All language subtitles for Guardians.of.the.Wild.S01E03.Predators.Uncovered.1080p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.en

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

NARRATOR: In the heart
of southern Africa,

there is a special place.

A beautiful valley,
bursting with life.

Home to 60 species
of mammals,

and more than 400 species
of birds.

It is one of the greatest
wildlife sanctuaries

in the world.

But this wilderness
is at risk.

Like many of Africa's
wild places,

there is an increasing
threat from humans.

With so many
potential dangers,

two young scientists
are on the frontline

of protecting
this incredible ecosystem.

HENRY: Johnathan,
stop for a bit.

(BEEPS)

NARRATOR: They live
in the heart of the bush.

(TRUMPETS)

Working around the clock.

Their mission,

to uncover the secrets
of this great wilderness,

to gather vital
scientific data

to be used to protect
some of Africa's

most iconic predators.

It's 6:00 a.m.

The day starts early

for Johnathan Merkle
and Henry Mwape.

They're scientists, working
with the Zambian Carnivore
Program,

known as ZCP.

Their mission is to monitor
the health of this ecosystem

by studying its carnivores.

ZCP's camp is on the banks
of the Luangwa River,

which borders the South
Luangwa National Park.

Their study area
is in the heart
of a vast wilderness,

covering nearly
30,000 miles.

A rich and diverse
wildlife haven.

(GRUNTING)

Keeping track
of so many different animals
would be impossible,

so Johnathan and Henry

are focusing
on an iconic species,

which is the key
to measuring the health

of the whole ecosystem.

(GROWLING)

Lions. Africa's
largest carnivore.

As apex predators
now under threat,

they are a crucial
study species
for the young scientists.

Lions prey on herbivores

like puku, zebra and buffalo,

which eat plants and grasses.

This vegetation also supports
the whole ecosystem.

If lions and other carnivores
are doing well,

it's a strong sign that
everything else in the valley
is thriving.

Today, the team is looking
for the Luwi Pride.

They are part of ZCP's
long-term, intensive study.

HENRY: Johnathan, do you want to
stop for a bit?
JOHNATHAN: Huh?

HENRY: Stop.

NARRATOR: A number
of individual animals

are fitted with radio collars.

Each collar sends out
a different signal.

Got it? Cool.

HENRY: Yeah.

NARRATOR: Henry uses
an antenna to pick up
the beep made by a collar

and therefore find the animal
that they want to see.

Right there.
Like, one...

Yeah, twelve thirty, one.
Okay?

Yeah.

(ENGINE STARTS)

NARRATOR: Traveling
across country takes time.

The ground is rough and bumpy,
and is not the easiest
to drive on.

(BEEPS)

JOHNATHAN:

Is it getting stronger?
HENRY: Yeah.

HENRY: Ten o'clock, I think.

NARRATOR: They arrive
to find the Luwi pride doing
what lions do best.

Lions can spend up to
20 hours a day sleeping.

After a big meal,
male lions can doze
for a full 24 hours.

The Luwi pride is made up of
one male lion, five lionesses,

and three cubs
from last year's litter.

They're so habituated,
so used to us that

we can get quite close,
um, and still not
alter their behavior.

We, of course, you know,
keep our distance,

we get a little bit closer
to get some photos,

make sure we can see...
check for injuries,
check on their, their stats,

and then usually
we kind of pull back

and let them behave normally
and kind of interact

with their environment
as they normally would.

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)

NARRATOR: Johnathan and Henry
have identified 300 individual
lions,

with a catalogue
of thousands of photos.

174. 173.

NARRATOR: They recognize many
just by memory.

It's either 247 or 173.

NARRATOR: Scars
or battle-torn ears

help the team determine
who's who.

Also, every lion has
a unique pattern of spots

above the top line
of whiskers.

These "whisker spots"
are as individual
as our fingerprints,

but are much easier to see.

I think it's 580... 589.

JOHNATHAN:
Yeah, 'cause on the...

The right side of the face,
there's, like, these
three whisker spots.

Yeah, it's definitely her.

HENRY: Female.
Born 9th of March, 2013.

NARRATOR: Being able
to identify individuals

means they can track
everything that happens
to these lions,

including illness, injury
and reproduction.

They've learnt
how prides can be fluid,

with females often separating
into smaller groups,

and males even moving
between prides.

Today, all of the Luwi Pride
are looking fit and healthy.

A good sign that all is well
in this area of the park.
(ENGINE STARTS)

The team has identified
18 separate lion prides,

and try to see them
as often as they can.

They spend days at a time
out in the bush

and cover hundreds
of miles a week.

In Africa, lion numbers
have nearly halved
in the last 20 years.

And 75% of their habitat

has been lost in the last 50.

The Luangwa Valley remains
one of the few strongholds
for lions in Africa,

so it's critical that the team
monitors them closely.

(TRACKING DEVICE BEEPING)

Henry picks up the signal
of another pride.

The Nsefu Pride,
some of the valley's
most successful lions.

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

JOHNATHAN: Pretty sure that's
247, the other one.

Yeah, that's 247.

This female back here.

NARRATOR: ZCP scientists
have been studying this pride
for nearly 10 years.

They have seen the cubs grow
and have cubs of their own.

Now the pride has
six healthy lionesses.

It's the females who are
often responsible for dinner,

and as sunset approaches,

this small hunting party
looks ready for action.

The majority of lion hunts
take place after dark.

So studying lions
isn't a regular nine-to-five.

(ENGINE STARTS)

As night falls,

the team decides to stay out.

The young scientists
want to see what's
on the lions' menu tonight.

Turning off
the jeep's headlights,

Henry powers up a flashlight

to reduce the disturbance
to the animals.

JOHNATHAN: I can man
the receiver if you want.

NARRATOR: Many lions
have a favorite prey,

and this pride
is particularly fond
of buffalo.

Following hungry lions
on the prowl can be tricky,

especially when they go off
the beaten track.

Pretty thick up here.

In the night-time, it's
very difficult to keep up
with these animals.

If we don't find something
soon, then we'll,
we'll make a plan.

NARRATOR: These lions can see
six times better at night
than their human trackers.

But a ground-breaking
thermal camera reveals
the lions' night-time world

like never before.

Is that one of them?

HENRY: Yeah, it is.

JOHNATHAN: Find them?

Nice job.
Yeah.

So, we're just trying
to keep up with them

and see what they're actually
gonna be hunting this evening.

Uh, they might actually
go in to grab some water, or
they might be trying to che...

Try their luck along
the river bed for any prey.

NARRATOR: Following a hunt
provides vital information

about not only what the lions
are eating, but how much.

This gives the team insight
into the lions' impact
on the ecosystem

and how prey abundance
affects their survival.

Lions are opportunistic
hunters and will target
a range of prey.

Tonight, the Nsefu lions
have got their eyes on puku.

After dark,
puku can't see well.

They must rely on smell
and hearing.

The Nsefu lions
can't outrun the puku.

They won't charge
until they're fewer than
100 feet from their target.

(PUKU SQUEALING)

As a potential lion meal,
it pays to be vigilant.

Despite being Africa's
largest carnivore,

lions aren't the most
successful hunters
here in Luangwa.

The Zambian
Carnivore Program

has noted that only around
three out of ten lion chases
ends in a meal.

(ENGINE STARTS)

It's been a long day.

Time to head back to camp
for some rest.

So, I don't know, like,
where I'm heading to.

Don't know whether
this is north...

JOHNATHAN:
We're heading north.

We're heading north.

JOHNATHAN: Yeah.

JOHNATHAN: No, you take
the left road, actually.

Left?

Yeah.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: On the way,
something catches Henry's eye.

Hyena.

HENRY: There's another one.
I've seen two.

JOHNATHAN:
Must be something there.

Some sort of carcass,
probably.

(HYENAS WHINING)

NARRATOR: A hyena clan's
feeding on something.

Buffalo.

It's likely this prize was
scavenged from nearby lions.

Hyenas will eat almost
anything on a carcass,

including bones, teeth, skin,

even the hooves.

They often fight
over a carcass
but a strict hierarchy

ultimately dictates
who eats first.

Once they get stuck in,

hyenas will eat
as much as they can,

as fast as they can.

A hyena can eat up to
a third of its own body weight
in one sitting.

Seeing them scavenge
on a left-over buffalo

shows that lion kills
must be plentiful.

It's more evidence that
the lion population here
is doing well.

(SCREECHING)

There's more to be learnt by

looking at the carcass itself.

(ENGINE STARTS)

But the team doesn't
want to disturb the hyenas

and it's too risky to get out
of the vehicle at night.

They'll have to come back.

After an 18-hour day
in the field,

it's finally time for bed.

JOHNATHAN:
Watch out for that log.

It's 7:00 a.m.

(ENGINE STARTS)

Living in the bush

(TRUMPETS)

means that wildlife is often
right on their doorstep.

The team wants to get back
to the buffalo carcass

before scavengers
finish it off.

As they get close,
Johnathan spots another hyena.

This is a good opportunity
to observe one of Africa's
most misunderstood predators

in the daylight.

Hyenas are also part
of ZCP's research,

but can be harder to find

as very few
are radio-collared.

JOHNATHAN: Uh, do you
have, uh, GPS? I'm just...

HENRY: Yeah, ready.

You already marked it.
Cool. Awesome.

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

I think there's
a misconception a lot of times

that people just see hyenas
as scavengers.

Uh, which is not...

I mean... Which is true,
they do scavenge a lot and...

But they,
they're also hunters.

NARRATOR: As the two
hyenas move off,

Johnathan and Henry
decide to follow.

(ENGINE STARTS)

Must be something there.

NARRATOR: Behind the trees,

something they
weren't expecting.

(ENGINE SHUTS OFF)

A hyena mum suckling
a very young litter.

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

(WHINING)

The cubs are born
below ground,

and venture out
mainly at night,

so to see them out
in the daytime is a rare
treat for the team.

They develop their spots about
five weeks after being born.

By looking at their
fluffy new coats,

Johnathan and Henry estimate
that these cubs are just under
two months old.

HENRY: So there's
six hyenas, right?

Mmm-hmm.

NARRATOR: It seems to be
a communal den

with two litters
from two different mothers.

These cubs won't leave
the den and join
the rest of the clan

until they're about
a year old.

It's an exciting discovery.

Four new cubs in total.

Now, the team knows
the location of the den,

they'll be able to closely
monitor the cubs' development

and add important data
on hyena survival rates.

Hyenas aren't popular here.

They're the subject
of many African myths,

often associated with death
or witchcraft,

and they've suffered
persecution from humans
as a result.

(ENGINE STARTS)

Johnathan and Henry
leave the new family

and return to the job at hand,
the buffalo carcass.

The hyenas from last night
are nowhere to be found.

With the hyenas gone,
other scavengers have arrived

to feast on the remains.

See, that doesn't look
that old, right?

JOHNATHAN: No, it doesn't
look that old. Just, uh...

HENRY: I think the vultures
and the hyenas are the ones

who have eaten up
most parts of...

(SCREECHING)

NARRATOR:
White-backed vultures
are noisy eaters,

calling out as they jostle
for position.

Super-strength stomach acid

allows them to digest
what other animals
have left behind.

Their iconic bald head
allows them to dive
into the carcass

without getting their feathers
covered in rotting flesh.

This many birds on a carcass

is a great sign
of a healthy ecosystem.

The vultures
are a clean-up crew,

and help to stop
the spread of disease

that rotting carcasses
could cause.

But the role of these
natural recyclers
comes at a cost.

Herders sometimes
poison carcasses,

trying to kill scavenging
lions and other predators

that stray too close
to their livestock.

Vultures often get
to the carcass first

and die after consuming
the poisoned remains.

This has led
to a rapid decline
in vulture numbers.

Worryingly, studies suggest

that they could be extinct
in Africa in less than
100 years.

JOHNATHAN: I think we'll
grab Gibson and we'll, um...

I think we'll get out
and check the carcass.

NARRATOR: Gibson is
an armed scout with the
Zambian Wildlife Authority,

who works with the team.

Getting out of the car
is dangerous.

A dead animal can attract
hungry scavengers.

(FLIES BUZZING)

Johnathan and Henry
want to take some samples
back to camp.

They set about gathering
as much information
as possible.

Tissue and blood samples
will tell them if the buffalo
was sick or poisoned.

Teeth and hair
provide information
on its age and diet.

These important samples

will spoil in the midday heat,

(ENGINE STARTS)

so it's time to head back
to base.

At their field laboratory,

Johnathan puts the samples
in the deep freeze,

a vat of liquid nitrogen,

and Henry feeds this valuable
research into their detailed
monthly record.

These data,
from a single carcass,

feed into their
long-term study
of predators and prey,

providing vital information
to help protect
the Luangwa Valley.

In addition
to direct observations,

the carnivore team uses
a variety of different
study techniques.

They've got remote cameras
set around the valley
in carefully chosen spots.

They're hoping to gather
images of one of their most
secretive study subjects,

the leopard.

Living a solitary life,
leopards are the most
elusive carnivore.

They hide
in the thickest vegetation

and usually hunt under
the cover of darkness.

The Luangwa National Park
is known as
"the valley of the leopard."

It's home to one of the
densest leopard populations
in Africa.

Johnathan and Henry
have been able to identify
a number of individuals

and learn about
where they roam.

Like this one,
13-year-old Kamuti.

She's unusually active
during daylight hours,

and is often seen hunting
in the heat of the day.

She's ruled over her territory
for 10 years.

This experience has made her
a very successful hunter.

ZCP's camera traps

also reveal that prey such as
impala and bushbuck

are plentiful
in the leopard's habitat.

These data suggest
that an unusual abundance
of food

may be the key to leopards'
success in the Luangwa Valley.

It's now October,
the hottest part
of the dry season.

But the rains
are fast approaching.

The ZCP scientists
have vital data to collect,

and need to work fast
before the rains arrive.

(TRACKING DEVICE BEEPING)

Once the wet season
gets underway,

the wildlife will spread out
across the valley

and much of the landscape
will be cut off by floodwater.

Vegetation becomes dense
and impenetrable,

and the ground,
muddy and un-driveable.

This morning, they're tracking
one of the world's most
endangered carnivores,

one which has disappeared
from much of Africa.

The wild dog.

Roaming over a home range of
hundreds of square miles

and traveling up to
30 miles a day,

they're hard to pin down.

Johnathan and Henry
are looking for a group

known as the
Hot Springs pack.

To help study these predators,

they've put radio collars
on key members of the pack.

Today's aim is to collar
one of the young dogs
from last year's litter.

It's likely that these dogs
will leave the group
during the wet season

to find a new pack
of their own.

Johnathan and Henry are keen
to gather data on what happens
to them after they leave.

HENRY: Jonathan,
stop for a bit.

JOHNATHAN:
How strong is the sound?

Not very strong,

but it's a male dog
I'm hearing right now

and I just want to...

Try and see the direction,
using the H antennae.

Okay, I think the road turns
in a second so...

NARRATOR: The pack has had
eight pups this year,

but Jonathan and Henry
don't know whether
all the pups are still alive.

HENRY: So they are to your,
uh, three, three o'clock.

Three? Okay, good?

HENRY: Yeah,

they're not too far.
(ENGINE STARTS)

JOHNATHAN: Is it pretty close?

HENRY: Yeah.

Sounding louder. Okay.

HENRY: I think
we should go in.

JOHNATHAN: Go in?

Yeah.

Which way?

Uh, right there.

HENRY: Go more close.
Straight.

Twelve?

HENRY: Yeah.

(GROANS)

JOHNATHAN: Still twelve?

Yeah.

Okay.

HENRY: Okay,
there, I see them.

You see them?
Oh, I see one, uh, right
there at one o'clock.

(WHINING)

NARRATOR: The pack's
finishing a fresh impala kill.

Despite being a tenth
of the size of lions,

these skilled predators

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

are successful in eight
out of ten hunts,

and the pack will eat
almost every day.

Unlike many carnivores,
wild dogs don't scavenge

and will only eat
what they have killed.

Wild dogs will also allow
the youngest dogs
to eat first at a kill.

Awesome.
We'll see some of the pups.

(GROWLING)

JOHNATHAN:
How many pups do you see?

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)

HENRY: Yeah,
I'm seeing eight pups.

Yep, eight pups.
Cool, so they're
all surviving.

(WHINING)

NARRATOR: There are fewer
than 6,000 wild dogs
left in southern Africa,

so to see these pups
doing well is a great moment.

JOHNATHAN: There are some
yearlings here too.

NARRATOR: The team's
research has shown

that, in their study area,
wild dog numbers
are on the up,

and that's partly
thanks to them.

Yearling, yearling, yearling.

NARRATOR: The dogs can
become entangled in snares
set by humans

trying to catch bush meat.

ZCP's efforts
to rescue the dogs

and discourage local use
of these traps

is likely to have increased
their survival rate.

This is one of the only places
in Africa

to sustain such a healthy
wild dog population.

JOHNATHAN: Well, there's
the alpha female.

NARRATOR: The pups won't stay
with the Hot Springs pack
forever.

In wild dog society,
both males and females
leave their pack

to find mates and join
new groups of their own.

These dogs will go well before
they're three years old.

Keeping track of them
when they leave

is a vital part of Johnathan
and Henry's research.

With the pack resting,

it's a good opportunity
to collar one of the
young females.

It's likely that she'll leave
the group during the coming
wet season.

Jonathan calls in
reinforcements.

Uh, Mike Bravo, Mike Bravo,

Juliet Mike.
(RADIO STATIC)

MAN: Uh, Mike Bravo. Over.

JOHNATHAN: I just wanted to,
uh, update you, uh,

we're just in Hot Springs
right now. Over.

MAN: Awesome, that's great.
Hot Springs pack,
you're saying? Over.

JOHNATHAN: Uh, affirmative,
affirmative. Over.

MAN: Copy that.
Well, we'll go down
and check. Over.

JOHNATHAN: Cool, it's copied,
uh, standby.

(RADIO STATIC)

NARRATOR: Johnathan and Henry
work closely with ZCP's vet,
Doctor Sichande.

They've picked out
which young female to target.

The first challenge
is to sedate her
with an anesthetic dart.

Whenever you're ready.

(DART FIRES)

JOHNATHAN: Okay, good.

Looks like it's gone in.

Let's keep an eye.

NARRATOR: She lays down
just a short distance

from the watchful eyes
of her pack.

JOHNATHAN: I see her,
just over there.

HENRY: All right.

Okay.

Okay, uh, let's try
to get a little bit closer
and we'll...

Check on her
and see how she is.

Okay. Good?

(ENGINE STARTS)

Okay. That's what I'm saying.

(ENGINE SHUTS OFF)

JOHNATHAN: Oh.

NARRATOR: Jonathan
only approaches

when he's sure she's asleep.

Doctor Sichande covers
her eyes to protect them
from dust while they work.

(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)

DR SICHANDE: Mmm-hmm.

JOHNATHAN: So we're gonna...
Turn it, right in here.

DR SICHANDE: Mmm-hmm.

NARRATOR:
The team has to work quickly.

The less time she's sedated,
the better.

Okay, write down,
full respirations
at 23 minutes.

NARRATOR: They keep
a close eye her vital signs.

Once the collar's on,
they use this rare encounter
to gather important data.

JOHNATHAN: 36.4.

HENRY: 36.4.

Okay, on three, one...

HENRY: Two...

Two, three.

NARRATOR: Carnivores can't
control their temperature
when they're unconscious.

JOHNATHAN: Looks good.

NARRATOR: So they keep her
doused with water
to keep her cool.

JOHNATHAN:
And it's this one.

JOHNATHAN: Got it. Yeah.

(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)

JOHNATHAN:
One, two, three.

NARRATOR: They leave her
under a shady tree.

The vet administers the drugs
to bring her round.

(ENGINE STARTS)

It doesn't take long
before she's up and about.

A little drowsy,
but none the worse for wear.

Satisfied that she's made
a full recovery,

Good?

the team heads
back to base.

Okay.
That's what I'm saying.

NARRATOR: The new collar
will provide them

with essential data
for the next few years.

(RUSTLING)

By mid-November,
the skies are swollen
with thunder clouds

but the ground
is still parched.

The team has one last task
before the rains set in.

They want to check in
with the Nsefu Lions.

Things are shifting
within the pride.

Thinking about
going back a little bit
and looking around.

We're kind of keen to find
the collared lioness
from Nsefu Pride.

Uh, we'd like to check up
on her because she has
some new cubs this year

and we wanna see
how she's doing and
how the cubs are doing.

NARRATOR: Mortality
is high in young lions,

so it's important that
they get visual confirmation

of the two new cubs
and assess their health.

(TRACKING DEVICE BEEPS)

But Henry has to be
within half a mile of her

to pick up the signal
from her collar.

JOHNATHAN: Do you think
it's worth going back
to the other side

or do you want to
just keep going up?

HENRY: I think
let's just continue.

I think it was just
something else,
it wasn't the signal.

JOHNATHAN: Okay.
Is it pretty close?

HENRY: Yeah,
they're not too far.

JOHNATHAN: Sounding louder.
Okay.

HENRY: Yeah.

HENRY: Okay, I see them.

Right there, like, 451.

JOHNATHAN: Okay, I see one.
Yeah. Right there.

NARRATOR: As they home in
on her signal,

they find some other
members of the pride
lounging in the shade.

Young lions
from previous litters

are resting with the
grandmother of the group.

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

She's 13 years old,

an exceptional age
for a wild Luangwa lion.

ZCP scientists
have been studying her
for most of her life.

JOHNATHAN: She does
look a little bit lean.

They all look
a little bit thin, but she
looks definitely weak.

HENRY: Yeah, she's, she's now

in her last... Last years.

NARRATOR: She may be too old
to hunt for herself,

but she is still resourceful.

A nearby scent
attracts her attention.

A leopard with a fresh
impala kill.

This leopard is only
half the size of the lioness.

She doesn't want
to risk a fight,

even against
a 13-year-old grandmother.

The lioness takes the impala
back to her pride.

They gratefully tuck in.

The fact that this
old grandma can still help
provide for her family

is a clear sign that there
is abundant food and that
the pride is doing well.

It's another indication
that the Luangwa valley
is in good health.

It's great to check in
with familiar faces,

but Jonathan and Henry are
anxious to find the lioness

that recently gave birth
to two cubs.

JOHNATHAN: I'll try to cross
the stream to get
to the other side

where the signal
sounds like it is.

HENRY: So, uh, the mother
I think is somewhere.

NARRATOR: They find
the collared mother

just a short distance
from the rest of the pride.

HENRY: The cub's here
to your right.

To my right?

HENRY: Yeah.

How close to my right?

In this bush?

This one.

Oh, yeah, I see her.

She looks very healthy though.

NARRATOR: This is what
Johnathan and Henry hoped for
(MEWS)

two cubs, nearly
three months old,

both in great condition.

And there are some
other new cubs
to add to their list.

There's a cub coming
right there.

NARRATOR: The collared female
has been joined by her sister,

who also has cubs,
even younger.

I've seen three.

JOHNATHAN: Yeah.

NARRATOR:
They're all fighting fit.

The five cubs
are still suckling,

but it's a bit of a scramble.

Each lioness
only has four teats,

and the five cousins seem
determined to suckle together.

The two older cubs

have more than doubled
in size since Johnathan
and Henry last saw them.

Soon, they'll spend more time
with the rest of the pride,

learning where they fit in
to this extended lion family.

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

To see the cubs flourishing

is great news for the Zambian
Carnivore team.

It bodes well for the future
success of the pride,

and for all the lions
in the area.

It's thought that there are
as few as 20,000 lions
left in the wild.

The ZCP team
has estimated
that the Luangwa valley

may be home to more than
500 of these top predators,

making it one of the last
remaining lion strongholds.

These cubs are an exciting
and important addition
to the population.

Through the course
of their lives,

they will provide
critical information to help
preserve Luangwa's lions.

As with every area
of wilderness
around the world,

human encroachment
will always be a threat here.

But people are not just part
of the problem,

they can also be part
of the solution.

JOHNATHAN: You know,
our goal is to conserve

these carnivores and then
hopefully protect
the whole area, too.

And sustain the park and
the whole ecosystem for
future generations to come.

NARRATOR: Gathering huge
amounts of knowledge

and devoting their lives
to the African bush,

Johnathan, Henry and the
Zambian Carnivore team

will continue to monitor
the predators that live and
thrive in this wild valley.

Protecting them for many
years to come.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪