Savage Kingdom III: After the Fall

Premieres Sunday 2 June 18:00 on National Geographic Wild

For generations, Kings and Queens have ruled the bountiful Eden of Mombo, but a new age of terror is dawning. Mmamotse, Commander of the hyena army steals the throne. Her rotten army spreads fear, as the lions plot their revenge. Even the untouchable Pula struggles to safeguard her legacy. As rising waters bring warring factions closer together, everyone prepares for battle. When darkness reigns, only the strongest will survive.

Following the success of Savage Kingdom and Savage Kingdom: Uprising, comes the third instalment of this breakout global hit, Savage Kingdom III: After the Fall.

Using innovative techniques that continue to push the boundaries of wildlife storytelling, Savage Kingdom III follows a new clan of characters in Africa’s richest and most dynamic habitat: the Okavango Delta. Along with the familiar blood-curdling battles between leopards, lions, hyenas and wild dogs, we meet new characters like cheetahs, jackals and baboons. They may once have been reviled, pitied, hated or seen as the cruellest of enemies, but in each new episode everything can change. The only law is the law of survival.

Episodic synopses:

 Dawn of Darkness

Led by a ruthless Commander, the rotten clan of hyenas seizes power from the lions. An exiled Queen is hell bent on winning back the throne for the Matahta Pride as she and her savage sisters nurture a young brood. Pula, ruler of the dark heart of the Kingdom, is forced to make a terrible choice between true love and her own future. And an wandering vagrant is lured in by the promise of paradise, only to find herself trapped in a deadly hell.

Reign of Terror

Trapped by the rising flood waters, Dikeledi must teach her wayward cubs the lessons of survival. But this brutal Kingdom is no place for a gentle cheetah family. The rotten clan of hyenas have taken control. There is one foe that will not lie down and tolerate their tyranny – the formidable Makulu Pack. These Wild Dogs have the cunning and experience, but with an ageing leader their strength soon starts to crumble from within and others are waiting to seize their opportunity.

Rise of Exiles

After the murder of one of their own, the Makulu Pack of Wild Dogs looks to a new leader for salvation. The Western Pride is exiled to the fringes the Kingdom as they fight to protect their cubs from enemies on all sides. And as the marauding hyena clan commits the cruelest of acts, their ferocious commander Mmamotse reveals her soft side as she swells her ranks and trains a new army.

 

War Games

Mmamotse’s rule has turned the Kingdom upside down. Her army run rampant, but her legacy now depends on a Princess stepping up to the throne. As the flood waters retreat, Dikeledi readies her cubs for escape, but must risk crossing enemy territory. And a run in with the Matahta Pride brings things into focus for Pula, as she begins training her young assassin. In the Savage Kingdom, the young hold the key to power – the future is theirs for the taking.

 

Fall of The Queen

A mother’s love is tested to its limits when Pula has no choice but leave her young cub alone in the Kingdom. The Matahta and Western Prides vie for supremacy, as their king finally reveals his devious plan. With the Makulu pack training its latest recruits, Kitso prepares to wage war on the hyena’s reign of terror, while hyena queen Mmamotse faces revolt from within her own clan as her spoiled daughter Lasedi stirs up trouble.

Ascendency

After the death of her mother, Motshidi is starving and alone. In a terrifying reunion with her father, she has everything to lose. But in an uncharacteristic act of charity, Blue Eyes takes pity, giving Motshodi a new lease of life. A violent traitor rises in the rotten ranks, challenging the selfish princess and bringing an end to Mmamotse’s rule. The Makulu Pack make one last stand as the battle for supremacy begins, but with the hyenas gone, it’s up to Sega to lead the Matahta Pride to victory.