‘Eden: Untamed Planet’ Recap – ‘Luangwa: The Emerald Valley’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Eden: Untamed Planet’.
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The further we continue along in our journey through the various paradises that populate the globe, via the series, Eden: Untamed Planet, the more it is becoming apparent that this show is designed debunk some of the tropes that are stuck in our minds when it comes to the word, ‘paradise’. Because in our minds that word is associated with vast resources and beauty and sustainability and harmony, where a person could get lost in the majesty of nature at its purest and this series is making it clear, that paradise is a flawed concept. Because to nature, the creation of paradise involves creating perfect balance, the kind where every creature that populates said Utopia can eat and thrive and continue to survive for generations on end and that revelation, is bringing about some fascinating lessons.  
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Such as how the true oases of the world… are wrought with savagery and fights for survival, set to the backdrop of beauty of course and it just so happens that the next episode in this majestic series hammered home that particular point. For ‘Luangwa: The Emerald Valley’ introduced us to a part of Zambia that is completely and utterly the human definition of paradise. For it is untouched by mankind thanks to its unique soil structure and it is filled with lush green landscapes and iconic wildlife, making this place appear to outright resemble something from a storybook. Upon closer analysis however, we can see that this part of the world is indeed nature’s definition of paradise since the animals here must fight hard to see another day and their tenuous relationship to one another and the earth itself… creates that aforementioned balance.

For every creature here, lives by rules of one particular entity… water. Specifically, the waters of the Luangwa River. For this massive body of liquid changes shape throughout the year and its standing with the changing of the season, dictates how the animals around these parts, live. For instance, leopards tend to thrive when the waters have started to recede in the dry season, since they can use the riverbeds that are now flush with vegetation to properly hunt the antelope that eat what grows in the riverbed and while it is wonderful to know that some animals adapt easily to the dry season… others are not so fortunate. There are monkeys for instance and other herbivores that must fight both the elements and one another for food, giving us a better understanding of how savage this beautiful and lush part of the world can be at times and truly, the harsh nature of the dry season stands in fascinating contrast to when the rains arrive.

Because the wet season brings forth a renewal of life, since animals breed en masse, knowing full well that the lush waters and greenery that follows the rush of liquid will sustain them and their brood and it was just fascinating to see how nature ebbs and flows in this manner and how some of the animals we saw struggling in the dry season, act quite different when water is everywhere. Those very monkeys for instance, are now able to eat with impunity and their fights are instead related to enjoying a meal in silence versus battling for the last morsel and the leopards that once were able to hunt with ease, now have to plot and plan how to capture a meal. To the point where they will even utilize mating rituals to their advantage by attacking when the guard of a battling male is down and well… this really was a wonderful way to teach the audience that paradise really is something that mankind creates.

Since chaos and fights for survival were everywhere to be found here, and that makes this particular oasis no different than any other part of the world, it just so happens to be surrounded by beautiful and lush scenery and powerful landscapes. But while that made for a sobering and powerful lesson in humility since it speaks to how fortunate we are to live in beautiful places, free from this level of chaos, this kind of beautiful environment does have some paradise-like benefits. Because there are rare animals out there, the kind that we have pushed to extinction, that have discovered this place and call it their home now… and that in turn is allowing for their numbers to grow once again. Which is about as storybook as it gets and who knows, perhaps if we finally band together and push to leave places like this to their own chaotic and beautiful devices, perhaps our definition of paradise will change at last, and we can associate that word, with rebirth and survival… for the world’s most endangered species. Until next time.

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