Original subtitles

Many tales have been told of Africa.

But this is our story.

ELEPHANTS TRUMPET

A drama set in the heart of our world,

experienced as we live and breath it.

New eyes greeted the world.

Battles were won and lost.

All of us faced danger.

Now, our fragile peace is shattered once more.

This is the next chapter in our story,

in a place they call Serengeti.

# Serengeti

# She is speaking... #

ELEPHANTS TRUMPET

Sometimes, we hold more power than we think.

Sometimes less.

What matters is knowing who holds the most.

Kali has been found by Sefu,

a male who harassed her from the great pride.

Now, he needs her back.

The black-maned males want a pride of their own.

Rivals will be shown no mercy.

If Kali intervened, it would be a death-wish,

not just for her cubs, but for those she led from the pride.

She's duty-bound to get them to safety.

Here, everything competes.

The herds for space. The grass for water.

And hunters for a meal.

Aiysha's cubs always seem hungry these days.

As they grow, so too do their appetites.

But their demands are not yet matched by their ability.

It still falls to Aiysha to keep them fed.

Today, fortune is on her side.

A loan cheetah has made a kill.

It's hers by right,

but it's five against one.

For Aiysha, the needs of hungry cubs come first.

But a hard-won meal is never surrendered lightly.

HISSING

Every fight carries a risk. Why take one?

There's enough to share.

But Duma has hardly had a bite.

Time to renegotiate.

Strength in numbers wins.

Vultures also play the numbers game.

Steal, and expect to be stolen from.

Not on Duma's watch.

Aiysha knows when she's beaten.

Duma is yet to pick his battles.

He finds out the hard way.

YELPS

For the first time in his life, he's alone.

Here, even the fiercest choose not to walk alone.

The black-maned males are a formidable brotherhood,

but Sefu didn't go down without a fight.

Even the victors must lick their wounds.

For them, it's just one more battle scar.

They're led by Askari, the strongest of all the males.

No-one challenges them lightly.

But Zalika has something to prove...

..show her former clan she won't flinch in the face of danger.

How better than stealing from the most feared of all?

A game of dare.

Being last to leave was bold, but not enough to inspire loyalty.

The jackals have nothing to prove.

They survive on wits alone.

And all they steal is scraps.

Ultimate power is not needing to show it...

..until it's challenged.

Which it always will be.

Despite appearances, there's unrest among the baboons.

Bakari is facing insurrection.

Bibi, a disgruntled female,

has brought outside males into the troop.

She's building a powerful alliance.

Bakari has a dilemma.

Assert himself...

..or turn a blind eye.

But what happens behind his back is becoming hard to ignore.

This is sheer provocation.

Bakari has to intervene.

It's the fight his rival has wanted...

..and nearly won.

If he had, Bakari would no longer be leader.

All it would take is for his rivals to unite against him.

Bibi's alliance is powerful.

One day, they'll learn how to use it.

It's the time of year when wildebeest get restless.

Pastures new are calling.

Gnu has grown and is ready for the long walk ahead.

Excitement is in the air.

UPBEAT SINGING

But excitement excites others.

Kali led her followers into danger.

She's duty-bound to keep them fed.

There is no glory in easy kills,

but Kali needs a win.

Gnu is a fighter.

And so is his mother.

The victor is often the one with the most to lose.

For Gnu's mother, her son's life was at stake.

Gnu learns courage at his mother's side.

It won't be the last time he'll need it.

The baboons are on an adventure.

Bakari must assert his authority.

How better than leading his troop on a hunt?

While Bakari leads, the rivals stay back. For now.

As the troop nears, excitement mounts.

Bakari has taken them to the gazelles' birthing grounds.

Tamu is here for the taking.

For Bakari, a chance to show what true leaders do.

But Tamu is no longer wobbly on his feet.

A setback for Bakari.

A victory for Tamu.

SCREECHING

To make matters worse, Bakari's arch-rival has had success.

He may have impressed, but he's made a big mistake.

He's keeping it for himself.

For Bakari, a reprieve,

until they stop arguing amongst themselves.

A moment for Bakari to wait, watch and plan.

There could even be some entertainment to enjoy.

Not just from Shaba and Shavu.

Warthogs, too, enjoy the taste of tender flesh.

And they are not ones to be ignored.

Even by a would-be leader.

The warthog's success emboldens the jackals.

There's one Bakari can't ignore.

He must protect his troop from Zalika.

His best chance is to steal the carcass.

Draw Zalika away.

Then, when she's safely away from the troop,

give her the prize.

Seeing off the threat is not enough to secure Bakari's position.

To survive, he needs to inspire the troop.

The young are free from such responsibilities.

They must enjoy it while they can.

The leopard cubs are growing up.

Until now, they've only played at hunting.

CUBS GROWL

It's time to get serious.

And be ready for every opportunity.

Even the most unlikely.

There must be something more exciting.

How about a dwarf mongoose?

They've chased mongoose before.

Surely it should be easier now.

It isn't.

With mother watching, they'll need to step up.

And Dada does.

And like mother, she'll stash her treasure.

Until she doesn't.

The young only have their mother's approval to fight for.

With age comes harsher critics.

Kali must repay her followers' loyalty.

As always, they'll help her.

Surround them on all sides.

Just what they're after.

But there is another out to prove her worth to her followers.

And Zalika is running out of chances.

Defeating Kali should do it.

But every hyena needs back up.

None rush to help a faltering leader.

Not even Zalika can overpower a lion alone.

LION GROWLS, HYENA WHIMPERS

She needed a win.

Now, escaping with her life is prize enough.

To succeed, her whole clan must unite behind her.

Wherever the rest may be.

While Zalika seeks an army, Duma just needs his mother.

He's played at hunting, but it's not enough.

And tired legs can't search forever.

But has chance drawn him down a different path?

Three adult males.

He's met two of them before.

They're Aiysha's brothers.

HISSES

Do they recognise him?

Duma needs companionship.

PURRING

But adult males play rough.

And want hunters, not novices, in their gang.

Where would he prefer to be?

With his mother?

Or where his destiny lies?

Male cheetahs form a brotherhood.

And Duma is too young to join them.

It's easy to get waylaid in our land,

especially when the herds are gathering.

Zalika won't be distracted.

She's on her last chance.

A show of power, to finally unite her entire clan around her.

Gnu and his mother are now practised in the art of escape.

But there are other targets.

The success she needed.

But here, success is easily stolen.

She is outnumbered.

Has she taken her clan to a battle they will lose?

But this is not rivalry.

It's a reunion.

The rest of her clan was watching.

She's proved she's a leader worth following.

With their loyalty, she can take on anything.

Alone, we can be powerful,

but with the support of others, we can truly soar.

Duma is still shadowing the cheetah brothers.

They let him know to keep his distance.

HISSING

YELPS

He has to accept it's not his time - yet.

For now, his family is where he belongs.

He's hungry and still can't hunt for himself.

For the jackals, a young cheetah alone is a chance for some fun.

A game of chase.

Duma's heart isn't in it.

To a mother, he's still seen as a threat.

When you're hunted by prey, you know you're in trouble.

Especially if the hunter is Gnu's mother.

It will be a long, lonely night for Duma.

SOFT CALLS

A new dawn brings either hope or despair.

For every test Tamu has faced, he has prevailed.

Always with his mother at his side.

But a powerful force has them in their sights.

Askari is on the hunt.

And where there are two lions, another is ready to pounce.

A tried and tested strategy -

isolate young from their mothers.

But was Tamu's mother their target?

Duma is also seeking his mother.

He, too, is walking into danger.

Kali is ready to take him on.

And Duma is ready to take on Kali.

He learned how to deal with lions from his mother.

Outrun them.

And tire them out.

He may have learned many lessons

but not enough to leave his mother's side.

While he's been away, his family has kept searching,

listening for any sound.

SOFT CALLS

A call they'll know anywhere.

It's a reunion against the odds.

PURRING

Duma's back where he should be.

In his mother's care.

But once you've glimpsed your destiny,

it's hard to look back.

Tamu is still alone.

Except for the company of vultures.

He's drawn to their gathering.

Drawn to the unthinkable.

For a fawn, a mother's death is beyond understanding.

Orphans are targets.

For once, Tamu must defend himself.

Do what his mother taught him.

Attack when others run.

She may have gone...

..but he'll defend what remains.

In grief, he may be fearless.

But has he the strength to survive on his own?

Bakari's troop is on the move once more.

The cheetahs have made another kill.

Only the audacious would dare steal it.

Bakari can't do it on his own.

But does he need to?

He calls for reinforcements.

DEEP CALLS

CALLING CONTINUES

The others join.

Bakari has them assembled.

Now for the plan.

Stir things up.

CHITTERING AND HISSING

Show he'll take them all on if he has to.

And he's no longer working alone.

The rival males are working with him.

Now for the endgame.

Steal the meal while the cheetahs are kept at bay.

First, he shares with Cheka.

But what of the males that helped?

Loyalty is earned through sharing.

Cheka may be nervous but there's no need.

The arch-rival male takes his turn.

One by one they all get something.

A reward for working together.

Even Bibi gets a share.

Despite everything, Bakari has reunited his troop.

Zalika has won her clan's loyalty, too.

She has one last score to settle.

She now has the power to defeat Kali.

A chance to exact revenge.

Kali is surrounded.

And her followers, too, are at risk.

Could it get any worse?

Maybe it just got better.

Askari becomes her ally.

But why?

The herds are on the move once more.

Gnu is ready.

As is Shani's foal.

It's an exciting time for both of them.

UPBEAT SINGING

Once they reach the river, excitement turns to trepidation.

It's the first time Gnu has had to face it.

For now, it's only to drink.

Soon they will have to cross.

It's the first time for Shani's foal, too.

All is calm.

But here, silence can be a warning.

Who can escape such power?

Our toughest tests are yet to come.

As the great river crossing begins...

..families are divided...

..loved ones lost.

Will bravery triumph over tragedy?

Will any of us find peace at last?

# Serengeti

# She is speaking

# Hear her... #