ANIMALS AND BIRDS CALL
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
Many tales have been told of Africa...
ROARS
..but this is our story -
a drama set in the heart of our world,
experienced as we live and breathe it.
Our world is changing.
Our lives are in danger...
SCREECHES
GROWLS
..but we still have each other.
HOOTS
And family is something worth fighting for.
This is the next chapter in our story,
in a place they call Serengeti.
GRUNTS
Our land was born of fire.
It formed the grasslands
that brought life to these plains.
But what fire creates,
it also destroys.
The world beyond has unleashed a firestorm.
What once gave shelter now brings death.
Bakari and his troop escape the kopje.
But escape to where?
Surrounded by fire,
Bakari does the only thing he can -
runs towards the flames.
Somehow, he must find a way through.
RAPID GRUNTS
It's now or never.
They make it.
But what now?
The mongoose, too, flee for their lives,
deep into their underground shelter.
All around,
homes are turned to ash.
For Kali and her cubs,
it's too late to leave the kopje.
CUB CALLS
Higher and higher they climb.
CUBS MEW
GROWLS
Kali at last finds refuge.
But will the cave become a trap?
The inferno is merciless.
And some must face it alone.
The ostrich stayed at his nest
until he could bear the heat no more.
SQUAWKS
He's now separated from his partner
by a wall of flames.
SQUAWKS
Little is spared.
Where there's adversity,
some find opportunity.
INSECTS BUZZ
Storks feast on the life that flees the flames.
Those that survive face a land transformed.
It's the time when true leaders
are put to the test.
MOTHER GRUNTS BABY SQUEAKS
Bakari must find his troop a new home.
All around is lost.
COUGHS AND SNEEZES
The air hard to breathe.
COUGHS AND GAGS
COUGHS
But thanks to Bakari, all his troop survived.
Not all were so lucky.
GENTLE GRUNTING
Among the ashes,
a reminder of battles past.
A stranger from another troop?
WARBLES
Or Bakari's banished rival?
SNIFFS
GRUNTS
Young males harbour their own ambitions.
BABOON CALLS
As one rivalry dies,
another is born.
SNIFFS
The young male has lost an ally.
He makes his feelings clear.
BELLOWS
For now, an impertinence Bakari chooses to ignore.
BARKS
But dissent ignored is dissent that smoulders.
Some are still fighting just to stay alive.
Their grazing grounds have turned to ash.
Gnu joins the quest for fresh pasture...
..as the fire still finds grass to burn.
SNORTS
They must escape before it's too late,
find a way through.
What they need is a firebreak to keep the flames at bay.
Wildebeest have their own way of thinking.
They share the wisdom of the crowd.
It draws them to the river.
It's Gnu's last hurdle.
But he's now swimming blind.
And the river is wide.
But could the smoke be a blessing in disguise?
It keeps the crocodiles at bay.
And so Gnu survives.
SNORTS
The river is now a firebreak,
as the great exodus continues.
DISTANT BRAYING
ZEBRA BRAYS
No-one is untouched by the devastation.
As ever, fate decides who dies and who thrives.
DEEP GRUNTING
Askari survived by staying close to Kali.
The cave she found saved both him and her sister.
GRUNTS
Now he must find the rest of his pride.
PURRING
Kali won't be joining him.
Her cubs still need the sanctuary
the kopje provides.
And that's not all.
SQUEAKS
Her sister has given birth.
Her cub needs constant attention.
It's still blind and helpless.
CUB MEWS
Whatever the age,
a cub's curiosity can betray them...
..even those who are yet to see.
A puff adder displaced by the fire.
HISSES
MEWS
GRUNTS
MEWS
GRUNTS
HISSES
GROWLS
HISSES
CUB MEWS
Her mother takes her to the safety of the den.
But in a world so changed,
they'll need the protection of the pride.
GRUNTS
Kali calls for help.
But there's no promise her roars will be heard.
GRUNTS
ROARS
They vanish into the desolation,
like the dying embers of the fire.
Her pride is now too far away...
..with a new home to offer sanctuary...
..and little cause to look back.
BABOON SHRIEKS
With everyone dispossessed,
finding food is the main preoccupation.
Just knowing where to look is hard enough.
Bakari should lead,
but, like the giraffes,
he has no idea where to.
GRUNTS
A hungry troop is a mutinous troop.
To keep them onside, Bakari must be resourceful.
Despite the scorched earth,
tubers can still be found underground.
But emergency rations are no-one's favourite.
And there's hope of a far more nourishing meal.
The ostrich couple could be the clue he needs.
After the fire, they were reunited,
but their nest was lost to the flames.
But an egg that's been cooked is a treat like no other...
..if, of course, you know how to crack it.
For Mtoto,
a second chance to try his luck...
SCREECHES
..if he isn't chased this time.
YAPS
But what use is an egg if it can't be opened?
It's a puzzle, even for wise Bakari.
But heat has weakened the shell...
..and serendipity can beat the greatest minds.
SHELL CRUNCHES
SHELL CRACKS
Bakari's popularity
is soon rising once more.
BABY SQUEAKS
But it would be unwise for them to raise their hopes.
When food is scarce,
leaders must keep their strength up,
despite what others might feel.
GRUNTING
Resentment soon grows...
..especially among the young males.
SCREECHES
This is insubordination,
something Bakari can no longer ignore.
SCREECHES
GROWLS
His threats are enough...
..but they won't be forever.
Despite the hardships,
there's good news for Kali and her sister.
The kopje has kept Kali and her cubs
well fed and protected.
And her sister's family has tripled in size.
Kali's cubs have yet to be allowed to meet them.
The babies are far too young for such rough and tumble.
Her cubs will just have to bide their time.
YELPS
Askari is now far away,
but still alone,
without his pride.
But kinship is a powerful bond
and lions have ways of finding each other.
His brother has been searching, too...
..their reunion sweeter for their time apart.
PURRING
For the baboons,
the bonds between them are more easily broken.
Bakari must suppress any dissent in the ranks.
WIND WHOOSHES
But conditions are only getting worse.
It's the young who suffer the most.
SQUEAKS
But help is on its way.
Mtoto brings comfort.
And Cheka is always ready to provide a free ride.
SCREECHING
The quarrelsome males aren't so easily pacified.
There's only one thing that will quell the unease.
The thing we all crave.
A home.
If only it was that simple.
BARKS
SCREECHES
A tawny eagle.
A forewarning, perhaps, of what's to come.
BARKING
SCREECHES
BARKING CONTINUES
A sign the troop will ignore.
For now, the kopje shows promise.
Better still, it may have water.
But water...
...not as Bakari knows it.
BABY SHRIEKS
All are nervous to try.
A chance for Bakari to show leadership...
..before someone else does.
Cheka follows his lead.
Then everyone else takes their turn.
But Bakari still has work to do
to ensure his troop is safe.
A leopard is not a good sign.
BARKS
Baboons are a favourite meal.
SCREECHING
But today, this leopard has a far greater need.
Mzuri was separated from her family by the fire.
She too has joined the dispossessed.
Among them is a pangolin.
With nowhere to hide,
she must rely on her armour.
And it works.
For Mzuri,
the search for her family goes on.
While others fled or perished,
the mongoose survived, deep in their burrows.
They emerge to a devastated land.
As they face its challenges,
each must play their part,
including Utani.
He's still on baby-sitting duties.
And the pup is still learning by example.
CHIRRUPS
While everyone's engrossed,
an enemy can advance unseen.
Without her mother, Mzuri is desperate.
Mongoose are a last resort.
HOOTS
CHIRRUPING
GROWLS
CHIRRUPS
All made it back safely...
..Utani only just.
CHIRRUPS
Bakari's troop are settling into their new home.
He's quelled the uprising and regained respect.
But where there's peace, trouble stirs.
SCREECHES
When the troop arrived, the eagles delivered a warning.
They won't warn twice.
And a baby makes an easy meal...
..if Mtoto wasn't watching out for her.
Once more, Bakari must deal with the threat.
Surprise is key.
SQUAWKS
BAKARI BARKS
And persistence pays.
Just one left.
With the eagles vanquished,
the troop are safe to join Bakari.
He's not only dealt with the eagles,
he's delivered everyone a meal.
With food enough for a hungry troop,
there's no better way to regain their loyalty.
While the baboons enjoy the feast,
Mzuri is still struggling to feed herself.
She needs something substantial.
GRUNTING
A warthog would last her for days.
GROWLS SQUEALS
She's still learning, but with no-one to help.
Far away, Mzuri's mother and her sister Dada
are searching for her.
Time has passed
since the fire came between them.
Now every scent mark has vanished into dust.
But still, they search on.
EAGLE SCREECHES
For the baboons,
the fig tree now provides a feast for all.
A rich reward after days in the parched wilderness.
While everyone's preoccupied,
the baby is tempted by a new adventure.
It's not a good time
for the baboons to let their guard down.
EAGLE SCREECHES
BARKS
This time, the eagles have come in force.
BARKS
What chance does a baby have, especially one alone?
BAKARI GROWLS
Bakari is distracted, fighting a losing battle.
Only Mtoto has noticed.
Against the odds, Bakari keeps up the pressure.
But more reinforcements keep arriving.
Mtoto does his best to stay on guard.
EAGLE SCREECHES
BARKS
GRUNTS
He's injured, but it could have been worse.
Here, friends stick together,
in pleasure and in pain.
The sheer numbers are overwhelming.
For Bakari, it's a choice
that comes from having no choice.
BARKS
They are cast into the wilderness once more.
And their world is getting bleaker.
THUNDER RUMBLES
But even in the darkest of times, there's hope.
SCREECHES
THUNDER CRACKS
BRAYING
GRUNTING
GRUNTS
With the rains comes the promise of renewal...
..and with it, the greening of our land.
The lost find a fresh place to belong...
..and for many, the best of grazing, too.
For the mongoose,
life returns to normal.
And Utani's caring duties resume in earnest.
Today, his pup is being taken to meet the locals.
GRUNTS
But she's more excited to be back with Utani.
It's a relationship all mongoose must learn...
..because warthogs make good neighbours.
They even come bearing gifts.
Hidden in their hair are tasty ticks and fleas.
CHIRRUPS
It's just a matter of finding them...
..and knowing when to retreat.
GRUNTS
Where there's one warthog, there's many.
More than enough to feed everyone.
SQUEALS
CHIRRUPS
Even babies are welcome...
..but purely at their own risk.
Utani made a mistake, but that's often all it takes.
No baby-sitter is perfect.
SQUEALS
And in the baby's eyes, Utani can still do no wrong.
For all of us,
bringing up young is never easy.
And lion cubs are more troublesome than most.
For the first time,
Kali's sister is letting their cubs play together...
..despite the difference in size.
YELPS
LOW GROWL
GROWLS
Their mothers do their best to keep order,
but it's an endless struggle.
In fact, it's hopeless.
BABY YELPS
YELPS
There's only one thing for it.
They need a distraction.
Kali takes them hunting in the freshly greened land,
leaving her sister and cubs in peace.
Despite the rains,
Bakari is struggling to find food once more.
The rewards of the deluge are yet to grow.
INSECTS BUZZ
Then, the sweetest of sounds.
INTENSE BUZZING
A treat that comes with a sting in its tail.
SHRIEKS
YELPS
GRUNTS
Mtoto follows his father's lead.
HIGH-PITCHED SHRIEKS
But Mtoto lacks the thick coat of Bakari...
..and bees also go for the eyes.
For Bakari, winning the comb was worth the agony.
But he's not about to share it with anyone else.
All the while,
one of the disgruntled males has been watching.
He's getting bolder by the day.
He's not the only one.
Bakari is facing insurrection,
even from those who once feared him.
FIERCE GROWLING
SHRIEKS
And they're growing in confidence.
It's a rebellion that takes Bakari by surprise.
HOWLS
But he's still stronger than all of them.
And while he was fighting,
he missed what was in front of him -
the very thing that could defuse the tensions.
Somewhere they could make their home.
Mzuri is still searching for her family.
But first, she must eat.
And she's beginning to get her eye in.
GROWLS
Despite her best efforts,
she isn't yet ready to face the world alone.
And now she won't need to.
Her mother and sister need search no more.
They'll be making the most of every moment.
GROWLS SOFTLY
Together again,
savouring what's left of their youth
until independence beckons for all.
Here, a new start
can mean realising what matters most.
Have the baboons finally found home?
It's rarely that simple.
CUBS YELP
A sound Bakari knows only too well.
And a mother all too close.
GROWLS
Their new kopje is already occupied.
Kali's sister is firmly in residence.
And she's not about to share...
SHRIEKS
..especially with cubs in need of shelter.
She calls for her sister.
GRUNTS
But Kali is still out hunting.
It's been a long walk to the herds -
even longer for the cubs.
YELPS
But now they've arrived,
the herds are here for the taking.
Trapped in a bend in the river,
their prey swirl around them.
The herds act as one...
..creating a spiral of confusion.
It's not a time for cubs to be alone.
Everything is disappearing into dust and chaos.
So too is their mother.
The cubs are lost, alone, and vanishing from view.
How can they ever be saved?