Many tales have been told of Africa.
And this is our story.
A drama set in the heart of our world.
Experienced as we live and breathe it.
It was a year that would change all our lives forever.
We raised our young against the odds.
We fought for what mattered most.
And battled to find our place in the world.
This is the next chapter in our story...
..of a place they call Serengeti.
Change is in the air.
All of us wait for the great migration.
With so much hunger, it can't come a moment too soon.
To reach us, the herds must risk their lives crossing the river.
Before the masses arrive,
the baboons have come in search of a seasonal delicacy.
Bakari has a family at last.
The orphan he's tried to raise as his own has been adopted by Cheka.
Both share the parenting, and Bakari keeps them safe.
But the troop leader still keeps Bakari in his place.
Fighting back would only provoke him more,
and today, there are far greater dangers.
The leader is taking everyone on a risky mission.
They're here to steal the eggs of a crocodile.
SHE HISSES
She guards her buried treasure...
..and hunts down thieves who dare come near.
Bakari is cautious.
Does Cheka realise the danger?
Their leader doesn't care.
He's impulsive and reckless,
and the nest is on the other side.
He may have got away with it, but Bakari won't be crossing.
There must be a safer route.
Where Bakari leads, Cheka follows.
And now, so do the troop.
Bakari has a plan.
Use the tree as a bridge.
No problem for a youngster.
And no problem for Bakar.
Now, it's Cheka's turn...
..but she's jumping with a baby.
Bakari reassures her.
To nearly lose someone so precious makes you value them even more.
Here, fortunes can change in a heartbeat...
..but the seasons bring their own certainty.
Rain carries the promise of better times.
Just what Kali is waiting for.
She's made peace with Sefu -
a male who once exiled her from the great pride.
Along with her sister, they have the beginnings of a new pride.
The lean times will soon be over.
The rains will bring the great migration, and food for all.
The elephants are already in their element.
The deluge will produce lush new growth, and the herds will follow.
On distant plains, this timeless journey has begun.
Drawn by the scent of rain and the promise of fresh pasture.
But one family of zebra has reason to pause.
Shani is their leader...
..and one bold stallion protects them all.
Today, Shani has given birth to the stallion's foal.
Shani has little time to enjoy the moment.
A gruelling trek lies ahead.
He finds his feet.
Now, he must find his stamina.
When the herds arrive,
Kali won't have to scrape a living any more.
And with Sefu to care for their cubs,
she and her sister will be free to hunt.
They head to the river in anticipation...
..leaving Sefu to babysit.
But with their mothers away,
the cubs can't resist the chance to explore.
For now, the river is calm.
Or it was, until Kali arrived.
The migration will arrive on the opposite bank.
Could there be early arrivals?
A brave move.
Hippos resent having their peace disturbed.
HIPPO GRUNTS
She won't cross here again.
Now to search for clues.
A smell, fresh dung,
any hint that the first wildebeest have arrived.
As they approach the nest, Bakari is still leading.
But the crocodile is still guarding her eggs.
It won't be easy.
And it's just got riskier.
The gully would make a prime spot for an ambush.
Kali isn't the only one waiting for the herds.
But a twist of fate brings opportunities.
Bakari and Cheka won't waste this moment.
They must eat quickly....
..and not just because of the crocodile.
The leader finally arrives.
MONKEYS SQUEAL
As usual, he won't be sharing.
Bakari has to let it go.
But greed brings retribution.
Baboons are expected to watch each other's backs.
Not one of them warned him.
When the leader can no longer trust his troop,
there's trouble ahead.
The promise of the migration draws new families to our land.
The wild dogs.
Jasari is their leader.
He brought them here for the promised feast.
And the pups were born to share it.
Only Jasari and his lifelong partner have young.
Yet the rest of the group are devoted to raising them...
..and defending them.
Jasari hears a disturbing sound.
GROWLING SNORES
Sefu is sleeping on the job.
To the dogs, he's too close for comfort.
Both will kill each other's young.
But first, they have to catch them...
..and not get killed trying.
For the dogs, fighting the sisters is too risky.
But where are their cubs?
The mud tells its own story.
Now to deal with their baby-sitter.
Perhaps next time, he'll take his duties more seriously.
Best for now to make himself scarce.
At last, some peace and quiet.
BUZZING
Or maybe not.
BEES BUZZ
SEFU GROWLS
It's just not Sefu's day.
For all, change is on the horizon,
and it gets closer every day.
Shani's foal has risen to the challenge of the journey.
But jeopardy comes when you least expect it.
The family are forced to stop.
Shani's stallion is being challenged by another.
The victor will take control of her and her family.
As leader, Shani is the ultimate prize.
She won't be taken easily.
Her stallion will defend her to the death.
A takeover could tear Shani's family apart.
Her stallion wins.
Order is restored, for now.
Far greater perils lie ahead.
The wild dogs are marking time.
Waiting.
Until the herds arrive, they must get by any way they can.
Even if that means stealing.
A leopard hunts by stealth.
Jasari must not let him out of his sight.
Perfect.
Now, the tricky bit.
The leopard may be powerful...
..but the wild dogs' power lies in their numbers.
Even a leopard wouldn't dare take on the pack.
There's no shame in this defeat,
and for Jasari, there's no shame in stealing.
Until the migration arrives, it's every predator for themselves.
The tranquillity of the river still offers no hint of what's to come.
The lions remain hungry, but hopeful.
It's not just Sefu who has a talent for passing the time.
Everyone's conserving their energy for the feast to come.
Except the cubs, who have energy to spare.
As do the mongoose.
Disturbing sleeping lions is never a good idea...
..especially hungry ones.
If spotted, the secret is to freeze.
The slightest movement will give him away.
But not every mongoose is so lucky.
The leopard will not go hungry after all.
But Kali has a family to feed.
Tackling a leopard is one thing.
Getting down is another.
After all that, it seems mongoose aren't to her taste.
Perhaps the cubs will enjoy it more.
But Kali won't have to fight for scraps for much longer.
She can sense it on the breeze.
Finally, they're here.
It's been a long journey,
but Shani has safely led her family to the river.
Now, the most dangerous part -
crossing it.
The family needs to quench their thirst.
But danger lurks, even in the shallows.
She'll be watching and waiting.
Shani will have to time their crossing perfectly.
The baboons avoid the chaos.
It's far too risky for the youngsters.
But even here, there are hazards.
Cheka keeps the baby out of trouble.
Caring for him has brought Bakari and Cheka closer.
The baby feels secure.
And he hero-worships Bakari.
But to the leader, he's an upstart.
The troop's growing respect for Bakari must be challenged.
He calls on some trusted allies.
Bakari must be taught a lesson.
To protect the baby, he must first get hold of him.
Attacking a baboon with a baby is a line even the leader won't cross.
But the rivalry runs too deep.
Bakari can't fight and protect the infant.
He must let him go.
Now, the fight can really begin.
Bakari finds safety,
but the baby's position is more precarious.
He's oblivious to what lurks below.
Taunting the crocodile is their new favourite pastime.
But Bakari is shaken.
His feud with the leader is putting the baby's life in danger.
It can't go on.
Further up the river,
as more herds arrive, the pressure builds to breaking point.
But Shani is still cautious.
Her foal's life depends on picking the perfect moment to cross.
No-one wants to be the first.
Swollen by the rains, the river is now a raging torrent.
But they can't hold back much longer.
Something has to give.
Shani bides her time.
Let others test the waters.
She must choose her moment carefully.
The crocodile is out there...
..somewhere.
She's waited a whole year for this moment.
Finally, her reward.
But the danger is far from over.
Kali is ready for them.
Wildebeest fight back.
A mass stampede can be fatal.
She's trapped...
..but only for a moment.
With Kali hunting on the other side,
Shani won't risk crossing today.
As the crocodile returns to her nest, a surprise awaits her.
Her remaining eggs are hatching.
The jaws that deal in death
now show tenderness.
This quiet backwater becomes her nursery.
The killer becomes carer.
Parenthood brings its own rewards,
but they're hard-earned.
Jasari was wise to den here.
His pups won't go hungry,
but he'll have to work hard.
Where Jasari leads, his loyal pack follows.
Feeding the pups is now all that matters.
They should enjoy it while they can,
because with success will come rivalry.
For all of us, competition is a way of life.
Survival, our driving force.
The migration is now unstoppable.
Shani must resist the urge to join them
for the sake of her foal.
Their enemies are ready.
For every danger overcome...
..another awaits.
Kali keeps her focus.
She won't miss this time.
For those who've suffered hunger for so long, relief is finally here.
But Shani still faces an impossible decision.
How could her foal survive such ferocity?
Somehow, they must find the courage.
As the great migration continues,
our story will move from the river to the plains.
Old foes return, bringing terror.
Rivalries reach breaking point.
Families are broken apart...
..while others are reunited,
and all eyes will be on the water hole.