Africa's animal abundance on display in third season of Planet Earth.

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's wildlife - specifically seals who band together to outwit a great white shark - once again feature prominently in the third season of Planet Earth that starts on Monday 19 February at 20:00 on BBC Earth (DStv 184) with astonishing BBC cinematography of the natural world.

Sir David Attenborough is once again the narrator of the third season of this landmark BBC series, which was filmed over five years and includes several segments filmed across South Africa for the eight episodes.

"In this new series of Planet Earth, we travel to the most astonishing wild places, see mysterious creatures, witness rare, spectacular wonders, and reveal breath-taking animal dramas," says Sir David Attenborough.

"The natural world continues to surprise us, but since Darwin's time, it has changed beyond recognition, being transformed by a powerful force – us."

"We will see how animals are adapting in extraordinary ways, to survive the new challenges they face. At this crucial time in our history, we must now look at the world through a new lens."

Nearly two decades since the original season of Planet Earth, the natural history documentary series once again goes on a journey from remote jungles to scorching deserts and from the darkest caves to the depths of the ocean.

The new season highlights several places and animals and their unique wildlife adaptations and survival strategies in Africa - from the Kalahari Desert to the wildebeest migration in the Kruger National Park across vast grasslands, the unique flora and fauna found at the Drakensberg Mountains' high altitudes, and the aquatic life of the Okavango Delta. 

Delving into the heart of South Africa's waters, the first episode entitled "Coasts", reveals the struggle for survival on South Africa's Robberg Peninsula, where thousands of Cape fur seals face off against the world's most notorious predator, the great white shark.

Nick Easton, producer and director of this episode, says "The struggle between the Cape fur seals and the great white shark has been a developing story on the South African coast for the last few years".

"The sharks' increased presence on this stretch of coast is still poorly understood, as is their behaviour generally. And, of course, they are notoriously dangerous predators. The crew had to capture this nail-biting scene over four years." 

The show also captured footage of the first lions to return to Namibia's coast in 40 years, a remarkable event filmed at night using cutting-edge thermal imaging technology.

The series also features two orphan lion sisters whose lives have consisted of scavenging for food.

The coast provides a veritable feast for the tiny pride in the form of roosting seabirds, allowing the sisters to specialise in hunting these flocks, perhaps saving them from starvation.

Using a military-grade thermal camera to film the sequence enabled the crew to capture footage of lions hunting cormorants at night, a behaviour these sisters had to teach themselves as they lost their mother when they were young.

Across the episodes, DStv subscribers will see animals survival strategies in the Kalahari desert, the biodiversity found at high altitudes in South Africa in the Drakensberg Mountains, how wildebeest migrate across the grasslands of the Kruger National Park, and the rich and diverse ecosystems of Southern Africa's freshwater habitats like the Okovango Delta's aquatic life.

There is an ostrich family in the Namib desert and the poignant journey as she tries to raise her chicks in one of the world's most extreme environments, as well as desert baboons' relentless search for water in an arid landscape.

The hunting tactics of Southern African leopards are also on display in Planet Earth III, demonstrating unique hunting tactics by leaping from treetops, showcasing their impressive adaptability. 

In the Zakouma National Park the show follows one of the world's most spectacular elephant herd in Chad which has become a beacon of hope for conservation in central Africa.

"The local scenes are a testament to the rich natural heritage of South Africa and the broader African continent," the BBC says. 

 "They serve as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts to protect these unique environments for future generations. By featuring these local stories, Planet Earth III aims to inspire South African viewers to take a closer interest in the natural world, its conservation challenges, and what can happen if we help protect these precious ecosystems."