National Geographic to broadcast ‘live’ game drives from Singita
Nelspruit
Premier South African safari brand Singita Game Reserves will be making international news this week when National Geographic Wild Channel broadcasts twice-daily game drives ‘live’ from Singita Kruger National Park, to 166 countries worldwide.
The programme, called ‘Caught on Safari: Live’, will be presented by John Varty and Andy Coetzee, and will feature morning and afternoon game drives that will be broadcast ‘live’ (on DSTV Channel 261 in South Africa) over a period of seven days (from Sunday 9 November to Saturday 15 November 2008) from 06h00-08h00, and again 17h00-19h00 daily.
The programme will be hosted by UK wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan and will be broadcast on National Geographic Wild, as well as online at www.natgeotv.com. Game rangers and wildlife trackers from Singita, along with veterinarians and ecologists, will also share insight into Africa’s conservation issues, as well as specific initiatives taking place in the Kruger National Park.
The ‘virtual safari’ will cover the length and breadth of the 15 000 hectare (33 000 acres) Singita Kruger National Park concession, situated along South Africa’s border with Mozambique on the far eastern reaches of the Kruger National Park. The concession boasts two award-winning Relais & Chateaux accredited lodges, Singita Lebombo and Singita Sweni, both located at the confluence of the Nwanetsi and Sweni Rivers with the spectacular Lebombo Mountains as backdrop.
Produced by South African wildlife production company Aquavision TV Productions, ‘Caught on Safari: Live’ will capture the internationally renowned Kruger landscape where large prides of lions thrive along with other Big 5 animals (buffalo, leopard, elephant, white and black rhinos), as well as many other species of birds, plants and animals such as the rare sable antelope. In line with Singita’s conservation-friendly approach, all filming techniques employed will be carefully applied to capture animals non-invasively ‘at home’ in their natural environment, presenting armchair travellers with an unrivalled Singita wilderness experience in the comfort of their own homes.
‘Witnessing the bond between mother and cub in the first few moments after birth, is indescribably tender, and is rivalled only by the sheer thrill of following a lion pride on the hunt. Caught on Safari: Live! will enable viewers the immediacy of experiencing encounters like these unfolding on camera, and this is what makes this such an extraordinary and gratifying experience. Our partnership with National Geographic Channels International and Aquavision TV Productions is based on a common approach to the safeguarding of this precious land and the wildlife that we are custodians of, which is the very bedrock on which the Singita philosophy is built. We are proud to be part of this significant occasion in television history.’ says Singita COO, Mark Witney.
Viewers may interact with John Varty by emailing questions and comments to National Geographic, email: questions@ngceurope.com, or visit www.natgeowild.co.uk.
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