The Elephant Queen

00:26:15,993 --> 00:26:19,371 Athena's family provides the kingdom with a free gardening service. 159 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,128 Most of the seeds they eat pass through them undigested, 160 00:26:27,087 --> 00:26:30,632 to be planted in neat balls of compost wherever they go. 161 00:26:39,892 --> 00:26:41,768 Tortoise is waiting for someone. 162 00:26:43,687 --> 00:26:48,400 And for what he has in mind, he needs to snack now while he can. 163 00:26:56,283 --> 00:27:01,830 With no sign of rain, every day is hotter and tempers start to fray. 164 00:27:10,214 --> 00:27:13,217 With incoming elephants and such a young family, 165 00:27:14,927 --> 00:27:17,012 the geese need to keep a safe distance. 166 00:27:18,555 --> 00:27:22,184 But with the water level dropping and a hot herd, 167 00:27:22,267 --> 00:27:23,644 that becomes difficult. 168 00:27:38,033 --> 00:27:40,661 They know better than to react to a bully. 169 00:27:47,835 --> 00:27:52,047 So she decides to save face by taking it out on a dove. 170 00:28:24,746 --> 00:28:27,916 Once again, Stephen's left it late. 171 00:28:28,542 --> 00:28:29,793 And he's left behind. 172 00:28:55,986 --> 00:28:58,322 And this time, he is lost. 173 00:29:08,207 --> 00:29:10,375 For tortoise, life is looking up. 174 00:29:11,084 --> 00:29:13,212 A female has come down to drink. 175 00:29:14,129 --> 00:29:16,673 He can intercept her easily enough. 176 00:29:17,216 --> 00:29:21,386 But to impress her, he has to prove he has stamina equal to her own. 177 00:29:24,056 --> 00:29:25,682 And that means going for a walk. 178 00:29:28,352 --> 00:29:30,062 A long walk. 179 00:29:39,821 --> 00:29:42,783 Stephen has never seen such creatures before. 180 00:29:49,581 --> 00:29:51,750 But he's going to have to get streetwise 181 00:29:51,834 --> 00:29:55,170 if he's to stand any chance of being reunited with his family. 182 00:30:44,136 --> 00:30:45,512 From being last and late, 183 00:30:46,388 --> 00:30:49,224 Stephen has progressed to being lost and lucky. 184 00:31:08,911 --> 00:31:13,040 Some of Athena's neighbors drop by only when the grasslands start to dry 185 00:31:13,498 --> 00:31:14,666 and food is on offer. 186 00:31:17,586 --> 00:31:20,881 The bee-eaters join Athena's family for just a few days, 187 00:31:21,673 --> 00:31:24,593 when the kingdom's grasshoppers are at their juiciest. 188 00:31:26,261 --> 00:31:28,597 They rely on the family to flush them out. 189 00:31:52,955 --> 00:31:57,251 The bee-eaters' friendship will last just as long as there are grasshoppers. 190 00:32:01,797 --> 00:32:04,758 As soon as they're finished, the birds will move on. 191 00:32:11,139 --> 00:32:14,601 Stephen is as excited about grasshoppers as anyone. 192 00:32:18,897 --> 00:32:22,734 He might lack ability, but not ambition. 193 00:32:29,408 --> 00:32:33,245 Down at toenail height, dung beetle is still on a mission. 194 00:32:34,580 --> 00:32:37,332 He might look like he's pushing his ball forwards, 195 00:32:37,416 --> 00:32:41,086 but he's actually upside down, dribbling it backwards. 196 00:32:43,338 --> 00:32:46,466 He can't see where he's going, but that doesn't bother him. 197 00:32:48,177 --> 00:32:52,014 His determination is out of all proportion to his size. 198 00:32:53,765 --> 00:32:57,144 Now that he's got the ball, he just hates to let go of it... 199 00:33:00,105 --> 00:33:02,608 no matter how big the opposition. 200 00:33:49,821 --> 00:33:51,823 Athena's team haven't scored, 201 00:33:51,907 --> 00:33:53,825 but they have kicked the ball out of play, 202 00:33:54,493 --> 00:33:57,788 which allows dung beetle to regain possession. 203 00:34:12,177 --> 00:34:15,304 Athena's family rarely get to meet some of their neighbors. 204 00:34:18,976 --> 00:34:22,603 Whenever the terrapins hear them coming, they make themselves scarce. 205 00:34:42,875 --> 00:34:44,501 But the storm was weeks ago, 206 00:34:45,460 --> 00:34:49,547 and the water is now so shallow that there's nowhere to hide. 207 00:35:03,645 --> 00:35:06,273 Even a killifish finds himself high and dry. 208 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:10,694 The water hole has been his entire world. 209 00:35:11,570 --> 00:35:15,824 But with so little water left, his time is almost over. 210 00:35:24,917 --> 00:35:26,710 With the pool party getting rowdy, 211 00:35:27,836 --> 00:35:29,338 they all risk getting squashed. 212 00:35:33,008 --> 00:35:35,636 So those that can leave make a break for it. 213 00:35:43,268 --> 00:35:45,479 And that just attracts attention. 214 00:36:09,795 --> 00:36:11,672 Elephants live tactile lives. 215 00:36:12,965 --> 00:36:16,927 They use their sensitive trunks and feet to explore anything new. 216 00:36:18,554 --> 00:36:21,932 There's no malice here, just curiosity. 217 00:36:36,405 --> 00:36:39,449 I