Chasing the rains

In the wilds of Kenya, water is life.

The elixir without which nothing can survive.

But the rains are fickle...

too much or too little, bestowing feast or famine.

Through flood and drought,

this elephant matriarch must guide her kin to safety.

For life here is a journey from dust to water.

This is a place where survival depends on Chasing the Rains!

With a last show of might, the skies cast their blessings

on the wild lands of Northern Kenya.

It's early May, and the long rains are coming to an end.

This rain must sustain the land.

It will be at least five months before the next rainy season.

Five long months of draining and evaporation

that will slowly turn the land to dust.

But for now, the lush landscape bursts with life.

Flowers bloom.

Ripe fruit hangs from the trees.

And fresh green grass grows in abundance.

Samburu, in Northern Kenya.

This is a special place for elephants.

Each and every family that visits this reserve

has been given a name by researchers.

40 year old Anastasia

is the matriarch of a family known as the Royals.

She's leading her relatives to a gathering of the clans.

With her three-year-old calf Alexei, by her side,

she knows this route intimately.

Everyone is heading to the same place...

...to the river.

Running from the foothills of Mount Kenya

to the arid plains of the North,

the Ewaso Nyiro is the lifeblood of these lands

and a major player in the story of every dry season.

The rains never fall evenly across Kenya.

Although they've been patchy in Samburu...

further South in Naboisho,

on the edge of the Maasai Mara

they've been stronger and more bountiful.

Thousands of grazing animals crowd these plains.

They've recently arrived with their young calves

to feed on the fresh new grass.

But, just as they chase the rains,

so predators... chase them!

A cheetah.

It's not surprising he's walking with a swagger in his step!

He's the leader of a powerful coalition.

A group of no less than five males.

They're known, as the Magnificent Five.

In the local Swahili language, The Tano Bora!

Male cheetahs often form alliances of two or three,

but five is exceptionally rare.

Their alliance was formed here in Naboisho.

And it's to Naboisho they return

when the rains draw in their preferred quarry...

...Wildebeest.

One cheetah alone could never hope catch an animal this size.

But together, the Tano Bora make a formidable team.

First they must choose their target...

...and separate it from the herd.

But the wildebeest instinctively bunch together.

Time to up the stakes...

If the Tano Bora work as a team,

they have a good chance of bringing down a wildebeest.

But a well-aimed kick, can deter

even the most determined cheetah.

The tables have turned...

The Magnificent Five have been split!

Suddenly the wildebeest have the upper hand!

And the chance slips away.

One brother, limps off injured.

They retreat...

But before the sun sets to night,

the Magnificent Five will hunt again.

In Samburu, Anastasia and the Royals are still at the river.

Elephants need to drink at least 40 gallons of water a day.

And after a long, dusty journey, it tastes particularly sweet!

Elephants are sentient animals.

Just like us, they experience grief and joy.

And nothing makes an elephant happier

than luxuriating in fresh, clean water.

The rain's gift!

But there's a darker side to the river.

Anastasia has seen it claim many victims over the years.

Babies swept away in floods,

members of her family dying of thirst in its dry bed.

And this year, something isn't right at all.

The rains have been very light

and the river is ominously shallow.

The land will surely dry out

before the rains return.

Just 30 miles south of Samburu,

lies jagged Mount Kenya.

Its lower slopes usually receive rain throughout the year.

But even here in fertile Laikipia,

Rainfall has been sparse.

Where it has fallen though,

the natural world is surging back to life.

The Ewaso Nyiro River rises in these hills,

and not far from its source, lives a special family.

They're African Wild Dogs...

And today, their newest members

are experiencing the world beyond their den

for the very first time.

The five two-month-old puppies

are the offspring of another remarkable matriarch.

Phoenix, the alpha female and ruler of this pack.

Studied by scientists,

she wears her radio collar like a piece of regal jewellery.

She's timed the pups' emergence from the den perfectly,

as the land here has received plenty of rain.

And that means lots of prey

within strategic reach of the pack.

The fact that Phoenix's youngsters exist at all

is a minor miracle.

Five years ago,

wild dogs in this area were virtually wiped out

by an outbreak of canine distemper.

The sole survivor, was Phoenix.

She allied herself with dogs from the South

and built this 17-strong pack,

saving the species here.

Every dog counts, even one that's sick.

As the land dries, she'll need all her skills as mother,

hunter and leader to keep them alive.

It's midday in Samburu.

The vegetation is lush and green,

but it won't stay that way for long.

Alongside the water, an army is on the march.

An army of baboons.

They patrol the banks in search of titbits from the river.

But they need to be wary of the resident crocodiles!

Babies born at this time of year, are the lucky ones:

lots of food and water,

and plenty of young friends to hang out with!

Anastasia, is leading her family away from the river.

She brings them to a mud wallow.

It's great fun to slip and slither around!

But mud is also important for their sensitive skin.

It not only helps elephants cool down,

but provides a protective layer,

shielding them from insect bites and sunburn.

Elephants need to eat around 300 pounds of food a day.

Anastasia, Alexei and her family,

spend at least 12 hours every day feeding.

That's no problem now, but after such light rains,

dry patches are already appearing.

The Royals are 50 elephants strong,

including the matriarch's sisters, sons and daughters,

nieces and nephews.

This, is Alexei's best opportunity

to socialise with the other young bulls.

Right now, his life is all about fun and friendship.

These relationships will last a lifetime.

So, it's a great chance for him to bond with his peer group.

The tussles, chases and play fights,

are preparing the youngsters for later life.

Once Alexei becomes a teenager,

he'll have to leave the herd and join a bachelor group...

...until he becomes a mature breeding male, a musth bull!

But for the moment, Alexei is definitely at the bottom

of the pecking order.

Despite the poor rains, green still dominates

the landscape of Northern Kenya.

This time of plenty

is the perfect moment to bring young into the world.

Surrounded by food and water,

parents can take a welcome break from chasing the rains.

Instead, they can focus on their offspring,

teaching them who to trust and who to avoid.

In Naboisho, three-year-old Kuleta,

has a huge responsibility.

Four precious cheetah cubs.

All fathered by the leader of the Tano Bora.

Female cheetahs bring up their young alone,

and Kuleta's done well to get them even this far.

On average, only one in twenty cubs makes it to adulthood.

Kuleta's never raised a litter before.

She's doing well.

All four cubs are thriving.

The two males and two females

are growing in confidence by the day.

Exploring, playing,

and practicing their fledgling hunting skills.

One of Kuleta's daughters, is particularly adventurous.

Tree-climbing is a speciality.

She's not the most competent climber yet.

But practice makes perfect

and trees will be useful escape routes

when fleeing from lions and hyenas.

It's also a great lookout point.

Getting down, though...is rather more difficult than getting up!

Under Kuleta's careful eye,

the cubs are doing well.

And they're about to watch a masterclass.

The Tano Bora, have unfinished business with the wildebeest.

They must get it right this time.

Working as a team,

three of the Tano Bora, isolate one from the herd.

The cubs' father has the wildebeest in his grasp,