TAKES US ON A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH NATURE, WITH SOME AMAZING
ANIMALS, AS WELL.
KEIR, GOOD MORNING.
>> Reporter: HEY, LOVELY PEOPLE.
WE SPENT 24 HOURS WITH 2
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FILMMAKERS.
WHEN I SAY 24 HOURS, I MEAN,
EVEN OVERNIGHT.
EVEN OVERNIGHT. SLEEPING SURROUNDED BY
PREDATORS.
PREDATORS. WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE DRAMA
THAT UNFOLDED AROUND US.
BRAVE IS NOT A WORD THAT BRAD
WOULD USE.
WOULD USE. BUT HE LIVES OUTSIDE IN A LAND
FULL OF DANGER.
>> THESE GUYS.
THE VULTURES ARE HERE.
>> Reporter: FOR MONTHS AT A
TIME.
TIME. THIS IS YOUR HOME.
WE’RE IN YOUR LIVING ROOM.
>> I MEAN, IT’S NOT A BAD PLACE,
IS IT?
IS IT? YOU CAN GO BACK TO LONDON IF YOU
WANT.
WANT. I’M STAYING HERE.
>> Reporter: I’M STUNNED OUT
CLOSE WE ARE TO THEM.
>> BOTSWANA IS UNIQUE IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA BECAUSE THE LACK
OF HUNTING FOR SO LONG, THE
INTERACTION WITH ANIMALS IS MUCH
CLOSER, MUCH MORE INTENSE.
>> Reporter: WE TRAVELED
THOUSANDS OF MILES TO BOTSWANA
TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
WITH RAW NATURE.
BRAD, A NAT GEO FILMMAKER, GREW
UP IN THIS UNIQUE WILDERNESS.
FRIENDS CALL HIM A REAL-LIFE
MOWGLI.
MOWGLI. HE CHARTS LIVE IN THE KALAHARI.
>> AT ITS HEART LIES A MIRACLE.
THE DELTA CREATES A WILD LIFE
PARADISE, LIKE NO OTHER ON
EARTH.
EARTH. >> Reporter: WHEN THE RAINS
COME, EVERYTHING CHANGES.
THE LIONS SEE THE HUNTING GROUND
SUBMERGE.
SUBMERGE. THIS HIPPO MAKES HIS MOVE BEFORE
THEY CAN BOUNCE.
TO CATCH THE AMAZING SHOTS, BRAD
HAS SPENT TIME UNDER WATER,
SWIMMING WITH HIPPOS AND
CROCODILES.
CROCODILES. HIPPOS, ESSENTIAL FOR CREATING
THE WATERWAYS TO CREATE THE
OKAVANGO DELTA.
OKAVANGO DELTA. AND THEY ARE FIERCE, AS BRAD WAS
RECENTLY REMINDED.
RECENTLY REMINDED. THE HIPPO TURNED YOUR CANOE
OVER.
OVER. >> TURNED THE BOAT UPSIDE-DOWN.
>> Reporter: HE HAS A TATTOO FOR
EVERY CLOSE ENCOUNTER.
>> EVERY TIME I’VE NEARLY DIED,
A BIG CROCK INCIDENT, HE WAS
SPOTTED, AND THEN, ELEPHANT, OUT
FILMING, TRAVELING AT NIGHT.
AND THE ELEPHANT HIT THE
VEHICLE.
VEHICLE. >> Reporter: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
ARE WHAT BRAD LIVES FOR.
TOGETHER WITH HIS ASSISTANT,
ALEX, HE’S BEEN FOLLOWING THIS
PACK OF WILD DOGS FOR YEARS.
>> AS SOON AS THEY GET ON THE
MOVE AND START HUNTING, THEY’RE
DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH.
>> Reporter: SOON, THE DRAMA OF
THE PLAINS IS ALL AROUND US.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
>> HYENAS TRAILING, OBVIOUSLY
LOOKING TO PICK UP FOOD FROM
THESE DOGS AND THEY’RE GETTING
FED UP.
FED UP. >> Reporter: AS THE SUN GOES
DOWN, WE LOOK FOR A PLACE TO
SLEEP.
SLEEP. OUTSIDE AND INTO THE WIND.
>> SO THAT ANY SOUND TRAVELS ON
THE WIND.
THE WIND. >> Reporter: EVEN WHEN YOU’RE
SLEEPING, YOU’RE PLANNING YOUR
NEXT DAY.
NEXT DAY. YOU’RE LISTENING.
YOU’RE LISTENING. >> 90% OF THE WORK THAT WE DO
WITH LIONS IS DRIVEN BY WHAT WE
HEAR AT NIGHT.
>> Reporter: FED AND WATERED,
IT’S TIME FOR SOME ADVICE.
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?
>> TORCH, MAINLY.
THEY DON’T WANT TO EAT US.
>> Reporter: THAT’S GOOD TO
KNOW.
KNOW. SNAKES, SPIDERS?
SNAKES, SPIDERS? >> THAT’S WHY I SLEEP UP TOP.
>> Reporter: YOU SLEEP UP THERE
AND I SLEEP DOWN HERE.
GREAT.
GREAT. AS THE STARS RISE IN THE
SOUTHERN SKY, THE DELTA
PREDATORS GO ON THE PROWL.
A ROLL CALL OF FOUR-LEGGED
KILLERS.
KILLERS. WHAT ANIMALS WERE THERE LAST
NIGHT?
NIGHT? >> A BIG LION, TERRITORIAL WATCH
UP AND DOWN PASTHYENA, A COUPLE
NIGHT.
NIGHT. THERE MUST BE A LEOPARD
HARASSING BABOONS.
HARASSING BABOONS. >> Reporter: BRAD CALLS THEM
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. >> WE ARE BUSH CHILDREN.
I WILL FIGHT IT AS LONG AS I
CAN.
CAN. >> Reporter: CHARGING A PRIDE OF
LIONS, RATHER THAN SHOOTING AT
THEM.
THEM. HIS WIFE, COMING TO THE RESCUE.
>> I PROMISE, 30 SECONDS LATER,
ONE OF THE LIONS WOULD HAVE ME.
>> Reporter: DESPITE THE
DAMAGES, THIS IS THE ONLY LIFE
BRAD’S EVER WANTED.
>> THERE’S AN ELEPHANT WALKING
UP BEHIND YOU.
>> Reporter: THERE IT IS.
AS A NEW DAY DAWNS IN THE ANIMAL
PARADISE THEY CALL THE DELTA.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> Reporter: IT TAKES A CERTAIN
KIND OF PERSON TO RISK THEIR
LIFE TO UNDERSTAND ANIMALS
BETTER.
BETTER. TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE
COMING UP.
COMING UP. "TODAY" PRODUCED THE REPORTS,
SOME INCLUDING EXCLUSIVE REPORTS
FROM NAT GEO SPECIALS.
THE FLOOD PREMIERE IS SUNDAY
NIGHT ON NAT GEO.
I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT I GOT SO
WILD IN THAT FILMING, I HAD
FORGOTTEN TO SHAVE.
>> IT LOOKED GOOD.
THERE WERE LIONS AND HYENAS AND
YOU WERE SLEEPING LIKE A BABY,
KEIR.
KEIR. YOU NEVER OPENED YOUR EYES.
>> Reporter: I DID WAKE A FEW
TIMES.
TIMES. >> I’M SURE YOU DID.