Wildest Africa

The Okavango Delta a huge emerald oasis in the burning heat of the Kalahari desert is fed by the Okavango River and this perpetual cycle of wet and dry is the lifeblood of this extraordinary natural Eden

Namibia is an arid, rough land. However, it has been inhabited for thousands of years, by people as well as animals, and shows no sign of losing popularity with either.

Ngorongoro is thought to have formed about 25m years ago from a large volcano whose cone collapsed inward after a major eruption leaving the present vast unbroken crater as its landmark This fertile land is full of wildlife from cunning hyenas and proud lions to vast herds of wildebeest and elephants

The Zambezi is one of Africas most influential rivers Millions of people rely on it and it supports some of the continents most spectacular wildlife The great river matures and changes as it stretches for nearly 3000km carving the landscape it passes But the Zambezis long and winding journey destroys as well as creates

The Nile is the longest river in the world It flows for 6730km from deep in the heart of Africa all the way to the Mediterranean coast Ancient Egypt one of historys most powerful civilizations depended hugely upon it Each year it flooded replenishing the fields with fertile silt This automatic irrigation fuelled the ancient Egyptian economy

The Virunga Mountains are the embodiment of western fantasies about deep dark Africa Located at the very center of the continent this string of volcanoes straddles the western branch of a huge system of cliffbounded valleys known as the Great African Rift Its also home to some of the worlds most iconic animals ndash including the African great apes

Madagascar is truly a weird and wonderful land ndash a playground of evolution that some of the weirdest animals in the world call home Isolated on an island of extreme and magicallooking locations life has adapted and diversified With few predators numbers have proliferated and natural selection has gone mad Madagascar really is an island of monsters

Straddling the equator Mount Kenya soars over 5km into the air It is the secondhighest mountain in Africa At its summit temperatures fluctuate from over 30C when the sun is overhead to below freezing when night falls This film reveals the plants and animals that have evolved to survive in one of the earths most hostile environments

Stretching 1500 miles from the frigid waters of Cape Point to the subtropical seas of Kwazulu Natal Africas Cape Coast is where irresistible forces meet immovable objects Powerful waves have pounded this coastline for over 160m years ndash since Africa was torn from the ancestral landmass of Gondwana This collision of land and sea creates a unique environment where plants flourish

Known for centuries as Africa's Dark Heart, the Congo is a multi-layered, three-dimensional world, seething with innumerable species. By peeling back the layers, we discover how this vast rainforest works, and expose the hidden lives of its inhabitants.

The Sahara is the largest desert in the world ndash covering a third of the entire African continent and one of the hottest driest places on earth According to legend it is a land of terrible thirst an endless empty ocean of sand Yet there is life here Unique creatures adapted to one of the harshest environments on earth nbsp

The largest of Africas Rift valley lakes Lake Turkana stretches 250km south of the border with Ethiopia Turkana is at the heart of one of the harshest landscapes on the planet where temperatures sometimes soar to a blistering 50C and the land is buffeted by relentless hot desert winds Despite this hostile environment man and beast have worked out a way to survive

Landlocked and surrounded by five countries Ethiopia is one of east Africas forgotten lands Passive deserts seethe with fire and cloudpiercing peaks shield a secret Eden of canyons and clifftops teeming with life Ethiopias highland wilderness is a haven for a whole host of specialist hunters who have adapted and perfected unique strategies to survive