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S31 Ep13

Great Zebra Exodus

Premiere: 5/15/2013 | 00:52:58 | NR |

Great Zebra Exodus explores parenthood and the fragility of young life—from zebras to lapwings to meerkats. It’s a tale of loyalty and sacrifice, of home and exile, of death and new life, set against the backdrop of one of Africa’s most surreal landscapes.

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About the Episode

Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans are home to the largest zebra population in southern Africa, but it’s not an easy life. There is no permanent water in the arid saltpans, so thousands of zebras are dependent on isolated summer rains for their survival. Fleeting thundershowers produce islands of grass scattered across the otherwise barren landscape.

When the seasonal storms end, and the dry season begins, the striped nomads start their long trek west to the Boteti River for fresh drinking water. There, water is plentiful, but the zebras must travel further and further from the river to reach adequate grazing before trudging miles back to quench their thirst. It’s a grueling routine that will continue until the storm clouds return, the dry season ends, and the zebras can return home where they will welcome newborn foals into their families.

Great Zebra Exodus explores parenthood and the fragility of young life—from zebras to lapwings to meerkats. It’s a tale of loyalty and sacrifice, of home and exile, of death and new life, set against the backdrop of one of Africa’s most surreal landscapes.

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PRODUCTION CREDITS

NARRATOR
CHRIS MORGAN

Producers
ADRIAN BAILEY
ROBYN KEENE-YOUNG

WRITTEN BY
ROBYN KEENE-YOUNG

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
ADRIAN BAILEY

SOUND RECORDIST
ROBYN KEENE-YOUNG

EDITORS
ADRIAN BAILEY
MATT MEECH

ORIGINAL MUSIC
ALAN LAZAR

PRODUCTION CONSULTANT
KATHRYN PASTERNAK

SOUND EDITOR & RE-RECORDING MIXER
MARK PHILLIPS

ONLINE EDITOR & COLORIST
GRAHAM COOKE

SCIENTIFIC CONSULTANTS
JAMES BRADLEY
SOPHIE GRANGE-CHAMFRAY

AUDIO STOCK
KIM WOLHUTER

SPECIAL THANKS
THE GOVERNMENT & PEOPLE OF BOTSWANA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT WILDLIFE & TOURISM
DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE & NATIONAL PARKS
IAN CLARK
ADRIENNE & BERNIE ESTERHUYSE
NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FOUNDATION, SOUTH AFRICA

The owners and staff of:
DESERT & DELTA SAFARIS
MENO A KWENA TENTED CAMP
UNCHARTED AFRICA SAFARI CO.

FOR TERRA MATER FACTUAL STUDIOS

LINE PRODUCER
ALDO METZELAAR

UNIT MANAGER
DINAH CZEZIK-MÜLLER

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
SABINE HOLZER

For NATURE

SERIES EDITOR
JANET HESS

SUPERVISING PRODUCER
JANICE YOUNG

SENIOR PRODUCER
LAURA METZGER LYNCH

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
JAYNE JUN

LEGAL COUNSEL
BLANCHE ROBERTSON
ADRIAN D. STUBBS

WEB PRODUCER
KATE FULTON

BUDGET CONTROLLER
KAREN FEIGENBAUM

OFFLINE EDITOR
STACEY DOUGLASS MOVERLEY

ONLINE EDITOR
PATRICK KRASS

RE-RECORDING MIXER
ED CAMPBELL

SERIES PRODUCER
BILL MURPHY

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
FRED KAUFMAN

A Production of HAT CREEK PRODUCTIONS and THIRTEEN in Co-production with TERRA MATER FACTUAL STUDIOS in association with WNET

This program was produced by THIRTEEN, which is solely responsible for its content

© 2013 THIRTEEN
All rights reserved

WEB CREDITS

PRODUCER
KATE FULTON

INTERN/RESEARCH AND WRITING:
ABIGAIL POPE-BROOKS

DESIGNER
JOY WEEENG

PAGEBUILDING
BRIAN SANTALONE

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
BRIAN LEE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR
NICK MILLER

SENIOR DIRECTOR
DANIEL B. GREENBERG

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