‘The Wild Sides’ Recap: ‘The Drought’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Still from ‘The Wild Sides’ Courtesy of BBC America.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘The Wild Sides’. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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One particular fact about the world that every human being learns early on in life, is that outside of our world… where temperatures are comfortable and safety surrounds us, alongside plentiful food and water… things are rough. For there is no shelter for animals to run to when rain and snow comes pouring down. Nor can they cool off or heat up when the temperature changes. They simply are in the thick of chaos and are forced to work hard to survive. Which gives us gratitude and comfort over the fact that we have figured out how to avoid that world and thrive within one that truly is controlled and safe. But what’s fascinating about our general understanding of the world, is that it is quite topical in nature.

Because in reality, what wildlife in the world experiences, is actually far more harrowing than we know. For animals suffer in this world and push hard to see another tomorrow while we eat and drink and sleep in our comfortable beds. Which is why, it is important sometimes to see what this is like. In part to remind us of how good we have it on days where the world we’ve designed seems to weigh us down, but also… to just understand our world through and through. For we often forget that we share this planet with creatures untold and that our world really is quite the harsh and angry place where good and bad happens every moment in the wild, and it just so happens… that a new documentary on BBC America showcases that chaos, and that made the series premiere of The Wild Sides, quite sobering.

Simply because ‘The Drought’ held nothing back in showing us how hard life can be for animals and what it takes for them to survive and it accomplished that feat by plunging us into the Mashatu Wilderness in Botswana, where a four-year drought had been taking place when the film crew arrived and well… what that reality showcased was powerful to say the least. Since this crew was able to follow a bevy of animals as they worked to figure out what to do with the water supply basically depleted in their corner of the world, and that led to some incredible decisions for certain. Such as resorting to eating other animals some species normally wouldn’t consume to ensure they had food and water, while also suffering greatly as they forged ahead and waited for rains that sadly… never came and that… pushed the animals that lived here to do something quite extreme.

In that, they all packed up and moved toward a river, one that elephants in this region knew by heart. All because water is what fuels all life on Planet Earth, but even that quest… was wrought with difficult times. For so many had to be on guard, for every animal in the area was headed to the river, predators included. Which brought forth more loss, more suffering and eventually, outright worry. For when the day arrived, and everyone reached the riverbed… there was nothing to be found. Just mud and sand, making it appear as though the worst-case scenario was about to occur. But thanks to the elephant family in this story, water was discovered beneath the ground… and everyone drank side by side and settled into this strange dryish life. For there was still no sign of the rains and life of course, had to go on and that really was… quite the harrowing and powerful journey.

One that truly encapsulated the chaos that takes place on our world. Because nothing went right, nothing was planned. It was just survival of the fittest and extreme acts to see another tomorrow, and all the viewers could do… was sit back and enjoy this uncomfortable ride. One that really did show us ups and downs and everything in between in the compelling manner that only BBC America can provide. Not to mention, this was… a visceral examination as well, devoid of clever editing when the ugly stuff took place to really hammer home… this is the world, and it is indeed wild and chaotic and full of moments we no longer know. For we are the lucky ones and well… what’s equally as wild is that this is merely the beginning of the journey, and it will be interesting to see what other chaos awaits in this corner of the world as this fascinating documentary continues along. Until next time.  

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