Original subtitles

[elephants trumpeting]

[narrator] Many tales have been told of Africa.

-But this is our story. -[trumpeting]

A drama set in the heart of our world,

experienced as we live and breathe it.

As we fought for our families,

competition grew fierce.

Armies were built.

Battles waged.

Now we face the final reckoning.

Here is the last chapter of this story in a place they call Serengeti.

[opening theme music playing]

In our land, lives are determined by the whim of others.

In these moments, our fate is decided.

Each day, the great herds journey far just to quench their thirst.

Gnu is among them,

blissfully unaware of what lurks below.

[wildebeest lowing]

[crocodile snarling]

Gnu escapes, but others won't.

In the mayhem, mothers and calves must stay together.

Gnu survives this test.

He found his mother, too.

[zebra whinnying]

Shani and her foal also made it back.

But the river is still calling.

Soon, the herds will return as their moment of reckoning arrives.

The great river crossing awaits.

For one young gazelle, the worst has already happened.

Tamu's mother was killed by the black-maned lions.

Now, his only company are those he passes.

A lonely fawn has few friends.

[woman singing] ♪ Lookin' round ♪

♪ But there's no one ♪

♪ I need you now ♪

♪ So don't be gone ♪

Tamu has many enemies.

[hyena chattering]

[hyena chattering]

He has gained both speed and experience.

[grunts]

But without his mother to shield him,

Tamu is fair game for every passing predator.

There is no greater threat to the young and innocent

than a river that must be crossed.

From far and wide, the herds are gathering.

Above the fray, life for the baboons has taken a turn for the better.

Especially for Bakari.

The rival males have settled into the troop.

Chaka is no longer threatened.

And she and Bibi have made peace.

But there's plenty to disturb their newfound harmony.

[wildebeest lowing]

With the migration surging, the herds are everywhere.

Fine when you're above it all.

Not so peaceful when you come to ground.

[grunting]

He's facing an invasion.

Where Bakari leads, the others go, too.

[baboon chattering]

Chaka must consider her baby.

She'll pick her moment.

[shrieking]

But they're everywhere.

[zebra whinnying]

And still they come.

Bakari must find his troop safe refuge,

far from the chaos.

Tamu is in the thick of it,

away from the herd to which he belongs.

Here, orphans are easily lost.

And sometimes found.

[woman singing] ♪ Young and free ♪

♪ May all your dreams run deep ♪

♪ Won't let nobody hurt you ♪

♪ Keep you safe ♪

♪ You deserve all it takes ♪

♪ Won't let nobody hurt you ♪

[narrator] He will never find his mother.

But he will find family...

And company his own image.

He'll need their protection. Threats are everywhere.

The cheetahs still depend on their mother for everything.

While Duma was lost and alone, he struggled to survive.

He still relies on Aiyisha to catch a meal...

And just plays at hunting.

He must show that he can hunt for real.

And keep focus.

[cheetahs chirping]

For Aiyisha, a gazelle herd is rich in opportunities.

An orphaned fawn? Almost too easy.

Once more, Aiyisha takes the lead.

But she's misjudged him.

Tamu doesn't make it easy.

His agility saved him.

Aiyisha hasn't fared so well.

The twists and turns took their toll.

The great huntress is wounded.

And just like that, suddenly, her cubs must hunt for themselves.

We all must face our own rite of passage.

For the zebras, that time is fast-approaching.

They're on the move once more.

Shani's foal stays close to his mother.

His whole life has led to this moment.

Today, they must cross the river.

The waters are rising.

And enemies wait in its depths.

[hawk screeches]

[hisses]

[snarls]

Where there's danger, Punda, their stallion, goes first.

[zebra whinnying]

Shani's foal needs all the protection he can give.

Punda tests the waters.

The foal's fate rests on what he finds.

If all goes well, they must be ready to follow.

They are wise to wait.

Punda is already in too deep...

Although still alert to danger.

They must find a safer place to cross.

With Aiyisha injured, Duma's life has changed again.

His protector is now in his care.

A terrible time for an old foe to appear.

Duma outwitted Kali when he was lost and alone.

Now he has a wounded mother to defend.

-[snarls] -[hisses]

He stands his ground, ready to fight.

But Kali has a more troubling enemy.

Askari, leader of the black-maned males, is following her.

[hisses]

He could kill Duma with just one swipe.

But to Askari, the cub is irrelevant.

He took down Sefu, a lion from Kali's pride.

And he's been tracking Kali ever since.

She's luring him away from her cubs and followers.

He may be feared by most, but Kali doesn't seem to fear him now.

What's changed?

For now, he can stay, but on her terms.

Kali seems in control.

But some things are beyond her control.

Askari may be feared,

but the buffalo see an opportunity.

For Kali, the chance to escape from Askari.

But does she want to?

Shani is seeking a safer crossing point for her foal and family.

Other families are already crossing.

They have no foal to care for.

Shani will wait...

See how the other families fare.

All seems fine.

And her foal will be safer in the midst of a throng.

But no crossing is without risk.

The sound is an invitation to a feast.

Stragglers pay the price.

Shani and her foal have far to go.

But where there is one crocodile, there are many.

Shani keeps her foal close. Crocodiles pick their moment.

And if they miss, move on.

But it's not over for the foal.

He meets an immovable object.

There are plenty more.

And they can appear from nowhere.

Attack is often the best defense.

He survived his rite of passage.

Shani's family faced their moment of truth.

All overcame.

Lush new pastures will be their reward.

Today, the elephants won't be facing the crossing.

Instead, it's playtime.

Kadogo is at the center of it all.

The games end when Nalla, the great matriarch, decides.

Kali has allowed Askari to follow...

always keeping him one step behind.

Foes making peace or something more?

Kali broke the rules.

She had her cubs with a lion from outside her pride.

Askari was that lion.

Her journey has taken her full circle.

She's back with the father of her cubs.

Nalla will always protect her family.

Even Askari won't take elephants on alone.

And for the new couple...

There are far better things to do.

All our lives are guided by chance and by the seasons.

It's time for the wildebeest to leave, too.

As numbers build, the pressure to move on becomes overwhelming.

Gnu and his mother are trapped in the throng.

As the herds move, so must they.

Gnu's mother is first to see what lies ahead.

A near vertical drop.

One too steep for Gnu.

But the river must be crossed.

And pressure's growing from behind.

Gnu and his mother will wait if they can.

But they can't wait for long.

Tempers are frayed.

For Gnu, it's now or never.

He made it this far.

But it's just the beginning.

The deadly river is waiting.

As we grow, we prepare for our defining moment, whenever it might be.

Aiyisha is wounded and unable to hunt.

To save his mother, Duma must grow up fast.

Even walking has become a burden.

Chasing prey will be impossible.

Aiyisha needs to rest.

Her leg is troubling her.

The cubs will comfort her.

[cheetahs purring]

And let the prey come to them.

Will Duma seize the moment?

He leads the charge.

Aiyisha will go hungry once more.

Duma had the power, but not the focus.

If the cubs can't hunt, and neither can their mother,

none of them will survive.

For the wildebeest, their moment of reckoning has arrived.

Nothing is more dangerous or claims more lives.

Gnu is still waiting with his mother...

As the frontrunners take the plunge.

It's good to go early, before the pressure builds.

For Gnu, it's a leap into the unknown.

Anything can happen.

[snarls]

Crocodiles seek out the young.

[crocodile snarls]

But the herd acts as a shield...

And sometimes, a deadly decoy.

As numbers build, every crocodile can feast.

Gnu, as always, stays close to his mother.

This time, she's the target.

One too strong to take down.

The most dangerous time is when the end is in sight.

And Gnu is on his own.

It's not over, saved on a whim...

And Gnu's determination to survive.

But he needs his mother.

She's still out there somewhere.

In the panic, escape from one danger leads to another.

But even crocodiles are struggling.

Gnu can wait, but more are coming.

The herds seem never-ending.

How can he find his mother in this?

Where does he even start to look?

He can't fight this tide.

No one can.

Wherever he goes, another crush point.

The smallest are in the greatest danger.

While they struggle, still more are joining from behind.

Gnu must find a way out...

A way to save his life.

Climb on their backs right to freedom.

Freed from the masses, he finds a way through.

But still, no sign of his mother.

He has a heartbeat to decide.

Leave her or go back and find her.

For the cheetahs, life is also becoming desperate.

Aiyisha still isn't hunting-ready.

To survive, her cubs must provide.

Duma must meet his moment.

[yowls]

He's first to see the prey.

A topi calf is well-chosen.

He did it all on his own.

If he can hunt, they're not only safe...

So is their mother.

It's a meal that saved her life.

It may not be much, but more will follow.

And the mother of this budding hunter will soon recover.

At the river crossing, the herds have long moved on.

One lone figure is still searching.

Only those who didn't escape the crush remain.

[Gnu grunting]

Does his mother lie among them?

There's no sign of life at all.

But hope lives.

His mother was searching, too.

Together, they will continue their journey,

as the herds have done since our land was born.

As the multitudes leave,

our land is given back to those that remain.

Bakari has taken his troop to the one place he considers home.

Baboon Rock.

A safe haven from the dramas of the plains below.

He has reason to be content.

His youngsters are safe and secure.

And harmony has been restored.

For now, they'll enjoy the calm before the storm that will surely come.

Soon, the seasons will change again

and new challenges will arrive.

Our world is ever-changing.

New life will be born as others pass on.

Already there are surprises in store.

Kali and her followers have finally found their own safe home.

Askari has been allowed to stay as their protector.

And there's more.

Kali has had new cubs with a lion the pride once feared.

In our land, where all life connects, there's no good or bad.

Just families striving to succeed.

As a world far away brings change,

we will need all our resilience to survive.

[woman singing] ♪ Wild ones ♪

♪ We run free ♪

♪ This golden land Beneath the sky ♪

♪ Is all we ever need ♪

♪ This home where We live and die ♪

♪ The Serengeti ♪