Wild Africa

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the Canadian documentary film, see Wild Africa (film).

Wild Africa
BBC Natural History Unit
Original release
NetworkBBC Two
Release7 November (2001-11-07) –
12 December 2001 (2001-12-12)
Related

Wild Africa is a British

BBC Natural History Unit and narrated by Fergal Keane.[1]

The series forms part of the Natural History Unit's Continents strand. It was preceded by

Congo earlier that year and followed a year later by Wild New World
.

Production

Wild Africa typifies the style of blue-chip documentary series on which the Natural History Unit has built its reputation, with its high production values, strong visuals and dedicated musical score. To achieve this took 18 months of principal photography on 53 filming trips to 22 countries, starting in September 1999. The filmmakers were assisted by a production team of 16 and around 140 scientists and field assistants.

Simon King,[3]
all of whom have contributed to many other BBC natural history films.

The filming team travelled from the lowest point on the continent, the

Kilimanjaro. Successes included rare footage of huge feeding groups of manta rays, and Walia ibex locking horns in the Simien Mountains
.

Episodes

Broadcast dates refer to the original UK transmission.

1. "Mountains"

Broadcast 7 November 2001
African elephants and Mount Kilimanjaro

After an opening sequence introducing the series, the first episode looks at Africa's mountain ranges. First to be featured are the

bushbucks. As the Rift Mountains have thrust upwards, they become an agent of evolutionary change as small populations of animals are isolated from their lowland relatives. Melanistic forms of servals and leopards arise mainly in the highlands. The programme ends in the heart of the continent, with scenes of mountain gorillas in the Virungas.[4]

2. "Savannah"

Broadcast 14 November 2001

The

African wild cat. The reasons for this abundance of life are the savannah's vast size, fast recycling of nutrients and the adaptability of its wildlife.[5]

3. "Deserts"

Broadcast 21 November 2001
Camels in the Ennedi Gorge

The third programme features Africa's

springbok, which in turn attract predators. The cheetah, with its thin, lightly furred body is most at home in the desert. The Sahara is much newer than Africa's southern deserts, the product of a rapidly drying climate coupled with overgrazing. Ancient rock art in Chad's Ennedi Plateau shows a vanished world – giraffe, elephant, rhino and other savannah creatures. Now, the last remaining Nile crocodiles share their dwindling pools with the passing camel trains.[6]

4. "Coasts"

Broadcast 28 November 2001

The fourth instalment follows an anticlockwise path around Africa's coastline, beginning at the

Cape fur seals and penguins. Fur seal pups are vulnerable in the heat, and those that perish are picked off by black-backed jackals and brown hyenas. Around the Cape, great white sharks use a unique hunting technique to catch seals.[7]

5. "Jungle"

Broadcast 5 December 2001
Flamingos at Lake Nakuru

The penultimate episode looks at the continent's rainforests, which cover equatorial Africa from

safari ants from hollow logs. At a few special places in the forests, large clearings created by elephants attract many animals to socialise, reinforce bonds and feed on the mineral-rich ground. One such clearing is Dzanga Bai in the Central African Republic, visited by 2,800 elephants, shy bongos and western lowland gorillas.[8]

6. "Lakes and Rivers"

Broadcast 12 December 2001

The final programme looks at how water influences life on the continent. Rain falling on the mountains of equatorial Africa eventually flows into

wetlands too. Zambia's Banguela Swamp is a rich fishing ground for shoebills, spoonbills and egrets. The Okavango River flows towards the Kalahari Desert, creating the greatest inland delta in the world. It is paradise for hippos, but savannah animals have had to adapt. Lions have learned to swim across the water channels to keep up with their prey. The final scenes show the vast flocks of flamingos at the soda lakes of East Africa. Every few years, they engage in synchronised courtship dances.[9]

Awards

Wild Africa won two awards at the 2003 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival in the Best Limited Series and Best Cinematography categories.[10] The series was also nominated for its photography at the 2001 BAFTA Craft Awards.[11]

Merchandise

A book, soundtrack CD, and DVD are all available to accompany the TV series:

See also

References

  1. ^ Gilsdorf, Ethan (19 November 2015). "Africa at its most alluring". The Boston Globe.
  2. ^ Production diary
  3. ^ Wild Africa DVD notes
  4. ^ Written and produced by Patrick Morris (7 November 2001). "Mountains". Wild Africa. BBC. BBC Two.
  5. ^ Written and produced by Amanda Barrett and Owen Newman (14 November 2001). "Savannah". Wild Africa. BBC. BBC Two.
  6. ^ Written and produced by Patrick Morris (21 November 2001). "Deserts". Wild Africa. BBC. BBC Two.
  7. ^ Produced by Marguerite Smits van Oyen (28 November 2001). "Coasts". Wild Africa. BBC. BBC Two.
  8. ^ Written and produced by Andrew Murray (5 December 2001). "Jungles". Wild Africa. BBC. BBC Two.
  9. ^ Written and produced by Julian Hector (12 December 2001). "Lakes and Rivers". Wild Africa. BBC. BBC Two.
  10. ^ Jackson Hole WFF News
  11. ^ BAFTA 2001 Awards Database

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wild_Africa&oldid=1174090991"