Big Cats 24/7 (2024) s02e06 Episode Script

1
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♪
Narrator: The Okavango Delta
in Botswana
We are in a pristine
environment right now.
Narrator: One of Africa's
last wildernesses.
Greg Hartman: The magnitude
of life here is unparalleled.
Narrator: And it's a haven
for Africa's big cats
lion,
cheetah,
and leopard.
Brad Bestelink: Big cat country.
Narrator: Armed with
the latest filming technology,
the "Big Cats 24/7" team
is following individual big cats
[Cheetah squeals]
Narrator: for 6 months.
Gordon Buchanan:
This is a unique opportunity
to follow these cats round the clock.
Narrator: Through the day
Reatile Schulte to Brinke:
I used to think I'd have
a fair fight with a lion. [Lion roars]
Not so sure now. Heh!
Narrator: and the night
Hartman: We've got the most
sophisticated thermal
imaging technology.
Narrator: capturing their behavior
24 hours a day.
Dimitriadis: I have never seen
anything like this.
Hartman: Epic! [Lion roars]
♪
[Bugs and birds chirping]
♪
[Sighs]
♪
Buchanan: Hang on.
He's starting to move. Starting to move.
[Birds chirping]
[Cub whimpering]
♪
[Sighs] He is alive.
[Anna sighs] I feel like I can breathe.
I couldn't breathe then.
That was horrible.
What?
♪
That is a roller coaster.
♪
Buchanan: My God.
My heart leapt out my chest there.
I think it's OK. It was
stunned and winded.
[Cub grunting] Buchanan: But
the danger's still here.
♪
Narrator: The intruder
male lion, known as Golden Boy,
hasn't gone away.
Buchanan: If Golden Boy
is not the father,
it is in his interest
to get rid of those cubs,
to eliminate competition,
to to kill both of them.
♪
Dimitriadis: Wait a second.
That is Serami.
She is coming back.
Narrator: First-time mum Serami
has been absent for 36 hours.
[Cub squeaks]
Dimitriadis: This is
really, really dangerous.
♪
Dimitriadis: Ah, OK.
Golden Boy
isn't doing anything.
[Flies buzzing]
Hartman: Serami could have
been very clever here
and has fooled everyone,
including me.
[Cubs squeaking]
Hartman: Golden Boy, he may
have mated with Serami,
and that's making him think
twice about these cubs.
Maybe they're his.
♪
Hartman: That's crazy.
Unbelievable stuff.
♪
Hartman: Sometimes
the female lions will mate
with multiple different males,
only falling pregnant by one,
just to fool them into thinking
that the cubs are theirs.
[Serami grunts]
All the males are like,
"Oh, all those cubs are ours."
[Cub mews]
Narrator: Female lions use
this mating strategy
when there are no dominant males
controlling a pride.
Dimitriadis: Even if
Golden Boy isn't the dad,
he definitely thinks
that he is, and I think
that is what has saved them today.
♪
A part of me is really hopeful
that Golden Boy does stay
and become the protector
that Serami and her cubs need.
♪
Narrator: With Golden Boy
establishing himself
in the north
of the Xudum pride territory
Dimitriadis: Maybe Serami really
does know what she's doing.
Narrator: Serami's cubs now have
a better chance of survival.
[Cub mews]
Dimitriadis: What an amazing morning.
[Birds chirping]
♪
Narrator: To the south
of its 250-square-kilometer territory
♪
The rest of the Xudum pride
remains a formidable force
♪
Especially with so many cubs
coming of age.
♪
[Beep, Seetsele Nthowima speaks
over walkie-talkie]
[Beep, Buchanan speaks
over walkie-talkie]
Nthowima:
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
♪
Nthomiwa: All the cubs
are coming close to say hi.
These cubs, they're being raised
and groomed by,
let's say, the best lionesses
in this whole Delta.
The Xudum lionesses are so formidable.
Seeing the cubs up close
and personal like this
really shows how much they've grown.
They were so small, and now
they're the sizes of their moms.
Narrator: The eldest cubs
are now 20 months old.
Buchanan: When they get to this stage,
they should really be
pulling their own weight
and getting involved in the hunt,
actively hunting big,
potentially dangerous animals.
Narrator: For so many lions
to survive together,
it's crucial the oldest cubs
start working
with the rest of the pride
to catch large prey.
♪
It's a rapid learning curve.
[Bird screeches]
It's about everybody performing
their role within the pride.
Everything's got a lot more serious now.
♪
[Roaring]
Nthomiwa: This type
of fighting is different.
It's changed so much
from when they were small.
[Roaring]
You can see how intentional
their moves are
chasing, the stalking, attacking
in the very specific places,
like the neck.
♪
This is the skill they would need
to take down large prey
that's running away.
♪
[Growls]
Narrator: There is one cub who should
be leading the way.
[Lion grunts] Buchanan: Mathata here,
he looks as if he could do
with another 8 hours of bed.
He's huge now.
So we've known him for over a year
and he has grown and grown,
so much so that he's even got
the start of a mane.
You can see his little mohawk.
That's 'cause he's a big, bad male lion.
So I think there's something
kind of special about it.
Ha ha!
Mathata is 20 months old at the moment.
If you do draw a parallel
developmentally, he's like
a kind of like a 15-year-old boy.
He looks grown up,
but there's still a lot to learn.
[Mathata sneezes]
Buchanan: He is boisterous,
he's a bit of a troublemaker,
but I think as he grows
and develops, I think he can
pardon all of those things
in his personality to his advantage.
♪
[Distant birds screeching]
Nthomiwa: Wait.
One of the older cubs is getting up.
Narrator: Full of teenage bravado,
they're setting
their sights way too high.
Nthomiwa, chuckling: Oh, my goodness.
I've never seen them go
for a giraffe before.
These cubs are crazy.
♪
Ha ha! There's no chance of catching it.
I can see Mathata.
He's right behind there.
♪
Oh! Wow.
He just tried to trip him.
♪
Whoa! That was close.
Narrator: A giraffe's stride
is nearly 5 meters
♪
Traveling at almost
65 kilometers per hour.
Nthomiwa: It got away there.
Narrator: They're too fast
for lion cubs.
♪
Nthomiwa: I did not see that coming.
Attempting that was almost insane.
It was ludicrous, but still trying
to understand the limits
of what they're capable of,
but [chuckles] these cubs
are really, really fearless.
Buchanan, quietly: They've
burned off a lot of energy
running about after anything that moves.
[Normal voice] So I think, yeah
they're off to find some water.
We've got 20 lions,
all literally digging
around for a drink,
all of them together.
Mathata is here.
Actually, Mathata is lending a hand,
trying to just widen
the access.
This is teamwork
♪
And I think the same goes for hunting.
That requires teamwork
from the mums and the bigger cubs.
Narrator: Mathata and the cubs
have to learn to work
with the pride if they're going
to catch large prey.
♪
Buchanan: So they have
the skills and they have
the strategy, but they're going
to have to all work together.
♪
[Nthomiwa and Dimitriadis
speak on walkie-talkie]
Exciting. [Walkie-talkie beeps]
♪
Dimitriadis: See who this is.
♪
Wait a second.
Oh, wow.
Aw!
♪
I cannot believe my eyes.
♪
I can see Pobe
♪
And I can see Bo.
♪
Oh, I'm just so happy to see them.
Hi, guys.
We really missed you.
We haven't seen Pobe or Bo
for weeks, and to be honest,
I really wasn't sure we were ever
gonna see them again because
this area just feels so sad.
It's such a sad place for her
now it's where she lost Kea
but here she is.
She's so fearless.
She's not being pushed out
by those leopards.
Wow.
And Bo.
What a beautiful young man he's become.
♪
[Walkie-talkie beeps] Rea, Rea for Anna.
Reatile Schulte to Brinke:
Go ahead, Anna.
Dimitriadis: I've got Pobe
and Bo right here.
Schulte to Brinke: What? No way.
♪
Narrator: It's been over a month
since Bo's sister Kea
was killed by a leopard.
♪
Schulte to Brinke: It's quite the relief
to see our cheetahs together.
He's quite a lot bigger
than the last time I saw him.
I actually thought Bo was Pobe
ha! until we got closer now.
I said, "No, no, no, no."
Dimitriadis: He looks
really healthy, too,
so I think Pobe is probably
keeping him well-fed.
He's got the most badass mum around.
Narrator: So far, Pobe has been
doing all the hard work,
feeding them both.
Dimitriadis: Last time,
he wouldn't be involved
really at all, so I want to see him
start basically cooperating in hunts.
Narrator: Now 8 months old,
it's time for Bo to perfect
his hunting skills.
♪
Bo is locked on something.
He's trying to get a good vantage point
and clearly learning
a few things from Pobe.
♪
Schulte to Brinke:
Bo has spotted some impala
in this open field here.
♪
He's getting just a little bit closer
and he's off. [Impala bleating]
♪
Impala running.
♪
Go on, Bo.
♪
[Impala snorting]
Schulte to Brinke:
It's over before it started.
He had the right idea
in the beginning, trying
to use the cover to get
towards these impala,
but the distance was
just too big to cover.
[Impala snorting]
Dimitriadis: Now he's lost
and now he's
now he's calling for his mom.
[Bo squeaking]
♪
Dimitriadis: Well, even though
that didn't end in success,
I think it's probably
the most encouraging sign
I've seen from Bo that he is starting
to pick up on those hunting skills.
♪
Narrator: Bo will need
to become more confident,
and improve his timing,
if he's going to help Pobe.
Dimitriadis: He's got
one-on-one tuition from his mum,
and hopefully we'll see them
hunting together.
[Flies buzzing]
[Birds chirping]
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
Narrator: Brad and Tristen
are with leopard mum Lediba and her cub.
[Lediba grunts]
Tristen Woodward: Oh, it's adorable.
♪
These two are really just
all full of beans today.
♪
This is the most I think
I've seen them play.
The mum's really getting into it.
[Both growling]
♪
Woodward: Today's the first day
I've actually seen Lediba
come in just to interact with the cub
and play and just kind of,
you know, reaffirm their bond.
Normally, she only really comes
and gets the cub when she's got a kill,
so I think there's obviously feeling
that this cub's old enough now
that it needs to start learning.
Narrator: Now 7 months old,
Lediba's cub is growing
in strength and intelligence
and is ready for the next stage
of her development.
Woodward: By playing within
and climbing trees
or stalking and pouncing,
Lediba's teaching this cub
all the tools it needs
to be a successful leopard.
There's no one else
this cub can learn from.
It has to learn with Mum.
It doesn't have siblings.
It doesn't have
other members of a pride.
Narrator: One-on-one lessons
with Mum are crucial.
Looks like Lediba's called
an end to class.
Narrator: But they don't last long.
Woodward: Time to go hunting.
[Engine turns over]
A leopard's life is very solitary,
and the hard thing
for these cubs is, you know,
something they got
to get used to from day one.
Bestelink: This cub could be
left here now for several days,
waiting for Mum to come back,
and then Mum has to call
anywhere in this area,
and the cub will pick it up
and she'll find her.
It's a double-edged sword,
that independence
and that ability so young.
You can see it just being
entrenched in them
from such a young age out of necessity.
♪
Chance to come down,
explore a little bit.
♪
At night, we have got hyenas here,
so if she's on the ground
and moving around,
she's got to be super alert
and super aware
of what's going on around her.
Such a small thing, such a big world
so it fills me with a bit of anxiety,
seeing a leopard cub so small on its own
and wandering off into the forest.
♪
[Thunder]
♪
[Birds chirping]
The sun hasn't risen yet,
and that's Bo over there,
Pobe over there.
[Distant animals chittering]
Schulte to Brinke:
Bo's looking very keen.
[Indistinct radio chatter]
♪
[Music intensifies]
Schulte to Brinke:
They're in quite the rush.
♪
Going after a rabbit, a rabbit.
♪
Pulled the trigger way too early there.
♪
[Growling]
I think it's a rabbit. Not sure.
♪
Whatever it is it's fighting back.
[Snarling]
[Animal hissing]
♪
No way. I can see its face now.
That's an African wildcat.
♪
Incredible.
You don't see them too often.
♪
Now we get a big cat interacting
with little cat.
♪
Narrator: African wildcats might
look like domestic cats
Schulte to Brinke:
Mum is in the background there.
She knows this is not food.
[Wildcat hissing]
Narrator: but they're fierce predators.
Schulte to Brinke: Pobe is leaving Bo
to figure this out himself.
♪
[Wildcat hisses]
♪
You can see Bo now circling around,
trying to find an opening
where to attack.
♪
It's great to see
his hunting tactics kicked in
but unfortunately for him heh!
It's the wrong species.
It looks like Bo's done
and might leave
this little cat in peace.
He'll learn from this experience
and his confidence
will only just keep building up.
♪
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
♪
Bestelink: Just popped
onto a termite mound.
Having a little look around.
Narrator: Brad and Tristen are
with leopard mum Lediba,
who left her cub last night
to go hunting.
[Lediba calls softly] Bestelink: Ooh.
And what's going on there?
[Lediba calls]
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
I think she just called for the cub.
Think she might be looking for the cub.
She was trying to find her little girl.
[Lediba calling]
Bestelink: This really
shouldn't take this long.
It's an uneasy feeling of déjà vu.
It's a similar area
to where she lost her first cub.
Narrator: Lediba's other cub died
when he was 3 and a half months old.
[Lediba calls]
Bestelink: Lediba,
where is your baby, hmm?
[Calls]
Bestelink: Come on, let's find her.
[Lediba calls]
There is a lot of wind around,
and it might be masking her calling.
♪
She starts roaring,
it's not a good sign.
[Lediba calling more loudly]
♪
[Calls]
Woodward: She's very, very worried.
She's crying, do everything
in her power to find this thing.
[Calling]
When you live in one of the
greatest wildernesses in the world,
you share it with
some of the most
dangerous and life-threatening
animals out there.
[Calls]
♪
It's one of the things about this place.
It can turn from a happy day
to a really tragic day
in a split second.
[Heart-beating sound effect]
♪
Bestelink: The search
has intensified now.
♪
She's
actually trying to physically pick up
the scent of this cub.
Narrator: Leopards have glands
between their toes
that leave an invisible scent trail.
♪
[Sniffs]
Woodward: There's always
a chance that she's wandered
a little further than she should have.
I just hope that she's taught
that cub well enough
to have avoided any potential threats,
and it's just sitting tight somewhere,
hiding from this wind.
♪
[Calling]
[Calling]
Woodward: This can't be over.
This can't be another tragic story.
♪
And nothing, not a hint,
of just what's going on.
♪
Come on, big girl.
♪
[Calls]
♪
♪
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
[Buffalo lowing]
♪
Buchanan: Oh, wow.
Gosh!
So many of them.
Hello, hello.
That is quite some sight.
♪
Narrator: At this time
of year, Cape buffalo move
through the Okavango Delta
in their thousands.
Buchanan: This is the perfect prey.
If you are able to bring down a buffalo,
that is not a snack.
Narrator: Each buffalo contains
almost a million calories.
Buchanan: This is
the biggest meal possible,
but it is the most
the most dangerous.
♪
Narrator: With razor-sharp horns
and weighing up to a ton,
buffalo also have safety in numbers.
Buchanan: Buffalo are really aggressive.
They will defend their young.
They will defend themselves.
They'll defend the herd.
Narrator: The only way
to bring one down
[Buffalo snorting]
is to work together as a team.
Buchanan: If you can crack this,
if you can hunt a buffalo
and come away unscathed,
this is the ultimate prize.
[Buffalo lowing]
Nthomiwa: Last year,
the cubs were a lot smaller
and pretty defenseless
against the buffalo,
and I'm curious to see
how much they've learnt.
♪
I can see Mathata.
♪
[Lions roar] Nthomiwa: Oh, oh.
The cubs are leading the charge.
♪
I'm loving the confidence
that these cubs are showing right now.
If this buffalo will be
in the area tonight,
one of them will definitely
be invited for dinner.
♪
Anna, Anna for Gordon. [Beep]
Dimitriadis, on radio: Go ahead, Gordon.
Buchanan, on radio:
I hope you're ready for it.
A big night, 'cause I think
it's going to be one.
Dimitriadis, on radio:
Think you might be right.
They haven't eaten for two days. [Beep]
♪
Narrator: Greg and Anna are
arriving for the night shift.
Dimitriadis: Mums and cubs are walking
straight towards
a small group of buffalo.
[Buffalo grunting]
Mathata is leading the charge.
♪
Hartman: Mathata wants
buffalo for dinner.
♪
Hartman, on radio: Anna,
it looks like it's on here, eh?
The others are looking very keen
and they're closing in.
Dimitriadis: Copy that, Greg.
I'm getting the drone up now.
[Beep]
[Drone buzzing]
♪
Dimitriadis: OK, I see him.
♪
Hartman, on radio: Oh, they're going in.
- They're going now.
- Dimitriadis: Ooh, OK.
It's on, it's on, it's on.
♪
Dimitriadis: The whole pride
is currently chasing.
Narrator: Mathata and the cubs
are finally working together
with their mums.
Dimitriadis: This buffalo is
putting up an amazing fight.
♪
[Buffalo grunting]
Hartman: That is a huge buff.
It is a battle.
♪
The lionesses and the cubs
are working together now.
♪
Dimitriadis: Oh, it's down, it's down.
Hartman: Well, they needed that.
They really needed that.
[Lions snarling]
Narrator: This bull
will keep the whole pride fed
for days.
[Second buffalo grunting]
♪
Dimitriadis: Oh.
Hartman: What's going on here?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, hang on.
More buffalo just come in.
♪
Hartman: These buffaloes are
coming close to the lions.
Super dangerous.
♪
Dimitriadis: Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hartman: Wow! They're right in there.
This is crazy.
♪
Hartman: Whoa! Holy smokes.
These buffies do not want to let
their comrade go without a fight.
Dimitriadis: I think
these cubs could get killed.
Hartman: Oh, yo!
One of the lions got hammered!
♪
Hartman: The buffalo's back up!
This buffalo's not done!
Oh, what? She's got him by the snout!
Dimitriadis: How is it alive?
[Gasps] The cub just got thrown!
[Lions snarling]
♪
Hartman: Absolutely unbelievable.
There's cubs running all over the place.
Buffaloes running all over the place.
[Lions roaring]
♪
Hartman: They saved it.
The injured buffalo is
being escorted out by his comrades.
I mean, how is that for
an unexpected turn of events?
Man, what a battle.
♪
[Buffalo grunting]
Hartman: That is
the most epic thing I've ever
seen in my whole life.
♪
By a long way.
♪
Aw, that was
Forget the cats having 9 lives.
Buffaloes have 9 lives.
Narrator: Even with the help
of the experienced mums,
buffalo are near impossible prey.
Dimitriadis: They are absolute beasts,
and they just don't give up
without a fight.
♪
Narrator: Mathata
and the rest of the pride
need to recover quickly
and try again.
Dimitriadis: There are
gonna be some sore lions
tomorrow, let me tell you.
And not only sore,
they're gonna be very hungry.
♪
[Birds chirping]
♪
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
Narrator: It's now been
more than 24 hours
[Lediba calling]
Narrator: since Lediba's cub
was last seen.
[Calling]
Woodward: She doesn't stop calling.
Heartbreaking, really.
[Calling]
Narrator: After suffering
the loss of one cub already,
Lediba is refusing to give up.
[Birds chirping]
[Calls]
Woodward: [Bleep]! It's the cub!
You all we're thinking
out of nowhere!
♪
[Lediba grunting]
Woodward: Little cubby's just
bolted out of the tree line.
♪
Finally. I don't know
where it's been hiding.
Bloody naughty little thing,
giving us all stress.
Whew!
Oh, Lord.
Leopards really do keep us on our toes.
♪
Aw, that's adorable.
♪
I got a happy family again.
♪
Brad is going to be
very stoked about this.
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
Bestelink, on radio:
Brad, Brad for Tristen.
Woodward, on radio: Go, Tristen.
Lediba has her cub,
and they're coming towards you.
Bestelink, on radio: Thank God
for that. It's really good news.
I can't believe she just
came out of nowhere.
Where the hell was she? [Beep]
Woodward, on radio: Dude,
I've got no clue, man. I yeah.
She got up, called,
cub bombed in, so, yeah,
happy family, all moving now. [Beep]
Bestelink: Tell you what,
if that was my child, it would have got
a seriously stern talking-to.
♪
[Bestelink scoffs]
Woodward, chuckling:
Brad's telling the cub off.
♪
Oh, it is good to have
that little cub back.
♪
That cub must be getting
quite, um, adventurous.
She's growing up a little bit
and starting to explore
and learning fundamentals
of being a leopard.
[Birds chirping]
♪
Dimitriadis: They're walking
straight towards
quite a big herd of impala.
Narrator: Anna is
with cheetahs Pobe and Bo.
♪
Dimitriadis: I'm really excited
to see how Bo does
because he's making
really encouraging steps.
But I want to see him put
those techniques
into actual action
and to see them hunting together.
Narrator: Bo is yet to successfully
contribute to a hunt.
Dimitriadis: OK, Pobe is moving
into the tree line.
[Pobe snorts]
I think I'm going to stick
on Bo because he is
just behind the termite mound.
You can see him just, like,
glancing towards where Pobe has gone.
♪
Pobe is gonna flush those impala
out onto that flood plain,
and Bo, he's got himself
into the perfect position.
If this if this happens,
and these impala run
straight out in front of us,
he's gonna flank those impala.
He's just got to know when to go
and when to hold back.
♪
[Whispers] Aw, come on, Bo.
[Exhales] Just wait, just wait.
Stage is set.
♪
[Flies buzzing]
♪
[Bird chirps]
Dimitriadis: Pobe's ready to go.
[Distant snort]
Impala are going. They're going.
Bo's running in, he's running in.
♪
Narrator: Bo's finally
agile enough to help
Dimitriadis:
Look at that speed. Go on, Bo.
Narrator: by driving the prey
towards his mum.
Dimitriadis: And Pobe's in pursuit.
♪
Ooh! The impala is still up.
Come on, Bo, get in there.
♪
This is ultimate teamwork.
♪
It's down. It is down.
Wow!
Wow, oh, wow, wow, wow.
That was incredible.
Bo, you absolute legend.
Bo did the right thing.
He was just
on the sidelines, and as soon
as Pobe chased the impala across,
he came straight in
and he was blocking the impala.
Without that block, I wonder
if she would have got
that impala at all, so
that was a team effort.
♪
Narrator: Bo has just
one more year of hunting
with Pobe to perfect his skills
before he has to go it alone.
♪
[Dimitriadis sighs]
♪
Bo?
There's literally no reason
for him to come over here,
other than to just show off.
♪
It's funny looking back at Bo
and how we first met him.
He was once a really timid cub,
and he was always hiding
behind his sister Kea,
who was definitely
the more confident of the two,
but he's finally starting
to grasp the tactics of hunting.
I think he's gonna be a really strong
and confident cheetah.
♪
[Engine turns over]
♪
Look at them. Massive, full bellies.
♪
I really can't believe
that it's been over a year
since we first started
following Pobe's story.
Yes, she is an absolutely
incredible huntress,
but she's also a really fun
and loving mum.
♪
And seeing how Neelo,
her adult cub, has progressed
and now seeing Bo, her youngest,
I think it just shows that she's got
potentially an absolutely awesome
and very strong dynasty developing,
and long may it continue.
♪
♪
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
[Bird chirping]
♪
Really nice
to see them together again
after giving me a heart attack.
And looks like Mum's recognizing
that she's growing,
where she's teaching her
the whole technical ability
that, uh, that she's
gonna have to master
if she's gonna survive as a leopard.
Narrator: This meal is a chance
for Lediba's rapidly growing cub
to learn a skill unique to leopards.
Keep your food off the ground,
otherwise, somebody takes it.
Narrator: To keep their food safe,
leopards regularly drag
one and a half times
their own weight into the canopy.
Woodward: It's a hell of a feat
for a leopard to get a carcass
up that high into a tree.
Needs a lot of leverage.
♪
Oh, yeah, she's almost dropped it.
Yeah, she's really battling
to to hold on to it.
♪
What are you doing?
♪
Lediba's just gone
for a little drink, you know.
Looks like Mum's really
giving the cub the lead.
Normally, when the cubs are
really small, the mother will
open up the soft bits
underneath the stomach,
and this one's intact
and Mum is just letting her
open it up for herself.
She's putting the cub first
in every situation she can
and prioritizing the cub's development
over filling herself up.
And she really gives this cub
the space to grow
and learn in a safe environment.
♪
Narrator: Less than half of leopard cubs
make it to this age,
but those that do
are likely to survive to adulthood.
♪
Bestelink: There's a long journey ahead,
but she's out of that incredibly
vulnerable period
and it brings us
to the point, the milestone,
of naming her, and, uh
the mother is Lediba,
which means "lagoon,"
so we're going to call her Noka,
which means "river."
♪
So Mum has had a drink and she's
just come back to the tree.
[Lediba grunting]
She's now calling the cub.
One thing to get up in the tree,
but very difficult to get down.
Let's see if she finds a way.
♪
Well done. Come on, you can do it.
♪
Heh! Skydiving out
into a into a small tree.
♪
Woodward: This cub is growing
so fast and learning so quickly.
It's a whole new world out there,
and Noka is capable of exploring it.
♪
This thing is a survivor,
and Lediba is a great mother.
It just fills me
with so much more confidence
that this is going to be a happy story.
♪
[Lediba grunting softly]
♪
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
♪
Narrator: It's now been 3 days
since the Xudum pride had a meal.
Buchanan: I'm amazed that
these cubs still have energy.
There has been a lot of calories burnt
for no return.
[Lions grunting]
I am convinced that this is
gonna be a very busy night.
♪
[Drone buzzing]
♪
My goodness, there's
some buffalo in the distance.
Yes, that's a lot of buffalo.
Buchanan: We have got Mathata
and the other cubs, we've got Nosi,
Mmakgosi, and Magogo, few other females.
We also have one of the subadult males.
Everyone is getting involved in this.
♪
[Buffalo grunting]
Buchanan: Running, running, running.
♪
Hartman: Look at Mathata.
He is the one there, right in the front.
♪
Buchanan: We've got cubs,
mums, everyone joining in.
♪
[Buffalo grunting]
Buchanan: There's one peeled off.
Yeah, they're separating.
They're separating it.
Hartman: Wow, look at that. Wow!
♪
Buchanan: Every single one
of them looks as if they're
up for the challenge.
[Buffalo grunting]
♪
Hartman: Oh, one of the little ones
is on its tail.
Buchanan: Oh, they are so close,
unless the water can save this buffalo.
Oh, they've let go of it.
They have let go.
That is a miraculous escape.
Wisest thing it could have done
is to get into the water.
Narrator: Buffalo will enter deep water
to escape from lions.
♪
Oh, how did that get away?
Narrator: But the Xudum pride cubs
Buchanan: Oh, my word.
OK, they're following.
Narrator: are not giving up.
♪
Oh, they're gonna try again.
[Lion roars]
♪
Buchanan: Mathata's here.
♪
One of the subadult males is on top.
Mathata's at the back leg.
♪
Hartman: They've got him down.
That is unbelievable.
Oh, it's a pile-on here.
We got the cubs in there,
everybody on top of this buffalo.
Buchanan: Yeah, it's all over.
There's no way this buffalo
is getting back up.
♪
Whew!
♪
Hartman: I cannot believe
how involved the cubs have been
in this buffalo hunt.
I mean, Mathata
and the young female cubs
are gonna be ruthless, formidable
big game hunters, that's for sure.
Narrator: By successfully
working together
with the rest of the pride,
Mathata and the cubs
have finally brought down
a meal big enough for them all.
Buchanan: Mathata, you are
the hero of the hour.
He's still tiny compared to a buffalo,
but he is prepared to get
right under those hooves
and do do what it takes.
He has got such a big character.
He is boisterous,
but with that boisterousness comes
the boldness a lion needs to succeed.
When it comes to the ultimate prize,
this is it, a buffalo.
This is gonna fill the stomachs
of every single one
of these lions, and Mathata
played a big part in that.
♪
[Elephants grunting]
[Birds chirping]
♪
Buchanan: What here? Fly-by.
Oh
♪
What's gotten into these lions today?
Oh, I know what it is. Buffalo meat.
♪
It just sort of brought
these lions to life.
♪
Nthomiwa: The last
6 months that they've had,
it's been a roller coaster of a ride.
But the Xudum lionesses are
a force to be reckoned with,
and these cubs are nearly reaching
maturity and independence.
♪
Buchanan: To the north,
we've seen new cubs
being born to young lionesses
that have mated with lions
from the outside. [Cub squeaks]
Dimitriadis: I'm excited
to see what Serami
and the other lionesses
in her sisterhood do next.
It might be a little bit
too soon to say that this is
a breakaway pride,
but I think we can say
that we're potentially seeing
the very beginnings
of a new one.
♪
Nthomiwa: The life
of a cat is never easy.
It doesn't matter if you're a cub
or the king of a pride.
Change in the natural world
is always a certainty,
and now the real challenge begins.
♪
[Walkie-talkie beeps]
Woodward: Sets for Tristen.
♪
Hartman: Oh, my God!
He's gonna get it right there.
♪
[Engine turns over]
♪
Woodward: Unbelievable.
These dogs have just exploded
through camp, chasing an impala.
Hartman: Ish, there's lions there.
♪
Buchanan: There is no love lost
between these two species.
Cats and dogs don't get along.
[Lion roars softly]
Hartman: Wild dogs are the most
successful predator in Africa.
They have got a success rate
of around 80%.
Bestelink: Wow,
the rivalry at the minute
in the Okavango is so intense.
[Wild dogs yapping]
This has just become
a pressure cooker of predators.
Next year,
this place is gonna explode.
[Lion roars]
♪
♪