A new wildlife series launches

National Geographic's Africa: Earth's Wild Home is a seven-episode documentary series meant to launch a new franchise documenting the wildlife and environmental ecosystems of all seven continents.

Four years of filming across Africa

The series took four years to complete, with filming taking place across nearly thirty different African countries. Each episode focuses on a specific ecosystem from jungle to desert to plains.

Wunmi Mosaku narrates the series

Actor Wunmi Mosaku, known for Sinners, Loki, and Lovecraft Country, narrates the series. Born in Nigeria and raised in England, she said the opportunity to celebrate the continent means so much to her.

“I'll take any opportunity I can to reconnect and celebrate this incredible continent where life is so diverse and so extreme and beautiful and relentless and peaceful.”

Mosaku discovers Africa's surprises

Despite having visited Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, Mosaku said there is so much to see. She was shocked to discover snow and monkeys living in the snow in Africa.

“There's so much to see. I don't think you could even explore it in a lifetime.”

Rare footage of animals in action

The series captured the reclusive black rain frog on film for the first time on television, as a male frog emerges for his first breeding season with a distinctive squeaky soprano mating call.

Chimpanzees use tools to fish

The series features rare live footage of chimpanzees using rudimentary tools, twigs or branches, to fish for algae at the bottom of a pond in a rare example of primate tool use.

A hyena learns to hunt flamingos

A lone male hyena who hasn't eaten for days must figure out how to catch a flamingo to survive. He devises a strategy of herding the flock toward the shore to increase bird density.

Advanced camera technology captures footage

The production team used drones for first-person points of view and a robotic arm preprogrammed for long camera takes, initially developed for studio use and deployed for the first time in the field.

Specialized rigs for difficult shots

An underwater hippo cam featured pan and tilt heads. A remotely operated fixed rig with low-light and infrared capabilities filmed dwarf crocodiles hunting bats in a pitch-black cave, with small umbrellas placed to bat proof the equipment.

Stories reveal human connections

Each episode is broken into mini-narratives, such as a mother cheetah adapting her hunting style to mountainous rocky terrain to catch prey for her hungry cubs, revealing connections to human survival and protection.

“I see that cheetah and I see my mother with her three cubs in terrain where her super powers weren't able to power up.”

Series now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu

Africa: Earth's Wild Home is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. The final episode spotlights local conservation leaders and researchers working to preserve Africa's rich biodiversity for future generations.