Katavi – Africa's Fallen Paradise

On the banks of the Katuma River, in Tanzania’s Katavi National Park, the resident lions, hippos and crocodiles live in relative harmony. This little-known park is their sanctuary, a place of bounty, where even in the dry season it’s a rare week that sees no rain. But this year is different. Six weeks have passed without a drop. The river is shrinking and there’s a palpable sense that something is broken. The buffalo herds that provide an abundance of prey for the lion pride, are late. Bull hippos clash in a fight over territory in a dangerously dwindling river and in blistering heat, cold-blooded crocs, at the mercy of the outside world to regulate their temperatures, must choose between protecting their eggs or staying cool enough to survive. In desperation, Arthur, the lion pride male, makes the decision to abandon his family, leaving them vulnerable to a vagabond rogue lion with an eye on opportunity. Paradise is about to fall.

An extraordinary, once-in-a-generation drought grips Katavi and for the resident lions, hippos and crocodiles, life spirals out of control. A new litter of lion cubs is born into the toughest conditions imaginable. Without the protection of their father who has followed the buffalo herds, they are vulnerable to the brutal attack of a rogue male, intent on taking over the pride. Water levels drop by the day, pushing two hippos to join forces and overthrow an alpha bull – extremely unusual behaviour, in an extremely unusual year. In the face of violence, both a mother hippo, and the lion pride, are forced to keep moving in an attempt to protect their young. Distant storms bring not rain… but fire, sparked by lightning. Hot winds whip ash into malevolent dust devils. In the crushing heat, the natural order of life in Katavi seems to have fallen apart.

Katavi is unrecognisable – its lush wetlands replaced by parched and dusty plains. The lion pride stays one step ahead of the rogue lion on their trail… but their pride male is searching for them too. In the hellish conditions, even the crocodiles are dying: their bodies stressed by extreme drought, they are succumbing to a deadly virus. But at last, the river is reborn and water returns, inch by inch, to Katavi. Slowly, tensions wash away as the shackles of drought loosen. Hippos and crocodiles rejoice in the return of deep water… but the rains don’t stop and Katavi is overwhelmed by floods. Trapped on an island in the raging river the lion cubs once more face mortal danger. But finally, things begin to normalise in Katavi. The buffalo herds return, Arthur reunites with his pride and the cubs witness their first hunt. The floodplains replenish and Katavi is bountiful again. But as our planet heats, such extreme climatic cycles could become more frequent. Katavi faces an uncertain future.