Wildlife Icons Season 1

Covering more than 12 million square miles, the savanna is a vast biome that makes up almost half of Africa's surface. But this iconic landscape is also a living, breathing system of diverse plant and animal species. Witness the dynamic forces of nature that control this thriving ecosystem's circle of life.

Meerkats may be small and vulnerable, but they're also tenacious creatures that thrive in the unforgiving Kalahari Desert. From specially adapted eyes that reduce the sun's glare to an industrious ability to construct complex underground tunnels, see how these incredible animals survive in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

As a creature that thrives on waste, the dung beetle is easy to dismiss. But it's actually a key player in the Serengeti's ecosystem, recycling the flow of energy to fuel the lives of every animal on the plains--from the smallest herbivore to the largest predator. Marvel at one of the Serengeti's hardest workers, in all its determined glory.

Covering nearly 8,000 square miles of diverse habitats, South Africa's Kruger National Park is home to an abundance of wildlife, many among them predators. Get a closer look at lions, leopards, and cheetahs--three feline species with different, but equally deadly, hunting techniques that have propelled them to the top of the food chain.

Five of Africa's key species--the lion, rhino, leopard, buffalo, and elephant--thrive thanks to a variety of adaptations. Power in numbers, reliance on the family unit, and battling their way to the top of the hierarchy are just a few ways they excel in the face of nature's challenges.

With few exceptions, impala and springbok almost never live in the same habitat, and yet these herd grazers share a surprising amount of common traits, like broad eating habits and impressive agility. Follow the life cycles of these hardy antelopes across the wilds of southern Africa.

The hamadryas baboons of Ethiopia's Awash National Park are resourceful, resilient, and, in the case of their resident alpha male, strict enforcers of the clan's social hierarchy. Peer into the world of this hardy primate as a troop heads down from their cliff homes to an oasis at the heart of the desert, on a challenging daily forage for food.

The hunting habits of lions and hyenas create a domino effect on the savanna that sustains many animals along the food chain. Learn how tenacious vultures, nocturnal jackals, and even tiny carrion beetles feast once apex predators have had their fill of the kill.