All language subtitles for Africas.Hunters.S01E02_English

The Luangwa Valley
in southern Africa.

Home to an extraordinary
female leopard...

Kamuti.

At 13 years old,
she's wise and experienced.

And she has some of
the best territory around,

full of antelopes.

This prime real estate
has been hers

for more than ten years.

But she must work hard
to keep it.

She regularly patrols
her hunting ground,

marking it with her scent,

sending a clear message
to other female leopards...

'This land is mine.'

Now, she's about to face
her greatest threat.

A nomadic
young female leopard
is after her territory.

This will be a battle
of age and experience...

..versus youth and vitality.

Two leopards.

One territory.

Who will win?

At 13 years of age,

Kamuti is one of
the oldest known leopards
in the African bush.

Her long life is all
down to where she lives.

South Luangwa National Park
in Zambia.

An unspoiled wilderness.

Kamuti's territory covers

only two square
miles...

..a tiny area for a leopard.

But this is
no ordinary hunting ground.

The mosaic of habitat here,

from grassy plains

to ebony forests,

supports
a huge diversity of birdlife.

Guinea fowl and francolins

are very much
on Kamuti's menu.

And there are more than
60 species of mammal here...

..including
an unusual abundance
of her favorite prey.

Antelopes such as impala...

..and puku.

Kamuti has been
hunting all morning,

and has killed an impala.

This should keep her going
for a week or more.

But there are other more
powerful predators about.

Lions have smelt her success,

and are on her trail.

Before she's even finished
her first mouthful,

Kamuti is forced
to abandon her kill.

No point arguing
with a lioness

more than
three times her size.

All Kamuti can do is
watch from a safe distance.

But she's not far enough away
for the lioness' liking.

Kamuti seeks safety
up a tree,

where the heavier lion
cannot follow.

The rest of the pride
are quick on the scene,

and waste no time
cashing in on Kamuti's kill.

Now's her chance to escape.

Kamuti, like all leopards,

will always give way
to lions.

Not only are they
much bigger than her,

they are the only cats that
live in big family groups,

so they have strength
in numbers.

But there's one kind of cat
that Kamuti
will stand and fight.

Another female leopard.

Five miles to the east
is a rival female.

Olimba.

She's three years old

and coming into her prime.

Strong, supple,
and in perfect condition.

Until recently,
Olimba lived with her mother.

But now, for the first time,

she's striking out
on her own.

This is the start of
a new and solitary life.

Right now, she's a nomad.

What she needs is a hunting
ground of her own...

with plenty of prey

and lots of cover.

But the best territory
around here is already taken.

She won't get it
without a fight.

She sets out in search of
a new place to call home.

It's the dry season
in South Luangwa.

It hasn't rained
for more than five months.

As the sun beats down,
a herd of impala gathers

at the one remaining
source of water...

..the Luangwa River.

Midday is the safest time for
impala to be out in the open.

It's too hot
for most predators to hunt.

But Olimba is hungry.

Impala are one of the largest
animals she can bring down,

and so are top of her menu.

But there's no cover
on the sandy river bank.

She's chancing it.

No chance!

A more experienced leopard
would have known
this was a lost cause.

Until she has her own hunting
ground with plenty of cover,

Olimba is always
going to struggle.

Her search for a new home
is bringing Olimba closer
to Kamuti.

She's only three miles away from
the older leopard's territory,

and is closing in.

Kamuti is also out hunting
in the heat of the day.

As her last kill was stolen
by lions, she's still hungry.

But she knows better than to
try stalking out in the open.

She's learnt that
her best chance of an ambush

is when she's hidden
in a dried-up river bed

in the heart
of her territory,

where prey can't see her,
even in broad daylight.

But years of experience

and the best cover
don't guarantee success.

- (Shrieks)
- A puku sounds the alarm.

It didn't see her.
It smelled her.

A quick change in wind
direction is all it takes...

..and her chances are blown.

It's hard for a leopard
to slip by unnoticed.

They have scent glands
on their heads

and at the base
of their tail,

which produce
pungent secretions.

Prey is extremely sensitive
to her smell.

But Kamuti knows
all the old tricks,

and has a clever way to try
and disguise her scent.

What better perfume than mud

mixed with
a good dose of giraffe urine?

Now she waits
for the cover of darkness.

A revolutionary
military-grade thermal camera

reveals the night-time world
of the Luangwa Valley.

In the black of night,

a good sense of smell
is all-important.

A porcupine uses its nose to
sniff out nutritious roots.

The stench of a rotting hippo
brings on a feeding frenzy

amongst the crocodiles
in the river.

Away from the water,
the scent of another carcass

has led a crocodile
deep inland.

An elephant shrew's
highly-sensitive nose

allows it to hunt insects

and other small invertebrates
in the darkness.

Its moveable snout is a bit
like an elephant's trunk,

and that's no coincidence.

Amazingly, this tiny creature
is more closely related

to these giants
than to rodents
and other small mammals.

(Elephants trumpet)

Elephants have
the best sense of smell
in the animal kingdom.

And that's all down
to their long trunks.

Air drawn in through the two
nostrils at a trunk's tip

passes over millions of
receptor cells in its lining.

A signal is then relayed
to the brain, which
interprets different scents.

Their incredible trunk
enables elephants

to smell water
as far as 12 miles away.

Having a good sense of smell
is also important for Kamuti.

She's on the hunt again,

closing in
on a herd of impala.

She might have
the better night vision,

but she knows her scent
could give her away.

She's trying desperately
to stay downwind of her prey.

She must get within twenty feet
before she can strike.

Any farther

and the antelope will have
too much of a head start.

She's not as quick
as she used to be.

But she's smart.

Once again,
she rolls in urine.

This time,
in the antelopes' latrines.

She's covering her scent
with that of her prey.

Maybe now she'll outwit them.

She inches forward.

Confident that her scent
is well disguised,

she picks up speed.

The antelope
are on red alert.

They must have heard her.

Kamuti decides
to call it a night.

Once again,
she's left hungry.

It's early morning,

and the guinea fowl
are already out and about,
foraging for food.

These are
helmeted guinea fowl,

named after the bony mound
on their heads.

They're not fussy eaters.

Like chickens,
they scratch the ground

with their strong claws

and are happy to eat seeds,
berries, worms, insects...

Anything goes.

Typically, they live
in groups of around 25 birds.

Plenty of eyes
to look out for danger.

But they haven't spotted
the young nomad Olimba,

who's quietly watching
their every move.

She's right on the outskirts
of Kamuti's territory,

less than a mile
from the older leopard.

There's no impala here,

but a bird might make
a nice breakfast.

Once again,
her prey is out in the open.

There's no cover.

It's far from ideal.

But Olimba's not put off.

The untimely distraction
by the tree squirrel

has cost her another meal.

Having missed out
on breakfast,

Olimba is hungry
for some supper.

The guinea fowl are
settling down for the night.

Though they spend their days
feeding on the ground,

they feel safest when they're
roosting as high as possible.

Olimba's night vision
is far superior to theirs,

but they're right
at the top of the tree.

Scaling the vertical trunk

looks effortless
for this fit, young cat.

She may be agile,

but up here the birds
have a clear advantage.

You can't fault
her enthusiasm.

But eagerness alone
is not enough.

What Olimba really needs

is to find a hunting ground
full of antelope...

..one that she can claim
for herself.

(Growls)

As Olimba enters
Kamuti's territory,

she makes her presence known.

As well as sound,
she's using smell,

scraping the ground
with the scent glands
in her hind paws.

Olimba's approach
is bad news for Kamuti.

A rival female leopard
is a serious threat.

Kamuti has held
her hunting grounds
for more than ten years.

But that could be
about to change.

Kamuti's got to act fast.

She immediately
sets off on patrol,

laying claim to her territory
with her scent.

She rubs her head
on important landmarks.

Her sebaceous glands
release an oily secretion...

..a chemical signature
that will stay here
for up to five days.

This is an important spot
for Kamuti.

It's her favorite lookout.

Just for good measure, she
also sprays it with urine,

infused with secretions
from her anal glands...

..a clear sign
that tells intruders

in no uncertain terms
to keep out.

Kamuti must hold on
to her territory.

Her life depends on it.

Olimba, the young contender,

is now inside
Kamuti's territory...

..and is making herself
very much at home.

She's trying
to get some rest,

but the noisy residents
are disturbing her peace.

(Bird calls)

Swainson's francolin.

For such a small bird,
they have a big voice.

(Screechy call)

(Growls)

Olimba's not impressed.

A tree squirrel
has spotted her.

It's the final straw.

She gives up any idea
of sleep, and moves on.

This is more like it.

A clearing
teeming with antelope.

It's just the hunting ground
that Olimba needs.

But the scent on this tree

tells her
this patch is already taken.

It's one of the trees
that Kamuti marked.

And it's covered
with vital information.

Just by smelling her scent,

Olimba can tell that
Kamuti is female,

elderly,
and was here very recently.

Olimba now knows she is
the younger and fitter
of the two leopards

and that she has
a good chance of winning
this land for herself.

There's further proof
that this territory
belongs to someone else.

(Insects buzzing)

She's found Kamuti's larder.

A muscular body
and short powerful legs

give Olimba
the perfect balance
of strength and agility.

It's a dead puku.

(Flies buzzing)

Leopards have been known
to drag carcasses three times
their weight into a tree.

It's the one place
they know a lion or hyena
can't steal it.

But instead of
eating the puku,

she only sniffs it.

Kamuti must have stashed it
here a long time ago.

The meat has gone off.

Olimba may be hungry,

but she's not desperate
enough to eat rancid meat.

Olimba lays down
her own marker.

It's a clear message
for Kamuti...

..and a declaration of war.

Kamuti has heard Olimba
and now picks up her scent.

She's in no doubt
there's an intruder
right in her territory.

She can tell that
her rival is a young leopard,
who's reaching her prime.

This is a threat
she cannot ignore.

(Grunts)

She has no intention
of giving up hunting ground

that's been hers
for the past decade.

Undeterred, the young rival
Olimba has pushed on

into Kamuti's
favorite hunting spot.

The gully.

She checks out
the lay of the land,

and finds a hidden bonus.

One of the few
remaining water holes.

This late on in the dry
season, they're at a premium.

This territory has got
everything going for it.

Olimba wants it for herself,

and claims it with her urine.

Some puku have wandered
close to the gully's edge.

Finally, a chance to stalk
in the daytime unnoticed.

Success depends on surprise.

But she's upwind of her prey.

Olimba's got a lot to learn
if she wants to get the most
out of this hunting ground.

And there'll be
plenty more opportunities,

if she can claim the gully
for herself.

To win it,
first she must fight for it.

Olimba has youth and
strength in her favor.

But Kamuti has
years of experience,

and has successfully
fought off many intruders
in the past.

There's no telling
which way the fight will go.

A few days later,
Olimba is resting up a tree
overlooking the gully.

She's tired, but is finding
it hard to get comfortable.

And there's a reason.

She has a nasty gash
on her foot.

A wound almost certainly
from another leopard.

Kamuti is lying low.

She may be old, but she's
still strong enough to have
injured her young rival.

As she emerges
from her hideout,

it's clear
she's in a lot of pain.

She keeps licking
a deep wound on her back.

Her movements are stiff and
she looks worryingly thin.

It's not only her back
that's hurt.

She has a serious injury
on her left hind leg.

In her fight with Olimba,
Kamuti has definitely
come off worse.

There's no chance
of hunting impala now.

She has to make do
with whatever she can get.

A mongoose
is hardly a prize meal.

Secretions from anal glands
means mongoose
smell and taste foul.

She badly needs to eat,

but she can't keep
this unpalatable meal
down for long.

Kamuti's age and experience
have lost out to
Olimba's youth and vigor.

Leopards rarely live more
than 14 years in the wild.

At 13,
Kamuti has had a good run.

But now her journey
is coming to an end.

(Thunder rumbles)

A few weeks later,

and the long dry season
is over.

The rains transform
the Luangwa Valley

into a lush, green paradise.

There's a new queen of
these rich hunting grounds.

Olimba reigns supreme.

The impala have given birth

and all the young fawns
are easy prey.

Not only has Olimba
got the perfect territory...

..she's also found a mate.

As one leopard's story
comes to an end...

..another's
is only just beginning.