Zambia in the Spotlight: BBC’s Kingdom Showcases South Luangwa

David Attenborough’s new BBC series Kingdom shines a spotlight on Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park.

This is particularly exciting for us as the series has been filmed nearby where Carmine’s River Lodge will open in June 2026.

We’d like to say thank you to the team behind Kingdom—especially the Zambian Carnivore Programme, whose dedication and field expertise were instrumental in bringing this extraordinary series to life and highlighting this incredible area. Reading the many articles by the BBC about the series, it has been described as one of the most ‘most ambitious wildlife series ever made’.

Filming over five years in the Nsefu sector of the South Luangwa Valley, the BBC Studios Natural History Unit spent “around 1400 days in the field, working alongside local crews and experts” to track the lives of individual animals and create this incredible series.

The Kingdom follows four rival animal families—a lion pride, a wild dog pack, a hyena clan, and a leopard lineage—as they compete for survival in in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park - especially the Nsefu sector.

As the BBC describes, Kingdom is “a story about endurance, control, ever-shifting power dynamics, and perhaps the greatest challenge of all: raising a family in a competitive world.”

We’re especially proud to see Nsefu featured so prominently.

For Carmine’s River Lodge, opening in June 2026, this series is more than a filmmaking achievement—it’s a celebration of a very unique landscape that we cannot wait to share with your guests and to continue supporting Zambia Carnivore Programme’s vital work in conservation, research, and community engagement.

Kingdom airs on BBC One and iPlayer, narrated by Sir David Attenborough. We are looking forward to watching  - and we hope you are too.

Watch the BBC Trailer (all rights credit to the BBC)