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This is Namaqualand in southwest Africa

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only the strongest and
most resourceful can survive here

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Life is anything
but easy in such a parched land

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Only 6 inches of rain fall here each year

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But when the rain does fall,
its effect is miraculous

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Flowers in every color of the rainbow
unfold to greet the sun

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A billion glorious blooms spread out
across the sands

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to turn this dry and dusty desert into
the greatest natural garden on earth

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Spring time and the desert garden
is in full bloom

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where it meets the sea along
the coast of south Africa

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it seems to cover almost
every square inch of land

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even the stones themselves
seem to come alive

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The Atlantic ocean marks
the western edge of Namaqualand

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From here, this ancient desert
stretches inland over sand dunes and
great plains for hundreds of miles

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until it reaches this mountainous escarpment

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You might call it the garden wall

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Within its boundaries,
great splashes of color have transformed
the desert plains into fields of flowers

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There's enough variety here
to make any botanist drool

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In fact, there're over 3,000 different
species of flower in Namaqualand

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and more than half of them occur
nowhere else on earth

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But how does a desert support
such an incredible diversity of life?

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not just of plants, but of animals too

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Among ostriches, it's not mom
but dad who looks after the nest

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And this proud father has timed
his family perfectly to coincide
with the full flushes of spring

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But however cute these chicks are,
they're not the most endearing inhabitants
of the desert garden

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That title falls to the meerkats

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These captivating animals are
constantly on the lookout for predators

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But this time, they got nothing to fear

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The Nama people have been peacefully
grazing their livestock here for centuries

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But by far the most important residents
in Namaqualand are the smallest

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Insects play a vital role
in pollinating these desert blooms

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Over thousands of years,
plants have evolved all sorts of ways

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to try to attract the interest
of a passing pollinator

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giving Namaqualand a floral variety
unmatched anywhere else on earth

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Some plants even use deception

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the petals of this beetle daisy
mimic the colors of a real beetle

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to try entice pollinators hungry
not for nectar but for love

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These goldthorn flowers offer a different bribe

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Inside the flower are thousands of tiny
but highly nutritious droplets of oil

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And to get to them, this bee
has evolved extra long front legs

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which can gather the oil
from the flower's long horns while
pollen rubs off on the bee's body

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It's a remarkable relationship which
has formed over thousands of generations

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The long slender flowers of
these lapeirousia have helpful arrows

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directing hungry insects
to a deep well of nectar within

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Once again, specialist equipment is required

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This time, a very, very long tongue

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The flower reaps its reward when
the fly collects a faceful of pollen

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and carries its genes
to pollinate another flower

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and with a pollinator specialized
to this one,

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the plant can be certain that its pollen will be
carried to another flower of the same species

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Well, almost certain

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Succulent leafed Mesembryanthemums
have no nectar to offer

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and instead, bribe monkey beetles
with a meal of pollen rich in protein

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though this male seems to be
more interested in love than lunch

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Unfortunately, it's not long before
another male arrives to break up the party

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These fights over the ladies can
be violent enough to break a rival's legs

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But this time, the interloper
is driven off unharmed

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leaving the happy couple
safe in their petal boudoir

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Not all insects enjoy such a happy relationship
with the flowers of this desert garden

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These foam grasshoppers are hungry vandals
devouring whole flowers even whole plant

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as they try put on enough weight
to be able to reach breeding size
before the season ends

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The ostrich family is already growing fast

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The proud parents looking on as the
chicks begin to forage for themselves

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With so much to choose from

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they are a bit like children in a
sweetshop hardly knowing where to start

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But it's not just their parents
keeping an eye on them

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An ostrich's chick would
make a good lunch for the caracal

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but dad has other ideas

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And while the caracal puts on a good show,
he wisely decides that discretion
is the better part of valor

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As dusk falls over Namaqualand
the plants close up for the evening

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protecting their precious pollen
from the night dew

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But there're some night raiders against
whom there is no defense

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Even a desert garden has moles

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Well, mole rats, anyway

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These subterranean phoebes
spend their entire lives underground

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stealing supplies from the surface

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And in this time of plenty, they
gorge themselves on fresh greens

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leaving enough time
for their other favorite pastime

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Sleep

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Elsewhere in the night,
there's more frantic activity

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Emerging from 2 years underground

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a thread-winged lacewing unfolds her wings

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Once her wings have dried in the night air

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this beautiful bride will go in search of a groom

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Their courtship is a moonlit dance

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a bright moment in the dead of night

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A night when the Nama people
also dance under the moon

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But the lacewing's magical dance
won't last long

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Once their eggs are laid
the pair will die as dawn breaks
on a new season in Namaqualand

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The flowers of the desert
can't last long in the summer sun

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Under its ferocious heat, these
fragile annuals soon wither and die

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but as the petals fall, they reveal
the plant's insurance for the future

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billions and billions of seeds

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For the harvest ants,
this is the busy season

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And as they carry the seeds off
to stock their larders,
they provide a valuable service

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spreading the seeds across the plains

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The spring colors fade

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leaving a brown and barren landscape

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But there is still life in this desert

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The meerkat pups are emerging
from their den for the first time

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Only 3 weeks old they'll need to be fed
by their parents for at least 2 months
before they can fend for themselves

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It's got to be hard work for the grown-ups

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The Nama people face a similar problem

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a need to find good grazing for their animals

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The lambs have been kept safe
over night in makeshift enclosures

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and are now returned to their mothers
for suckling

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a welcome drink for the thirsty youngsters

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The Namaqualand sand grouse have to
work harder for their liquid refreshment

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Each day they may fly 40 mile
or more in search of water

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Soon, these pools will dry up

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and the grouse will have to
search for water even further afield

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The Nama must also travel far
to find water

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deep into the mountains
in search of ancient springs

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This spring-fed pool is a rare oasis

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without it, these animals will perish

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For the meerkat family unable to leave
the desert plains life is now really tough

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all their moisture must come from food

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It takes special survival skills to
make a living in these harsh conditions

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Long claws and a keen sense of smell
help them unearth juicy morsels from the sand

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These youngsters are learning fast

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This lizard might seem like an easy target

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but he has a trick up his sleeve

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or more accurately, up his tail

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To start with, he tries playing dead

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But when that doesn't work, he
deploys his secret defense mechanism

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Grabbing hold of his own tail, he
forms an impenetrable ring of spines

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It's enough to deter even
the most determined meerkat

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He turns to digging in search of easier prey

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if that's what you can call a deadly scorpion

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The sting in his tail could easily kill a child

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Yet scorpions are still favorite meerkat food

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Fast reflex is help

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And meerkats are largely immune to the venom

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but a sting still hurts, so it's worth taking care

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For meerkat children, it's sometimes
pays to play with their food

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As summer wears on, temperature soar

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it's been months since the last rains

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These quiver trees seal in moisture
beneath shining bark and waxy leaves

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saving water in this unforgiving heat

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It's not always enough

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As a last resort, they can amputate
their own branches to reduce water lose

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A shady place can be
a vital refuge from the sun

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It's just too hot to move

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but some poor souls
still have to keep watch

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Searing winds blow across the desert

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And the withered remains of long dead plants
are carried by these winds scattering
their seeds across the desolate landscape

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Harvest ants are still hard at work,
collecting whatever seeds they can find
and hauling them back to their nest

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But it isn¡¯t just the ants who've learned
to escape the heat below ground

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Irises and lilies also retreating to the earth

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storing moisture and nutrients
in underground bulbs safe from the sun

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but not safe from everything

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For the mole rats,
these bulbs are fast food

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water, energy and goodness
all packed into a neat little bundle

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Start piling them now will see
the mole rats through hard times

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when the soil will be just
too dry and too hard for digging
new tunnels in search of food

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So now, they race to store
as much as they can

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Summer is almost at its peak

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but there is one animal who seems
to thrive in this desolation

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The foam grasshoppers are fat and well-fed

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preparing for their final transition to adulthood

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They burst out of their old skins
and into brightly colored new ones

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And after months of walking

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they finally grow wings

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The vivid colors echo those of
the spring flowers they fed on

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but make them all too easy to spot now

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Yet the hungry meerkats leave them well alone

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and with good reason

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Those bright colors advertise the fact that
the grasshoppers are loaded with poison

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and so not worth eating

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A single mouthful would be deadly

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The grasshoppers harvest this
poison from milkweed

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one of the few plants that are still green

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The milkweed is loaded with cyanide
which the grasshoppers store
in their bodies as they eat

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Though it doesn't deter the grasshoppers

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the poison does help protect the milkweed
from other hungry mouths

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Many plants protect their precious
water in this way

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and that can mean death for a desperate animal

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With nothing left for their livestock to eat

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the Nama must pack up their belongings
and round up their herds

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It would be a long and arduous journey
to find new grazing

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east out of Namaqualand to a plateau
where the grass still grows fresh and sweet

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Only the youngest lambs and
the youngest children are given a free ride
as they abandon this scorched landscape

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It's hard to imagine that this was once
the lush and colorful garden of spring

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Soon, even the resourceful ostrich
family will be unable to glean a living
and they too will have to leave

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Succulent dwarf Mesembryanthemums
give up the struggle and reabsorb
the water from their soft leaves

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Pebble plants hide themselves
beneath silvery skins which
reflect the sun's dangerous rays

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and camouflage them perfectly
among the corps of stones

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They are not dead, only sleeping

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But the meerkat family can't afford to rest

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Too small to travel elsewhere,
they must work hard to survive constantly
searching to find enough food

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There's no more sharing now

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It's very meerkat for himself and not even
the pups are spared this harsh reality

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The group's family ties a stretch to the limit

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Every last morsel is vital

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Yet only 100 miles away

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where the desert garden meets the sea
life is much less of a struggle

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The air is cool above the icy waters
of the Atlantic

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bringing moisture which
forms life giving mists

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These daily mists sweep inland
bring in water to this thirsty ground
before they're burned off by the sun

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They bring just enough moisture to
keep this strip of land green and glowing

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attracting ostriches down
to the coast in search of food

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For a few places in the world

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where you can see ostriches on the beach

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There's other more typical
coastal wildlife here too

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The Benguela current brings nutrient-rich water
all the way from Antarctic

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It feeds an abundance of fish and
they in turn feed cape fur seals

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who time their breeding to
match the peak of this bonanza

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As summer ends the pup suckle
furiously on rich creamy milk

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in just 3 months,
they'll start to forage alone at sea

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Cape gannets are also here to feed on the fish

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Masters of the air,
they are a little ungamely on land

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This chick's looking for an elegant
role model to follow into the air

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but without much luck

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Soon it must throw caution to the wind

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Even if his first foray ends in disaster

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Mother seal is hungry

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she leaves her pup alone and
heads off in search of a snack

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That's bad news for the gannet chick
because seals don't only have a taste for fish

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These desperate attempts to take off

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maybe just too late

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More used to fins than feathers

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this seal must tear the bird apart
before it can swallow such large prey

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The weather is turning once again

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Now the Benguela current brings powerful storms
which sweep inland

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but they carry with them the promise of new life

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This is what our desert garden's
been waiting for

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the winter rains

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The kiss of life

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Seed capsules break open and
release their treasures

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The pebble plants wake up and
burst through their protective skins

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The rockery of the desert garden
begins to flower

232
00:38:12,029 --> 00:38:13,505
While winter brings rain

233
00:38:13,904 --> 00:38:18,536
it's also cold. Too cold for all
but the hardiest insects

234
00:38:22,595 --> 00:38:28,785
Even the meerkats in their fur coat
must bask in the sun before
they can face the cold mornings

235
00:38:46,338 --> 00:38:50,640
The cold conditions mean that early
flowering plants like the quiver trees

236
00:38:51,105 --> 00:38:56,063
can only be pollinated by animals hardy
enough to withstand such low temperatures

237
00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:13,665
Their nectar makes a welcome meal
for this weaver bird

238
00:39:14,016 --> 00:39:17,295
but he's not the bird the tree
had in mind for this treat

239
00:39:20,467 --> 00:39:25,999
It's songbirds with their long bills
that the trees trying to attract
to spread its pollen

240
00:39:26,903 --> 00:39:32,722
And the quiver tree flowers
this early to make sure it
gets the songbirds full attention

241
00:39:49,794 --> 00:39:52,129
As night falls in Namaqualand

242
00:39:52,356 --> 00:39:54,242
it gets even colder

243
00:39:54,734 --> 00:40:01,091
but there's still one animal tough enough
to be out and about in pollinating
the early desert flowers

244
00:40:04,734 --> 00:40:10,091
The short tailed gerbil has a nose for nectar

245
00:40:17,868 --> 00:40:22,171
As he feasts at the flower,
the gerbil's whiskers are coated with pollen

246
00:40:22,544 --> 00:40:25,700
which he'll then carry off
to pollinate another flower

247
00:40:28,159 --> 00:40:34,304
It makes this gerbil one of only
a handful of rodents anywhere
in the world who help pollinate plants

248
00:40:49,771 --> 00:40:52,271
The desert garden is greening up

249
00:40:52,653 --> 00:40:56,873
and as the weather warms,
there're signs of new life everywhere

250
00:41:01,161 --> 00:41:04,849
The male ostrich is looking for love

251
00:41:07,358 --> 00:41:09,489
He spies a beautiful maiden

252
00:41:09,904 --> 00:41:12,649
and the dance of seduction begins

253
00:41:35,395 --> 00:41:38,959
His chosen one shows her appreciation
of his efforts

254
00:41:46,358 --> 00:41:50,127
and prepares herself for his attentions

255
00:42:11,087 --> 00:42:14,938
It seems to be a match made in heaven

256
00:42:27,189 --> 00:42:29,359
But the meerkats have seen it all before

257
00:42:35,671 --> 00:42:38,622
With the promise of easier times on the way

258
00:42:39,178 --> 00:42:45,133
They can afford to devote a bit less time
to survival and a bit more time to play

259
00:42:49,089 --> 00:42:56,341
After the strain of the summer all
these rough and tumble is just the thing
to help reinforce the family bond

260
00:43:02,973 --> 00:43:09,272
It's all useful training that will help to toughen
them up for the hard summers ahead

261
00:43:30,135 --> 00:43:33,577
It won't be long before they too
will have a new family

262
00:43:40,896 --> 00:43:47,048
The final ingredient in this desert garden's
recipe for success is on its way

263
00:43:48,911 --> 00:43:50,551
As winter turns to spring

264
00:43:50,898 --> 00:43:55,078
that coastal mists push moisture
further and further inland

265
00:43:55,715 --> 00:44:01,902
One vital last watering that
brings the barren seedbeds to life

266
00:44:13,917 --> 00:44:18,956
As the mist recedes,
it reveals the miracle of Namaqualand

267
00:44:23,217 --> 00:44:29,373
Once again, parched earth is transformed
into an exuberance of growth

268
00:44:35,672 --> 00:44:41,285
Once again, flowers of every color
you can imagine unfold to greet the sun

269
00:44:54,462 --> 00:44:55,666
And once again,

270
00:44:55,667 --> 00:44:59,353
a billion blossoms spread out
across the desert sands

271
00:45:00,646 --> 00:45:03,658
in one of the greatest
natural spectacles on earth

272
00:46:10,050 --> 00:46:14,309
The meerkats seem surprised by this
sudden transformation of their home

273
00:46:21,330 --> 00:46:28,989
For them, and all the animals who manage
to survive in this challenging land
the rich living has returned

274
00:46:39,923 --> 00:46:42,584
Water isn't around for long in this desert

275
00:46:43,053 --> 00:46:46,535
yet plants make the most of every last drop

276
00:46:47,343 --> 00:46:51,727
through seeds, bulbs and cunning adaptations

277
00:46:52,068 --> 00:46:56,821
they've managed to survive the parched summer
to flower once again

278
00:46:57,431 --> 00:47:04,308
They fight for the attention of pollinators large
and small with an incredible variety of flowers

279
00:47:04,928 --> 00:47:13,367
The result: a diversity of plant life that makes
Namaqualand such a glorious desert garden 

280
00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:23,279
Transcription and synchronization 
by Andrew & Hattie