Original subtitles

She clearly knows the deal.

I've seen her with impala underneath her tree several times.

We've yet to have that...that full execution.

If she makes a mistake, she gets hurt badly.

Animals that get hurt out here don't survive very long.

She's going.

The Okavango Delta, in Botswana...

..one of Africa's last wildernesses.

The Okavango Delta is...it's an oasis in the desert.

It's a miracle in itself.

And it's a stronghold for Africa's big cats...

..lion...

..cheetah...

..and leopard.

This is nature at its absolute finest.

Now, for the very first time, a team of local

and international wildlife film-makers

is working together to record the cats' lives

like never before.

Using the latest technology...

We're going to be able to see things in a completely different light

and tell stories in a completely different way.

..they'll follow individual big cats...

ROARING

..for six months, through the day...

This is crazy. This is a battle!

..and the night...

This is a military-grade thermal imaging camera.

Lions have got amazing night-vision, but it's not as good as this.

..capturing their behaviour...

He's got the cub. He's got the cub.

..24 hours a day.

Welcome to the Okavango Delta.

It gets crazy.

LION ROARS

CUB CRIES

My heart is pumping already.

The Big Cats Team is working in an area covering 150 square miles.

At its heart is a remote film camp...

..built by wildlife film-maker Brad Bestelink.

I've grown up in Okavango and been part of it my whole life.

Here, wildlife cinematographers from both the UK...

How are you doing? Are you all rigged?

This is great. Yeah.

..and Botswana...

OK, so you can put it there while filming. Yeah.

..are preparing to film the lives of the resident big cats.

One, two. One, two, three, four.

The team is getting ready to go.

The area they're living and working in

is home to one of the largest prides of lions in Africa.

That's a great start.

ENGINE STARTS

It's the dry season.

Just slowly by slowly building up a picture of

this whole area.

Rea for Vianet, any update?

I've got them right now.

We're just in grassland,

and plenty of prey right around us.

The challenge for the lions

is that they have many hungry mouths to feed.

This is the Xudum Pride.

This isn't the whole pride.

The pride itself numbers over 20.

LIONS GROWL

It's the one of the largest prides in the Okavango.

Headed up by these two big guys -

Big Toe...

..and Madumo.

At the bottom end of this family,

you've got these cubs.

CUBS CHIRP

Cubs of different sizes to different females.

It's quite a complicated family group

and it's our mission to get to know every single member of this family.

From the smallest, like that one,

to the biggest,

like him.

As impressive as these big males are...

LION YAWNS

..it's the Xudum pride's lionesses that are central to its success.

LIONESS GROWLS

They take the lead on hunting,

as well as rearing the next generation.

At the core...

Look at the family portrait right there.

..are three highly experienced females, and mothers.

Ah, superb! This is Nosi.

See, she just had cubs recently.

She's the huntress - she's confident and powerful female

and she's an incredible hunter.

Good morning!

HE LAUGHS

I think she heard what I just said!

She is part of a core of this pride, alongside Magogo...

..and Mmakgosi.

It's most likely that they are related, even sisters,

and between them they have currently six cubs.

LIONESSES CHIRP AND GROWL

These females with cubs, they're not only nourishing themselves,

they're having to feed the cubs, provide milk for them.

Now over three months old, the cubs are at a crucial stage.

They need to eat meat for their growth and development.

The challenge for Nosi and the other lionesses

is to provide enough food.

So, Vianet, I can see the zebras

so I'm not going to go any closer. I'm just going to wait here.

ON WALKIE TALKIE: Copy that, Gordon.

You would think many hands make light work, but

when it comes to these males getting involved in the hunt for something

as keen-eyed as a zebra, it's better that they just kind of...

..boys just stay out of it.

They are big with huge manes...

..and they stick out like a sore thumb.

You dingbat! What are you doing?

LION GROWLS

ZEBRAS BRAY AND SQUEAL

I think when people see something like a lion,

this top predator,

they think, "Oh, catching food must be easy for an animal

"as well-equipped,"

but in reality, it is incredibly difficult

for these lions to get a single meal.

Food is never that far away from the mind of any lion.

Hunger is just...

..well, it's just a constant way of life.

So I would say that this is not...

..not going to happen for the lions this time.

ZEBRAS SQUEAL

If those females go without food, the cubs can suffer.

Hoping Nosi and the pride mothers can provide for their young,

Gordon and Vianet stick with them.

BIRD CAWS

Wildlife camera team Anna and Greg...

GREG: So if you come, maybe come around on the northern side.

..is pursuing a far more elusive cat.

ANNA ON WALKIE TALKIE: OK, on my way.

In an area that is crawling with lions, there is only one

resident cheetah,

and her name is Pobe.

The cheetah have been so unpredictable at the moment,

it's very hard to know what their movements are going to be.

There are so many lions in the area and they really, really,

hate lions, so that makes it a real challenge.

Anna, I think I have some clues on the road, just up ahead of you.

I might have some nice-looking cheetah tracks here.

There. Yeah.

There, this is the hind foot. Yeah. Front foot.

See, it's a little bit more elongated. Mm-hm. Yeah.

Well, this is really encouraging. That's good, eh? Yep.

This grass is really high,

so there's no chance we're going to be seeing a cheetah from this level.

Let's get the drone up.

I'm just going to check along these termite mounds

because termite mounds are the perfect spot for cheetahs

to have a good vantage point, to look out for any prey.

They love open, flat areas where they can really utilise their speed

and agility.

To avoid competition from other predators,

cheetahs mostly hunt at the start and the end of the day.

As the sun comes higher and gets a bit stronger, the cheetah

are going to also be looking for a little spot of shade.

Mm. So, yeah, we do need to make the most use

of the times that we think they're probably going

to be moving about.

Across Africa, there are only 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild.

With 25% of those living here in Botswana...

..it's not long before there is success for the team.

Anna, you're not going to believe this, but...

# I found a cheetah!

# Mm, mm, mm-mm, mm! #

No way!

I'm coming!

This is Pobe.

She's a cheetah that's quite known in this area

and she's known for being particularly streetwise.

It's always been a dream of mine to

see a wild cheetah.

It's stunning. So beautiful.

Hey.

I can see that she's got almost like

a greyish patch on one her cheeks.

HE CHUCKLES It's quite funny -

'pobe' means 'dimple' in Setswana.

Because of the position of that birth mark,

somebody thought it was a cute idea to call her Dimple.

I love that, that's such a cool name.

BIRD CAWS

ENGINE STARTS

I wonder if it's the wind that's perking her up.

WIND HOWLS

I know how much these kinds of predators

use the wind as cover for hunting.

Cheetahs can accelerate from 0-60 in three seconds.

What are you doing? Are you hunting pigs?

They still need to get close to their prey

to increase their chance of success.

WARTHOGS SNORT

If I take my eye away from this eyepiece for about two seconds,

just, like, where? Where?

Where is she? She's just so hard to spot.

They're just so incredibly camouflaged.

But warthogs...

Pigs can see her.

..are always on high alert.

WARTHOGS SNARL

Yeah, I've lost visual, hey.

I can't see her at all.

After hours of searching...

We are rapidly losing the light here.

..Anna is admitting defeat.

Time to go home.

At camp, Gordon is preparing for his first night following Nosi

and the other lionesses.

It's at night when lions are most active.

The most exciting addition to my camera kit is this -

it is a thermal imaging camera

that was kind of military-grade technology,

and this is going to be able to do what lions

and leopards can do, which is to see in the dark.

We're heading out with the most exciting camera for a wildlife

cameraman in one of the most exciting places in the world,

one of the best places to see big cats.

So, no, I'm stoked!

ANIMALS GROWL

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

BIRDS CHIRP

Night in the Okavango...

..brings total darkness.

Without this technology, the Big Cats Team

wouldn't be able to see a thing.

Lions have got amazing night-vision,

but it's not as good as this.

I'm able to see things that they can't see,

which is quite mind-blowing.

Hmm! Some nice big lion tracks here.

I think we are heading in the right direction.

Here they are...

Clear as a bell.

The night brings cooler temperatures.

This is the lionesses' preferred time to hunt.

Armed with this thermal camera,

Gordon can film...

..any activity.

Greg doing his workout inside his Land Cruiser.

ON WALKIE TALKIE: Greg, Greg.

Just a word of advice - don't do

anything at night-time that you wouldn't want to be filmed.

LAUGHTER ON WALKIE TALKIE

Roger that!

He's going to be running away from the lion in five minutes

if he's not careful.

ON WALKIE TALKIE: Greg, Greg,

you've got a lion coming straight towards you.

I don't know if you can see that?

Roger that.

LIONS PANT

Yaw!

Close!

It's only been dark for half an hour.

Jeez!

It's not known when the lionesses last had a meal...

What the hell's going on?

..but a good indication of how hungry they are

is the type of prey they're targeting.

Porcupines. Two porcupines.

Out of desperation, lions will attack porcupines,

but they've got those big needle-like quills for a reason.

I've seen lions with their face absolutely covered in spines.

Once they go in, it's very difficult to get them out.

With young cubs to provide for...

LIONESS MOANS

Right, don't mess with them.

..this lioness can't afford to get injured.

If you look out, it is pitch-black,

but with this, I can see prey off in the background,

I can see bats flitting about,

I can see huge lions.

This camera is ...

..it's unbeatable.

It's not long...

Oh, dear.

..before the lionesses find more suitable prey.

This could be it!

A lechwe - a wetlands antelope.

They've got an animal that is completely oblivious...

WHISPERS: ..walking straight towards them.

LECHWE CHIRPS

The predator knows the prey is there.

The prey doesn't know the predator's there.

No, no, no, pal, you're making a big mistake.

Now, it knows something's not quite right.

Lechwe can outrun lions...

She's going to have to come round the front

if she's going to stand a chance of getting it.

But lions are one of the only big cats that actively work

together to hunt their prey.

Lost her, lost her.

CHIRPING

She's put herself in a position, behind one of these hummocks,

and she might explode out.

And if she pushes it back,

it's going to run straight into the jaws of her sister.

My goodness,

this is not a place to be out on your own.

Dang, dang, dang...

Oh, oh, oh!

Girl, you did everything right!

I don't know what went wrong there.

PANTING

Holy bananas!

That was this close.

HE CHUCKLES

It's too much stress for one night!

The lionesses press on.

Unable to follow, Gordon calls it a night.

In camp...

..there's a reminder the team is living in a wilderness.

Out! Out!

I'm always slightly...

..slightly nervous around elephants that I don't know.

The camp is unfenced.

Animals are free to roam wherever they want.

Come on.

Out!

Out!

But this five-tonne bull elephant could be dangerous.

For his own safety, he can't be allowed to feel at home.

Out! Out! Get out!

Come on! Out!

You've just driven off a bull elephant!

LAUGHS Out!

That's not a normal event, but eles...

..they're intelligent creatures and they kind of pick up

when you don't want them around, you know?

And I think they learn. You've just got to tell them,

"Listen, mate, it's not happening today."

And typically, they get the message.

I'm shaking a little bit,

but it's part of the deal.

Greg and Anna are heading out of camp.

Close by, wildlife cameraman Sets has spotted something interesting.

He's located a group of Xudum Pride lionesses.

It's not Nosi and the other mothers.

Looks like two lionesses.

I'll get a closer view, and

let's see how many there are in total.

Anna and Greg are heading over to see what's happening.

I'm trying to decide which direction to go,

and I don't want to cut them off, but...

I'm not exactly sure who they are.

It's interesting because they do look like they've had a meal

not too long ago.

I've got visual of a leopard.

What the hell?

Leopards are powerful predators.

But physically, they're no match for lions.

Greg, um, did you say you have view of a leopard?

She's just a little bit ahead of me.

We have leopards and lions in close proximity.

Yeah, I see her.

Leopards typically avoid lions,

but this one is reluctant to leave.

Hey, both.

It has a kill up in the tree.

I can see a tail just dangling.

Yeah, I think the leopard's killed something, maybe earlier on today.

To keep its food safe, the leopard has stashed it in the tree.

The lions got wind of that kill.

That leopard needs to stay hidden, or those lions could kill her.

WALKIE TALKIE: They're running.

One of them is running across here, do you see that?

Danger!

The leopard is retreating.

OK, OK she's gone.

Oh, it's climbing up the tree!

Wait, wait!

Lions are three times heavier than leopards...

That is absolutely incredible!

..and aren't built for climbing trees.

But the Xudum Pride lionesses

aren't your average lions.

These lionesses think that they're leopards.

It's quite amazing, eh?

Welcome to the Okavango Delta!

It gets crazy!

THEY LAUGH

What a morning!

That was crazy, wasn't it? Yeah.

I don't know about you, but my heart rate was through the roof!

This does not happen a lot. No? I have to say. No.

It's surprising. You think lions can't really climb vertical trees

but if they're motivated enough, as you have seen... Yeah.

..they will do it.

These lionesses might have scavenged the leopard's kill...

..but Nosi and the other mothers still need a successful hunt

if they're to feed their cubs.

These two females, Nosi alongside Magogo...

..they probably went for a hunt and they're coming back with nothing.

Their cubs are going in and greeting them.

When one mother is on the hunt, the rest look after her cub.

It's like this saying in Africa,

"It takes a village to grow a child."

This is Mathata.

He's around six months old.

His mum is Magogo.

Look how much bigger he is than the other cubs!

He shows curiosity, strength, dominance.

When he grows up, he will be like...you know, strong

and powerful enough to be one of the leading characters in the pride.

He's ticking all the boxes.

One of the features of lionesses' social structure

is that they will suckle one another's cubs.

They have that sort of creche ambience.

Mathata seems to be muscling his way in.

Seem to be... He always seems to get what he wants.

Because he's Mathata.

Highly nutritious,

lion's milk has over four times more fat than cow's milk...

Ah, the small one wants to suckle.

..and competition between the cubs is high.

Aw, she's been bullied.

I'm worried about the smallest one who's not getting enough,

because if it carries on like that,

it could be bad news for her.

I would like to see them eating more and growing faster,

as fast as possible to overcome that sad fact

that only 20% of the cubs make it to adulthood.

With no meat to satisfy their growing appetite...

..the cubs are demanding more milk,

putting pressure on Nosi and the lionesses.

There are a few down here.

Anna and Greg are back on the trail of Pobe, the cheetah.

Yeah, I'm almost certain that those are cheetah tracks.

So, I'm going to just keep going in that direction and

see where those tracks lead us.

WALKIE TALKIE: It looks like we're following some cheetah tracks here.

OK, nice one. All right, well, we'll head up that road and we'll bump

into you. I'll be keen to have a look

and see if we can figure out a direction.

STARTS ENGINE

Whoa!

Hey, Greg.

We've got ourselves into a little bit of a situation.

Erm... Yeah, we're currently down a big hole,

and we can't get out.

We might need your help.

Wow, that is a nice hole.

It's like an aardvark's playground here,

and you just decided this was the spot? Yeah.

Essentially, we were trying to do a little short cut,

but the short cut didn't pay off.

It's OK, it happens to all of us.

Lions are in the area,

and long grass offers plenty of cover.

It's really hard in this vegetation to see what's in front of you.

The team has no idea what the grass could be hiding.

There's not a lot of shade here.

The chances of somebody just sleeping out here

in the middle of the open is very slim.

They stay on high alert.

And Greg is working quickly.

We should be able to try and pull you.

Whoa...

OK.

Yes!

Whoa! Stop!

Back on the search for cheetahs,

Anna's tracking skills are paying off.

No way!

Greg, so it's definitely not Pobe.

This looks like a male to me.

Do you know who this is?

Interesting, Anna.

It looks like a cheetah that we know

as Sepoko, a male.

We hardly ever see him.

I think I've only ever seen him once before, in fact, so...

That's a really weird name. What does that mean?

He's called Sepoko because he disappears

and reappears without any obvious pattern so...

He's very ghost-like.

Sepoko means 'ghost' in Setswana.

I like that. I like that a lot.

He could easily be hunting.

The other possibility is that Sepoko could be

looking for Pobe in this area.

I mean, it's a bit of speculation, but wouldn't that be extraordinary?

Sepoko and Pobe coming together?

OK, he's scent marking.

Scent marking is their main form of communication.

Cheetah are really shy,

so they basically use tree trunks

and termite mounds as messaging boards.

They don't want to get into fights,

and that's particularly true for the males.

For cheetahs like Sepoko, he's a solitary male.

He's got no backup, he's not in a coalition,

so he's going to want to avoid other males at all costs.

He's using that tree as a vantage point now.

Good eyesight is really important for cheetahs

over lions and leopards because they hunt by the day.

He is just cruising along here.

You can see what he's doing. He's just using the flat areas as cover

and then he's hopping up on a termite mound, scanning out,

and then he just melts back into the grass. It's really cool!

Something has changed in his behaviour,

and I feel like he's just gone into hunt mode. He's moving really quick.

And he's just bolted. He's completely bolted in that direction.

No! OK, I've just lost him behind that tree-ish area over there.

No!

Sticking on Sepoko's trail, Greg and Anna will sleep out in their trucks.

Picking up the night shift,

Gordon is following the pride's hungry lionesses.

She's come down to look for a drink of water.

But there is...there's nothing.

They still need to provide a meal for the cubs.

This was a big water hole,

but now it's just mud

and catfish slipping about in it.

Catfish can breathe air.

So as long as there's some moisture to keep their skin damp,

they can survive.

She's just triggered by the movement.

Every time one flaps, she's just can't help herself.

A big cat eating a catfish.

Does this count as a hunt?

This mud is really smelly.

When there was water here, there would have been lots of hippos,

so they're defecating in the water

and it all just condenses down.

So this is just kind of a mixture of mud and hippo number twos.

She got one.

Maybe not as tasty as an impala or a wildebeest or a zebra foal,

but it's something.

Is she going to eat it?

Nope, she's let it go.

She's not wanting to eat a catfish

that's squirming about in hippo faeces.

Greg and Anna have found a suitable camping spot.

We're quite far from camp,

so we just thought, easier to have a night out in the bush.

Because we can listen out for any of the alarm calls that might

mean that there's a predator in the area.

So that's pretty helpful just being tuned in with the surroundings.

DISTANT GROWL

Just checking for any surrounding lions.

We're good. False alarm.

Hopefully they're not drawn in by this delicious lentil bolognese

that's about to happen here.

So... No way!

Lions definitely have an interest in all food types,

including vegan foods. No!

Gordon is with the lions, who are now actively hunting.

With night-vision six times better than humans',

they're focused on a target.

The lions have seen the tsessebe.

They're splitting up.

To increase their chances,

the lionesses have teamed up with more of the pride.

Oh, my goodness!

Three sub-adult males are the most engaged in this hunt.

Male lions have a reputation of

letting the females do all the hard work.

This may be their opportunity to show their worth.

SNORTS

Oh, she's poised.

She's ready to go.

Oh, my goodness!

They're completely surrounded.

This is your worst nightmare.

It is happening.

He's running.

You dippy boy!

Oh, dang, you messed that up!

Oh, did you? No!

How did you get away from that?

That is one lucky beast.

Oh, they did get one!

I suppose if you're going to be caught by a lion,

it'll be better for you if it was six, rather than one.

It's a pile-on.

I'm going to put the drone up, see how many are here.

Look at that.

One, two, three, four, five, six,

seven, eight, nine, ten.

Ten lions.

The bigger the lion, the more food they get.

So, it's just the three young males.

They're getting most of the food because they can muscle in.

Pushed off the kill by the sub-adult males...

..the lionesses barely get a bite.

With this number of lions, one tsessebe's not going to go that far.

That's not really enough to sustain them.

The cubs still haven't had the food they need...

..and it looks unlikely they'll feed tonight.

Local cameraman Rea is trying to find the Xudum Pride mothers.

The lions are just currently headed into the grass,

into this tall grass here.

We're currently with Nosi, Mmakgosi and Magogo.

They've just left the cubs nearby.

They are stalking a huge herd of zebras

just in front of us.

To feed their cubs,

these lionesses must make a kill.

At the moment, the herd is completely unaware

of what's happening.

ZEBRAS SNORT AND BLOW

So these three mums have been joined by another lioness,

so they're actually four.

Four lionesses will have a very good chance with zebra.

Hunting as a group helps lions take down much larger prey.

BIRD CALLS

It's started.

GROWLS

They've got it.

GROWLING

It's down. One of the zebras is down. We need to reposition.

I can see three lionesses with the zebra there.

On the way with the cubs is Mmakgosi.

This will be great for Mathata and all his siblings.

GENTLE GROWLING

Nosi and the lionesses have finally provided for their cubs.

And they're keen to protect the kill.

We've got the females placing dust over the internal organs,

just to hide that scent.

They don't want scavengers coming.

If vultures came, it would be a good indication for other lions to come.

RADIO: Rea for Vianet.

Rea for Vianet. Copy?

Vianet, Vianet. The mums have done it. They've made a kill.

We've got a zebra kill here. We're just close to...

..just north of the Four Palms.

RADIO: Excellent. Message received.

I can already see Mathata jumping...jumping on a kill.

HE LAUGHS

What!

This for me is a massive relief.

I was worrying about the cubs not being able to eat.

I know the cubs are going to be gaining more energy.

They're going to be gaining some...some strength.

Mathata is trying to play with the mouth of the zebra...

..as if it was still alive

and he's trying to kill it.

At six months old, Mathata needs to eat over two kilos of meat a day.

This meal will feed the mothers and cubs for at least three days.

You know, everything to them right now is play, play, play.

But it's also what he's to be doing when he grows up.

Hunting for themselves and hunting successfully.

I feel like, for the next few days, there will be more play,

there will be more, you know, energy, there will be more

excitement.

Leopard specialist Brad

is focusing on another resident big cat.

I'm off to find Xudum.

She's, er, the main female leopard that

runs from our camp through the centre of the island

and I haven't seen her for some time, so I'm quite excited.

Leopards are solitary, and usually well-hidden by day.

But Xudum is Brad's favourite cat

and he knows where to look for her.

I've got her here.

I've known Xudum for five years, since she was a cub.

She was born here and regularly

passes through our camp.

Like me, she considers this home.

She's taking a very thick forest.

We're going to keep up with her.

We're going to have to get through here.

BRANCHES CRACK

Right, here we go.

Oh, that's beautiful.

Here she comes.

She might scent mark here.

I'm going to...going to do this.

I think one of the primary jobs of a female leopard

is to secure a boundary.

She's going to own a good hunting area and potentially have cubs.

She really has to secure a perimeter.

I think they probably spend 30, 40% of their lives maintaining that.

Ownership is key here.

GUTTURAL CALL

As soon as they get seen by squirrels or francolin

or something that's going to give them away,

that tail goes up and then goes up and flicks.

And you can see that irritation. It's like, "OK, I've been seen."

And off they walk.

Yeah, what's noticeable about her behaviour at the moment

is she's just marching, marching.

She's not too worried about being concealed,

but she's marching, marching at a fairly fast trot.

She's on a hectic territorial mission at the moment.

My gut's telling me something's up.

Can you see the fire starting in the background?

Mm.

Going to have to keep an eye on that.

The prevailing wind comes from the east.

If it keeps going, it's going to come our way, so...

..then we change from film-makers into firefighters.

Not my favourite pastime.

The fire's north of us now, by a couple of kilometres.

You can actually hear it.

And this dry flood plain that we're sitting on here

is actually the flood plain

that leads down to our film camp.

We wouldn't want to lose all of this

habitat that our characters are in.

It'll make life quite difficult for them.

FIRE CRACKLES DISTANTLY

Wildfires in the Okavango are seasonal.

That is an extremely ominous-looking sky.

Very, very grey.

And their impact is hard to predict.

At a safe distance for now,

Greg and Anna stay focused on finding Sepoko the cheetah.

I've found a cheetah.

It's Sepoko.

Oh, his belly is looking pretty rotund.

He's definitely had a good meal recently.

He travelled pretty far from the last place that we saw him.

But that is really normal for a male cheetah.

They can travel 25km a day.

Greg, I can't currently see him.

WALKIE TALKIE: Little bit nervous.

WALKIE TALKIE: Maybe drive a little bit towards these termite mounds

to the left.

BABOON BARKS That is a baboon barking now.

Very helpful.

BABOON BARKS

Warning calls, like the baboon's bark,

give away the presence of a predator.

Ah!

The troop of baboons is closing in.

BABOONS GRUNT

Sepoko, however...

I've just seen he's just scent marking on the tree.

..is playing it cool.

I'm just going to try and get a few more shots of these baboons.

BABOONS GRUNT

Oh, yeah, they are coming straight towards this termite mound.

Cheetahs typically avoid confrontation.

A troop of feisty baboons is a genuine threat.

He bolted at the sight of them.

Cheetahs really are the underdogs of the big cat world.

Sepoko can't afford to get injured.

Even a couple of baboons can really scare them off, which

is quite unusual for your general idea of

what a big cat is and how fearsome they are.

Sepoko disappeared again.

Overnight, the fire to the north grows stronger.

FIRE CRACKLES

A change in wind direction drives it closer to camp.

By morning...

Oh, gosh.

..the situation is critical.

Tris, just wait there.

It's coming south towards the camp.

RADIO: This is film camp calling all vehicles out at the moment.

We'd like everyone to return to camp, please.

All the vehicles currently out in the field,

if you could return to film camp, you'll get instructions from here.

It seems crazy lighting a fire right by your camp,

but it's managed and controlled and it will form a buffer.

You can't control it any other way.

To protect camp, a strip of land is being deliberately

burnt around the perimeter.

It's pretty scary, I'm not going to lie.

Get your passports from your rooms.

The entire film camp is in the path of the fire,

so this is about protecting assets and protecting the operation.

But the wildfire is the biggest in five years.

And this plan is not guaranteed to work.

So maybe here for a bit?

It's so much closer than it was last night.

It really is. It's...it's approaching rapidly.

You can see with the drone quite clearly what they're trying to do.

So they're basically burning a whole strip so that

if the fire does continue to come this way,

it will get to this burnt bit, which has already burnt,

and it won't come any further.

And the really worrying thing is it is coming.

It's coming straight towards us.

And just thinking of all of the animals that are out there

and the effect that that will have, you know, on them.

You know, lots of animals can outrun fire.

They can out-fly it.

But if you've got animals with young, whether it's lions,

whether it's leopard, you know, that's really bad news.

I can't get my lens wide enough to capture all of the smoke.

That's how much smoke there is.

The wind has really picked up from the north

and it's driving this fire down.

You get a bit of wind, and it just wants to go.

As the fire builds in magnitude...

BLEEP.

Did you see how quick it was? That was like...just on the other

side of the existing burn and then it was up and away.

..the need to evacuate camp becomes a real possibility.

It's right here. It's coming through.

God, that's unstoppable.

Back to camp!

Back to camp!

Anna, back up, please!

Go back to camp!

We're all just... Everyone's going to go back to the camp.

It's...it's so close now and out of control

that it's pointless trying to fight it here.

Yeah, the fire, it's gotten wildly out of control.

Camp could burn down.

Next time...

I need three guys. Three!

..as the team fights to save the camp...

..concern grows for the future of all the resident big cats.

It changes the dynamic of the predators.

It's going to change the whole nature of this place.

HE SIGHS