We join the first of our resident families, the Banded Brothers. Their search for breakfast ends in tragedy as the troop is savagely attacked by Makeda, the leopard of Jao. Without a leader and their home no longer safe, the Banded Brothers begin an epic adventure in the search for a new home.

The large spotted Genet lives a solitary life. Always the nosy neighbour, Sefu spies on all the secrets and stories that unfold in the Woods. Out of the protection of the trees, Sefu heads down to the water's edge to wash down his meal, unaware of Mansa, the resident crocodile lying in wait.

At the fringes of the Wild Woods, Maia and the Banded Brothers awake in rather unfamiliar surroundings. Unconcerned with cleaning their new home, Ringo seizes the chance to sneak out, dragging his reluctant cousin, Adanna along for the ride. Excitedly, Ringo and Adanna wander deeper into the unknown, naive to the dangers that lurk in the Wild Woods.

Maia leads the Banded Brothers to a clearing in the Wild Woods where an enormous banquet awaits. After teaching her son, Ringo a lesson in French cuisine, the troop suffer an aerial attack. Sefu leaves his treetop home in the search for food but gets more than he bargained for when he's ambushed by the female stalker once again.

As night falls on the island, the Quills awaken to a broken home. Dube has still not returned and Mbali and his young son are beginning to lose hope. Leaving the resident otter to sleep, Kima sneaks out to the waterways and heads back to her old riverside home, unaware the 'Okavango Strangler' awaits her return.

With their safety jeopardized by the recent arrival of Skaal, the resident python and the dry season soon approaching the two resident otters, Kobe and Kima make a difficult decision, they must leave the shores of Jao.