All language subtitles for Tiger.Island.2026.S01E02.1080p.WEBRip.x264-CBFM_track3_[eng]

Deep in the monsoon forests
of Nepal,

there is one special place...

..where a river
has shaped the land...

..creating an island full of life...

..home to an icon
of the natural world.

The Bengal tiger.

TIGER GROWLS

These secretive big cats are
notoriously difficult to film...

TIGER HISSES

..but on this island, they're
starting to reveal themselves.

There's something really strange
about being on foot with a tiger.

And unlike in other parts
of their range,

here, they can be filmed
from the air...

He is ginormous.

..making this one of the best places
in the world

to observe their behaviour.
Right there!

SQUEALING

Now, for the first time,

an expert team are following
the tigers through the day...

Ooh, ooh...
Film, film, film, film, film.

..and even into the night.

GROWLING

Oh!

This time...

TIGER GROWLS

..a king returns...
You don't want to mess with him.

..looking to make his mark...

He's saying,
"This territory's mine."

..and assert his dominance.

TIGER ROARS

Western Nepal.

The crew are back
after two months away.

Led by local guides and sisters
Sushila and Manju Mahatara,

they're following
the island's tiger mothers...

Oh, there she is.
Stop, stop, stop, stop!

..Goma, a mature tigress
who is raising two cubs,

and her adult daughter, Mala,

who was last seen
with one surviving cub.

A third tigress, Jugini,

whose cubs were seen
being looked after by Goma,

may have left the island.

THUNDERCLAP

As the monsoon season approaches...

..the forest is growing thicker...

It's so dense and so wild.

..and the tigers are becoming
more elusive,

making it difficult to follow them
during the day.

The monsoon season
is completely changing

the behaviour of our tigers.

For the first time, the team is
preparing to track them after dark.

We're going to have to move
to our thermal cameras.

That will help us follow
the tigers into the night.

This thing, this is a beast,

but it's going to allow us to...

..pick up tigers
from three miles away.

Biologist Dan O'Neill and
guide Sushila are hoping to catch up

with Goma's family to find out
just how active they are at night.

WHISPERING: So this must be the pool
that they drink from.

Yeah.

Mm-hm. Yeah, I think so.

Dan and Sushila are aiming to
blend into their surroundings,

while the crew sets up
thermal cameras behind them.

With night-vision six times
better than ours,

the tigers have the upper-hand

and everyone needs to be
extremely vigilant.

It's super eerie driving down
these roads at night,

because you never know what
you're going to come across

and, equally, we just can't see
anything into the darkness

apart from through this camera.

Tigers have rarely been
observed at night

and very little is known about
their nocturnal behaviour.

But this is all a bit of
an unknown quantity, really,

which makes me excited
and nervous at the same time

because no-one's ever tried to
follow tigers at night like this.

WHISPERING: Dan and Sushila
are staking out this watering hole.

We know that Goma's got
a kill up here

and she's likely to come down
to drink.

This is going to be the best chance
to get eyes on her.

WHISPERING: Do you see anything?

She's coming down the bank.

Wow.

She's drinking.

She's so close to us.

She's literally 25, 30 metres
from us.

WHISPERING: This is so strange
because...

..you can't see any stripes.

Thermal cameras only detect heat,

making a tiger's colour patterns
invisible.

If I didn't know that
that was a tiger,

I might have no idea
what kind of big cat that was.

WHISPERING: She's up, she's up.
She's moving. Oh, whoa.

OK, she's looking at us.
She's looking at us.

WHISPERING: She stared directly
at Sushila and Dan.

I mean, there's no doubt
that she can see us.

At night, these cats definitely
have the upper hand

and she probably thinks
we can't even see her.

She's having a bath.

It's 35, 40 degrees in the day,

and as soon as the sun sets, it's
her chance to finally cool down.

TIGER YELPS

You hear? You hear?

She's calling the cubs in.

TIGER YELPS

OK, there it is.

There's a cub.
The cub's coming down.

Oh, wow.

Look at that.

That's the female cub.

She's looking right at us.

Just stay dead still.

Oh, it is incredible to be stared at
by a tiger like that.

I think this one's the male.

Unbelievable.

At a year old, the cubs
are beginning their journey

towards independence.

It's amazing how much they've grown.

They don't really look like cubs
any more. They're...

They're sort of gangly adolescents.

They are totally aware of us
right now.

I mean, can you see them switching?

One looks and another drinks.

They are very wary.

But to do that without Mum,

that is a level of confidence,
isn't it?

WHISPERING: It's like
she's giving them these lessons.

Now it's time for you to go down

and have your drinking experience
on your own.

Stay vigilant,
look after one another.

TIGER YELPS

I mean, it's such a rare thing
to be able to see.

You never are able to
follow tiger cubs

through their adolescence like this.

WHISPERING: The thermal cameras
just give us

a window into the world
that we've never seen,

all these intimate moments.

And now they've just scurried back
and they're probably excited

that they've been on
a little adventure.

ENGINE STARTS

Goma is leading her cubs
into the forest

and Max is following.

WHISPERING: Everyone stay
as still as you can.

She's checking us out.

She's coming right towards
the car now.

GROWLING

Ooh.

It's getting a bit too close
for comfort.

We need to pull out.

Hey, guys, get ready to move.

Guys.

Mate, we need to get out of here.

GROWLING

Be careful.

Whoa.

Whoa.

MAX EXHALES LOUDLY

Oh, my goodness.

That was insanely close.

Do you need a new pair of underwear?

MAX CHUCKLES
I think I need a stiff drink.

I could see very clearly how close
she was and it was really close.

She was interested.
At night, they're just so confident.

During the daytime, they hide.
But the night, they don't care.

They just pass us. They probably
think that we can't see them. Yes.

The team pick up signs that
there may be another tiger

roaming the island.

RADIO BEEPS

We're hearing a lot of roaring
coming from the north-east.

Anna is using the thermal drone
to check who's out there.

Ooh.

I've just got the drone up
and pretty much immediately

have found a tiger, and...

..judging by the size of its neck,
this has got to be a male tiger.

Oh, he's scent marking.

Tigers leave their scent
to communicate status,

mark territory and attract mates.

This looks like a bit of a...

..territorial march for this tiger.

I think this could be...

..the dominant male.

This could be Bandheil.

Bandheil is the most powerful tiger
in the area.

The crew have no idea
how he'll behave at night.

WHISPERING: I think
it's a bit worrying.

A male tiger this close
could be dangerous.

ANNA EXHALES

I might be about to come
face-to-face with...

..the biggest big cat.

GROWLING

NERVOUS LAUGH

ANNA EXHALES LOUDLY

That was fleeting,
but that was terrifying.

Bandheil just looked straight at us.

GROWLING

You really start to appreciate
how huge they are

when they're that close to you.

You don't want to mess with him.

Unlike other males,
who only pass through,

Bandheil shares territory
with the females here on the island

and has been seen mating with them.

This is a rare chance for the team
to follow a tiger father.

Tigers are known to be solitary.

Male tigers don't get involved
with the cubs.

He may not even recognise his cubs

and could pose a threat
if he finds them.

He maybe would just
kill them, right?

RADIO: Max, Bandheil
is walking with purpose

and he's moving in their direction.

WHISPERING: Bandheil is definitely
on the prowl.

He's on a mission.

He's just crossed the riverbed

and he's gone into that
thick, long grass.

I can't see him at all now.

It's just amazing how well
these tigers conceal themselves.

With Bandheil on patrol, Goma and
her family would be wise to lay low.

Using remote cameras,

the crew want to track Bandheil's
movements across the island.

OK.

As the dominant male, his territory
overlaps that of several females.

The team wants to find out
how the mother tigers respond

to his presence.

Two months ago,
Goma's adult daughter Mala

discovered just how dangerous
male tigers can be...

ROARING

..when an unknown intruder
killed two of her cubs.

That is horrible.

That male seems to have left
the area.

Now Dan and Sushila want to
check their remote cameras

for signs of Mala
and her surviving cub.

If we get her on these camera traps,
it's a really good sign.

It means that she's OK.

And it also gives us an area
to look for to try and find her.

Track. Oh, yes!

It's Mala, though.
I can't see the cub yet.

All right, let's have a look.

There we go... OK.

DAN GASPS

Ooh! Is that Mala?

In daylight. Wow.

That's today. Today, yes.

Morning light.

She's such a beautiful cat,
isn't she? Yeah.

It's just really nice to know
that minutes ago,

she was right there, having a drink,
and she looks great condition.

People, right there. Right there!
Yeah.

The tigers here have had to adapt
to sharing their home with people.

They're fishing just here
and she's probably sat

somewhere up here hiding.

It's amazing how close she
is to people all the time.

Is the cub there, though?

Only half of tiger cubs
make it to adulthood.

No cub with her.

It is worrying.

And for Mala, who is raising
her first litter,

the odds are even lower.

DAN GASPS

Cub!

Oh, hello!

Aw... She's so cute.

Lauti. Lauti.

She's growing very well.

In just a few months
she'll be quite a big cat...

..and her chances of survival
are going to be so much higher.

She just needs to make it through
the next six months.

Flying the drone, tiger guide Manju
has just picked up Mala and Lauti.

It's an opportunity to see
how Lauti is developing.

Tiger cubs gain the skills
they need through play.

CUB SQUEALS

At six months old,

Lauti will be joining her mother's
hunting expeditions.

But first, she needs to learn
one of the most critical skills

for any tiger - stealth.

CUB SQUEALS

After losing her siblings,
Lauti only has Mala to practise on.

But her play is attracting
unwanted attention.

Oh, look at this!

Weighing two tonnes,

a greater one-horned rhino
can be unpredictable.

It's the wrong target
for hunting practice.

That's not good.
That's not good for her.

Oh!

She ran.

Good job, Lauti.

On an island full of danger,

keeping a low profile will be
crucial to Lauti's survival.

Checking footage
from the remote cameras,

Dan is looking for any sign
of Bandheil.

Hello, Goma.

Ha! Her cub.

Oh.

That's Bandheil.

You can see from the stripes
and the markings on the face.

He's so interested

and really, really licking,
sniffing

the exact spot where Goma walked up.

This is really close to where
she's keeping her cubs.

When he's licking the ground like
this and pulling in those scents

and moving them around
this specialist organ

called the Jacobson's organ,
he's basically trying to read

the information left behind
by all the cats in the area,

whether a female has cubs
or if she's looking to mate.

He must be aware that she's got cubs
because he can smell it.

Their scent will be everywhere here.

Apart from when they mate,
male tigers are solitary,

so it's unclear why Bandheil
is following Goma,

who won't be receptive
until her cubs are independent.

To see a big adult male,
regardless of who he is to her,

in such close proximity
is really worrying.

Goma, in fear of him
killing her cubs,

will avoid any male
that comes into the area.

If he comes across Goma
and Goma doesn't like it,

she's going to get herself
into a scrap,

and the last thing a female tiger
wants when she has cubs

is to get injured, because
how is she going to look after them?

Raising young cubs surrounded by
so many other tigers isn't easy,

but Goma has kept her cubs alive
through their most vulnerable year.

We know how brutal...

..tiger lives can be.

We saw what happened to Mala's cubs,

and I just was really hoping that
that wouldn't be the case for Goma,

and, luckily, all of her years
of experience are paying off

and she's managed to keep
these cubs safe and well.

Goma has shown she can navigate
the island's threats.

But with Bandheil tracking her,
she may be facing

her greatest challenge yet as she
prepares her cubs for independence.

The way that this cub is gnawing
into this kill that they've got,

you can see that they've got
a taste for blood.

SQUEALING

One of these cubs
is much more feisty.

Booted the other one
straight off the kill.

Aw.

There is always one.

The team has decided
to name the cubs Asa...

..and Bune.

Male cub Bune
is the dominant sibling.

Goma is an incredible mum.

She seems to be doing an amazing job
at keeping Asa and Bune well fed.

The girl is always going to be
a little bit smaller

than its brother.

Bune needs to gain 100kg
before he leaves his mother.

And you can tell that size matters
at the moment

because the big brother is managing
to muscle in on all of the food,

getting the tiger's share.

Goma's cubs now need to learn
to catch their own meals.

As the team prepare to follow
the tigers into the night,

the heat is bringing
the island's residents to the water.

And Max has found someone else
in the tiger's drinking spot.

WHISPERING: We've got a super
chilled rhino just bathing.

He's definitely relaxing.

This is like a spa for a rhino.

With this thermal camera, you can
see all the veins in the ears,

and that's how they're trying to
get rid of the heat.

BUBBLING

He seems to be blowing bubbles
at both ends.

I think sometimes
these thermal cameras

pick up a bit too much detail.

BUBBLING

MAX LAUGHS

As the temperature drops,
animal activity is increasing.

The rhino is coming really close
to the camp now.

WHISPERING: Let's go and see
if we can see it.

Wow. That's, like,
right next to where we sleep.

Yeah. Really close.

Walking on foot with tigers
is one thing,

but, actually, that is probably the
most dangerous thing here, right?

I mean, that is ginormous.

The team's camp is on the edge
of Goma's territory.

She's there.
I can see her. I can see her.

Is she? Yeah.

Goma might travel six miles
every night,

patrolling her territory
and looking for food.

Maybe she can cross that river.

She's crossing, Dan.
She's crossing.

Yeah... Yeah, I see.

Wow.

She's just there.

She passed 40 metres from where
we're sleeping at night.

Where in the world
can this happen like this,

with relative safety
and us being on foot?

Upriver from camp,
Anna has found Mala and Lauti.

WHISPERING: It's really nice to see
the bond between Mala and Lauti.

They just seem really,
really close-knit.

Lauti has just submerged
in the water, cooling off.

So cute.

That is the best way to drink water.
Just submerge yourself in it.

Mala now needs to catch
a meal for them both.

At night, she gains an advantage
over her prey.

Lauti must now watch and learn.

Tigers are basically designed
for the night-time,

their eyes especially -
they've got really big, round eyes

and that means that they allow
so much more light in.

She's staring at two deer
that are right in front of her.

But Mala's success depends on
one factor she can't control.

Oh, Lauti's moving in.
Lauti's moving in towards the deer.

Going straight towards the deer.
It's really close to them.

Ohh. Ohh.

No.

Lauti is not yet as stealthy
as her mother.

I wish I could get into Mala's head
for a moment.

I wonder if she's annoyed?

If she's to catch a meal,

Mala will need to make sure Lauti
knows to make herself invisible.

Early morning, and the team
has picked up something unusual.

Goma is moving her cubs
towards the river.

And Manju is tracking them.

They are going to cross this side.

As water levels
rise during the rainy season,

Goma and the cubs must adapt.

Look at them! Wow.

There may be another reason
Goma is moving her cubs.

Whoa.

Bandheil.

There's something going on.

He's crossed over the river
on a real mission.

And now it's clear that
he's marking his territory,

and I guess he's just saying,
"Look this, this territory's mine."

And he's doing this flehmen
response where they -

almost sort of tasting the air.

It appears Bandheil is
asserting his claim over the island

and the resident females.

If Bandheil is pursuing Goma to
mate, he could attack Asa and Bune.

This is potentially
really, really dangerous.

He's got to be one of the biggest
male tigers in the area.

If a male comes in
and thinks it's not their cubs,

they could kill them.

They wouldn't even think about it.

They will just go straight
for these cubs.

Hang on.

She's just made a move towards him.

With cubs depending on her,
Goma can't afford to get injured...

..but she's their only
line of defence.

They're about four metres
from each other at the moment.

Oh, what's she's doing?

Oh, he's charging, he's charging.

ROARING

She's being submissive
at the moment.

She's essentially saying,
"Don't come any closer.

"I don't want to fight."

For now,
Goma has stopped Bandheil's advance.

She's really showing
what it means to be a mum,

and that is to be a protector.

And Bandheil seems to have gotten
the message, at least for now.

THUNDER RUMBLES

The sudden arrival of a monsoon
storm forces the team to take cover.

Goma is sat over there

with her two cubs right now.

There's lightning coming
from all directions.

These are really, really
unforgiving storms.

And we have a lot of equipment

that can get destroyed
really quickly.

It's unreal.

Oh, my God!
The tent is filling in.

Oh, I bet Goma is having
a horrible time right now.

It's the beginning of the monsoon
season, so these are just going

to be getting more frequent
and more intense.

I don't even want to hold
this metal bar -

I feel like it's a lightning rod.

This is what these cats have to
contend with, all the time.

I can only imagine how uncomfortable
it is.

They're probably all together,
huddled up.

The second this goes,
we need to be out there.

And trying to relocate her.

THUNDER CRASHES

There's so much water in the forest,
now that the rains have come,

that sitting and waiting in one spot
for the cats to come down to drink

is probably not going to work.

Ao we are fitting this
onto my buggy,

so that we can be more mobile and
move wherever the cats decide to go.

All right, let's go.

With concern growing for Goma,

Dan is keen to check on her
and the cubs.

The water level is definitely
going up.

Yeah, it's really, really high.

OK, I'm swimming.

Well, the tigers have to cross this,

so, so do we.

BEEPING

Hey, Dan, we have a tiger
coming in your direction.

OK, how far away is she?

Currently 8-0, 80 metres away. OK.

I can see her.

Hello, Goma.

She is so stunning.

Look at that.

No cubs, though.

Hopefully, she's left them
somewhere safe.

There's been...quite a lot of rain.

So, all of her scent marks
will have washed away.

And that puts her and the cubs
in a not-so-good situation,

because other tigers might try
to move in.

Goma looks to be
on a territorial patrol.

She may be scent marking to lead
Bandheil away from her family.

She's definitely going to be
moving a lot now.

To help track Goma after dark,

Anna is taking over
with the thermal camera.

Goma has returned to her cubs
Asa and Bune,

who are practising hunting skills.

And it's time to put them
to the test.

Asa and Bune are like twins.

They like to do everything together.

They just want to play with
everything around them.

With prey nearby,
Goma seems to be signalling.

It kind of looks like Goma uses
her tail to direct her two cubs.

When hunting as a family, subtle
commands appear to be important.

It's like a secret language.

But they seem to use their tails
and their ears as signals.

They have created a way
to communicate

so that they are absolutely silent,

because that is what they rely on
going in as they ambush their prey.

And this time,
the cubs are taking the lead.

Oh! There's one cub
that looks like it's got a plan.

Staring at the deer in front of it.

Oh, it's going.

ANNA GIGGLES

This tiger cub has no idea
what it's doing.

It's literally just walking
straight towards the deer.

Ooh!

This cub is kind of hilarious.

Bune seems to be more playful
than his sister.

He's more confident.
He's always out in front.

He's doing things
he probably shouldn't be doing.

GASPS: Whoa! No way!

No way! They just chased a deer
straight into Goma's mouth.

That was incredible,
Goma wasn't even looking,

she was walking
in the opposite direction,

turned around to a deer
just coming straight towards her.

OK, so Asa and Bune have just
helped Goma with a hunt.

Was not expecting that.

OK, this is interesting.

Goma has just left the cubs to it.

She just took the deer down,
but she's just walked away

and now the cubs are suffocating it.

It looks like Goma
is starting to give them

some responsibility in these hunts.

The fact that she trusts them
to essentially finish the job,

it means they are coming along
in their hunting skills.

Under Goma's guidance,

Asa and Bune are getting to grips
with operating at night.

But for the crew,
it remains a challenge.

ENGINE REVS

We're stuck.
We're stuck.

I don't know if anyone is copying us
but we're currently stuck.

Trying to get ourselves out
of a sticky situation here.

With tigers around, they must
work quickly to get the vehicle out.

She's here. I can see her, guys.

Guys, get in the vehicle. Get in
the vehicle. Get in the vehicle.

And now Goma has noticed them.

She's literally looking
right at us, guys.

Oh!

Oh, I think I can see lights.

Ah, OK, OK.

Goma's only about 40 metres from us
right now.

Literally right there.

It's OK, she's moving away.

Yeah. Let's get out.

Finally, the team can free
their vehicle.

ENGINE REVS

Let's go! Let's go!

Following Goma's trail,
the crew have picked up Bandheil.

I've got drone team's feed.

He's scratching that log.
That's how they sharpen their claws.

And he's just tracked Goma down.

They're coming right up
to each other.

They're greeting each other. They're
actually greeting each other.

Ooh! She's just given him
a little swipe.

Got a bit too close.
She's a bit uncertain - pfft!

There's really not much aggression
here, though.

This is really...strange.

He's going back to her.
He's going back.

TIGERS ROAR

Ooh!

Wow! She just whipped round
and showed her belly to him.

It's a sign of submission.

They're walking together.

They do seem more tolerant
of each other than I would expect.

There's definitely some kind
of relationship here.

Adult tigers rarely spend time
with each other outside of mating,

but filming at night
is giving the team new insights.

From the thermal drone,
at least one of Bandheil's motives

for sticking with Goma
is becoming clear.

A free meal.

Giving away some of her food

is a small price to pay
to keep the peace.

With so many tigers on the island,

it may be a strategy
to avoid conflict.

There is some kind of driving force
behind this behaviour.

Having smaller ranges
that they've been forced into,

maybe it's forcing tigers
to work more together.

The only way to survive,

the only way to eke out a life
is by being more cooperative.

As the team heads out to check on
the mother tigers and their cubs,

there's an unexpected visitor
joining them.

Just arrived at drone base
to set up,

but we've got a wild elephant

on the horizon that is getting
closer and closer.

I'm not sure if it's bothered by us,

but quite often, elephants
will use diversion techniques

like pretending to eat
whilst watching you.

So although it looks quite chilled
and it's just grazing,

that could just be it...

..trying to pretend
like it's not seeing us.

Yeah, there are some
flapping of ears,

which is showing
signs of aggression,

and it is coming towards us.

I think it might be time
to start retreating.

He's close enough that
if he starts running towards us,

he'll be here in no time,
so let's go.

Giving the elephant a wide berth,
the team moves downriver.

Sushila and Dan are joining Manju,
tracking Mala.

With Lauti disrupting her hunts,
Mala has yet to find them a meal.

Hmm, the cub looks restless, right?
Yeah. Hungry.

Looks like belly empty.

Oh, look. There is peacock.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.

It's the perfect target
for Lauti to practise stalking.

Cub's creeping.

Stay low...

..use the cover...

..and pounce!

Oh! Oh!

LAUGHTER

Yeah!

The cub tries to hunt,
realise Mum's not watching

and is like, "What? You didn't see?"

Lauti is taking her first steps

towards becoming
a successful hunter.

But right now, the most
important thing she can do

is let her mother take the lead.

And Mala has just spotted
an opportunity.

WHISPERS: Mala is moving straight
towards some deer.

It looks like she's just
told Lauti to go,

to go away, basically.

It's going out
in the opposite direction.

So Mala must have communicated
really subtly to Lauti

to just go away,
to make itself scarce.

Ooh! She is metres away.

Oh, my gosh.

ON RADIO: Another kill.
WHISPERS: She's got a kill.

It is a small meal,
but, oh, such a relief.

Mala and Lauti finally have
something to eat.

CUB GROWLS

Lauti is just so impatient.

And Mum's just swinging it
around, going,

"No, no, no, no, no.
Be patient, be patient."

Lauti is wrestling with the kill.

Lauti has demonstrated she can
stay hidden while Mala is hunting,

making it easier for Mala
to provide for them both.

I do feel like the way
in which they communicated,

it seems like she's learning.

Like, it knows when it should
go away, when it's not needed,

when Mum is on the hunt,

and stumbled its way around
the side of those deer.

Probably distracted them,
and then

that created the perfect diversion
for Mala to come straight in.

You could see that as them
working together.

To the south,
close to the team's camp,

Bandheil is once again on the move.

Anna is investigating.

Oh, shoot.

Bandheil.

He's heading towards Goma.

Ooh, he's coming down.

WHISPERS: Our tents are just there.
Oh, my gosh.

Goma has so far managed to keep
her cubs away from Bandheil.

Well, he's going up
and he's going into the forest.

RADIO BEEPS

Max, Bandheil is moving

straight towards where Goma
and the cubs are.

But he seems determined to track
the family down.

There he is.

He's checking out her scent.
Exactly where Goma's been marking.

He's just trailing this family.

Literally, they're just there,
right under the drone.

Just hope Goma takes her cubs away.

Is she going to try and have
a stand off? What's going on?

TIGER SNARLS

Oh, wow!

The cub's greeting him.

And now Goma is rubbed up
against him.

This is a male
with the whole family.

This shouldn't happen.

Everything we know about tigers

says that they're solitary,
especially the males.

They roam huge territories
and have cubs with several mothers.

They're not supposed to have
anything to do with the cubs.

The females are not supposed
to let them anywhere near the cubs.

This is absolutely mind-blowing.

RADIO BEEPS

Hey, Dan,

did you see all that play out
on your screen?

ON RADIO: Yeah.

Absolutely hair-raising
and...totally new.

They're one of the most secretive
animals in the world,

and what we know about them
is so limited,

because we've never been able
to follow them like this.

We've been able to uncover something

that maybe happens with more tigers
than we realise.

To see them interacting together
as a family

suggests that these cats are far
more social than we ever imagined.

She's now moving away and the cubs
have gone back to Bandheil.

She trusts him so much,
she's left him with the cubs.

Maybe these males play a bigger part
in the lives of the cubs.

Tiger Island is just rewriting
what we know about tigers.

With Bandheil offering
fatherly protection,

the future of the cubs
is more secure.

Bandheil's presence here is key

for Goma in terms of
her cubs' survival.

It means that other males
are unlikely

to try and muscle in
on Bandheil's territory.

TIGER ROARS

Whoa!

Those vocalisations bring
a feeling of fear.

TIGER ROARS

They really do make an intruding
male think twice about coming in.

Over the next year,
the cubs will grow to independence,

the biggest step
in their young lives.

It's going to be lots of change
for these cubs.

Goma's cubs, they'll have to
branch away

and get a territory of their own,
and that's going to be fascinating.

Mala is doing incredibly well
as a first-time mum

and Lauti is getting
more independent.

This is the Queen of Tiger Island
in the future.

These tigers are showing us
they perhaps aren't

the solitary big cats we believed
they were.

They are so much more complex,

so much more social
than we ever thought possible.

On this remarkable island,

tigresses are looking after
each other's cubs...

..and sharing food with males...

..while fathers are playing a role
in family life.

You think with the biggest cat
in the world

that there's likely
not that much left to find,

and then you come here
and it changes everything.