Plot Synopsis

AFRICA'S WILD HAVENS explores the trees of the African savannas, which give predators and herbivores the tools to stay alive in some of the harshest environments on Earth. Each 60-minute episode highlights a different tree, including:

Sausage Tree: They provide shade in blistering heat, shelter to animals in desperate need, and feasts when the rest of the region has dried up. Each winter in Zambia, Africa, the dry season saps the land of moisture and sets off a battle for survival. Hippos and crocs guard the shrinking Luangwa River. Lions and leopards plot their attacks on migrating beasts in order to feed their cubs. Standing tall like a beacon of brilliant green in this bleak landscape stands something that defies nature's rhythms: a sausage tree. It's a miracle of Zambia that bears sweet gifts of large fruits and crimson flowers that sustain these wild residents until the unforgiving season ends.

Camelthorn Tree: It stands tall in the semi-arid desert of the Kalahari, giving its inhabitants much-needed shade during summer days, large pods when food is scarce, and a foundation for one of the most remarkable constructions built by a colony of birds. It's the camelthorn, one of only a handful of large trees that can take root in the Kalahari's deficient soil. Discover the evolutionary secrets that allow it to tower as a master of survival in the vast expanses of these African plains, where living is an often unthinkable challenge.