The Serengeti, recently awarded as Africa’s leading national park*, is world-renowned for its vast open plains and abundance of wildlife. This unspoilt corner of Africa has been beautifully captured in Serengeti 2, which airs from Sunday 14th November at 4.10pm on BBC Earth (DStv channel 184) and shares the dramatic and emotional interconnected stories of the iconic animals that inhabit the area.
Produced by Simon Fuller and John Downer and narrated by Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, this five-part pioneering wildlife drama series follows the journey of characters such as Kali the lioness, Duma the cheetah, Bakari the baboon, Zalika the hyena and Nalla the elephant. There’s humour, heartbreak and nail-biting tension as new characters move in, and familiar faces return.
Over 2600 hours of footage was captured, over a two-year period, to bring these untold stories to life and narrate the bigger picture of what daily existence looks like in the Serengeti.
Discover some of the series highlights, as well as some fun filming and animal facts, below.
- The flood seen in the series is a phenomenon known as an “extreme positive Indian Ocean Dipole” – a rare event that led to unprecedented rainfall and flooding in east Africa during 2020. It is likely to become more common due to climate change.
- Despite extreme weather conditions the production team managed to continue filming and captured the Serengeti cast as they struggled to escape the never-ending floods. This led to some extraordinary footage, from Bakari the baboon leaping from his flooded tree to Punda the elephant racing to save calf Shani as she was washed downstream.
- Baboons have at least 10 different vocalisations, which they use to communicate with each other. Bakari uses different calls to achieve different goals, from comforting his youngster or defusing a tense situation, to rallying support.
- Elephants mourn dead relatives by smelling, touching and moving their remains, and may return to the same site many years later. The huge gatherings of multiple families, like the one that assembled in series 2, has rarely been witnessed. It shows just how vast elephant social networks can be.
- Spotted hyena clans have been known to contain up to 130 individuals. They have complex greeting ceremonies to reinforce social bonds before embarking on dangerous activities like hunting or attacking an enemy predator. Zalika uses ceremonies like these to rally her clan before an important hunt.
Serengeti 2 marks the launch of BBC Earth’s Eco Season of programming, which aims to provide viewers with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world we live in.
Be transported from the Serengeti into deep space with the upcoming series Universe, which starts from Sunday 18 November at 7PM on BBC Earth. Watch the birth of a star in a stellar nursery, experience the power of a supermassive black hole as it consumes an entire planet, and witness the chaos created as another galaxy collides with our own, The Milky Way.
For more information on upcoming shows go to www.bbcsouthafrica.com.
* The World Travel Awards (WTA) 2021.https://allafrica.com/stories/202110220218.html
SERENGETI 2 EPISODE SYNOPSES:
EPISODE ONE: INTRIGUE
Kali the lioness struggles with the laziness of Sefu and the other males. Ever pursued by Sefu, her final rejection leads to tragedy. Jealousy in the baboon troop threatens the peaceful leadership of Bakari. Leopard cubs, Mzuri and Dada, learn how to climb trees and escape Zalika the hyena. Mzuri goes on a solo adventure which leads to danger. Zebra stallion Punda defends Shani and their new foal in a spectacular battle against a roving stallion. Newly born wildebeest calf, Gnu, is in a race against the clock to master his long legs before hyena Zalika finds him. A great storm is building unleashing an almighty deluge, trapping the baboons up a tree, while floodwaters lead to catastrophe for Nalla the elephant.
EPISODE TWO: CHANGE
The vast landscape is flooded and disaster strikes as elephant baby Kadogo and his mum are washed away. Nalla must lead the desperate search. The baboon troop are trapped up their tree and must take the enormous leap to the edge of the waters. Shani is also washed downstream. As Punda races after her, will she be able to make it to dry land? Aiysha the cheetah is now a mother to four young cubs, including her fearless son, Duma. But it’s difficult to be brave during an unexpected encounter with Kali the lioness. Gnu is getting braver and sets off on an adventure of his own, but with Zalika nearby now is not the time to be alone. Kali is frantically searching for her missing cubs but life without the pride is dangerous.
EPISODE THREE: RENEWAL
New jackal couple, Shavu and Shaba, fight with vultures for a meal but when an infestation of ants takes over their home, they discover their pups are missing. Bakari has two females vying for his attention but he isn’t aware of the conflicts going on behind his back. The leopard cubs try their hunting skills on mongoose but soon realise it’s not as easy as it looks. Duma helps Aiysha in a successful hunt, but an encounter with the jackals soon teaches him a lesson. Kali decides to lead her cubs away but with the black-maned males returning to the pridelands, has she made a terrible decision? Nalla’s nephew missing as all the elephants gather in huge numbers over the body of Nalla’s sister to pay their last respects.
EPISODE FOUR: LEADERSHIP
Hiding in the grass is new-born gazelle fawn, Tamu. But can he survive a frightening encounter with Sefu? Shavu and Shaba are trying to find their lost pups but they also need to find a new home. Protecting his troop from the lion pride, Bakari becomes trapped up a tree. He is unaware of the danger his troop is in. Bibi has brought in a group of aggressive roving males. The leopard cubs are now competing for food. Their attempts to outwit each other end in a dangerous encounter with Zalika. Aiysha’s cubs practice hunting a warthog family. The cubs soon learn that warthogs have a few comical tricks to ensure their safety. Kali is in danger from the black-maned males. Can Sefu help reunite the pride and find a way to peace?
EPISODE FIVE: POWER
When bravado takes over, Duma ends up lost. With Kali roaming nearby, now is not the time to be alone. Bakari struggles to exert his power over the rival males. But when he comes up with a plan to steal from Aiysha, can he win back his throne? Zalika finds a way to reunite her clan and they seek revenge on Kali. But black maned male Askari, comes to Kali’s rescue. Now she must question why he has become her ally. Tamu and his mum are in constant danger but then the unthinkable happens. Is Tamu brave enough to defend himself against so many predators? Shani’s foal and Gnu are growing up, which means visiting the huge river for the first time. There are dangers lurking beneath the surface, just when a drink of water is needed.
