The Ethiopian Highlands
rise high into the skies over the equator.
Many rare animals are found only here
in the cradle of mankind.
These rough highlands in the East of Africa
are also home to wolves.
The animals withdrew here thousands of years ago.
This is the story of a young she wolf and her pack.
They are highland wolves and only roam here
on the roof of Africa.
Up to a height of 3,000 meters,
jungle surrounds the edges of the Ethiopian Highlands.
During the rainy season, fog pervades the treetops.
The air is saturated with steam.
Plants, similar to our heather, grow meters high.
This is a forest that withholds its secrets.
Much of the woodland is untouched.
New species are discovered here
at the edge of the highlands every year.
It was only recently discovered
that lions have made this jungle their home.
How they live here is still a mystery.
The fog dissipates where the open highlands begin.
An icy plateau extends at a height of 4,000 meters.
The Ethiopian Highlands
are one of the few places on earth
where frost can be found so close to the equator.
Rolled up snuggly against the cold,
a wolf lies in the grass.
Let's call her Megeti.
Distant barking from the neighboring valley
has woken her.
But first, the subzero temperatures of the night
need to rise somewhat.
She has been wandering the plateau by herself
for weeks.
The barking beckons her.
Megeti has lost her pack
and is looking for a new one.
She needs to be careful.
Roaming around another pack's territory can be dangerous.
The morning greeting ritual
is enjoyed by her entire pack.
Just like their European cousins,
Ethiopian wolves live in groups of up to 20 animals.
They are obviously happy to see one another
after such a bitter cold night.
On calm days like these,
the warming sun is especially enjoyable.
Only members of the family clan
are allowed to join in the ritual.
It strengthens the bond between the pack
and affirms its hierarchy.
An outsider wolf would not be accepted.
Finally, the pack sets off to patrol its territory.
The animals monitor the border
of a 13 square kilometer area,
securing the best hunting grounds.
The alpha female of the pack stays behind
as do her three week old pups.
The little ones spent the night alone in the den.
Their only food source is still their mother's milk.
Until the others are back form the hunt
the mother won't leave their side.
The Ethiopian Highlands
are divided into two sections
by the great rift valley.
Pressure in the earth's crust
pushes the land two centimeters further apart
every year.
It is this rift that was once the cradle of mankind
and is home to diverse flora and fauna.
Their thick fur
protects the geladas during the cold highland nights.
The rare primates sleep in crevices in rock face
where they are protected from leopards and other predators.
Monkey by monkey,
the group slowly follows the alpha male
to a spot in the sun.
Still shivering from the cold of the night,
waking up isn't so easy.
Now, all of the geladas who come together on the plateau,
as usual, it's the smallest
that can't keep still for long.
Geladas are not scared of water.
After all, for several months of the year,
it rains every day.
After the morning's ablutions,
it's time for grooming.
But fur care is only the secondary function of this ritual.
As with the wolves' morning greeting,
the body contact strengthens central cohesion.
So everyone within touching distance
receives a free delousing.
It's also a chance for the alpha male
to stifle any competition.
Usually just a few threatening gestures are needed.
The animal's terrifying dentures
are thankfully rarely put to the test.
Geladas are the descendants of an entire primate genus
that used to exist all over Africa and Asia.
Nowadays, they are found only in the mountains of Ethiopia.
The diversity of the natural habits
has lead to the origination of diverse species.
Even today, the elemental forces of the earth's crust
is still shaping the roof of Africa.
The wolves are spreading their scent marks.
Invisible lines traverse the plane.
Territory markers.
They are respected by the wolves of a region
and refreshed regularly.
When things are quiet,
the pack splits up and each wolf
goes its own way for the day.
Megeti is wandering along one of the invisible borderlines.
She's been wandering close to the area
of a new pack for days.
The scent traces picked up by her sensitive nose
relay information about them to her.
There is nothing edible left here.
But rolling around in the carcass
gives the young wolf a sense of wellbeing
as with all canine species.
Megeti is unaware of what is happening
on the other side of the hill.
The pups of the Alpha female
are busy playing games.
She's not expecting there to be any strange wolves nearby.
The hill over the den
is a favorite play area for the young ones.
Whoever plays here, has the best lookout position.
But something's not right.
They spotted Megeti and react instantly.
Their mother has also caught her scent.
Her warning cries to her young are unmistakable.
Get in the den!
The female does not hesitate and runs towards the intruder.
Loudly she calls to the rest of the pack.
She keeps her distance to Megeti
and continues the warning cries to her pups
to stay in the den.
All Megeti wants is contact with the wolves.
But for the mother, her intrusion is unacceptable
and she forces the young she wolf
back over the unseen territorial line.
Megeti dares a last attempt.
Surviving without the protection of a pack
is a daunting task in the highlands.
But this time, the mother stays in pursuit
until the intruder is dispelled from the territory.
The canyons of the highlands are like funnels.
When the sun warms the air all day,
strong currents form.
Perfect conditions for the aerial games
of the thick billed raven.
A piece of wood is all that is needed
to show off an extravagant flight maneuver
for the partner.
Thick billed ravens
are the world's largest songbirds.
Elegantly, they demonstrate their rein
over the airspace of the roof of Africa.
The springs of the highlands
are the source of countless rivers.
The drinking water supply
for millions of people living in the horn of Africa.
Megeti has ended up in this water world
at the edge of the wolves' territory.
Ethiopian wolves tend to avoid swamplands
and do not usually hunt here.
But Megeti has no choice.
All the other territories in the region are taken.
These blue winged geese have young goslings,
which are worth a hunting attempt.
But the wolf's hunting prowess
leaves much to be desired
and youngsters dive for safety.
Megeti doesn't dare go into the deeper water.
So she woefully continues on an empty stomach.
Perhaps she'll have better luck
on the other side of the swamp.
But even the territory beyond the springs is also taken.
Ethiopia is one of the most densely populated
countries in Africa.
Nomadic cattle herders
press into the protected lands.
Almost 100 million people living on a surface area
of some one million square kilometers.
Despite the rough climate,
the meadows are well suited as grazing land.
Where there are people
there is always something to scavenge.
Surrounded by cattle,
the starving wolf closes in on her prey.
Ethiopian wolves are nutrition experts.
They almost only hunt rodents.
The cattle don't even raise their heads.
The young wolf stays near the harmless herbivores
to get even closer to her prey.
Once she has a victim in her sights,
she uses her fine hearing to track it.
The digging causes panic
and forces the small creature to the exit
where she is waiting with open arms.
But the grass rat is little more than a snack.
It won't satisfy her for long.
Not far away, her chances of success are higher.
The neighborhood opens up to a wide dip.
The deep grooves in the ground
are caused by an extraordinary creature.
The giant mole rat.
The popular choice,
as the rodents weigh more than a kilogram.
A mole rat spends its entire life
burrowing beneath the surface.
Barely dawn
and already digging away at the back door.
With the grace of an excavator,
they shovel their way through the earth.
What was that?
Oh, just the neighbors again.
Giant mole rats are socialable creatures.
Yet no one quite knows
what they get up to underground.
They can only be found in the Ethiopian Highlands.
They eat anything green they can get their paws on.
When the coast is clear,
they even grab a few bites outside of their burrow.
The large rodents have a surprising ally.
The moorland chat.
Where there's a rat,
there's usually one of these small birds.
The rodents have come to rely on the birds
as reliable lookouts.
With one on the lookout,
one can dig around at will.
Which is exactly what the moorland chat wants.
The beetle larvae hidden underground
would be out of reach without the help of the rodent.
Two or three of these protein parcels
are enough to fill the stomach for the day.
The restless excavations of the mole rat
attracts more visitors.
These too only exist in the Ethiopian Highlands.
The wattled ibis.
Wherever the giant rodents are doing their groundwork,
they arrive in flocks
to pick up the larvae and worms
in the loosened soil.
The giant mole rats only rummage around the surface
for about an hour a day.
Enough time to not just secure food for themselves
but also for their manifold feathered guests.
The pack regularly returns
to the pup's den in on the hill.
It is a fine vantage point for surveying the plain.
Megeti doesn't realize that she has been seen.
Yet today, something is different.
The young wolf is undecided.
The other wolves approach.
And she waits.
Eye to eye, they stand and face one another
but the pack's leader doesn't attack.
Megeti decides to make the first move.
The ban has been broken.
The others welcome the young wolf without restraint.
Megeti's patience has paid off, the pack takes her in.
Now they will go on patrols together.
The rich hunting ground of the pack
extends into the vast plain before them.
Megeti is keen to take advantage of it.
Too keen.
The giant mole rat is alert.
Nextdoor, another has gnawed everything there
and is working its way towards new green areas.
This could be easy prey.
But the warren has several exits.
Hunting mole rats requires a tactical approach.
The first attempt must be successful.
There are no second chances.
Like a cat, the wolf creeps in
until she is within a leap of her prey.
The rodents sense the slightest vibrations in the ground.
The closer she is to her goal,
the smaller the huntress makes herself.
She does not let the clueless rat
out of her sights for a second.
If it looks up,
that means freeze.
Giant mole rats are shortsighted.
In the distance,
they can only register shadows and movement.
The rodent blocks the cave entrance,
fiercely defending itself.
But Megeti's persistence pays off.
She just needs a couple more catches like this a day
to ensure a balanced diet.
The giant mole rat
plays a key role in the ecosystem
of the Ethiopian Highlands.
The wolves would not survive here without them.
Africa, just beneath the sky.
Only rarely do the clouds manage to envelope
the highlands like this.
Just underneath,
where the sea of clouds meet the land,
unique forests of fog emerge.
Just a stone's throw from the plateau,
yet an entirely different world.
Little is known about Bale monkeys.
They only live in these forests.
The monkeys are bamboo experts
and rarely come down from the trees.
The animals are being keenly observed.
No one knows
what brought the kings of the savanna to the forests.
Jungle lions have never been filmed before.
Are these vervets really their prey?
There is no research data on the hunting behavior
or way of life of the lions that live here.
A species that one usually knows so much about.
Whether it's Bale monkeys or jungle lions,
year after year, these forests reveal new secrets.
In the north of Ethiopia,
giant heather trees cover the high plateau.
The light vegetation allows much space
for expansive meadows.
The grazing ground of the geladas.
With their short, powerful fingers
they rip up the turf
and pick seeds out of the ground.
Geladas are the only primates in the world
that exclusively feed on grass.
This grass ripping is a trained skill,
but practicing it quickly becomes boring.
Playing around is much more fun for the offspring.
The thin grain blades
only offer a meager calorie intake.
Forcing the geladas to eat
for up to 10 hours a day.
Shortly before sunset,
the geladas retire to the rock face.
Whilst the grownups enjoy
the last warming rays of the sun,
the little ones show no interest whatsoever
in going to bed.
Once the sun finally takes its leave,
the geladas descend the rock face,
look for a safe place to sleep.
Cuddling close to one another
is the best way to withstand
the cold nights of the highlands.
Slowly, the sun regains its strength again
and begins to warm the frozen ground.
Lonely nights are a thing of the past for Megeti.
Now she needs to find her place in the pack.
As usual, the young are the first to wake up
and fill the time with climbing exercises.
But soon hunger brings them back to their mother.
The pups have built up trust in Megeti
and even though she has nothing to offer them,
she puts up with their small sharp teeth anyway.
After the morning ritual,
the wolves go down to the plateau.
The pups stay behind.
They lick the frost off the surface of the petals.
As long as they are weened,
they do not need the extra water
but, the cold droplets on the plants are intriguing.
Today Megeti stays with the pups.
The young female looks after them
as a matter of course.
And they make sure they get up to all the trouble
that young animals love doing.
It's not unusual for low ranking females
to look after the young
whilst the others go off to hunt.
Never before has the pup seen a mole rat,
but it already practices like a grown wolf.
And even has the most important lesson
of the highland wolves in his blood,
once you've caught something, never let go.
And if need be, fight for it and get it back.
Megeti intuitively knows what to do,
as if she's done nothing else her whole life,
she trains with the young ones.
This training also serves the purpose
of making Megeti
more experienced with the wild pups.
And some point, perhaps soon,
she will be able to use the experience
when raising her own young.
The rainy season is closing in.
Like beacons of fire,
the torch lilies stretch upwards to the sky.
Their flowery, often meter tall heads
soon fill entire valleys.
And this will not go unnoticed.
For olive baboons,
these are the most sought after delicacies of the season.
They inspect every petal
and suck out the sweet nectar.
Before long, the baboons sport yellow mustaches.
Pollen, which is transported to the next plant.
No one in partaking in the sweet petals
can escape the dust of the lilies.
Elegantly, the sunbirds carry out their work.
They form their tongue into a tube,
through which they can suck the sugary nectar
deep from inside the petals.
The baboons have a more rustic approach.
It's a miracle that the flexible flower heads
don't snap off.
Villagers are on the way to the high valley.
These people are some of the earliest settlers in Ethiopia
and their life as cattle herders and farmers
is basically the same as it was hundred of years ago.
The herd dictates the order of the day for the nomads
on the lofty plain.
The shepherds' dogs go with the small zebu cattle
to the grazing meadows
and protect them from leopards.
There are many dogs.
The scent for food increasingly drives them
into the wolves' territory.
Megeti warns the alpha female.
The dog traverses their area almost every day.
But this close to the den,
he is a threat to the pups.
Together, the confront the intruder.
It is thanks to Megeti's courage
that the dog is chased off.
But Megeti goes a step further.
Again and again
she rolls around in the dog's feces.
A ritual that will have consequences.
For the thick billed raven,
cattle herds are always of interest.
Whether in flight or on a perch,
they keep a close eye on the valley and its plains.
The ravens are almost as large as geese
and are only found in the horn of Africa.
The birds have discovered the remains of a zebu cattle.
But the ravens are dwarfed by the bearded vulture.
It can stay air born for hours
without a flap of its wings.
For the birds, the canyons and their air currents
are an ideal habitat
and where there are cattle,
its stable diet can be found, bones.
With almost no persuasion,
even the last raven gives up its find.
The wolf pack is in good spirits.
The pups have grown into fine young wolves,
but the den is too small for them now.
They are getting harder to control
and venture further and further out
onto the plains.
Soon they will go on the patrols with the rest of the pack.
Today, Megeti doesn't join in any battles of strength
with the young wolves,
she is restless and hesitant.
Something drives her off, away from the pack.
She goes hunting to the most distant levels
of the lofty plain.
The young mole rat is not paying attention
and should be easy prey,
but Megeti skids at the final moment
and the rodent disappears into its Labyrinth.
This has been happening for days.
The wolf can no longer coordinate her behavior,
her muscles contract and twitch permanently,
and her usually steady gait gives way to trembling.
A new attempt.
This time, the mole rat is only a leap away.
Too late again.
She is no longer master of her own legs.
Even walking is a struggle.
It is although an alien force
has taken over her body.
Despite being surrounded by prey,
she is unable to satisfy her hunger.
Megeti is getting weaker by the hour.
She is very ill.
With the arrival of the humans,
a treacherous disease was brought to the highlands,
canine distemper.
The virus is what rendered Megeti an orphan,
it annihilated herb entire pack.
It was a miracle that she even survived.
But now death rears its ugly head.
She was probably infected
by rolling in the dog feces.
Highland wolves are at the mercy of the disease.
Once they are infected,
the virus easily takes hold of the animal.
With the humans, their cattle and dogs,
the deadly virus has also found its way
into Megeti's new pack.
Megeti had no predators to fear,
no one was hunting her.
No one had shot her prey or destroyed her habitat.
Yet still she has not survived.
The Ethiopian wolves
once retreated to this land above the clouds,
now reality has arrived here, too.
Less than 500 wolves are left roaming the high plains
of the horn of Africa.
No one knows if they too
will be infected by distemper on day.
There is no survival guarantee for these wolves.
The future of the Ethiopian wolf hangs by a thread.
And the wondrous world of the highlands
would be a poorer place without them.