“Surviving the Grasslands” is a full-length episode from the National Geographic series Hostile Planet, which takes viewers on a journey through some of the world’s most extreme environments to reveal the epic stories of survival in the animal kingdom. In this episode, viewers are transported to the grasslands, a quarter of the land on the planet, home to the largest animals and the biggest herds to walk the earth.
Grasslands may appear to be abundant and easy for animals to thrive in, but the reality is quite the opposite. The grasslands present unpredictable and volatile environments, where animals face challenges such as flood, famine, freeze, and fire. This episode showcases the relentless cycle of the grasslands and how animals adapt to survive on this continuously evolving planet.
From the freezing temperatures of North America’s Great Plains, where bison battle against record snowfall and wolf attacks, to the intense thunderstorms and floods that transform the grasslands beyond recognition, this episode presents the resilience and determination of the animals that call the grasslands home.
Hosted by survivalist and adventurer Bear Grylls, “Surviving the Grasslands” offers a captivating and awe-inspiring look at the incredible strategies and adaptations of animals as they navigate the challenges of the grasslands.
To witness the extraordinary accounts of survival in the grasslands and explore the animal kingdom’s epic stories, viewers can enjoy a full episode of “Surviving the Grasslands” on the National Geographic YouTube channel or through their official website. National Geographic is the world’s premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure, offering viewers a closer look at the stories that matter and the edge of what’s possible.
Watch the video by National Geographic
Growing up on the Savannah this Cal will face many dangers but a battle of this bit is incredibly rare two evenly matched testosterone fueled Bulls no place for a baby one day the Cal may have to fight like this but there are far more imminent threats a third of all Cals don’t make
Make it through their first Year like all animals here his fate depends on the grass growing under his Feet grasslands cover a quarter of the land on the planet they support the largest animals and the biggest herds to walk the earth life on these Great Plains may look easy but don’t be fooled when conditions turn they can become some of the most volatile Landscapes on our Planet a Relentless cycle of flood famine freeze and Fire And as our climate becomes more unpredictable it takes the animals of the grasslands to hell and back a deepest wind win on North America’s Great Plains 40 below and record snowfall bison dig deeper for diminishing returns dead grass with the nutrition of cardboard
23 of the stuff every day still isn’t enough they’re starving the calves are the most vulnerable and if the cold doesn’t get them another enemy might Winter is a wolf’s Ally a time to feed off the suffering of others these are the biggest wolves in the world and at 25 strong they’re one of the largest packs size matters when you Giants 10 times heavier and well armed the bison are stronger as long as they stand their
Ground but wolves create panic running for the woods is a mistake trees break their formation and expose the weak alone a youngster is an easy Target but a mother will risk her own life to save her car they must make it back to the safety of the herd but deep snow saps the bison’s energy again the Cal is Isolated again it’s rescued now there’s hope as long as the Cal can stay hidden within the Ranks While the snow Remains the Bison gets steadily weaker but on the grasslands change is inevitable and often Extreme by April it’s 100° warmer than at the start of the year and a new danger is brewing spring and and the start of storm season North America’s Great Plains are a hot spot for some of the most intense thunderstorms on Earth some mutate into Supercells monsters with the equivalent energy of 100 nuclear bombs storms are becoming more frequent here and in grasslands across the globe weather patterns are increasingly erratic here the rains are a month early and hitting hard oh let the years worth of rain in just a couple of months enough to transform the
Grasslands beyond recognition the worst flly in 50 [Applause] years 4 ft of water not a problem for the adults and plenty of fresh grass but a bit deep for a calf luckily he has a snorkel these floods May complicate things a little in the short term but they’ll Revitalize life on the Savannah as the flood waters subside they reveal a flush of new growth and fuel a baby boom but this can be a dangerous place to take your first steps it’s home to more large Predators than anywhere else on Earth many Thompson gazelle THS won’t survive their first first Hour their only hope is to hide mothers clean their newborns to remove any scent but for this for there isn’t time if Mom stands guard she’ll blow its cover she has no option but to walk Away the cheater’s hunting instinct is triggered by movement a motionless fa looks remarkably like a mound of Earth all it can do is stay down stay still hope someone else is spotted First cheaters are patient but the th will need to suckle soon worse still the birth fluid is attracting flies E he a distraction and a narrow Escape a waterbuck Calf one Thor’s fate is another’s Fortune surviving its first 24 hours is the greatest challenge the for will face Those that make it can enjoy growing up on one of the most productive places on the planet North America’s grasslands support 3 million Caribou they Journey up to 3,000 m a year the longest land migration on Earth but on most of the continent Mega herds are a thing of the past
60 million bison once thundered across these Plains hunting decimated numbers to just over 1,000 animals and bison are still rare today Midsummer time to fatten up before next winter but that’s getting harder temperatures here have risen three times more than the global average and it’s c creating plagues of biting
Flies each bison loses as much as a pint of blood every day and just when the Bulls need to be at their strongest to compete for mating rights the winner will sire up to 34s of next year’s Carvs as a young B and scrap an old bull watches on waiting for the perfect moment to enter the arena it’s Mating Season an old bull w waits for a worthy Challenger to emerge fresh to the fight the old bull enters the Ring the youngster is stronger but the old bull is more experienced targeting the flanks he gains the upper Hand the young rival Retreats mating rights secured the old bull can enjoy the good times but they won’t last long the dry season begins from now on life just gets tougher grass becomes less neutal nutritious and elephants struggle to satisfy their huge appetites like so many grassland animals
Their only option is to keep Moving elephants can walk over a 100 miles a day in their search for food and it can lead them into dangerous territory these Lions special Iz in bringing down large prey still it’s risky so they target the most vulnerable older Cals should be Safe but bravado can be a dangerous thing There’s nothing they can do but move on As the sun robs the land of its water the dry season intensifies and Rain becomes a distant mem hippos suffer more than most he spent the night grazing but now the climbing sun is a threat hippos can quickly overheat he needs deep water and fast there is one pool but it’s
Occupied each bull hippo normally commands a territory of 200 [Applause] ft now 800 of Africa’s most bad-tempered animals are cramped together and as humans take more water for irrigation there’s less room than ever before somehow he’s got to find a way in his life depends on It Out of Water this hippo would soon overheat but the water hole is already full it may not look very inviting ox peckers ravage cracks in their delicate skin and 20 tons of waste a day has turned it into a cesspit but this hell hole could save his life if he’s allowed in
This resident bull is bigger but the outsider is des desate five tons of Hippo Clash testing bulk bite size and Brute Force The Outsider accepts defeat he must Venture into the unknown as the strangle hold of drought Titans the Earth is parched and the grass tender dry fires can sweep across the plains at 40 m an hour and reach temperatures of 800° across Africa an area the size of half
The United States Burns every year and with a warming climate wildfires are set to spread even further some capitalize on the chaos rollers and be eaters pick off fleeing insects known as The Undertaker bird marabu stalks clean up afterwards there’s nothing left here for the grais but the grass itself clings
On its Deep Roots Untouched by the Flames all it needs now is water hammer Dr baboons wait months for the rains to arrive but Earth this dry needs more than a shower this is one of the most drought prone countries in the world and it’s getting worse as our climate
Changes water shortage is a sparking Conflict for animals and humans alike one of the only water holes for miles it provides enough water for this band of baboons to survive the dry Season they’re relatively strong in health and numbers further out on the Arid Plains another band is Thirsty with little to drink out here they’re forced to the same Waterhole below the cliff but when two bands meet it nearly always ends in violence females and babies are most at risk If the outsiders want to drink they’ll have to Fight one water hole two bands of the Boos The Outsiders need to drink but the band at the water hole is stronger this is how Wars begin the best survival strategy here is to form super bands bigger than the opposition a The Outsiders are forced to retreat but not fast
Enough these baboons use battles to steal females from each other the winners expand to their ranks while The Outsiders grow even weaker all they can do is buy their time and try again as a drought reaches its Peak famine becomes a harsh reality just a few months old born at the wrong time
Mom couldn’t produce enough Milk she regurgitates precious water desperately trying to cool down and save Herself then says her final Goodbye even at the best of times Sur surviving on the planet’s grasslands is no walk in the park and as the dry seasons become even more extreme and unpredictable Only the strongest will have what it takes to make it Through Adaptability unfailing resolve and the hope that eventually better days will Return 6 months older and born just before the wet season this calf had a stronger Start the matriarch has seen hard times before she knows how to lead her family Through enough water to go round until the rains return Surviving on the grasslands has never been harder yet young and old this herd is still standing strong and hopefully will be for generations to Come
Video “Surving the Grasslands (Full Episode) | Hostile Planet” was uploaded on 01/28/2024. Watch all the latest Videos by National Geographic on Gretopia