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.
It was a year that would change all our lives forever.
Mothers struggled to raise their young.
Jealous rivals tore families apart.
Youngsters battled to find their place in the world.
This is the next chapter in our story
of a place they call Serengeti.
Our season of plenty is fading.
The great herds are leaving for better grazing.
As our land dries, those who remain
gather where the grass is still green.
ZEBRAS BRAY
Here, competition is fierce.
And experience matters most.
Yet experience is the one thing Kike doesn't have.
Female cheetah are loners by nature.
But for Kike, not any more.
CUBS CHIRP
They are her first litter.
And if they're to survive,
they've a lot to learn.
At times like this, cubs should be neither seen nor heard.
CUBS CHIRP
CUBS MEWL
Jackals.
Given the chance, they'll make a meal of her cubs.
KIKE GROWLS
JACKALS BARK
Kike reacts as she always does.
But now she has cubs,
that's not such a good idea.
KIKE HISSES
CUBS CHIRP
The jackal sees an opportunity.
Kike's distracted...
..her cubs vulnerable.
Motherhood means her whole approach must change.
Now, her priority is moving her family to safety.
Parenting is a skill learned through experience.
On the Great Rock, home to the baboons...
..one new parent is still adjusting to the shock.
Bakari has one small problem.
When the baby was orphaned, he took it as his own.
But he doesn't have a clue how to raise it...
..or how hard it will be.
His heart's in the right place.
Even if the baby isn't.
What can he do?
He may offer care and affection.
But the baby still runs rings round him.
And his problems don't end there.
To the leader, Bakari's an upstart.
And upstarts must be kept in their place.
Either by intimidation...
..or by humiliation.
One flicker of defiance and the leader will attack.
With so much against him, how will Bakari keep the baby alive?
Our land tests even the most experienced parent.
At this time of year,
hunger is our greatest challenge.
Even for lions.
Kali was exiled from her pride after having cubs with an outsider.
Her fortunes changed when her sister joined her.
Together, they're a force to be reckoned with.
With so many cubs to care for,
they must find somewhere for them to hide.
But this den has a noisy neighbour.
WARTHOG GRUNTS
An easy meal?
Not if he can help it.
Never underestimate a warthog.
This one has an emergency exit.
A lost opportunity.
But there will always be others.
Having backup is everything to a lion.
Together, the sisters make a formidable team.
As a lone parent,
Kike has no-one to watch her back when finding a meal.
If she takes smaller prey, she's less likely to be noticed.
She just needs her young to stay quiet and still.
Where are the cubs?
KIKE CHIRPS
A night adder can kill with just one strike.
KIKE HISSES
CUBS CHIRP
One is missing.
For the cubs, a lesson learnt.
But there's also a lesson for Kike.
Never leave food unguarded.
Out here, a single parent must learn quickly.
Parenting is easier when there's someone to share it with.
Although, finding the right partner is never simple.
Female ostriches are choosy.
Only the best will do.
Is he as fit as he looks?
Will he make the perfect partner?
Can he dance in time?
She's impressed.
But there's a catch.
Others have fallen for his routine and left their eggs behind.
But if she's in charge of the nest,
she'll make sure her eggs get the best care.
She also gets someone to support and protect her.
With the plains deserted,
the baboons have left their rock in search of food.
Bakari is finding parenthood both lonely...
..and exhausting.
The baby is too hungry to rest.
But that's all Bakari wants to do.
He's finding parenting hard work.
With no experience...
..no milk...
..and no help.
He's overwhelmed...
..and very, very tired.
BIRDS CHIRP
Even the weaver birds' alarm calls don't wake him.
The young baboons' favourite game is stealing their eggs.
How could a hungry baby resist?
But robbing an eagle's nest is never a good idea.
Thieves must be taught a lesson.
Even the innocent.
Bakari is trying his best.
But his best isn't enough.
He needs help.
Somehow, he'll just have to muddle through.
With the plains dry and empty,
the grazing is confined to the low lands bordering the river.
With everyone here, Kike keeps her head down.
Because where there's food,
there's competition.
Sefu belongs to the great pride.
SEFU GROWLS
Alone, she'd outrun him.
With cubs, she can't.
She must hide her fear.
Keep his focus on her.
Hold her nerve.
It's a battle of wills.
And Kike wins.
To stray into the pridelands was an easy mistake.
In this land, the wind blows both ways.
And so do fortunes.
With Kali and her sister working together,
their cubs are thriving.
Kali would know Sefu anywhere.
He was one of the lions who drove her from the pride.
Is he here to take revenge on her cubs?
SEFU GROWLS
For now, stealing their meal keeps him at bay.
No male lions can resist an easy meal.
But now he knows they're here,
he'll be following.
At this time of year, keeping young alive is a full-time occupation.
And Nalla has to do it while leading her family.
Today is her baby's first trip to the swamp.
In the heat, the mud offers cool comfort.
But right now, her baby is struggling to see the benefit.
HE CRIES
His brother, Tembo, is at an age when he should be leaving the herd.
Pushed to the edge of the family,
he has to keep himself entertained.
His younger brother is having far less fun.
And he's completely out of his depth.
This is where family comes in.
For elephants, a problem for one is a problem for all.
Tembo may have been sidelined.
But he's there when he's needed.
The baby survived his first trip to the swamp.
One day, he'll learn to enjoy it, too.
Eventually, we all learn to find our place in this land.
But Sefu is forcing Kali and her family
into a life on the run.
There's little for lions in these dry highlands,
and only one place to quench their first.
But despite their long walk,
he's still on their trail.
How far will he push them?
How long can the cubs keep moving?
And looking over your shoulder means not noticing who's in front.
Buffalo are also heading to the spring.
And lions are their mortal enemies.
Together, Kali and her sister are strong.
Alone, even a male lion is weak.
It's Sefu's turn to face the buffalo's fury.
Have they seen the last of him?
Only time will tell.
Beneath the baboons' rocky home, Bakari is struggling.
Try as he might, he still lacks a certain mother's touch.
Today, the mongoose are in a mischievous mood.
For them, it's all a game.
Bakari would normally ignore them.
But with a baby to care for, he's a little overprotective.
But mongoose are not to be messed with.
Bakari might have been outnumbered.
But to the baby, he's still his hero.
The leader sees weakness.
A chance to add insult to injury.
Bakari can't protect the baby much longer.
What he needs is a real mother.
One of the females has recently lost her own newborn.
It's up to the baby now.
Bakari hardly dares look.
Bakari couldn't have hoped for more.
Together, they'll care for the baby and keep him safe.
For all of us, being part of a family
is something worth fighting for.
ELEPHANTS GROWL
BABY ELEPHANT CHIRPS
As matriarch, Nalla must watch this contest closely.
One of her sisters is in season,
and two males want her.
NALLA TRUMPETS
Nalla's wisdom will be put to the test.
Whoever wins will need careful handling.
ELEPHANT SNORTS
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
The victor now has to win over Nalla.
There's a lot at stake.
He could so easily trample her baby.
He's courteous as he checks each female in turn.
And cautious around baby.
Has he won Nalla over?
What more can he do to convince her?
TREE TRUNK CREAKS
It's no ordinary tree.
The prized leaves have healing powers.
ELEPHANTS TRUMPET
Having made a good impression...
..the male gets what he came for.
In the big tusker,
Nalla's son Tembo at last sees his destiny.
One that lies beyond the female world of the herd.
As the day fades, Kali is watching...
..listening.
Anxious.
Will Sefu strike at night?
The darkness...
..a place to hide?
LOW GROWLING
Or a place to be hunted?
CUBS CHIRP
DISTANT LION GRUNTS
GRUNTS GROW CLOSER
Again, Sefu is closing in on the family.
CUBS SQUEAK
For the ostriches, patience brings its reward.
CHICK CHIRPS
But others relish her success for a different reason.
Zalika is the new leader of the hyena clan.
HYENA LAUGHS
Feeding the family is her responsibility.
HYENAS WHOOP AND LAUGH
OSTRICH CALLS
These will be a delicacy to be savoured.
Only two ostriches stand in her way.
CHICKS CHIRP
OSTRICH CALLS
HYENAS CACKLE
The clan are cautious.
Do they know something Zalika doesn't?
HYENAS WAIL AND CACKLE
Ostriches give as good as they get.
OSTRICH CALLS
HYENA GRUNTS
OSTRICH CALLS
HYENA WAILS
HYENAS CACKLE
OSTRICH CALLS
Her faith in her mate was certainly well-placed.
HYENAS LAUGH
And only a few ruffled feathers.
CHICKS CHIRP
HYENAS WAIL AND CACKLE
Everywhere Kike has gone,
she's faced competition.
And, all the time, she and her cubs have been learning.
CUBS SQUEAK
But as they grow, the cubs need larger meals.
KIKE GROWLS
And bigger meals mean bigger risks.
ANTELOPES SNORT
CUBS SQUEAK
The family's reward...
..their first antelope.
CUBS CHIRP AND SQUEAL
Still bruised from her defeat...
..Zalika is on the scent.
CHEETAH CUBS SQUEAK
KIKE GROWLS
Two mothers...
..both with something to prove.
KIKE HISSES AND SNARLS
ZALIKA CACKLES
But for Kike, it's not just pride at stake -
her young must eat.
And from necessity comes courage.
ZALIKA WAILS
ZALIKA WHINES AND WAILS
KIKE ROARS
ZALIKA WHINES
KIKE HISSES
Accepting failure is the hardest part of leadership.
ZALIKA CACKLES
Kike may be a first-time mother,
but by learning from every setback...
..she's triumphed.
For a cherished moment...
..there's no more moving on.
Kali and her sister are still on the run.
CUBS SQUEAK
And their cubs are exhausted.
CUB CHIRPS
Sefu refuses to give up.
CUB CHIRPS
LOW ROAR
KALI GROWLS
Kali must make her stand.
This is her battle...
..not her sister's.
CUBS SQUEAK AND CHIRP
She must confront him...
..once and for all.
ROARING
And her cubs must come, too.
GROWLING
CUB CALLS
She will fight to the death for them.
KALI GROWLS
Her cubs don't realise the danger they're in.
SEFU AND KALI ROAR
CUB CHIRPS
Kali's proved she won't be bullied.
Now she tries a more subtle approach.
SNARLING
GROWLING AND SNARLING
Sefu's intrigued.
Has he forgotten a previous encounter?
Whatever happened...
..now it's over to the cubs.
LOW GROWL CUB SQUEAKS
It seems their charm is irresistible.
Could the cubs be his?
CUB CHIRPS
If Sefu takes to the role of father...
..perhaps this is the start of a pride of their own.
Kali's courage has saved them all.
It's safe for her sister to join them too.
For now, they can simply enjoy being a family.
CUBS CHIRP
As all of us wait for the return of the rains,
relationships will be pushed to breaking point.
The great migrating herds will arrive.
Crossing the river will challenge even the bravest.
New families will bring more conflict.
And even the strongest will be tested.