The art of being a mother is more complex than any of us could have imagined. Even in the animal kingdom, mothers have a lot to teach us. On May 8, Animal Planet celebrates Mother’s Day by showing that universal truth through several special one-offs starting at 8PM.
Following a well-established pride of lions on the plains of the Serengeti, Queen of the Beasts will attempt to unravel the story of the "King of Beasts" and the role of his queen, the lioness, in pride life. The lion, for all his size and swagger, is revealed as more a consort than a king.
Real power lies with the queen. It is the lionesses who own the territory and provide the ongoing stability for the pride: mothers, daughters, aunts and grandmothers form a close-knit group that looks after all the cubs, and surprisingly, the old and infirm. Queen of the Beasts airs May 8, 8PM on Animal Planet.
In Wildwives of Savannah Lane, mothers are guarantors of the savannah's diversity — picky about their partners, yet in most cases, utterly devoted to their young. Which creatures among these have mastered the ways in which to be the perfect wildwife?
Which of the females on Savannah Lane is the best mother? Lauren the lioness, Victoria the cheetah, Josie the baboon and Esther the elephant are head to head. Tune in to Wildwives of Savannah Lane at 9PM on Animal Planet.
And to cap off Mother’s Day, Animal Planet teams up with the Dallas Zoo to welcome Katie the giraffe's newborn in to the world with Giraffe Birth. Covering every second of this amazing event, this one-off also reveals the baby giraffe's name as chosen by the public. Giraffe Birth airs at 10PM on Animal Planet.
