00:00 (gentle music)
00:01 Here, another mother is on a solo mission,
00:04 bringing up cubs.
00:10 She's part of a big pride,
00:16 but she needs to keep the cubs away for their safety.
00:18 Males will kill cubs that are not their own
00:26 to ensure his genes and not someone else's are passed on.
00:30 (gentle music)
00:32 Infanticide is the cause of almost a third of cub deaths.
00:35 Now, the pressure is on her to be the sole hunter
00:52 for two hungry cubs,
00:54 and this calls for a special strategy.
00:58 She heads out to hunting zone number three, the gully.
01:01 At the peak of the rainy season,
01:05 the open ground becomes saturated
01:07 and runoff water forms gullies
01:09 as it searches for the fastest way down.
01:11 In their quest for fresh grass shoots,
01:20 wildebeest follow the most direct route.
01:22 Down the banks of the shallow valley
01:25 and over the gully to the green field.
01:28 (gentle music)
01:31 Hundreds of wildebeest cross the gully.
01:36 She's waiting on the other side, ready to intercept them.
01:40 With prey heading straight towards her
01:42 up a small but significant incline,
01:45 she has the height advantage for an epic ambush.
01:47 The incline slows the herd down.
01:53 They're moving right by her.
01:57 Lions can only sprint at top speed for 50 yards
02:00 and she's well within that range.
02:02 Her strategy, make like a bush.
02:06 She has to remain dead still,
02:09 but stillness attracts flies
02:12 and flies make her fidget, a true test of resolve.
02:16 It seems to be working.
02:24 She just has to choose the right target.
02:27 Small enough to take down,
02:29 big enough to feed a family of three.
02:31 A perfect hunt.
02:40 (animals growling)
02:43 (upbeat music)
02:46 (upbeat music)
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