1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Cat Wars Lion Vs. Cheetah 2 00:00:02,736 --> 00:00:06,039 Caught on tape in Africa's wild Serengeti, 3 00:00:06,473 --> 00:00:10,110 a stunning act of violence between two top predators. 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Cat Wars Lion Vs. Cheetah 5 00:00:12,612 --> 00:00:16,449 A run-in between lions and cheetahs so rare, this is the first time 6 00:00:16,516 --> 00:00:18,485 it's ever been documented. 7 00:00:18,752 --> 00:00:21,087 Look at the energy, the fury. 8 00:00:22,322 --> 00:00:26,059 Like a back-alley ambush, the assault sends survivors scattering, 9 00:00:27,494 --> 00:00:29,429 and leaves bodies battered. 10 00:00:30,363 --> 00:00:35,201 Filmmaker Leo Kuenkel witnessed the attack, and is trying to make sense of it. 11 00:00:39,005 --> 00:00:41,775 Was this a once in a lifetime perfect storm event? 12 00:00:43,376 --> 00:00:49,249 Or do these iconic African cats have a deep-set, sinister reason to fight to the death? 13 00:01:08,334 --> 00:01:12,806 The players in this incredible savannah attack are well-known on the African scene. 14 00:01:16,743 --> 00:01:19,112 The perps, lions. 15 00:01:20,313 --> 00:01:23,383 King of the cats and fiercest of predators. 16 00:01:24,551 --> 00:01:27,420 Hunting the biggest prey, 17 00:01:28,521 --> 00:01:31,424 challenging the most persistent rivals, 18 00:01:35,495 --> 00:01:38,364 and commanding the most impressive prides. 19 00:01:42,602 --> 00:01:44,871 They also have great hair! 20 00:01:51,044 --> 00:01:54,781 Cheetahs are the marks in this bizarre and brutal showdown. 21 00:01:57,484 --> 00:01:59,486 They're top hunters in their own right, 22 00:01:59,552 --> 00:02:02,589 but often considered the underdogs of the big cat world. 23 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,931 Their thin, lanky bodies and long legs are built for speed, not power. 24 00:02:18,471 --> 00:02:21,274 They can do 0 to 50 in under three seconds. 25 00:02:23,009 --> 00:02:26,246 And reach top speeds over 100 kilometers per hour. 26 00:02:36,356 --> 00:02:39,592 But they lack the firepower to defend against aggressors, 27 00:02:40,093 --> 00:02:43,563 and generally, choose flight over fight when threatened. 28 00:02:54,641 --> 00:02:56,075 The scene. 29 00:02:56,142 --> 00:03:02,048 Ndutu, a compact, bountiful corner of Tanzania's famous Serengeti. 30 00:03:05,218 --> 00:03:08,688 It's home to all the top predators, 31 00:03:12,125 --> 00:03:14,494 a tough neighborhood where lions, cheetahs, 32 00:03:14,561 --> 00:03:17,864 leopards and hyenas often cross paths. 33 00:03:19,699 --> 00:03:24,337 They come for the plentiful prey, and a permanent water source that stays wet 34 00:03:24,404 --> 00:03:26,339 even in the dry season. 35 00:03:35,882 --> 00:03:39,919 Witness to the attack is filmmaker Reinhard Leo Kuenkel. 36 00:03:41,821 --> 00:03:46,159 Leo has been living and filming in Africa for more than three decades, 37 00:03:46,226 --> 00:03:48,528 and is passionate about cheetahs. 38 00:03:50,163 --> 00:03:55,335 But in all his years following the spotted cats, he's never seen an event like this. 39 00:04:05,445 --> 00:04:09,949 It's an attack so peculiar, so complex, and so unexpected 40 00:04:10,750 --> 00:04:15,188 he's invited world-renowned lion expert Craig Packer to help him decipher it. 41 00:04:17,390 --> 00:04:20,093 It's such a long time, huh? 42 00:04:20,159 --> 00:04:22,562 Craig is studying the way top predators interact 43 00:04:22,629 --> 00:04:24,597 on the other side of the Serengeti. 44 00:04:25,932 --> 00:04:29,469 Leo hopes he can shed light on what motivated the assault. 45 00:04:32,171 --> 00:04:36,276 Base camp for the investigation is Leo's edit suite-with-a-view. 46 00:04:41,481 --> 00:04:44,350 Craig, I would like you to have a look at that scene, 47 00:04:44,584 --> 00:04:48,187 and I thought I got some very unusual stuff. 48 00:04:50,990 --> 00:04:54,427 On the day of the attack, Leo was out filming on the southern edge 49 00:04:54,494 --> 00:04:57,864 of the Serengeti when he gets an urgent call from his wife. 50 00:04:58,197 --> 00:05:04,771 She called me on the radio saying come over here, something very interesting is happening. 51 00:05:07,874 --> 00:05:11,511 Rushing to her location, he arrives just ahead of the chaos. 52 00:05:15,415 --> 00:05:19,619 Three male cheetahs are hot on the heels of a female who is coming into heat. 53 00:05:21,454 --> 00:05:23,523 They've been pursuing her for hours. 54 00:05:25,358 --> 00:05:28,294 Trying to keep her close until she's ready to mate. 55 00:05:31,898 --> 00:05:34,801 They're also competing with each other for her favor. 56 00:05:35,902 --> 00:05:40,640 These are three territorial males and this is one of your guys. 57 00:05:44,677 --> 00:05:49,349 One of his guys is a large male lion, who's just appeared on the scene. 58 00:05:50,550 --> 00:05:54,954 But the testosterone-fueled male cheetahs are not initially impressed. 59 00:05:57,190 --> 00:06:00,626 Craig is surprised by the cheetah's reaction as the lion approaches. 60 00:06:05,231 --> 00:06:08,768 It looked like he had just lost his balance, but it's very clear 61 00:06:08,835 --> 00:06:10,503 that he slaps the ground. 62 00:06:10,570 --> 00:06:12,305 I've never seen a cheetah threaten a lion before. 63 00:06:12,372 --> 00:06:14,574 I've never seen that either. 64 00:06:14,841 --> 00:06:18,978 Usually, cheetahs would simply run away from the lions in that situation. 65 00:06:19,045 --> 00:06:23,349 But this guy put up a really strong determined show. 66 00:06:23,416 --> 00:06:26,319 And that lion is three times its own weight. 67 00:06:28,554 --> 00:06:30,790 It's a macho move, but fleeting. 68 00:06:32,291 --> 00:06:36,963 It's definitely out of his league, and then he kind of realizes, 69 00:06:37,029 --> 00:06:40,366 "Oh, that was silly, I just threatened a lion." 70 00:06:45,838 --> 00:06:48,241 The female cheetah has a different response. 71 00:06:49,876 --> 00:06:55,114 Three randy males are bad enough-she's not about to take on a lion as well. 72 00:06:56,916 --> 00:07:00,052 Feeling threatened, she's taken cover in an awkward location. 73 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:06,859 And up there you see a female cheetah, which has tried to escape from the lion 74 00:07:06,926 --> 00:07:09,796 and from the male cheetahs. 75 00:07:13,366 --> 00:07:17,069 Cheetahs often seek out high spots when they're scanning for prey, 76 00:07:17,136 --> 00:07:19,439 but this is extreme. 77 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,909 She was standing there, she was shivering. 78 00:07:22,975 --> 00:07:28,181 I could see her legs, they were really shivering fast while she was watching the lion 79 00:07:28,247 --> 00:07:31,717 and she was also watching the three males. 80 00:07:33,085 --> 00:07:36,923 Terrified, the female decides to make a run for it. 81 00:07:38,191 --> 00:07:42,762 And when she saw a chance, she actually jumped down from up there, 82 00:07:42,829 --> 00:07:48,501 jumped down and then raced off at 100 miles an hour, 83 00:07:48,568 --> 00:07:53,439 and all we could do then is to follow her because the three males 84 00:07:53,506 --> 00:07:57,510 were also chasing her, trying to catch up with her. 85 00:08:01,781 --> 00:08:07,920 I revved up the engine and raced after them, but they were so fast it was really hard 86 00:08:07,987 --> 00:08:10,389 to keep up with those guys. 87 00:08:17,530 --> 00:08:21,267 By the time he catches up, the action has resumed. 88 00:08:22,969 --> 00:08:26,372 The males have tracked the female to her new hiding place in a bush. 89 00:08:30,309 --> 00:08:34,981 They're so intent on getting the girl, they cast their coalition relationships aside 90 00:08:35,047 --> 00:08:37,383 and compete fiercely for her attention. 91 00:08:41,687 --> 00:08:45,958 It's like they got this once chance with this female and instead of making 92 00:08:46,025 --> 00:08:50,096 a good first impression, they're really rude and they're really aggressive 93 00:08:50,162 --> 00:08:52,365 and they really try to grab them. 94 00:08:52,431 --> 00:08:55,635 So presumably they're trying to make sure that they mate with her 95 00:08:55,701 --> 00:08:58,004 before she moves on to a different area. 96 00:09:01,073 --> 00:09:03,509 The males are desperate to seal the deal. 97 00:09:07,914 --> 00:09:13,019 And now is when the noise started, she protested and they just jumped on her. 98 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:18,824 In their excitement, the males fail to notice that they're still being stalked. 99 00:09:21,460 --> 00:09:26,499 The lion is following, albeit at his own, more stately pace. 100 00:09:31,103 --> 00:09:36,509 They were calling and calling and making a big noise and fighting each other 101 00:09:37,577 --> 00:09:41,547 and that attracted and motivated that lion. 102 00:09:45,251 --> 00:09:47,687 Leo was as surprised as the cheetahs. 103 00:09:48,854 --> 00:09:52,992 I was filming, from the car, and suddenly on my left-hand side, 104 00:09:53,392 --> 00:10:00,299 the lion came in and I was very lucky my camera was on when he rushed in. 105 00:10:18,150 --> 00:10:24,056 The lion came out with that female in its teeth and by that time you 106 00:10:24,123 --> 00:10:26,392 could tell she was already dead. 107 00:10:38,037 --> 00:10:41,741 He's crushing her skull, this is the same way they kill lion cubs. 108 00:10:41,807 --> 00:10:43,509 Yeah. 109 00:10:44,310 --> 00:10:46,245 It's a gruesome hit. 110 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:48,748 A fearsome display of force. 111 00:11:04,263 --> 00:11:08,034 But strangely, the male cheetahs barely seem to notice. 112 00:11:09,435 --> 00:11:13,706 And those guys are fighting again while he is still busy killing the female. 113 00:11:13,773 --> 00:11:15,975 What an incredible situation. 114 00:11:20,813 --> 00:11:25,051 Right there at the scene, the male cheetahs continue to squabble, madly 115 00:11:25,117 --> 00:11:29,689 vying for the attention of their dead companion while her killer is still on the prowl. 116 00:11:39,565 --> 00:11:42,034 Leo can't believe what he's seeing. 117 00:11:42,501 --> 00:11:46,272 Not even in his wildest imagination could he have conceived 118 00:11:46,338 --> 00:11:48,040 of an event like this. 119 00:11:48,107 --> 00:11:53,112 And what he didn't know at the time, the violence was just getting started. 120 00:12:02,354 --> 00:12:06,459 Seeing the attack on tape, Craig is as surprised as Leo was. 121 00:12:08,294 --> 00:12:12,231 Typically, what I see is just the lions show up and the cheetahs skedaddle. 122 00:12:13,265 --> 00:12:16,569 There's no simple reason why a powerful male lion should feel the need 123 00:12:16,635 --> 00:12:20,973 to track and attack four adult cheetahs who were minding their own business. 124 00:12:25,077 --> 00:12:27,313 Before getting to the rest of the encounter, 125 00:12:27,379 --> 00:12:30,850 Craig wants some background on both perpetrator and pursued. 126 00:12:33,085 --> 00:12:35,354 So, this is the three males after the female. 127 00:12:35,421 --> 00:12:37,690 Yeah, this is the coalition of three males. 128 00:12:37,757 --> 00:12:41,260 They would have been in their prime, say four or five years old. 129 00:12:42,862 --> 00:12:45,731 The three were probably brothers, who had stayed together 130 00:12:45,798 --> 00:12:47,600 when they left their mother. 131 00:12:52,438 --> 00:12:55,808 Cheetah males form these coalitions to improve their chances of getting 132 00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:57,910 and holding good territory. 133 00:13:08,020 --> 00:13:12,224 A good range means lots of prey, and is also likely to attract more females, 134 00:13:12,291 --> 00:13:15,961 who travel great distances looking for worthy mates. 135 00:13:25,137 --> 00:13:28,707 When a female enters their territory, the males try to assess 136 00:13:28,774 --> 00:13:30,643 if she's coming into heat. 137 00:13:31,377 --> 00:13:35,014 If she is, they'll keep on her until she's ready to mate. 138 00:13:40,119 --> 00:13:46,425 I've seen a male cheetah mate with a female and it's a very short, very unromantic affair. 139 00:13:47,693 --> 00:13:54,066 She crouches down, he grabs her at the nape and he pulls as hard, 140 00:13:54,133 --> 00:13:59,572 as if he wants to take her coat off, and they basically part within 141 00:13:59,638 --> 00:14:01,507 half an hour or so. 142 00:14:01,907 --> 00:14:05,544 - And he may never see her again. - Never see her again and that's it. 143 00:14:12,518 --> 00:14:15,521 With mates and quality real estate hard to come by, 144 00:14:15,588 --> 00:14:18,858 competition between cheetah coalitions can be fierce. 145 00:14:27,533 --> 00:14:32,338 Skirmishes between groups get nasty, sometimes leading to injury or even death. 146 00:14:49,121 --> 00:14:52,958 Once dominance is established, the victors keep the territory. 147 00:14:54,693 --> 00:14:58,230 The losers beat a careful, submissive retreat. 148 00:15:10,142 --> 00:15:15,080 In the case of Leo's cheetahs, it's not coalitions battling for territory, 149 00:15:15,147 --> 00:15:18,150 it's blood brothers squabbling over a female. 150 00:15:21,086 --> 00:15:24,857 There's no doubt that can drive males of most species to distraction, 151 00:15:27,793 --> 00:15:31,830 but Leo has never seen a sibling rivalry cause such blatant disregard 152 00:15:31,897 --> 00:15:33,766 for mortal danger. 153 00:15:36,602 --> 00:15:40,739 This one-of-a-kind video is changing our understanding of just how irresistible 154 00:15:40,806 --> 00:15:46,512 a female can be, and just how irrational her suitors can get. 155 00:15:48,047 --> 00:15:54,553 What's puzzling is how strongly the hormones effect their brain in such a way 156 00:15:54,620 --> 00:15:59,358 that they totally neglect the danger. 157 00:16:00,359 --> 00:16:03,362 I mean, something must be happening there, something strong. 158 00:16:05,197 --> 00:16:09,535 Their testosterone levels are peaking, their need to mate all-consuming. 159 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,677 It's putting them in danger, but at least it's a biological explanation 160 00:16:18,744 --> 00:16:21,080 for the cheetahs' recklessness. 161 00:16:22,114 --> 00:16:25,751 Craig is not so sure the same can be said about the lion's strange behavior. 162 00:16:29,154 --> 00:16:32,124 He's not looking for sex, he's out for blood. 163 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,296 So right here he's making no attempt to conceal himself, 164 00:16:37,363 --> 00:16:41,066 so, this is the way they would behave towards a stranger in their territory. 165 00:16:41,867 --> 00:16:45,371 But Craig sees no motive for the display of dominance. 166 00:16:52,011 --> 00:16:55,247 Craig thinks brothers like this should have had more important things to do 167 00:16:55,314 --> 00:16:57,850 than harass a few scrawny cheetahs. 168 00:17:05,424 --> 00:17:09,695 Most males of their stature would be busy trying to take over new prides, 169 00:17:09,762 --> 00:17:13,265 or protecting their own prides from the fierce advances of other males. 170 00:17:19,805 --> 00:17:21,774 These clashes can be vicious. 171 00:17:22,708 --> 00:17:25,611 Male lions have been known to fight each other to the death. 172 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:36,522 The battles are winner take all. 173 00:17:37,289 --> 00:17:41,460 Territory, prey, 174 00:17:42,795 --> 00:17:47,132 and, most importantly, 175 00:17:48,534 --> 00:17:50,436 females. 176 00:17:52,504 --> 00:17:55,074 The victors get mating rights to the lionesses, 177 00:17:56,208 --> 00:17:59,278 a chance to sire the next generation of lions. 178 00:18:21,233 --> 00:18:24,269 Sadly, it's not a happy ending for everyone. 179 00:18:27,439 --> 00:18:31,977 When a takeover succeeds, the conquerors engage in one of the most brutal acts 180 00:18:32,044 --> 00:18:33,846 in the animal kingdom. 181 00:18:34,646 --> 00:18:38,550 They chase down and kill any cubs from the previous pride males. 182 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,904 It's a grizzly but effective way to ensure that their genes will be passed on. 183 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:05,144 And, it's the quickest way to get the pride females back in heat. 184 00:19:25,297 --> 00:19:31,170 With such high stakes in the world of lions, it's amazing Leo's lion is wasting his time 185 00:19:31,236 --> 00:19:36,341 with the cheetahs, exhibiting unusual persistence 186 00:19:36,975 --> 00:19:39,077 for little apparent gain. 187 00:19:40,179 --> 00:19:42,414 You know, this is a very unusual situation. 188 00:19:42,981 --> 00:19:45,817 As Craig scrolls back through the footage, he's intrigued 189 00:19:45,884 --> 00:19:48,654 by the lion's uncharacteristic determination. 190 00:19:49,288 --> 00:19:51,490 Usually, it's like always against one. 191 00:19:51,557 --> 00:19:56,395 Lions are notoriously lazy, especially during the heat of the day. 192 00:19:59,431 --> 00:20:05,737 Yet, he's just watched this one follow the cheetahs in the blazing sun, dive headlong 193 00:20:05,804 --> 00:20:12,444 into a bush to take them on, then crush the skull of the unfortunate female. 194 00:20:14,813 --> 00:20:19,284 What Craig hasn't seen a hint of is why he's going to all that trouble. 195 00:20:21,687 --> 00:20:24,790 That's the big mystery he and Leo are trying to solve. 196 00:20:25,190 --> 00:20:30,162 See I don't think there's any reason to expect lions to want to remove cheetah 197 00:20:30,229 --> 00:20:33,532 from an area because the way they occupy the habitat is so different. 198 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:38,403 The lions like to stay in adequate cover and they stay hidden 199 00:20:38,470 --> 00:20:40,639 and they don't actually go where the herds are. 200 00:20:41,974 --> 00:20:44,576 Though they patrol the same general territories, 201 00:20:44,643 --> 00:20:47,546 the two predators have very different hunting techniques, 202 00:20:48,313 --> 00:20:50,582 so, they're not even competing for the same prey. 203 00:20:54,586 --> 00:20:59,458 Lions use their strength, size and numbers to go after the big boys, 204 00:21:00,993 --> 00:21:02,861 buffalo, 205 00:21:08,433 --> 00:21:10,435 zebra, 206 00:21:13,372 --> 00:21:15,307 wildebeest, 207 00:21:18,210 --> 00:21:20,579 and even giraffes. 208 00:21:27,719 --> 00:21:32,057 Their hunts are masterpieces of teamwork when they attack en masse, 209 00:21:38,997 --> 00:21:42,734 or exhibitions of pure power when they venture out alone. 210 00:21:56,381 --> 00:21:59,151 Cheetahs, on the other hand, are specialists. 211 00:22:02,020 --> 00:22:06,825 They lack a lion's heavy artillery, instead relying on their unparalleled speed 212 00:22:06,892 --> 00:22:08,760 to catch their prey. 213 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:20,172 On the open plains, they use their tails as rudders and their long hind legs 214 00:22:20,238 --> 00:22:23,942 and flexible spines to generate massive forward thrust. 215 00:22:29,681 --> 00:22:31,850 Their technique works. 216 00:22:37,155 --> 00:22:41,059 They actually take down close to 50% of the prey they go after 217 00:22:41,126 --> 00:22:43,895 a far higher success rate than lions. 218 00:22:48,467 --> 00:22:52,537 But for the most part, lions couldn't be bothered with the prey cheetahs hunt. 219 00:22:55,173 --> 00:22:56,875 Too small. 220 00:22:57,709 --> 00:22:59,511 Not worth the effort. 221 00:23:00,178 --> 00:23:03,148 And, usually, too fast and agile to catch. 222 00:23:05,217 --> 00:23:09,321 What lions will do is steal a meal from a cheetah after it's killed. 223 00:23:15,494 --> 00:23:21,433 This is a primary point of conflict between the two specie But it's never an even fight. 224 00:23:23,602 --> 00:23:26,905 Cheetahs have no chance against the bigger, stronger marauders. 225 00:23:30,208 --> 00:23:32,477 And lions aren't the only culprits. 226 00:23:35,013 --> 00:23:40,218 Cheetahs often lose kills to other predators and scavengers before they can eat their fill. 227 00:23:46,992 --> 00:23:50,762 It's for this reason Craig doesn't believe lions would see cheetahs 228 00:23:50,829 --> 00:23:52,798 as competitors worth killing. 229 00:23:53,799 --> 00:23:56,935 Why Leo's video is so uniquely disturbing. 230 00:23:57,002 --> 00:24:03,341 It makes no sense to me that lions would want to kill an animal that can capture gazelle. 231 00:24:04,042 --> 00:24:07,846 To the contrary, he thinks lions benefit from having cheetahs around. 232 00:24:09,147 --> 00:24:12,784 The cheetah is a great source of a free meal. 233 00:24:12,951 --> 00:24:18,824 If I were a smart lion, I would keep a pet cheetah, 'cause then they could catch me dinner. 234 00:24:20,258 --> 00:24:24,362 But if that's the case, why is this lion so intent on putting a further 235 00:24:24,429 --> 00:24:27,165 dent in Africa's dwindling cheetah population? 236 00:24:29,201 --> 00:24:31,436 Is there something they're missing? 237 00:24:33,038 --> 00:24:36,741 Some reason the cheetahs don't feel the need to run for their lives? 238 00:24:37,509 --> 00:24:40,679 They used to be the best of brothers and now they have this deadly fight going on. 239 00:24:41,046 --> 00:24:42,747 So, this is within seconds or? 240 00:24:42,814 --> 00:24:47,185 This is within seconds, this would be 50 meters away from where the lion is killing 241 00:24:47,252 --> 00:24:52,824 the female, and then these guys fighting each other 242 00:24:52,891 --> 00:24:57,362 to the death over a dead female. 243 00:24:58,296 --> 00:25:01,099 It's as if they don't know the female is dead. 244 00:25:02,634 --> 00:25:05,303 If anything, they become even more aggressive. 245 00:25:08,139 --> 00:25:13,245 And even less concerned about the presence of the lion, 246 00:25:14,412 --> 00:25:16,781 or lions, 247 00:25:18,917 --> 00:25:21,720 because the threat has suddenly doubled. 248 00:25:25,056 --> 00:25:28,593 The first lion, a bit winded from his slaughter of the female, 249 00:25:28,660 --> 00:25:32,163 is quietly joined by a second impressive male. 250 00:25:34,299 --> 00:25:36,668 He was still fresh. He was still curious. 251 00:25:37,736 --> 00:25:39,504 More than just curious. 252 00:25:40,839 --> 00:25:43,842 The cheetahs scramble out of reach, 253 00:25:48,246 --> 00:25:51,383 then quickly resume their excited squabbling. 254 00:25:57,455 --> 00:26:00,158 It's a bad move, and they'll soon pay the price. 255 00:26:07,599 --> 00:26:11,836 With their mate dead only meters away, and two threatening lions now on their 256 00:26:11,903 --> 00:26:16,074 trail, the male cheetahs have every reason to flee the scene. 257 00:26:17,709 --> 00:26:21,880 Instead, they continue squabbling amongst themselves as if nothing has happened. 258 00:26:34,693 --> 00:26:38,730 They're playing a dangerous game, and the new arrival wants a piece of the action. 259 00:26:42,033 --> 00:26:45,437 After his initial exploratory charge, he goes in for the kill. 260 00:26:59,985 --> 00:27:02,520 - Whoa. - Isn't that incredible? 261 00:27:05,023 --> 00:27:07,892 I didn't believe it when I saw it through the viewfinder. 262 00:27:10,295 --> 00:27:14,866 And now look, the two lions are tearing that poor fellow apart. 263 00:27:17,836 --> 00:27:20,205 No, it's incredible, just incredible. 264 00:27:21,039 --> 00:27:25,276 He's using all his strength, that lion, to kill that cheetah. 265 00:27:26,978 --> 00:27:28,947 He's doing a good job. 266 00:27:31,983 --> 00:27:36,121 As if the action isn't rare enough, Leo and his wife were able to capture it 267 00:27:36,187 --> 00:27:38,289 on two separate cameras. 268 00:27:40,759 --> 00:27:45,964 Watching the attack from all angles, Craig marvels at the lion's potent technique. 269 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:51,770 Look how he uses his claws to lift up the neck and curl it in. 270 00:27:52,937 --> 00:27:55,974 He's grabbing him, he's holding him in such a position that now he can, 271 00:27:56,041 --> 00:27:58,410 he needs to get the back of the neck. 272 00:27:58,476 --> 00:28:00,545 Once he does that then he can snap its spine. 273 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,683 But then the way the other guy came up and held on to the other end, 274 00:28:04,749 --> 00:28:06,985 that's like a gang attack on another lion. 275 00:28:07,052 --> 00:28:09,754 So, they're obviously treating the cheetah like a dangerous animal. 276 00:28:09,821 --> 00:28:11,990 And they're not going to eat it, they just want to kill it. 277 00:28:15,493 --> 00:28:18,863 They do that with little trouble, while still keeping track 278 00:28:18,930 --> 00:28:21,166 of the remaining two cheetahs. 279 00:28:29,974 --> 00:28:33,445 Incredibly, it takes yet another charge to convince the survivors 280 00:28:33,511 --> 00:28:35,613 to head for safer ground. 281 00:28:38,249 --> 00:28:40,852 And even then, the saga isn't over. 282 00:28:45,957 --> 00:28:50,061 Not completely satisfied, one of the lions returns to the dead cheetah. 283 00:29:12,350 --> 00:29:16,788 For Leo, who has known these cheetahs for many months, the violence is hard to watch. 284 00:29:18,656 --> 00:29:22,227 And he still can't believe that when push finally came to shove, 285 00:29:22,293 --> 00:29:25,430 the agile cheetah couldn't evade the bigger, slower lion. 286 00:29:26,798 --> 00:29:29,834 Until, he notices something strange in the footage. 287 00:29:30,935 --> 00:29:35,106 Something he hadn't noticed when he was shooting the horrific attack. 288 00:29:35,807 --> 00:29:41,980 One has to realize that normally cheetahs are so fast they 289 00:29:42,046 --> 00:29:45,683 can easily outrun any lion so in that way 290 00:29:45,750 --> 00:29:48,286 they can handle a situation like that. 291 00:29:50,855 --> 00:29:54,993 But in this case, the cheetah seems slow to react. 292 00:29:56,561 --> 00:30:00,131 Leo only sees the anomaly when they look at the footage in slow motion. 293 00:30:04,035 --> 00:30:06,671 There is something peculiar about the cheetah's movements. 294 00:30:09,874 --> 00:30:14,979 It looks to me as if this one was wounded. This cheetah there was injured. 295 00:30:15,046 --> 00:30:16,381 What do you think? 296 00:30:16,447 --> 00:30:21,686 Could be. He's slow to get up, he doesn't have huge strength in his back end. 297 00:30:22,453 --> 00:30:25,824 - You see what I mean? - Yeah, maybe, he got a swiped at. 298 00:30:25,890 --> 00:30:29,661 See the lack of acceleration, he's getting good pull in the front, but not in the back. 299 00:30:32,163 --> 00:30:35,700 The question is, can they find out when he got injured? 300 00:30:37,202 --> 00:30:40,905 Was it an old injury, or a fresh wound from the day's brawling? 301 00:30:45,710 --> 00:30:50,315 So, I think what happens here is that one is okay. 302 00:30:50,582 --> 00:30:55,987 He's coming over to join the other two, and this one, he's not well, he's down, 303 00:30:56,054 --> 00:30:57,422 he's staying there. 304 00:30:57,488 --> 00:30:59,858 The other one comes in, he stays down, the other one leaps over, 305 00:30:59,924 --> 00:31:04,696 so, he stays down, and this is the one that's gonna die, right? 306 00:31:05,997 --> 00:31:09,334 This is the one you've got, so when the lion comes up and catches up, 307 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,036 that's the one that's most exhausted. 308 00:31:12,337 --> 00:31:15,306 That's the one, that's the one that gets killed. 309 00:31:17,175 --> 00:31:20,278 But did the injury happen then, or was he already hurt 310 00:31:20,345 --> 00:31:22,247 when his brothers jumped him? 311 00:31:24,048 --> 00:31:30,054 Could it also be that when the lion rushed in and eventually killed the female, 312 00:31:30,121 --> 00:31:33,124 he hit one of the escaping males? 313 00:31:36,361 --> 00:31:39,697 Two of the males scamper away quickly, but the other takes longer 314 00:31:39,764 --> 00:31:41,866 to extract himself from the bush. 315 00:31:46,170 --> 00:31:50,141 So, one possibility is that this guy gets a swipe at the male as he goes 316 00:31:50,208 --> 00:31:51,709 and gets the female. 317 00:31:51,776 --> 00:31:53,645 I think that might have been the same one. 318 00:31:53,711 --> 00:31:55,346 Could be the case, yeah. 319 00:31:57,782 --> 00:32:01,419 Whether it was dodging the lion or scuffling with the other cheetahs, 320 00:32:01,486 --> 00:32:05,189 the soon-to-be victim had ample opportunity to sustain a hit. 321 00:32:06,090 --> 00:32:11,696 And the injury, however it was caused, may explain his final inability to escape. 322 00:32:14,532 --> 00:32:17,669 But it still doesn't solve the biggest puzzle of all, 323 00:32:17,735 --> 00:32:22,073 why the lions were so committed to killing the cheetahs in the first place. 324 00:32:22,674 --> 00:32:27,712 Unless, the lions were just lumping cheetahs in with their true mortal enemies, 325 00:32:28,313 --> 00:32:30,581 hyenas and leopards. 326 00:32:33,551 --> 00:32:37,455 And if they had reason to do that, the violence might be warranted. 327 00:32:42,260 --> 00:32:45,096 But both Leo and Craig are familiar with the way lions interact 328 00:32:45,163 --> 00:32:47,131 with the other top predators, 329 00:32:47,198 --> 00:32:51,302 and believe these relationships might hold the key to understanding the attack. 330 00:32:53,504 --> 00:32:57,809 Although their survival in the wild is threatened, we thin of lions as the top predators 331 00:32:57,875 --> 00:32:59,177 on the African plains. 332 00:32:59,944 --> 00:33:01,579 And they are. 333 00:33:02,580 --> 00:33:05,850 Proud, powerful, 334 00:33:10,154 --> 00:33:11,923 deadly. 335 00:33:13,758 --> 00:33:17,795 But just because they're bigger and stronger than everyone else doesn't mean 336 00:33:17,862 --> 00:33:19,764 they don't have enemies. 337 00:33:24,769 --> 00:33:28,106 Enemies who are willing to engage when the odds are in their favor. 338 00:33:37,715 --> 00:33:42,020 It's an aspect of lion life Craig and his field team have been studying extensively 339 00:33:42,086 --> 00:33:45,390 at the Serengeti Lion Project, not far from Ndutu. 340 00:33:47,191 --> 00:33:50,862 Leo hopes their results might provide some useful information 341 00:33:50,928 --> 00:33:53,464 about the rare attack he witnessed. 342 00:33:54,766 --> 00:34:00,738 The team is trying to learn exactly how predators coexist, or don't, as the case may be. 343 00:34:04,609 --> 00:34:08,813 Led by graduate student Ali Swanson, Craig's study uses camera traps 344 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,716 to capture predator interactions. 345 00:34:13,851 --> 00:34:19,957 We have 200 cameras set up across the study area, which is 1000 square kilometers. 346 00:34:20,558 --> 00:34:26,798 And we have so many traps because, you know, a few pictures can give us an anecdote 347 00:34:26,864 --> 00:34:31,903 about what these animals are doing, but hundreds or thousands gives us a story. 348 00:34:34,038 --> 00:34:37,508 And these trees seem to catch the full suite of species. 349 00:34:37,575 --> 00:34:43,281 Like this one tree has caught lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas. Just at different times. 350 00:34:44,749 --> 00:34:47,251 Huh, hyenas, 351 00:34:50,955 --> 00:34:52,990 ah, we got a leopard. 352 00:34:58,629 --> 00:35:02,333 Like surveillance cameras at a 24-hour convenience store, 353 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:06,370 the traps reveal the comings and goings of all the local residents. 354 00:35:13,911 --> 00:35:16,080 The hyenas are the most frequent shoppers. 355 00:35:16,781 --> 00:35:21,986 There's an aardvark and then hyenas. Um, hyenas after hyenas after hyena. 356 00:35:29,293 --> 00:35:34,098 Hyenas outnumber lions 3-1 in this part of Africa, 357 00:35:34,332 --> 00:35:36,934 and are quick to use their numbers to their advantage. 358 00:35:42,006 --> 00:35:43,541 Covering the same ground. 359 00:35:48,479 --> 00:35:50,248 Hunting the same prey. 360 00:35:53,784 --> 00:35:56,854 And scavenging the same leftovers. 361 00:35:59,724 --> 00:36:02,360 The two species often come into conflict. 362 00:36:04,962 --> 00:36:06,931 They chase each other. 363 00:36:11,502 --> 00:36:13,337 Steal from each other. 364 00:36:15,940 --> 00:36:18,743 And even seem to wage all out war. 365 00:36:26,083 --> 00:36:27,985 The battles can be savage. 366 00:36:47,838 --> 00:36:51,742 The two species also go after each other's young. 367 00:37:04,355 --> 00:37:08,926 It's easier to take out the competition before the competition can fight back. 368 00:37:15,233 --> 00:37:20,204 This infanticide is a large part of what makes lions and hyenas mortal enemies. 369 00:37:26,377 --> 00:37:29,580 It's also at the heart of lions' hatred for leopards. 370 00:37:33,417 --> 00:37:37,688 Like cheetahs, leopards often find themselves out-muscled by adult lions. 371 00:37:42,827 --> 00:37:46,631 So, they try to pick off cubs to lessen the competition. 372 00:37:54,505 --> 00:37:57,008 Lions are quick to return the favor. 373 00:37:59,510 --> 00:38:03,481 They'll kill any leopard they can catch in order to protect their own young. 374 00:38:09,787 --> 00:38:13,391 Craig believes lions might extend their loathing for leopards 375 00:38:13,457 --> 00:38:15,459 to other spotted cats as well. 376 00:38:16,994 --> 00:38:20,931 I think it's quite possible that lions can't really tell the difference 377 00:38:20,998 --> 00:38:23,000 between a cheetah and a leopard. 378 00:38:25,603 --> 00:38:29,507 If all spotted cats are created equal to a lion, it might explain why 379 00:38:29,573 --> 00:38:33,544 the Ndutu lions were pursuing the cheetahs with such vigor. 380 00:38:36,047 --> 00:38:38,215 But Leo's not convinced. 381 00:38:39,183 --> 00:38:43,020 He's sure lions can tell the difference, and isn't comfortable explaining away 382 00:38:43,087 --> 00:38:45,589 the attack as a case of mistaken identity. 383 00:38:48,993 --> 00:38:52,697 But he does think there are some relevant similarities in the relationships 384 00:38:52,763 --> 00:38:54,999 between the three cats. 385 00:38:55,266 --> 00:38:59,270 One last missing link that could provide a clear motive for the attack. 386 00:39:06,243 --> 00:39:09,647 Trying to understand the brutal scene he captured on tape, 387 00:39:10,681 --> 00:39:14,719 filmmaker Leo Kuenkel has examined every frame of his extraordinary footage, 388 00:39:15,519 --> 00:39:17,922 and together with lion expert Craig Packer, 389 00:39:17,988 --> 00:39:22,259 he's dissected the complex web of animosity between Africa's top predators. 390 00:39:25,162 --> 00:39:31,102 For lions, hyenas and leopards, it's a volatile mix of competition for prey, 391 00:39:35,439 --> 00:39:37,408 overlapping territories, 392 00:39:42,346 --> 00:39:46,450 and perhaps of utmost importance, attacks on the young. 393 00:39:51,021 --> 00:39:53,691 But does the same hold true for cheetahs? 394 00:39:55,426 --> 00:39:59,764 Could an instinct for cub-killing have played a role in the attack Leo witnessed, 395 00:39:59,830 --> 00:40:03,234 even though there were no cubs around? 396 00:40:07,171 --> 00:40:12,109 To find out, Leo and Craig will have to look at both sides of the deadly equation. 397 00:40:17,214 --> 00:40:20,684 First up are cheetah cubs, and they are never safe. 398 00:40:31,862 --> 00:40:36,167 In fact, experts believe that in areas where other large predators abound, 399 00:40:36,233 --> 00:40:41,439 up to 90% of all cheetah cubs are killed before they reach three months of age. 400 00:40:46,243 --> 00:40:49,213 So that leaves only one last crucial question. 401 00:40:51,415 --> 00:40:56,620 We know that hyenas can kill lion cubs and we know that leopards can kill lion cubs 402 00:40:57,021 --> 00:41:02,660 and kinda the gap in our knowledge has always been, do cheetah ever kill lion cubs? 403 00:41:05,663 --> 00:41:09,934 If they do, it would explain why Leo's lions felt such a persistent urge 404 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:12,503 to destroy the cheetahs they were following. 405 00:41:14,672 --> 00:41:19,443 In the lions' eyes, it would elevate cheetahs to the same detested category as hyenas 406 00:41:19,510 --> 00:41:24,281 and leopards, mortal enemies to be killed at any opportunity. 407 00:41:27,885 --> 00:41:33,524 Problem is, Craig has never seen or heard of a cheetah taking out a lion cub. 408 00:41:34,358 --> 00:41:37,728 Neither has Leo, though he once came close. 409 00:41:38,195 --> 00:41:42,066 I haven't seen a cheetah killing a lion cub, but I've seen a cheetah, 410 00:41:42,132 --> 00:41:45,336 a female cheetah chasing two lion cubs. 411 00:41:45,402 --> 00:41:47,538 Leo remembers it well. 412 00:41:47,605 --> 00:41:53,577 A female cheetah pursuing the two small lion cubs with deadly intent. 413 00:41:53,644 --> 00:41:58,148 If they had been two weeks younger and their mother hadn't been around, 414 00:41:58,215 --> 00:42:04,655 I'm sure that particular female would have killed them. 415 00:42:05,322 --> 00:42:10,027 It's not quite a smoking gun, but it's enough to suggest that lions might, 416 00:42:10,094 --> 00:42:15,966 after all, have good reason to treat cheetahs the same way the treat the other top predators. 417 00:42:16,867 --> 00:42:20,237 Chase, catch and kill. 418 00:42:21,338 --> 00:42:26,610 If cheetah can kill lion cubs and do kill lion cubs, it would make a lot of sense 419 00:42:26,677 --> 00:42:32,182 that these males who are resident in a pride would want to be eradicating 420 00:42:32,249 --> 00:42:35,085 any potential predators for their own babies. 421 00:42:35,486 --> 00:42:37,621 I think so, too. Yeah. 422 00:42:37,688 --> 00:42:41,592 And I think that would explain the behavior that we've seen here. 423 00:42:43,994 --> 00:42:47,565 It's the final piece of the puzzle, and lets us finally watch 424 00:42:47,631 --> 00:42:52,937 the rare events unfold with a true understanding of what went down and why. 425 00:42:56,040 --> 00:42:59,009 A female cheetah in heat, 426 00:42:59,810 --> 00:43:06,250 trapped by her suitors, in the wrong place 427 00:43:08,285 --> 00:43:10,154 at the wrong time. 428 00:43:19,797 --> 00:43:26,570 Three male cheetahs blinded by lust and an inborn drive to mate at all costs. 429 00:43:37,581 --> 00:43:40,985 A battle wound that limited mobility, 430 00:43:44,722 --> 00:43:47,224 and two powerful male lions, 431 00:43:47,291 --> 00:43:50,928 ruthlessly pursuing rivals who might be a threat to their young. 432 00:43:57,868 --> 00:44:03,807 A perfect storm on the African plains, and a lucky filmmaker in the perfect position 433 00:44:03,874 --> 00:44:06,677 to capture it all on tape. 434 00:44:56,060 --> 00:44:57,728 Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.