All language subtitles for FA5BA6CAA3924F848796DADAAA0F776B_eng

Nothing captures
our imagination like a big cat.

Magnificent,

powerful,

deadly.

But as we get closer
to these elusive animals,

we're discovering
another side to their lives.

One more caring,

collaborative…

…and resilient…

than we ever imagined.

There is far more to big cats
than meets the eye.

Three months ago,
this lioness left her pride

to give birth on her own.

Young cubs are vulnerable,
especially to other lions.

But now that they're a little bigger,
she's ready to return.

Providing for a growing family
isn't easy as a single mom.

She's having to hunt more often,

and that means leaving her cubs
and heading out alone.

On the open savanna, prey is easy to spot.

But so is she.

She must be patient.

Big cats are more deadly after dark.

With incredible night vision,
six times better than our own…

lions have an advantage over their prey.

Operating alone, she must get
as close as possible before she strikes.

Hunting at night,

a single lioness
has almost as much success as a pride.

The problem is holding on to her kill.

Lions are the biggest predators
on these plains.

She can handle one or two hyenas.

But a whole clan?
Now that's a different story.

It's not just her kill at risk.

It's her life.

But this lioness is not alone.

Her family has found her.

With them by her side,

she's invincible.

Fierce competition
on the savanna

has forced lions
to do something extraordinary.

They're the only big cats
that live in prides.

Females do most of the hunting.

The male's main role
is defending the family.

As long as they stay strong,
the cubs should be safe.

But peace never lasts long
in the world of big cats.

Since the dawn of their evolution,
killing has been a way of life.

Over ten million years ago,
deep in the forests of Asia,

a new breed of predator began to emerge.

Today, the clouded leopard
provides a glimpse

into how these early felines
may have lived.

It's the smallest of the big cats…

but the most agile.

Short, muscular legs,

super sharp claws…

rotating ankle joints…

and a counterbalancing tail
make them such good climbers.

Even monkeys aren't safe.

Relative to size,

a clouded leopard also has
the longest canine teeth of any cat.

A modern-day sabertooth.

Over time, big cats
came down from the trees…

grew larger and even more powerful.

As they evolved and conquered new worlds,

each cat adopted a camouflage
to give it an edge.

Even the largest
can blend into the background.

Tiger stripes
turn into tangled vegetation.

A plain coat
helps a stalking puma disappear,

even when there's nowhere to hide.

The spots of a leopard mimic
the dappled shadows of open woodland…

so it can set an ambush at close range.

But camouflage
doesn't only help on the attack.

It also helps in defense.

A cheetah mom,
hiding away with her tiny cubs.

Just ten days old,
this is when big cats are most vulnerable.

Eyes barely opened,
totally reliant on Mom.

Most big cats grow slowly,
developing at a similar rate.

It'll be about nine weeks
before they move on to meat.

Six months before they're fully weaned.

And by around two years old,

they will finally be ready to go it alone.

It's a long and dangerous journey,
from helpless cub to deadly hunter.

Especially
for the biggest cat of them all.

This five-month-old tiger cub
is far from fully grown.

But she's already figuring out
how to hunt in her forest home.

She must learn to select a target…

plan her approach…

and execute her final attack.

This time, her victim is just her brother.

Stalking, pouncing,
and fighting each other

is a safe way to sharpen skills.

Besides, taking out your brothers
is just plain fun.

Play is a fundamental part of development
in all big cats.

But some lessons
have to be learned the hard way.

This six-month-old leopard cub
spends most of his time hanging out.

With Mom.

Though when she heads out hunting…

he is safest staying put.

But where's the fun in that?

It's time for a little adventure.

Not the most confident descent.

Better nail the dismount.

A maturing cat
needs to push his boundaries,

but he mustn't aim too high.

Cape buffalo.

One of Africa's most dangerous animals,

with a reputation for killing cubs.

A rookie mistake.

This is no time for honing hunting skills.

It's time to learn how to hide.

And when to run for your life.

One of nine lives gone…

and still a lot to learn.

And when Mom returns,

it's time for one
of the toughest tutorials of all.

A warthog, still alive.

A grisly prospect,

but a chance to practice the throat clamp,

the big cats' killer bite.

When the cub struggles,

the pro steps in.

Big cats learn by copying Mom.

When he strikes out alone,

this young leopard needs all the skills
and experience he can get.

This is why cubs
need so much time under Mom's watch.

In the Okavango, the lioness
is settling back in with her pride.

With rival lions all around,

her cubs are safest
under Dad's protection.

Until now,

they've only eaten with Mom.

Today, the cubs are dining with the king.

He's much bigger up close.

Males take their fill
before they let the females feed.

They're more tolerant of cubs.

Up to a point.

The lionesses do most of the parenting.

And with Dad taking the lion's share,

they need to head out hunting again.

Prides can be over 40 strong.

So maintaining relationships isn't easy.

Complicated social lives have led lions
to be the cleverest of all big cats.

And that extra brainpower
also makes for one killer team.

During the hunt,
each lioness knows her role.

The heaviest find a place to wait.

Lighter, faster wingers encircle the herd.

The trap is set.

The wingers charge in at 30 miles an hour,

driving prey towards the ambush.

If one misses…

there's someone else waiting.

During the day,
when the pride hunts as a team,

they double their chances of success.

Everyone gets a share.

This is a sisterhood of equals.

And though tempers fray…

…they're usually kept in check.

The pride is stronger together.

But once again, Dad muscles in.

It seems unfair, but it's critical
for the pride males to stay fighting fit.

The threat of invasion

is coming closer.

Roaming males,
looking to take over the pride.

And kill the cubs.

To protect his family,
Dad needs all the strength he can get.

Defending territory is vital
to a big cat's success.

The world's largest wetland
may not seem ideal cat country.

But it's home to the world's
greatest concentration of jaguars.

Stout and muscular,
the pit bulls of the big cat world.

Pound for pound,

they have the most powerful jaws of all.

This is his turf.

Male jaguars
regularly scent-mark their territory.

And they patrol on land and in water.

Unlike most cats,

jaguars are strong swimmers.

Males don't just guard a territory
for themselves.

Several females have space within it.

This one is in season,
and she's picked up his scent.

They'll mate repeatedly
in the coming days…

…making it likely he'll father her cubs.

He needs to be sure,

because rivals are always
looking for a chance to sneak in.

A neighbor has crossed the threshold.

Jaguars try to avoid fights.

The risk of injury is too great.

But when mating rights are at stake,
they're left with little choice.

The intruder is seen off.

For now.

The quest for territory
has forced big cats into extremes.

Amur tigers
prowl the frozen forests of Siberia.

Long, dense fur protects them
from the freezing temperatures.

Indian leopards
slink through the backstreets of Mumbai…

hunting stray dogs
and other domestic animals

under cover of night.

And one big cat even scales
the highest mountains in the world.

Four thousand meters up.

It's cold.

The air is thin.

The terrain is treacherous.

But somehow,
this female snow leopard finds a way.

Short forelimbs, extended hind limbs,

and an exceptionally long tail

give balance and agility
on rugged terrain.

She can jump ten meters in a single bound.

Broad, thickly-furred feet
work like snowshoes,

preventing her
from sinking in deep drifts.

There's so little to eat,

she must range
over an area of 300 square miles.

Snow leopards cover such vast distances,
they rarely meet.

Instead, they communicate through scent.

Despite the extreme challenges
of survival,

this remarkable female
has managed to raise three cubs.

For nearly two years,
they've depended on Mom.

Now it's time
they start hunting for themselves.

That's not easy here.

But this young ibex
could offer one of the cubs a chance.

Hunting at these altitudes is high risk.

And the ibex just raised the stakes.

Mom watches on.

He needs to do this on his own.

So close…

yet so far.

It might look like a failure,

but even a top predator
needs to know his limits.

Up here, it could save his life.

Soon, these three cubs
will be on their own,

relying on the skills
that they've learned.

But one challenge they face
is beyond their control.

The warming climate
is forcing these cold-adapted animals

further up into the mountains.

The higher they go,

the less space there is.

As wilderness disappears,

it brings big cats
into conflict with humans.

Seen as a threat
to both livestock and ourselves…

hunted for trophies and body parts…

big cats are persecuted
throughout the world…

and being driven towards extinction.

But there is hope.

When we allow these majestic animals
a little space in our world,

the results can be amazing.

Fifty years ago, in these valleys,

humans had wiped out much of the wildlife.

But since hunting
and farming were banned here,

guanaco numbers have steadily recovered.

And when prey returns…

…predators follow.

Pumas, also known as mountain lions.

They used to be so thin on the ground,

they were assumed to be solitary.

But now, there are more pumas here
than anywhere else in the Americas.

And they're beginning to behave
in ways never seen before.

Pumas are coming together,
tolerating each other.

Even those outside the family.

And more surprisingly,
they're sharing their food.

As this region becomes more wild,

perhaps pumas are reverting
to their natural ways.

The image of big cats
as lone assassins is being challenged.

It turns out they're better team players
than we ever imagined.

The cheetah
is the fastest of all big cats.

Built for speed rather than power,

it's also the most fragile.

But by ganging up…

they become a formidable force.

A band of brothers.

They don't coordinate their hunts
like lions.

They play a numbers game.

Each picks a target.

Then moves in.

The chase is on.

If one fails,
the rest are on to other opportunities.

Sooner or later, an attack will land.

And where a single cheetah
struggles to kill a wildebeest…

…combined power
is enough to bring it down.

Joining forces helps big cats
become more successful hunters.

But for lions, strength in numbers
is even more important in defense.

The Okavango cubs are carefree,

unaware their lives are about to change.

The sound that strikes fear
into every lion family.

The roaming males are getting close,

intent on taking over the pride.

If they succeed,
the intruders will kill the cubs

to bring the females back into season.

The pride males try to intimidate.

But the intruders are not backing down.

A fight is inevitable.

The lionesses need to get their cubs
away from danger.

But their route to safety is blocked.

These cats usually avoid water.

With good reason.

But there's no choice.

No turning back now.

The youngest struggle to keep up.

Just a little further.

Finally, with Mom leading the way,

they make it to safety.

But not all have been so lucky.

One of the pride males.

Protecting the cubs has cost him his life.

Now, only their father survives.

How long he can maintain his rule
remains to be seen.

For now, at least, the cubs are safe…

growing strong with the love
and protection of the pride…

and a father
who'll defend them with his life.

All big cats are born into a life
full of danger and drama.

But as long as we give them
the freedom they need…

these magnificent animals will live on.