Wild At Heart

A year has passed since the fire that engulfed Leopard's Den destroyed the animal hospital and left Danny a widower. Now, the vet faces further upheaval as the court decides whether he can maintain custody of stepson Evan. Elsewhere, Rosie attends an interview for vet school and Du Plessis is forced to take the law into his own hands to save a lone baby elephant

Danny and Evan find a sick hippo while on the run and risk being discovered in their bid to save it. Rosie meets Vanessa, the glamorous new owner of Mara who needs help with a lioness, and her only option is to act illegally to treat the animal. Georgina offers a delighted Fatani a job and De Lange agrees to fund Leopard's Den

Vanessa fears for the animals at Mara during a rabies outbreak at the National Park. Danny is asked to bring it under control, but during the quarantine operation he clashes with feisty vet Alice, who has been sent to help him. Evan is thrown a party to celebrate his return to Leopard's Den and Rosie is surprised when elephant calf Tula warms to Charlotte.

Rosie and Max finally get married, but when she is injured by an elephant, a doctor has to give the newlyweds terrible news. Du Plessis is devastated when Caroline decides to stay in England - and Georgina makes enemies when she reveals she encouraged her sister not to return. Fatani declares his love to Vanessa, but realises she has feelings for Danny, while Alice has a risky solution for saving the elephant calf

Du Plessis notices a rift developing between Rosie and Max after their honeymoon and decides to help them settle their differences. A farmer captures an endangered and vicious wild dog, but when the expert called in to locate the pack turns out to be Alice's former partner, she is torn between giving their relationship another chance and staying at Leopard's Den with Danny.

The Leopard's Den residents are devastated when Du Plessis reveals he is moving to England to be with Caroline - especially Danny when he realises his friend's flight leaves the following day. Fatani buys a lion that will not come out of its cage, and when Rosie investigates she discovers a shocking case of negligence by the previous owner, so vows to do whatever is necessary to save the man's other animals

Du Plessis is hailed as South Africa's answer to Crocodile Dundee as guests arrive at Leopard's Den to watch him in action. However, publicity is the last thing the family wants when pet cheetah Jana runs away from a stunt and has an accident. Meanwhile, a man claiming ownership of a lion demands Danny hand it over - or he will report Jana's injuries to the authorities

The residents visit an auction to buy a giraffe after their own is killed by lions, but when Danny and Alice argue over a suitable replacement, he is led into the arms of Vanessa. Meanwhile, an approaching storm means the family has to release some of the animals for safety reasons - but when it hits, Charlotte and Danny come off worst.

In the aftermath of the storm, Rowan takes charge of the situation as the residents try to free Charlotte from beneath the rubble and rescue Danny, who has been left behind by Alice in her desperate search for help. Vanessa and Rowan use a helicopter to eventually spot him lying unconscious in the Bush and take him home. The next morning, Alice decides to pack her bags and leave, but a kiss from Danny might prompt a change of heart

Danny and Alice try to keep their new romance a secret, but have more pressing concerns when she is attacked by a lioness - one of several animals on the loose after the storm. Relations between Leopard's Den and Mara reach breaking point when Vanessa refuses to supply drugs to help dying elephant calf Tula, while Du Plessis is delighted when Caroline arrives at the party.