“He) said ‘We couldn’t because we didn’t want
to interfere with nature or that scene.’ And he
was sobbing,” Fuller remembered. “That’s the
difference in this show. That’s the difference.”
One of the animals that stole Nyong’o’s heart
in the series is Bakari the baboon, who ends
up caring for a baby among the clan when
calamity strikes.
“It’s kind of the springboard for his entire arc in
the series, but what I love about Bakari is the
learning curve he goes on,” she said. “It’s really,
really, really touching to witness his journey,
that’s my favorite.”
She also learned more about hyenas, an animal
she has long feared.
“It’s not that I’m no longer afraid of hyenas, but I
appreciate what they do,” she said.
The series has already aired in the United
Kingdom; there, it was narrated by John Boyega,
who was born in Britain to Nigerian parents.
Nyong’o says she traded notes with her friend
and “Star Wars” co-star about the project.
“We were both excited because we got to be
the voice that we heard so often, that European
voice that we heard so often talking about our
continent,” she said.
Too often, the natural resources in Africa are
perceived not to be for the people who live
there, Nyong’o said.
“Even in Kenya, I was very lucky to have parents
that exposed me to the national parks, but
there is a feeling that the nature we have is for
people other than ourselves,” she said. “I think
it is important that we as Africans embrace our
nature. and enjoy it.”