All language subtitles for Tiger.Spy.in.the.Jungle.S01E03.1080p.NF.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.x264-qpdb_track3_eng

If you want to film
tigers, get an elephant.

Preferably one that can
carry a camera.

These ele-cams
have already told the story
of four cubs growing up.

They filmed as the cubs
practised their killing
and fighting skills.

But then
the cubs' mother was injured

and a rogue male
entered their territory.

This was the cubs'
greatest challenge yet.

The cubs flee
across the dammed lake

in the centre of
Pench Tiger Reserve.

They have reason
to be worried.

A strange male will kill cubs
so that he can have the chance
of mating with their mother.

The cubs must put
as much distance as they can
between them and him.

The male decides
not to follow.

But while he's around,
the cubs are in danger,

particularly
as their mother is injured.

They reach the far shore.

Although they have
bought some time,
they're still in danger,

for their father, when last
seen, was also injured.

The elephant camera team
set off to find him.

They head towards
the alarm calls of prey

that so often give away
a tiger's location.

And here he is,
the aptly named Charger.

He was last seen
nearly two weeks ago.

Then he had wounds
on his side from a fight,

and was unusually subdued.

But it's
a different story now.

He's back to his old
belligerent self.

The cubs are not far away.

Now, with Charger back to
fighting fitness,

they have some
much-needed protection.

But what they need
right now is a meal.

They're 15 months old,
and certainly big enough
to catch a small deer.

But have they yet developed
the necessary skill?

Here's a chance for them.

They'll have to do
better than that

if they're to survive
as adults.

They still need their mother's
help and tuition.

They find her
where they saw her last.

The wound on her side
is still visible.

But she seems
considerably perkier.

Tiger saliva contains
a strong antibiotic,

so even serious wounds
rarely go septic.

It seems
she might be all right.

The cubs, when without her,
stick closely together.

When one makes a move,
they all do.

They can't resist
play fighting,

even though the strange male
must still be on their mind.

And then a tiger seems to
appear in the water.

The cub tries
an alternative crossing

but the water tiger
is there as well.

Best to take
the long way round.

Submerged tigers forgotten,
he joins the game.

The cubs must spend
another night on their own.

Next day, the cubs
have caught something.

It's a pangolin,
a scaly anteater.

They last encountered one
when they were just
a few months old.

Then, it scared them.
Now it's a different story.

Pangolins exude a foul odour
like a skunk,

so few animals eat them,
and the cubs decide
not to try.

They're so absorbed
in their game,

they nearly miss
an important arrival.

It's their mother.

They are safe once more.

She seems fully fit.

Her cubs are hungry

and she leads them away
towards the best
hunting grounds.

Log-cam can film
animals automatically.

It will switch itself on
when something is happening,

even when the elephants
are not around.

One has recorded
golden jackals

and they have got pups,
just three weeks old.

There are six of them
and they've just started
to venture out of the den.

But for safety, they must
stay close to the entrance.

This pup, however,
has other ideas.

Fortunately,
mother quickly spots him.

And she shepherds him
back to the safety of the den.

The tiger family
are back at the lake,

but this time,
their mother is with them.

She's caught a sambar deer
and seems intent on
dragging it into the water.

The cubs appear to be
eager to help,

but it's not clear what
they're trying to achieve.

They're certainly
enjoying themselves

and need little excuse
for a game of chase.

Tigers do sometimes
kill prey in water,

so this is all good practice,

as are the running leaps
and the rugby tackles.

The mother seems to have her
own plan for the carcass
and continues to drag it away.

For her cubs,
it's still just a game.

The natural buoyancy
of her kill makes it
easier for the mother

to move it through the water,
but the cubs aren't helping
one little bit.

She finally drags it
to the shore,

but out of water,
it's hard going.

The cubs still love
play fighting,

but as they get bigger
and more powerful,

their blows seldom make
serious contact
during their sparring.

The mother perseveres
with her puzzling mission.

She seems to be tiring,
unlike her cubs,
who have energy to spare.

Their play is now about
testing each other to see
who is top cat.

The mother's chosen
obstacle course

runs across an inlet of water
that cuts through
the shoreline.

She's determined
to get the carcass
to the other side.

The cubs show
no interest in helping.

Sambar are India's
largest deer

and this is hard graft,
even for a tigress
in her prime.

Female cubs
play more aggressively
than males.

They may eventually set up
neighbouring territories

so perhaps
it's safer to sort out
their differences now,

before they can do
much harm to one another.

But it will be some time
before they acquire

their mother's
formidable strength.

When they finally fight,
they seem to really mean it.

After their mother has been
labouring for an hour,

her intentions
have become clear.

She simply wanted to take
the carcass into shade.

The tigers are dozing,
so the langurs venture down
to the ground.

But nonetheless,
they must prepare
to be challenged.

The hawk eagle
tries to make himself
look bigger.

For the moment,
there's a stand-off.

But there can only
be one winner
in a contest like this.

Log-cam and the other
remote spy cams

continue to document
the tiger's once secret world.

When the tigers start to move,

the elephants and their
mobile cameras take over

and enable us to travel with
the tigers at their level.

By now, this wild bunch
have little to fear

and they stride
through the forest
with confidence.

A group of tigers such as this
is a rare sight indeed.

Adult tigers
are basically loners.

They don't practice
the kind of communal
hunting techniques

for which lions,
who do live in large groups,
are famous.

Finding prey is the easy bit.

To succeed, they will
have to get close

without alarming the deer.

At first, that looks
deceptively easy.

The cubs must be feeling
that they could walk
right up to their prey.

She checks that her brother
is backing her up,

and prepares for the charge.

But the deer know
just how close is safe.

Her brother
tries a swifter approach.

But he peaks too soon.

All is not lost.

The deer are running
right in front of
one of his sisters.

But she didn't
take her chance.

The youngsters
still have a lot to learn.

Mother isn't far away
and she is well hidden.

Now it's her chance.

But the sambar's kicks
are very effective defence.

Another failure.

The family move on
to try their luck elsewhere.

Their journey takes them
near the jackals' den.

While their mother is around,
the pups are now
very confident.

They even follow her
for short forays
away from the den.

Jackals will scrounge
from tiger kills.

But this is too close
for comfort.

For the tiger cubs,
each new location
is another playground.

-They immediately
try out the facilities.

A leaning tree provides
lots of possibilities
for games,

but there are many other
ways of having fun
in this jungle gym.

They only play
in the cool of the morning.

When the day
begins to heat up,
they rest in the shade.

The heat draws game
to the water holes,
as the mother knows it will.

She brings one down.

It's a spotted deer.

The cubs have heard
the commotion and are
quickly on the carcass.

When four cubs
compete for food,

the weakest
frequently loses out

and may eventually
die from starvation.

But among these cubs,
even the smallest, a female,
seems well-nourished.

Apparently, mother is
such a good hunter

that there's always enough
to go round.

But they still quarrel
over their meals.

And it's usually the females
that start the argument.

For the nearby jackals,
this is a bit of luck.

They seek out kills,
hoping for a share
in the spoils.

The cubs have yet to learn
what skilled dodgers jackals
can be.

Unlike their normal prey,
she actually runs towards
the tigers.

This is blatant provocation.

The attack came as a surprise
to the jackal

but she is far too agile
to be in any real danger

and the cubs
are quite used to failure.

With the tigers so close,
the mother jackal decides
to move her pups.

This one is quite a bundle
but fortunately the rest
are quite capable

of following
under their own steam.

Jackals always have
alternative dens
for emergencies.

This one is in the hollow
of a fallen tree.

As the day heats up,
two of the cubs take to
wallowing in the mud,

an effective if rather messy
way of keeping cool.

The others are still getting
rid of their surplus energy.

Not very elegant,
but at least he's not alone.

The mud looks permanent,
but in just a few hours,
it will blow away as dust,

and the cubs
will be spotless again
with their coats dry-cleaned.

Peacocks originated in India,
and here in the wild they are
quite nervous creatures.

They're so inoffensive
that langurs allow them
to share their waterhole.

They are occasionally
killed and eaten by tigers,

but they're more of
a snack than a meal.

The cubs seem to be
fascinated by them.

Like many birds,
peacocks will mob predators

and keeping danger
in their sights helps prevent
a surprise attack.

Their mocking must be
infuriating for the cubs.

They play a game of dare
as soon as he looks away.

This really is teasing.

And he loses patience.

His sister
makes an easier target.

As the cubs
grow in confidence,
they tackle almost anything.

A tail to them must be like
a piece of string to a kitten.

But what it's attached to
is an altogether
different proposition.

Wisely, the cub thinks
better of it.

Wild boar are different.

They are prey.

This one seems to have
a spot of cramp.

Yet another failure.

The time has come
for the elephants

to take another of their
six-week breaks.

When they return,
they have no difficulty
in locating the cubs again.

The alarm calls of prey
quickly reveal where they are.

The tigress is with them.
They are still living
together as a family.

The elephants put
trunk-cam down

and leave it to make
the final approach
under its own power.

The cubs are
feeding on a carcass.

It's a wild boar
killed by their mother.

The cubs are now
nearly as big as she is,

so feeding them all
is a major challenge for her.

Even so, her cubs' bellies
are rarely empty.

But feeding them so well
doesn't encourage them
to hunt for themselves.

They certainly have
the aggression,

but they must learn how to
use it to bring down prey.

A good meal
is usually followed by
an after-dinner siesta.

But even these quiet periods
are times of learning.

One of the males tries
some sexual experimentation.

But his partner, his brother,
is rather baffled.

The elephant's tail
no longer provokes a reaction.

Everyone is just trying to
find a way to get comfortable.

One of the males goes off
to spend time on his own.

Spotted deer appear nearby.

The cub decides
to try his luck.

His stalking technique
has greatly improved.
Now, he's acting like a pro.

He uses a tree trunk as cover.

He places his paws
with great care

to avoid making
even the slightest rustle.

Now his success will depend
on his timing.

Close, but missed again.

Nevertheless,
this is real progress.

The family has moved
into the shade

but there is
very little space.

By the time the cub returns,
there's no place for him.

His mother makes it clear
that he's not welcome.

She's starting
to lose patience
with her grown-up family.

The cubs are also
far less tolerant
of one another.

Even their games now
have an aggressive edge.

It seems they want to play
but are nervous
as to what might happen.

Again, it's the females
who show the most aggression.

The squabbling continues
as one female tries
to settle down for a rest.

Eventually, this rivalry
will force them apart.

Mother is equally hostile.

She is beginning the process
of making her cubs
less dependent on her.

So the female cub
has to find a spot of her own.

She's not alone for long.

Her brothers are still
ready to show affection.

It's a peaceful interlude
but an increasingly rare one.

Monkeys on the other hand
are always companionable.

Regular grooming
maintains the bonds of
friendship between them.

Langur monkeys
are particularly social.

The females and their young
live in family troops,
led by a dominant male.

The jackals' new den
is not far away.

The monkeys
set off to investigate
the new arrivals.

The pups now regularly
venture from the den,

even when their mother
is away.

But they vanish into it
at the first sign of danger.

Monkeys are
intensely inquisitive

and they have nothing to fear
from jackal pups
as young as this.

But mother jackal
is a different matter.

It's now safe
to come out for play.

The pups have started
to eat meat

and mother jackals,
like many dogs,

have a special way
of delivering it to them.

When the pups
nuzzle her mouth,
she disgorges a meal.

While the tiger cubs
were sleeping,
the deer have been active.

It's the turn of
the second male cub
to try his luck.

He succeeded in taking them
by surprise but again,
he wasn't close enough.

He is learning exactly
what the critical distance is.

All Indian predators
are under constant
high-angle surveillance

and lookout duties for a
langur start at a tender age.

Despite the challenges,
leopards are good
at catching monkeys.

This one is returning to
an earlier kill.

But the leopard
has unwelcome company.

Although leopards were
once a danger to the cubs,

the tables have now turned.

The leopard won't
risk a fight.

He can soon
catch another monkey.

So the male cub steals a kill.

One of the spotter elephants
has given birth.

The calf's father must be
one of the elephants
that carry the spy cams.

It's great news
but also a total surprise.

No one knew
the mother was pregnant.

The tigers are
at an old favourite location,

the dammed reservoir
that they used as small cubs.

They are now 20 months old.

Not so long ago,
the whole family
could fit under this log.

Tigers are always on the move.

But they are also
creatures of habit,

so that although
this reservoir is twice
the size of an Olympic pool,

a spy cam can be placed
beside the precise spot
that the tigers will use.

Elephants love water too.

And they start young.

The cool water
has given the cubs new energy.

One of them has become
fascinated by his reflection
in the poolside camera.

Another cub
has different preoccupations.

The reservoir
is in a deep hollow

which conceals the tigers
from other forest dwellers.

How will her hunting technique
compare with her brother's?

She adopts a swift
but stealthy approach,

and closes the gap
as quickly as possible.

Crouching low is a good move.

A camera on the other side
shows how well-camouflaged
she is.

The deer may be suspicious,
but it doesn't seem to
see her.

It even moves towards her.

The deer are
just about in range.

She may be leaving it
too late.

The deer make up
her mind up for her.

But she wasn't close enough.

Back at the dam,
one of her brothers
is having his own adventure.

Tightrope walking.

Not such a good idea,
but turning around
is even more difficult.

The other cub's fascination
with log-cam is turning into
an obsession.

He investigates further.

He then sees
how it works underwater.

Some above-water photography.

Then underwater once more.

When the elephant crew
return a month later,

there's been quite a change
in the family's behaviour.

One of the males is found
beneath the shade of a tree,

but he seems to be alone.

Then, some way away,
the second male is discovered.

The two used to be
inseparable.

This one seems to have
inherited some of his
father's aggressive nature.

The females
are found together,

but all is not sweetness
and light.

Even here,
the one in the water

makes it clear that
she wants to be alone.

The cubs are
beginning to separate.

Tigers are solitary hunters.

Learning to live alone
is an essential part
of growing up.

But to survive on their own,
they must succeed as hunters

and they still have to pass
this crucial test.

At least here they have
plenty to practice on.

A jungle cat pays a visit.

Any cat
makes the deer nervous,

even though jungle cats
aren't big enough
to harm them.

Tigers, on the other hand,
are something everyone
should worry about.

Fortunately
for the jungle cat,

the cub is too focused
on her prey to notice him.

She is making good
and determined progress.

She's learnt to move
only when the prey
is not watching.

As she closes the distance,
her movements slow.

As yet, she hasn't been seen.

The deer bolts. She follows.

That was close.

Although the male cubs
are becoming more independent,

they spend more time together
than the females do.

Males are often attacked
by other males.

Staying together
may give the brothers
some protection.

At 20 months, their only
danger is from people
and other tigers.

All animals fear them,
except, it seems,
the skittering frogs

that are hitching a ride
on this cub's back.

As they mature,
they will face new dangers.

Male cubs have been known
to travel over 200 kilometres

to find a territory
of their own,

and these journeys
often bring them closer
to human habitation.

Outside the reserve,
they will face conflicts
with farmers

and they are at greater risk
from poaching.

There are also no elephants
to protect them.

Next morning,
the jungle cat is found dead.

The culprit appears.

The cubs now kill everything
that dares cross their path.

But, in common with
other cats,

they rarely eat
other carnivores.

Catching a proper meal
still eludes them

but fresh opportunities
appear every day.

The larger female
takes up the challenge.

All is going well.

She places each paw
with consummate care.

She could hardly be closer.

She selects her target.

And gets it.

-It's a fawn.

From now on,
fawns will be her mainstay,

as she perfects
her hunting techniques.

The other cubs
are not far away.

But a fawn is
too small to share.

-Her sister pushes her luck.

Claws are unsheathed
for the first time.

The cubs are now real tigers.

The monsoon arrives.

The cubs are two years old
and by now they may well
have left the reserve.

The elephants set out to see
if any of them can be found.

A female is spotted first.

She was the best hunter,
so it's no surprise that
she is thriving.

But is she alone?

The second female.

It seems that the sisters

have carved out
separate territories
close to their mother.

Then one of the males appears.

This is more unusual.

Perhaps Pench has enough game
to support him too.

And then, most remarkably,
the other male is also seen.

This is good news indeed.

Most tigers are killed
outside reserves.

If they can find their own
space here,

then they have every chance
of surviving and having
cubs of their own.

Given protection,
tigers breed very well.

The individual success
of these cubs brings real hope

for the survival of
one of our most
endangered animals.

As filming comes to an end,

one of the log-cams
is found to have recorded
more good news.

Three precious new cubs.

And then a fourth.

As the story
of our four cubs ends,
a new one is beginning.