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."

BBC commissions ambitious natural history documentary slate, including follow-up series Frozen Planet II, Planet Earth III and Perfect Planet for broadcast between 2020 and 2022.

The BBC has ordered follow-up seasons to two of its natural history documentary series, Frozen Planet II, Planet Earth III, and a new series Perfect Planet that the BBC will produce and broadcast on the BBC and on BBC Earth (DStv 184) worldwide between 2020 and 2022.

The new series and two follow-up seasons are part of the Planet strand that the BBC says will help viewers to better understand the greatest issues affecting our planet and mankind's relationship with the natural world.

Perfect Planet will be a unique fusion of blue-chip natural history and earth sciences explaining how the living planet operates.

This 5-episode series will show how the forces of nature - weather, ocean currents, solar energy and volcanoes - drive, shape and support Earth’s great diversity of life. It will broadcast in 2020.

Frozen Planet II will take audiences back to the wildernesses of the Arctic and Antarctica. Ten years on from the original Frozen Planet, this series tells the complete story of the entire frozen quarter of our planet that’s locked in ice and blanketed in snow. It will broadcast in 2021.

Planet Earth III will be the most ambitious natural history landmark ever undertaken by the BBC.

Combining the awe and wonder of the original Planet Earth, the new science and discoveries of Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II, and the immersive character-led storytelling of Dynasties, the series will take the Planet Earth experience to new heights, says the BBC. It will broadcast in 2022.

These three series will be in addition to the previously announced One Planet: Seven Worlds that will be broadcast in 2019, and Green Planet set for broadcast in 2021.

The new natural history programming is expected to involve over 10 000 days of filming and will tell a global story.

Charlotte Moore, the BBC director of content, in a statement says "The BBC is world-famous for its natural history programming and these new series will raise the bar even higher".

"We know that audiences want shows that bring them the richest narratives, the best camerawork and the highest quality production values and they look to us to deliver this."

"Viewers around the globe have been captivated by the incredible stories that the Planets series have told and now new technology allows us to explore even more of the natural world than ever before."

Tom McDonald, the head of commissioning, natural history and specialist factual at the BBC, says "Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II and most recently Dynasties reinvented landmark natural history at BBC - delivering record breaking global audiences and receiving awards around the world".

"These new titles reveal the scale of our ambitions in natural history - with a rich and innovative pipeline of titles up to 2022: the biggest commitment we have ever made in the genre."

"I'm delighted to be bringing the long-awaited Frozen Planet back to our screens a decade after the first series was on air, and of course thrilled that Planet Earth will be back in the BBC's centenary year. Both will continue our pledge to reveal not just the world's greatest wonders and animal behaviour but reflect the very real challenges the natural world faces."

Perfect Planet
From the white wolves of Ellesemere Island to bears in Kamchatka; vampire finches of the Galapagos to golden snub-nosed monkeys of China, the series will combine a global view of the planet from space with intimate animal stories from the most spectacular habitats.

From the Indian Monsoon to Hawaiian volcanoes; tidal islands of the Bahamas to the extremes of the Arctic winter, Perfect Planet will take the audience on a stunning visual journey that will change the way we see our home.

The final episode in the series looks at the dramatic impact of the world’s newest global force of nature - humans - and reveals what we need to do to in order to halt the dramatic loss of biodiversity.

Perfect Planet, a 5-episode hourlong series is made by Silverback Films, co-produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures, France Télévisions and The Open University. The executive producer is Alastair Fothergill and the series producer is Huw Cordey.

Frozen Planet II
Back in 2011 the BBC aired Frozen Planet, the popular natural history series, celebrating life in our Poles.

Ten years on, Frozen Planet II tells the complete story of the entire frozen quarter of our planet that’s locked in ice and blanketed in snow.

In this 6-episode series we explore this vast magical realm and discover frozen worlds of surprising variety and nature.

From the frozen ocean of the Arctic, to the snowy forests and great plains of the far north, from the high-altitude peaks of our mountains to the ice-locked south of Antarctica, these are the last true wildernesses - so challenging for survival, that only a heroic cast of animals can live here.

From polar bears to Siberian tigers, snow monkeys and penguins, each frozen world raises different challenges for the animals that brave the extreme conditions here.

Today they are united by a new threat. As temperatures rise at an unprecedented rate, our frozen planet is literally vanishing before our eyes. What will be the true impact on humans and wildlife? In this series we will follow the heroic scientists, braving some of the most dangerous places on earth, in a bid to find the answers.

Frozen Planet II, a 6-episode hourlong series is made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced by BBC America and The Open University. The executive producer is Mark Brownlow and the series producer is Elizabeth White.

Planet Earth III
Planet Earth III, the third in a trilogy, is a brand new series for 2022 – set to be the most ambitious natural history landmark ever undertaken by the BBC.

Combining the awe and wonder of the original Planet Earth, the new science and discoveries of Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II, and the immersive character-led storytelling of Dynasties, the series will take the Planet Earth experience to new heights.

It will take audiences to stunning new landscapes, showcase jaw-dropping newly-discovered behaviours, and follow the intense struggles of some of our planet’s most amazing animals.

Across 8 episodes, the series will have a truly global scale, with new technology central to its approach.

Crews will spend longer in the field than ever before, and using the latest technology, including robotic cameras, stabilised rigs and deep submersibles, will take viewers from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, from the darkest caves to the hottest deserts.

Planet Earth III will also build on the approach of the BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s most recent landmarks, by reflecting the new realities of the natural world. It will not only reveal the greatest wonders of life on earth, but will also show the new challenges faced in the 21st Century by the animals and plants with which we share our increasingly fragile planet.

Planet Earth III, an 8-episode hourlong series is made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced by BBC America and The Open University. The executive producer is Mike Gunton and the series producer is Jonny Keeling.