It was directed by Carroll Ballard and stars Alexander Michaletos in his only film role, Eamonn Walker, Campbell Scott and Hope Davis.

Set in the country of South Africa, the story begins with a cheetah cub being orphaned after his mother was killed by lions.

The cub is found on the side of the road by a young boy named Xan (Alexander Michaeletos) and his father Peter (Campbell Scott).

But with Duma almost fully grown, to Xan's dismay, his father tells him that it is time to take his friend to his real home before he grows too old to survive in his native habitat.

Not knowing where to go, Xan gets an idea—he'll carry out the plan his dad had outlined, taking Duma home in the neighboring country of Botswana, over the scorching Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, through the Okavango Delta and into the Erongo Mountains.

However, when Duma is caught in a trap and Xan is knocked unconscious by a boar, Rip rescues both of them, having escaped the mine through a ventilation shaft.

Soon, they reach the Okavango Delta, where Xan is attacked by the deadly wildlife and the churning rapids of the Thamalakane River, but it's too late for him to turn back now.

Xan, Rip and Duma press through the Okavango, and finally the Erongo Mountains, on the border of Botswana and Namibia are in sight.

Gaylord II, Kristin Harms, Hunt Lowry and John Wells produced the film with the budget of $12 million for release in 2005.

On September 7, 2003, it was announced that Alexander Michaletos, Eamonn Walker, Campbell Scott and Hope Davis joined the film.

[6] One of the five cheetahs that stars in the film resided in Kragga Kamma Game Park in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa until its death in November 2011.

[8] Warner Bros. finally gave Duma an official limited theatrical release in the US after producer John Wells agreed to pay part of the US marketing cost.