We are excited to broadcast 30 episodes of Serengeti Safari shows from 01 May 2020.
About the Serengeti Show
The Serengeti Show Live is a Wildlife show based in Tanzania – focused on the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Each show will document a variety of iconic African animals and their natural behavior seen on the daily game drive. The show will brighten your day by introducing you to wild adventures, animal conflicts, defending territory, family bonds and the circle of life & death. Unique scenes from the Serengeti National Park, some emotional journeys and what takes place behind the scenes.
About the Production
The Serengeti Show Live is hosted by conservationist and wildlife guide, Carel Verhoef. He takes the videography team on a daily game drive through the vast expanse of the Serengeti to bring you the best wildlife sightings of the day and iconic African animals in their natural environment.
Each stand-alone episode has a narrative taking the viewer on a wildlife journey, teaching the viewer more about the natural world and a behind the scenes look at life in the bush.
The look and feel of the show are of beautiful spaces and therapeutic nature. It features wild animal interactions, and is designed to educate and inspire our viewers.
Our Story
The Serengeti Show Live was created during Covid-19 lockdown to help bring tourism back to the Serengeti National Park and Tanzania when travel restrictions imposed by the coronavirus are lifted. Our mission is to entertain all wildlife and safari lovers who are stuck at home, by bringing unbelievable high-quality wildlife videos to the world.
What to expect from each episode of Serengeti Show Live
WILDLIFE SIGHTING OF THE DAY
Our experienced wildlife guide, Carel Verhoef, will take you on game drives through the vast wilderness of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. You can’t script the animals or the sightings, but we can capture how Carel tracks and finds the animals. You will learn how to view the animals and their behaviour responsibly without disturbing them in their natural habitat.
MIGRATION UPDATE
We are using Great Migration Camps mobile camp to follow the great migration and move around the National Park. This allows us to update you on the movement and location of the wildebeest herds. You will experience the Great Migration of the wildebeest as if you are in the car with us. We’ll bring you views through a long camera lens to get up close and personal to the wildebeest.
KIDS’ CORNER
Fun, interactive, educational show for kids. In this section we will teach kids about wildlife, habitats and the environment. They’ll learn about basic camping skills, some cooking lessons and valuable life skills. Following each episode, there will be fun safari questions and activities on the Serengeti Show Live page – keeping the kids entertained and educated and we hope creating a generation of naturalists and conservationists to care for our planet.
CAMP LIFE
Our team is privileged to be stuck in the bush during the covid-19 pandemic where lockdown, self-isolating and social distancing has become a global normality. Every yin has a yang. Life in camp comes with some challenges so we take you behind the scenes for camp life insights from the crew. Watch this segment in every episode for interesting facts, stories and news from life in a bush camp.
WIN A SAFARI
At the end of the Serengeti Show Live series, there will be a quiz challenge for the kids who stand the chance to win a safari for a family of 4. Subscribe to the You Tube channel to watch all the shows as there are clues in every episode and only correct entries will be considered for the grand prize.
Serengeti Show Live Characters
Carel Verhoef grew up in the bush in the Kruger National Park. Conservation and wildlife have been his lifelong passion. He has been guiding safaris in the Serengeti National Park and researching the great migration for the past 20 years and is considered one of the best in the industry. Carel takes the videography team on game drives through the vast expanse of the Serengeti to bring you the best wildlife sightings of the day. His entertaining and educational commentary comes from his wealth of wildlife knowledge and bush survival skills.
Sally Grierson has been involved in tourism in Africa for more than 15 years. For the past 4 years she has been running family safaris in the heart of Serengeti National Park. Sally is our camp mama and also known as Dr Sally from her physiotherapy background. She is the one who will run our wildlife show for kids with funny facts about African wildlife, survival in the bush and amazing interactive activities for kids of all ages. She will interact with the little ones in every episode of Serengeti Show Live. Follow Serengeti Show Live Instagram page for fun kids activities to be completed to stand a chance to win a safari for their family after coronavirus lockdown.
Lucy is a 52-year-old British vintage Land Rover who is taking on the challenge of conducting Safari Game Drives for more than 2 months during the rainy season in Serengeti. Lucy is light enough not to get stuck but needs lots of T.L.C (tender loving care) when it comes to working parts. #WillLucyMakeIt? What do you think? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and support Lucy by posting inspirational comments. She needs your support to make this adventure a success! Our old lady Lucy has drinking habits that need to be supported. Support NOW.
Ninja is a Japanese Toyota Landcruiser who is the work horse here in the bush. He takes the Serengeti Show Live team on unbelievable Safari Game Drives, through tough terrain to deliver the show to your screens. Ninja has the heart and strength of a lion and is always there to support Lucy. Who do you prefer more? Lucy or Ninja? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and support your favourite 4x4. They need your support to make this adventure a success!
Brendan Allen is a South African who travels around the world as a sound engineer for the film industry. He is passionate about wildlife videography and photography. Due to covid-19 lockdown and travel bans, his next film project was cancelled and he found himself stuck in Tanzania. Ironically, “thanks” to covid-19 lockdown, Brendan’s dream to produce a wildlife show is coming true. You will not see Brendan;on the Serengeti Show Live. He’s the guy behind the camera or hiding in the production tent editing the show to deliver world quality wildlife content and sounds to all nature lovers.
Life for Zebadia began as a farm boy in Moshi, on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and his first job was Kilimanjaro Porter. Young, strong, smart and fit, Zebadia has always had an affinity for the bush and wildlife. He studied Wildlife Management at Sila College in Arusha but his hunger for knowledge meant he wanted to learn everything about guiding and management. He learnt about electricity and plumbing and cars and guest relations. He learnt to drive and now manages Great Migration Camps and works as a safari driver guide. He manages us all with his hard work, ready smile, easy attitude and diplomatic peace-keeping. Zebadia is our Kiswahili teacher in life and in the show and reminds us to use sunscreen on our pink noses.
Hailing from Karatu at the edge of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Alex is 21 but an experienced chef as he comes from a family of chefs. His Father and older brother are both chefs so he was born cooking and proudly says his mother eats his food. He trained formally at the YMCA hotel management college. He worked at a lodge in Karatu and has been a chef for adventure company Ahsante Tours on multi-day cycle tours and treks on Kilimanjaro. He prefers the bush to the high altitude cold of Kilimanjaro and loves his camp kitchen rather than a mountain tent. Alex will share some tips on cooking in the wild in the Lifestyle section of the Serengeti Show Live.
Born and raised in Moshi, Mashine trained to be a vehicle mechanic and was working at a lodge on the Ngorongoro Crater Rim, fixing safari cars when Carel was towed in with a broken Land Rover. Mashine worked through the night to help fix Carel’s vehicle and only wanted a replacement No 13 spanner in return for his work. Not long thereafter the two set off as safari partners – Mashine teaching Carel about cars, Tanzanian culture and how to speak Kiswahili. Carel taught Mashine English and wildlife guiding and the two brothers from different mothers have been a formidable team since 2003. Mashine IS a machine – the best in the business! He is that guy you want on your team if trouble appears, or you have a car named Lucy.
Support the Serengeti Show Live project
We are a team of volunteers who initiated the show concept and set up the production of the Serengeti Show Live at our own expense out of our passion for wildlife and conservation.
Tourism in the Serengeti has vanished, and as Serengeti Watch reported, that’s a big problem. Income is needed for anti-poaching patrols, park staff, and hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the economy. As soon as it’s safe, it’s vital that travellers return to the Serengeti. And here’s a first step toward that day – video broadcasts from the Serengeti to people around the world.
We have self-funded the first 3 episodes.We need financial support to stay in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority for a few months to continue filming and delivering the Serengeti Show Live to you. The production value is over $215,000 per month.
What is the funding needed for?
All-purpose costs
In order to survive and bring the show to you, we need diesel and fuel for the Ninja and Lucy to find the wildlife and additional travel for any food and beverage resupply. We pay for fresh water supply and delivery.
Park fees
Tanzania Tourism Board, Tanzania National Parks and Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority have covered our park fees worth of US$76 000. We would love to pay it back to support the parks and get anti-poaching patrols and park staff back to full-time work.