Stories of Africa Season 1, Episode 4: Hippo Ganglands

Elephants in the Room

At a luxury lodge in Zambia something bizarre is happening; - a phenomenon that has the world's elephant experts stumped. Every year, tourists flock to witness an extraordinary event: Six wild elephants, led by a matriarch called Wonky Tusk, climb the stairs of the lodge and enter the foyer. The giants stroll past the reception desk and through the dining room. Their destination is a 100-year-old mango tree growing in the courtyard and the fruit that falls from its branches. This "check in" is accomplished without as much as bumping a tea-trolley or breaking a crystal...

Cheetah: Race to Rule

Gunner is a young cheetah born into a cheetah coalition in Linyanti, Botswana. From the moment he opens his eyes the odds are stacked against him. He is the runt of the litter. Gunner's mother tries her best to tame and teach her growing cubs. His brothers take her no-nonsense cheetah boot camp seriously. Their survival depends on how quickly they can learn to hunt alone, and together. Out of the south another coalition of cheetahs emerges from the Savuti. Young, fit, and shameless, these three brothers declare their intention to take over the Linyanti at all costs. ...

Leopard Fight Club

Filmed over a period of 4 years, this is the remarkable story of a young leopard's journey from Rookie to Royalty as seen through the watchful eyes of an old sentry baboon. Baboons rate high on leopard's menu and as the official guardian of the troop; The Watcher can't afford to slack off. That's why this old baboon chooses high ground for his daily surveillance. From these elevated look-out posts, he watches the arrival of the Rookie leopard. His warning screeches echo in the valley and the troop scurries. The Watcher knows that the young leopard has only recently ...

The Real Lion Queen

Filmmaker Herbert Bauer discovers the last remaining lioness of Liuwa in Zambia purely by chance when she steps out of myth and into his viewfinder. A remarkable bond develops between filmmaker and this lonely lioness that he calls Lady. Inspired by her resilience, African Parks and the Carnivore team at the Zambia Wildlife Authority decide to re-establish a viable pride in Liuwa. They build a shelter also known as a boma. They dart two males in a neighboring park and transport them to Lady's core territory. Lady considers both males but after a year, she's still not ...

50 min