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There are predators
and there are prey.
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And then, there are enemies.
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From ancient times,
Africa has been the place
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where huge cats ruled the flooded forests
and swamps of prehistory.
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It was a violent time,
when the nightmare of massive predators
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stalked the land and nothing was safe.
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Well, those nightmares are back.
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There is an unusual pride of lions
stalking these swamps.
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Cats that live in water and hunt a single herd
of Cape buffalo.
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Evolution favors predators
that can hunt a range of prey,
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00:02:32,336 --> 00:02:36,840
but these lions are defying that trend
by becoming specialists,
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relentless hunters of this one prey.
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The explosive sky spitting fire
from the heavens
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is an unsettling prelude to the battle ahead.
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When two old adversaries
come head to head,
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the conflict is a war of wills.
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The outcome will hang in the balance.
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There is an island in Africa,
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a place where the ghostly shapes
of over 1 ,000 buffalo
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drift over the domain
of the resident pride of lions.
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The Tsaro pride are buffalo hunters,
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made up of nine lionesses of enormous bulk.
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Thick necks and heavy chests define them,
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features that serve them well
for this unique hunting.
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Amongst them, a silver-eyed female,
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possibly blinded in combat with the buffalo.
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She carries her battle scars well
and leads many of the hunts.
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The heaviest set is a skew-eared female.
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And the twins.
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Two identical lionesses that often give birth
to cubs at the same time
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and always hunt together.
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Then there is the large older female,
a good huntress,
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but there is something different about her.
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She sits off to the side,
watching the pride, always distant.
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The skew-horned buffalo bull
is the herd's pathfinder,
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and he has led it around
the Tsaro territory for years.
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He is a survivor
and senses the trouble ahead.
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There is a magical moment
in any hunt, each time,
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just one first moment,
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a time somewhere between the initial
stalking approach of individual lions
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and the coordinated run-in of a unified pride.
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At that moment, the decision is made,
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"We will attack, and we will attack together."
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There is no fight like the fight for survival
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and for the life of your offspring.
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But these lions will not accept failure.
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A charging buffalo doesn't strike fear
in their hearts.
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It spurs them into a deadly game
of attack and counterattack,
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thrust and parry, a relentless duel.
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This hunt is far from over.
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Blood has been tasted,
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and like some invisible thread,
it will lead them back
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to the injured calf time and time again,
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day after day after day.
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For this is an island surrounded
by an intricate web of thick papyrus swamps
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and deep water to the south and west.
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The buffalo are unable
to cross the fast-flowing
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and crocodile-infested rivers.
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And to the north,
deep channels carved out by hippos
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make it difficult for the herd
to swim to safety in that direction.
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There is no escape for the buffalo.
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When they do wade into the maze
of channels that ring fence Duba Island,
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they get entangled, confused,
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and ultimately are forced to return
to the waiting lions.
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So, what to us may seem a watery paradise
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is for the buffalo a deadly confinement,
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shrinking during the seasonal floods
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before drying out to a faded savanna,
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where two great warriors rule,
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the males of the Tsaro pride.
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They are masters of all on this island,
in particular the buffalo,
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they and their Tsaro females
seldom let out of their sight.
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There is a significant
new addition to the pride.
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Growing up against this backdrop of buffalo,
he needs to be nimble
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and confident on his feet
to become a Tsaro lion,
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a specialist buffalo hunter.
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Because lions are cooperative killers,
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he must also learn
how to be part of the pride
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and obey the harsh rules that govern it.
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He has a brief window,
while under his mother's intense protection,
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to memorize the personality
of each pride member.
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The lone female is his first study.
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The mother's explosive defense
only increases the tension in the pride
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and sets in motion a further
and ominous isolation of the old female.
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As a Tsaro lion,
his world is now a world of buffalo.
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Slowly, the clicking horns
and occasional bellows
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will become as common to his ears
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as the sound of flood waters
rippling on the sand.
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Each day brings him closer to the time
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when he'll be ready to propel himself
into the midst of the herd,
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unflinchingly throwing himself,
just like his mother does,
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against the terrifying wall of horns.
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The buffalo must walk their own
knife-edged path of survival,
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finding food and water
while all the time avoiding the dangers
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that will leave their bones scattered
in the indignity of death.
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The buffalo are crossing back
into his mother's territory.
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She has anticipated the path
of the herd's return perfectly.
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The technique, flush the herd
and scan for the weak.
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This time she is alone.
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But she knows the gifts
of this summer season,
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the newborn calves.
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00:11:21,944 --> 00:11:25,781
Buffalo's senses, both of sight and smell,
are well developed.
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Their hearing is excellent.
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These are intense and alert animals,
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but a sixth sense creeps through her now.
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She knows there is a lion nearby
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and she knows it is coming for her calf.
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All cats have an instinctive fear of water.
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But when the mother leads
her day-old calf into the swamp,
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the Tsaro lioness doesn't hesitate to follow.
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There is iron-fisted determination
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in a female with a hunger and a cub to feed.
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It is the trade-off that Africa must make
from time to time.
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Under the lions' inescapable surveillance,
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it is a constant effort just to survive.
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So each precious life
that slips into existence
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in this game of life and death
is a victory against the sentinels
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that scan the bushes
for any sign of opportunity.
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00:14:06,357 --> 00:14:11,821
Every delicate first step silently bolsters
the herd against their decline
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under the relentless onslaughts they endure.
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00:14:23,332 --> 00:14:28,838
Each wobble during the agonizing hour
it takes to stabilize,
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is a celebratory yell against the fates.
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And each successful birth is a tiny contract
that keeps the system alive.
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The synchrony of births overwhelms
the Tsaro pride with a flood of calves
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that outdoes their capacity
to kill all the newborn.
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They are limited to what they can eat today,
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one calf at a time.
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Although many are killed,
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the majority of the baby buffalo survive.
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As the buffalo start to move,
the lions of the Tsaro pride
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feel their pangs of hunger begin to stir.
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Ahead will be a fast-moving game
of life and death,
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for they must know that taking on
a fully grown buffalo
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with nothing but claws and teeth
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has to be the most dangerous game of all.
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On this unique Okavango island,
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with its one herd of buffalo
and three prides of lions,
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one would expect the nights to be filled
with bloodcurdling bellows.
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But strangely, these lions seldom hunt
under the cover of darkness.
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So nighttime is the herd's chance to
slip away to the far side of the island,
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or even across the river, if they can.
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The lions' diligence
has kept the herd contained
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within the Tsaro territory for weeks.
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00:16:59,779 --> 00:17:02,490
While there has been a feast on this side
of the channel,
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there has been a famine on the other.
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00:17:04,700 --> 00:17:07,787
The lions to the north, the Skimmer pride,
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has been without food for too long,
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and now their hunger
drives them through the water.
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They are nowhere near the size
of the Tsaro lionesses,
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but they have other skills.
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Now, the Skimmer pride has to risk
making an insurgent sortie.
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Just four small adult females
with 1 0 hungry and ineffectual cubs,
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they have to do this stealthily.
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They are taking a huge risk.
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If they panic the herd too early,
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the Tsaro females are bound to
hear the chase and react.
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Too vigorous an attack, and the cubs
could fall underfoot of a stampede.
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00:18:13,435 --> 00:18:17,606
When a single female sees her target,
the risk increases even more.
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00:18:21,318 --> 00:18:24,446
The only option now is a frontal attack.
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This is almost suicidal.
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Incredibly, she fells
an adult cow buffalo unaided,
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and drowns its muffled bellows in the water.
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Their desperation sees off any intruders.
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A hurried meal is all they can risk for now.
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To the south, the big Tsaro females
are ready and waiting.
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00:19:39,854 --> 00:19:44,275
In a sophisticated and well-honed tactic
of herding the buffalo,
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they first panic them with
a strange, growling charge.
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The object is not to attack,
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but to stampede the herd into the water.
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Only then do they pick off
the struggling young
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as they flounder out of their depth.
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00:20:05,797 --> 00:20:08,174
It is Silver Eye who makes the first contact,
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dragging her prey underwater
to deliver mortal wounds
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before the mother can retaliate
and rescue her calf.
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Then the hunt goes into phase two.
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Now, like sheepdogs,
the lions herd the buffalo together,
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relentlessly pushing in.
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It is clinical, this constant probing
for weakness,
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the following through the flood waters
for up to seven hours at a time.
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00:21:02,895 --> 00:21:05,522
The lone female hangs back for a moment,
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but the cub is eager to join in
despite his instinctive fear of water.
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Water is an element that all Tsaro lions
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must conquer early to become what they are,
true swamp cats.
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00:21:22,581 --> 00:21:25,292
And then, the stabbing attacks begin.
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Each attack weakens the spirit of the herd.
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This is the hunt they were born to.
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And this is when the blood races,
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adrenaline coursing through their muscles,
throbbing in their heads.
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The young are jostled between
anxious mothers and defensive bulls,
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00:22:25,060 --> 00:22:28,730
and this is what the lions
have been waiting for, mistakes,
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that given time and constant pressure,
are bound to happen.
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00:23:26,078 --> 00:23:29,707
And this is what the masters
have been waiting for.
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00:23:31,834 --> 00:23:35,171
Each kill is eagerly observed from a distance.
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Ready to add more battle scars
to his profile if need be,
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he is here to claim his bounty.
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00:23:54,732 --> 00:23:58,360
The lionesses have come to accept
this unchivalrous behavior.
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00:23:58,444 --> 00:24:02,781
It is their sacrifice for the protection
that the males give to the pride.
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00:24:03,365 --> 00:24:06,869
And knowing that the buffalo
are about to escape across the river,
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00:24:06,952 --> 00:24:08,704
they continue the hunt.
200
00:24:19,214 --> 00:24:24,094
The females that have run and hunted hard
will need the next kill to be theirs.
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00:24:31,476 --> 00:24:37,399
This kill must be large enough to both feed
those that stayed back protecting the cub,
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00:24:37,482 --> 00:24:43,155
and sustain the lionesses
that have been injured in this last attack.
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00:24:43,488 --> 00:24:47,951
For the females,
the next hunt had better succeed.
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00:24:53,081 --> 00:24:57,586
The buffalo on this island have developed
an unusual tactic for defense.
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00:24:57,627 --> 00:24:59,713
It seems to baffle the lions.
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00:25:03,758 --> 00:25:08,054
Under threat, they present
an impenetrable wall of horns
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00:25:08,096 --> 00:25:10,599
by simply dropping down to sleep.
208
00:25:14,853 --> 00:25:18,023
There are just a handful of hyenas
on the island.
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00:25:18,773 --> 00:25:21,943
When a new mother tries to move her cubs
out of the way of the herd,
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00:25:22,027 --> 00:25:26,448
she is well aware that she is being watched
from both sides.
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00:25:34,497 --> 00:25:37,459
She doesn't want to be caught
in the middle of this battle.
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00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:43,506
The unruly cubs had better head for cover.
213
00:25:43,590 --> 00:25:47,176
Lions will hunt down and kill hyenas
even though they don't eat them.
214
00:25:47,260 --> 00:25:50,471
But these lions are focused on killing
something edible,
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00:25:50,763 --> 00:25:53,433
so, for today at least, there's no danger.
216
00:26:06,529 --> 00:26:10,658
When the herd finally sets off,
the lions slip into place.
217
00:26:11,367 --> 00:26:13,911
Only half the females are here today,
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00:26:13,995 --> 00:26:16,747
injuries from the last hunt
have taken their toll,
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00:26:16,831 --> 00:26:20,585
and the mother has gone off
to search for her missing cub.
220
00:26:21,961 --> 00:26:23,921
Expert buffalo hunters that they are,
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00:26:24,005 --> 00:26:27,508
the Tsaro females don't always
get it right the first time.
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00:26:30,261 --> 00:26:32,555
The remnants of the pride are hard-pressed
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00:26:32,638 --> 00:26:35,850
to outmaneuver the young male
they have selected.
224
00:26:35,933 --> 00:26:38,352
Now the real hunt begins.
225
00:26:55,870 --> 00:26:58,831
Defiant young bulls,
determined to make it to their prime,
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00:26:58,914 --> 00:27:02,084
are filled with the confidence
the testosterone gives them.
227
00:27:24,940 --> 00:27:29,069
The bull refuses to give ground
to this handful of irritating lions.
228
00:27:29,111 --> 00:27:32,072
He will turn and fight another day.
229
00:27:44,334 --> 00:27:48,714
The buffalo are moving east again,
out of the Tsaro territory.
230
00:27:49,131 --> 00:27:51,800
It is their chance to cross off the island.
231
00:27:53,010 --> 00:27:56,763
In their path, other lions, the Pantry pride,
232
00:27:56,805 --> 00:27:58,682
look forward to their arrival.
233
00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:07,816
These are the risk-takers.
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00:28:21,204 --> 00:28:24,040
Once a formidable hunting coalition
of eight lions,
235
00:28:24,124 --> 00:28:27,335
this pride could take down a buffalo
whenever they were hungry.
236
00:28:27,377 --> 00:28:29,546
Fortune smiled on them.
237
00:28:29,629 --> 00:28:33,800
But then, one day fate turned against them.
238
00:28:37,929 --> 00:28:41,349
They would take on even the largest
in a battle of the titans,
239
00:28:41,433 --> 00:28:45,687
they'd take risks, frontal attacks,
wrestling the bulls to their knees.
240
00:28:46,479 --> 00:28:49,023
They'd collapse their prey forward,
241
00:28:49,065 --> 00:28:53,903
unlike other prides who will avoid injury
and stay well clear of the sharp hooves.
242
00:28:54,779 --> 00:28:57,031
These were the bold lions of Duba,
243
00:28:57,115 --> 00:28:59,659
to whom the slashing points of a bull's horn
244
00:28:59,701 --> 00:29:03,705
were nothing more than an obstacle
to be overcome with brute force.
245
00:29:08,793 --> 00:29:12,797
Their raids on this buffalo pantry
were like medieval duels
246
00:29:13,131 --> 00:29:18,136
in which they seemed invincible,
but the injuries took their toll.
247
00:29:31,065 --> 00:29:35,403
The pride withered away from eight to four,
248
00:29:35,486 --> 00:29:39,448
and finally, after this kill, just three.
249
00:29:42,493 --> 00:29:45,121
The Pantry pride is doomed.
250
00:29:57,633 --> 00:30:01,512
By contrast, the buffalo are steadily
building in strength.
251
00:30:02,471 --> 00:30:05,516
Within this seemingly chaotic mass
252
00:30:05,558 --> 00:30:08,978
is a surprising, almost military organization.
253
00:30:09,019 --> 00:30:12,356
Kinship groups like small regiments
making up brigades
254
00:30:12,439 --> 00:30:14,525
in their clans and herds.
255
00:30:16,610 --> 00:30:19,655
As they hone their weapons
against trees and shrubs,
256
00:30:19,697 --> 00:30:21,865
they signal their aggression.
257
00:30:26,036 --> 00:30:28,956
Constantly reinforced bonds
protect the young
258
00:30:29,039 --> 00:30:31,375
and bolster their group strength.
259
00:30:31,458 --> 00:30:35,045
The buffalo are more than just prey for lions.
260
00:30:49,393 --> 00:30:51,728
Tsaro in action again,
261
00:30:52,354 --> 00:30:56,274
coordinated and working as
a unit to fell a young cow.
262
00:30:57,818 --> 00:31:00,696
But the fallen cow belongs.
263
00:31:00,737 --> 00:31:02,698
It is her saving grace.
264
00:31:06,535 --> 00:31:09,955
Time and time again, when the lionesses
separate her out of the herd,
265
00:31:10,038 --> 00:31:12,707
her clan rallies to find her.
266
00:31:16,211 --> 00:31:19,798
And it is here that the whole pride is needed
to distract and counter,
267
00:31:19,881 --> 00:31:24,844
to face down the charging family
and to outflank the injured cow.
268
00:31:28,098 --> 00:31:30,016
But not today.
269
00:31:30,100 --> 00:31:32,644
Three lionesses haven't
shown up for the hunt
270
00:31:32,686 --> 00:31:35,271
and the buffalo are getting stronger.
271
00:31:51,871 --> 00:31:53,581
The Skimmer pride,
272
00:31:53,665 --> 00:31:56,751
hungry again on the northern bank
and with nothing to do.
273
00:31:57,252 --> 00:31:59,879
The cubs urge their mothers
towards the channel,
274
00:31:59,963 --> 00:32:02,548
ready for another insurgent adventure.
275
00:32:03,174 --> 00:32:04,842
The mothers take the bait
276
00:32:04,884 --> 00:32:08,930
even though they're wary of alerting
the resting Tsaro lionesses.
277
00:32:28,991 --> 00:32:32,119
This time they bring
their own male with them.
278
00:32:32,745 --> 00:32:35,748
Slightly younger than the old Tsaro males,
279
00:32:35,873 --> 00:32:40,753
he looks ahead and swims on
into forbidden territory.
280
00:32:53,307 --> 00:32:57,144
Now, in the tense world of a forbidden land
281
00:32:57,228 --> 00:32:59,313
on the wrong side of the river,
282
00:32:59,396 --> 00:33:03,400
the Skimmer cubs are intrigued
by anything that moves.
283
00:33:03,484 --> 00:33:06,570
It's an exciting
and prohibited world for them.
284
00:33:10,908 --> 00:33:14,328
Their mothers let the teenagers
experiment with the porcupine.
285
00:33:14,411 --> 00:33:16,664
It could be a painful lesson.
286
00:33:16,705 --> 00:33:19,583
Lions are often disabled
by those sharp quills.
287
00:33:20,834 --> 00:33:23,587
The barbed point will cause infection,
288
00:33:23,671 --> 00:33:27,007
and with lions that are constantly in and out
of swamp water,
289
00:33:27,049 --> 00:33:29,385
these infections could kill them.
290
00:33:29,885 --> 00:33:33,639
But this play gives the cubs
experience they need to have.
291
00:33:57,204 --> 00:34:00,707
Perhaps this is the day
for teaching the cubs about life,
292
00:34:00,791 --> 00:34:04,044
even though it is a strange place to do it.
293
00:34:15,931 --> 00:34:19,643
The buffalo are an ideal canvass
for that education,
294
00:34:20,393 --> 00:34:23,230
and this is what they came for.
295
00:34:45,001 --> 00:34:47,128
Sound carries forever here,
296
00:34:47,212 --> 00:34:50,799
especially to ears attuned
to the one prey species they know well
297
00:34:50,882 --> 00:34:54,135
and the one signal of distress
they know intimately.
298
00:34:56,137 --> 00:34:58,515
The cow is an easy target,
299
00:34:58,598 --> 00:35:01,476
but the herd has been emboldened
by a wave of successes
300
00:35:01,559 --> 00:35:03,603
in seeing off such attackers.
301
00:35:03,645 --> 00:35:06,856
With each success
they develop more confidence.
302
00:35:18,368 --> 00:35:21,162
Their triumph further enrages them
303
00:35:21,245 --> 00:35:26,250
and, as it does, the scales are tipped
against the splintered Skimmer pride.
304
00:35:26,751 --> 00:35:31,214
There is a subtle power shift
that sends the hunters fleeing for cover.
305
00:35:31,589 --> 00:35:35,343
It is a turning point in this relationship.
306
00:35:37,303 --> 00:35:39,722
With the pride scattered and running scared,
307
00:35:39,805 --> 00:35:44,894
now the buffalo have a real chance
of skewering a lion at last.
308
00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:57,073
It turns into a chaotic scramble for safety
for the surprised young lions.
309
00:36:01,702 --> 00:36:04,663
Far across the open grassland
from the fleeing pride,
310
00:36:04,705 --> 00:36:07,917
one of the insecure
teenage males is isolated.
311
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,419
The herd has cut off his escape.
312
00:36:16,217 --> 00:36:18,969
The Tsaro pride has heard the commotion.
313
00:36:19,053 --> 00:36:20,721
They are here.
314
00:36:28,437 --> 00:36:31,482
Skew Ear is always quick on the offensive,
315
00:36:32,149 --> 00:36:34,735
and slowly they appear from everywhere.
316
00:36:37,196 --> 00:36:39,531
Now they are united.
317
00:36:49,082 --> 00:36:51,919
The Skimmer lions are too shaken
by the buffalo's aggression
318
00:36:52,002 --> 00:36:56,632
to notice that the lions coming at them
from all directions are not from their pride.
319
00:36:57,341 --> 00:37:00,636
It takes a moment to notice
the fire in their eyes.
320
00:37:06,391 --> 00:37:09,102
The Skimmer pride has no heart for a fight.
321
00:37:18,028 --> 00:37:20,447
The strength of being on their own territory
322
00:37:20,447 --> 00:37:23,784
weighs heavily on the side
of the resident males.
323
00:37:25,702 --> 00:37:29,539
The Tsaro males focus on any foreign male,
324
00:37:29,623 --> 00:37:32,334
leaving the females to their own battles.
325
00:37:32,876 --> 00:37:36,671
This is male business now, one on one,
326
00:37:36,713 --> 00:37:39,633
or if possible two on one.
327
00:37:55,398 --> 00:38:00,236
When these huge males fight,
it is at enormous risk to both.
328
00:38:00,820 --> 00:38:03,531
Even the victors have to
guard against a stray bite
329
00:38:03,531 --> 00:38:08,411
or defensive swipe that could sever a jugular
or slice open a fatal wound.
330
00:38:09,078 --> 00:38:11,122
Slowed down by the water,
331
00:38:11,206 --> 00:38:13,958
the cubs are taking a risk
of their own in crossing.
332
00:38:14,083 --> 00:38:17,545
The incensed Tsaro females
could easily cross right in behind them
333
00:38:17,545 --> 00:38:19,922
and take the fight to the far shore.
334
00:38:20,757 --> 00:38:23,676
So even though the odds
are stacked in their favor,
335
00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:27,388
this attack is not driven to the point of death.
336
00:38:27,513 --> 00:38:29,974
This time their point has been made,
337
00:38:30,099 --> 00:38:32,769
"This is our land and we will defend it.
338
00:38:32,810 --> 00:38:35,104
"The boundary has been secured."
339
00:39:05,134 --> 00:39:08,387
The Tsaro pride's
aggressive defense is extreme
340
00:39:08,429 --> 00:39:12,183
because at last they have
a new set of cubs to defend.
341
00:39:12,433 --> 00:39:17,104
Hunters by nature, they seem to know
what they are born to.
342
00:39:18,105 --> 00:39:23,027
Their play is a dress rehearsal
for what will one day not be a game.
343
00:39:39,001 --> 00:39:41,837
And already they smell of lion.
344
00:39:50,179 --> 00:39:53,390
It is a scent that drives the lead bulls wild.
345
00:39:58,604 --> 00:40:02,024
The buffalo are incensed by the wafting,
invisible smell of lions,
346
00:40:02,065 --> 00:40:06,403
and they push deeper into the Tsaro palms,
stomping at any movement.
347
00:40:41,146 --> 00:40:43,231
The twin mothers have arrived,
348
00:40:43,273 --> 00:40:46,735
drawn back to their cubs
by the weight of the milk they carry.
349
00:40:46,776 --> 00:40:49,112
And when they see the chaos around them,
350
00:40:49,195 --> 00:40:51,740
the low growls of displeasure begin.
351
00:40:57,579 --> 00:41:01,082
These are angry lions now,
not calculating hunters.
352
00:41:01,750 --> 00:41:03,418
Flinging themselves at the buffalo
353
00:41:03,460 --> 00:41:05,545
takes them beyond
the simple contest for food.
354
00:41:05,587 --> 00:41:07,589
Now they are enemies.
355
00:41:13,052 --> 00:41:16,598
But when their thrusts are countered,
the scales are tipped
356
00:41:16,639 --> 00:41:20,602
in the delicate confidence game
that drives everything in nature.
357
00:41:20,685 --> 00:41:23,271
But any retreat would mean
sacrificing their cubs.
358
00:41:25,023 --> 00:41:27,775
Not these two mothers. Not the twins.
359
00:41:34,824 --> 00:41:38,161
But when the mothers check for their cubs
among the palms,
360
00:41:38,244 --> 00:41:41,956
nothing but a disturbing silence greets them.
361
00:42:07,565 --> 00:42:11,986
Only half of the cubs seem to have
survived the buffalo onslaught,
362
00:42:12,069 --> 00:42:14,822
but then, from the safety of the palms,
363
00:42:14,864 --> 00:42:18,784
three more and finally
all of them come tumbling out.
364
00:42:20,161 --> 00:42:22,455
With only one casualty.
365
00:42:23,747 --> 00:42:28,294
Most lions recover well from the deep cuts
they endure in their violent life
366
00:42:28,335 --> 00:42:30,421
because of their thin skins
and the dry climate.
367
00:42:30,504 --> 00:42:32,339
But in the swamp,
368
00:42:32,381 --> 00:42:36,677
injuries are kept moist and raw,
open to infection.
369
00:42:39,513 --> 00:42:42,349
The twins decide as one
to move the litter away
370
00:42:42,391 --> 00:42:44,476
from the aggressive herd of buffalo.
371
00:42:44,518 --> 00:42:45,811
For the injured cub,
372
00:42:45,853 --> 00:42:48,188
this may be the worst time
to have to go on a long march,
373
00:42:48,230 --> 00:42:51,525
especially when the only way
ahead is through water.
374
00:42:58,740 --> 00:43:02,661
And as their whiskers touch
the still unfamiliar water,
375
00:43:02,703 --> 00:43:07,749
they feel their future as swamp cats
for the first time on their skins.
376
00:43:07,833 --> 00:43:12,379
It is a future that is extremely precarious
for the whole pride,
377
00:43:12,462 --> 00:43:15,424
not just the one lagging cub.
378
00:43:15,507 --> 00:43:17,301
With such extreme hunting,
379
00:43:17,384 --> 00:43:20,220
it's inevitable that at least
one of the Tsaro lionesses
380
00:43:20,262 --> 00:43:22,639
will be injured or killed at some time.
381
00:43:22,723 --> 00:43:27,227
When that happens, the pride will be
in desperate need of some of their cubs.
382
00:43:35,444 --> 00:43:38,029
It is essential that they keep
the hunting numbers
383
00:43:38,113 --> 00:43:40,824
at the ideal eight or nine lionesses.
384
00:43:41,616 --> 00:43:44,327
This then is a precious cargo.
385
00:44:20,822 --> 00:44:22,949
This wet, swampy world they live in
386
00:44:22,991 --> 00:44:26,202
makes up an intricate part of
the lions' hunting strategy,
387
00:44:26,286 --> 00:44:28,496
where the buffalo are slowed down.
388
00:44:28,579 --> 00:44:30,790
But it also wears out the lions.
389
00:44:30,832 --> 00:44:34,460
Both they and their prey
are more vulnerable in the swamp.
390
00:44:51,686 --> 00:44:55,523
Beyond the ebb and flow
of this unpredictable relationship,
391
00:44:55,565 --> 00:44:57,859
a strange set of patterns emerge.
392
00:44:58,484 --> 00:45:03,114
The lions start to show signs
of understanding much more,
393
00:45:03,197 --> 00:45:06,909
and going much further
in their strategies for hunting buffalo.
394
00:45:08,411 --> 00:45:11,497
The season change brings
new wanderers through their territory,
395
00:45:11,539 --> 00:45:14,750
big herds of elephants from the dry interior.
396
00:45:15,835 --> 00:45:20,297
To the north, no more than
a few dozen pride territories away,
397
00:45:20,381 --> 00:45:23,759
other lions have specialized
in killing elephants,
398
00:45:23,843 --> 00:45:25,219
but not these lions.
399
00:45:25,636 --> 00:45:29,223
Even though their bulk would be valuable
in an elephant hunt,
400
00:45:29,306 --> 00:45:31,559
they show no interest at all.
401
00:45:33,102 --> 00:45:34,979
Lions learn quickly,
402
00:45:35,104 --> 00:45:38,232
but they most often stick to what they know.
403
00:45:40,192 --> 00:45:43,696
And here, that is buffalo hunting.
404
00:45:52,663 --> 00:45:57,626
When the buffalo are woken and scattered
into the 1 1 0-degree heat,
405
00:45:57,668 --> 00:46:01,630
Skew Horn looks north
and picks out a landmark.
406
00:46:03,006 --> 00:46:05,217
The Tsaro lionesses follow.
407
00:46:05,509 --> 00:46:06,969
They've seen this before.
408
00:46:07,010 --> 00:46:08,929
They know exactly where the herd is going,
409
00:46:09,012 --> 00:46:12,641
almost before the last members
of the herd know themselves.
410
00:46:13,809 --> 00:46:16,645
From their memory of past successes
411
00:46:16,687 --> 00:46:19,106
and an intimate knowledge of the terrain,
412
00:46:19,189 --> 00:46:21,275
the lions now do something
413
00:46:21,358 --> 00:46:25,362
that shows the precise calculation
of their hunting strategies.
414
00:46:28,365 --> 00:46:29,866
They position themselves,
415
00:46:29,950 --> 00:46:34,704
ready to play out the same game plan
they have used many times before.
416
00:46:35,539 --> 00:46:39,251
When the lionesses ignore the herd
and circle ahead of it,
417
00:46:39,334 --> 00:46:42,754
it is because they are drawing on
memory from past battles.
418
00:46:43,296 --> 00:46:46,967
They know where the buffalo
will be the most vulnerable.
419
00:46:49,010 --> 00:46:54,099
Up ahead is where the herd will wedge itself
against the deep water's edge.
420
00:46:55,058 --> 00:46:58,395
All the lions have to do
is to position themselves,
421
00:46:58,478 --> 00:47:00,605
ready for the herd to turn back.
422
00:47:16,412 --> 00:47:18,331
The cubs are along as well.
423
00:47:19,374 --> 00:47:22,502
The Tsaro lionesses
may be this enormous size
424
00:47:22,585 --> 00:47:26,881
because of some genetic trait
that the cubs will inherit.
425
00:47:26,923 --> 00:47:29,133
The constant wading may also be a key
426
00:47:29,217 --> 00:47:32,470
to developing these huge chests
and upper legs,
427
00:47:32,553 --> 00:47:35,181
an exercise the cubs will get used to,
428
00:47:35,265 --> 00:47:37,934
even though now the soft mud
and the small creatures
429
00:47:37,976 --> 00:47:40,770
that scurry away underfoot unsettle them.
430
00:47:41,354 --> 00:47:44,816
The sheer volume of buffalo meat
these specialist cubs will eat
431
00:47:44,857 --> 00:47:49,570
may be a further factor in making them
into these enormous Okavango swamp cats.
432
00:47:51,739 --> 00:47:56,160
Somewhere along the way,
the injured cub fell behind and disappeared,
433
00:47:56,452 --> 00:47:59,330
a bitter reminder to any cub that lags.
434
00:48:04,168 --> 00:48:06,671
The old loner is also along today,
435
00:48:06,712 --> 00:48:11,467
hanging back and weary of the unruly cubs
splashing noisily among them.
436
00:48:11,509 --> 00:48:16,764
This hunt has all the signs
of being chaotic and dangerous.
437
00:48:22,978 --> 00:48:25,022
Their plan is working.
438
00:48:25,064 --> 00:48:27,983
The buffalo are exactly
where the lions want them.
439
00:48:35,699 --> 00:48:37,535
The setup is perfect.
440
00:48:39,203 --> 00:48:41,789
Now the hunt turns to the straggling bulls,
441
00:48:41,872 --> 00:48:45,542
old, fiercely independent fighters,
aggressive and tough.
442
00:48:46,085 --> 00:48:48,420
This will be a battle of giants.
443
00:49:54,110 --> 00:49:55,820
This is the object of every hunt,
444
00:49:55,904 --> 00:49:59,324
continually add pressure
and cause something to unravel.
445
00:49:59,407 --> 00:50:01,534
Mistakes are then inevitable.
446
00:50:02,452 --> 00:50:06,498
A single cow stands out among the bulls,
an easier target.
447
00:50:07,290 --> 00:50:11,544
But as she turns back,
it is into the path of a waiting lioness.
448
00:50:22,639 --> 00:50:24,808
The lion conquers her hesitation.
449
00:50:24,849 --> 00:50:26,893
She has unlocked the puzzle
450
00:50:26,976 --> 00:50:29,979
and found the weak spot
in the buffalo's defense.
451
00:50:46,954 --> 00:50:49,582
The activity is like a magnet.
452
00:50:49,665 --> 00:50:54,170
Even the lone lioness hazards the depths
to get to the flaying cow.
453
00:51:07,433 --> 00:51:11,354
But these may be waters
too much even for a Tsaro female.
454
00:51:21,781 --> 00:51:26,744
The crystal clear waters allow
frightening glimpses of what lurks below.
455
00:51:26,827 --> 00:51:28,996
And when the buffalo starts to sink,
456
00:51:29,038 --> 00:51:31,999
the lioness makes the decision to swim for it.
457
00:52:03,906 --> 00:52:06,075
Making for the river bank
before the crocodiles
458
00:52:06,158 --> 00:52:08,577
she knows are down there can surface,
459
00:52:08,660 --> 00:52:11,246
she leaves the buffalo cow
to her own devices,
460
00:52:11,288 --> 00:52:13,624
a more vulnerable bait.
461
00:52:33,060 --> 00:52:36,438
The herd has outmaneuvered
the lions again today,
462
00:52:36,521 --> 00:52:39,566
perhaps because it was the cubs' first hunt.
463
00:52:39,608 --> 00:52:44,488
Females were scattered, and the chaos
didn't quite work in their favor.
464
00:52:47,199 --> 00:52:49,785
Instantly, the buffalo settle,
465
00:52:49,868 --> 00:52:52,954
quick to let go of the stress of the attack.
466
00:52:52,996 --> 00:52:56,708
Their way of dealing with the lions'
relentless predation
467
00:52:56,791 --> 00:52:58,543
is to put it all behind them.
468
00:53:03,590 --> 00:53:08,553
It takes the lions some time to notice
that none of the cubs is with them.
469
00:53:47,133 --> 00:53:52,013
Hours later, they find one dead in the grass.
470
00:53:53,848 --> 00:53:56,809
The distance from water
absolves the crocodiles.
471
00:53:56,809 --> 00:53:59,645
This may be something more insidious.
472
00:53:59,645 --> 00:54:02,774
For Silver Eye, the distress is too much,
473
00:54:02,815 --> 00:54:07,069
and she slowly and deliberately
eats the remains of the cub.
474
00:54:08,571 --> 00:54:11,199
Whether lions can mourn or not,
475
00:54:11,282 --> 00:54:14,202
there is an air of desperation
around the pride now.
476
00:54:14,619 --> 00:54:18,456
At least one of these females knows
exactly what has happened to the cubs.
477
00:54:18,748 --> 00:54:20,875
One female was always behind.
478
00:54:26,213 --> 00:54:29,467
Others are more determined
to defend their young.
479
00:54:29,508 --> 00:54:31,677
In the case of the Blacksmith plovers,
480
00:54:31,761 --> 00:54:35,598
it is at risk of death,
against overwhelming odds.
481
00:54:38,184 --> 00:54:40,978
It is the time of the angry bulls.
482
00:54:42,396 --> 00:54:47,109
Monsters filled with aggression
and exploding with testosterone
483
00:54:47,151 --> 00:54:50,446
find any reason to knock down an opponent.
484
00:54:59,663 --> 00:55:02,708
And while these beasts engage in combat,
485
00:55:02,791 --> 00:55:07,212
the plovers stand their ground
in amongst the thrashing hooves.
486
00:55:31,361 --> 00:55:33,363
There is nothing delicate about this.
487
00:55:33,447 --> 00:55:37,701
These are battles of brute force
that male buffalo are built for.
488
00:55:40,287 --> 00:55:44,958
Their heavy necks are able to withstand
tons of head-to-head impact.
489
00:55:45,042 --> 00:55:50,047
Without these gnarled and impossibly heavy
horny bosses for protection,
490
00:55:50,130 --> 00:55:53,383
the repeated shocks would most likely
shatter their skulls.
491
00:55:59,306 --> 00:56:01,725
With the upturned hooks on their horns,
492
00:56:01,808 --> 00:56:05,103
the Cape buffalo
slash savagely at each other.
493
00:56:06,021 --> 00:56:09,816
These blood-soaked rapiers
are an indication of just how easily
494
00:56:09,900 --> 00:56:12,569
a thin-skinned lioness could succumb,
495
00:56:12,611 --> 00:56:16,489
let alone a plover
weighing less than a pound.
496
00:56:30,378 --> 00:56:33,756
And underfoot, those plovers
have made their point,
497
00:56:34,257 --> 00:56:37,510
just in time for their own additions
to Duba plains.
498
00:56:46,644 --> 00:56:50,857
Despite the heavy predation by lions,
the buffalo here have broken through
499
00:56:50,940 --> 00:56:53,484
the threshold where the lions
can destroy the herd.
500
00:56:53,568 --> 00:56:57,280
They have started to breed
faster than the lions can kill them,
501
00:56:57,322 --> 00:57:00,324
and the herd swells each year,
staying together
502
00:57:00,366 --> 00:57:02,827
instead of fragmenting, as you would expect.
503
00:57:06,539 --> 00:57:10,960
Now sleeping within five or six paces
of the accepting herd,
504
00:57:11,002 --> 00:57:14,505
the lions have moved this
to a new level of intimacy,
505
00:57:15,256 --> 00:57:20,511
perhaps an indication of where
this unusual relationship may go.
506
00:57:26,392 --> 00:57:30,438
The two old males of Duba
have seen many a battle together
507
00:57:30,521 --> 00:57:33,691
and stolen many a kill from their lionesses.
508
00:57:34,358 --> 00:57:37,945
But at nearly 1 3 years old,
their time is coming to an end.
509
00:57:38,529 --> 00:57:43,367
When they are overthrown,
life will be even more unstable for the pride.
510
00:57:44,910 --> 00:57:48,080
And in this bizarre display of familiarity,
511
00:57:48,164 --> 00:57:52,209
the Tsaro females have
so imbedded themselves with the buffalo
512
00:57:52,251 --> 00:57:56,005
that they have become almost
an extension of the herd.
513
00:58:09,601 --> 00:58:12,896
As the herd gets closer
to the Tsaro territory boundaries,
514
00:58:12,980 --> 00:58:17,735
the lions are even more attentive,
not letting their buffalo out of their sight.
515
00:58:20,738 --> 00:58:24,408
When the herd moves closer to the water
and possible escape,
516
00:58:24,450 --> 00:58:27,161
the lions look ahead
and comb their memories
517
00:58:27,244 --> 00:58:30,581
for strategies and plans
of action they can use,
518
00:58:30,622 --> 00:58:32,416
and then decide on one.
519
00:58:37,963 --> 00:58:40,090
The buffalo find their direction.
520
00:58:40,424 --> 00:58:42,676
They plan to cross the river.
521
00:58:46,096 --> 00:58:48,598
This calls for a different tactic altogether.
522
00:59:00,402 --> 00:59:04,614
Hunting here is not only a physical effort,
it is a mind game.
523
00:59:05,115 --> 00:59:09,202
Now the lionesses maneuver themselves
carefully into key positions,
524
00:59:09,286 --> 00:59:12,539
poaching just a little into
the Skimmer pride territory.
525
00:59:17,961 --> 00:59:20,714
The ambush is a bold tactic
to frighten the buffalo
526
00:59:20,797 --> 00:59:22,632
back to where they came from.
527
00:59:53,871 --> 00:59:56,416
With the buffalo back in Tsaro territory,
528
00:59:56,499 --> 00:59:59,168
the lions can now hunt them
on their own terms.
529
01:00:20,731 --> 01:00:25,027
At first, the front line of cats
moves in shoulder to shoulder.
530
01:00:27,196 --> 01:00:28,698
They still need the buffalo
531
01:00:28,739 --> 01:00:31,742
a little further away from the water
and possible escape,
532
01:00:32,451 --> 01:00:35,621
so they shift them
with short, stabbing attacks.
533
01:00:40,710 --> 01:00:43,087
But each individual lioness who attacks
534
01:00:43,170 --> 01:00:46,215
is vulnerable to the bad-tempered old bulls.
535
01:00:46,298 --> 01:00:51,220
As the forays continue,
the herd senses a lack of conviction
536
01:00:51,262 --> 01:00:54,265
and slowly the power shifts again.
537
01:01:16,328 --> 01:01:18,455
And then, quite suddenly,
538
01:01:18,539 --> 01:01:21,417
it seems as though the lions
have lost their advantage.
539
01:01:22,126 --> 01:01:26,171
Their attacks become
uncoordinated and sloppy
540
01:01:26,255 --> 01:01:29,091
as they get lost in the choking dust.
541
01:01:43,188 --> 01:01:45,649
But then, the break happens.
542
01:01:45,732 --> 01:01:47,609
The herd skirts the palm islands
543
01:01:47,651 --> 01:01:51,113
and a Tsaro lioness sees
her target through the dust.
544
01:02:29,651 --> 01:02:31,069
These are running attacks.
545
01:02:31,152 --> 01:02:33,905
Deep chests filled with air, heavy upper legs
546
01:02:33,947 --> 01:02:38,243
give them the stamina they need to keep up
and to launch themselves into battle.
547
01:02:38,284 --> 01:02:43,415
For the lions now, it is a race to survive,
one day at a time,
548
01:02:43,456 --> 01:02:46,376
a struggle they are determined to win.
549
01:02:54,425 --> 01:02:56,844
Six months after the rain in the highlands,
550
01:02:56,886 --> 01:03:00,014
the flood waters arrive in the Okavango.
551
01:03:00,056 --> 01:03:03,351
The surface area of the island
is suddenly reduced,
552
01:03:03,393 --> 01:03:07,188
and the lions and buffalo are forced together
even more intensely.
553
01:03:15,238 --> 01:03:20,118
Today the lions are using the water
to work the buffalo into a frenzy.
554
01:03:23,079 --> 01:03:26,249
Once in the water, the cats target the calves.
555
01:03:26,916 --> 01:03:30,670
The drag effect slows the weaker,
young animals down.
556
01:03:31,796 --> 01:03:35,216
Lions are expert
in recognizing that weakness.
557
01:04:57,255 --> 01:05:01,426
The confidence of these buffalo
has now reached a level
558
01:05:01,510 --> 01:05:03,720
where any attack is challenged.
559
01:05:11,645 --> 01:05:15,065
In other places, buffalo usually flee in panic
560
01:05:15,107 --> 01:05:17,234
to the furthermost parts of their range.
561
01:05:17,692 --> 01:05:20,862
But here, they stay as close
to the lions as possible,
562
01:05:20,904 --> 01:05:24,199
circling around the attacking lions they know
563
01:05:24,241 --> 01:05:26,451
rather than running away wildly,
564
01:05:26,534 --> 01:05:29,829
which they've learned
will only attract other prides.
565
01:05:32,499 --> 01:05:36,836
The Tsaro pride needs all their resources
and concentration now.
566
01:05:37,504 --> 01:05:41,466
Any distractions will shift the power
away from them again,
567
01:05:41,549 --> 01:05:43,259
in favor of the buffalo.
568
01:06:02,028 --> 01:06:05,406
In the continued attacks,
the injured calf is embraced
569
01:06:05,448 --> 01:06:08,743
behind a wall of buffalo
and once again the lions,
570
01:06:08,785 --> 01:06:12,622
only reluctant and uneasy
when their whiskers touch the water,
571
01:06:12,664 --> 01:06:14,332
continue the hunt.
572
01:06:15,291 --> 01:06:17,585
Once again, they have to
spur the herd into panic
573
01:06:17,627 --> 01:06:20,880
before they can search out the injured calf.
574
01:06:20,963 --> 01:06:23,299
This is where they need
all of their pride members
575
01:06:23,382 --> 01:06:25,259
to keep the herd under pressure.
576
01:06:27,804 --> 01:06:29,305
And then, they see it.
577
01:06:49,158 --> 01:06:53,829
But surprisingly for this area,
a small raiding party of hyenas arrives,
578
01:06:53,913 --> 01:06:56,999
attracted by the commotion
within the stampeding herd.
579
01:06:57,083 --> 01:07:00,753
These huge lions don't have the experience
of hyenas very often
580
01:07:00,836 --> 01:07:03,130
and their reactions are astonishing.
581
01:07:35,913 --> 01:07:40,542
Just one of these lionesses
outweighs a hyena three times over,
582
01:07:40,584 --> 01:07:43,128
and yet the small handful of attackers
583
01:07:43,212 --> 01:07:45,631
manages to gain
the psychological advantage
584
01:07:45,714 --> 01:07:48,717
simply with posture and intimidation.
585
01:07:55,015 --> 01:07:57,476
Today the lions seem to think better
586
01:07:57,559 --> 01:07:59,811
of provoking the hyenas or evoking the wrath
587
01:07:59,895 --> 01:08:02,314
of their vicious teeth and darting demeanors.
588
01:08:03,565 --> 01:08:07,527
The hunt is over for the lions,
another failure,
589
01:08:08,236 --> 01:08:11,740
although the hyenas
can still smell opportunity.
590
01:08:12,908 --> 01:08:15,619
When the herd nuzzles the wounded calf,
591
01:08:15,702 --> 01:08:18,246
they taste the blood and sense his fear.
592
01:08:28,381 --> 01:08:32,135
The day is not yet over for the buffalo
and their injured calf.
593
01:08:32,219 --> 01:08:37,098
Now he is left to the more persistent dogging
by these new predators on the scene.
594
01:09:24,687 --> 01:09:28,024
When Skew Ear and Silver Eye
regroup with the twins
595
01:09:28,066 --> 01:09:31,652
and decide to move off,
it is not to hunt again,
596
01:09:31,694 --> 01:09:36,115
but to retire from the field, beaten,
and to find the other females.
597
01:09:36,199 --> 01:09:39,076
Something in their strategy
just isn't working.
598
01:09:39,577 --> 01:09:43,080
After the cub deaths,
the pride has been distracted,
599
01:09:43,164 --> 01:09:46,500
females joining loosely
and disbanding again.
600
01:09:49,629 --> 01:09:51,380
But just as the hunting party breaks up,
601
01:09:51,464 --> 01:09:55,009
the hyenas drive the buffalo
right in behind the departing lions.
602
01:10:23,412 --> 01:10:27,791
And now, all they must do is to reach out
and take what is rightfully theirs.
603
01:10:31,545 --> 01:10:33,589
It's an intoxicating moment,
604
01:10:33,631 --> 01:10:37,885
that instant of a lion's explosive
and determined rush at its prey.
605
01:10:53,108 --> 01:10:55,777
The water drags at any movement,
606
01:10:55,819 --> 01:10:58,822
slows their responses
and magnifies the effort
607
01:10:58,864 --> 01:11:01,617
each has to make to escape
or capture their prey.
608
01:11:13,128 --> 01:11:15,339
It is a contest to see which animal
609
01:11:15,380 --> 01:11:18,383
has developed the best weapons
to cope with the water.
610
01:11:18,467 --> 01:11:22,971
The heavy buffalo bodies pitted
against the wit and strength of the lions.
611
01:11:23,013 --> 01:11:27,309
The heroic defense of the clan
versus the instant damage of an attack,
612
01:11:27,350 --> 01:11:29,436
each racing against time.
613
01:11:29,519 --> 01:11:31,938
The time it takes to inflict a mortal wound.
614
01:11:32,981 --> 01:11:36,568
And the capacity to outsmart and outlast
the enemy in this battle
615
01:11:36,651 --> 01:11:39,029
is an art, a science,
616
01:11:40,071 --> 01:11:41,948
poetry in the face of death.
617
01:11:58,882 --> 01:12:01,551
Their new nemeses are quick to follow up.
618
01:12:31,789 --> 01:12:35,001
Where this new confidence came from,
we will never know,
619
01:12:35,084 --> 01:12:37,879
but the psychological tactic
is overpowering.
620
01:13:20,504 --> 01:13:23,215
Both of the lions' kills are under threat now.
621
01:13:28,846 --> 01:13:33,350
A wall of attacking, demonic,
blood-splattered hyenas will intimidate
622
01:13:33,392 --> 01:13:36,103
even the strongest warriors of the plains.
623
01:13:44,862 --> 01:13:47,573
But the day is far from over.
624
01:13:55,664 --> 01:13:58,375
The buffalo have bounced back yet again
625
01:13:58,458 --> 01:14:01,503
and are heading for
the water-crossing to the west.
626
01:14:01,545 --> 01:14:03,755
The day's relentless demands
627
01:14:03,839 --> 01:14:06,300
have sent them back on a familiar path,
628
01:14:06,758 --> 01:14:10,429
and, as before,
the lions recognize the pattern.
629
01:14:39,207 --> 01:14:41,376
When they make their third kill of the day,
630
01:14:41,418 --> 01:14:43,879
the battered pride assembles at last.
631
01:14:47,841 --> 01:14:52,345
The besieged herd makes one last stand
for their injured calf.
632
01:15:16,619 --> 01:15:19,247
This has not been their day of glory.
633
01:15:19,289 --> 01:15:23,835
Their five hours of hunting has fed
almost every other predator in Duba
634
01:15:23,918 --> 01:15:27,964
and, but for a few mouthfuls,
the huntresses have gone unsated.
635
01:15:28,298 --> 01:15:31,843
The lionesses of the Tsaro pride
are finally exhausted.
636
01:15:31,926 --> 01:15:34,846
They cannot push the buffalo another step.
637
01:15:36,931 --> 01:15:40,476
The astonishing beauty
in their haunting relationship
638
01:15:40,518 --> 01:15:42,979
is what makes this island so special.
639
01:15:57,243 --> 01:16:02,164
At dawn, as the lions and the buffalo
gather for their daily interaction,
640
01:16:02,206 --> 01:16:06,502
it is difficult not to see them
as part of one whole.
641
01:16:07,503 --> 01:16:10,798
The buffalo herd is kept pruned
of the sick and the weak,
642
01:16:10,840 --> 01:16:13,926
a burden that weighs heavily
on their progress.
643
01:16:14,552 --> 01:16:17,930
And the lions could certainly
not live without them.
644
01:16:19,390 --> 01:16:20,808
They need each other.
645
01:16:23,436 --> 01:16:26,147
When individual buffalo step out at the lions
646
01:16:26,188 --> 01:16:30,442
and playfully leap back to safety,
it is a deadly game.
647
01:16:57,845 --> 01:17:02,266
The movements seem to lock these two
in an ageless dance,
648
01:17:02,307 --> 01:17:06,061
in perfect harmony
on that essential edge of life
649
01:17:06,103 --> 01:17:10,691
where heroism and bravery are tempered
by the constant risk of death.
650
01:17:22,786 --> 01:17:24,830
The lions amble out of the way,
651
01:17:24,913 --> 01:17:29,793
but bounce back, and for just a moment
the backwards and forwards movement
652
01:17:29,835 --> 01:17:32,379
takes on a fluidity that is much more
653
01:17:32,462 --> 01:17:34,965
than just predators and prey,
or even enemies.
654
01:17:35,966 --> 01:17:40,846
This is a deadly dance that can erupt
into violence in a heartbeat.
655
01:17:43,473 --> 01:17:46,560
And slowly, the lionesses are assembling.
656
01:18:27,016 --> 01:18:29,936
Just then, the old female stops.
657
01:18:30,603 --> 01:18:35,692
In the distance, one of the missing females
appears with two new cubs.
658
01:18:40,405 --> 01:18:44,617
Like an expectant grandmother,
the old female is enraptured.
659
01:18:45,868 --> 01:18:48,996
But something bothers the mother
about her approach.
660
01:19:00,049 --> 01:19:02,760
It sends the cubs back
towards their hiding place.
661
01:19:02,885 --> 01:19:05,471
Something in her body language instills fear
662
01:19:05,513 --> 01:19:09,225
and foreboding in their innocent,
but perceptive, minds.
663
01:19:09,517 --> 01:19:12,269
And then, her actions are clear to the mother.
664
01:19:16,857 --> 01:19:19,527
She is the cub killer!
665
01:19:25,825 --> 01:19:29,620
When the mother attacks her,
it is as if it is for all the mothers
666
01:19:29,662 --> 01:19:32,540
that lost their cubs in the past few years.
667
01:19:38,963 --> 01:19:42,466
Her attentive rearguard
while the mothers were off hunting
668
01:19:42,508 --> 01:19:45,970
gave her the opportunity
to finish off each and every cub
669
01:19:46,011 --> 01:19:47,805
in the past two years.
670
01:19:48,305 --> 01:19:50,140
Thirty-one in total.
671
01:19:50,516 --> 01:19:53,102
And at last, the cause is known.
672
01:19:53,769 --> 01:19:56,313
Now, these new cubs are under threat.
673
01:19:56,772 --> 01:20:00,401
And with each season of failures,
the pride itself is under threat.
674
01:20:00,484 --> 01:20:01,902
She must be controlled.
675
01:20:07,908 --> 01:20:11,036
Now, with the cub killer
known and warned off,
676
01:20:11,119 --> 01:20:13,247
these cubs may stand a chance.
677
01:20:15,457 --> 01:20:17,876
The pride needs them to survive.
678
01:20:49,699 --> 01:20:52,327
Each day these tiny jewels survive
679
01:20:52,369 --> 01:20:55,997
is another day towards preserving
the future of the pride.
680
01:20:59,876 --> 01:21:04,881
Against a permanent backdrop of buffalo,
their play is a dull pleasure.
681
01:21:05,590 --> 01:21:09,636
Every blow to each other while playing
is a risk in this environment.
682
01:21:10,428 --> 01:21:13,098
But it will be hard to control the killing.
683
01:21:13,139 --> 01:21:16,226
It may even be more extensive
than just one female.
684
01:21:18,686 --> 01:21:23,274
Ironically, the biggest threat to the lions
is not buffalo at all,
685
01:21:23,358 --> 01:21:25,777
but the stalking enemy within.
686
01:21:51,594 --> 01:21:54,472
It is a new day, with new challenges.
687
01:21:59,101 --> 01:22:03,314
The Tsaro females collapse a prime
male buffalo in seconds, with little effort.
688
01:22:03,981 --> 01:22:06,943
Their efficiency as a pride running at a peak.
689
01:22:07,026 --> 01:22:11,447
Everyone is here today, all except the cubs,
tucked away in a thicket.
690
01:22:16,577 --> 01:22:19,121
The bull's calls start to attract attention.
691
01:22:20,706 --> 01:22:22,750
Slowly, the numbers mount up.
692
01:22:22,833 --> 01:22:27,546
Eventually, dozens of stomping legs
and fierce, swinging, saber-sharp horns
693
01:22:27,588 --> 01:22:29,548
slash the air around their heads.
694
01:22:34,678 --> 01:22:39,266
The bull must be a valued warrior
to attract the support of the whole herd.
695
01:22:41,101 --> 01:22:43,562
They are now rallying to his call.
696
01:23:03,290 --> 01:23:05,876
The lions are now desperate
to keep their prey.
697
01:23:10,464 --> 01:23:13,801
Their attack is relentless,
but countered over and over
698
01:23:13,884 --> 01:23:16,386
by an equally determined
gathering of buffalo.
699
01:23:31,777 --> 01:23:34,488
It builds to a battle
reminiscent of an ancient duel
700
01:23:34,529 --> 01:23:37,949
between titanic forces of nature
where winner takes all.
701
01:23:38,533 --> 01:23:41,078
A large buffalo bull, the biggest of the big,
702
01:23:41,161 --> 01:23:44,539
or else injury or possible death
703
01:23:44,623 --> 01:23:47,959
that might finally send
the Tsaro pride into decline.
704
01:23:56,009 --> 01:24:00,096
The partially crippled male
is seen as weakened by a rival bull
705
01:24:00,180 --> 01:24:02,724
and mated as a show of dominance.
706
01:24:07,103 --> 01:24:09,898
And then, at the height of the battle,
707
01:24:09,981 --> 01:24:14,652
one lioness turns back
in the direction of the cubs.
708
01:24:15,737 --> 01:24:17,655
The others don't notice.
709
01:24:17,697 --> 01:24:20,742
They are caught up in their struggle
to outsmart the buffalo.
710
01:24:20,825 --> 01:24:23,369
They have no time to look back.
711
01:24:32,170 --> 01:24:34,547
Quite suddenly, the lioness reappears.
712
01:24:34,589 --> 01:24:37,217
It is the mother with her two cubs.
713
01:24:37,550 --> 01:24:41,220
She couldn't take the chance
of leaving them alone in this confusion,
714
01:24:41,262 --> 01:24:45,391
but now this hunt has turned into
an ideal lesson for the cubs.
715
01:24:48,645 --> 01:24:53,649
These little hunters' eyes take it all in
and see their very first hunt.
716
01:24:54,650 --> 01:24:58,821
They will learn about buffalo
and the smell of blood
717
01:24:58,905 --> 01:25:01,199
when the air fills with that magic.
718
01:25:01,824 --> 01:25:03,701
The moment when lions suddenly slip
719
01:25:03,743 --> 01:25:07,413
into a coordinated attack,
and the hunt begins.
720
01:25:14,045 --> 01:25:19,008
But it must be a terrifying time,
when monsters turn and confront you
721
01:25:19,091 --> 01:25:22,637
and their giant shadows send
chills down your spine,
722
01:25:22,678 --> 01:25:26,640
making you question
the invincibility of your mother.
723
01:25:29,643 --> 01:25:31,187
It is a dream.
724
01:25:31,270 --> 01:25:32,855
It is a nightmare.
725
01:25:32,938 --> 01:25:37,818
It is all things for them,
as this experience overpowers them.
726
01:25:38,319 --> 01:25:42,323
It is the ultimate lesson
of where death fits into life,
727
01:25:42,823 --> 01:25:47,077
and how it is a part of life
and not just the end of it.
728
01:25:47,828 --> 01:25:51,540
It is a vivid display of determination,
729
01:25:51,624 --> 01:25:56,337
of clutching on to life, this life,
against overwhelming forces.
730
01:26:28,619 --> 01:26:31,830
And the old bull turns
to confront his enemies.
731
01:26:31,872 --> 01:26:34,666
The cubs stare into his eyes.
732
01:26:35,334 --> 01:26:38,253
It is a look of foreboding warning.
733
01:26:54,060 --> 01:26:56,855
And the buffalo front rank
rallies again and again,
734
01:26:56,897 --> 01:27:01,401
wearing down the lions,
circling them and chasing them to ground.
735
01:27:07,407 --> 01:27:13,246
And it is a riveting lesson of fortitude
and comradeship in the face of death,
736
01:27:13,330 --> 01:27:19,377
and finally the dignity of being able to turn
and confront your tormentors head on.
737
01:28:05,381 --> 01:28:07,675
And while they stay just out of harm's way,
738
01:28:07,717 --> 01:28:10,761
they see an even more
confusing development.
739
01:28:13,431 --> 01:28:19,687
From an unexpected quarter, the rival bull
steps out and attacks his own,
740
01:28:19,729 --> 01:28:24,775
driving home his aggression and dominance,
upending his old adversary, and with that,
741
01:28:25,109 --> 01:28:29,322
tipping the scales of victory
in favor of the lions.
742
01:28:31,198 --> 01:28:35,745
It is an unanticipated advantage
that the lions quickly move in on.
743
01:28:38,080 --> 01:28:39,498
And it is over.
744
01:28:40,207 --> 01:28:42,752
The Tsaro pride are back.
745
01:28:56,473 --> 01:29:01,061
Their first meat meal seems to hold
as much attraction as their mother's milk.
746
01:29:04,982 --> 01:29:07,443
Their curiosity only tempered
747
01:29:07,526 --> 01:29:11,071
by the fear of being mauled
within the confusion and aggression
748
01:29:11,113 --> 01:29:14,575
that makes lions unique
in cooperating on the hunt
749
01:29:14,658 --> 01:29:17,703
and yet fiercely competitive as they feed.
750
01:29:30,340 --> 01:29:35,596
In the past few days, the cubs have met
the rest of the pride for the first time,
751
01:29:35,637 --> 01:29:42,144
seen their first hunt, and are experiencing
their first violent introduction to lion life.
752
01:30:00,245 --> 01:30:04,332
And in this magical world,
hidden by the delicate mists of time,
753
01:30:04,416 --> 01:30:06,501
there are questions to be asked.
754
01:30:07,836 --> 01:30:10,922
Will all this be here tomorrow
when we wake?
755
01:30:11,673 --> 01:30:14,342
Or will they have disappeared like ghosts,
756
01:30:14,759 --> 01:30:17,762
nothing but a dream remembered?
757
01:30:22,559 --> 01:30:25,937
Huge lions specializing in one prey,
758
01:30:26,021 --> 01:30:28,398
adapting and breeding in isolation
759
01:30:28,481 --> 01:30:31,693
on an island in a river that goes nowhere.
760
01:30:32,360 --> 01:30:36,781
Given time, could this lead
to the slow and continuous evolution
761
01:30:36,865 --> 01:30:39,742
of a distinct race or even species of lion?
762
01:30:40,285 --> 01:30:44,998
An island swamp cat, more precious
and rare than we can imagine.
763
01:30:45,748 --> 01:30:50,712
And, of course, vulnerable to the whims
of our own carelessness.
764
01:30:57,385 --> 01:31:01,723
The silent swish of grass
against their faces doesn't distract them.
765
01:31:01,764 --> 01:31:04,851
The amber coats and thick cushions
on their feet are meaningless
766
01:31:04,892 --> 01:31:07,353
as forms of concealment for these lions.
767
01:31:07,395 --> 01:31:09,439
They no longer need that.
768
01:31:09,522 --> 01:31:12,442
These are the cats of this marshy wilderness,
769
01:31:12,525 --> 01:31:16,320
stalkers, followers, and confronters.
770
01:31:16,404 --> 01:31:21,075
All relentless hunters of the buffalo,
masters of their craft.
771
01:31:40,344 --> 01:31:44,515
As they gather on
this ancestral playing field,
772
01:31:44,598 --> 01:31:50,104
they dance a dance that is unique
to this place and this time.
773
01:31:52,690 --> 01:31:55,943
And yet, it is forever.
68217
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