andybiggs

I was asked recently what are the essential wildlife or nature documentary films that one should own if you are an Africaphile or safariphile. I had a difficult time coming up with a list for him.

Question: What DVDs should one own, even if unavailable in the USA?

I will kick it off with some of my own:

Relentless Enemies

Big Cat Diary (anything you can get your hands on)

nyama

- Serengeti Symphony, by Hugo van Lawick. This is a real symphony.

- Beauty & The Beasts: A Leopard's Story, by Richard Goss. The original 83 min version from SA. Best leopard feature.

- Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas, by Dereck Joubert & Joubert. Because of THAT slow motion sequence.

- Serengeti Shall Not Die, by Michael & Bernhard Grzimek. The classic of all.

- any 35mm film by Tim Liversedge

nyama

Dereck Joubert & Joubert = Dereck & Beverly Joubert
(sorry Beverly, I deleted the wrong word)

HariS

Andy,

Here's some that come to mind

Films by the Jouberts ....

a.) Lions of darkness (my personal favourite amongst the Joubert films)
b.) Ultimate enemies
c.) Relentless enemies
d.) Eternal enemies
e.) Zebrasatterns in the grass (about the horror of hunting them)

Others ....

Cheetah: Cats in crisis
Wild dogs: Biting back
Cheetah: Race for survival
The savage season (about survival in dry season - Botswana)

BBC wildlife specials : episode for leopard (filmed in the luangwa valley) - I love this one!

Planet earth: DVD Set (Not all Africa, ofcourse......)

Big cat challenge (filmed on location in Mala Mala-about how each predator finds a way to survive)

IMAX: Serengeti

The Lion's Share ( About the Moru pride in the Serengeti)

Walking with Lions (Filmed in the Zambezi valley, Zimbabwe)

The Hyena Queen

Will add more, should something come to mind.

Hari

HariS

sorry about the smiley ... should read, "Patterns in the grass"

HariS

Although, probably not available on dvd ...... i like "Mad Mike and Mark" season one. Spencer is on one of the episodes!

nyama

Some more, but I wouldn't call them 'essential'...

For friends of smaller mammals:

- Snake Killers: Honey Badgers of the Kalahari, by David & Carol Hughes. Excellent.

- Valley of the Golden Baboon, by Peter & Stefania Lamberti. Nice feature about baboons in South Luangwa.

For birders:

- The Fascinating World of Birding, Vol 1-6, by Ken Oake. All you need to know about the birds of Botswana.

I also like this one:

- Last Feast of the Crocodiles, by David & Carol Hughes. Fights for survival at a waterhole in Kruger.

nyama

Here's another one for the essential list:

- Wild Africa, by Patrick Morris. BBC's 6-DVD set about Africa's different eco-systems.

bearable

Any film by Hugo Van Lawick.