likely |
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Now it will be lucky |
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Selene recognizes her own species, |
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His injury is a magnet for danger... |
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and in the night, |
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The crippled little fox |
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The Kalahari is home to |
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and bat-eared foxes |
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Next morning, Ajax is still keeping |
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waiting for his turn to feed. |
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Adventure is already up and about, |
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Flash, on the other hand, |
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never misses a chance to get |
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and a snuggle with her father. |
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Little Joe and Kinky |
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There's relative safety by the den... |
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especially when a meerkat sentry |
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It seems some new neighbors moved in |
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And the meerkats aren't at all |
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They're cape foxes |
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They may be relatives |
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but these are full-blooded omnivores. |
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They'll eat anything, |
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One cape fox youngster has been left |
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while its parents are off on a hunt. |
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He's just a pup no a real threat but |
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They inch their way closer, |
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just in case his parents return. |
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Then they set out |
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The young cape fox is frightened, |
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who torment him. |
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The truth is, |
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even half a dozen meerkats |
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And now it may be too late. |
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Cape fox parents may spend more time |
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than the bat ears, |
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which could mean trouble |
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As the mother heads back |
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the meerkat guards |
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But there's nothing they can do |
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With the father returning |
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there's no question |
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The mother tends to her offspring, |
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but it's the meerkats |
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They built this neighborhood. |
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They gather the troops and leave. |
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Safe neighborhoods are hard to find |
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They stop often |
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For Ajax's family, |
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Their early warning system |
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In a dry riverbed not far away, |
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one they excavated earlier. |
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Sure enough, |
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another family of bat-eared foxes. |
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The meerkats decide to stay. |
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The bat-eared foxes will chase away |
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While protecting their young, |
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For the second fox family, |
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the meerkat alarm system |
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There's always at least |
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The only other animals around are |
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The new place seems safe enough, |
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but the meerkats are always curious, |
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With new neighbors, |
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Soon the guard announces |
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the menacing jackal's back |
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The male fox races out, |
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At the other den, Ajax, Selene, |
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don't realize the jackal |
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With no meerkat sentry, |
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the foxes are more vulnerable |
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Slipping through the shrubs, |
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the jackal gets very close... |
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The jackal has been out-foxed |
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but he'll never stop trying. |
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For all the animals here, |
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a time of long hunts |
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At midday, |
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Daytime foraging can be rough |
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when temperatures of over 100 degrees |
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It's December, |
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and the Kalahari bakes like |
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Some of the animals here |
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but almost all seek out |
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to conserve their energy. |
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Only the hungriest are out |
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like this gaunt mother cheetah. |
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Ajax must shepherd the pups back into |
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as the cheetah stalks nearby. |
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Little Adventure does not know |
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The cheetah calls to her |
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Luckily for little Adventure, |
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the cheetahs have another meal |
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With the danger past, Selene calls |
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Only Adventure shows little interest |
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He's well on his way to being |
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Now almost 2 months old, |
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it won't be long before the other |
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But they still haven't lost |
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There's always time for a good romp. |
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These rough and tumble games |
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for more dangerous encounters |
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In the cool of the early evening, |
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games give way |
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The cheetahs have focused on |
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The hunters eye their prey, waiting |
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The springbok are unaware of |
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but these young cats are |
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They launch their attack. |
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But it's too late. |
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The inexperienced cheetah |
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Over the next few hours, |
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the cheetahs will test |
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By night, the cheetahs would |
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Of course, |
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If he's hoping to find a meal here, |
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All he can do is wait. |
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But other hungry eyes |
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And the jackal decides to move in. |
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The cheetahs won't stand for it. |
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The scavenger continues |
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Finally, the jackal can stand it no longer, |
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and grabs at the only thing it can |
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And then the brown hyena |
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Powerfully built, |
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the hyena is a dangerous rival. |
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The cheetahs won't risk injury |
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They've had their fill. |
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But as the carcass disappears |
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the loss is harder on the jackal. |
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With their stomachs full, |
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the cheetahs settle in |
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With all this action so close to home, |
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Ajax and Selene set off |
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But moving at night can be risky. |
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The jackal is already on their trail. |
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And this time... |
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he's brought his mate. |
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Out in the open, |
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the foxes have nowhere to shelter |
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Suddenly, Selene senses danger. |
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Ajax repels the first assault. |
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But this time, |
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Selene looks for her pups |
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Little Joe has wandered off. |
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Ajax goes on the offensive. |
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But as he fights off the first jackal, |
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the other goes for the prize. |
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In a matter of seconds... |
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little Joe is taken. |
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There's nothing Ajax can do. |
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The Kalahari |
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As a new day breaks, |
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it's an unsettling time |
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They've moved to a new home, |
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And there are more hard times |
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In this part of the Kalahari, |
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The land has turned to dust. |
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The sun wrings... |
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every drop of moisture |
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The wildebeest are skittish |
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As herds gather at the riverbed, |
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In these difficult times, |
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the lionesses are reluctant |
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The winds that blow now |
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Sand storms are on the way. |
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Great clouds of dust |
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The animals wander in a choking haze. |
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But the parching winds |
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Finally, the drought breaks. |
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The lions luxuriate in the shower... |
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The deluge may continue off and on |
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In February, |
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and a new world is revealed. |
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The Kalahari has been transformed. |
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The Nossob is once again a river, and |
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Storks arrive in search of |
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that appear after the rains. |
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Many animals are getting |
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Springbok find a great green pasture |
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For the foxes too, things are changing. |
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These are fat times for everyone. |
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Even nervous meerkats |
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will take advantage of |
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The fox pups are growing up. |
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The family no longer needs |
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For Kinky, Adventure and Flash, |
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The small animals |
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now find themselves surrounded by |
| 00:32:40 |
that follow the summer rains. |
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Gemsbok, springbok, hartebeest |
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all return to the riverbed |
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For grazers like this wildebeest, |
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The bat-ears, like all the animals |
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take advantage of the bounty. |
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Ajax has had |
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He's got a gecko a tiny lizard. |
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For the pups, this wiggly snack |
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Flash is still angling |
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but her brothers go for the gecko. |
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Selene is only reluctantly |
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The pups are getting too big. |
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With a full set of teeth, they are |
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A neighboring family of cape foxes |
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The bat-ears aren't glad to see them. |
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For the first time, |
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Kinky and Adventure show a Cape Fox |
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Selene gives her feisty youngsters |
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While Ajax always pugnacious adds |
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Of course, |
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It may be a different story when |
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But the belligerent Ajax won't |
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The Cape Fox mother will keep her distance for a while |
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leaving her youngster to defend |
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As long as Ajax is around, |
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the pup will have to wait |
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As it turns out, there are big events |
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As the sun begins to set, |
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the pups are heading out |
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The whole family sets off together. |
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For Selene and Ajax, |
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It's been hard work |
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but they're on the way |
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No longer tied to the den, |
| 00:37:16 |
The pups... |
| 00:37:17 |
and the family itself |
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In the Kalahari, |
| 00:37:43 |
And now the bat-eared fox family |
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They'll hunt like this for hours |
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and there'll be some surprises |
| 00:37:59 |
For the pups, this gecko will offer |
| 00:38:07 |
Flash already knows insects, |
| 00:38:24 |
Of course, |
| 00:38:28 |
Flash begs for a bite, |
| 00:38:35 |
It's time for Ajax to give her a lesson, |
| 00:38:40 |
then waits as his daughter |
| 00:38:53 |
She's happy to try a morsel... |
| 00:39:06 |
Not far away the cape fox mother |
| 00:39:13 |
For these accomplished omnivores, |
| 00:39:22 |
The young cape foxes know just how |
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Even as pups, |
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A night-jar chose the wrong place |
| 00:39:52 |
These ferocious youngsters |
| 00:39:54 |
will go after anything |
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But on the other side of the river, |
| 00:40:03 |
the young bat-eared foxes |
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For Kinky, a scorpion is |
| 00:40:15 |
Which end should he grab? |
| 00:40:19 |
Instinctively, he seems to know |
| 00:40:37 |
But subdued, |
| 00:40:45 |
Meanwhile, |
| 00:40:48 |
leads him off into the night. |
| 00:40:51 |
But he's not alone. |
| 00:40:58 |
The lion is closer than |
| 00:41:04 |
And in an instant, |
| 00:41:13 |
Selene searches for her youngster, |
| 00:41:22 |
For a moment, |
| 00:41:23 |
Ajax seems to consider a run |
| 00:41:33 |
But for all his posturing, |
| 00:41:39 |
Another young member of his family |
| 00:41:46 |
The family regroups at their old den, |
| 00:42:07 |
For the bat-eared fox family, |
| 00:42:11 |
They've lost half the litter |
| 00:42:26 |
The rains have passed |
| 00:42:32 |
It's June, and Kinky and Flash |
| 00:42:51 |
The land is dry again. |
| 00:42:55 |
But there are more than enough |
| 00:42:58 |
Their mounds are everywhere |
| 00:43:11 |
With the cooler temperatures, |
| 00:43:30 |
Now that Flash and Kinky are grown, |
| 00:43:35 |
and he actually forages |
| 00:43:39 |
There's plenty here for everyone. |
| 00:43:48 |
By now, |
| 00:43:52 |
But an exotic visitor drops by |
| 00:44:01 |
One of the heaviest of |
| 00:44:04 |
it's also come to partake in the termite feast. |
| 00:44:07 |
The youngsters have seen |
| 00:44:10 |
but nothing quite like this. |
| 00:44:28 |
By August, |
| 00:44:29 |
the foxes are nine months old |
| 00:44:34 |
A newly mature Flash is leaving scent |
| 00:44:39 |
she'll soon be ready to mate. |
| 00:44:42 |
But Ajax, the protective father, |
| 00:44:55 |
Still, |
| 00:45:03 |
While the family forages, Flash |
| 00:45:07 |
She's done her advertising, |
| 00:45:14 |
A young male fox has caught her scent. |
| 00:45:20 |
Flash welcomes him, |
| 00:45:43 |
Over the next few days, |
| 00:45:46 |
Flash isn't ready to mate, |
| 00:45:50 |
And her suitor, even more. |
| 00:46:07 |
None of this sits well with Ajax. |
| 00:46:12 |
Flash and her suitor |
| 00:46:17 |
He seems a little pushy. |
| 00:46:31 |
Ajax has seen enough. |
| 00:46:35 |
Heads down |
| 00:46:39 |
Flash interceding as her beau |
| 00:46:44 |
But Ajax wants him gone. |
| 00:46:56 |
His parental work done, |
| 00:47:04 |
Flash rejoins them. |
| 00:47:06 |
Her first flirtation has been |
| 00:47:21 |
Or has it? |
| 00:47:25 |
Her would-be mate hasn't gone far. |
| 00:47:31 |
Foraging to keep us his strength, |
| 00:47:44 |
Ajax seems to be feeling complacent. |
| 00:47:47 |
He's managed to keep his family |
| 00:48:09 |
But Kinky, too, |
| 00:48:12 |
now he's in the market for a mate. |
| 00:48:17 |
He leaves the family |
| 00:48:39 |
Soon Flash's persistent... |
| 00:48:42 |
suitor tries another approach. |
| 00:48:50 |
This time, he advances with deference |
| 00:49:06 |
This approach goes over much better |
| 00:49:10 |
who allows the young suitor |
| 00:49:24 |
The young couple set off |
| 00:49:45 |
Meanwhile, Kinky has discovered |
| 00:49:50 |
and in passing, leaves his own. |
| 00:50:06 |
As night falls, the female's family |
| 00:50:11 |
Kinky's potential mate |
| 00:50:14 |
adding her own scent to his. |
| 00:50:17 |
She is, in fact, the fox next door |
| 00:50:26 |
Kinky tries his luck. |
| 00:50:38 |
They seem a little touchy, |
| 00:50:56 |
And it appears to be working. |
| 00:51:05 |
Ears back, crouching low, |
| 00:51:16 |
The new couple leave the family behind and, |
| 00:51:19 |
in time, |
| 00:51:30 |
Meanwhile, Flash and her mate have |
| 00:51:35 |
But she's still not ready to mate. |
| 00:51:56 |
When the time finally comes, |
| 00:52:10 |
At last, he gets it right. |
| 00:52:19 |
To help insure the success |
| 00:52:21 |
the mating will go on for days. |
| 00:52:32 |
In just over two months, |
| 00:52:34 |
the couple will know |
| 00:52:40 |
With luck, there will soon be |
| 00:52:55 |
By November, Flash has pups of her own |
| 00:53:09 |
Despite the hardships of life |
| 00:53:13 |
Ajax and Selene's bloodline |
| 00:53:19 |
A feisty new generation of pups |
| 00:53:23 |
desert foxes... |
| 00:53:25 |
with an ear to the winds |
