Africa's Wild Havens

Each winter in Zambia, Africa, the dry season saps the land of moisture and sets off a battle for survival. Hippos and crocs guard the shrinking Luangwa River. Lions and leopards plot their attacks on migrating beasts in order to feed their cubs. Standing tall like a beacon of brilliant green in this bleak landscape stands something that defies nature's rhythms: a sausage tree. It's a miracle of Zambia that bears sweet gifts of large fruits and crimson flowers that sustain these wild residents until the unforgiving season ends.

It stands tall in the semi-arid desert of the Kalahari, giving its inhabitants much-needed shade during summer days, large pods when food is scarce, and a foundation for one of the most remarkable constructions built by a colony of birds. It's the camelthorn, one of only a handful of large trees that can take root in the Kalahari's deficient soil. Discover the evolutionary secrets that allow it to tower as a master of survival in the vast expanses of these African plains, where living is an often unthinkable challenge.

In Africa's Manyeleti Game Reserve, one tree stands out above all others: the marula. See the integral role it plays over the dramatically extreme seasons in South Africa, and see why this tree is undeniably a tree of life.