:18:04
The faster ones get away
because he's too lazy to exert himself...
:18:08
...but the smaller and slower ones
are in constant danger.
:18:12
Yellow-billed ducklings are fortunate...
:18:14
...because their mother
is a very clever actress.
:18:16
She also has great courage.
:18:18
When she sees a hyena prowling about,
she tells the kids to be quiet...
:18:22
...and walks towards the hyena...
:18:24
...while they start sneaking
away towards the water.
:18:28
Now she gives a quack
to get the hyena's attention...
:18:31
...and goes into her wounded-bird act.
She really hams it up...
:18:35
...because she's got to keep
him from spotting the chicks.
:18:37
So she flounders about pitifully
to convince him he can catch her easily.
:18:41
But when he gets too close,
she recovers miraculously...
:18:43
...and streaks for the water.
:18:45
For a moment, he begins to doubt
the sincerity of her performance...
:18:48
...but she quickly goes into her next act,
the pathetic drowning duck...
:18:52
...with all the cries for help
and all the "glub-glubs" the scene calls for.
:18:56
So he believes her again
and follows her at his leisure...
:19:00
...because he's sure she's easy meat.
:19:02
And behind his back,
the chicks slip quietly into the water.
:19:06
This is a crucial moment, because
they have to swim across open water...
:19:09
...to get to a safe hiding place...
:19:11
...so she dare not let his attention
wander away from her.
:19:16
And she has to let him come
dangerously close...
:19:18
...to keep him convinced
he can catch her.
:19:22
When at last the chicks
reach the hiding place...
:19:24
...she can consider her own safety
and make another miraculous recovery.
:19:29
And he begins to wonder
whether he's been taken for a sucker.
:19:35
Somehow the scavengers
and the carrion-eaters...
:19:38
...are the unbeautiful
people of the desert...
:19:40
...not only in looks,
but also in character.
:19:43
The stuffy-looking marabous...
:19:44
...are members of the elegant
and aristocratic stork family...
:19:48
...but thousands of years ago, they
started making their living by disposing...
:19:51
...of the remains of dead animals...
:19:53
...and they began to look more and more
like unsuccessful undertakers.
:19:57
Nowadays, the marabou wears
a threadbare black coat...