Secret Life of the Safari Park (Channel 4)
Introducing a new series from the creators of The Supervet and The Secret Life of the Zoo, Secret Life of the Safari Park comes to Channel 4.
Narrated by actress Maxine Peake, Secret Life of the Safari Park is filmed on location at Knowsley Safari Park at the UK’s longest safari drive and a haven for hundreds of exotic animals from around the globe.
Annually, over 500,000 visitors have intimate encounters with some of the planet’s most endangered species. This series delves into the lives of these fascinating creatures and the dedicated staff who look after them, enriched with captivating visitor dashcam footage.
Episode 1
The opening episode unveils a unique perspective on the lives of Knowsley’s lion pride, led by the impressive alpha male, Sam. At twelve, Sam diligently oversees his group, which includes four females and his ageing second-in-command, Uncle Ted. In another part of the safari, a Congo buffalo named No Horns is expecting, yet faces challenges as Knowsley’s rhinos disturb her peace.
Meanwhile, the safari’s 200-strong baboon troop, known for their mischief with visitor vehicles, includes seven-year-old Kevin, who is making his mark, particularly on a Mini Cooper’s wing mirrors. Lastly, we explore Knowsley’s historic deer population, where a young buck named Cosmo finds himself entangled in a wire dilemma.
Episode 2
Knowsley’s two Amur tigers, Miron and Sinda, need to mate. Amurs are an endangered subspecies, with only around 500 left in the wild, but previous attempted matings between the two have not gone well.
Jemima, a nilgai antelope, is having a baby. But could it be twins and does she have time for two? In a fight for supremacy in the Knowsley wolf pack, young Maya is losing, but the keepers have a plan. The 200-strong baboon troop fight a lot and illness is a weakness. Twiggy needs antibiotics but the other baboons can’t be allowed to see, or they might attack
Episode 3
At Knowsley, in the African Savannah setting, the eland antelopes usually give birth during the warm dry season. However, Purple, an eland, is showing signs of recent birth amidst the cold autumn in Merseyside, prompting a search for her newborn across the 30-acre site. Meanwhile, Ted the lion, struggling with old age and arthritis, requires a full health check under anaesthesia, a risky procedure that could disrupt the pride’s social structure.
The Safari, home to five Bactrian camels, hasn’t seen a newborn in five years. Marvin and Merlin, two camels from Yorkshire, arrive in hopes of changing this. Additionally, Marian the baboon’s excessive grooming of her son Friar Tuck has left him nearly hairless, leaving keeper Becky to consider intervention.
Secret Life of the Safari Park airs on Channel 4 on Thursday at 8:00PM.
