Big Cats 24/7 (2024) s01e01 Episode Script

1
She clearly knows the deal.
I've seen her with impala underneath
her tree several times.
We've yet to have thatthat
full execution.
If she makes a mistake,
she gets hurt badly.
Animals that get hurt out here
don't survive very long.
She's going.
The Okavango Delta, in Botswana
..one of Africa's last wildernesses.
The Okavango Delta isit's
an oasis in the desert.
It's a miracle in itself.
And it's a stronghold
for Africa's big cats
..lion
..cheetah
..and leopard.
This is nature at
its absolute finest.
Now, for the very first time,
a team of local
and international wildlife
film-makers
is working together to record
the cats' lives
like never before.
Using the latest technology
We're going to be able to see things
in a completely different light
and tell stories in a completely
different way.
..they'll follow individual
big cats
ROARING
..for six months, through the day
This is crazy. This is a battle!
..and the night
This is a military-grade thermal
imaging camera.
Lions have got amazing night-vision,
but it's not as good as this.
..capturing their behaviour
He's got the cub. He's got the cub.
..24 hours a day.
Welcome to the Okavango Delta.
It gets crazy.
LION ROARS
CUB CRIES
My heart is pumping already.
The Big Cats Team is working in an
area covering 150 square miles.
At its heart is a remote
film camp
..built by wildlife film-maker
Brad Bestelink.
I've grown up in Okavango
and been part of it my whole life.
Here, wildlife cinematographers
from both the UK
How are you doing?
Are you all rigged?
This is great. Yeah.
..and Botswana
OK, so you can put it there
while filming. Yeah.
..are preparing to film
the lives of the resident big cats.
One, two. One, two, three, four.
The team is getting ready to go.
The area they're living
and working in
is home to one of the largest prides
of lions in Africa.
That's a great start.
ENGINE STARTS
It's the dry season.
Just slowly by slowly building up
a picture of
this whole area.
Rea for Vianet, any update?
I've got them right now.
We're just in grassland,
and plenty of prey right around us.
The challenge for the lions
is that they have many hungry mouths
to feed.
This is the Xudum Pride.
This isn't the whole pride.
The pride itself numbers over 20.
LIONS GROWL
It's the one of the largest prides
in the Okavango.
Headed up by these two big guys -
Big Toe
..and Madumo.
At the bottom end of this family,
you've got these cubs.
CUBS CHIRP
Cubs of different sizes to
different females.
It's quite a complicated
family group
and it's our mission to get to know
every single member of this family.
From the smallest, like that one,
to the biggest,
like him.
As impressive as these big
males are
LION YAWNS
..it's the Xudum pride's lionesses
that are central to its success.
LIONESS GROWLS
They take the lead on hunting,
as well as rearing the next
generation.
At the core
Look at the family
portrait right there.
..are three highly experienced
females, and mothers.
Ah, superb! This is Nosi.
See, she just had cubs recently.
She's the huntress - she's confident
and powerful female
and she's an incredible hunter.
Good morning!
HE LAUGHS
I think she heard what I just said!
She is part of a core of this
pride, alongside Magogo
..and Mmakgosi.
It's most likely that they are
related, even sisters,
and between them
they have currently six cubs.
LIONESSES CHIRP AND GROWL
These females with cubs, they're not
only nourishing themselves,
they're having to feed the cubs,
provide milk for them.
Now over three months old,
the cubs are at a crucial stage.
They need to eat meat
for their growth and development.
The challenge for Nosi
and the other lionesses
is to provide enough food.
So, Vianet, I can see the zebras
so I'm not going to go any closer.
I'm just going to wait here.
Copy that, Gordon.
You would think many hands
make light work, but
when it comes to these males getting
involved in the hunt for something
as keen-eyed as a zebra, it's better
that they just kind of
..boys just stay out of it.
They are big with huge manes
..and they stick
out like a sore thumb.
You dingbat! What are you doing?
LION GROWLS
ZEBRAS BRAY AND SQUEAL
I think when people see something
like a lion,
this top predator,
they think, "Oh, catching food
must be easy for an animal
"as well-equipped,"
but in reality, it is
incredibly difficult
for these lions
to get a single meal.
Food is never that far
away from the mind of any lion.
Hunger is just
..well, it's just a constant way
of life.
So I would say that this is not
..not going to
happen for the lions this time.
ZEBRAS SQUEAL
If those females go without food,
the cubs can suffer.
Hoping Nosi and the pride mothers
can provide for their young,
Gordon and Vianet stick with them.
BIRD CAWS
Wildlife camera team
Anna and Greg
So if you come, maybe
come around on the northern side.
..is pursuing a far more
elusive cat.
OK, on my way.
In an area that is crawling with
lions, there is only one
resident cheetah,
and her name is Pobe.
The cheetah have been
so unpredictable at the moment,
it's very hard to know what
their movements are going to be.
There are so many lions in the
area and they really, really,
hate lions,
so that makes it a real challenge.
Anna, I think I have some clues
on the road, just up ahead of you.
I might have some nice-looking
cheetah tracks here.
There. Yeah.
There, this is the hind foot.
Yeah. Front foot.
See, it's a little bit more
elongated. Mm-hm. Yeah.
Well, this is really encouraging.
That's good, eh? Yep.
This grass is really high,
so there's no chance we're going to
be seeing a cheetah from this level.
Let's get the drone up.
I'm just going to
check along these termite mounds
because termite mounds
are the perfect spot for cheetahs
to have a good vantage point,
to look out for any prey.
They love open, flat areas where
they can really utilise their speed
and agility.
To avoid competition from other
predators,
cheetahs mostly hunt at the start
and the end of the day.
As the sun comes higher
and gets a bit stronger, the cheetah
are going to also be looking
for a little spot of shade.
Mm. So, yeah, we do need to make
the most use
of the times that we think
they're probably going
to be moving about.
Across Africa, there are only
7,000 cheetahs left in the wild.
With 25% of those living
here in Botswana
..it's not long before there
is success for the team.
Anna, you're not going to
believe this, but
No way!
I'm coming!
This is Pobe.
She's a cheetah that's quite
known in this area
and she's known for being
particularly streetwise.
It's always been a dream of mine to
see a wild cheetah.
It's stunning. So beautiful.
Hey.
I can see that she's got
almost like
a greyish patch on one her cheeks.
HE CHUCKLES
It's quite funny -
'pobe' means 'dimple' in Setswana.
Because of the position of that
birth mark,
somebody thought it was a cute idea
to call her Dimple.
I love that, that's such
a cool name.
BIRD CAWS
ENGINE STARTS
I wonder if it's the wind that's
perking her up.
WIND HOWLS
I know how much these kinds
of predators
use the wind as cover for hunting.
Cheetahs can accelerate from
0-60 in three seconds.
What are you doing?
Are you hunting pigs?
They still need to get close
to their prey
to increase their chance of success.
WARTHOGS SNOR
If I take my eye away from this
eyepiece for about two seconds,
just, like, where? Where?
Where is she?
She's just so hard to spot.
They're just
so incredibly camouflaged.
But warthogs
Pigs can see her.
..are always on high alert.
WARTHOGS SNARL
Yeah, I've lost visual, hey.
I can't see her at all.
After hours of searching
We are rapidly losing
the light here.
..Anna is admitting defeat.
Time to go home.
At camp, Gordon is preparing
for his first night following Nosi
and the other lionesses.
It's at night
when lions are most active.
The most exciting addition
to my camera kit is this -
it is a thermal imaging camera
that was kind of military-grade
technology,
and this is going to be able
to do what lions
and leopards can do, which is
to see in the dark.
We're heading out with the most
exciting camera for a wildlife
cameraman in one of the most
exciting places in the world,
one of the best places to
see big cats.
So, no, I'm stoked!
ANIMALS GROWL
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
BIRDS CHIRP
Night in the Okavango
..brings total darkness.
Without this technology,
the Big Cats
wouldn't be able to see a thing.
Lions have got amazing night-vision,
but it's not as good as this.
I'm able to see things
that they can't see,
which is quite mind-blowing.
Hmm! Some nice big lion tracks here.
I think we are heading in the
right direction.
Here they are
Clear as a bell.
The night brings cooler
temperatures.
This is the lionesses'
preferred time to hunt.
Armed with this thermal camera,
Gordon can film
..any activity.
Greg doing his workout
inside his Land Cruiser.
Greg, Greg.
Just a word of advice - don't do
anything at night-time that you
wouldn't want to be filmed.
LAUGHTER ON WALKIE TALKIE
Roger that!
He's going to be running
away from the lion in five minutes
if he's not careful.
Greg, Greg,
you've got a lion coming straight
towards you.
I don't know if you can see that?
Roger that.
LIONS PAN
Yaw!
Close!
It's only been
dark for half an hour.
Jeez!
It's not known when the lionesses
last had a meal
What the hell's going on?
..but a good indication of how
hungry they are
is the type of prey
they're targeting.
Porcupines. Two porcupines.
Out of desperation, lions will
attack porcupines,
but they've got those big
needle-like quills for a reason.
I've seen lions with their face
absolutely covered in spines.
Once they go in,
it's very difficult to get them out.
With young cubs to provide for
LIONESS MOANS
Right, don't mess with them.
..this lioness can't afford to
get injured.
If you look out, it is pitch-black,
but with this, I can see
prey off in the background,
I can see bats flitting about,
I can see huge lions.
This camera is
..it's unbeatable.
It's not long
Oh, dear.
..before the lionesses find more
suitable prey.
This could be it!
A lechwe - a wetlands antelope.
They've got an animal that is
completely oblivious
..walking straight towards them.
LECHWE CHIRPS
The predator knows
the prey is there.
The prey doesn't know
the predator's there.
No, no, no, pal,
you're making a big mistake.
Now, it knows something's
not quite right.
Lechwe can outrun lions
She's going to have to come
round the front
if she's going to stand
a chance of getting it.
But lions are one of the only big
cats that actively work
together to hunt their prey.
Lost her, lost her.
CHIRPING
She's put herself in a position,
behind one of these hummocks,
and she might explode out.
And if she pushes it back,
it's going to run straight
into the jaws of her sister.
My goodness,
this is not a place
to be out on your own.
Dang, dang, dang
Oh, oh, oh!
Girl, you did everything right!
I don't know what went wrong there.
PANTING
Holy bananas!
That was this close.
HE CHUCKLES
It's too much stress for one night!
The lionesses press on.
Unable to follow,
Gordon calls it a night.
In camp
..there's a reminder the team
is living in a wilderness.
Out! Out!
I'm always slightly
..slightly nervous around elephants
that I don't know.
The camp is unfenced.
Animals are free
to roam wherever they want.
Come on.
Out!
Out!
But this five-tonne
bull elephant could be dangerous.
For his own safety,
he can't be allowed to feel at home.
Out! Out! Get out!
Come on! Out!
You've just driven off
a bull elephant!
LAUGHS
Out!
That's not a normal event,
but eles
..they're intelligent creatures
and they kind of pick up
when you don't want them
around, you know?
And I think they learn.
You've just got to tell them,
"Listen, mate, it's not
happening today."
And typically, they get the message.
I'm shaking a little bit,
but it's part of the deal.
Greg and Anna
are heading out of camp.
Close by, wildlife cameraman Sets
has spotted something interesting.
He's located a group
of Xudum Pride lionesses.
It's not Nosi and the other mothers.
Looks like two lionesses.
I'll get a closer view, and
let's see how many
there are in total.
Anna and Greg are heading
over to see what's happening.
I'm trying to decide
which direction to go,
and I don't want to cut them off,
but
I'm not exactly sure who they are.
It's interesting because they do
look like they've had a meal
not too long ago.
I've got visual of a leopard.
What the hell?
Leopards are powerful predators.
But physically,
they're no match for lions.
Greg, um, did you say you have
view of a leopard?
She's just a little bit ahead of me.
We have leopards and lions
in close proximity.
Yeah, I see her.
Leopards typically avoid lions,
but this one is reluctant to leave.
Hey, both.
It has a kill up in the tree.
I can see a tail just dangling.
Yeah, I think the leopard's killed
something, maybe earlier on today.
To keep its food safe, the leopard
has stashed it in the tree.
The lions got wind of that kill.
That leopard needs to stay hidden,
or those lions could kill her.
They're running.
One of them is running across here,
do you see that?
Danger!
The leopard is retreating.
OK, OK she's gone.
Oh, it's climbing up the tree!
Wait, wait!
Lions are three times heavier
than leopards
That is absolutely incredible!
..and aren't built
for climbing trees.
But the Xudum Pride lionesses
aren't your average lions.
These lionesses think
that they're leopards.
It's quite amazing, eh?
Welcome to the Okavango Delta!
It gets crazy!
THEY LAUGH
What a morning!
That was crazy, wasn't it? Yeah.
I don't know about you, but my
heart rate was through the roof!
This does not happen a lot.
No? I have to say. No.
It's surprising. You think lions
can't really climb vertical trees
but if they're motivated enough,
as you have seen Yeah.
..they will do it.
These lionesses might have scavenged
the leopard's kill
..but Nosi and the other mothers
still need a successful hunt
if they're to feed their cubs.
These two females,
Nosi alongside Magogo
..they probably went for a hunt and
they're coming back with nothing.
Their cubs are going in
and greeting them.
When one mother is on the hunt,
the rest look after her cub.
It's like this saying in Africa,
"It takes a village
to grow a child."
This is Mathata.
He's around six months old.
His mum is Magogo.
Look how much bigger he is
than the other cubs!
He shows curiosity,
strength, dominance.
When he grows up, he will be
likeyou know, strong
and powerful enough to be one of the
leading characters in the pride.
He's ticking all the boxes.
One of the features of lionesses'
social structure
is that they will suckle
one another's cubs.
They have that sort of
creche ambience.
Mathata seems to be
muscling his way in.
Seem to be He always seems to get
what he wants.
Because he's Mathata.
Highly nutritious,
lion's milk has over four times
more fat than cow's milk
Ah, the small one wants
to suckle.
..and competition
between the cubs is high.
Aw, she's been bullied.
I'm worried about the smallest one
who's not getting enough,
because if it carries
on like that,
it could be bad news for her.
I would like to see them
eating more and growing faster,
as fast as possible
to overcome that sad fact
that only 20% of the cubs
make it to adulthood.
With no meat to satisfy
their growing appetite
..the cubs are demanding more milk,
putting pressure on Nosi
and the lionesses.
There are a few down here.
Anna and Greg are back on the trail
of Pobe, the cheetah.
Yeah, I'm almost certain that
those are cheetah tracks.
So, I'm going to just
keep going in that direction and
see where those tracks lead us.
It looks like we're
following some cheetah tracks here.
OK, nice one. All right, well, we'll
head up that road and we'll bump
into you. I'll be keen to
have a look
and see if we can figure out
a direction.
STARTS ENGINE
Whoa!
Hey, Greg.
We've got ourselves into
a little bit of a situation.
Erm Yeah, we're currently down
a big hole,
and we can't get out.
We might need your help.
Wow, that is a nice hole.
It's like an aardvark's
playground here,
and you just decided
this was the spot? Yeah.
Essentially, we were trying
to do a little short cut,
but the short cut didn't pay off.
It's OK, it happens to all of us.
Lions are in the area,
and long grass offers plenty
of cover.
It's really hard in this vegetation
to see what's in front of you.
The team has no idea what
the grass could be hiding.
There's not a lot of shade here.
The chances of somebody
just sleeping out here
in the middle of the open
is very slim.
They stay on high alert.
And Greg is working quickly.
We should be able to try
and pull you.
Whoa
OK.
Yes!
Whoa! Stop!
Back on the search for cheetahs,
Anna's tracking skills
are paying off.
No way!
Greg, so it's
definitely not Pobe.
This looks like a male to me.
Do you know who this is?
Interesting, Anna.
It looks like a cheetah that we know
as Sepoko, a male.
We hardly ever see him.
I think I've only ever seen him
once before, in fact, so
That's a really weird name.
What does that mean?
He's called Sepoko
because he disappears
and reappears without
any obvious pattern so
He's very ghost-like.
Sepoko means 'ghost' in Setswana.
I like that. I like that a lot.
He could easily be hunting.
The other possibility
is that Sepoko could be
looking for Pobe in this area.
I mean, it's a bit of speculation,
but wouldn't that be extraordinary?
Sepoko and Pobe coming together?
OK, he's scent marking.
Scent marking is their
main form of communication.
Cheetah are really shy,
so they basically use tree trunks
and termite mounds
as messaging boards.
They don't want to get into fights,
and that's particularly true
for the males.
For cheetahs like Sepoko,
he's a solitary male.
He's got no backup,
he's not in a coalition,
so he's going to want to avoid
other males at all costs.
He's using that tree
as a vantage point now.
Good eyesight is really
important for cheetahs
over lions and leopards
because they hunt by the day.
He is just cruising along here.
You can see what he's doing. He's
just using the flat areas as cover
and then he's hopping up
on a termite mound, scanning out,
and then he just melts back
into the grass. It's really cool!
Something has changed
in his behaviour,
and I feel like he's just gone into
hunt mode. He's moving really quick.
And he's just bolted. He's
completely bolted in that direction.
No! OK, I've just lost him behind
that tree-ish area over there.
No!
Sticking on Sepoko's trail, Greg and
Anna will sleep out in their trucks.
Picking up the night shift,
Gordon is following the pride's
hungry lionesses.
She's come down to
look for a drink of water.
But there isthere's nothing.
They still need to provide
a meal for the cubs.
This was a big water hole,
but now it's just mud
and catfish slipping about in it.
Catfish can breathe air.
So as long as there's some
moisture to keep their skin damp,
they can survive.
She's just triggered
by the movement.
Every time one flaps,
she's just can't help herself.
A big cat eating a catfish.
Does this count as a hunt?
This mud is really smelly.
When there was water here, there
would have been lots of hippos,
so they're defecating in the water
and it all just condenses down.
So this is just kind of a mixture
of mud and hippo number twos.
She got one.
Maybe not as tasty as an impala
or a wildebeest or a zebra foal,
but it's something.
Is she going to eat it?
Nope, she's let it go.
She's not wanting
to eat a catfish
that's squirming about
in hippo faeces.
Greg and Anna have found
a suitable camping spot.
We're quite far from camp,
so we just thought, easier to have
a night out in the bush.
Because we can listen out for any
of the alarm calls that might
mean that there's
a predator in the area.
So that's pretty helpful just being
tuned in with the surroundings.
DISTANT GROWL
Just checking for
any surrounding lions.
We're good. False alarm.
Hopefully they're not drawn in
by this delicious lentil bolognese
that's about to happen here.
So
No way!
Lions definitely have an
interest in all food types,
including vegan foods. No!
Gordon is with the lions,
who are now actively hunting.
With night-vision six times
better than humans',
they're focused on a target.
The lions have seen the tsessebe.
They're splitting up.
To increase their chances,
the lionesses have teamed up
with more of the pride.
Oh, my goodness!
Three sub-adult males are the most
engaged in this hunt.
Male lions have a reputation of
letting the females
do all the hard work.
This may be their opportunity
to show their worth.
SNORTS
Oh, she's poised.
She's ready to go.
Oh, my goodness!
They're completely surrounded.
This is your worst nightmare.
It is happening.
He's running.
You dippy boy!
Oh, dang, you messed that up!
Oh, did you? No!
How did you get away from that?
That is one lucky beast.
Oh, they did get one!
I suppose if you're going
to be caught by a lion,
it'll be better for you
if it was six, rather than one.
It's a pile-on.
I'm going to put the drone up,
see how many are here.
Look at that.
One, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten.
Ten lions.
The bigger the lion,
the more food they get.
So, it's just the three young males.
They're getting most of the food
because they can muscle in.
Pushed off the kill
by the sub-adult males
..the lionesses barely get a bite.
With this number of lions, one
tsessebe's not going to go that far.
That's not really enough
to sustain them.
The cubs still haven't had
the food they need
..and it looks unlikely
they'll feed tonight.
Local cameraman Rea is trying
to find the Xudum Pride mothers.
The lions are just currently
headed into the grass,
into this tall grass here.
We're currently with Nosi, Mmakgosi
and Magogo.
They've just left the cubs nearby.
They are stalking a huge
herd of zebras
just in front of us.
To feed their cubs,
these lionesses must make a kill.
At the moment, the herd is
completely unaware
of what's happening.
ZEBRAS SNORT AND BLOW
So these three mums have been
joined by another lioness,
so they're actually four.
Four lionesses will have a very
good chance with zebra.
Hunting as a group helps lions
take down much larger prey.
BIRD CALLS
It's started.
GROWLS
They've got it.
GROWLING
It's down. One of the zebras is
down. We need to reposition.
I can see three lionesses with the
zebra there.
On the way with the cubs
is Mmakgosi.
This will be great for Mathata
and all his siblings.
GENTLE GROWLING
Nosi and the lionesses have finally
provided for their cubs.
And they're keen to
protect the kill.
We've got the females placing dust
over the internal organs,
just to hide that scent.
They don't want scavengers coming.
If vultures came, it would be a good
indication for other lions to come.
Rea for Vianet.
Rea for Vianet. Copy?
Vianet, Vianet. The mums have
done it. They've made a kill.
We've got a zebra kill here.
We're just close to
..just north of the Four Palms.
Excellent. Message received.
I can already see Mathata
jumpingjumping on a kill.
HE LAUGHS
What!
This for me is a massive relief.
I was worrying about the cubs
not being able to eat.
I know the cubs are going to be
gaining more energy.
They're going to be gaining
somesome strength.
Mathata is trying to play with
the mouth of the zebra
..as if it was still alive
and he's trying to kill it.
At six months old, Mathata needs
to eat over two kilos of meat a day.
This meal will feed the mothers
and cubs for at least three days.
You know, everything to them
right now is play, play, play.
But it's also what he's to be
doing when he grows up.
Hunting for themselves and
hunting successfully.
I feel like, for the next few days,
there will be more play,
there will be more, you know,
energy, there will be more
excitement.
Leopard specialist Brad
is focusing on another
resident big cat.
I'm off to find Xudum.
She's, er,
the main female leopard that
runs from our camp through the
centre of the island
and I haven't seen her for some
time, so I'm quite excited.
Leopards are solitary,
and usually well-hidden by day.
But Xudum is Brad's favourite cat
and he knows where to look for her.
I've got her here.
I've known Xudum for five years,
since she was a cub.
She was born here and regularly
passes through our camp.
Like me, she considers this home.
She's taking a very thick forest.
We're going to keep up with her.
We're going to have to get
through here.
BRANCHES CRACK
Right, here we go.
Oh, that's beautiful.
Here she comes.
She might scent mark here.
I'm going togoing to do this.
I think one of the primary jobs
of a female leopard
is to secure a boundary.
She's going to own a good hunting
area and potentially have cubs.
She really has to secure
a perimeter.
I think they probably spend 30, 40%
of their lives maintaining that.
Ownership is key here.
GUTTURAL CALL
As soon as they get seen by
squirrels or francolin
or something
that's going to give them away,
that tail goes up and then goes up
and flicks.
And you can see that irritation.
It's like, "OK, I've been seen."
And off they walk.
Yeah, what's noticeable about her
behaviour at the moment
is she's just marching, marching.
She's not too worried about
being concealed,
but she's marching,
marching at a fairly fast trot.
She's on a hectic territorial
mission at the moment.
My gut's telling me something's up.
Can you see the fire
starting in the background?
Mm.
Going to have to keep an eye
on that.
The prevailing wind comes
from the east.
If it keeps going, it's
going to come our way, so
..then we change from film-makers
into firefighters.
Not my favourite pastime.
The fire's north of us now,
by a couple of kilometres.
You can actually hear it.
And this dry flood plain
that we're sitting on here
is actually the flood plain
that leads down to our film camp.
We wouldn't want to lose all of this
habitat that our characters are in.
It'll make life quite
difficult for them.
FIRE CRACKLES DISTANTLY
Wildfires in the Okavango
are seasonal.
That is an extremely
ominous-looking sky.
Very, very grey.
And their impact is hard to predict.
At a safe distance for now,
Greg and Anna stay focused
on finding Sepoko the cheetah.
I've found a cheetah.
It's Sepoko.
Oh, his belly is looking
pretty rotund.
He's definitely had a good
meal recently.
He travelled pretty far from
the last place that we saw him.
But that is really
normal for a male cheetah.
They can travel 25km a day.
Greg, I can't currently see him.
Little bit nervous.
Maybe drive a little
bit towards these termite mounds
to the left.
BABOON BARKS
That is a baboon barking now.
Very helpful.
BABOON BARKS
Warning calls,
like the baboon's bark,
give away the presence
of a predator.
Ah!
The troop of baboons is closing in.
BABOONS GRUN
Sepoko, however
I've just seen he's just
scent marking on the tree.
..is playing it cool.
I'm just going to try and get a few
more shots of these baboons.
BABOONS GRUN
Oh, yeah, they are coming straight
towards this termite mound.
Cheetahs typically avoid
confrontation.
A troop of feisty baboons
is a genuine threat.
He bolted at the sight of them.
Cheetahs really are the underdogs
of the big cat world.
Sepoko can't afford to get injured.
Even a couple of baboons can really
scare them off, which
is quite unusual
for your general idea of
what a big cat is
and how fearsome they are.
Sepoko disappeared again.
Overnight, the fire to the north
grows stronger.
FIRE CRACKLES
A change in wind direction
drives it closer to camp.
By morning
Oh, gosh.
..the situation is critical.
Tris, just wait there.
It's coming south towards the camp.
This is film camp calling all
vehicles out at the moment.
We'd like everyone to
return to camp, please.
All the vehicles currently
out in the field,
if you could return to film camp,
you'll get instructions from here.
It seems crazy lighting a fire
right by your camp,
but it's managed and controlled
and it will form a buffer.
You can't control it any other way.
To protect camp, a strip of land
is being deliberately
burnt around the perimeter.
It's pretty scary,
I'm not going to lie.
Get your passports from your rooms.
The entire film camp
is in the path of the fire,
so this is about protecting assets
and protecting the operation.
But the wildfire is
the biggest in five years.
And this plan is not
guaranteed to work.
So maybe here for a bit?
It's so much closer than it
was last night.
It really is. It'sit's
approaching rapidly.
You can see with the drone quite
clearly what they're trying to do.
So they're basically burning
a whole strip so that
if the fire does
continue to come this way,
it will get to this burnt bit,
which has already burnt,
and it won't come any further.
And the really worrying thing
is it is coming.
It's coming straight towards us.
And just thinking of all of the
animals that are out there
and the effect that that will have,
you know, on them.
You know, lots of animals
can outrun fire.
They can out-fly it.
But if you've got animals with
young, whether it's lions,
whether it's leopard, you know,
that's really bad news.
I can't get my lens wide enough
to capture all of the smoke.
That's how much smoke there is.
The wind has really picked up
from the north
and it's driving this fire down.
You get a bit of wind,
and it just wants to go.
As the fire builds in magnitude
BLEEP.
Did you see how quick it was?
That was likejust on the other
side of the existing burn
and then it was up and away.
..the need to evacuate camp becomes
a real possibility.
It's right here.
It's coming through.
God, that's unstoppable.
Back to camp!
Back to camp!
Anna, back up, please!
Go back to camp!
We're all just Everyone's going
to go back to the camp.
It'sit's so close now
and out of control
that it's pointless trying
to fight it here.
Yeah, the fire, it's gotten
wildly out of control.
Camp could burn down.
Next time
I need three guys. Three!
..as the team fights to
save the camp
..concern grows for the future of
all the resident big cats.
It changes the dynamic
of the predators.
It's going to change the whole
nature of this place.
HE SIGHS