‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ Recap: ‘Africa’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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​The past few weeks have been quite a remarkable time for nature lovers and fans of documentaries that revolve around the wonder of our world. Because the BBC America series, Seven Worlds, One Planet, has done a phenomenal job of showing all of us how much incredible wildlife populates every single corner of the beautiful blue ball we call home, while also teaching us about how our world is changing like never before thanks to mankind’s impact on the planet as a whole. And this has made for some powerful storytelling, the kind that has genuinely moved us for certain. But alas, all good things must eventually come to its end, and the same applies to this documentary since last night’s episode of the show brought us to the final destination on our journey around the globe in stunning fashion.
 
Something that was accomplished by giving the audience an in-depth look at a continent that invokes images of endless herds of beautiful and majestic animals, the instant one hears the name, Africa. And there’s good reason as to why those images pop into our mind, because this is indeed a place that is rich in life. But as this documentary is wont to do, it made a point to teach the audience that life often thrives in places that we either don’t think about or know about and it proved that point by taking us to some incredible places on this continent, such as the rich jungles where chimpanzees go about their day in a fascinating manner. Because in this particular tale, we came to learn that these gentle apes actually take the time to teach their young how to obtain the most nutrient rich foods out there and it was just beautiful to see this process take place.
 
Plus, it was equally as beautiful to see the magnificent bodies of water that formed in the Great Rift Valley and all the life that thrives beneath its surfaces, and it was wonderful to learn how volcanoes have helped to make this a fertile land. And of course, every second we spent in the Serengeti was breathtaking for certain. But this documentary is all about showing us how life finds a way to forge ahead regardless of the odds stacked against it and that’s why the Brown Hyena’s story stands out for certain. For this unique and rare creature lives in the harshest parts of the Namib Desert, and it uses the abandoned structures from an old diamond mine for shelter and travels endless miles through the heat to feed its young, and watching an animal thrive in a place where no man dares wish to tread made for a powerful and stunning experience.
 
As did watching elephants stand upon their hind legs to gather food that is out of reach. Because in no way can that be easy for a being that weighs five tons and yet, it accomplishes that feat. But as it turns out, showing us the struggle that animals on this continent face, was all part of a master plan, storytelling wise. For elephants have learned this behavior because their food is becoming far scarcer, as a direct result of climate change and that’s when this episode shifted gears to remind us one last time of our impact on the world, and this was a sobering lesson indeed. One that was hammered home in epic fashion by introducing us to a pair of Northern White Rhinoceros, who are in fact… the last of their kind. And only two remain because mankind has hunted them to the brink of extinction for their horns and well, learning that there are only two of these majestic creatures left in the entire world is a stark reminder of how much of the world’s fate is within our control.
 
If anything, the powerful image of those two rhinos eating side by side should serve to teach us, that we are not the masters of this planet, we are tenants like every other being on this world. And truly, we need to treat our neighbors with far more respect. Because it isn’t just this particular breed of Rhino that is nearing its end, there are thousands more species that are threatened by our carbon footprint and desire to spread out and if we can cause this much damage in such a short time, imagine what we could do if we dedicated ourselves to preservation and salvation. Either way, this really was an incredible seven-week ride, one that will hopefully stay with all of us for a long time and motivate us to step up and help out, and BBC Earth, BBC and BBC America and all the networks that aired this masterpiece deserve endless praise for assembling this magnificent tale of a genuinely beautiful planet that can stay that way, with a little help from one of its most intelligent inhabitants.     

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