Wild At Heart

Saturday, 04 October 2008
7.30pm

All is quiet at Leopard's Den as Sarah (Amanda Holden), Evan (Luke Ward-Wilkinson) and Olivia (Rafaella Hutchinson) gather at the hospital. Danny (Stephen Tompkinson) has been given the all clear to go home. But Du Plessis (Deon Stewardson) is still unconscious and seriously ill. Caroline (Hayley Mills) keeps a tender vigil at his bedside.

Wracked with guilt, Sarah has to convince Danny the mauling wasn't his fault. She needs Danny back at Leopard's Den for their first game capture. He thinks they should cancel but Sarah tells him Du Plessis would want it to go ahead. They're selling their first ever stock to Fatani (Thapelo Mokoena) and it's a proud moment for them all. Danny reluctantly agrees and Sarah takes him home. Rosie (Lucy-Jo Hudson) is delighted to see her Dad and asks Fatani for time off to help.

Saturday, 27 September 2008
7.30pm

Du Plessis (Deon Stewardson) is in a foul mood. It's his 60th birthday and he has no intentions of celebrating it. But the Trevanions have other ideas and Caroline (Hayley Mills) is organising a surprise party. Du Plessis isn't just grumpy about getting older. He's been having chest pains and hiding it from the rest of the family.

Danny occupies Du Plessis by getting him to do an ultrasound on a lioness to see if she's pregnant. It's not good news - the lioness hasn't conceived and Danny suspects the problem lies with the old male lion Hobie. His solution is to ask Fatani (Thapelo Mokoena) if they can borrow a younger more virile lion to get their lioness pregnant.

Saturday, 20 September 2008
7.30pm

Danny (Stephen Tompkinson) is undertaking a drugs trial at Leopard's Den. But de-worming wildebeest isn't Caroline's (Hayley Mills) idea of fun. She hates animals and finds the whole business mind-numbingly boring. Despite her best efforts Caroline only succeeds in getting in the way, and after a huge row with Danny announces she's leaving.

But distraction arrives when a light aircraft crash-lands at Leopard's Den. Caroline takes a shine to its only occupant, smooth-talking Gerald (David Warner). She's soon playing ‘Florence Nightingale’ and while Sarah's (Amanda Holden) relieved it's given her mum something to do, Du Plessis (Deon Stewardson) just seethes in envy.

Saturday, 13 September 2008
7.30pm

Business is looking up at Leopard's Den but Sarah (Amanda Holden) is feeling agitated. Caroline (Hayley Mills) thinks it's because Simon (Vincent Regan), Sarah's ex husband and Evan (Luke Ward-Wilkinson) and Olivia's (Rafaella Hutchinson) Dad, is arriving from England to get married. But Sarah has other things on her mind. She's two weeks late and thinks she might be pregnant. Danny (Stephen Tompkinson) is delighted and urges Sarah to take a pregnancy test.

Simon arrives with fiancée Gloria (Lucy Liemann) and Evan and Olivia are thrilled. Caroline always had a soft spot for Simon and plans to throw him a lavish wedding by the water-hole. Du Plessis (Deon Stewardson) thinks she's mad - it's where the hippo takes her water, first sign of trouble and the wedding guests will be trampled on. As usual, Caroline chooses to ignore him.

Saturday, 06 September 2008
7.30pm

Childhood star, Hayley Mills becomes a regular cast member playing Sarah's (Amanda Holden) estranged mother, Caroline.

Sarah gets a bit of a shock when her mother Caroline arrives at Leopard's Den - but it is not exactly an open arm welcome. Caroline and Sarah have never seen eye to eye and old resentments soon bubble to the surface. Evan (Luke Ward-Wilkinson) and Olivia (Rafaella Hutchinson) aren't too impressed with their granny either. In fact, Du Plessis (Deon Stewardson) is the only one who seems delighted at their glamorous new addition.

Saturday, 30 August
7.30pm

Everyone's excited at the prospect of Leopard's Den's new arrival, Bash (Tony Haygarth), Danny's (Stephen Tompkinson) old tutor coming from England to help grow the veterinary practice. Everyone that is, except Du Plessis (Deon Stewardson) - who reckons the last thing they need in Africa is another Englishman.

When a sick cheetah starts attacking goats in the local village, Bash is chucked in at the deep end. He diagnoses a large abscess and thinks they should put the cheetah down - without its bite it won't survive in the wild. But Danny's keen to save it and insists they operate. It's no surprise to Bash that Danny hasn't lost his puppy-hugging ways.

Saturday, 23 August 2008
7.30pm

Sarah's (Amanda Holden) absence couldn't have come at a worse time for Leopard's Den. Nature Conservation is carrying out their annual inspection and everything has to be tip top. Danny (Stephen Tompkinson) is determined they pass with flying colours and everyone is roped in to help. Rosie (Lucy-Jo Hudson) has already put a feather in their cap by successfully pairing orphaned elephant Togo with a surrogate mother. Danny is very proud and the family head to Max's (Martinus Van Der Berg) bar to celebrate.

Saturday, 16 August
7.30pm

Leopard's Den is looking after a sick and orphaned baby elephant called Togo. However, despite Evan (Luke Ward-Wilkinson) and Du Plessis's (Deon Stewardson) constant vigil, Togo is dying from a broken heart.

But when a young man called Kirk (Wayne Van Rooven) arrives claiming to be Du Plessis's son, Togo is soon forgotten. Du Plessis is shocked and at first refuses to believe a word Kirk says. Sarah (Amanda Holden) and Danny (Stephen Tompkinson) are suspicious too - is Kirk really who he says he is? When Kirk presents Du Plessis with photographic proof, he's forced to admit he had an affair when he was in the army. It seems there's some truth in what Kirk is saying after all.

Saturday, 09 August
7.30pm

It's the grand re-opening of Mara and a British wildlife charity is using the event to release a vulture back into the wild. Fatani (Thapelo Mokoena), the new, young and ambitious manager of Mara has hired Danny (Stephen Tompkinson) as the vet to oversee the release. Sarah (Amanda Holden) is delighted when he also asks if Leopard's Den can help accommodate the guests. It's a real coup for the Trevanions - they're desperate for the cash and the publicity is sure to help fill their empty beds and keep the bailiffs away.

The charity entourage arrive. Among them; spokesperson Tessa Roebuck (Samantha Janus), life long patron of the charity, glamorous but fading TV star Dora Aitken (Edith MacArthur) and her long suffering husband Bill (Geoffrey Hutchings), and the star attraction Vinnie the vulture.

Saturday, 02 August
7.30pm

The Trevanions have been living at Leopard's Den for over a year. The wildlife is roaming freely and the family are settled into the African way of life. Business however, is not good. With an abundance of game lodges competition is fierce and Sarah's struggling to find guests.

Meanwhile Danny (Stephen Tompkinson) is trying to grow his veterinary practice. But fixing the legs of old goats for free isn't helping to pay the bills. And his village work only takes him away from the farm where Sarah (Amanda Holden) desperately needs his help.

Meanwhile, a neighbouring game lodge owner pays Sarah a visit. He's closed his farm and sold his wildlife but discovered a leopard has been left behind. He knows Danny has a reputation for strays and thought Leopard's Den the perfect home. Olivia (Rafaella Hutchinson) and Evan (Luke Ward-Wilkinson) are delighted and against Sarah's better judgement she decides to take the leopard in.

Saturday, 26 July
7.30pm

Danny is concerned that ivory poachers may be in the area and when he finds one of his zebras has been killed, he and Du Plessis stake out the grazing area. They find more dead animals, but these were not killed by poachers. Tests reveal anthrax is the cause and Danny is forced to quarantine Leopard's Den.

Rosie's best friend Izzy arrives, but soon after the two friends have a falling out when Izzy criticises Rosie's new life and friends. Some wise words from Du Plessis repairs the friendship.

Olivia is distraught when Miranda gets sick and disappears. Olivia is convinced the lion cub has gone off to die.

Sarah becomes gravely ill and the family anxiously wait to see if she has contracted anthrax or if it's an allergic reaction to the vaccine.

Stars Stephen Tompkinson, Amanda Holden, Luke Ward-Wilkinson, Rafaella Hutchinson, Lucy-Jo Hudson and Deon Steardson.

Saturday, 19 July
7.30pm

Things are going from bad to worse at Leopard's Den when they run out of diesel, the generator breaks down and there's no water. To make matters worse, Sarah is forced to ask Tate for help when the first paying guests, the Chapmans, arrive two weeks early. Rosie realises it's her mistake - she agreed they could bring their booking forward - so Sarah swings into action to resolve the situation.

A string of unfortunate misunderstandings at the rival Mara reserve convinces Rosie that Sarah is having an affair with Tate. Danny is appalled when Rosie tells him of her suspicions and suggests it might be best if she leaves.

A rampaging group of rogue male elephants are damaging the land, so Danny introduces an older female elephant to keep them in line.

Saturday, 12 July
7.30pm

After misbehaving and a series of rows with Danny, Evan runs away, taking Olivia with him.

Sarah is left alone to search for the children while Danny and Du Plessis are out looking for a half-drugged lioness.

While tracking the animal, Danny and Du Plessis's truck crashes, putting the warden in need of an emergency operation in the bush.

Frantic with worry, Sarah goes to Tate for help, while Rosie, believing she's to blame for Evan and Olivia's disappearance, conducts her own search with Themba.

After being rescued by Tate, Danny goes looking for Evan and Olivia. He finds them, frozen with terror as they are being stalked by the lioness.

Stars Stephen Tompkinson, Amanda Holden, Luke Ward-Wilkinson, Rafaella Hutchinson, Lucy-Jo Hudson and Deon Steardson.

Saturday, 05 July
7.30pm

A successful giraffe capture means everyone at Leopard's Den is in high spirits, until the arrival of an unwanted visitor.

The arrival of Evan and Olivia's father, Simon, throws the Trevanion family into turmoil. Simon is determined to take his kids back to England with him and is prepared to fight through the courts to get custody.

Sarah is furious - he wasn't thinking of his family when he left her for his secretary, Ruby.

Rosie can't hide her delight at the prospect of going home and Danny is deeply disappointed by her selfishness.
In the meantime, Rosie starts a new job at Themba's bar, but is placed in danger when a drunken fight breaks out. Gallantly, Tate comes to her rescue.

Saturday, 28 June
7.30pm

Danny Trevanion is having second thoughts about the wisdom of uprooting his new family and ploughing all their money into a business venture that they know next to nothing about. Rosie is especially adamant - she thinks he'd be mad to sign the contract that would bind them to Andre Du Plessis and South Africa.

Meanwhile, Evan and Du Plessis are driving to town for supplies when a cheetah runs in front of their car and Du Plessis is unable to stop in time. Du Plessis is about to put the wounded animal out of its misery but Evan intervenes, certain that Danny can save it. Danny reluctantly leaves Sarah and the girls to finish the fencing by themselves to tend to the 'cat' that Du Plessis hit. He's astonished to find the 'cat' is actually a fully grown, furious cheetah that seems intent on destroying their living room.