- 6 weeks ago
This unique story spans a decade and follows one of Tanzania’s most powerful lion prides as they overcome mounting obstacles by relying on strong family bonds. We first meet our star lioness when she’s a cub, and follow her ascent to matriarch during the ever-increasing dry seasons along the Ruaha River. She endures tragedy and enjoys triumph, but she is always the indomitable force behind her pride’s success — or failure. As the years pass, the lioness is forced to make a monumental decision for the entire cat family in order to ensure the pride’s legacy – and allow them to survive.
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00A Tawney family has called this stretch of the Great Ruaha River home for generations.
00:11Filmed over 10 years, this is the remarkable story of a special lioness.
00:19And her journey from cub to queen.
00:24As she learns the skills to survive in this ruthless place, she gains the wisdom to lead
00:32her pride through unexpected challenges and unforeseen peril.
00:54These lions are in hostile territory.
01:10This old lioness is their leader, and the wisest among them.
01:15She brought them here out of desperation, because prey has all but disappeared from their home
01:24range.
01:29Now she must target a formidable foe, if they are to eat.
01:37Lessons learned over a lifetime as a huntress will be put to the ultimate test.
01:45The pride flushes out over 1,300 kilos of fury, a bull giraffe.
02:00She is the only one who knows what to do.
02:02She has to make a move.
02:15She has to make a move.
02:32Our lioness is just a cub, about seven months old.
02:46She was fortunate to be born into a family that controls a prime location on the banks of
02:52the Great Ruaha River.
02:53The pride is large, with several lionesses in their prime.
03:07And grandmothers armed with a lifetime of wisdom.
03:17Raised by these champions, she will learn how to be a huntress in this brutal place.
03:23She'll get to know her neighbors, some which pose no threat, and others that do.
03:42The small lioness has plenty of siblings and cousins to play with.
04:03Life may be tough, even for the king of beasts.
04:07But right now, for her, things are good.
04:12In the heart of Tanzania, it is home to a stunning array of wildlife, including 10% of Africa's lions.
04:31Several prides live in the area, but this territory is the most prized.
04:45Because every animal in the park must come to the river to drink.
04:49Including the cat's favorite prey, buffalo.
05:04Hundreds and hundreds of them.
05:13The buffalo are thirsty, but they're cautious.
05:19Cubs stay with the babysitter as the hunters move into position.
05:37An adult buffalo is a dangerous adversary.
05:41But this herd has youngsters.
05:43It's very annoying.
05:44But the lions don't want to be a dapat.
05:51They're not prepared.
05:52They're not treated.
05:53But the tombs stay with the birds.
05:54And the birds take to give me a little bit of a reason.
05:56And it's about what people do.
05:57The lions scrutinize the herd, looking for a vulnerable lion.
06:01In the field of rugs, the pirates lost their dive.
06:04The lions scrutinized the herd, looking for a vulnerable animal.
06:05The lions scrutinized the herd, looking for a vulnerable trooper.
06:06And both the birds in the forest, and the birds.
06:08And they're not necessary for help to grow it.
06:09The lions scrutinize the herd.
06:11They recognize the herd, looking for a vulnerable target.
06:20The buffalos are nervous and skittish.
06:25And the chaos gives the pride their opening.
06:31The lions quickly take a calf.
06:36But buffalo are very protective of their young.
06:42Wicked horns can deliver lethal injuries to any lion that is just a fraction too slow.
06:57The herd flees the riverbank.
07:02But the lions can't give up.
07:04For them too, it's about survival.
07:12The battle drifts towards where the little lioness and her siblings are hidden.
07:17And she prudently flees.
07:18But her brother is bolder.
07:19Oblivious to the danger.
07:23The pride finally isolates a cow from the herd.
07:24The pride finally isolates a cow from the herd.
07:25And this time.
07:26They're sick.
07:27They're sick.
07:28They're sick.
07:29They're sick.
07:30They're able to escape.
07:31After a mile that has come to thelyn of the earth.
07:33Is a cow's ranch, right?
07:34Very smart.
07:35The pride finally insolates a cow from the herd.
07:40The pride finally escaping the繊維.
07:42The pride finally isolates a cow from the herd, and this time, they're successful.
08:08The lioness cub knows that the faster she gets to the food, the more she can eat.
08:28But one cub is missing.
08:32Her brother has been lost in the melee.
08:36Her mother must wait for the buffalo to retreat before she searches for him.
08:51The Ruaha River pride roars together in victory.
09:00The other cubs don't notice that the little male is missing.
09:09Even his sister is play fighting with an older cousin.
09:21But when her mother returns, it's clear her sibling is injured.
09:36He's either a victim of his own bravado, or just unlucky.
09:48And the other cubs don't notice that the bears gather already.
10:00For the wounded cub, this riverbank is ever-ending.
10:07For the wounded cub, this riverbank is Everest.
10:23His sister urges him up.
10:32And a cousin offers further encouragement.
10:37If he can't recover quickly, the pride must leave him behind.
11:02The little lioness has just learned a cruel lesson.
11:06She lives in a world that is full of danger.
11:12And safety lies within the pride.
11:20Many generations of lions have lived out their embattled lives here.
11:27Those that survive to adulthood must learn quickly.
11:34There is no mercy here.
11:37There is no room for weakness.
11:49The growing lioness needs her pride for security.
11:53But she's learning to fight for what she wants.
12:01She'll need all the tenacity she can muster for the next chapter in her life.
12:22More than three years later, the Ruaha River pride still controls their ancestral territory.
12:29The young lioness is coming into her prime.
12:41She's still playful.
12:43But she's been rigorously schooled by the pride's females in the art of hunting.
12:59She's learned how to be part of a team.
13:08Lions are the only big cats that impart social education.
13:19Now she must learn the fine balance between conserving energy and using it.
13:34The lioness must always analyze potential prey and look for signs of weakness to exploit.
13:45She must also recognize when an attempt would be futile.
13:50Lions can accelerate, but they must be close to their target to catch it.
13:59If prey is distracted, it can work in her favor.
14:16Many male impalas are focused on each other.
14:21As she moves closer, her heels never touch the ground, ensuring stealth.
14:34Only one in six solo hunts is successful.
14:54Lionesses are the primary providers, but no pride is complete without its males.
15:04When they return after patrolling their territory, they rejoin the family.
15:11These males are brothers, and they are both hoping to mate.
15:27The young lioness is coming into estrus, which makes her irresistible.
15:36But romance has to wait.
15:48A herd of hostile behemoths is nearby.
15:57Lions and elephants are legendary enemies.
16:02The pride knows that things can escalate quickly.
16:24The cats will take a calf if they're given a chance.
16:30But the predators only rely on the elephants in a more fundamental way.
16:41Elephants consume huge amounts of vegetation, toppling entire trees to access green growth.
16:57The combination of trunk, tusk, and brute force provides the ultimate demolition toolkit.
17:10They are supremely destructive architects.
17:18Without elephants, there would be no open grasslands, and without grass, no grazing animals.
17:30Without the grazers, there would be no lions.
17:36But gratitude is unlikely to enter a hungry cat's mind.
17:48Elephants have shaped this landscape for millennia.
17:53But ruaha is now being impacted in a more sudden, deadlier way.
18:00Climate change is bringing longer, hotter, dry periods.
18:04And human activity has further reduced the river flow.
18:10These changes are happening so quickly that some species can no longer survive here.
18:19Lions are adaptable.
18:24But the herds of buffalo that sustain them are no longer always here.
18:31The pride needs to seize every opportunity.
18:38If the lionesses hunt together, their chances of success are greater.
18:44A veteran hunter identifies the target.
18:54But the young lioness wants to take the lead.
19:00It seems like a hopeless, naive attempt.
19:23Zebra can easily outrun her over this flat terrain.
19:28The pride elders have hunted here before, and they head up the steep bank.
19:36As the lioness chases her prey to the uneven terrain, the zebra lose their advantage of speed
19:45and run straight into the ambush.
19:50The newly minted huntress didn't make the kill, but she played a crucial role in its success.
20:11She's now a solid part of a well-oiled machine.
20:23The Ruaha River pride controls a 16 square kilometer piece of prime savanna,
20:29competing prides on every side.
20:40The pride's males have been in a fight while defending their territory.
20:47Their job is to patrol their borders and scent-mark them to warn away intruders.
20:58Battles often occur.
21:06This time they've kept their castle, but one is injured.
21:18The pride's males share a deep bond.
21:26They enjoy being part of a robust pride and roll in elephant dung.
21:46A potent perfume that masks their own strong smell.
22:02The young lioness is four years old and ripe for mating.
22:11Her potential suitors can taste her signals in the air.
22:25Her brothers will defend each other to the death against rivals.
22:32But suddenly, they're competitors for her favor.
22:41She will make them wait until she's ready.
22:56Midday temperatures are sweltering in Ruaha.
23:05The burning sun forces the predators to seek shade, creating a temporary truce.
23:22And pheromones thick in the air.
23:28And the hot day is about to boil over.
23:38The lioness's potent signals trigger jealousy between the brothers.
23:50The male with the larger mane should win the competition.
23:57He strengthens his case by marking his scent.
24:02Since these lions are brothers, their disputes won't escalate beyond loud complaints.
24:17The lioness makes the predictable choice.
24:24Rudely awakening a slumbering cub.
24:37Hopefully, some new cousins in a few months will erase any lasting trauma.
24:42As an adult, the lioness must eat about 11 pounds of beef every day to survive.
25:01It's a tall order, so she must hunt constantly.
25:08She sets her sights on a male water buck.
25:14Today, she's hunting alone, but the rest of the pride monitors her progress.
25:31Lions usually hunt in groups.
25:34It's safer that way.
25:38Her sisters seem to prefer the shade.
25:44think the
26:11After she does the work, the pride hurries to reap the benefits.
26:34And she proudly shares.
26:38Her status is rising.
26:41Sisters, aunts, nieces and nephews will all benefit from her killer instincts.
27:04A large buffalo herd arrives at the river.
27:16Plenty of food for the whole pride.
27:21Every lion can eat their fill.
27:38But the lioness has been invisible for two weeks.
27:44She's deep inside a thicket, where she's given birth to three cubs.
27:54They were born blind and helpless, so she will keep them hidden for the next few weeks.
28:10She's worried about the safety of her babies with the buffalo nearby.
28:23But a special visitor is welcome.
28:26Her sister.
28:28Coming to meet the cubs for the first time.
28:48The family member is accompanied by her own older cubs.
28:59And the sister lionesses will form a nursery.
29:07The tiny cubs will eventually be integrated into the bride.
29:11But slowly and carefully.
29:15The new mother is on high alert, because danger is everywhere.
29:22This far from the pride, there is little protection.
29:29Over the next few days, she ventures further with them.
29:41Making sure that their larger cousins don't get too rough when they play.
29:53Cubs begin their lessons right away.
29:55And she uses strong discipline to prepare them for a tough life.
30:02Now she parks her cubs with their aunt, because she has another mission.
30:18It's time to reunite with the pride after a few weeks away.
30:40After she confirms her own place in the family, she'll bring her cubs to meet them.
30:47The pride's collective roar travels for five miles, letting their rivals know that they're large and still in charge.
31:15She's proven herself as a hunter, and as a mother, and is pride royalty now.
31:29Her own teachers did their job well.
31:31Now, she must guide the next generation of this noble dynasty.
31:36Four years have passed, and the Ruaha River Pride has a new matriarch.
31:43Four years have passed, and the Ruaha River Pride has a new matriarch.
31:50Four years have passed, and the Ruaha River Pride has a new matriarch.
32:05She's no longer in her physical prime, but she has emerged as their undisputed leader.
32:17Her first tiny cubs are now adults, and make up the core of the family.
32:23The pride still holds the riverbank territory, but it is not the place it once was.
32:35Conflicts with rivals are becoming more frequent, and more and more elephants are crowding into the park, seeking refuge from poachers.
32:50They are stressed and aggressive, with little tolerance for the lions.
33:02The lions avoid a real confrontation.
33:16But the matriarch doesn't accept the disruption meekly.
33:31So the cats continue to watch the giants pass by, waiting for an opportunity.
33:37The great Ruaha River is the lifeblood of this place, but its waters no longer flow like they did when the matriarch was a cub.
34:01As the climate changes, and more water is lost to agriculture, this rivering ecosystem is teetering on collapse.
34:15Throughout her life, the lioness learned how to hunt, how to fight, and how to be a good mother.
34:25All critical to the survival of her pride.
34:29But Ruaha is a different place now, and her pride is a different pride than it once was.
34:45Her daughters are strong, capable hunters, but there are no new cubs, and the pride is shrinking.
35:05The challenges they now face are unlike any they've overcome before.
35:17Newly arrived males will bring new blood.
35:27Threatening stability, threatening stability, but necessary for the pride to grow again.
35:34The lionesses will have quickly mated with these potential fathers.
35:40But until the new cubs are born, the newcomers have no stake in the pride's future.
35:50Supplying prey would be a valuable contribution, but their impressive manes aren't designed for stealth.
36:03The reliable presence of buffalo always made this place a good hunting ground for the lions.
36:13But now, dwindling resources elsewhere have brought huge herds here.
36:24Moving through the landscape as they struggle to find enough food.
36:34But more buffalo doesn't make it easier for the lions to hunt them.
36:40The animals have become more aggressive, and more dangerous.
36:51One new male quickly discovers backup is always necessary.
37:03But the pride must keep trying if they are to eat.
37:09The matriarch knows that to take on large prey,
37:38the pride must stick together.
37:41The once mighty river is now reduced to a mere trickle, completely disappearing below the surface in places.
38:03The elephants dig down to extract water from the dry riverbed, along with generations of knowledge of where to find it.
38:10Elephants dig down to extract water from the dry riverbed, along with generations of knowledge
38:24of where to find it.
38:37The holes they create can be a lifeline for other species, if they are willing to risk
38:46the lions.
38:55Scarce water is bad news for the pride, because it means the buffalo didn't stay here for
39:00long.
39:07Only a few old bulls remain.
39:17This one is like a lion without a pride.
39:25But while he may be alone, he's not giving in.
39:35His tough hide protects him from teeth and claws.
40:20They must find new prey, soon.
40:30Giraffes occasionally visit the river from their acacia woodlands on the plateau.
40:42They are vulnerable when they drink, but they are never prone for long.
40:54They are too nervous.
41:01The ungainly beasts are extremely powerful.
41:04So they are risky prey.
41:05A giraffe's kick can be lethal with an impact of 2,000 pounds of force per square inch.
41:17But lions must eat regularly, or perish.
41:24And the pride is desperate.
41:27These giraffes don't stay for very long.
41:34The matriarch must make a brave choice.
41:37Stay and face starvation.
41:42Or lead her pride away from this merciless place to follow the giraffes.
41:49The lioness must draw upon all of her experiences and her deepest instincts to decide.
42:10Stay or go.
42:26Her blood runs through every cat in the pride.
42:30And her legacy will be for naught if she can't pull them through this apocalyptic time.
42:39She knows the buffalo will eventually return.
42:44But they can't afford to wait.
42:50This may be their only chance for a future.
43:00They must follow the giraffes across the hot, hostile plain.
43:04The giraffes seem to be headed east.
43:09But there's no knowing where they may stop.
43:13The pride moves cautiously through enemy lion territory.
43:19The need for food outweighs the risk of potentially lethal conflict.
43:32Few of the lions have ranged so far from the river before.
43:36So they rely on the matriarch to guide them.
43:45She pushes them relentlessly onward.
43:47Because their survival depends on it.
43:50As the day grows hotter, the lions are alone on the bleak landscape.
44:09There is no sign of water.
44:16And no prey.
44:22The pride rests in a small patch of shade.
44:41They have used precious energy coming here.
45:06And if they don't find the giraffe soon, the decision to leave might prove fatal.
45:13But they are being watched.
45:35The giraffes are here.
45:38The wise old lioness has brought them to the right place after all.
46:01He says,
46:03If he goes to the right place after all.
46:06He says,
46:11The 9-1-2 quid.
46:17The 9-1-3 quid will pass away.
46:22But it has been restrained and he will be able to do better on the right place.
46:27An adult giraffe weighs eight times more than an adult lioness, so the bride plans to target
46:50a calf.
47:09Lions may be stealthy, but they're under aerial surveillance.
47:14The giraffes scatter.
47:26The giraffes scatter.
47:30The giraffes scatter.
47:40The giraffes scatter.
47:45The giraffes scatter.
47:50But failure is not an option for the lions.
48:03The pride can work together.
48:10And as predators, they have patience and persistence on their side.
48:32Finally, one vigilant giant falls victim to hunger.
48:55One of the males casually moves closer.
49:14She's followed by a lioness.
49:26This bull giraffe is massive, so they could not have picked a more formidable foe.
49:35The old lioness is the only cat that has hunted giraffe before.
49:49And she must show how it's done.
49:58She gives it her all.
50:03Then, the savannah is silent.
50:17The matriarch has delivered what her pride so desperately needs.
50:26And despite the blow she received, she administers the kiss of death, suffocating her hard-won prey.
50:42As the giraffe takes its last breath, the feast begins.
51:01There is enough meat for the entire pride to eat several meals.
51:11The matriarch of this indomptable lion family has brought them through the toughest of times.
51:21But they won't stay here for long.
51:30The river is their ancestral home.
51:33And they must renew their claim.
51:42When they return to the banks of the Ruaha, they are cautious, in case another pride has moved in.
51:59But it's not lions the old queen finds.
52:06The buffalo have returned to the river.
52:09So the pride will be able to flourish again.
52:14But the lioness knows they cannot relax.
52:29She may be advanced in years.
52:31But she is the ultimate predator.
52:42And when there is prey, they must hunt again.
52:48Welcome to the passion for a lioness 2.
52:49Pleaserim 65.
52:50Bye.
52:51It will be a huge injury.
52:52The lioness.
52:53There is ok to see the storm on a fleur.
52:57Going around the рек, when shooting at the time of mob name.
52:59Wait to see the net.
53:00There are premieres.
53:02whiskey 65.
53:06Huura a Christmas publisher is a carriage.
53:09This one consig.
53:11Had that aριed by a man of Indonesia.
53:13There are closer to the cabin mob.
53:15The truffle who have to lary off the seperate
53:17Transcription by CastingWords
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