Episode 13 Safari 8

This is Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Home to some of the biggest, fastest and deadliest animals on the planet.

CBBC have brought four British and four South African children here

to learn to become rookie game rangers.

Incredible!

For the past four weeks, their mentors,

trails ranger Rudi and guide Frankie,

have been teaching the Safari 8 all the skills needed

to pass the final challenge -

leading two celebrity guests on a safari experience of a lifetime.

Now, it's time to put all their training to the test.

The rookie rangers are halfway through their final challenge

and, with four of the Big Five still to find, can they pull it off?

Last time on Safari 8 -

The final challenge had a star-studded start

-with the arrival of the long-awaited mystery guests.

-Hi, guys.

TV presenter Andy from Blue Peter

and South African celebrity, Bongi.

Manya's tracking team found an array of animals on the game drive.

The giraffe's on the left-hand side, if you look.

But only one of that all-important Big Five.

WHOOPING

And, despite a rather rocky start,

the hospitality team pulled off a magnificent evening back in camp,

entertaining their guests and their judges.

I've never laughed so much in my life!

Today, it's a race against the clock to find the rest of the Big Five.

OK, I'll tell the guests to get their cameras ready.

Rudi and Frankie have to make some tough decisions.

I don't know they did well enough.

Training's done!

And it's time to say goodbye.

Are you going to cry?

LAUGHTER

It's the second and final day of the challenge.

The sun might not be up yet,

but the hospitality team have already brewed up

-a hot breakfast for everyone.

-Good. Everyone sleep OK?

-Yeah.

Have you waken up...

They say the early bird catches the worm

and, with four of the Big Five still to find,

-the Safari 8 better hope it's true.

-Start getting a move on.

Une biere, monsieur. Oh! That's really hot!

It's 5:30 on their final morning.

Manya asked us last night if we could try and be up for 5:30,

because it just makes our chances for finding animals so much bigger.

-Very early morning.

-We don't have a lot of time.

So far, we've only found the elephant.

But the predators, we're going to struggle with,

and they really need to know what they're doing, or they won't succeed.

I will be disappointed if I don't see a lion or a leopard.

-Leopards are hard to find, but at least a lion.

-A lion!

-Even if it's far away!

-But finding it,

that's the problem.

For this final day of the challenge,

head ranger Manya has decided that the team's best chance for success

is to play to their strengths.

Tom was really good with the guests yesterday.

He made them laugh the whole time, so today,

we're going keep Tom with the guests. All right, let's get going!

So, Manya's tracking team, including Caroline and Ashleigh,

will be up front in search of the animals,

followed by Tomas and the guides,

who will be taking care of the guests.

And it's not long before they spot something.

Please don't go, please don't go, stay with me, stay with me!

-CAMERA CLICKS

-Frankie?

-Yeah?

-Is it a steenbok?

-Ja.

Wow. They're cool.

A steenbok is a small type of antelope

that can be found all around Kruger Park.

Oh, wow! The little one looks like a rabbit!

But it's down to mentor Frankie

to explain why this sighting is so special.

You see that youngster?

I would take a picture of that,

that's not something you see very often. That baby...

Probably about an hour old, can't walk properly yet and still wet.

-She must be tired.

-Yes, she'll be really tired.

That was really cool. I'm happy with that, first sighting.

So, the guests seem impressed

and minutes later, the tracking team strike gold again.

WALKIE-TALKIE: Manya to Tomas!

There's two hyenas up here.

Bring your guests in so they can have a nice view of these hyenas.

-Is it on the left or the right?

-WALKIE-TALKIE: The right.

-There's another one on the left.

-OK, thanks for the information.

So big! They're like dogs.

But it's a huge dog!

Look at that size of that bad boy!

The female leads the hyena crew.

Most of the animals you find in the wild,

it's the male, but for hyenas, it's the female.

Noma's really proving her worth as a guide.

But Tomas is determined to show he's more than just a cheeky face.

It's got the strongest jaws of any mammal in Africa.

40% of the time, they scavenge,

60% they make their own kill.

Zulu dancing and impressive facts, is there anything Tomas can't do?

OK, I'm ready to move on.

Come on, let's go!

Manya to Tomas.

Tomas standing by.

Did the guests get a nice spotting of the hyenas?

Andy took good pictures and Bongi enjoyed it as well. Over and out.

-Over and out.

-We're on a roll! We're on a roll!

So, two great sightings in the bag

but, with their Big Five score still stuck at one,

Manya tries a new strategy.

The guests are desperate to see a lion

and, as this big cat loves to be near water, they head towards a dam.

This could be the trackers' last hope

of finding this magnificent predator.

Looks like it's their lucky day!

Manya to Tomas, there's a few lions.

INAUDIBLE TRANSMISSION

Uh, yeah, to the right of us?

Ja, on your right, and there's one sitting

and right behind it, there's one lying down.

It looks like a female from here.

-Yeah, look!

-We can actually see it!

The guests are really happy, can we stop so they can all take photos?

Over and out.

Over and out.

-It's a lion!

-Yeah.

It's a lion.

The other day, we dieted a few lions,

and they taught us how to see a young lion

and how you see it is by the nose.

When it's a newborn, it's a cub or something,

it has a pinkish nose. As it grows,

it comes over black and that's how they can see if it's still young.

Once again, Noma shows her impressive guiding skills.

Noma's knowledge grows by the day. I'm very impressed.

-They're beautiful animals.

-Very much. I'm happy now.

I'm happy! I'm happy!

We're really happy, because the guests both said

that most of all, they want to see lions,

so, it's two of the Big Five done

and we've got them what they really wanted to see

so we're all really happy.

But with leopard, rhino and buffalo still to track,

-there's no time to lose.

-Jackal!

-Just as the trackers are about to move on,

Caroline's spotted something in the distance.

Tomas! Look into the field and there's a jackal.

I can see it, I can see it, I can see it.

Where?

-I can see it there.

-On the tree?

-Yeah.

It's going to come past us now.

Can you see that?

Can you see something walking across the pond?

WALKIE-TALKIE: Jackal, Tomas, walking across the...

Oh! Why is it...?!

I thought you meant it was a zebra!

WALKIE-TALKIE: I said "jackal"!

Roger that.

They normally live in pairs or by themselves

cos they're solitary and nocturnal, so we're lucky today to see them.

While the jumping jackal keeps the guests entertained,

quick-thinking Manya sees an opportunity

to get inside information from a passing ranger.

Have you seen any animals anywhere?

And it's exciting news.

WALKIE-TALKIE: Manya to Tomas,

we're going to move on,

there's a rhino just up the road, about 200 metres up,

so our chances are better of seeing those.

OK, I'll tell the guests to get their cameras ready.

Roger that, over and out.

I think our guests are going to be, like, electric

when they see the rhino,

cos we've seen three of the Big Five, so it's really exciting.

WALKIE-TALKIE: Hey, Tomas, look out for those rhinos.

-Roger that, captain.

-Yesterday,

Sifiso impressed Andy and Bongi with his rhino knowledge.

But this is the first chance he's had

to combine his rhino facts with a rhino in the flesh.

Rhinos are right here on your left.

-Don't say anything through the radio now.

-It's tense.

-It's brilliant!

Proper!

-CAMERA CLICKS

-So close!

So, this is a...

It's a white rhino, you can see the base...

You can see the base of the horn.

It's a bit square.

ALL: Oh, it's square.

And you see the lips are a bit square.

Do they live for many years?

Approximately, they live up to 48 years.

Wow, that's a good life span.

They've got a 16-month gestation...

16-month! Elephant's 22, these are 16!

As you can see, this is the white rhino.

The black one is very aggressive and it's very rare to see a black rhino.

So, for example, a black rhino would have gotten more aggressive

-because we're close to it.

-Yeah, yeah.

Sifiso, once again, flourished.

I really think he's in his element as a guide,

cos he just doesn't stop talking!

He actually talked more yesterday and today

than what he did the whole month that we've been here.

And, you know the horn?

They're made of a substance like our nails.

-Keratin.

-Keratin.

That's why poachers go and poach.

I'm really excited, I'm so happy,

we've spotted three of the Big Five.

There isn't much time left but I think they've had a great experience,

they've seen three of the Big Five.

And it's celebrations all round.

What's that thing you do? What's that thing you, say?

High, low...

High, low,

small, pow!

I think this morning we've seen so many more things so much quicker,

I think it's cos we got up early.

Seeing that rhino close up, for me, was just brilliant.

It's the first time I've seen a rhino out there.

Their information's brilliant. The three children,

Noma, Sifiso and Tomas, they're quite a good team,

because Noma, who's at the back, is a bit of a mum-type figure, isn't she?

She's a fountain of all knowledge.

And Sifo's facts are really quite funny.

He explains it to you in a way you won't forget.

And then Tomas - where do you start with Tomas?

-That boy's a genius.

-He belongs on TV!

The trackers have now found a whole menagerie of animals for the guests,

including three of the Big Five,

and there's every chance they could complete the set.

But on safari, it's not just the animals that are unpredictable.

THUNDER

We've been used to all this really hot weather,

like 40 degrees, and now it's actually really cold.

So, I'm just like this, trying to keep warm.

Head ranger Manya calls an emergency meeting.

Tomas, the weather's quite bad,

so I just need to talk to you guys about a few things.

-Hello, you lot! You all right?

-Hello.

We've had a discussion.

We were planning on taking you guys out on a walk

to look for the rest of the Big Five,

but the weather here is so bad it's quite dangerous,

cos the animals are going to be lying down,

we won't see them easily,

we might stumble onto something.

So, what we're going to do is we're going to go back to the camp

and then, if it clears up, we can go out on a walk,

and if it doesn't, we can stay there and chill around the camp.

-We can think of stuff to do.

-OK.

PUTS ON AMERICAN ACCENT: See you at camp! Bye-bye!

We can keep them entertained around the camp,

maybe do some quiz or something,

just something to pass the time by and keep them having fun.

Still to come -

Rudi and Frankie assess the Safari 8's performance.

Planning lacked on their side.

I think we have to assess them on each and every criterion.

And it's time for goodbyes.

The rain may have put an end to the animal-spotting,

but the team still need to keep their guests entertained.

So, it's safari quiz time.

When you have an answer, go, "Bzzz."

-The first one to go, "Bzzz," gets to answer.

-I'm down with that.

The minute you go, "Bzzz," you've got to answer or, point lost.

Manya's busy doing an animal quiz with our two celebrities.

Because the weather's groggy, it's not good weather for animal viewing.

We've seen three of the Big Five, which is not bad.

Doing a quiz on a day like this shows good characteristics

from the head ranger.

Give me three facts to differentiate between a white rhino...

BOTH: Bzzz!

Who was it, me or him?

It was Bongi.

-Oh!

-Aaah!

Go on, then.

I think the white rhino has got square lips.

-Yeah.

-I remembered.

Then, um, it's got a...

-square horn, there.

-Yes.

-Mmm-mmm!

And the white rhino is calmer than the black rhino.

-Yeah!

-Aaaah!

-Woo!

Wooo!

These animals are commonly seen in the park...

-Bzzz!

-Andy.

-Impala.

-Yes.

All right, so it's like that now, yeah?

What is the percentage of what hyenas scavenge?

-Eee...

-Bzzz!

Andy.

-40%?

-Yes.

Yes! Talk to me!

See? That's retention of information!

What's the average size of a giraffe's tongue?

Bzzz! 40-45cm.

-Yeah.

-Aaaah!

I actually have to give you that.

-Final question!

-Ah! Ah!

-Hold on, I just need to stretch.

-This is the decider!

-What animal has a trunk?

-BOTH: Bzzz!

Zzzzz! Zzzzz! Zzz-zzz-zzz!

-Andy! Andy!

-No! Bzzz-zzz!

-Today!

-I'll just take a moment.

-There is an animal called an elephant...

-Yeah!

And I think that has a trunk. I am the winner!

ANDY LAUGHS

-The final challenge is now over.

-Yeah, you guys both won.

Every single child there shone for me in their own way.

I have to say, if I was like a real guest,

I would pay for this.

This being my first time on a safari, it's been extraordinary,

to the point where I think safaris should organise a kids' guide group,

cos they tell it in their own way and it's quite entertaining.

-Cheers, guys.

-You guys have learnt a lot.

-Your knowledge has been superb.

-Thank you very much.

-I've loved it.

So, it's full marks from the guests,

but with only three of the Big Five ticked off the list,

it's now down to mentors Rudi and Frankie

to decide whether the group have passed or failed

their ranger training.

We'll start with Manya, he was the leader.

Manya, I thought, did really well. His leadership skills shone through.

There were some places where he slipped up,

especially on the walk, he didn't keep the girls in line.

We need to be quiet in the bush. So, why are you guys talking?

-Ashleigh.

-Knowledge-wise, as a guide,

I think she was miles ahead of any other person.

Second day,

she fell into the background, she faded away.

-Kushal.

-Ay, Kushal, Kushal, Kushal.

If you look how he's grown from day one...

It's all in a bundle!

..he calmed down a lot. I can see a lot of leadership skills in him.

I think Ella... She started off, you know, bubbly,

-you can see the passion is there.

-Definitely.

BOTH: Sifiso!

What can you say? Legendary.

He just had the whole audience captivated.

We got him out of his shell and he flourished on that afterwards.

Caroline.

-She didn't keep quiet on the vehicle, that's for sure.

-Can she?

No. She will do quite well.

She's got the passion, she's got the heart.

-Then, we've got Mr Tomas.

-Ha, Tomas!

-What can you say about Tomas?

-Camp setup,

he was panicking a bit. But overall,

I think Tomas is probably the one that, in the final challenge,

did the best.

He danced and made jokes

and this morning on the vehicle,

the guests didn't stop laughing the whole time.

Absolute hoot.

-Noma.

-The first day of the challenge, when she stayed in camp,

I heard from Tomas that she helped a lot in the camp.

-I take my hat off to that.

-She's an amazing person.

I see a lot of good things for her in the future.

That's the assessments but, um, the team as a whole, I think...

I think they did well, to an extent.

I think Andy and Bongi will go back with smiles on their faces.

I think we succeeded on that.

Erm, I don't know.

First day of the challenge,

they had a whole day, only found one of the Big Five.

Erm, it really put pressure on them.

I think the planning lacked a bit on their side.

I think we have to assess them on each and every criterion.

Shall we going to put pen to paper and reveal later how it went?

-Yep, let's do that.

-Good.

So, this is it.

After four tough weeks of ranger training

and two days of giving their all to their guests,

the Safari 8 have gathered at Tinga Lodge

ready for Rudi and Frankie to reveal the results of the final challenge.

After all their hard work,

-have the Safari 8 pulled it off?

-Right!

Rookie rangers, training's done!

-ALL: Aw!

-Woo-hoo!

LAUGHTER

We had fun. We had our ups but we also had our downs.

There was quite a few criteria that we judged you on,

for instance, tracking,

knowledge of the animals, hospitality,

and also, to find the Big Five,

which is probably the most difficult thing to do.

It gives me great pleasure to announce

that all of you have passed your rookie ranger training,

-You really did very well.

-We are really impressed

and really proud of you.

So, they've passed their final test.

As a reward, Rudi and Frankie have some personal awards for the team.

The award that goes to the most enthusiastic person of the lot -

Ella.

From day one, Ella's boundless and infectious energy

has touched everyone in the group, including Frankie and Rudi.

A giraffe, a giraffe!

Who's giving the first milk?

-You? Come on.

-That first day at the elephant sanctuary,

Ella... Her face lit up and that's one of things I'll never forget.

When we had to shoot that rhino with the broken leg,

Ella walked away and started crying. Even though we don't show it,

deep down, we're also crying.

That was probably one of the most moving moments.

It was a wild bull

and it's right here, look!

Woo-hoo!

SHE GIGGLES

It's been the most phenomenal time of my life,

thank you very, very much.

Some guide books, a certificate and a small memento.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

SHE SIGHS

Next up, the most positive person amongst you.

And that goes to...

Sifiso.

I was really pleased, getting the most positive person in the group.

Who can forget Sifiso's winning smile?

Ragh! Can't wait!

I'm happy that she's happy.

I wanted to cry but at the same time I didn't want to show my tears.

It was like I was flying in the air.

Sifiso was really good as captain. His goal was fantastic.

CHEERING

I'm a ranger, I don't get scared very easily.

-GROWLING

-Hey!

Africa, yeah! That's so nice.

I'll remember you all the time.

You taught me so much. I had fun, I enjoyed being with you guys.

I thank you.

Right.

Best performance.

That goes to Caroline.

Since she arrived in Kruger,

Caroline has given the challenge her all.

OK, people, this is the buffalo.

-Who can tell me what tortoise this is?

-A leopard-shell tortoise.

Yes! Excellent!

-(Big mouth.)

-It's got a big mouth.

And the black one's got a...

-(Small mouth.)

-..small mouth.

OK. Caroline's a clever girl.

I don't like bugs.

SHE GASPS She's just a grasshopper!

Ew!

This is a different make-up than what I'd usually wear.

It's a wee bit more full.

TRIBAL CHANTING

I would give anything to work with animals

as close as I am now when I'm older, it would be a dream come true.

It has been the best time of my life.

That I will miss very much!

It's an emotional moment for Caroline.

I'll miss youse a lot and I'm never going to forget Africa or youse.

And just...thanks!

I just... I can't stop!

Next one.

Best team player.

Noma.

Noma's dignity and fairness have always been inspirational.

Everything's just perfect.

She's so cute!

-Say, "Och aye the noo."

-Ok aye noo-noo.

In the bush, I would probably place my trust into Noma

-because I know she would look after me.

-Thank you, Noma.

SPEAKS HER NATIVE LANGUAGE

Eeee!

SPEAKS HER NATIVE LANGUAGE

TRIBAL CHANTING

SPEAKS HER NATIVE LANGUAGE

What?!

THEY GIGGLE

It's very boring without you. We miss you dearly.

-Oi!

-Eugh!

I've loved every single bit of it.

Thank you, Frankie, and thank you, Rudi.

This time has been so amazing for myself and the whole team.

When I go home, I'll tell my friends and family

about the two grumpy old men in front of me who taught us so much

and I'll never forget you my whole life. Thank you.

Next one.

Most improved.

Kushal.

Kushal has come a long way in the last four weeks.

At the start, I was mouthy and gobby

-and really angry and stuff.

-Silly thing!

-If I don't like it, I'm chucking it!

-Don't chuck it!

I think I've simmered down and just improved as a better person.

I feel privileged to be doing this cos not many people get to.

Whoa! Wicked, man! I'm doing that when I'm older! I don't care!

Bazam! It's been fantastic.

Thanks for everything and words can't explain how much fun I've had.

It's been fantastic. Thank you for everything, guys, thanks.

APPLAUSE

-Well done, mate.

-Thanks, Tom!

The next award goes for the most knowledge.

Ashleigh.

Super-smart Ashleigh was a fountain of animal facts.

Well done.

-Wow. Yay!

-Your knowledge is incredible.

-Ashleigh, have you got an answer?

-A dugga boy.

-That is the correct answer.

-Yeah!

Ha! My arm!

You're such a bad patient!

I'm going to demonstrate... You can see now why the hippo would float.

-Aaaah!

-Stop screaming!

-SHE LAUGHS

-I think it's an elephant

because the toenails are stuck on the side of the foot.

You are actually spot on there.

When they get really hot, they flap their ears

and they cool their whole body circulation down.

I don't think there'll be screaming.

THEY SCREAM

Ahhh! Yeah!

Stop! Aaaah!

A lot of my friends have been to Kruger and been like,

"Yeah, we saw a leopard," or "We saw whatever,"

it's like, pssh! We didn't see a leopard, we saw the whole of Kruger!

It's really been amazing.

Just being here and you guys teaching us...

Are you going to cry?

No.

It's been absolutely fantastic.

Well done, Ashleigh.

There we go.

Then, special award.

Best entertainer.

Mr Tomas!

Well, who else?

I make Rudi and Frankie laugh.

Come on!

Yeah, baby!

-Oh, it's warm!

-Yeah. Warm and mushy.

-Yeah.

HE RETCHES

Yeah!

It's lovely!

I'd just like to say,

thanks for this amazing opportunity

and telling us about the animals and other things.

-You're really fun to have around.

-Cheers, Tomas.

Tomas, well done, eh.

Last but not least,

the best leader goes to Manya.

Always cool, calm and collected,

Manya led the team to pass their final challenge.

Good afternoon. I will be your tour guide for today.

I love leading, I love being in charge.

That was really fun.

Well done, Manya! Well done, man.

Yeah!

For the first time, I think we feel like we are becoming rangers.

Guys, it's been probably one of the best months of my life.

Thank you for the experience

and for being such great mentors.

Thank you very much.

We're really going to miss you guys.

And hopefully, one day,

you'll come back to the Kruger,

when you're old and married and you'll come and look for grandfather

and his sidekick and then, er,

-come visit us.

-Really grumpy old men, then!

THEY LAUGH

So, it's the end of an unforgettable journey

and, as hard as it is, it's time to say goodbye.

-Bye!

-See ya!

-Bye!

Four weeks ago, these eight kids had never even met.

ALL: Safari 8!

But their safari adventure has changed their lives forever.

As a team, they've shared amazing experiences

most people can only dream of.

And, although their journey has only taken a month,

the memories will last a lifetime.

ALL: One, two, three, Safari 8!

LAUGHTER

Life is good on safari!

HE NEIGHS

SCREAMING

SCREAMING

WHOOPING

THEY MAKE CAR NOISES

-LAUGHTER

-Tastes, actually, quite nice.

ALL: Safari 8! Woo!