Too young to fly, flamingos troop across the unforgiving desert in a desperate race to reach water in NATURE "Kalahari: The Great Thirstland."

Nature presents the work of renowned naturalist filmmaker Tim Liversedge as he captures one of nature's greatest paradoxes--the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa. The two one-hour documentaries on the Kalahari air Sundays, Nov. 2 and 9 at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET2 (and in high definition format on KET4) and Saturdays, Nov. 8 and 15 at 9/8 p.m. CT on KET1.

"Kalahari: The Great Thirstland" (11/2, 11/8) explores the parched sands of the Kalahari Desert. Once part of a great sprawling lake, the desert now comprises one of the most barren regions on Earth. Significant rains have been absent for so long that it seems impossible that any life at all could be sustained. Zebra and wildebeest desperately dig to find muddy pools under a dry riverbed, while bullfrogs the size of dinner plates lie entombed beneath the sand in a form of extended hibernation. Every creature awaits the arrival of intense rainstorms that sweep over the desert.

In the storm's wake, life returns in swarms of unbelievable dimensions. Ancient breeding grounds are revisited by a wide variety of species, resulting in hordes of young broods anxious to play their own roles in the never-ending cycle of life. For a few months, at least, this part of the Kalahari Desert will be as life-sustaining as any place on the planet.

"Kalahari: The Flooded Desert" (11/9, 11/15) captures the unique interaction between the desert and the Okavango River delta and its impact on the region's diverse wildlife. With spectacular aerial and ground photography, the film documents the amazing effects produced when a great river is swallowed by the sands of a vast desert.

Nature "Kalahari: The Great Thirstland" and "Kalahari: The Flooded Desert" are produced by WNET/New York. The programs are closed-captioned for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.