The great wildernesses of Africa are as diverse as they are breathtaking. From the red dunes of the Kalahari to the reefs of the Indian Ocean, each habitat makes specific, and often harsh, demands on the species it supports. Never to be defeated, these animals have adapted over time to survive, each in its own resourceful way.

FIT FOR THE WILD highlights thirteen of Africa's most fascinating natural habitats and the creatures that thrive there. Filmed throughout southern and eastern Africa, each episode focuses on one of the continent's complex ecosystems, its inhabitants, and the modern day threats to both land and animals. Seen through the eyes of one primary species, episodes build an overall view of the habitat and the complex web of relationships that sustain it.

A reef is an incredible living organism. To survive and flourish, water conditions have to be perfect, only then can tiny coral polyps form thriving colonies. Algae attach themselves to the corals and reef fish soon follow to feed on both and make their home in every crack and crevice. This profusion of life soon attracts an inevitable visitor: the sharks.

Fluctuation between fresh- and salt-water, alternating immersion and exposure, temperature extremes and powerful currents make for extremely demanding conditions in southern Africa's coastal estuaries. Nonetheless, fish, birds and reptiles thrive here and each year female loggerhead and leatherback turtles travel hundreds of miles to return to their traditional nesting sites.

For long periods, even years on end, the salt pans of Africa are barren and lifeless. When the rains finally come, water sweeps over the salt-encrusted clay, creating vast inland seas just a few inches deep. Thousands of kilometers away, massive flocks of flamingos sense that the drought is breaking and set course for the flood plain. For permanent residents like the brown hyena, the rain and the migratory visitors that come with it herald a season of abundance.

The only true desert in southern Africa is the most hostile and unforgiving of them all. No other African wildlife exhibits as much resourcefulness and flexibility as the desert elephants of the Namib, known to trek up to 400 kilometres for a precious drink of water.