Purgatory | Katavi: Africa's Fallen Paradise

The dry season is developing into a severe drought that is more intense than anything Katavi National Park has witnessed before. The young animals attempt to understand their rapidly changing world while the experienced adults rely on their years of knowledge to survive.

As a new day dawns on a changed hippo colony, the clan gathers around their fallen leader. It's hard not to interpret their behavior as mourning. While this type of procession has been observed with elephants, it is extremely rare amongst hippos.

An alpha hippo is challenged by two outside males. A coup by two hippo bulls is out of the ordinary, but this is no ordinary year, as a once-in-a-lifetime drought spurs unusual animal behavior.

As extreme drought overtakes Katavi, predators struggle to find food. Lions rarely hunt hippos, but hungry lions can do crazy things.