National Geographic Wild’s Big Cat Month Celebrates Local Filmmakers
National Geographic Wild’s 11th annual Big Cat Month takes place this February with a month of programming dedicated to the fiercest felines, creatures of magnificent strength, ferocity and beauty. With visually impressive and powerful stories from around the world, from lions, tigers, cheetahs and leopards to the most unknown and forgotten such as the serval, the African wildcat or the caracal, viewers can look forward to the fiercest programming on their screens every Saturday and Sunday throughout February from 18:00 (CAT).
This year, the spotlight will be placed on world-renowned local filmmakers Dereck and Beverley Joubert, with a celebration of their prolific and impactful work, including brand-new films. The multiple Emmy-award winning Joubert’s have made more than 35 films for National Geographic, published 12 books, half a dozen scientific papers, and have written multiple articles for the National Geographic Magazine.
On Sunday 5 February at 18:00 (CAT), National Geographic Wild (Dstv 182, Starsat 221) kicks off Big Cat Month with Relentless Enemies, that chronicles an epic story of how buffalo and lions survive and adapt to each other. A buffalo herd of over 1 200 is forced to move through three lion territories while being confined by the flood waters on a small island in the Okavango. As the buffalo strategize their advancements, the lions react to every move they make, all captured through the Joubert’s lens from their home base in Botswana.
Dereck and Beverly Joubert have made dozens of big cat films for National Geographic over nearly 40 years, but never one on cheetahs and there really is no other big cat on the planet like them. They are the most fragile cats both physically and in numbers, with less than 7 000 remaining on Earth. The première of The Way of the Cheetah, (Sunday 6 February at 18:00) follows Immani, a sleek female with four new cubs who must navigate the vast plains of the Mara ecosystem. But living here is also a coalition of five males, and to save her cubs, Immani must avoid them. The film goes under the cover of darkness with thermal cameras, and the Joubert’s capture the lush colours of Africa. However, when it comes to the hunting scenes, these shape shifting cats appear from nowhere in a blur, captured in ultra-high speed motion and the battles turn epic.
In Big Cat Odyssey (Revealed), premièring on Sunday 6 February at 18:45 (CAT), Dereck and Beverly Joubert dive deeper into the issues that surround big cats, specifically African lions and leopards. What struggles do these iconic big cats face? How have these lions and leopards survived and adapted over the decades? The Joubert’s lead viewers on a journey through the lives of big cats and their most iconic moments.
The Big Cat content continues throughout the month with various premieres, culminating in War of the Lions on Sunday 27 February at 18:45. From Savannahs bursting with game to deserts with not a drop to drink, all lion kingdoms are not created equal… so who is the REAL king of the beasts?
“Big Cat Month continues to be an exciting annual television event, and certainly a firm fan-favourite. This year we are delighted to honour prolific local filmmakers Beverly and Dereck Joubert, whose lifetime of impactful and thought-provoking documentaries have brought viewers a greater appreciation for Africa’s big cats,” says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa. “Families can look forward to a month of fascinating, premiere, in-depth programming that reveals astounding new insights into these remarkable creatures, as well as highlighting the threats they face and the urgent action needed to conserve and protect our big cats for future generations” she added.
Big cats are facing big challenges. Many populations face potential extinction due to habitat loss, degradation and conflicts with humans. In response, The National Geographic Society, with its long history of raising awareness of the plight of big cats and supporting impactful conservation efforts across the planet, has partnered with the Big Cats Initiative. This initiative, founded by the Joubert’s, works with some of the world’s leading big cat experts, funding on-the-ground research and innovative conservation projects to safeguard big cats and their critical habitats, while leading efforts to shine a light on the challenges these species face.
Click here to learn more about the Big Cats Initiative and how you can help safeguard big cats in the wild.
