The latest in compulsory viewing for wildlife enthusiasts and David Attenborough fans is the BBC's new Mammals series. Episode one premiered on Sunday 31st of March 2024, focussing on those mammals that call the dark their home. The following five episodes focus on 'The New Wild', 'Water', 'Cold', 'Heat' and 'Forest'.
In this blog post we will detail where you can see some of the personalities that are featured in the BBC's Mammals in such glorious detail.
Episode 1 - Leopard - South Luangwa, Zambia
The ultimate night-time ambush hunter, the leopard's nocturnal hunting preferences can make it an elusive animal to try and find during a safari. However, visiting a national park with some of the highest density of leopards in Africa certainly increases your chances - the South Luangwa in Zambia fits that description.
Accessed in just over an hour, most commonly from Zambia's capital, Lusaka, it is a highly seasonal park. While some camps are open throughout the year, to have the best chance of leopard sightings and also the choice of camps, it is best to visit during the dry season (April to October).
One of the reasons it is such a prolific park for seeing this spotty predator is because it is possible to search at night by torchlight. There is nothing quite like picking up a leopard in the beam of a red spotlight and joining the animal on its stealthy business as it searches along the riverbank and forest groves for potential victims.
We'd recommend pairing a stay in the South Luangwa with the Lower Zambezi for more safari action or heading across the border to Malawi to enjoy some R&R on the beach of Lake Malawi.
Episode 1 - Hyena - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
The hyenas of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania are legendary and hard to miss, often found lounging on the road and reluctant to move when approached by an oncoming safari vehicle, but it is not just their gregariousness that makes them so interesting.
In the Crater, they live in large clans of up to 70 individuals, overwhelming prey normally too large for a hyena by their sheer numbers, as documented in the BBC's Mammals documentary. Although they are well known as nature's scavengers hyenas in the crater primarily hunt for their food.
The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most well-known safari destinations in all of Africa and it is normally visited as part of a larger exploration of northern Tanzania, including its compatriots Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara and the Serengeti. Always wanting to do things a little different here at Faran, why not combine the Ngorongoro with the much less-visited southern parks of Tanzania, such as Ruaha or Nyerere. Ruaha is featured in our Romantic Ruaha and Perfect Pemba itinerary. Go even more off-the-beaten-track by including a multi-day walking trail tracing the footsteps of mankind through the Rift Valley and Lake Natron.
Bonus hyena destination - Liuwa Plain National Park, Zambia
Image credit to Time+Tide
While you are unlikely to be disappointed by the wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater it is one of the busiest national parks in all of Africa and therefore the quantity of vehicles can be hard to ignore. To see huge hyena clans in a wild, raw and remote environment, head to Liuwa Plain National Park in western Zambia. Hyena's are the dominate predator in this stark national park which is also home to the second largest wildebeest migration in Africa. The park has very few places to stay and you will see very few visitors, but for those who make the effort during the dry season (May to October) an exclusive safari experience as good as anywhere in Africa awaits.
Episode 1 - Damaraland mole-rat - Damaraland, Namibia
All of the animals from the BBC's Mammals series you are quite unlikely to actually see this subterranean eusocial mammal, but you just might be lucky enough to see their characteristic spoil heaps. Damaraland mole-rats are distributed throughout Southern Africa but they prefer red Kalahari sandy soils rich with the tubers, corms and bulbs from which they can feed.
Their namesake area of Damaraland is a rugged area in central-northern Namibia and along with Damaraland mole-rats, you can find desert-adapted elephants, black rhino and even desert lions. It is easy to visit as part of a self-drive trip around Namibia or a fly-in safari and there is a range of accommodation types from remote campsites to luxury lodges.
Our top tip is to spend longer than just the two or three nights included in most itineraries. In particular, try to include a stay in northern Damaraland, around Palmwag. The further north you go, the wilder it gets.
Bonus mole-rat - Grant's Golden Mole, NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia
Video credit to &Beyond
Grant's golden mole lives in the sand dunes of Namibia, much further south of Damaraland, roughly between Walvis Bay and the Orange River. Rather than living in burrows, like the Damaraland mole-rat above, it 'swims' through the surface of the dunes using its limbs and muzzle. How marvellous! It primarily travels at night searching for insects, spiders and lizards and buries itself in the soft sand to escape the heat of the day.
While actually seeing a Grant's golden mole is extremely tricky, your best chance is by staying in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, one of the largest private nature reserves in all of Southern Africa. Choose Sossusvlei Desert Lodge or Kwessi Dunes for a stay on the lux side of life or the two-night Tok Tokkie walking trail for something a bit more wild.
Episode 1 - Bat colonies - Kasanka National Park, Zambia
Image credit to Robin Pope Safaris
The BBC's Mammals documentary features the fishing bulldog bat off the coast of Trinidad, as well as 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats departing from Richards Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin. While 1.5 million is impressive, how about 10 million straw-coloured fruit bats darkening the sky in every direction in central Zambia?
It is the the largest mammal migration in the world. Between October and December each year the bats converge on an evergreen swamp forest in Kasanka National Park, filled with fruit, berries and flowers, lining the trees like a thick icing. It is a truly special wildlife spectacle.
Although it is one of the smallest national parks in Zambia, Kasanka is also home to nearly 500 species of bird and 114 mammals, including a recovering population of elephants. The usually shy swamp-dwelling sitatunga is also a common sight.
While you are in this part of Zambia it is worth combining a visit to Kasanka National Park with the nearby Bangweulu Wetlands to try and track down shoebills and endemic black lechwe.
Episode 2 - Elephants - Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Episode 2 of the BBC's Mammals is all about 'The New Wild', where human activity and animal populations overlap. In some instances animals, particularly mammals, have shown to be extremely adaptable and resilient when faced with a drastically changing environment, however in some circumstances it can also lead to conflict and even tragedy for both humans and animals.
Elephants can pose a particular challenge and extreme danger when they come into contact with humans and as habitation encroaches further and further into their habitat the problem is only increasing.
Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is no stranger to wildlife moving through the city, as the bustling population of 110,000 is surrounded by national parks containing dense wildlife populations and some of the largest elephant populations left in Africa. The chacma baboons of Victoria Falls are also famous having been the feature of their own television series - 'Gangs of Baboon Falls'.
With some of the best safari areas on the planet on its doorstep Victoria Falls tends to be a destination for adrenaline junkies and those chasing waterfalls rather than for those searching for wildlife. Whatever your motivation one of our favourite hotels in the city is the ever reliable Ilala Lodge. It is a fairly large hotel within easy reach of the famous waterfall (just a 5-10 minute walk to the entrance), it is good value, has a range of room types, lovely ground and great food.
For those looking for something a bit more safari-like and to escape the flight path of sightseeing helicopters almost constantly buzzing overhead Victoria Falls town then Mpala Jena some 21km west of town and 16km inside Zambezi National Park is a great option.
Episode 2 - Wolves - Tuscany, Italy
Image credit to Oasyhotel
What springs to mine when you think of Tuscany? Perhaps charming hilltop towns, verdant valley, vineyards, classical art and a gastronomic experience like no other... probably not the chance to see an apex predator such as a wolf.
However, populations have significantly increased across Europe in the last couple of decades. The 1000 hectare WWF Dynamo Oasis Nature Reserve in northern Tuscany, just an hour from Florence or Pisa, provides a home for the Apennine or Italian wolf along with other forest mammals and birds.
Stay at the cosy new Oasyhotel deep within the reserve and while, like anywhere, wolf sightings are tricky camera traps can provide a glimpse into their lives, as well as hearing their iconic howls at night. In this beautiful protected reserve along with the wolves head out to search for red deer, wild boar, red squirrels, foxes and hares. Keep an eye on the skies as golden eagles, short toed snake eagles, goshawks and honey buzzards are all also found here.
Image credit to Oasyhotel
Episode 2 - Hippos - Katavi National Park, Tanzania
In the depths of western Tanzania is one of the most raw and rugged safari experiences available on the continent. The costs and logistics of getting to Katavi are prohibitive to many thus this vast park, which is bigger than most British counties at 4,500km², has only a few camps. You can drive for days without encountering any other visitors, instead bumping into some of the biggest herds of buffalo in Africa and the lion prides that track them.
A dry season park at its best between June and November, when the two plains of Chada and Katasunga, that dominate the park, fill with zebra, topi, impala, hartebeest and more giraffe than we have seen anywhere else in Africa. To see the scenes documented in the BBC's Mammals, of hundreds of hippos vying for position and space in ever drying pools, you will need to wait until late in the season, around October.
In making the effort to come this far west, go a little further and combine a stay in Katavi with the Mahale Mountains National Park on the shores of the incredible Lake Tanganyika. Enjoy beach-like, jungle lodges to trek with habituated chimpanzees, to explore the coast by kayak and swim in a mile-deep of water.
Episode 2 - Cheetah - Masai Mara, Kenya
Perhaps the most shocking part of the episode was the footage of hunting cheetah being followed and harassed by tens of safari vehicles, resulting in the fastest land animal on the planet eventually deciding to abandon their hard won prize. Unfortunately in some parts of Africa, particularly in parts of the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya there is little control of vehicle numbers or on the conduct of guides around animal sightings.
Surrounding the National Reserve are the Maasai Mara Conservancies, which are a collaboration between the Maasai people and safari operators to the benefit of both parties. The number of camps and the visitors numbers are much more strictly controlled compared to the National Reserve.
Take, for example, the Naboisho Conservancy which contains some of our favourite Mara camps and where only six vehicles are allowed at a sighting and the guides must adhere to staying 20 metres away from animals.
As per our Responsible Travel policy we will always choose the less-visited areas, both to the benefit of the environment and animals as well as the visitor experience. The high traffic areas of the National Reserve are not areas we would recommend to our travellers.
Episode 3 - Sperm Whales - Andenes, Norway
Episode three starts with dramatic footage of a sperm whale lumbering into the view of a deep-water submersible. The deep-water behaviour of sperm whales in the pursuit of their giant squid quarry has rarely been seen or documented and the thought of this air-breathing mammal diving to more than a mile deep and hunting squid through the pitch-black depth is just incredible.
In northern norway sits the little fishing town of Andenes, accessed via one of the most scenic flights in the world in just over half an hour from Tromso. As well as its sleepy fishing town charm and dramatic scenery it is one of the best places in the world to see sperm whales, because of the deep-water trench that is close enough to shore for daily boat safaris in search of the cetaceans in the area. The area is so productive the one whale safari operator in the area boasts a 95-99% success rate!
Episode 3 - Macaques - Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa
The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa and its resident troop of toque macaques has been well-documented over the years, having been featured in documentaries by the BBC
and Disney. The 'Temple Troop' is also the subject of the longest ongoing study of primates in the world, with a 42 year history.
It is easy to combine a trip to Polonnaruwa with a visit to the nearby ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya, which is one of the Sri-Lanka's most famous sites. You then might like to continue your wildlife adventure in national parks such as Gal Oya, Wilpattu or Yala, however the latter does have a reuptation for not only a high density of leopards but also of other visitors.
Episode 3 - Dolphins - Saint Helena
While the programme features dolphins hunting in Florida, there are many places around the world good to spotting dolphins. We'd like to highlight one of the more unusual locations. Saint Helena is a tiny dot of an island in the middle of the ocean between Africa and South America, it is hard to reach - only 1 or 2 flights depart per week from South Africa, depending on the time of year, but for guests who make it this far, a unique community awaits as well as incredible wildlife.
You'll find three species of dolphins here: pantrolpcial spotted, bottlenose and rough-toothed and it is the former you are most likely to see in large shoals of up 300 individuals. Dolphins can be seen from high vantage points on or even better head out on a dolphin watching boat trip.
In terms of other marine mega-fauna to keep an eye out for while you on Saint Helena, the best time for whale sharks is between January and April and humpback whales June to November.
Episode 3 - Sea lions - Galapagos
Image credit to Pikaia Lodge
The Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador are one of the most unique wildlife destinations on the planet and it is well known for its unique wildlife that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Visiting the Galapagos is commonly done on a liveaboard boat and for keen divers this is probably the best option. The boats come in a range of styles from those with relatviely budget cabins to ultra lux suites. As they are mobile there is the flexibility to move between different dive sites around the islands. However, for those wanting a more traditional luxury safari experience Pikaia Lodge, a luxury, eco lodge built on the cone of an extinct volcano is the best option. Choose to revel in the luxury of the lodge, explore remote beaches, or discover by sea on the 145ft private luxury yacht.
Episode 3 - Sperm whale birth - Azores
While trying to see the birth of any animal is tricky, sperm whales prefer to give birth in latitudes of less than 40°, therefore, the Azores is a good location if you do want to try and see groups of sperm whales with their newest members of the family.
The Azores is made up of nine islands and each island has its own distinct charm, from the vibrant hydrangea-lined roads of Faial to the geothermal wonders of São Miguel. Along with the marine diveristy, the experience on land is just as stunning with dramatic mountains, waterfalls and coastlines to explore.
The culinary offering should also not be underestimated with tea-tasting, gin-tasting (The Gin Library has Europe's largest collection of gin!), cooking classes and a host of fine dining establishments to choose from.
As well as visiting to see sperm whales the Azores is perfect for anyone who wants to experience a raw and untouched envinorment with ease and comfort.
More to come...
This blog will be updated as the episodes are aired. Watch this space!
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