All language subtitles for Pride in Battle (2010) BR Eng

[instrumental music playing]

[narrator]
Lion territories in the Okavango
Delta are brutal environments.

[buffalo grunting]

In the Xakanaka area

two powerful males
exert their rule
over a rapidly expanding pride.

With many mouths to feed,

these lions specialize
in killing Africa's most
dangerous prey...

[lions roaring]

But their feast turns to famine.

Drought pushes their food source
out of the area,

leading to a ferocious
confrontation with
a neighboring pride.

[lions roaring]

On the brink of starvation,
they are forced to find
an alternative.

A dangerous strategy that will
test their skills in every way.

[lions roaring]

This is the story
of a pride in battle.

[ominous music playing]

At the beginning of summer
two lion brothers take ownership

of one of the most sought-after
pieces of land
in Southern Africa.

In the heart of
Botswana's Okavango Delta

Xakanaka is a lush area
of islands and floodplains.

Its abundance of water and food
make it a summer paradise.

Previously, the resident pride
had been unsettled

by a long-running battle
for dominance
between competing males.

As a result, the six lionesses
have not given birth
for over a year.

But when the two powerful
brothers took over the Xakanaka
pride, things changed.

[emotive music]

The result of this new stability
is a rapid expansion in numbers.

[birds chirping]

In December, the first two
females have five cubs.

Three months later, another
three of the lionesses give
birth to a further eight cubs.

In such a short period of time,

the pride increases
by a total of 13 cubs.

Each female keeps her own litter
isolated from the pride
for the first two months.

Born at the height of summer,

these cubs,
the future of the pride,

are off to a good start.

[cub purring]

[lioness growling]

[upbeat music playing]

But this unusual bounty
of healthy young will cause
problems in the long term.

At three months old,
they start to eat meat.

And all of a sudden the adults
have an extra 13 mouths to feed.

Their mothers have to provide
a meal every three or four days.

[cub purring]

Welcomed into the pride,
the cubs thread their way
into the social fabric.

Their life skills are sharpened
by their fathers and the games
they play with each other.

The Xakanaka brothers
are extremely patient
and tolerant fathers.

But it's the lionesses
that form the core of the pride.

They're bound
by a collective purpose...

To hunt.

[buffalo grunting]

In summer,
they target Cape buffalo,

abundant in this part
of the Okavango.

[buffalo grunting]

With plenty of green grass,
the buffalo move in huge groups.

[birds calling]

Each herd
is at least 400 strong.

The perfect balance of numbers
where the births outweigh
the killings by the lions.

[buffalo snorts]

They're one of the most
sought-after, and yet most
dangerous prey to hunt.

Desirable,

because the meat
of a one-ton buffalo can feed
the entire pride for a week.

Dangerous,
because they're aggressive

and their formidable horns
inflict fatal wounds.

[buffalo grunting]

And if the herd stampedes,
the lions can't outrun them.

[buffalo grunting]

But the six Xakanaka lionesses
are experienced buffalo hunters.

They know the rules
of engagement.

[buffalos grunting]

They single out a buffalo.

One they can separate
from the herd.

[buffalos grunting]

This time, they choose a mother,

concentrating their power
on bringing her down.

[lion growling]

They ignore her newborn calf.

But it provides
a perfect prey item

on which the six-month-old cubs
can practise
their hunting skills.

[buffalo grunting]

Every chance they get to kill,
brings them closer
to independence.

[buffalo grunting]

By the age of two years

they'll be expected to pull down
much bigger buffalo than this.

[buffalo grunting]

[lion growling]

[ominous music playing]

The younger,
three-month-old cubs are led
to the kill by their mother.

[insects buzzing]

[lions roaring, cubs meowing]

At this age, they find
the mountain of meat
both tasty and entertaining.

Adults and cubs gorge themselves
at every meal,

feeding side by side.

The Xakanaka pride
is unusual in this respect.

Lions normally eat
according to hierarchy...

Males first, cubs last.

Perhaps the abundance of food
allows the pride males
to relax the rules.

[lion growls]

Although, at times,
a little discipline is needed.

[lion growling]

During summer,
while the buffalos graze
in the Xakanaka territory,

the pride is guaranteed
regular meals.

But as winter sets in,
the rains stop,

and the lions' fortune
starts to change.

[birds singing]

[emotive music playing]

Breeding herds of elephants
herald this shift in season.

They arrive from the surrounding
Kalahari desert

and spread into the forests and
floodplains of the wet Okavango.

Their presence here
indicates that the waterholes

in the surrounding desert
have dried up,

and the vegetation
is shriveling in the heat.

For them, the main attraction
in Xakanaka,
is the permanent water.

These large animals need
to drink between 100 and 200
liters of water a day.

Remarkably, they can drink this
in five minutes by filling
their trunks

and squirting the water
down their throats.

For the elephants,
a lack of water is the killer,
not starvation.

[birds singing]

[cubs growling]

The cubs are oblivious
of the hardship to come.

For them,
every day is a play day.

With so many siblings
and cousins, they keep
themselves entertained,

while the adults try to rest.

[lion growls]

[birds calling]

A cub can usually demand
attention and milk from any
of the lactating mothers.

But with so many
sharp-teethed little mouths
looking for milk,

the mothers show irritation
towards cubs that are not
their own.

[lioness roars]

[cub moaning, growling]

Going into winter,
the cubs grow, along with
their demand for food.

[cub growls]

The pressure increases for the
lionesses to provide more meat.

And even the pride males,
accustomed to waiting
on the sidelines,

will need to help.

Hunting requires a team effort.

Each lioness knows her role
in a well-thought-out plan.

But this strategy
has forced the pride
to depend on buffalo alone,

despite the other choices
around them.

[insects chirping]

Hunting giraffes would demand
a completely different
method of attack.

These four-and-a-half meter tall
animals are more alert
than buffalo

and would spot the lions
from far away.

The hunters would have
little chance to strike.

Although giraffes do not
have the horns of a buffalo,

they possess a kick
that can kill a lion instantly.

So while the buffalos
are in the Xakanaka territory,

the lions concentrate
on hunting them.

[ominous music playing]

But the season has changed.

As the buffalo exhaust each
field of grass, they move on...

forced to progress to the next.

[birds chirping]

Every day they move a little
further from the heart
of the Xakanaka territory.

[lion roars]

[birds calling]

The male lions follow the herd,
constantly watching.

The females and cubs
are close by,
but nowhere to be seen.

On their slow march, the buffalo
never notice more than one
or two lions.

They have no clue
of the looming threat.

For several days
the predators follow...

sizing up their options,

searching for any weak link
in the herd.

Eventually they get
an opportunity to attack.

[music intensifies]

One of the males and a lioness
chase random victims
to fragment the herd.

Unwittingly, the cubs
get in the way,

adding to the confusion
at risk of being trampled.

[buffalo grunts]

The second male
and remaining females
attack the intended target.

Using all his strength, the male
tries to suffocate the buffalo,

but its straining muscles
form a steel barrier
around his throat.

[buffalo grunting]

The lionesses do their part,

trying to immobilize it
by piercing its spine.

Once the buffalo is down,
the hunt should be over.

But the herd returns in an
attempt to rescue their comrade.

They confront the pride
with their formidable armor.

[buffalo grunting]

They lick the fallen animal,
encouraging it to stand.

And form a barrier
between the injured buffalo
and the predators.

Then, one buffalo
challenges the pride...

And behind, their fallen fellow
tries to rise.

Another buffalo goes
on the offensive.

Behind, the injured one stands,

and disappears with the herd.

The buffalo win this battle.

[instrumental music playing]

The herd rushes away...

putting as much distance
as possible between them
and their attackers.

[birds singing]

Days of shadowing the herd
have come to nothing.

Though hungry and tired
from the failed attack,
the lions cannot rest.

They must close in on the herd
as soon as possible to hunt
again.

[water gurgling]

There is no time
to take the driest route.

The cubs cross reluctantly.

They have to keep up
with the adults,

but every day that goes past
without food, weakens them
even more.

The smallest ones may not
be able to keep the pace.

[birds singing]

And times are about
to get tougher.

The buffalo are approaching
the boundary of the lions'
50 square kilometer territory.

[insects chirping]

It is now the middle of winter.

This is the peak
of the dry season,

and the buffalos' quest
for better grass is about
to lure them away.

As the cold grip of winter draws
the lion food source
almost beyond their grasp,

the pride constantly looks
for a chance to strike.

But as the buffalo rest,
the lions regroup.

Despite their hunger
and the harsh climate,
the cubs seem untroubled.

The lionesses assert
their presence.

A group roar warns surrounding
prides of the power
that they hold on this turf.

[lionesses roaring]

[roaring continues]

[emotive music playing]

The five mothers take time
to bond with their own cubs.

The reason for the pause
in their pursuit of the buffalo

lies hidden beneath a bush.

The sixth lioness has
given birth to two more cubs.

This addition
brings the number of youngsters
to an overwhelming 15.

Fifteen demanding,
hungry mouths...

that need to be nurtured and fed
during a time when Xakanaka
is at its most desperate.

And the lions' main source
of food is slipping away.

Meanwhile...

more and more elephants arrive,

forced here by the drying
of the edges of the Okavango.

[birds singing]

They are not fussy eaters,

so they can feed on anything
that the buffalo leave behind.

They dig to uproot
bulbs and roots.

During these desperate times,
the two species cross paths.

One comes for water,

while the other leaves
in search of sweeter grass.

[music intensifies]

The buffalos move
through fields of dust.

The grasses here
will not grow again
till the next season's rains.

[wind blowing]

This is the border
of the Xakanaka territory.

An invisible line
the lions cannot cross

because another pride rules
the other side.

[ominous music playing]

But there's nothing to stop
the buffalos from crossing.

Desperation drives the Xakanaka
pride to follow...

trespassing in enemy territory.

They don't get far before
the other pride spots them.

The Xakanaka female
sizes up the situation.

One of the Xakanaka brothers
prepares for a confrontation.

Now the buffalo are forgotten.

The Xakanakas must make a stand,
even though
they're on foreign ground.

The rival pride
is at a disadvantage.

[lion roaring]

Their dominant male is not
with them, so they turn back.

The Xakanaka male gives chase.

The resident pride
must make a run for it.

Without their father,
the youngsters of the other
pride cannot stand up to him.

[lion roaring]

The larger male asserts
his dominance.

[roaring continues]

Even though the resident pride
retreats from the intruders,
they're still the winners.

[lion roaring]

Crucially, their territory
now holds the buffalo herd.

The Xakanakas amble back
to their own turf.

Despite all the posturing,
the pride can’t follow
the buffalo.

Moving their cubs
into enemy territory
would be too dangerous.

The buffalo have left Xakanaka
for the rest of the season.

[birds singing]

For the next four months

the lions will share this land
with breeding herds
of elephants.

The pride keeps moving.

Now they're looking for anything
they can chase down and eat.

For the moment, they ignore
the elephants because they're
too large and difficult to hunt.

[instrumental music playing]

The elephants linger
in the barren landscape,

bound to the water
that is their only lifeline.

As the herd moves,

mothers guard
the youngest calves,

small enough
to be attacked by predators.

The adults protect their babies
closely for four years.

Then they're on their own.

[elephant blowing]

Tasting independence
for the first time,

juveniles risk wandering off...

and getting lost.

The hungry lions return
to the sixth lioness
and her newborn cubs.

Up to now

they've been too small to follow
the pride on their long journeys
in search of food.

[cub growling]

Now two months old,

the lioness brings the tiny
additions to meet their father.

[lion growling]

But he's grumpy.

[cub growling]

So small,
and weighing only 4kg each,

they will compromise
the movements of the pride.

Their little steps
will not be able to keep up.

Eventually some of them
will pay the ultimate price.

Already some of the older cubs
show signs of weakness.

[emotive music playing]

They can't rest for long.

The lionesses take the lead.

The pride must keep moving
in search of food.

It takes a toll on the smallest
and weakest members.

[gentle music playing]

The starving lions start to look
at the elephants with interest.

With nothing else to eat,
perhaps it's time to reconsider.

Too tired and weak
to keep up with their mothers,
the cubs remain together...

waiting.

They're on the brink
of starvation.

More than half of them
have already died.

[emotive music playing]

Only the fittest
will have a fighting chance.

But without food,
they too are in imminent danger.

Their mother's return brings
no relief, just some affection.

The cubs try to drink,

but the starving lioness' milk
has dried up.

They move from mother to mother
to try to suckle,

but their desperate tugs
only irritate the lionesses.

[lioness roaring]

[cub growls]

At this point,

even the strongest cubs only
have a few days left to live.

[emotive music playing]

Weak, hungry and thirsty,
they lie defeated.

But the lionesses never give up.

They scan the horizon hungrily,
looking for something edible.

All they see are elephants,
travelling in tight groups.

And the ones small enough
to kill, are too well-guarded.

[birds calling]

The lionesses
can't wait any longer
and start following the herd,

hoping for an opportunity.

Perhaps a youngster will get
injured or drop behind.

For the young elephants,
this is no time to be alone.

Eventually, this last-ditch
change in strategy

pays off for the lions.

[ominous music playing]

During this desperate time

nature gives the pride
a lucky break.

But at the same time,
it deals its cruelest hand.

[elephant trumpeting]

[music intensifies]

[lions roaring]

[emotive music playing]

The lionesses drive
the two-ton animal to the ground
and hold it down.

[elephant trumpeting]

The lionesses are expert
buffalo killers,

but they've never tried
to kill an elephant.

Their teeth can't penetrate
the thick skin.

[elephant trumpeting]

And the neck is too wide
to strangle.

So they attack the soft
and vulnerable spots.

Without a muzzle to suffocate,
they try to crush the trunk.

[elephant trumpeting softly]

Unable to kill the elephant,

they start to eat it alive.

[lions growl]

[growling continues]

This first real taste of meat,
after almost a month of
starvation

revives their stamina
and they fight for their right
to every mouthful.

[insects chirping]

Twice the size of a buffalo,

the young elephant
keeps the pride well fed,

and introduces them to a new
and bountiful source of food.

[birds singing]

Over the next weeks
the lions work on their
elephant-killing techniques.

[elephants trumpeting]

But when the elephants
retaliate and stampede,

the lions have no choice
but to run for their lives.

[trumpeting continues]

The lions refine their strategy
with every hunt,

and killing elephants
starts to become routine.

[elephant trumpeting]

[lions growling]

But their success
does not go unnoticed.

[lions growling]

The buffalo have abandoned
the entire area,

and the neighboring pride,
now desperate for food,
risk a confrontation.

The Xakanakas, with their food
and territory to protect,
won't tolerate it.

Chasing the intruders
isn't enough.

[music intensifies]

[lions roaring]

Cornered by the big male,
the young trespasser
doesn't look him in the eye.

A direct stare would mean
a challenge...

and certain death.

Too young to stand his ground
against the powerful,
older male,

the intruding lion submits.

The victor struts around,

basking in the glory
that victory brings.

[ominous music playing]

The young male is lucky
to have escaped with his life.

But he's branded forever.

His genitals mutilated
in an ultimate act of dominance.

The other Xakanaka male
concentrates on the trespassing
female.

[lioness roaring]

Brutally enforcing
his genetic rights.

[lion roaring]

Under the washed out skies of an
excruciatingly hot, dry October,

wave after wave of tired
elephants move through
the lions’ territory.

Winter has also taken its toll
on the herds.

[birds calling]

Although Xakanaka provides
an endless supply of water,

the dry vegetation
offers little nutritional value.

[elephant blows]

Mothers and calves are weak.

And older youngsters
stray away from the herd...

and get lost.

The lionesses
continue to exploit
every opportunity to kill.

[insects buzzing]

What started as a desperate
season for the lions,

turns into a time of gluttony.

In one month,
they kill five elephants,

which will see them
safely through
to the approaching summer.

[thunder rumbling]

It starts off as a flicker.

The smell of rain
is on the wind.

As soon as the drops hit
ground, Xakanaka comes alive...

and the animals return.

The breeding herds of elephants
travel back to their summer
feeding grounds

in the outlying Kalahari.

Almost magically, the harsh
season past, seems forgotten

in the new spray of green.

[thunder rumbling, rain falling]

In their battle for survival
during the most desperate season
in decades,

only 7 of the 15 cubs survived.

[buffalo grunting]

But the spread of fresh, sweet
grass tempts the buffalo herds

back into Xakanaka.

The lions eagerly watch
their favorite prey arrive.

A ton of meat,
with a softer hide to pierce

and a short snout,
easy to smother.

The familiar game
of cat and mouse resumes.

The biggest buffalo walks
aggressively towards the lions,

hoping to frighten them away.

But the lions are familiar
with this game.

[buffalo snorting]

During the next six months

the one-year-old cubs learn
to hunt by trial and error.

They soon realize that it's not
as easy as it looks.

[instrumental music playing]

[birds calling]

[thunder cracks]

Surviving the harshest season
has made the cubs
over-confident.

They blunder
into the buffalo herd.

Their inexperience
puts their lives in jeopardy.

Buffalo attack as a group

and can easily stampede
over the lions, using their
horns as lethal weapons.

[buffalos grunting]

The pride retreats,

leaving a cub behind.

[buffalo snorting]

He takes refuge on a fallen
tree, but it's not high enough.

[buffalo snorting]

He's left in the line of fire.

[cub roaring]

Bravely, he hangs on
for his life.

Lions hunt together,
but if one gets in trouble,
it's on its own.

[thunder cracks]

Eventually the buffalos
lose interest...

and the pride returns
to the traumatized cub.

Now that the herds are back,

the cubs will learn
valuable lessons,

and eventually
they'll become skilled hunters.

[insects buzzing]

The pride approach the buffalo
with renewed confidence.

They know the drill.

As usual, the lionesses
take the lead.

[ominous music playing]

[buffalo grunting]

They attack from the rear
to avoid the dangerous horns.

[buffalo grunting]

They try to pierce
the spinal cord.

[buffalo grunting]

[music intensifies]

By putting their entire weight
on the back,

they attempt to pull
the buffalo to the ground.

[buffalo grunting]

The cubs copy their mothers.

[grunting continues]

[grunting continues]

During the summer months

the constant supply of meat
builds up the youngsters'
strength.

In six months they will be
self-sufficient killers.

[instrumental music playing]

With all the food on their
doorstep, the lions don't
have to move far to hunt,

so they spend
most of their days resting.

Curiosity awakens the cubs
when a pangolin wanders
into the pride.

The curled up ball of scales
provides some amusement
for the bored young.

But the pangolin’s hard armour
protects it from
claws and teeth.

With its vulnerable parts
tucked away,

the pangolin waits
until the lions are gone.

[birds singing]

By the end of the rainy season,
the cubs walk confidently
with the adults.

The pride now has 14 hunters.

The young males' manes
have started to grow.

[buffalo grunting]

They follow their father's
every move...

learning when to strike,

when to wait,

when to hide,

and when to go out
in the open.

They're approaching adulthood
and they're ready to test
their strength.

[ominous music playing]

[buffalo grunting]

They stride up front
with the two Xakanaka
brothers...

and attack, side by side.

The heavy male straddles
the buffalo’s back

and the female tries to trip it
to the ground.

When the buffalo retaliate,
the cubs stand their ground
with the adults.

Relentlessly, the entire pride
attacks to weaken their prey.

[lions roaring]

The buffalo's leg breaks.

[buffalo grunting]

The herd abandons him.

Again, the lions attack
from behind to avoid the horns.

[buffalo grunting]

One of the males
starts to smother the buffalo.

The cubs help their mothers
from the rear.

[buffalo grunting]

Even with a broken leg,
the buffalo won't go down.

His comrades return,

but he cannot walk.

[lions roaring]

Adrenaline surges through him.

He uses his only weapons
to inflict pain
on his attackers.

[buffalo grunting]

Heroically,
he tries to stand again.

But his efforts are in vain.

[buffalo grunting]

[grunting continues]

[lions roaring]

[buffalo snorting]

The lionesses and cubs
keep him down.

[lions roaring]

Their objective...

to get the buffalo on his back
so that the male can finish
the struggle.

[buffalo grunting]

The epic battle finally ends.

The lions have won.

[instrumental music playing]

In this ever-changing landscape
of prosperity and hardship,

the Xakanaka pride
has found stability again.

With the two strong brothers
in command,

and a healthy number
of youngsters to ensure
the pride's strength,

they have come full circle.

From desperation
comes ingenuity...

switching prey to survive
the harshest winter
they've ever had to endure.

[water splashing]

But life in the Okavango
will always be unpredictable.

And their future
will never be certain.

Soon their fathers will expel
the male youngsters

and they'll have to face
these challenges on their own.

[lion roaring]

[roaring continues]

The struggle of the dry season
is over.

But the struggle for survival
never ends.

The Xakanaka lions will always
be a pride in battle.