Many tales have been told of Africa.
But this is our story...
...a drama set in the heart of our world.
Experience as we live and breathe it.
Our world is changing.
We're not just fighting amongst ourselves...
we're fighting the elements too.
While our young are born in an uncertain future...
this is the next chapter in our story,
in a place they call Serengeti.
* Serengeti *
* She is speaking *
* Hear the wisdom *
It's a truth older than all of us.
When our land is in harmony, discord is never far away.
As our story begins,
the great pride is hunting the prey they fear the most.
To take down a buffalo, each has a part to play.
Only one is willing to risk her life.
Kali is that lion.
As usual, Kali leads the charge.
But even she can't fight alone.
Kali needs Sefu a male she could once depend on.
But when duty calls, he fails her.
The buffalo senses fear,
and Sefu does the unthinkable...
...leaves Kali to her fate.
The fearless is now the forsaken.
The huntress, now the hunted.
When Kali's life was in danger,
Sefu abandoned her.
She won't forget.
But what can she do?
If Kali can't rely on Sefu
and the other males for protection,
all she cares for is at risk.
And there could be a reason Sefu abandoned Kali.
Her cubs aren't his.
They were fathered by a lion from outside the pride.
If he suspects, her cubs are in mortal danger.
While emotions flare in the great pride,
others hide their tensions well.
* Wild heart *
* We run free *
* This golden land beneath the sky *
* Is all we ever need *
* This home where we live and die *
* Is Serengeti *
For the baboons life seems good,
and their troop is thriving.
Their lives were transformed
when a kind and gentle leader took over.
Bakari not only has his troop to lead,
he's the head of a new ruling family.
T'Chaka is now the top female.
And their adopted son is first among the young males.
But their new baby daughter is the most treasured of all.
The two youngsters are inseparable.
And the bond between Bakari and T'Chaka
stronger than ever.
But not everyone is so content.
A female lost her high position
when T'Chaka took her place.
Bibi must now show deference even to their new baby.
To loose status is always painful.
Even the baby now ranks higher than she does.
To lose power is to be condemned to forever chase it.
Bakari ignores the simmering tensions.
Keeping everyone safe is challenging enough.
Here, danger is never far away.
For Bakari, a leopard is the greatest threat he'll face.
Courage is now his only defense.
Here trouble rarely walks alone.
Bakari's problems are far from over.
As well as threats from the outside...
...he now faces a threat from within.
Nalla, the elephant matriarch,
is rarely troubled by such rivalries.
Her sisterhood sticks together.
Just as well, her son has grown,
but still vies for her attention.
And her cherished sister has had a new baby, Kadogo.
While the elephants play, the leopard can slink away.
It's the season when our land reveals its splendor.
But beauty can hide watching preferred to ignore.
Hyenas are the leopards' enemy.
She has good reason to hide away.
In fact, two good reasons.
Her two daughters.
Nzuri and Dada.
They've been hiding here since they were born.
But secrets never stay safe along.
She will be back.
Zalika is a warrior queen
with the power, prestige bestowed.
But like the leopard, her life has changed.
Instead of leading her clan to battle,
she's left with those too young to fight.
While she's preoccupied,
her once mighty clan is scattered and leaderless.
Zalika's priorities have changed.
She's now raising a new generation of fighters.
When lions killed her mother, she inherited the leadership.
But she's still young
and must prove she's worthy of the role.
But for now, her battles will have to wait.
A new dawn brings hope for Kali's hungry cubs.
It's when their mother goes hunting.
Sefu too expects a meal.
Despite the rising tensions between them,
she still has a duty to her cubs.
As always, it will be Kali who faces the prey.
The dawn has been generous.
The first sign of the migrating herds.
But were her efforts in vain?
Sefu expects to be the first at the meal.
As do the other males.
There's little Kali can do
as her cubs' meal vanishes before her eyes.
The truth is the pride has grown too big...
with too many males, and too many mouths
living off Kali's kills.
But she can't go her cubs go hungry, no matter the risk.
It's not a fair share, but it's something.
Sefu is showing scant regard for those he should protect.
This injustice can't continue.
Some rise above such family feuds, and just look on.
Never staying, always watching.
It may be calm above the threat...
but for a lone mother peace it's hard to find.
Keeping cubs entertained is never easy.
Keeping them save is even harder.
A warrior knows just when to strike.
The cubs have yet to learn to climb.
The best lessons are by example.
Beginners need a lot of help.
They're safe, but not secure.
This time, fate was kind. But they must learn fast.
While she's with them she'll keep them safe,
but she'll soon be far too busy.
The great migration is on its way.
They arrive as a multitude,
but countless families lie at its heart.
And zebra families are among the closest of all.
Shani leads from the front.
She is not just her family's guiding light,
she's mother to a newborn foal.
He won't let her out of his sight.
Punda is the stallion.
He's father and protector to all the foals.
Today he meets his newborn son for the first time.
But it's brief, and for good reason.
For his first few precious hours,
Shani must keep her newborn away
from the hustle of the herd.
Isolation can be a sanctuary...
it can also be a trap.
A bachelor stallion is out to start a family.
He may feign disinterest, but his intent is deadly...
to steal Shani away...
and kill her foal if he has to.
Punda faces the ultimate test, prove his supremacy.
Fight to the death to keep Shani and her foal.
Punda's rival has the energy of youth.
Punda'd in trouble.
But he still has some fight left in him.
Stamina and experience starts to show.
Punda triumphs... for now.
Shani's foal isn't the only newborn to arrive today.
Another unbreakable bond is forged.
This is Kanoo.
Newborn wildebeest needs to grow up fast.
While his mother devotes herself to his care,
the herd will be his guardians.
But finding his feet, it's all down to him.
Until he can run,
he has slim chance of surviving.
These are Zalika's hunting grounds.
With newborns to take care for,
and her clan scattered,
helpless prey is just what she needs.
But first, she has to find it.
Kanoo has just moments to learn to run.
While he struggles to stand,
all the herd can do is form a shield.
Kanoo finally finds his feet.
His mother knows where safety lies.
Once more, the herd is their savior.
A screen of bodies provide safe refuge.
Without her clan to support her,
the great Zalika is defeated...
by a baby.
He passed his first test, it won't be his last.
While everyone enjoys themselves,
Bakari is ever watchful.
But Bibi sees a chance to win over the new leader
and regain the status she lost.
But rejection is rise to desperation.
T'Chaka has Bakari's baby,
and it makes her position even stronger.
Why not borrow her for a while?
A chance to prove she'd also make a good mother.
Bakari can't stand by no longer.
And T'Chaka finally snaps.
With his baby at risk, Bakari must intervene.
For Bibi is a public humiliation.
She's cowed, but has Bakari gone too far?
His intervention may just have made things worse.
Her public shaming will not be forgotten.
And her rivalry with T'Chaka has deepened.
Elephants knows better than to fight among themselves.
Nalla's sister is bringing Kadogo
to the waterhole for the first time.
He's yet to learn what it's all about.
For Nalla's son it's the best part of the day.
A time to meet up with friends and cool down.
But Kadogo is finding it all a little scary.
But a fear tackled is a fear overcome.
Once in, he can see what's the fuss was all about.
If getting in was hard, getting out is even harder.
Even for Nalla's son.
Kadogo's mother gives her son all the care he needs.
And Nalla, the great matriarch...
is always there to help.
While the elephants pull together,
the leopardess must look for herself.
The cubs are demanding all her attention.
She can't guard them forever,
a hunt would be a welcomed break.
But cubs are inquisitive.
Particularly Nzuri.
Adventure beckons.
Ever cautious, Dada hangs back.
Her sister will go at it alone.
Curiosity is a great teacher.
And you learn from your mistakes.
But how do you tell friend from foe?
She soon learns leopards have few friends.
For some, a cub is too tiny to notice.
Specially for those with their heads in the clouds.
But there's one neighbor, Nzuri must learn to fear.
Buffalo.
It's a fine line between curiosity and catastrophe.
And her mother won't always be there to save her.
Every day is a new adventure.
But until they learn, everyday can be their last.
A pride should always look out for its own.
But Kali can't be sure if she can depend on the males.
Her feud with Sefu has escalated
and it's not just about food.
Sefu wants cubs he can be sure are his own.
Kali must tread carefully.
She can't have Sefu's cubs, while her own are still young.
The best way is to avoid confrontation.
Kali has gained some relief, but at what cost?
Sefu doesn't take rejection well.
Mothers know when something's wrong.
She has their scent, is all she needs.
Will she ever know what really happened?
But grieving must wait, she must find her other cubs.
What we love is so easily taken...
even the seasons we live our lives by.
Forces beyond our land have brought turmoil.
A storm stronger than anyone has seen.
Kali is desperately searching.
She has little time.
A precious clue.
But she can't hold back the tide.
Already the distant storm is showing its power
as water reclaims the riverbed.
It's not just Kali facing the threat.
Changes far away are bringing devastation to our land.
There are no certainties anymore.
Our young are born in a volatile world
with an unknown future.
Our seasons are in disarray.
It's only getting worse.
Each year, the floods intensify.
Streams become rivers...
rivers become torrents.
Nalla must act quickly,
lead her family to higher ground.
It's treacherous.
Kadogo struggled at the waterhole,
but this is life and death.
The torrents are strengthening...
the water rising.
It's too late to turn back...
but little Kadogo is out of his depth.
And the currents are relentless.
Kadogo slips from grasp.
But his mother won't give up.
They're now far from their family...
who have their own battles to fight.
For Nalla, the great matriarch,
a terrible dilemma.
How can she save them all?
But this is just the beginning.
As the storms strengthen, so come the floods.
Now, all our lives are at risk.
New families arrive seeking refuge,
but the land is changing before our eyes.
All of us will be tested once more.
* Serengeti *
* She is speaking *
* Hear the wisdom *