Original subtitles

From theconic big cat.

at a juscomi int To t lite-ke lit... cats

this is a remarkable family of predators.

They are super athletes...

Super hunts.

Possessing super senses.

Now, groundbreaking filming techniques

and a surge in scientific research

are revealing new facets of this amazing

super family.

Dawn in the N.

Cheetahs are one of the few cats

For males, the relationship might be life-long.

even hunt.

Few cats can resist a chase...

but none give chase quite like a cheetah.

The latest science tells us

tahsarelreacthei rerd t speed.

So, if cheetahs don't rely simply on being fast,

tahsarelreacthei how do they catch their prey?

It's a question th reqresa nev

This high-speed buggy is mounted with

a stabilized slow-motion camera

This high-speed buggy givus the prey's-eye view.

Their sprinting prowess is unrivaled.

But this new approach reveals that there's far more

to cheetahs than just straight line speed.

Cheetahs must not only keep up with their targets,

bureacto evertwisand turn.

Their blunt claws are running cleats that provide traction.

Even at 50 miles ahour,

the grip allows them to change direction, instantly...

And their long tails whip around to keep them upright.

Theyan ao bre.

Strong bones are shock absorbers,

dissipating forces that could break a human leg.

Cheetahs are more than just sprinters outrunning prey

on open plains...

They're agile...

anmaneerab.

They're elite athletes.

And where that really counts

is here, in woodland.

This is an obstacle course

where the prey's best chance is to weave and turn to escape.

So a cheetah can rarely hit top speed.

This chase is not a race...

It's a dance.

The prey leads...

and the predator must follow.

Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land,

incredible sprinters,

but so much more.

Even now, iconic cats like cheetahs can still surprise us.

And there are other members of this extraordinary family

about which we know even less.

Hiding in this Sri Lankan jungle

is a cat so rare, few have ever seen it.

Explorg the world beyond his den for the first time

is a miniature predator.

The smallest feline in the world...

A ruy ottecat.

He m looli kitn --ing ]

He'd still fit in the palm of your hand.

But this little male is nearly full grown.

He'llfending entirely onWhat he lacks in size,

he mes ufor darg.

Young cats are born curious --

it's how they learn about their world...

Even if it can get them into trouble.

Right away, he puts his super senses through their paces.

His eyes are six times more powerf thaour n

and sensitive to the slightest movement.

His whiskers, rooted in a bed of nerves,

detect the faintest touch or the gentlest breath of wind.

His hearing is better than ours too...

tuned to sounds that are completely imperceptible

tohe han e.

And his sense of smell is capable of distinguishing

between a billion different odors.

This little cat is alert to every change

in his surroundings...

But now it's time to learn which sounds...

or sights...

signal danger.

Every step of today's adventure

habeentoreaway in his memory.

He's building a 3-D map of the jungle in his head.

so he can find his way home the junin a flash.head.

All cats, from the smallest theigge,

share extraordinary skills and abilities

that have allowed them to All cats, from the smallest conquer all four corners

of the globe.

Siberian tigers prowl frozen forests.

They are 200 times bigger than abut just as elusive..

Bral's ntan, the rld'largest wetland,

jaguars are on the hunt for monsters.

For their size,

they have the strongest bite of any cat...

even making short work of huge caiman crocodiles.

The jungle canopy of South and Central America

is the realm of the tree climbing margay.

They can judge distances perfectly...

A critical skill if you're to clear a gap of 12 feet

with a sgle ap, hi aboo

And when it's time to descend,

their ankles rotate 180 degrees

so they can walk veical dow

Whether it's hunting in the swamps of Asia...

patllinthe desteser Africa...

cats thrive everywhere.

They've even conquered the highest mountains on Earth:

the Himalayas.

It's a place where food is scarce...

So, to survive, you needa.

This vast wilderness of sheer cliffs and bare rock

is home to the snow leopard...

the world's highest, and just maybe

most lonesome cat.

This aging male is searching...

but not for food...

He's looking for a mate.

The task would be nearly impossible

if it wasn't for a cat's unique ability

for long distance romance.

His long-lasting and pungent spray

carries his dating profile.

"Male, single, would like to meet."

Both males and females spray,

posting their romantic status

tony a eve one th pass by Both males and females spray,

So he diligently patrols these paths every day

in the hope that a potential mate has passed through.

Atis mt ear, hll scenmark0 tis anour.

It may take a week or more to cover his entire territory,

but his search must go on, day after day,

in spite of the Himalayan weather.

He checks for scent...

then leaves his own.

Here, he discovers a female has left her mark.

Rubbing his own scent over hers,

he declares his interest.

This male might just have one last chance to mate.

Could this be it?

On the wind, the call of a distant female.

Just maybe this male's search is over.

For male cats, life is a lonely existence...

But for females, it's very different.

This is Honey...

a female African leopard --

and a mother.

A radio collar is giving researchers an insight into

e li of e mo eluve o Afca's big cats.

but that doesn't mean their environmelives are easy.r cat,

At 10 years old,

Hond no durg thworsurvivedthers drought in decades,

she's hunting for two.

For mother cats, childcare is a balancing act

between protection and provision.

If they're to hunt successfully,

a leopard must do so alone.

So she's left her young cub behind.

A tail twitch --

Honey is on to something.

The drought has withered all vegetation,

so there's little cover.

She needs to get close -- within 12 feet --

to stand any chance of success...

And anything could give the game away.

iledy Afca'smostnnoyg a.

She might be empty-handed,

but it's time to get back to her cub.

It's been 36 hours since she left...

and young cubs are prone to wander.

Her calls are unanswered.

Half of all leard bs d't rvivtheifirsyear

A cub's best chance

is to stay hidden until she's sure it's safe.

Honey's youngster already has a leopard's knack for stealth.

She can even give her mother a surprise.

For the last six months,

she's grown strong on milk.

But now she's developing a cat's appetite for meat.

A mother leopard always has a backup plan.

For her cub, this is an important lesson --

and the first of many.

Across the cat family, kittens and cubs have a long infancy.

It takes time to learn the skills needed

to hunt for themselves.

Often brothers and sisters are on hand for training.

Play is the key to honing coordination...

Building strength...

And agility.

The nd bweenhem ghtendu for yea,

probably the closest retionip ty'llver ve

with another cat...

But there is one life skill which they must mast ane..

The surprise attack.

Patagonia.

An unforgiving wilderness

wherSoh Amica ds

and the Antarctic begins.

It's home to a secretive cat

that can only survive here

thanks tan eye for opportunity.

Puma, the most southerly cat.

Once a year, these Mellac pengns ce asre tnest.

a lifeline for a hungry cat.

This may seem ruthless, even callous,

but pumas must take what's here today

in case tomorrow it's gone.

This is what it takes tourve in Pagonia.

As night falls,

It's an extraordinary moment.

means territorial boundaries The aare ignored,prey

and, for now, these usually solitary creatures

rub shoulders.

It won't last.

The nesting season is soon over,

and the penguins return to the sea.

The cats move on.

Thanks to their adaptability,

they are the most widespread mammal in the Americas.

At the other end of the continent,

the planet's most northerly cats

have chosen a very different path...

In a wintry wonderland

with a record low of minus 80 degrees.

The Yukon is the coldest place in North America.

The Yukon is the coldest place This is Big Foot country.

But these prints belong to a very unusual cat...

a Canada lynx...

One whose high tech accessories

are at last letting us in on

a life almost impossible to observe.

This is L4 Zero, aka Kronk.

Scientists and shaman agree,

lynx are the keepers of secrets.

You could spend years looking for a lynx

and never see more than a footprint.

And even if you did catch a glimpse of one,

it would soon give you the slip.

Krons evy move is tracked,

offering insight into the world's ultimate game

of cat and mouse --

or rather, cat and hare.

Throughout these cold days

And up here there's only one thing on the menu.

Snowshoe hares.

Inact, lyns very surval depends on the

Helpfully, there's plenty around.

These hares breed like, well...

rabbits.

So it's just a matter of spotting one.

Although Kronk seems to be oblivious,

cats' eyes are fine-tuned for detectg movement...

so his is a game of patience.

To survive in these freezing conditions,

Kronk must catch at least a hare every day...

and use as little energy as possible doing it.

If he can avoid a chase, he will.

No cat is looking to make life any harder than it has to be.

For mosBut there isival is one famous exception..

Africa...

Home to the King of Beasts.

Lions may be legendary,

but among cats they're strange.

That's because they're the only ones who live together,

the only truly social cat.

The pride is a family

d anlliae.

Ruaha National Par Taania

Here they're famous for forming super prides --

huge groups can tackle the most formidable prey in Africa.

In the dry season, lions come together to defend riverbeds...

where they need only wait for thirsty prey to come to them.

In numbers, lions find the strength and audacity

to face Africa's giants.

But once they're discovered,

their chance has gone.

It won't be long before another comes their way.

This buffalo herd is hundreds strong.

Each one weighs more than three lions combined.

And they fight back.

Liothan from any otherries and fataladversary. buffalo

This female is nursing three cubs...

And also a serious wound inflicted by a buffalo.

A debilitating injury like this is not just painful...

It's potentially r bo hernd h cubening

They are all hungry.

On her own, is ihopess.

But she's not alone...

She's part of the pride.

Roarg ]ing ]

No other cat can bring down a colossus like this.

And now she will be able to feed her family

and allow her wounds to heal.

Living in a pride sets lions apart.

It's an extraordinary alliance,

but it's not just about big game hunting...

This is an extended family that supports and protects

every mother and her cubs.

That makes lions, surely,

the most extraordinary members of a remarkable animal family.

the st sreti catwith... surprising lives.

Livi in e wod's st remo and unexpected places.

-"ture's" three-partserie,

from the oldest desert in Africa

to the highest mountain on Earth,

ts a leang extrrdiny lis.

They are acrobats in the jungle...

and opportunists on the beach...

big or small, cats have conquered the planet.

To learn more about what you've seen on this "Nature" program,

visit pbs.org.