Along the Upper Okavango River, the elephants help architect the water by “swimming and carving channels through the reeds and papyrus.” This clip from Nature PBS’ Okavango: River of Dreams, a three-part series from Emmy and Peabody winners Dereck and Beverly Joubert, introduces how the elephants’ footsteps change the way the water flows across the landscapes.

The Okavango in Southern Africa is a special river born in the highlands of Angola. Unlike most rivers that flow toward the shores of a nearby ocean, it instead runs inland through Botswana. After more than 1,000 miles, the waters of the Okavango create a huge river delta before finally disappearing into the Kalahari Desert. The Okavango Delta is a true natural wonder – an unlikely oasis and lush paradise in the middle of a hostile desert that supports and feeds an incredible abundance of wildlife. Here an all-star cast of charismatic African wildlife lives and dies in the timeless drama of survival.

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