Much has changed in the year since the fire which engulfed Leopard’s Den.
After the tragedy, which claimed the life of Sarah Trevanion, the animal hospital has been rebuilt and is now up and running.
It’s a big day for all the family as the widowed Danny, who has been fighting for custody of his stepson Evan, will learn the judge’s final decision. This leaves his daughter Rosie feeling torn as today is her much anticipated interview for vet school.
Sarah’s mother Caroline is now in the UK with Evan’s sister Olivia and has sent her sister, Georgina, to keep an eye on things in her absence. But Georgina is getting on everyone’s nerves, describing Leopard’s Den as “a scruffy little game reserve with a kitchen that Noah rejected”, and Du Plessis is particularly annoyed that she’s locked the drinks cabinet!
Fatani arrives from Mara, the neighbouring reserve, wanting a favour from Leopard’s Den - he needs to throw his domineering mother Cebile a party. Though Georgina immediately says no, Du Plessis and Nomsa realise that this is exactly the way to get her off their backs, and Du Plessis heads off to Mara to tell Fatani they will throw the party after all.
The once affluent Mara is being sold off to asset strippers led by the abrasive Sean, and a worried Fatani tells Du Plessis that the animals are suffering. Sean is rounding up them up with no thought for the eco-system which means the lions have been allowed to go hungry. Du Plessis sneaks off to investigate and is shocked to find a lone baby elephant. Sean accuses Du Plessis of trespassing and warns him off with his gun. Du Plessis realises that things are looking really bad for the animals at Mara.
At Rosie’s interview, the professor is very tough on her, only serving to highlight the gaps she has in her medical knowledge. Even with her fiancé Max on hand to support her, Rosie thinks she’s blown it.
Meanwhile, at Evan’s custody trial, the judge has bad news for him and his step-father, deciding that the teenager must return to the UK the next day, a decision which leaves the whole family devastated.
Georgina is annoyed that Du Plessis agreed to Fatani’s party behind her back but she’s galvanised into action when Du Plessis bets her 500 rand that she can’t do it.
At Mara, the hungry lions have turned on the mother elephant, who is exhausted from protecting her calf. Danny, Rosie, Evan and Du Plessis have to use fire to scare off the lions, before Danny sends Du Plessis to distract Sean and his men while they drive the injured mother and her baby onto Leopard’s Den land.
Danny admits the mother elephant might not survive the night, and is further upset when his stepson tells him he’d rather spend his last night camping in the bush with Du Plessis; it is clear Evan blames Danny for not doing enough to keep him in Africa. Rosie realises how deeply hurt her father is, and when Max surprises her with the news that she has attained her vet school place, she decides to turn it down, arguing that her father needs her at Leopard’s Den.
As Evan packs for his departure from South Africa, Du Plessis prompts Danny into making a drastic decision.
