ITV to screen new wildlife shows

ITV is set to make two new wildlife series focusing on Africa.

Both series will be fronted by TV vet Steve Leonard and viewers can expect to see a "diverse range of exotic creatures".

Safari Vet School will track the fortunes of five young vets as they deal with some of Africa's scariest creatures, while Animal Kingdom will see Leonard following wildlife stories from inside the Erindi Game Park in Namibia.

Commenting on the shows, Leonard said it is great to be working in Africa with "beautiful iconic creatures".

"These two projects are both very much hands on allowing me to tap into my veterinary skills and get my hands dirty - and nearly bitten. I'm very pleased to be working with the creative team at ITV who really understand wildlife programme making and who are as enthusiastic about conservation as I am," he added.

In related news, ITV announced last week that it has commissioned two new documentaries on a royal theme.