Original subtitles

Narrator: For young milo...

Born into the strongest pride in luangwa,

The future looks bright.

But, as a tragedy strikes,

The pride's power vanishes overnight.

Abandoned by his father...

Rejected by his mother...

Milo struggles to survive.

He must face his fears...

And his enemies...

To win back his mother's love.

But only the return of his father

Can ultimately secure the future of the pride.

This is the mwamba pride,

A 20-strong family of lions that lives in the

Vast wilderness of the luangwa valley

In eastern zambia.

Leading the pride are three males

Known as the punks.

Mohawk, axel and their brother spike.

Between them, these six-year-olds

Have managed to carve out an impressive territory.

It's their job, like all male lions,

To protect their pride from danger.

Their family is a large one...

Nine fully grown lionesses and six adolescent cubs.

And then there are the latest additions.

Two months ago, one of the lionesses,

Five year-old mopane,

Gave birth to a female called poppy

And her brother, milo.

They've been born into the strongest pride

In the area,

So for them, the future should be ensured.

Like most new-born cubs, poppy and milo

Live a carefree life.

(both growling)

Lions are truly social animals and the cubs are inseparable.

Learning to interact with other lions

Is vital to their future lives as part of a pride structure.

For some reason, only one other female

Had a cub this year, but it died six weeks ago.

So, as the only young cubs in this pride,

Poppy and milo get all the attention

From their aunts and cousins.

The family dotes on them.

But there's only so much fun a cub can have

Before it needs to find mum for a meal of her rich milk.

It's October, and the temperatures in luangwa

Are at their hottest.

By mid-morning, it's already

Over 80 degrees fahrenheit

And it's only going to get hotter.

Despite the heat, with new cubs around,

The pride must always be on guard.

They have one enemy that'll not miss an opportunity

To kill a vulnerable cub...

The leopard.

It's a close competitor and adult lions

Are a direct threat to a leopard.

So it'll try to kill a lion cub whenever it can.

Take them out early and they won't be a threat later.

It's that simple for a leopard.

To keep the cubs safe, the pride makes daily patrols

Of its territory.

It's not long before mohawk and a female leopard

Come face to face.

Mohawk means business.

If he catches the leopard, he'll kill her.

The leopard uses

Her superior tree-climbing skills...

But she's not out of danger.

Mopane joins mohawk,

And the two lions have the leopard trapped.

They're too heavy to climb up after her,

Instead they'll make her suffer in the blazing sun.

Eventually, having made their point

They head home.

This leopard escapes.

But she's got the message

Keep away from the new cubs.

The pride's home is a large territory

Spanning over nine square miles.

It's a mosaic of woodland and savannah

Hosting a diverse mix of species.

Anchoring it all is the luangwa river,

One of the largest in southern africa.

Water is vital in a place where summer temperatures

Can top 180 degrees fahrenheit.

The luangwa is one of the only

Reliable water sources for many miles...

Not just for the mwamba pride members

But, more importantly, their prey.

Thirst forces grazers and browsers

Of all descriptions

Right onto the mwamba's doorstep.

Access to water and therefore prey

Is what makes this pride's territory

So valuable.

The pride specialises

In hunting some of africa's biggest prey.

Buffalo.

As the sun sets

And the temperature begins to drop,

A cool breeze stirs the pride.

As they wake and greet one another,

Thoughts turn to food.

Milo and poppy grab the opportunity

For one last feed

Before their mother goes hunting.

The pride will leave the youngsters alone

For the night.

The adults can sometimes be gone

For 24 hours at a time,

So the cubs seem relaxed as the pride leaves.

They must wait silently.

Hyenas and leopards become more active

As darkness approaches,

So they retreat to the safety

Of deep vegetation.

They mustn't give away their hiding place.

As night falls,

The beautiful, nocturnal world of luangwa emerges.

Despite the darkness,

The mwambas are at their best on these moonless nights.

The lions' prey is laid out like a giant buffet.

The pride is on home territory and knows every bluff and ditch.

Thirsty prey that's travelled here from afar

Won't know the ground nearly so well.

The pride's target tonight is puku,

A strong and stocky antelope nearly three feet high,

At the shoulder.

They're not large,

But an adult provides over 150 pounds of meat.

It won't feed the whole pride, but it'll help.

The pride spreads out.

There are plenty of targets...

But that also means lots of eyes and ears

To sound the alarm.

Neither the pride nor the puku

Are distance runners,

Both rely on short bursts of speed.

So far, the pride has not been detected.

They'll need to get within 30 yards to succeed.

Lions have a top speed of nearly 40 miles per hour,

But they can't sustain it for long.

Once they launch their attack, all the puku will flee.

Tonight, the puku were faster.

The hunt has failed.

Prey beats predator.

Like all lions,

The mwambas are only successful 30 percent of the time.

But no matter. A healthy pride like this

Can go for bigger prey to make up the shortfall.

And with this much prey moving into their territory,

They'll have plenty of opportunities

To hunt tomorrow.

By the time the pride returns, the sun has already risen.

Mopane, the cubs' mother, calls,

Letting them know it's safe to emerge

From their hiding place.

But her calls are left unanswered.

Unaware, the rest of the pride

Settles down to rest.

Mopane heads for where she left milo and poppy.

Her calls become more distressed.

At night, luangwa is a dangerous place,

Even for the king of the beasts.

Hyenas are always on the lookout

For an unprotected cub.

And, of course,

The leopards are also on the prowl.

The mwamba pride lands

Are home to five fully grown adults.

Finally, after hours searching, mopane returns to the pride...

But she only has one cub at her side.

It's milo.

One of the night's many dangers has taken poppy.

Milo has lost his only sibling and playmate.

He's lucky to survive, but being the only cub left

In a pride has repercussions.

For the family,

Milo is now an expensive investment.

It takes the same effort to look after one cub

As it does two.

So lionesses usually synchronise their breeding,

Meaning mothers can help each other

With the parenting duties.

Unfortunately, without this help,

Most single cubs like milo are abandoned.

In only a few hours,

The pride's attitude towards milo changes.

One of the yearling's approaches...

But her play has a hint of menace.

Affection is turning to bullying.

Milo's world has been turned upside down.

Those that once protected, he now fears.

Even mopane, his own mother,

Seems not to care,

Doing nothing to intervene

As the yearling toys with her cub.

Over the coming days, the harassment is non-stop.

Milo can't seem to get a moment's peace.

But even when mopane eventually intervenes,

It's clear their relationship is unravelling.

As the days pass, she becomes ever more distant.

Milo seems confused by what's happening.

He slinks off,

Finding safety amongst the thorn brush.

For the first time in his short life,

He's truly alone.

The loss of poppy

Is a turning point for this pride.

It has the potential to tear them apart.

For male lions,

The average time in charge of a pride is only two years,

And the punks have already been the mwamba males

For one and a half.

At six years old,

They're at their fittest and strongest.

They're only going to get weaker

As they grow older.

Their remaining window of opportunity to pass on

Their genes is shrinking.

So, with only one cub to show for their efforts this year,

They're cutting their losses...

Abandoning the mwamba pride to find new females.

For milo and the pride, the loss of their protectors

Is a disaster...

A pride that loses its males will fragment,

Leaving all its members more vulnerable.

The mwambas are on borrowed time.

The punks strike out in the search for new females

To carry their line.

Their journey takes them east,

Across the river that marks the edge

Of the mwamba's territory.

Leaving the safety of a pride territory

Rarely happens.

This is the land of the hollywood pride.

It's a small pride of four females.

Last year they were led by a roaming male.

He sired three cubs,

But not one of them made it through the wet season.

Axel, the bravest of the punks,

Is first to venture up the river bank.

In most cases,

Wandering onto another pride's turf

Would be an extremely hostile and dangerous act.

The leading cause of death for male lions

Is violent battles over territories.

Initially the punks are wary, taking a cautious approach.

(roaring)

They roar to signal their arrival.

If there are other males about

They'll be met with a confrontational reply.

The punks are ready for a fight.

But what comes to meet them isn't a male.

It's a beautiful female...

And she seems pretty friendly.

Instead of a brawl,

They're welcomed with open arms.

Having lost their cubs, these four hollywood sisters

Are ready to start a new family.

For that they need strong males,

Both to sire and protect any new cubs

That may come along.

And the punks fit the bill.

So, all the females are in full-on flirt mode.

Coalitions don't fight over breeding rights.

So, spike, mohawk and axel

Mate with all the females.

It's an epic affair...

Every 20 minutes for four days.

They may seem ready to have cubs,

But these females are playing their own game.

Although they're mating, they won't get pregnant.

They're in false oestrus, a survival mechanism

To prevent unknown males

From fighting with them or their family.

They're deliberately behaving

As if they were ready to have cubs.

This manipulates the males into being less aggressive.

Mating might also help create a bond with the punks

And entice the brothers to stick around,

Forming a lasting pride with the sisters.

But there is a trade-off.

Now the sisters will have to share their food

With the punks.

The hollywood pride's territory is rich in prey.

Impala... Kudu...

And warthogs.

They're the only members of the pig family

To feed predominantly on grass.

But they have a hard time

Bending down low enough to graze.

Horny kneepads help them shuffle about

On their knees instead.

This female has eight-week-old piglets,

Just emerged from their den.

Their first excursion is already attracting attention.

One of the hollywood sisters has spotted them.

But have they spotted her?

They have!

It's over quickly.

But she won't get to keep it for long.

Mohawk is quick to muscle in.

Unlike the lioness,

He's too large to hunt smaller prey.

His body isn't designed to move with speed and agility.

For that, the males rely on the females.

The hollywood lioness forfeits her prize.

So, under sufferance,

The females will put up with sharing their kills

In return for the punks' protection.

The punks are settling in nicely.

Five miles away, for the mwamba lionesses,

Things are going from bad to worse.

They've lost their males,

They've got six adolescents to feed

Who are too inexperienced

To be much help with the hunt,

And they have a young cub, milo,

Who's struggling to keep up.

The dry season should be the time of plenty for lions.

With game concentrated around water,

Hunting should be at its easiest.

But they're failing to make enough kills

To feed the 16 remaining members

Of the pride.

Everyone is hungry,

And soon mopane won't have enough milk for milo.

If she goes five days without food

Her supply will dry up.

To feed everybody,

A pride this size should be catching these...

Buffalo.

The biggest, meanest grazers in africa.

Weighing over twelve hundred pounds,

With a hide-like armour

And horns that are designed to impale and flip a lion...

They're not to be underestimated.

Lionesses might have speed and agility,

But to bring down buffalo

They need the weight and power of the punks.

It's a common misconception that male lions don't hunt.

They do.

But only when the prey demands it.

With their bigger bulk,

Male lions can help drag down buffalo,

Enabling the lionesses to move in for the kill.

So, the mwamba lionesses are really missing the punks.

Despite repeated attempts to hunt buffalo,

They can't manage to bring one down.

But in their desperation for a meal

That will feed the entire pride,

They have to try again.

Clouds form as evening comes.

It's time to go hunting once more.

The younger members of the pride

Seem to want reassurance from their mothers.

In preparation for the hunt,

Mopane takes milo to a hiding place...

An ominous throwback to the loss of his sister.

As the light fails,

The pride switches into hunting mode.

They spread out looking to separate

A likely victim.

They manage to single one out...

But he's a huge, well-armed bull.

They can't seem to get close enough,

Held back by swinging horns.

Even with inch-and-a-half long claws,

They fail to penetrate the hide

They can't hold on.

The buffalo escapes

To the safety of the marsh.

Unsuccessful, the pride goes to bed,

Hungry once more.

Dawn breaks to find milo still alone in the brush.

With the pride needing to hunt the entire night,

This is becoming all too common.

With no siblings his own age,

He lacks a vital part of any lion's development...

Play.

The rough and tumble of play fights helps predators

Learn to tackle prey.

All milo has to wrestle with is a stick.

But it offers little resistance.

He must also learn to be vigilant,

Keeping his eyes and ears open for danger.

And there are few things as dangerous

To a young lion cub as this.

The leopard watches, intently...

Just waiting for her moment.

Luckily, the pride returns from the hunt

Just in time.

With this many lionesses about,

The leopard won't try anything...

For now...

But as mopane and the pride spend more time away hunting...

And their relationship with milo

Becomes more distant...

The more chances the leopard will have.

October is luangwa's hottest month,

But change is coming.

It hasn't rained since may, but the skies are darkening.

The drought is about to break.

(thunder rumbling)

The rains are welcomed by most animals,

But not the lions.

Water and new shoots are now everywhere,

So their prey is no longer concentrated at the river.

For the mwambas, whose males have been awol

For nearly a week,

Catching enough food is already difficult.

Now it's going to get harder.

It's been days since the pride last ate.

And mopane's milk will soon run dry.

If they're to survive,

They need to lure back the punks as soon as possible

And start bagging some buffalo.

So, the pride takes a huge risk.

Led by mopane, they travel east,

In search of the males.

They'll have to cross the river

And enter the hollywood pride lands.

If milo can't keep up, he'll be abandoned.

Despite the rains, the river's still shallow.

They're lucky.

But deep water isn't the main danger.

These are croc-infested waters.

Huge numbers patrol the river seeking opportunity.

These are nile crocodiles.

At over 16 feet,

They're amongst the largest crocodiles in the world.

They may not have eaten for weeks,

Just waiting for a chance like this.

There's little time for table manners.

Some of the most powerful jaws

In the animal kingdom

Clamp down on slippery hippo flesh...

Then, with muscular tails,

They spin on their axis and twist off a mouthful.

Regardless of the danger,

The pride must cross the river.

But someone's been left behind...

Milo.

Keenly focused, the lionesses forge ahead.

The whole family is on edge.

Milo is petrified.

He's never seen water like this before.

And mopane doesn't seem to care.

(whimpering)

Perhaps this is the moment their bond is finally broken.

(whimpering)

But something draws mopane back.

(whimpering)

It's now, or never.

But the worst possible thing he can do is stop.

(milo whimpering)

Bravely he ventures on...

It's getting deeper.

Milo must swim if he's going to make it.

The croc moves in for the grab...

(growling)

But mopane's growl sends it on its way.

An external threat to her cub

Has triggered her maternal instincts.

Perhaps this will rekindle their bond.

Having survived the river, the pride has a new hurdle.

The huge riverbank looms ahead.

It's barely passable for the adults.

For milo, it's impossible.

Once again, he's left behind.

But this time mopane hasn't forgotten him.

Gently, she carries her cub to safety.

After the drama of the river crossing,

Mother and cub immediately settle down to nurse.

An intimacy and tenderness has returned.

Mopane's change in behaviour towards milo

Instantly seems to ripple through the rest of the pride.

They're already treating him differently.

One of the yearlings

Initiates the "greeting ceremony."

Head rubbing and raised tails

Are a lion's way of showing they mean no harm.

The family's bond has kept the pride together,

But they still need the males' hunting abilities

And protection to ensure it succeeds.

That's what brought them across the river

(growls)

Mopane sends her call out into the hollywood territory.

A lioness's call can carry more than a mile.

If the punks hear her, they should respond.

The trespassing lionesses

Won't risk venturing farther into enemy territory.

So, the mwamba's wait here instead.

Hours pass, with no response.

Night begins to fall.

It seems as though their efforts to find the punks

Are in vain.

As the sun rises, it's time to reluctantly head for home.

But a familiar sound

Cuts through the still morning air.

It's mohawk.

And flowing closely behind is axel.

It's been a week since the lionesses

Have seen their males

And they greet them with great affection.

Then, last but not least, spike also returns.

After spending some time

With the four hollywood beauties,

Perhaps the punks have decided that the mwambas

Have better odds when hunting.

With the family reunited, they can cross the river,

Back into mwamba territory.

With the support that the reformed pride brings,

Mopane can relax

And devote all her attention to milo.

With regular suckling, he's growing strong.

And the rest of the pride

Are also seeing changes for the better.

The punks' power

Has helped them bring down a buffalo...

Giving them the big meal they've been missing.

The pride gets the best feed it's had

Since the males left,

Enjoying full bellies for the first time in a week.

And there are other signs the family is back on track.

The lionesses seem receptive once more.

It's been a trying week.

Abandoned by their males, the mwamba pride

Has overcome hunger...

Fear...

And rival females.

For milo, the loss of his sister

And rejection by his mother

Could have meant his time was up.

But the plucky young cub has a bright future ahead.

And soon, milo will have a gang of cousins to play with.

At last, the future of the pride seems secure.