Nature » South Africa

The White Lions: Full Episode

fultonk — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:00:44 +0000

Watch the full episode of the PBS Nature film, The White Lions—the story of two remarkable and extremely rare white lion cubs on their journey to adulthood. Both are female, sisters born as white as snow in May 2009 in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Growing up on the savanna, they must overcome not only the same survival challenges that all young lion cubs must face, they must also overcome the threats their high visibility brings. Buy the Blu-Ray or DVD. This film premiered May 9, 2012. (Video limited to U.S. & Territories.)

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The White Lions: Video: A Fight Between Lions

fultonk — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:16:22 +0000

Two lionesses attack an unfamiliar and aggressive male who approaches their small pride. Watch a scene from the PBS Nature film The White Lions which premieres May 9, 2012.

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The White Lions: Video: White Lion Challenges Hyenas

fultonk — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:08:54 +0000

One of the white cubs, now almost a grown lion, takes on a clan of approaching hyenas in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Watch a scene from The White Lions which premieres May 9, 2012.

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The White Lions: Video: Lions at Play

fultonk — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:16:11 +0000

In this video, the small pride—which includes two white lion cubs—plays and bonds in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park. Watch a scene from PBS Nature’s The White Lions which premieres May 9, 2012.

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The White Lions: Introduction

fultonk — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:18:39 +0000

White lions are among the rarest and most treasured animals in the world. Rarer still is their survival in the wild. Their white color stands out in Africa’s wild bush country, increasing their risk of being targeted and killed by rival predators and marauding adult male lions.

Used primarily for communication and camouflage, color is one of nature’s most dependable defenses. White lions lose the ability to blend in to their surroundings, exposing them to other predators as well as jeopardizing their own ability to hunt. Overcoming their heightened visibility may be the greatest challenge young white cubs face. Often mistaken for albinos, white lions actually do have some pigmentation and dark eyes. They are leucistic animals, produced by the mating of two tawny lions that both carry a recessive gene for white coat color. Their ghostly white color is both a blessing and a curse, earning them a mythical status and a unique vulnerability.

Watch a preview of The White Lions which premieres May 9, 2012.

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Only three white cubs have reached adulthood in the wilds of South Africa since white lions were first documented there in 1975. Now, two white cubs, sisters, have beaten the odds, surviving all the challenges of their youth with the help of two remarkable lionesses—their mother, Matimba, and their aunt, Khanya. Without an adult male lion to protect their small pride, Matimba and Khanya must rely solely on their own knowledge, strength and courage to protect their family.

Follow Nature as it tracks these two white cubs as they struggle to survive the dangers they are faced with in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. The White Lions premieres May 9, 2012.

Drakensberg: Barrier of Spears: Introduction

tanner vea — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:00:20 +0000

Rising sharply from the South African landscape, cliffs like spines of a dragon form the majestic Drakensberg Mountains (their name actually means “Dragon’s Mountain”). Born of Jurassic molten lava, they span more than 600 miles and tower more than 10,000 feet. Despite the impossible terrain and unpredictable weather, the Drakensberg is home to a fascinating array of animals, including crab-hunting frogs, bone-devouring vultures, cliff-dwelling baboons, and furry ice rats.

But one animal’s perseverance makes it the ultimate survivor: the eland, the largest member of the antelope family. In order to overcome the ever-changing endurance test cast by nature, these tenacious mountaineers undertake an annual migration toward the summit in search of greener pastures. NATURE tracks their epic climb in Drakensberg: Barrier of Spears.

The eland’s annual journey begins during the summer down in the fertile valleys at the foot of the Drakensberg. However, this grassland paradise is soon battered by wet spells, turning it into a green desert with rotting plants and little to eat. Driven by hunger, the herd has no choice but to move to higher ground. For the nomadic eland, home is always a step ahead.

Drakensberg: Barrier of Spears premieres Sunday, February 8 at 8pm (check local listings).