Would you be able to stand 50 metres from some of the world’s most exotic animals? On Discovery World HD’s BIG 5 CHALLENGE, premiering Wednesday, November 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, international contestants from around the globe including Canada, Brazil, Netherlands, U.K., Sri Lanka and South Africa, compete to track, locate and photograph Africa’s “Big 5”: lion, buffalo, rhino, elephant and the elusive leopard. Against the epic back drop of the African skyline, BIG 5 CHALLENGE sees three competitive duos battle it out in this unique quest to find not only the “Big 5” but also stake their claim as the best wildlife photographer.
Near the world famous Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, join contestants and host, Saami Sabiti, as they take part in an extraordinary mission in the heart of the Zimbabwean bush. After splitting into three teams, the competition gets under way with much excitement from the amateur photographers. Throughout the six-part series, the contestants experience the brutal reality of life and death in the wild, including the rare sight of three lions killing a baby elephant.
Each team has six days to spot the “Big 5” earning additional points for spotting wildlife and completing “bonus tasks.” The “Big 5” animals only qualify if the contestants stay within 50 metres on foot for 10 minutes and capture a digital photograph of the animal. The team with the highest total of points wins a 10-day safari at two of the finest safari lodges in Africa, Chikwenya lodge and Singita Pamushana lodge in Zimbabwe.
Highlights from the first episodes of BIG 5 CHALLENGE include:
BIG 5 CHALLEGE – “Introduction Day”
Wednesday, November 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Arriving at Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, each of the six contestants are paired off into three teams by host Saami Sabiti and introduced to their allocated professional game guides (who are only there for protection). The three teams then take a brief crash course – by wildlife analysts Gary Douglas and Jono Francis – on the behaviours, danger factors and habitat features of the “Big 5” animals, including the art of tasting elephant dung!
BIG 5 CHALLEGE – “Elephant Day”
Wednesday, November 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
At dawn, host Saami Sabiti briefs the contestants and issues the challenge of tracking and locating a bull elephant with tusks measuring a minimum of 80 centimetres. Problems arise when one team finds an elephant whose tusks are not long enough to qualify, and another team are charged at by their tracked giant. The contestants choose their best elephant photograph to present to the judges.
BIG 5 CHALLEGE – “Rhino Day”
Wednesday, November 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Host Saami Sabiti delivers the rhino mission for the day and the three teams eagerly depart. Team Laughing Leopards secretly doubles back to the lodge in search of the “Small 5” bonus animals and rest, while team Lankazil spot a lion pride in the Mbiza area. Team Musango are lucky to come across a pride of lions on a recent elephant kill but are later deceived when they believe they have spotted a bonus hyena.
