Life at the Waterhole: Episode 1 | Watch & Wonder Weekly Highlight

Tuesday, September 5, 1 PM

For next week’s Watch & Wonder Highlight, we’re thrilled to feature this episode of Life at the Waterhole. After watching, dive deeper with resources about the vital role of waterholes in the African ecosystem, as well as the predator-prey interactions of some of the animals that rely on them, on PBS LearningMedia.

Explore the daily drama as African wildlife flock to a manmade waterhole rigged with cameras. Dr. M. Sanjayan and his team uncover the complex dynamic of this bustling oasis where elephants, lions, leopards and more meet and compete for water. In Episode 1, meet the first animal visitors to the new manmade waterhole in the African savannah. Using state-of-the-art cameras, scientists watch as warthogs and elephants discover the new oasis. But things become dangerous when leopards and lions close in.

PBS LearningMedia

Waterhole Predators and Prey | The Elephant and the Termite

Grades 3-8
These videos from NATURE’s The Elephant and the Termite explore animal interactions around the waterhole at Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park. While some animal interactions are harmonious, others include competition for food and life. Learn about the predator-prey interactions of some of the animals that rely on the waterholes and examine different strategies that animals use to catch prey or evade predators. Often when we think of predators we envision large, freocious creatures. However this resource considers the smaller animals—insects, amphibians, reptiles and birds—that exist in predator-prey relationships. 

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Each week, we’ll highlight a show from our Watch & Wonder block, and share a PBS LearningMedia resource — suitable for middle and high school students. Follow along on the Watch & Wonder Schedule page, or subscribe to our newsletter!