National Geographic: African Odyssey Page #5

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the clan's new den,

but research continuity is crucial.

It took the Owenses

four years to discover

that clan members share a communal den

That observation opened doors

of understanding to previously

inexplicable hyena behavior.

From time to time Delia and Mark fly

a town of native huts

and tourist lodges.

Here they can pick up

research correspondence

and send off manuscripts

for publication.

This is the Crocodile Farm.

Water is so precious in the Kalahari

that they always arrive weighed down

by dirty laundry.

Maun Office Services is their

contact with the outside world.

It receives and stores mail for

people who live far out in the bush.

I found it. I've given it to him.

Whenever you get a minute,

we've just come to pick up our mail.

Okay. Behind you is a box

with the word "Owens" on it.

And a big box after it.

And that's all yours.

What was the date on that?

Oh, her Look.

These are all our telegrams.

Oh, golly. Okay, wait a minute.

Hey, Tony.

You want to come and join us?

Why don't you join us?

I've got something in the oven.

Now this is a birthday card

from my mother.

I know it.

Yep, and it's fat.

What? It's fat?

It's fat.

She usually sends vitamin pills.

Why is she sending fat?

Oh, look. Pictures of home.

That's fantastic.

Oh, that's great.

Cut off as they are

for months at a time,

these bundles of mail

are precious links with home.

Through letters they share in

their families' triumphs and despairs.

Back at camp again,

Delia and Mark are on the prowl,

still hoping to find some of the

lions they studied four years earlier.

The cubs seem to sense

that something is wrong.

Delia and Mark have

darted an old lioness.

They can tell by the tag in her ear

that she is one of the

lions they studied before.

The lion's whisker

pattern will tell them more.

Here's one of our old friends.

There's just a shard

of an ear tag left,

just a pin with a little bit of

color on either side right here.

Mark, do you know who this is?

This is Happy.

Happy?

This is Happy.

Darted first April 9th, 1978.

I can't believe it.

What a story behind her.

One reason we called her Happy is

because we recorded her with

more males than any other female.

She'd from one male to the other.

I can't believe it. She's a beauty.

Oh, you old bag, you.

Finding Happy is an important link

to their early research.

She helps them learn how prides

in the Kalahari form and break apart.

Her presence in the same area

demonstrates just how crucial

the riverbed habitat

is to the lions' survival.

Roger, ready to copy.

To Mark Owens, a telex from...

Back at camp, Mark gets a call from

his radio contact in Maun.

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