Willem van Heerden

The Lions of Makalolo

There are two phenomenal beasts that rule one of Africa's true wilderness areas - Buffalos and Lions. The first dominate the plains with bulk, power and aggressiveness. The second rule by fear and tenacity... And when they clash, dust chokes the air, sharp claws collide against impressive horns... and blood soaks the thirsty land.

The Lions of Makalolo

There are two phenomenal beasts that rule one of Africa's true wilderness areas - Buffalos and Lions. The first dominate the plains with bulk, power and aggressiveness. The second rule by fear and tenacity... And when they clash, dust chokes the air, sharp claws collide against impressive horns... and blood soaks the thirsty land.

Honey Badger: Grit

On the harsh and unforgiving plains of central Namibia, Africa, a young honey badger named Grit has just left home to venture out in the great, wide world, but it won't be easy. Fewer than half of all young honey badgers survive their first few weeks on their own, as they deal with intense heat, starvation, and round-the-clock threats from the many predators of the savannah.

Electric Amazon

The Amazon is one of the wildest and least explored parts of the planet. Encompassing 6 countries and 2 million square miles of forest, river and floodplain, it has the highest diversity of life on the planet, but what lies below it is truly shocking. In its deep muddy rivers, clear streams and expansive floodplains a freak-show of fish life has exploded, with some of the strangest shapes and weirdest adaptations on Earth. Hiding in the vast rivers and streams is an electric grid, a bizarre community of fish with a highly sophisticated electric sixth sense. Using electricity, these "Super" fish can communicate wirelessly, control each other remotely and emit shocks that can stop a human heart. This cryptic world has mystified scientists throughout the ages. Now an intrepid scientist, Will Crampton ventures back into the dark jungles where the inspiration for our technology driven world first emerged, in an attempt to unravel their secrets and unlock the electric code.

Lion Brotherhood

Tau is dying; a slow shutting-down creeps over his body. It's time to reflect.

Death Beach

Man-eating sharks seemingly flock to South Africa's Second Beach. This remote coastline was once considered a surfer's best-kept secret, but now its regarded as Earth's most dangerous beach. Here, sharks don't simply attack; they kill. Gruesome attacks have claimed six lives in five years. Something has triggered bizarrely aggressive behavior in these predators, and biologist Matt Dicken is on a quest to find out why. Join him as he confronts the killers in their own domain.

Predators in Peril

Set in the vast expanse of South Africa's Mala Mala game reserve, a host of Africa's biggest and fiercest wildlife species compete for food, mates and territory against the backdrop of a harsh dry season.

Africa's Outsiders

A documentary that focuses on how animals born with unusual colours have a much harder struggle than normal. Follow white lions, a white baboon and a yellow crocodile.

Lions Behaving Badly

We think of the lion as the king of beasts - the perfect predators - built to make a swift clean kill - but think again. Now spectacular footage reveals another side to this hunters killing power. We follow a family of lion cubs as they start out in life. Seven out of the eight cubs are male - for them the clock is ticking, within two years they need to learn to hunt before setting out and finding new territories of their own, to avoid treading on the toes of the dominant pride male. The cubs hunting lessons are perhaps not what you might expect; instead of ambushing their prey and quickly despatching with a clean bite to the throat, these lions wrestle their victim to the ground and tuck in before the hapless beast is dead. When the prey is a young elephant, it means a slow and painful death. Are these lions behaving badly or is it simply that this is what lions do?

Lions Behaving Badly

We think of the lion as the king of beasts - the perfect predators - built to make a swift clean kill - but think again. Now spectacular footage reveals another side to this hunters killing power. We follow a family of lion cubs as they start out in life. Seven out of the eight cubs are male - for them the clock is ticking, within two years they need to learn to hunt before setting out and finding new territories of their own, to avoid treading on the toes of the dominant pride male. The cubs hunting lessons are perhaps not what you might expect; instead of ambushing their prey and quickly despatching with a clean bite to the throat, these lions wrestle their victim to the ground and tuck in before the hapless beast is dead. When the prey is a young elephant, it means a slow and painful death. Are these lions behaving badly or is it simply that this is what lions do?

Rivers of Giants

Africa is a land of giants. Its powerful rivers sculpt the earth and form impressive valleys and waterways that are home to many imposing and powerful inhabitants. These are the rivers where massive elephants and hippos live, feed and drink, and where ancient crocodiles hunt and breed. They share the rivers with porcupines, the martial eagle, and the leopard.

Big Cat Challenge

A fascinating insight into three great African predators—lions, cheetahs and leopards— and their relationship with each other, and the rest of the African fauna. Their remarkable hunting strategies ensure their survival, but in the Mala Mala, South Africa, which will will the Big Cat Challenge?

Africa's Secret Seven

We take an exclusive peek into the mysterious lives of the most secretive animals of the African Bushveld. For the first time ever, we take an exclusive peek into the mysterious lives of the most secretive animals of the African Bushveld. We will expose the behaviors of these animals seldom, if ever, seen before as we delve into the shadowy existence of animals rarely seen, let alone captured on television. We will investigate seven enigmatic creatures - the serval, aardvark, pangolin, genet, African wildcat, civet and porcupine - as they furtively go about their top-secret activities. Each story will introduce us to one of these animals, and give us a privileged glimpse into their extremely private lives and their particular adaptations for life in the dangerous wilderness, where they battle against tremendous odds. We witness how each one cunningly outwits the super-predators in its own special way, with extra-sharp senses and other strategies for survival.

Charging Back: A Rhino Story

This film uncovers the intriguing mystery of the return of the African rhino. In the 1800s there were more than 500,000 white and black rhinos in Africa. But by the 1990s, ivory poaching had left less than 7,000 animals alive. Remarkably, today their numbers have risen to 11,000. But there is now a new, deadly threat. Charging Back starts at the Pilansberg Game Reserve, where mysterious, unseen assailants were killing rhinos. Poachers could not be blamed, as the horns remained intact. Unexpectedly, the perpetrators prove to be relocated adolescent elephants, orphaned in culls. Lack of family structure has turned them into aggressive delinquents - a problem which conservation authorities now address by importing the steadying influence of older bulls. In astonishing scenes, the attackers are captured red-handed. Without the least provocation, elephants launch vicious assaults on unsuspecting rhinos.