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I've spent much of my working life
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trying to film big cats.
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I've watched them in the wild and analyzed the footage
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in the editing room, which has given me
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a real insight into their behavior.
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Today, we can see these amazing predators on our screens
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any time we choose.
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(dramatic music)
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But, until quite recently,
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we knew practically nothing about them,
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(dramatic music)
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Big cats are normally shy and very secretive.
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Today, their populations are shrinking fast.
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But now we have the means to view them
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in more detail than ever.
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(thunder rumbling)
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(dramatic music)
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And learn the intricacies of their lives,
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which is just as well, because we need to find ways
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of living alongside them before they disappear forever.
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The lion is probably the most familiar of all the big cats.
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(insects and birds chattering)
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(lion snoring)
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But we still have much to learn about its behavior,
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as do these two young cubs.
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They're about to go on a big adventure
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and discover the world around them.
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(insects chirring)
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The cubs are now about six weeks old
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and this is their first journey in the open.
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They have to run to keep up with their mother's brisk pace.
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(insects chirring, wildebeest lowing)
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Even at this early age,
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they have a powerful instinct to chase,
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much to the surprise of the nearby wildlife.
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But today their job isn't to hunt.
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They just have to start learning what it is to be a lion,
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and that means toned muscles, and peak fitness.
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Lions love to chase.
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Females, with a relatively light weight, 150 kilos,
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tend to be the fastest.
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The heavier males, at up to 250 kilos
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are more likely to attack slower, bigger prey.
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(thoughtful music)
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And, males can club together, doubling their power.
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(thoughtful music)
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Lions differ from all other cats
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in that they are highly social,
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forming prides of up to 35 animals,
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(insects chirring)
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and this pride is where the cubs are headed.
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These are their aunts, older sisters, cousins,
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and one of their fathers.
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(thoughtful music)
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(insects chirring)
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This is their pride.
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(thoughtful music)
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(insects chirring)
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But, the cubs' journey is fraught with danger.
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Lions can be their own worst enemy.
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That's why their mother's bringing them in daylight,
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because most other lions are asleep.
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Hot sun and warm air makes them lethargic.
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(thoughtful music)
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(insects chirring)
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(lions snoring)
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And yet, that's when tourists usually get to see lions,
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giving many people the idea that these cats are,
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in some way, lazy and indolent.
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(insects chirring)
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(birds chirping)
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The truth is that lions are huge and bulky,
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yet have quite small hearts, and no sweat glands,
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so they have difficulty keeping cool.
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They have to pant rather like a dog.
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But, my time with these extraordinary cats
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has shown me that lions are far from lazy.
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Today the pride is easy for the cubs' mother to find.
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In the mara, a big collection of tourist vehicles
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is a sure sign the pride is near.
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The mother is completely used to traffic.
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Her sisters have been waiting for her.
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Between them they have six other cubs
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in three different age groups,
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and the mother lets her babies join the group.
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(thoughtful music)
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(lion cubs squeaking)
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(birds chirping)
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(insects chirring)
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The big cubs welcome the newcomers
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with a gentleness that suggests they understand
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how delicate their new family members are,
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(insects chirring)
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and the little cubs are allowed to do as they please.
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(insects chirring)
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(birds chirping)
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This would be a pretty typical pride
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in structure as well as size,
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but these lions are far from typical.
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These lions are famous.
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They're probably seen by more humans
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than any other wild lions on the planet.
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From here, their images will be posted all over the world
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on Instagram and Twitter.
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As a result, they're perfectly happy with people
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as long as they stay in their vehicles.
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(insects chirring)
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(lions grumbling)
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It's only with cats like this in a place like this
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that we have any real chance
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of understanding their lives properly.
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If they weren't completely relaxed around people
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we simply wouldn't see them.
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Lions know all about being invisible.
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(birds chirping)
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(lion cubs squeaking)
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(wildebeest lowing)
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The place is Kenya's Masai Mara and its migration time.
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Huge herds from the south come to graze
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on the short new growth of grass.
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(wildebeest hooves pounding)
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(wildebeest lowing)
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For the lions there's prey everywhere.
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This is one of the few places left on Earth
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where large herds of Pleistocene megafauna still exist.
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Elephants are common.
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They keep the place free of trees
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while the grazers keep the grass short and nutritious.
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(birds chirping)
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(insects chirring)
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(elephants trumpeting)
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And lions have become an integral part of this habitat.
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Without them, none of this would survive.
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(thunder rumbling)
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(insects chirring)
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When a storm rolls in,
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as it does in the wet season most afternoons,
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the cool breeze wakes the lions up.
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Cats only yawn when they're about to move,
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not when they're tired.
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It's a sure sign they'll soon be on their way.
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(insects chirring)
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But they're not hunting now.
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There's no point,
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as their prey can see them literally a mile off,
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and here, on this short grass,
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that is their biggest problem.
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It took me many years to work out how they solved it.
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Then quite a few more to actually film it successfully.
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(insects chirring)
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With no cover, these cubs have no chance of getting close,
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but it's good practice.
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(antelope galloping)
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(thunder rumbling)
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Because of global warming
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the storms are now more intense than they used to be.
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75 millimeters of rain can fall in just 30 minutes.
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(thoughtful music)
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(rain falling)
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This is cue for tourists to head back to camp for a beer
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before flooded rivers block their way.
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(thoughtful music)
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(rain falling)
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For me, The rest of the evening and the night are by far
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the best time for lions to reveal their true nature.
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(thoughtful music)
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(rain falling)
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(thunder rumbling)
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In this kind of rain,
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lions always stop whatever they're doing,
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which is perhaps why the prey animals
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can lower their guard, too.
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(thoughtful music)
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(rain falling)
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Most will stand with their backs to the wind.
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(rain falling)
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(thunder rumbling)
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(rain falling)
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The lions seem impervious
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to the worst nature can throw at them.
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(thunder rumbling)
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(rain falling)
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But, as the rain eases up, the cubs can't help themselves.
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(wind blowing)
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(cheerful music)
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(rain falling)
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Soon, their mothers join in.
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(cheerful music)
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For many animals here the arrival of the rains
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is a time of exuberance and play.
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Lions are no exception.
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The calls of wet season frogs accompany the lions
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in this most touching of moments,
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when the whole pride is at play together.
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(cheerful music)
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If happy is the right word to use,
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cool, wet weather like this seems to make lions happy.
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(cheerful music)
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(rain falling)
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Light levels are dropping fast
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and the lions are beginning to think about dinner.
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(rain falling)
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Now that the rain has almost stopped
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the prey animals that just an hour ago
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were spread out over the plains,
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have gathered and are heading up the hill.
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(animals lowing)
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The only explanation I can think of for this behavior,
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which happens almost every night
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is that the hilltops are further away
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from the low lying areas with cover
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where lions normally hang out.
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Since there'll be no moon until after midnight
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and there's a thick layer of cloud from the storm
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it's going to be very, very dark.
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The little cubs need to be hidden somewhere safe.
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The lions are on the move from their daytime haunts
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following the trail of the wildebeest.
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By now, it's just us and the lions.
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What we're about to see is what I now recognize
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as typical lion behavior.
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And yet, has hardly ever been recorded.
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(insects chirring)
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By the time the lions get to where
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they last saw the wildebeest, the herd has gone,
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and at this stage the lions often seem confused.
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(insects chirring)
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(thunder rumbling)
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(insects chirring)
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(thunder rumbling)
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It's now what humans would call pitch black
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and no camera can function here without help.
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The only reason we can see anything at all
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is because we're using infrared light,
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which the lions can't see.
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(insects chirring)
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We also have thermal cameras,
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which detect the heat from the warm bodies of animals.
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(insects chirring)
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And, our vehicle is fitted with infrared lights,
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and driven using infrared night vision goggles.
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(insects chirring)
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The world that these special cameras reveal
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is already quite different from the daylight world.
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Hippos have replaced the wildebeest and zebras,
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cropping the short, tender shoots
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to a perfect golf course length
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using only their huge lips.
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The nocturnal hippos are very unusual animals.
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(insects chirring)
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Stranger still, the thermal camera reveals
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weird temperature variations on their skin.
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Nobody knows why.
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They are huge, and extremely dangerous,
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but if we so much as shine visible light on them
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they'd run.
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In the darkness, they can't see the approach
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of a silent predator.
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Their eyesight isn't that good,
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but their sense of smell is amazing.
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(insects chirring)
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Lions can bring down hippos
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only if they're in a big pride
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and if males are present.
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(hippo bellowing)
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They can kill a lion with a single bite
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and move surprisingly quickly.
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(hippo bellowing)
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(insects chirring)
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The youngsters enjoy their invisibility.
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(insects chirring)
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Like almost everything they do, it's just so much fun.
273
00:16:30,020 --> 00:16:33,743
And the bravest get to ride the back of a fleeing giant.
274
00:16:35,310 --> 00:16:36,773
We call it hippo surfing.
275
00:16:44,556 --> 00:16:47,610
(lions roaring)
276
00:16:47,610 --> 00:16:49,440
Things are getting a bit out of hand now
277
00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:51,510
so the mothers call everyone in
278
00:16:51,510 --> 00:16:52,993
to continue on their mission.
279
00:16:54,420 --> 00:16:55,353
Getting dinner.
280
00:16:57,161 --> 00:17:00,994
(lions roaring and grumbling)
281
00:17:06,860 --> 00:17:09,763
As usual, the mothers seem to have a plan.
282
00:17:10,602 --> 00:17:13,519
(insects chirring)
283
00:17:16,870 --> 00:17:18,350
Three kilometers away,
284
00:17:18,350 --> 00:17:20,740
the nervous wildebeest are on the hilltops,
285
00:17:20,740 --> 00:17:23,948
and arrange themselves in defensive groups.
286
00:17:23,948 --> 00:17:26,010
(thoughtful music)
287
00:17:26,010 --> 00:17:27,213
They stay quiet.
288
00:17:30,180 --> 00:17:33,673
Sentinels look into the blackness for signs of trouble.
289
00:17:35,410 --> 00:17:39,203
It's now so dark that human eyes can barely see anything.
290
00:17:41,070 --> 00:17:44,133
Lion eyes are eight times more sensitive.
291
00:17:45,030 --> 00:17:48,563
But for all the animals it's still a very dark night.
292
00:17:50,029 --> 00:17:51,770
The wildebeest have to dip their heads
293
00:17:51,770 --> 00:17:54,300
so they can see the world in front of them
294
00:17:54,300 --> 00:17:56,103
silhouetted against the sky.
295
00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,400
This is the only way they have of seeing a lion.
296
00:18:04,096 --> 00:18:08,253
As the cats are countershaded against the dim starlight,
297
00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:14,290
the only thing that could give the lions away
298
00:18:14,290 --> 00:18:16,540
is the sound of their footfalls.
299
00:18:16,540 --> 00:18:19,457
(insects chirring)
300
00:18:26,740 --> 00:18:28,730
If it's quiet for long enough
301
00:18:28,730 --> 00:18:31,720
eventually the whole herd will begin to relax a little
302
00:18:32,690 --> 00:18:34,440
and settle down to chew their cuds.
303
00:18:36,260 --> 00:18:37,350
All those animals that were
304
00:18:37,350 --> 00:18:41,170
spread over the plains in daylight are now silent
305
00:18:41,170 --> 00:18:43,283
and occupy far less space.
306
00:18:45,460 --> 00:18:47,973
They will be hard to find by accident,
307
00:18:49,890 --> 00:18:53,090
but these four lionesses know the terrain well
308
00:18:53,090 --> 00:18:55,538
and know the habits of wildebeest.
309
00:18:55,538 --> 00:18:58,621
(suspenseful music)
310
00:19:01,340 --> 00:19:03,110
They look as if they're out for a stroll,
311
00:19:03,110 --> 00:19:07,009
but this is actually typical lion hunting behavior.
312
00:19:07,009 --> 00:19:08,154
(insects chirring)
313
00:19:08,154 --> 00:19:10,890
(suspenseful music)
314
00:19:10,890 --> 00:19:13,680
The males usually tag along some distance behind
315
00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:16,703
and try and stay out of the way.
316
00:19:17,659 --> 00:19:20,659
(suspenseful music)
317
00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,650
Our biggest problem is to not wake the wildebeest
318
00:19:38,650 --> 00:19:40,960
with the sound of our engine.
319
00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:44,763
We have to stay back and hope the action comes towards us.
320
00:19:45,813 --> 00:19:47,990
(insects chirring)
321
00:19:47,990 --> 00:19:50,990
(suspenseful music)
322
00:19:57,638 --> 00:19:58,471
(dramatic music)
323
00:19:58,471 --> 00:20:00,263
Suddenly, as if they all have a plan,
324
00:20:02,300 --> 00:20:03,937
the pride spreads out.
325
00:20:04,773 --> 00:20:07,940
(insects chirring)
326
00:20:07,940 --> 00:20:11,799
What happens now always follows a similar pattern.
327
00:20:11,799 --> 00:20:14,430
(insects chirring)
328
00:20:14,430 --> 00:20:17,930
Every lion seems to be operating independently
329
00:20:17,930 --> 00:20:22,790
even the cubs, yet appears as if they have a good sense
330
00:20:22,790 --> 00:20:26,520
of where the others are and where the herd is.
331
00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:29,520
(suspenseful music)
332
00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:32,430
(thunder rumbling)
333
00:20:32,430 --> 00:20:35,431
The herd is being surrounded.
334
00:20:35,431 --> 00:20:38,348
(insects chirring)
335
00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:45,370
When lions approach settled animals like this
336
00:20:45,370 --> 00:20:47,680
they always stop a safe distance
337
00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,033
to watch and listen for a while.
338
00:20:51,324 --> 00:20:54,241
(insects chirring)
339
00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,993
This is the kind of hunting lions are designed for.
340
00:21:01,354 --> 00:21:04,354
(suspenseful music)
341
00:21:05,195 --> 00:21:08,112
(insects chirring)
342
00:21:37,170 --> 00:21:41,863
During the day on open plains they'd never get this close.
343
00:21:44,260 --> 00:21:46,050
But she won't charge.
344
00:21:46,050 --> 00:21:47,500
That's not her job.
345
00:21:47,500 --> 00:21:48,473
She's a catcher.
346
00:21:49,901 --> 00:21:52,557
(insects chirring)
347
00:21:52,557 --> 00:21:54,940
(suspenseful music)
348
00:21:54,940 --> 00:21:57,060
She's waiting for the chaser
349
00:21:57,060 --> 00:21:58,993
to pick the right time and place.
350
00:22:02,460 --> 00:22:05,560
It's so dark even the lioness drops her head
351
00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:07,589
to see what's in front of her.
352
00:22:07,589 --> 00:22:09,747
(insects chirring)
353
00:22:09,747 --> 00:22:12,273
(dramatic music)
354
00:22:12,273 --> 00:22:15,523
(wildebeest galloping)
355
00:22:21,260 --> 00:22:25,500
Now the wildebeest are in a state of literally blind panic
356
00:22:25,500 --> 00:22:27,693
and drop their heads to get a better view.
357
00:22:28,810 --> 00:22:31,040
From the catcher's low vantage point
358
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:34,341
the herd is clearly silhouetted against the sky.
359
00:22:34,341 --> 00:22:36,500
(wildebeest galloping)
360
00:22:36,500 --> 00:22:39,250
(dramatic music)
361
00:22:45,860 --> 00:22:47,440
The chaser drives the herd
362
00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:50,023
towards where she thinks there might be a lion.
363
00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,710
Like most cats, lions can deliver a sharp burst of speed
364
00:23:02,900 --> 00:23:06,793
but are low on endurance, so, timing is critical.
365
00:23:07,887 --> 00:23:09,500
(dramatic music)
366
00:23:09,500 --> 00:23:12,260
With so many lions spread about the place
367
00:23:12,260 --> 00:23:15,576
there's usually another to take up the chase.
368
00:23:15,576 --> 00:23:18,153
(wildebeest galloping)
369
00:23:18,153 --> 00:23:20,903
(dramatic music)
370
00:23:22,999 --> 00:23:25,916
(insects chirring)
371
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,800
Just to make things more interesting for the wildebeest,
372
00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,743
hyenas are always attracted to the sound of galloping.
373
00:23:47,110 --> 00:23:50,270
They're the lion's only real competition out here,
374
00:23:50,270 --> 00:23:53,160
but unlike the lions, hyenas have stamina,
375
00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:56,521
which they use to find the weakest members of the herd.
376
00:23:56,521 --> 00:23:58,650
(dramatic music)
377
00:23:58,650 --> 00:24:00,640
If lions are sprinters,
378
00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,073
hyenas are the middle distance runners.
379
00:24:04,232 --> 00:24:06,982
(dramatic music)
380
00:24:16,759 --> 00:24:17,890
But at this time of year
381
00:24:17,890 --> 00:24:20,313
there's plenty of food for both hunters.
382
00:24:21,461 --> 00:24:24,630
(insects chirring)
383
00:24:24,630 --> 00:24:27,603
The lions realize that nobody caught anything.
384
00:24:28,670 --> 00:24:33,173
They all missed, and the wildebeest vacate the area.
385
00:24:34,690 --> 00:24:36,523
The pride isn't going to starve.
386
00:24:37,450 --> 00:24:40,940
They know what to do, and the cubs especially
387
00:24:40,940 --> 00:24:43,203
are having the best fun of their lives.
388
00:24:44,663 --> 00:24:45,816
(lion roaring)
389
00:24:45,816 --> 00:24:48,616
The matriarch lets the others know it's time to regroup.
390
00:24:50,360 --> 00:24:53,220
This is how a big pride stays together in the dark
391
00:24:54,100 --> 00:24:57,250
as the roar can be heard over eight kilometers away.
392
00:24:58,155 --> 00:25:00,738
(lion roaring)
393
00:25:17,121 --> 00:25:20,433
It doesn't take them long to locate another herd.
394
00:25:24,155 --> 00:25:26,905
(dramatic music)
395
00:25:31,384 --> 00:25:34,660
Again, they surround the wildebeest.
396
00:25:34,660 --> 00:25:37,410
(dramatic music)
397
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,563
Once again the chaser gets the ball rolling.
398
00:25:49,206 --> 00:25:51,366
(dramatic music)
399
00:25:51,366 --> 00:25:54,455
(wildebeest galloping)
400
00:25:54,455 --> 00:25:57,205
(dramatic music)
401
00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:02,070
She turns the herd back to where she last saw her sister.
402
00:26:02,070 --> 00:26:04,534
(wildebeest galloping)
403
00:26:04,534 --> 00:26:07,284
(dramatic music)
404
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,300
She uses her vise-like grip to administer
405
00:26:22,300 --> 00:26:24,973
a suffocating bite to the wildebeest's throat.
406
00:26:30,729 --> 00:26:34,670
(wildebeest galloping)
407
00:26:34,670 --> 00:26:37,680
Somehow the rest of the pride always knows where the kill is
408
00:26:38,581 --> 00:26:41,630
(insects chirring)
409
00:26:41,630 --> 00:26:42,943
and are soon there too.
410
00:26:44,230 --> 00:26:46,690
(lions roaring)
411
00:26:46,690 --> 00:26:49,470
Although one lioness brought the wildebeest down,
412
00:26:49,470 --> 00:26:51,253
it was a group effort.
413
00:26:53,209 --> 00:26:57,410
(lions grumbling and munching)
414
00:26:57,410 --> 00:27:00,913
These treeless hilltops are perfect for night hunting.
415
00:27:04,582 --> 00:27:07,415
(hyenas whooping)
416
00:27:11,070 --> 00:27:13,520
But this is the center of hyena territory
417
00:27:14,450 --> 00:27:17,030
and the hyenas are annoyed.
418
00:27:17,030 --> 00:27:21,345
The lions have invaded their space and chased the prey away.
419
00:27:21,345 --> 00:27:25,428
(hyenas chattering and whooping)
420
00:27:27,390 --> 00:27:30,403
The hyenas pose real danger to the cubs.
421
00:27:31,620 --> 00:27:34,313
But now the male lions get to play their part.
422
00:27:35,310 --> 00:27:37,853
They're far more aggressive towards hyenas,
423
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:41,329
and the hyenas know it.
424
00:27:41,329 --> 00:27:44,329
(suspenseful music)
425
00:27:48,340 --> 00:27:50,463
The pride can feed in peace.
426
00:27:54,343 --> 00:27:56,800
(male lions rumbling)
427
00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:00,900
Lions can eat as much as 30 kilos in a sitting,
428
00:28:00,900 --> 00:28:02,010
which, in case you're wondering,
429
00:28:02,010 --> 00:28:05,260
is something like 240 standard hamburgers
430
00:28:06,260 --> 00:28:08,320
without the bread, obviously.
431
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:09,153
(insects chirring)
432
00:28:09,153 --> 00:28:12,940
But it's clear there's nothing lazy about lions.
433
00:28:12,940 --> 00:28:15,503
They've barely stopped for the last six hours.
434
00:28:17,290 --> 00:28:19,210
They've walked at least five kilometers,
435
00:28:19,210 --> 00:28:20,773
chased hundreds of animals,
436
00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:24,123
fended off a hyena threat,
437
00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:27,843
and caught a good meal.
438
00:28:29,415 --> 00:28:32,082
(lions roaring)
439
00:28:39,110 --> 00:28:41,333
However, that's not the end of this story.
440
00:28:43,527 --> 00:28:46,527
(suspenseful music)
441
00:28:49,327 --> 00:28:52,420
(insects chirring)
442
00:28:52,420 --> 00:28:56,503
By the time the moon has risen the pride is fast asleep,
443
00:28:57,610 --> 00:28:59,563
or relax in their own company.
444
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:02,446
(insects chirring)
445
00:29:02,446 --> 00:29:03,850
(hyenas whooping)
446
00:29:03,850 --> 00:29:07,600
Not far away, the hyena clan has made its own kill
447
00:29:09,970 --> 00:29:12,683
and parties in its own distinctive way.
448
00:29:15,790 --> 00:29:19,090
But one lioness has left the security of the pride
449
00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:22,923
to find her two small cubs and suckle them.
450
00:29:24,940 --> 00:29:26,880
The flashing lights in the distance
451
00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,093
clearly illustrate the edge of her domain.
452
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,220
Land that a decade ago was lion country
453
00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:39,823
is now populated by increasing numbers of cattle.
454
00:29:40,730 --> 00:29:44,230
Cattle owned by rich people whose original pasture
455
00:29:44,230 --> 00:29:46,393
has been leased to wheat farmers.
456
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:51,892
Cattle which are now grazing inside the Masai Mara Reserve.
457
00:29:51,892 --> 00:29:54,809
(thoughtful music)
458
00:29:57,710 --> 00:30:00,213
The cubs future is not secure.
459
00:30:02,150 --> 00:30:04,258
There are now thought to be
460
00:30:04,258 --> 00:30:06,473
fewer than 15,000 lions remaining,
461
00:30:07,390 --> 00:30:12,064
a drop of 75% in 50 years.
462
00:30:12,064 --> 00:30:14,981
(thoughtful music)
463
00:30:16,010 --> 00:30:20,020
If these cubs don't learn restraint when faced with cattle,
464
00:30:20,020 --> 00:30:24,170
they may well be attacked or poisoned
465
00:30:24,170 --> 00:30:26,020
as were their neighbors to the north.
466
00:30:27,675 --> 00:30:30,040
(thoughtful music)
467
00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:34,640
And yet, these lions earn millions of dollars for Kenya
468
00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:36,454
and the local economy.
469
00:30:36,454 --> 00:30:39,371
(thoughtful music)
470
00:30:42,838 --> 00:30:46,839
It would be a tragic waste if they, too, disappeared.
471
00:30:46,839 --> 00:30:49,756
(thoughtful music)
472
00:30:51,410 --> 00:30:53,980
All over the lions range,
473
00:30:53,980 --> 00:30:58,393
cattle, farms, and humans are moving in.
474
00:30:58,393 --> 00:31:01,310
(thoughtful music)
475
00:31:04,020 --> 00:31:07,380
Their prey is disappearing and lions are retreating
476
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,889
as they have been for thousands of years.
477
00:31:12,889 --> 00:31:15,190
(thoughtful music)
478
00:31:15,190 --> 00:31:18,630
In the Ice Age, lions covered much of the globe,
479
00:31:18,630 --> 00:31:21,081
and probably numbered in the millions.
480
00:31:21,081 --> 00:31:22,470
(thoughtful music)
481
00:31:22,470 --> 00:31:24,000
By recent times,
482
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,513
their range has contracted to almost nothing.
483
00:31:27,513 --> 00:31:31,030
(thoughtful music)
484
00:31:31,030 --> 00:31:34,156
However, it doesn't have to be this way.
485
00:31:34,156 --> 00:31:36,130
(thoughtful music)
486
00:31:36,130 --> 00:31:38,310
In the Indian State of Gujarat
487
00:31:38,310 --> 00:31:42,193
lions and humans are successfully living together.
488
00:31:43,759 --> 00:31:46,180
Here, 100 years ago,
489
00:31:46,180 --> 00:31:49,750
the lion population had plummeted to just 20.
490
00:31:49,750 --> 00:31:53,063
Today there are about 650,
491
00:31:54,580 --> 00:31:56,653
and they are loved by the local people.
492
00:31:57,700 --> 00:32:00,200
This is one of the few lion populations on Earth
493
00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:01,033
that has grown.
494
00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:06,157
So there is hope for the future of all big cats.
495
00:32:07,265 --> 00:32:10,348
(thoughtful music)
36117
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