A circle of life - and death - on the African plains. In this magnificently filmed saga, nature's most misunderstood creatures are revealed as an integral part of Africa's bounty. Vultures and other scavengers recycle the raw elements of life; if not for them, the plains would be an immense graveyard. From the mighty lion to the lowly dung beetle, each creature has a place in Africa's circle of life. High above the tooth-and-claw drama of the Serengeti, nature's undertakers are watching and waiting. Reviled but vital, vultures bide their time until the inevitable feasting opportunity. Any unlucky carcass is dispatched in a matter of minutes by a feeding frenzy that attracts jackals and hyenas along with vultures. Scavenging insects swarm over the remaining bones and horns.