My Wild Africa in April
April 30th, 2021
In April, WildlifeDirect continued to bring to Kenyan viewers wildlife documentaries into their homes. The films aired every Sunday at 5:30 PM EAT via Citizen TV. The films aired focused on elephants, hippos, lions and the Cape Ground Squirrel.
Mzima: Haunt of the River Horse
Mzima is an Emmy award-winning film by filmmakers Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble and follows the almost hidden lives of crocodiles and hippos as they battle for supremacy. The film reveals the intricate pyramid of life supported by the hippos and the astonishing animal behaviour hidden beneath the surface of Mzima.
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Lions and Giants on the Edge
Viewers were introduced to the great pride of Savuti led by Induna the lion as they hunt the elephants in their pride of 40 lions in Botswana. When drought hits the Savuti plains, the Serondela herd of Elephants is forced to move to lion territory. Through Tandi, the matriarch, we observe how matriarchs influence elephants’ behaviour and decisions which keeps them away from danger and teaches the herd how to care for their offspring. The lions follow the Serondela herd in close proximity as they head towards the Chobe River. Tandi follows a route she has not used in 20 years as they seek water. The film takes us through the lions which hunt elephants.
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Ostriches; A life on the run – Rerun
In this film, viewers follow a story about the gamble that ostriches at Kalahari and Namib desert make every year in order for their chicks to hatch in time for the rains in order to survive. This story of love and parenthood starts with a male ostrich who attracts female ostriches through his speed and dances into his harem. The film took us through the life of a chick from the egg. Ostrich eggshells are tough enough that they can withstand the ostrich weight and shiny white to reflect the sun away so that they don’t cook. Ostriches typically eat plants, roots, and seeds but will also eat insects, lizards, or other creatures available in their sometimes harsh habitat. The chicks forage around looking for dry leaves and any insect they could find. Sometimes ostriches have to leave behind their weak chicks in order to save the other chicks and if the rains don’t come, they lose all chicks.
Kalahari Tails
The Kalahari Desert is a vast area of land that stretches from South Africa’s Orange River northwards, for more than 2.5 million square kilometres. This film followed the story of one of the smaller animals in the Kalahari Desert, the Cape Ground Squirrel. The Cape Ground Squirrel is small, cheeky, endearing, low down on the food chain, and incredibly tough. They have had to adapt more than most in order to survive in the Kalahari. The constant threat from snakes, birds of prey and larger predators, means that ground Squirrels need to be constantly alert. Ground Squirrels usually live in groups according to their gender, 3 or 4 females will form a small, cohesive sisterhood – sometimes one will dominate, but not always.
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We thank our donors for their generous contribution to the series. We also look forward to a continued partnership with Citizen TV Kenya to bring My Wild Africa films to Kenyans. Tune in every Sunday at 5:30 PM EAT for more intriguing wildlife and nature films about African wildlife and landscapes. Let us know if you have watched any of the films and what you loved about the film.
