Many tales have been told of Africa.
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...
..but we still have each other...
..and family is something worth fighting for.
This is the next chapter in our story, in a place
they call Serengeti.
As surely as the sun will rise, each new day brings new pressures.
The hippo pod is under threat from a dangerous outsider.
The bull that killed Mafuta's father - out to take over the herd.
Mafuta has reason to be afraid.
A pod without a leader is a pod to be conquered.
If the bull is victorious...
..Mafuta's life could be over.
Those who can, resist.
But it's the invader who is victorious.
All Mafuta has known is gone.
Their only choice is to leave.
The victor proclaims total domination.
All must submit to his power.
Mafuta must be taken far from the river,
leaving the conqueror to stake his claim with dung.
A smell to announce his rule.
Mafuta is safe for now...
..but he and his mother must start a new life elsewhere.
While the hippos face times of turmoil,
Kali has at last found peace.
She's in a pride where everyone supports each other,
instead of one which tears itself apart.
One where cubs are cherished...
..and Kali's hunting skills are revered not exploited.
Finding food is now a family event, enjoyed by all.
Warthogs are a lion's favourite meal,
so keeping their young alive is their main preoccupation.
Keeping count, a task in itself!
There's always one who's left behind!
For warthogs, life is for living.
Who knows when their time is up?
In the past, it would have been game over for Kali.
Now she has backup.
A team.
Even with a whole pride to help,
digging warthogs out is still hard work.
And warthog burrows have emergency exits.
Lots of them.
But not all their efforts are in vain.
Working together, they rarely go hungry.
But the easy life is about to get harder.
The life-giving lake is slowly shrinking.
Many still come to quench their thirst.
But as the dry season takes hold,
it may no longer give relief to those who journey here.
For the few flamingos that stayed, food is less easy to find.
And in the heat of the day,
the herds drink more of what little water remains.
Despite the looming drought,
the lake still provides life support for a small pod of hippos.
Two more are about to join.
For Mafuta and his mother, a welcome refuge.
Here, none of the hippos rule over others.
It's a calm place for those seeking shelter,
far from the hubbub of the river.
For Mafuta and his tired legs, a place to rest at last.
But where the weary seek shelter, hunters find opportunity.
Including Zalika and her clan.
While others struggle, Zalika plans ahead.
She uses the water as her larder.
Leftovers can be hidden beneath the surface...
..masking the scent from those who steal.
Cheetahs like their food as fresh as it comes.
So Duma has brought the males he joined to the lake.
The place his mother taught him to hunt.
He's returned as a newly-accepted member of the team.
Duma has proved he can pull his weight.
But he must continue to prove it.
This time he must show he can take the lead.
His courage is rewarded with the help he needs.
He's earned his place in an elite hunting team.
But Zalika has a team of her own.
Against such strength, even team cheetah is struggling.
Zalika is happy to let them do the hard work.
To face the threat, Duma the attacker must turn defender.
But Zalika makes a fearsome opponent.
And she's not alone.
They're more than a match for the cheetahs.
This time, the only winner is the wildebeest.
The losers are many.
For all of us, life will only get harder,
as the dry season starts to take hold.
Already, the herds are leaving for greener lands.
Even the river is a shadow of its former splendour.
Bakari was wise to reach here before it was too late.
When the river starts running dry, so does the food it supports.
Already the banks are barren, with little to eat.
But at least there's still water.
Even in the driest times,
there's always somewhere where the grass is greener.
The far bank shows promise.
It's just a matter of reaching it.
And avoiding the dangers the river holds.
This is still Magamba's domain.
But what choice has Bakari?
Or the troop he leads?
The shallow waters leave little space for a crocodile to hide.
The troop is hesitant.
But Cheka will always trust Bakari.
But Magamba is stalking...
..planning an ambush.
She heads to deeper water.
Here she can lurk unseen.
Just where Bakari hesitates.
A miss, only just.
But now everyone knows where Magamba lies.
It's each for themselves.
A dash to safety.
Bakari's bravery has kept his troop from harm.
Magamba had one chance...
..and it was squandered.
Bakari has bought his troop some time...
..but the dry season has yet to really test them.
As another hot day begins,
a serval stirs.
The time to hunt is before the sun is high.
Before the heat saps her energy.
The dried grass provides cover.
But not just for the hunter.
Guinea fowl.
They're everywhere.
Almost too many to choose from.
Far too many to be taken by surprise.
For servals, there's always another meal.
The mongoose, too, are making the most of the dawn.
For the pup Utani cares for,
it's a lesson in perseverance.
And knowing just where to look.
Utani's charge must pay attention.
A snake is a feast.
A giant snail, a delicacy.
If only it came without a shell!
Hard won food is not for sharing...
..while squabbling is a dangerous distraction.
This serval's found a meal that doesn't vanish into the air.
With plenty that are young and inexperienced...
..a snatch and run, too quick to prevent...
..with no chance of rescue.
Fortunately, it wasn't Utani's charge that was taken.
Lesson learnt, she'll stay close in future.
There are plenty more hungry predators around.
Since the theft of the cheetah's last meal,
Duma has been focused on success.
But are the others as disciplined?
A female.
Food is forgotten.
The female, now their only focus.
Cooperation vanishes as quickly as it came.
All are rivals now!
As tensions rise, it's not just Duma who seems confused.
Face-to-face with the female,
no-one's quite sure what to do next
Until she flees!
But running isn't the answer.
She'll wait to see how the males behave.
No-one wants to make the first move.
Least of all, Duma.
HE YELPS
Duma breaks the spell by getting too close to a team-mate.
THEY HISS
Now it's every male for himself.
She isn't impressed.
THEY SNARL
And she has no reason to stay.
They're too busy squabbling to even notice.
Until they do.
Then it just gets worse.
Duma thought he'd joined an elite team.
When the novice feels like the grown-up, it's time to move on.
While Duma struggles to find his place,
the baboons find some respite from their troubles.
But Bakari must try to stay focused.
There's always another problem on the horizon.
A rival baboon troop, far bigger than Bakari's.
With food and water scarce,
they're in no mood for sharing their space.
Bakari has led his family into enemy territory.
It's a force greater than any he's encountered.
But he'll stand and fight.
Target their leader.
Be the first to attack.
Buy his troop time.
And conquer them one by one.
His rival submits.
But this is a battle on many fronts.
And below, his troop are in trouble.
Bakari enters the fray once more.
But he can't fight them all.
There are just too many.
His whole troop is under threat.
It's an unwinnable fight.
The rival troop, too strong.
Bakari gives the sign.
Time to leave...
..before any are killed.
They've escaped alive.
But how long can they survive without somewhere to drink?
As drought takes hold,
water will be the new battleground.
The land is drying by the day.
Bakari has taken his troop to a wasteland.
To stand a chance of keeping them alive,
he must keep up morale.
But the land is too parched. Nothing grows.
Mtoto tries his best, but all there is is dust.
For his sister, only a twig to chew on.
The truth is they need water.
Then just when tragedy seems inevitable, in walks hope.
For Bakari, a chance to save his troop.
In times of drought, follow the elephants.
They just need to keep up,
and let the elephants follow their noses.
For them all, a long, parched journey lies ahead.
Even the promised lake is shrinking away.
A smattering of flamingos still stalk the shallows.
And the herds that remain can still find water,
but only fit for the desperate.
The hippos are crammed together in what little depth remains.
Mafuta is safe, but only while the lake still lasts.
Despite the growing threat, somehow calmness prevails.
But the pressure is building.
The smallest feel it the most.
And it's about to get worse.
More hippos are arriving.
And every new hippo leaves less room for those already there.
And still they come.
There's no more space, and the pod is growing desperate.
As they churn the water, it slowly turns to mud.
What once was life-giving could now be life-taking.
There is no respite in sight.
Their lake home is fast disappearing,
and they have nowhere else to go.
For the hippos, the lake has become a trap.
For the elephants, the lake is their last hope too.
Nalla, in her wisdom, has guided her family here,
but this is not what she was expecting.
After the long journey, Kadogo is desperately thirsty.
He, like the rest of the herd, depends on Nalla for everything.
But what she's led them to is troubling.
The water stagnant and stale.
It's undrinkable.
Nalla must find another way.
Kadogo is struggling just to stay on his feet.
But Nalla won't stop till she's found what they need.
Her secret lies beneath the sand.
She isn't digging alone.
Kadogo tries his best to help his mother.
Finally, Nalla reaches what she's looking for.
Water filtered by the sand.
As soon as it's taken,
it's replenished.
And Kadogo gets the drink he so desperately needs.
They're not the only ones drinking. The whole herd follows Nalla's lead.
Digging wells of their own, and all happy to share.
With Kadogo refreshed, his old energy returns.
While the elephants play,
their wells are left unguarded.
The perfect moment for the baboons to arrive.
When in doubt, do as the elephants do.
They must drink fast,
the wells won't stay unattended for long.
Cheka will drink while she can.
She knows only too well, they're always on borrowed time.
Bakari is not so easily evicted.
But even he won't take on an elephant!
Emboldened, Kadogo does his bit to help.
Duma, too, has returned to the lake.
Having left the coalition, he's back hunting on his own.
Now all he needs is a meal for one.
Alone, a few hares will see him through the drought.
But suddenly he's not alone.
His former friends have followed him.
They come with a demand.
Share or be stolen from.
Duma's no longer keen to impress.
And there's nothing here to share.
He'll keep what's rightfully his.
Once more, Duma walks alone.
As everyone seeks water, more arrivals join the elephants.
Impala, too, inspect the wells.
But searching for water is now a search in vain.
There's so little to be found.
Once more, Bakari follows the elephants' lead,
and Mtoto follows Bakari's.
With so little to find, the impala move on.
But not everyone's so desperate.
There is still water if you know where to look.
As the lake shrinks, they move closer and dig deeper.
Kadogo drinks as much as he can.
But Nalla must start rationing.
The wells are beginning to run dry.
And Kadogo's feet aren't helping at all!
Nalla tries the gentle approach...
..but to little avail.
Kadogo is stubborn...
..and doesn't take things seriously.
He can always try a neighbour's well.
Finally, Nalla has had enough.
But all she's doing is pushing the problem elsewhere.
For Kadogo, there's always another well to trash.
Wherever he goes, he slowly turns the wells into mud pits.
The elephants may not appreciate the devastation,
but there are some who do.
But first they must negotiate the elephants.
Warthogs like nothing better than a cooling mudbath.
Especially one prepared earlier!
Among them, guinea fowl try to quench their thirst.
A few precious drops is all they need.
These moments of respite are to be treasured.
They are not about to last.
The hippos' one remaining oasis is fast becoming a trap.
The water has turned to mud.
Already it's thick and sticky.
Mafuta's mother brought him here to find refuge.
Now it's a quagmire.
But this is just the start of their misery.
The bull who took over their pod has followed them.
The river could no longer support him.
The lake is no better.
But while there is still water, he'll dominate the pool.
Already he makes his presence felt.
The pressure is on, panic soon spreads.
There's no way in and no way out.
And it's only going to get worse.
How will they survive?