All language subtitles for Predators.2022.S01E01.Cheetah_Subtitles01.ENG

Predators across the planet.

Unmatched in strength...

...speed, strategy,

stealth...

...and teamwork.

But staying on top is never easy.

As the world around them changes,

they must adapt faster
than ever before

to maintain their rule.

In Tanzania's Serengeti,
a notorious brotherhood of cheetahs.

They command
this vast hunting territory.

But their status is under attack.

Rivals are closing in.

The battle is no longer
just to stay on top...

...but to stay alive,

as they try to cling on
to their mighty alliance.

For the past six years,

male cheetahs Luka and Kovu

have held their territory here

in the southern plains
of Africa's Serengeti.

Kovu, with his scarred nose,

is a cunning and meticulous hunter.

The brains of the operation.

While Luka, with his muscular frame,

is a creature of brute strength.

They're always at each other's
side...

...but they're not brothers.

They were born 80 kilometres apart.

As young males, their paths crossed.

And through many years learning
the rules of the savanna together,

their unbreakable bond was forged.

While females are solitary,
male cheetahs band together.

But Luka's raw power,
combined with Kovu's sharp mind,

has made them a double act
like no other,

seeing off all rivals
and dominating the largest prey.

Now eight years old,

the pair are fiercely territorial.

The hunting grounds they hold

are 50 square kilometres
of rolling savannah.

There are rocky outcrops
for cover...

pools to drink from...

and every year
it floods with herds of zebra,

wildebeest, and gazelle.

They fiercely defend this territory
from neighbouring males,

so any females that come here
are theirs alone to mate with.

They are the epitome
of an apex predator,

and the success
of the entire population

relies on strong males like them

mating, and passing on their genes.

Luka and Kovu have become
masters of this game.

But the rules of their world
are changing.

It's August,

and the Serengeti's dry season
is kicking into gear.

The sun scorches the grass,

herds are heading north
to find water,

and the predators that remain are
fighting over a shrinking supply of food.

But the twist of the knife

is that, for three years, the region
has been plagued by drought.

The dry season months
of June to October

have been getting hotter and hotter.

As Luka and Kovu's world
becomes a hostile tinderbox,

guarding their patch
is more crucial than ever.

So their rules are clear:

intruders keep out, or be killed.

But eight kilometres away...

...at their territory's
western boundary...

...there's been a breach.

A gang of four powerful sons,

led by their imposing mum,

known as the Solaro family.

They have swagger and strength
in numbers.

Even the hyenas seem
to sense their power.

Watching Mum stalk gazelle,

the sons are fast learning
the ways of the hunter.

For now, the four sons
remain at Mum's side.

But any day now,

this band of brothers
will leave as a coalition,

to stake their own territory.

There's no way Luka and Kovu
can allow the Solaro sons

to share their patch.

In this drought, there won't be
enough food to feed them all.

But against four males,

they'll be dangerously outnumbered.

The one thing that could help them

is far from here...

...160 kilometres to the north,

over rivers, and valleys...

...a mega-herd of 1.5 million wildebeest...

and zebra are on the move.

The pregnant females need to
graze constantly to make milk.

When the rains return,

the plains
in Luka and Kovu's territory

are where the sweetest grasses
will grow,

so the herd must travel there.

When the herds arrive, there'll
be enough zebra and wildebeest...

...to feed all the cheetahs
across this region...

...and no need for the Solaro sons
to encroach.

But it's not that easy.

Blocking the herd's path
like a slick, black serpent...

...the Mara River.

Steep banks...

...deep water...

...no way round.

As the bankside swells with bodies,

their migration may
have reached its limit.

If the herd can't reach
the southern plains,

Luka and Kovu won't just go hungry,

they may face a turf war
with the Solaro brothers.

But right now,

the boys have a bigger problem...

Smoke.

The drought
has left the grass bone dry.

It ignites with terrifying ease.

Luka and Kovu
have seen wildfires before.

They know they can spread
with devastating speed.

As the heat rises,

they can only watch
the inferno in disbelief.

There's nothing they can do.

They need to retreat to a safe haven.

As the fire blazes unchecked,

those who can't run, hide...

...while white storks descend

to make a quick meal of the
insects escaping the blaze.

The flames tear through the heart of
Luka and Kovu's hard-won territory.

Everything they have worked for
may be about to slip away.

By morning,
the fire's burned itself out,

and their entire territory
is transformed.

Just scorched earth remains.

A hyena, singed
and blistered by the fire,

slurps at a nest
of baked ostrich eggs.

The mongoose emerge
to an empty landscape.

The last of the gazelles have left.

Until the rains return,

this once-rich territory
will remain barren.

The boys have no choice
but to abandon it.

With no territory,

finding food will be
a huge challenge.

And their ability to attract females
is now near to none.

They must try to find a new ground,

but it's a crowded landscape.

If they head east,

they'll go beyond
the boundary of the grasslands,

to where farmers kill cheetahs
to protect their livestock.

So their only option
is to head west,

deep into the Serengeti's heart.

A place ruled by hyenas,

lions and rival cheetahs,

all vying for the same food.

The duo's fate now rests
more than ever

with the arrival
of the wildebeest and zebra.

140 kilometres to the north,

the herd calculates its next move.

For their survival,
they need to cross.

But a flotilla of crocodiles
is lying in wait.

They are the apex predator
of this water world,

and they've not eaten for months.

The elders who have run this gauntlet
before know timing is everything.

There are no second chances.

The wet rocks become a perilous slick

that can snap legs and crack bones.

The walking wounded limp to safety.

Those too badly injured

are defenceless against
the advancing crocodiles.

But while the crocodiles
have their mouths full...

...hundreds of thousands more
make it through.

With their noses to the wind,
they push on south.

For Luka and Kovu,
these herds can't arrive soon enough.

It's now September,

and the drought
is tightening its grip.

Lions shelter from the midday sun...

marauding hyenas patrol the plains...

...and the Solaro Family
are closing in,

now skirting past
the scorched territory

once held by Luka and Kovu.

Oblivious to the threat
trailing them,

the pair are now trying
to adapt to life on the move,

as they continue searching
for a new home.

Ordinarily,
they'd get the water they need

from the prey they eat.

But with hunting opportunities
so scarce,

the boys are desperately thirsty.

The problem is,

the few watering holes
that haven't dried

are now crawling with lions.

There's no way the pride will share
this precious resource with cheetahs.

Eventually, they reach
an unoccupied pool.

But the drought
has impacted everything.

A single drop is enough to tell Luka
that the water is putrid

and not safe to drink.

There's nothing for the boys here.

Dust chokes the air...

...and giraffes scour the trees
for the remaining green leaves.

The duo's search for a new territory

brings them to a barren plateau.

There's no sign of the large gazelles
they would ideally hunt,

but it's no time to be picky.

These hungry boys will eat
whatever they can catch.

Kovu senses there's food hiding here.

They both scan the scrub,
searching for clues.

The black stripes beneath their
eyes absorb the sun's glare,

enhancing their vision.

Their hunting instinct is triggered
by the slightest movement.

So if the hare keeps still...

...it could go unnoticed.

Close call.

But Kovu clocks it!

♪ MUSIC FADES

Even a lightning fast hare
can't escape

the fastest animal on land.

It's not much,

but the hare is a lifeline
to keep Luka and Kovu going.

And they'll need
all the energy they can get.

Their journey has now led them to
within a kilometre of the Solaro family.

If their paths cross, it's bad news.

Only if the migrating herds
arrive soon

will there be enough food
to avert a bloody turf war.

The herds are now only
110 kilometres to the north...

...but there's a snag.

The fresh grass they're after
in the southern plains

is triggered by the first rains.

But the rains are late,

so the herds have stopped
in their tracks.

In previous decades,

the wet seasons here
arrived like clockwork.

But those days are a distant memory.

For Luka and Kovu, it's a disaster.

Walking north to intercept
the herds is not an option.

They'd have to trespass dangerously

through many rival
cheetah territories.

They're running low on food,

and their competition...

...is closing in.

Right now, the four Solaro sons

remain at mum's side,

absorbing her skills as a hunter.

She too is resigned to taking hares.

But a single hare can't feed
five large cheetahs.

Snatching it for herself
is a signal to her sons:

it's time for them to leave

and find a territory of their own.

They're now old enough
to hunt for themselves,

but in these extreme dry conditions,

they won't last long
without mum's expertise.

The hungry sons protest.

Mum gives in.

Their bony bodies reveal
that even this powerful family

hasn't escaped
the grip of the dry season.

Their cracked fur
is a sign of sickness.

Until the sons regain their strength,
Mum must continue to fend for them.

But she won't be able to keep
them all fed for much longer.

The blistering October days tick by,

squeezing the life from the land.

Thirsty elephants trudge through
on their long march to find water.

Luka and Kovu are surviving
almost entirely on hares now.

They end each sitting
by cleaning each other's faces.

Not a drop of food can be wasted.

It is a tender ritual they share

to show their utter devotion
to each other.

But for the Solaro family,

things have gone from bad to worse.

Their sickness has intensified,

and the skinniest son
is now a wasted figure

of mere skin and bone.

Cheetah brothers share
an unbreakable bond.

The thought of deserting him
is inconceivable.

They must keep moving.

But with every step,
he's getting weaker.

The family wait patiently
for the sick brother to catch up,

willing him on with their cries.

Mum's tried to find food,

but their slow progress
in these drought conditions

has made hunting impossible.

The whole family are slowly starving.

There's nothing his mum
and brothers can do.

For their own survival,
they must hunt.

They've now no choice,
but to do the unthinkable,

and leave him.

Abandoned,

the sick cheetah's fate...

...now rests in nature's hands.

A kilometre away
in the neighbouring valley,

fortune may have once again swung
in Luka and Kovu's favour.

With the Solaros
weakened by sickness,

their threat to the boys is fading.

If they are going to take
a new territory,

now is the time.

The tides have turned.

Luka and Kovu
have defied the drought.

And as December looms,

salvation is on its way.

Four weeks later than usual,

fat raindrops bathe the land.

It's a welcome opportunity
for Luka and Kovu

to clean their dusty bodies.

The smell of the rain
drifts on the wind.

50 kilometres to the north,

the herds get the signal
they've been waiting for.

Time to move south.

Weeks pass...

...and the storms become
more frequent.

Streams flow,

flowers bloom,

and pools fill with water,

attracting a dazzle of birdlife.

The yellowed grass gives way
to a sea of green.

And swarming across it
from every direction...

...the mega-herd has arrived.

Over a million wildebeest...

...together with hundreds
of thousands of zebra,

hartebeest and gazelle

that have joined them to feed.

By February,

the cheetah's world is transformed.

After months of hard struggle,

Luka and Kovu's quest for a new
territory is almost complete.

They've secured an area on the
edge of the short-grass plains

that has everything they need,

and it's within sight
of the advancing mega-herd.

But there's a catch.

Nomadic lions and hyena

are also flooding into the area...

...and patrolling the herds.

The boys' new patch
has an abundance of food...

...but it also now has
more competition than ever.

Luka and Kovu must be smart.

If the lions spot them
moving in on the herds,

they'll be chased from the area.

So they select their spot
and let the herds come to them.

These boys are far more
than fast sprinters.

They are patient
and calculating hunters.

Gradually, the herds edge closer.

The duo needs to select
their target wisely.

Wildebeest come armed
with sharp horns...

...and zebras pack a lethal kick.

Only the most fearless cheetahs
will risk hunting something so big.

Perfectly in sync, they move in.

They goad the herd,

hoping a young or injured animal
reveals itself.

A baby hartebeest
that arrived with the mega-herd;

a worthwhile meal in Kovu's eyes.

But it's not alone.

It's mum wheels round
to fend off the attack.

Then through the dust,
Luka spies a young zebra;

a sizable meal, and much
less risky than an adult.

The hunt is on.

The herd splinters.

Luka just dodges the zebra's hooves.

But the zebra is too strong.

Luka is losing the battle.

Then right when he's needed...

...his wingman arrives.

It's a remarkable show of teamwork.

Their risk of hunting large prey
is rewarded.

By the time they finish,

their bellies bulge like basketballs.

Their strong stomachs will make
fast work of this feast,

and in just 24 hours,

they'll be ready to go again.

The large area Luka and Kovu have
secured has everything they need.

It's a prime territory,

so the duo will work hard to keep it.

Each morning they spray the termite
mounds in their patch with their scent.

It works as a signpost,

telling other males to "keep out".

But on one mound,

Luka is picking up
on a strange odour.

It smells like an intruder
has been here.

Any threat from a rival cheetah
must be extinguished fast.

They've proved they are powerful
enough to secure a territory here.

Now, they need to prove
they can protect it.

And the bold trespasser
isn't even hiding.

Into formation, they advance.

But, at the last minute,

the cheetah's identity becomes clear.

The rival male is,
in fact, a female.

Despite her frosty welcome,
she wants to mate.

Female cheetahs are
notoriously choosy.

They only pick males
who are fit and strong.

Staking this new territory confirms
the boys' healthy credentials.

This female is clearly interested,

even if Luka
is getting mixed signals.

If she were to pick
one male over the other,

it would fracture the boys' alliance.

Luckily, a twist in cheetah biology

means a single litter
can have multiple fathers.

So, in the coming days,
Kovu and Luka

can mate with her
and pass on their genes.

Through their strength and teamwork,

Luka and Kovu's formidable double-act
has defied fire and drought.

But unknown challenges
still lie ahead.

As the human population
around their grassland grows

and space for cheetahs shrinks...

...the boys succeeded
in their quest to mate.

And now, a new generation is
stepping out onto the plains...

...and fresh coalitions
are being formed.

There is now no question

that the cheetah's apex status
is guaranteed here

for many years to come.

Cheetahs...

They're fast, they're powerful,

but their existence is fragile.

Around 7,000 wild cheetahs
remain in the entire world.

But in the vast expanse
of Tanzania's Serengeti

lies one of their greatest
remaining strongholds.

For almost 50 years,
the Serengeti Cheetah Project

has studied the cheetahs here.

By joining forces
with the project's scientists,

the Predators film crew
were able to follow the lives

of multiple groups of cheetahs
across the Serengeti.

And with the researchers' help,
the crew documented

the story of a most
remarkable partnership...

...male cheetahs Luka and Kovu.

Stabilised rigs

allowed the team to capture
the male's high-speed chases.

Remote-controlled camera buggies

provided an intimate window
into cheetah family life...

...and miniature drones gave a new
perspective on the cheetah's world.

But while Luka and Kovu's story
was one of success,

life for Serengeti's cheetahs
is not easy.

So there is around 300
cheetahs in the Serengeti ecosystem

and also there's 3,000 lions...

...as well as around 6,000 hyenas.

And these other predators pose a
very high challenge to the cheetahs

because they steal their kills

and kill the cheetah cubs.

That's why they have a very wide
range and this helps them to dodge

or keep themselves away
from other predators.

A cheetah's ability
to travel many kilometres each day

to avoid conflict and find food

is part of what's made them
such a successful predator.

At over 14,500 square kilometres,

the Serengeti National Park is a
vast wilderness for them to roam.

So for the film crew,

trying to follow the same
individual cheetahs here

over many months was a huge task.

Often for weeks at a time,

the cheetahs would seem to completely
disappear into the landscape.

So at this point,
it's basically a waiting game.

The Serengeti Cheetah
Project must routinely monitor

these wide-ranging cats
over this huge area,

so they're devising a new way
to keep tabs on them.

At the moment, I'm working
on deploying collars on cheetahs.

These collars have the accelerometer
that can give us

the activity patterns
of the cheetahs.

GPS collars have never
been used before on cheetahs

in the Serengeti National Park.

So we can now track them

and they will transmit locations
of where the cheetahs are.

So it's a good step

and we are really looking
forward to get good results.

But even with these
hi-tech advancements,

the researchers still have
Mother Nature to contend with.

By the time the crew catch up
with their cheetahs again,

there's troubling news.

This time of year is hard for
all cheetahs, it's super-hot,

the prey is not in the densities
that you get in the wet season.

But this group specifically,
the mum was struggling to hunt.

We've probably watched her make
sort of five or six failed hunts.

Every time she fails,
she's losing a lot of energy,

burning a lot of energy
that she's not replacing,

and all of her four cubs
are getting pretty skinny.

But this guy,
he is really, really suffering.

He's lost loads of weight.
He's got wounds on his shoulders

that suggest he's also had a
run-in with a hyena or something.

He can barely walk, let alone run
away from hyenas if they come in.

Cheetah's rarely die
from starvation alone.

Their broad diet means they can
always find prey, however small,

to make it through
even the toughest conditions.

But when hunger is worsened
by illness or injury,

it can be a death sentence.

Yeah, he's really struggling.

Poor little guy.

The National Park's policy

is to not intervene
with sick animals.

Nature must be allowed
to take its course.

As night falls, it becomes clear

that the young cheetah's
sickness has progressed too far.

Researchers can't save every cheetah.

But the good news is that data from
the GPS collars is shedding light

on how scientists can protect
the entire cheetah population.

This is the satellite data
that we have been getting.

And you can see her movement.

She made a straight line here,
going towards the villages.

What the collars reveal about
where the cheetah go is striking.

The cheetah population have
been spending most of their time

outside of the protected areas.

The revelation that
the cheetahs regularly venture

into farming communities
outside the protected park

is hugely significant.

Hungry cheetahs occasionally
eat livestock.

And to protect their livelihoods,
farmers retaliate by killing the cheetahs.

We're very concerned
about what's happening to cheetahs

outside the protected areas.

When they come up against
the impacts of people,

that's when you see
the population start declining.

The cheetah population can't afford
to lose any from their numbers.

There's only around about 7,000
cheetahs left in the whole world.

So they've suffered
a really drastic collapse

over recent decades,

with the populations
now only occupying

around about 10%
of their former range.

With the GPS collars revealing

the critical areas outside the
park where cheetahs are at risk,

vital steps can now be taken
to protect them there,

paving the way
for cheetahs and humans

to share this land without conflict.

This is why I play
my part in the conservation

and protection of wildlife
and nature.

The researcher's work
is not only crucial

to safeguarding
the Serengeti's cheetahs,

but a reminder that
in this changing world,

to protect wildlife,

we must find ways
for people and predators

to peacefully live
alongside each other.

Next time...

In the frozen wilderness of Canada,

a new generation of polar bears

battle hunger in the most
hostile environment.

But as their world
starts to shift

they will need to overcome
enormous challenges to survive.