The Guide - DStv Highlights

Animal Planet

December 6, 22:00: Into The Pride

Big cat expert Dave Salmoni travels deep into the African bush on a mission
to return to his wild roots and save a rogue pride of lions from
elimination. Transplanted from the largest national park in Namibia to the
Erindi Private Game Reserve, this pride is known for its aggression towards
people. Dave must help the lions learn to accept humans and support the
growing eco-tourism in the area. If he fails, the pride will be destroyed.
This series will test his toughness, training and focus as he puts
everything on the line including his life and the safety of his TV crew so two species can harmoniously share the land they both depend on for
survival.

BBC Knowledge

December 4, 21:30: Feasts
Festivals

are the one time of the year where families, communities and whole nations
come together to celebrate. But what do these ritual festivals tell us about
people and their cultures? In this globe-trotting three-part series,
intrepid food writer Stefan Gates finds out. Travelling to Japan, India and
Mexico, Stefan follows the build-up to some of the most important religious
and cultural extravaganzas, and joins in the extraordinarily lavish affairs
that can last for days at a time. In India, Stefan takes part in the ten-day
Onam Feast, which culminates in a huge all-day feast called Onasadya, a
13-course meal served on a banana leaf. Stefan also visits Mexico where he
takes part in The Day of the Dead a wildly colourful three-day festival
welcoming the deceased spirits back to Earth. The focus of the festival is
making altars decorated with the best possible food. But this food is not
for human consumption, but to lure the spirits back home. Finally, Stefan
visits Japan where he takes part in the Inazawa Hadaka Matsuri Festival,
which culminates when a massive rice cake is paraded through the town and is
eaten by villagers for good luck.

December 4, 22:30: Science and Islam

Physicist Jim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia and Spain to
tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in
the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries. Its legacy is
tangible, with terms like algebra, algorithm and alkali all being Arabic in
origin, and at the very heart of modern science. There would be no modern
mathematics or physics without algebra, no computers without algorithms, and
no chemistry without alkalis. For Baghdad-born Al-Khalili, this is also a
personal journey, and on his travels he uncovers a diverse and
outward-looking culture, fascinated by learning and obsessed with science.
From the great mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, who did much to establish the
mathematical tradition we now know as algebra, to Ibn Sina, a pioneer of
early medicine whose Canon of Medicine was still in use as recently as the
19th century, Al-Khalili pieces together a remarkable story of the
often-overlooked achievements of the early medieval Islamic scientists.