New from ATO: Wildlife Special

Beginning in Africa, Zambia’s Luangwa river hippos are living the easy life, or so it seems. They are one of the heaviest creatures on Earth and life fluctuates between the serenity of sunbathing to the terrible brutality of dominance and aggression. This struggle puts a young hippo in more danger of being trampled by herd members than being hunted by the neighboring crocodiles. Crocodiles and hippos maintain a symbiotic truce, while male hippo clashes can have tragic consequences.
In Hippo Supremacy, this reality is captured as a mother risks her safety to protect her struggling baby as it grows up in the danger-filled waters of the Luagwa river.

This is a story full of emotion. A young giraffe, Mama Twiga has a heartbreaking experience of first time motherhood. She goes on to have another baby but this also has a difficult start to life and it’s touch and go as to whether it will survive. Whilst we follow Mama Twiga’s journey we also come across other mothers in the bird and animal kingdom. All of them are confronted with challenges as they strive to bring up their young in these beautiful but harsh surroundings.

Africa’s largest crocodilian, the Nile crocodile, can reach up to 20 foot and weigh up to 1,650 pounds. These fearsome crocodiles mostly live on plentiful catfish stocks in the Katuma river but will attack anything that crosses their path. However, these aggressive creatures also display a strong maternal instinct when it comes to protecting their young. This documentary reveals two fascinating sides to this primordial creature.

Follow the personal quest of Nan Hauser on her mission to unlock new clues to the behaviour of whales and dolphins. Despite the fact that whales and dolphins are such huge animals, much of their behaviour is still unrecorded. Nan Hauser’s groundbreaking work and dedication to whale conservation has shown that one individual can really make a difference.

Lions rarely hunt baboons. These large monkeys are armed with dangerous teeth, they are hard to catch and usually not worth the risk or effort. But there is one place in Africa’s Great Rift Valley where baboons are plentiful and lions have learned to catch them. This documentary follows a pride of lions forced to target unusual prey.

Tanzania is home to the largest elephant population in the world. These expressive creatures exhibit joy, anger, grief, compassion and love. This documentary examines their fascinating character and family structures and also explores the baboon families which live peacefully alongside them. Beautiful footage reveals the astonishing tenderness exhibited by these gentle giants.

This series explores the lesser known parts of Tanzania including the majestic mountain, Kilimanjaro, which is home to herds of elusive elephants. Arusha national park lies in Kilimanjaro’s shadow and has the highest concentration of giraffes in the world. Nearby the shallow waters of the Momela Lake is home to stunning pink flamingos and the slopes of the imposing Mount Meru provide sanctuary to a huge number of primates as well as the beautiful dwarf antelope, the dik dik.

The Kalahari Meerkats unites viewers with the Gosa gang, a family of meerkats, struggling to survive in Africa’s Kalahari Desert. From territorial battles, to love affairs, these cute animals rarely have a dull moment. On the surface, the meerkats seem like adorable creatures, but do their cute facades mask their true colours?

Surviving the Serengeti is a journey of birth, death and survival set against one of the most beautiful places on earth. This moving programme showcases the diverse Tanzanian wildlife that makes a home on the stunning plains of the Serengeti. Witness astonishing displays of defiant bravery in the face of impending death and amazing stories of survival.