Africa is one of the most popular tourist destinations, and the continent's wildlife is one of the main attractions. From desert plains and jungles to rolling savannas and mountains, Africa is home to diverse regions with a wide variety of wildlife species. Buffalo, elephants, leopards, lions and rhinos are the five most famous giants of the African savannah. Lesser-known animals such as antelopes, mongooses and hyenas are equally fascinating.
Here, Zhiqi has produced a list of top documentaries about African wildlife. Each documentary tells a fascinating story that captures the essence of the African wilderness in its own way. You can share it with your family and friends. These documentaries are thought-provoking, inspiring and entertaining, and take into account our current human impact on nature's fragile ecosystems.
Blood Lion
Blood Lion unveils the truth about South Africa's canned lion hunting industry. Every day, captive or tamed lions are slaughtered to meet the demand for lion bones from the illegal wildlife trade. The documentary raised awareness of the lion farming industry in South Africa.
"Leopard Eyes"
Set in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, the documentary follows the life of a female leopard from 8 days to 3 years old. As you watch the leopard grow up in this documentary, you'll see her coming and going in and out of danger, but also making great strides in hunting and survival. Leopard Eye offers stunning views of the most elusive animals on the African savannah.
Virunga
The film premiered on April 17, 2014 at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film focuses on the conservation efforts of rangers in Virunga National Park, exposing the oil mining of British company Soko International in 2014 at this UNESCO World Heritage Site. It tells the story of four people fighting to protect the last home of mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The film focuses on Virunga's natural beauty and biodiversity, as well as the complex political and economic issues surrounding oil exploration and regional armed conflict.
Desert Warriors: The Lion of Namib
Desert Warriors: The Lions of the Namib reveals the secret life of a small group of desert-adapted lions who only appear in the oldest desert on our planet, the Namib Desert. Due to hunting and herder persecution, the desert lion became extinct in 1990. However, a herd of lions returned to the area in 1997 and the number has been increasing ever since.
Filmed over two years, the documentary reveals the fascinating lives of five male desert lion cubs on an adult journey. Through these intimate encounters, we began to understand how these rare lions survived the unforgiving environment of the Namib Desert. If these male lions can reach adulthood, there may be hope for the dwindling desert lion population.
Africa
The BBC Earth wildlife documentary Africa is a 6-episode film spanning over 4 years and takes viewers through Africa's wilderness terrain to see a variety of landscapes and fascinating creatures. David Attenborough will take us through five extraordinary regions of Africa, including the Kalahari, Savannah, Congo, Cape Town and the Sahara Desert. Each region showcases the continent's rarest animals, plants and natural phenomena. The collection provides outstanding insights into Africa's diverse wildlife and the environmental issues it faces, including habitat loss, poaching, population growth and climate change. From this documentary series, we can appreciate how important it is to protect the magnificent wildlife that thrives on this unique continent.
Legend of the Jackal
This is the story of Solo, a lonely African wild dog who made friends with many black-backed jackals and hyenas in the Okavango Delta. Solo helps the black-backed jackals raise their cubs as if they were her own. Her desire for her offspring was so strong that Solo kidnapped the black-backed jackals to prevent their parents from getting closer. The cubs love Solo, she feeds, grooms and protects them. But when a pack of wild dogs shows up, Solo has to make a choice — whether to stay here or join her own kind.
The Queen of the Trees
The Queen of trees reveals an unlikely partnership between a giant fig tree and a wasp. This remarkable documentary captures the delicate symbiotic relationship between insects and plants. Filmmakers spent two years camping near a giant fig tree to capture the way figs and wasps depend on each other to survive. Without figs, wasps will have nowhere to lay their eggs. Without wasps, fig trees cannot produce seeds and pollinate. The Queen of the Trees delvies into the unusual relationships that exist between animals and plants. This fascinating documentary gives viewers insight into the fascinating exchanges that take place between insects and plants, which are often overlooked in nature.
Eye of the Pangolin
Released on Endangered Species Day in May 2019, this powerful documentary aims to raise awareness of the most trafficked mammals on the planet. The documentary tells the story of two men who, for the first time in history, captured the journey of four species of Pangolins in Africa with their cameras. They revealed several tissues designed to protect and save the lives of these gentle creatures. Viewers will be captivated by these strange and mysterious creatures that are in danger of extinction.
Dynasty
Dynasty is a BBC Earth series narrated by David Attenborough. The documentary features five of nature's most iconic animal species: chimpanzees, lions, wild dogs, tigers and emperor penguins. Dynasty aims to explore how these extraordinary animals reached the pinnacle of the animal kingdom and stayed ahead of the curve. Each episode follows a different animal species in their fight against the forces of nature.
The Lion King's Way
The Lion King Trail documentary was filmed for 16 years and tells the story of six male lions from rise to fall. The lion herd is known as the Mapogo Alliance, and the documentary was documented by professional documentarians and rangers who witnessed the alliance's journey to conquer vast tracts of land. Within a year, five brothers and a half-brother had killed more than 100 lions and slaughtered their cubs in an effort to expand their territory. This documentary showcases the most shocking violence and desire for domination in the animal kingdom.
Have you seen documentaries about these African wildlife? Which one is your favorite? Welcome to leave a message and communicate in the comment area.