Big Cats 24/7 Season 1 Episode 2 continues the dramatic journey through Botswana’s Okavango Delta as lions, leopards, and cheetahs struggle to survive after a devastating wildfire.
Wildlife filmmakers Gordon Buchanan and Vianet Djenguet track the dominant male lions Big Toe and Madumo as they patrol their scorched territory and confront dangerous rival males threatening their pride. With boundaries destroyed by fire, the battle for dominance becomes more intense than ever.
Meanwhile, Brad Bestelink follows the resilient leopardess Xudum, who must adapt her hunting strategy after the wildfire removes the vegetation she once used for cover. She learns to hunt from the trees in a remarkable display of survival and intelligence.
Anna Dimitriadis stays close to the determined cheetah Pobe, who hunts day and night while struggling to find food in the harsh new landscape.
Witness the resilience, strategy, and fierce battles of Africa’s most iconic predators in Big Cats 24/7.
#BigCats247 #BigCats #WildlifeDocumentary #AfricanWildlife #OkavangoDelta
Wildlife filmmakers Gordon Buchanan and Vianet Djenguet track the dominant male lions Big Toe and Madumo as they patrol their scorched territory and confront dangerous rival males threatening their pride. With boundaries destroyed by fire, the battle for dominance becomes more intense than ever.
Meanwhile, Brad Bestelink follows the resilient leopardess Xudum, who must adapt her hunting strategy after the wildfire removes the vegetation she once used for cover. She learns to hunt from the trees in a remarkable display of survival and intelligence.
Anna Dimitriadis stays close to the determined cheetah Pobe, who hunts day and night while struggling to find food in the harsh new landscape.
Witness the resilience, strategy, and fierce battles of Africa’s most iconic predators in Big Cats 24/7.
#BigCats247 #BigCats #WildlifeDocumentary #AfricanWildlife #OkavangoDelta
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00:07The Big Cats 24-7 team is facing the largest seasonal wildfire in five years.
00:15They're fighting to save their base camp.
00:18Adam, back up, please.
00:20I can feel the heat coming off that fire.
00:22It's really terrifying.
00:23It's really, really scary.
00:25We can hold it.
00:26It seems to be working.
00:29After hours of battling, the wildfire finally passes and moves south.
00:36It's heartbreaking to look at this because fire like this is going to affect everything.
00:44For the Big Cats here, the impact could be life-changing.
00:55The Okavango Delta in Botswana.
01:00One of Africa's last wildernesses.
01:03The Okavango Delta is an oasis in the desert.
01:06It's a miracle in itself.
01:07And it's a stronghold for Africa's big cats.
01:14Lion, cheetah, and leopard.
01:19This is nature at its absolute finest.
01:23Now, for the very first time, a team of local and international wildlife filmmakers
01:29is working together to record the cats' lives like never before.
01:38Using the latest technology.
01:40We're going to be able to see things in a completely different light and tell stories in a completely
01:45different way.
01:46They'll follow individual big cats for six months.
01:51Through the day.
01:53This is crazy.
01:54This is a battle.
01:56And the night.
01:57This is a military-grade thermal imaging camera.
02:00Lions have got amazing night vision, but it's not as good as this.
02:05Capturing their behavior.
02:07He's got the cub.
02:08He's got the cub.
02:0924 hours a day.
02:12Welcome to the Okavango Delta.
02:14It gets crazy.
02:28The big cats 24-7 base camp is out of danger.
02:37Overnight, the wildfire continues to burn south of the camp.
02:44Let's roll.
02:47Before dawn, the team is heading out to see its impact.
02:52And to find out if the big cats are okay.
03:04Just left the safety of the camp.
03:07And I think the only words I have for this are total devastation.
03:17We're just about to cross where there used to be a bridge.
03:21And there's absolutely nothing now.
03:23It's completely going down pretty crazy.
03:25Everything has been turned upside down.
03:29A lot of the habitat that these predators are using is gone.
03:35There's going to be a bit of chaos.
03:38All of the big cats will be just trying to find their place and readjust to a whole new burnt
03:44landscape.
03:46So that's sort of learning a new map to this area now that there's been such a lot of change.
03:59The big cats team is working in a 150-square-mile patch of the Okavango Delta.
04:07This prime territory for lions is controlled by the Kudum prime.
04:15Those lion tracks going up the Kudum road forward to main access from camp.
04:19And the fire is pretty close by.
04:22Okay, we're just sort of up near the bit of the forest that's actually burning at the moment.
04:29Wildlife camera team Gordon, Vianney and Seth is searching for the lions.
04:38The blaze has terrorised all the animals around here.
04:43Finding them will calm me down.
04:46Make me feel a bit more happy.
04:53The prides, mothers and cubs were last seen just metres away from the wildfire.
05:05For these cubs, they've never experienced this before.
05:08And they will not have a single clue what to do.
05:12When you've got a fire so close, that's really very concerning.
05:17So I think we'll just get down and see if we can find them.
05:19But it's not, not good.
05:23The fire is not far away.
05:27I'm going to move, but it's getting a bit close here.
05:30Getting stuck and breaking down, that's, yeah, this close to the fire line is not a good situation.
05:38Right, this is not good.
05:40Not good.
05:40OK, don't panic.
05:42OK, don't panic.
05:45Nice and easy.
05:47In reverse.
05:48Out she goes.
05:52See, in this situation, you just try and move gently.
06:00Gently as you can.
06:02There we go.
06:03So that was...
06:04Aye, aye, aye.
06:15That was a whole wheel's worth in a burrow.
06:19But that really is the worst case scenario, being stuck in a hole so close to the fire.
06:31But we are no longer stuck in a hole.
06:35I didn't like that.
06:40Away from the wildfire, Gordon is narrowing his search to a row of termite mounds.
06:50It's a kind of process of elimination.
06:53Everything kind of west of here is already burned.
06:56But thicker places like this, these are the places I'm most interested in.
07:02Oh, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay.
07:08See a cup?
07:11Here you go.
07:12Definitely a cup.
07:18That's a huge relief.
07:25This is the highlight of my day.
07:31Old Uncle Gordon's been worried about you.
07:37So this termite mound is the perfect little play fort for...
07:45..a little group of lion cubs.
07:47It's like a castle.
07:49It's ideal.
07:50They're so well protected in there.
08:01This pride has done exactly the right thing.
08:07I think having such a big threat so close,
08:11these cubs kind of seem to shrink in size.
08:14They look smaller and more vulnerable than they do on a normal day.
08:2480% of cubs won't make it to their second birthday.
08:28So, yeah, I think that my concerns are quite legitimate.
08:39The name sets for Gordon, I've got good news.
08:42Found the cubs, they're all alive.
08:44That's wonderful.
08:45All right, I should see you shortly.
08:47Thank you again.
08:49Copy that.
08:52Oh, look at that.
08:55Look at that.
08:55What a joy to find those lions.
09:00These experienced mothers have kept their cubs safe.
09:05The entire family's here.
09:08But in this burnt landscape,
09:10the safety of the whole pride
09:12is now up to these two lions.
09:17This is Big Toe and Madumo.
09:22They are the pride males.
09:30Big Toe and Madumo's presence is reassuring for the pride.
09:36Madumo and Big Toe, they're nearly 10 years old.
09:39For half a decade,
09:40they've been at the very top.
09:45And they're two lions,
09:47but they are one force of nature.
09:51It's because of the bond that they share.
09:54That is what it's all about.
09:59Cubs are coming in.
10:06The main role of a dominant pride man
10:09is protection.
10:12And look at the cows.
10:13They're really happy.
10:14They're climbing.
10:15They're climbing the tree.
10:18Especially in a time of crisis.
10:22When we had only the cubs and the females,
10:25they wouldn't be out in the open like this.
10:28They would stay in long grass.
10:30But now that Madumo and Big Toe are here,
10:36they're completely in the open,
10:39as if there's nothing to fear.
10:43Unlike other big cats,
10:45male lions stick around throughout the raising of their young.
10:51Together,
10:52Big Toe and Madumo have fathered over a dozen cubs.
10:58I'm proud of
11:01what these two dominant males have accomplished.
11:05Big Toe and Madumo are
11:07a prime example of
11:09males that do a very good job
11:12at protecting their
11:13pride
11:14and their territory.
11:15non-retimal cost.
11:20But they have a problem.
11:23The wildfire
11:24has wiped out
11:25the territorial scent markings
11:27that Big Toe and Madumo use
11:29to ward off
11:30intruder male lions.
11:34Inevitably,
11:34some other lions
11:35are going to want to take
11:37all of this away from them.
11:40Now,
11:41the pressure is on these two males
11:43to protect their territory
11:45and their young cubs.
11:55at this distance,
11:57that is
11:57quite something to behold.
12:03It makes your stomach rumble
12:05and your toes twitch.
12:09So that's like a lion dropping a pin,
12:14letting everyone know
12:15this is exactly where these two lions are.
12:24A lion's roar can travel more than three miles.
12:32It's a clear signal to intruders
12:34that they're here
12:35and ready to defend their family.
12:42It's really interesting
12:43because the stake
12:45couldn't be higher.
12:46The brutal reality is that
12:48if
12:49a male
12:51from another
12:52pride
12:53was to come here,
12:54he would kill
12:56those cubs
12:57and
12:59make
12:59his own cubs
13:00with these females.
13:05With Big Toe and Madumo
13:07asserting their dominance,
13:11the team is sticking with them.
13:19Cuts,
13:20female leopard tracks
13:21speaking to them
13:22on the upper end
13:23running from west.
13:26closer to east
13:26towards the camp.
13:27Copy that.
13:31Closer to camp,
13:32leopard specialist Brad
13:33is concerned
13:34for his favourite cat.
13:37I can just see the
13:40devastation.
13:42The leopard would be really
13:43exposed in this.
13:47Brad is searching
13:48the remaining patches of bush
13:49that offer the cover
13:51she needs to survive.
13:53My guess is that
13:55she would have followed
13:55the unburnt
13:56section
13:58heading south.
14:00There she is.
14:02Stephanie Kudum.
14:06Oh, I'm so bad.
14:08Kudum is still alive.
14:11At five years old,
14:13Kudum
14:14is the area's
14:15resident female leopard.
14:22leopard.
14:22But she's battling
14:23to navigate
14:24in this area
14:24because it's just so open
14:25and sparse
14:27from the fires.
14:32Leopards prefer
14:32to stay hidden,
14:34typically using
14:34undergrowth
14:35to travel unseen.
14:39It's interesting.
14:40She's cut out
14:41right across the bend.
14:49She basically
14:50just heard
14:50these impalas
14:51running through.
14:59But with no cover
15:00to conceal
15:00in ambush.
15:04Oh.
15:10Everything happens
15:10so quickly
15:11in this place.
15:13Kudum hasn't had
15:14a meal
15:15since before
15:16the wildfire.
15:19To get food now,
15:21she must change
15:23her tactics.
15:37As she's been moving,
15:39she's been looking up
15:40like she's
15:40looking for something.
15:49nice and high on the nebony.
15:51It's fruit all over it.
15:56The few remaining
15:57unburnt patches
15:58of green
15:59are drawing everyone in.
16:07all in fruit from the surviving trees
16:10is a lifeline
16:13and an opportunity
16:14for Kudum
16:17if the prey below
16:19becomes a little more manageable.
16:22This is a great position.
16:25It's an ideal setup to ambush in Pada.
16:31Here in the Okavango,
16:33leopards have learned to hunt
16:34in an extraordinary way.
16:37Tree jumping.
16:41leaping up to 10 metres
16:43onto unsuspecting prey.
16:45With the fires
16:46taking out a lot of the cover
16:48and the grass underneath,
16:50it's harder for a leopard to hunt.
16:52So fruiting trees
16:53and making that connection
16:54will be a valuable asset to her.
16:57The challenge for Kudum
16:58is mastering
17:00this dangerous skill.
17:10She's definitely positioning herself
17:12for jumping.
17:15This has got to be the
17:18most supreme predator
17:20doing its ultimate feat.
17:23Skydiving on top of the impala.
17:30There's a good guy.
17:34There's a good guy.
17:35Greg, Verana?
17:37Hey, Greg.
17:39I'm just at the side of Kudum Lagoon.
17:41Are you looking at this hippo?
17:43Yeah, it's shocking.
17:45Just shows really tough times
17:46for everyone.
17:48It's just odd seeing a hippo
17:50that should be
17:51wallowing around in water
17:53just walking around
17:54in a burning, burning land.
17:58It's just odd seeing a hippo
17:59Hippos are most active at night.
18:02It's rare to see one moving around in the heat of the day.
18:06This hippo is just really caught between a rock and a hard place.
18:12This fire has completely devastated.
18:15This land has dried up a lot of the lagoon that he'd normally be hanging out in.
18:24It's desperate times.
18:27It's hostile and dry and harsh.
18:32We just followed our desperate hippo and he's managed to find a little bit of water.
18:40He's led us right to some lions.
18:48Hey Greg, these two sub-adult males, I don't recognise them.
18:52Are they from our pride?
18:53You know what? Honestly, I don't recognise them either.
19:00They're definitely in the wrong place.
19:03Because we're within the pride territory.
19:07The dominant males from our pride are going to want them around.
19:14These intruder male lions have wasted no time after the wildfire to infiltrate Big Toe and Madumo's territory.
19:24It's a little bit worrying if there are males from other pride encroaching on our guys' territory.
19:31Hey, Gordon, do you copy?
19:34Hey, Gordon, do you copy?
19:34Go ahead, Anna.
19:36Hey, Gordon.
19:36We've got an interesting situation.
19:38Two sub-adult males are on the west side of the lagoon and I don't really know who these guys
19:46are.
19:46So, there's a good chance that these males are infringing on the Cuddin Pride territory.
19:51I'll come and check in with you.
19:53Nice.
19:53Nice.
19:53That sounds like a plan.
19:54I'll see you in a minute.
20:06Oh, look at this guy.
20:09Hello, hello, hello.
20:11I've just spotted one of your lions.
20:13I don't know who these two are.
20:16Bold, bold move moving into this area.
20:19Because they'll know exactly that they've overstepped the line.
20:22It'll be interesting to see what happens if our two males move up into this area.
20:27That's when things can get really interesting.
20:30We'll have to see how the next few days pan out.
20:37Greg, go.
20:40Greg is joining Brad on Leopard Watch.
20:44Brad got on the radio to let us know that Cuddin, the leopard est, has climbed up into an ebony
20:50tree.
20:50And it sounds like there's a good chance she's going to try and hunt from the tree.
20:54Literally dive out of the tree and tackle impala.
20:59Brad is also calling in wildlife cameraman Tristan, who's been tracking Cuddin for the past year.
21:06We haven't seen her do it yet.
21:09So, yeah, we're waiting to see and hopefully, if we get lucky, she does.
21:15Cuddin hasn't eaten since the wildfire.
21:18She's fully intent on hunting from the treetops.
21:22Exciting times.
21:25To catch a meal, she needs to master the art of tree jumping.
21:31She couldn't be in a better place, so fingers crossed.
21:35It's going to be a waiting game, but worth the wait, I think.
21:42Mastering a new skill, though...
21:45It's going to come down.
21:46...takes trial and error.
21:53For the team, it's going to take patience.
22:00First, Cuddin must find the right tree.
22:08The tree stops before the tree looks up.
22:11Do you see that it's fruiting?
22:13Looks around.
22:15And then bolts up the tree.
22:19As soon as she gets up, she freezes.
22:23And she inspects the tree.
22:27Cuddin needs camouflage, good footing, and the perfect height of the ground.
22:37Now, looks like we've got another dud tree.
22:41She's going from frenetic walking to the bush, to up a tree, to sitting for two hours and nothing's happening.
22:49It's now a wait for the right-sized impala.
22:56But things are not falling into place.
23:00Please don't come down.
23:03It's a high-maintenance cat, this one.
23:06Time to shift trees.
23:08We've been pretty much with her now, for about five, six hours.
23:21It's like a little leopard chess game.
23:24She moves, they move.
23:25She moves, they move.
23:28The more trees she tries, the more chance she has.
23:36After a full day of searching...
23:39It's getting all stacked up, relative pants.
23:42Cuddin seems to have finally found the right tree.
23:47He's looking down there.
23:50I think he must be close there.
23:57Jumping is quite tricky with the rams, because they've got really sharp horns, so she's really
24:01got her timing right.
24:13It's going to happen.
24:16This is not good for my heart.
24:22If you've been dead, no, you're never going to be dead.
24:35Oh, I cannot believe this.
24:38It's such a perfect opportunity.
24:40She had an impala underneath her.
24:42It's the person who's come.
24:46Just perfect setup.
24:48Then she just let them walk by.
24:52Maybe the Apollo were the start of range.
24:55Maybe she didn't have a good footing.
24:58Makes a mistake.
24:59She gets hurt badly.
25:01Animals will get hurt after you don't survive very long.
25:07Cuddin must master this new skill soon.
25:11She's definitely very, very keen and very hungry.
25:13It's already probably been four or five days without a kill.
25:16I feel more for her than anybody else in this situation.
25:19Her, it's, you know, it's life and death.
25:34Big Toe and Madumo are on an evening patrol.
25:49They are announcing to everyone and every living thing
25:58that they're the kings.
26:16Big Toe and Madumo could be picking up
26:19the scent of the intruder male lions.
26:29Through the night, they stay close to the cubs
26:32and they're on high alert.
26:52More than a mile away, Anna and Greg are following
26:56the intruder males, who are showing no signs of leaving.
27:07Oh, these boys are getting a bit too close to our car.
27:10Oh, these boys are getting a bit too close to our car.
27:44Oh, my God, that was terrifying.
27:48Greg, these boys enjoy getting quite close, don't they?
27:52No, just one coming up to your vehicle.
27:54I was just thinking, oh, gosh.
27:58I'm pretty sure a little bit of peak came out.
28:03That was so scary.
28:09That could well have been them sort of giving us a little warning,
28:13but we are giving them their space,
28:16and maybe they'd walk literally right towards us.
28:21Now, just a few hundred metres away,
28:24Zets and Gordon are trailing Big Toe and Maduma.
28:37OK, so what's happening right now is that the current males
28:39are on the intruders' tracks.
28:43They have all warned that they are here
28:46and they are closing the gap between them.
28:50We are going to show them who's boss.
28:54One thing that the fire has done is it opened this whole area.
28:58So for these young, intruding males,
29:00they're going to be able to see Maduma and Big Toe
29:03from half a mile away,
29:06take appropriate action.
29:07The appropriate action is to get out of here.
29:10Look on it.
29:13Ooh.
29:15Hear that?
29:16So that's Big Toe and Maduma.
29:19They're just roaring,
29:20and they're just making it known that they're nearby.
29:31They're roaring, what that does, it serves a dual purpose.
29:35It lets everyone know that they're around,
29:37but also it can avoid physical confrontation.
29:41What every single male lion wants to do is avoid a fight.
29:47The risk of injury is very serious.
29:51So Maduma and Big Toe both calling.
29:59At least a quarter of lion fights end in serious injury or death.
30:06If I was a young male lion,
30:09and I heard that thunderous roar,
30:14I wouldn't be hanging around.
30:17Big Toe and Maduma's scare tactics are working.
30:23These boys are quickly leaving.
30:26The intruders have got the message and are leaving.
30:31These young boys know that they've picked a long fight,
30:35and they're making a very swift exit.
30:37They get to live another day without knowing the fury of the Kodom meals.
30:45Big Toe and Maduma have protected their territory and their family for now.
30:53But these intruders are unlikely to be the last.
31:03Leaving the lions behind.
31:06Greg and Hannah, any sign of cheetahs?
31:10No, nothing so far.
31:13Anna and Greg are turning their attention to finding the Okavango's most elusive big cat.
31:22Greg and I have decided to think more like a cheetah.
31:25So we've come to this burnt, open space.
31:31Cheetahs, even though they do rely on a little bit of cover,
31:35when approaching prey,
31:36they also really utilise huge, flat, open areas to chase prey.
31:43I'm hoping it pays off when we do find a cheetah here.
31:59After hours of searching, Greg's local knowledge is proving invaluable.
32:06If there was a predator around,
32:08we would expect to get a sign from the other animals as well.
32:20The lechers are taking off at full speed.
32:23The lechers would react like that to wild dogs and potentially cheetahs.
32:29So that's an interesting sign from the lechers.
32:31Let's just go a bit further up and have a look.
32:35I'm sorry to get excited.
32:38Yeah, come on, surely.
32:40I think I can see something.
32:42It's like it could be grass, but it could also be a cheetah lying flat.
32:45Looking up.
32:46Please be a cheetah.
32:49Heart rate is just going now.
32:53But I'm scared.
32:54I'm scared that this is all just for so long.
32:58Yes!
32:59Yes!
33:01Finally!
33:03Woo!
33:04Hello, hello, Greg.
33:06We've got it.
33:07It's the female that we know.
33:09With the grey patch on the side of her left cheek.
33:13Amazing years.
33:16Here we go.
33:18I'm extremely excited to have a cheetah on the end of my lens.
33:23Oh, she's a beauty.
33:27Seven-year-old Pobbe is the area's only resident female cheetah.
33:35Cheetahs are special in so many ways, and the fact that they're so hard to find.
33:40The most recent stats on cheetahs that I'm aware of is there's only about 7,400 left in the world.
33:48So we're incredibly fortunate.
33:55A savvy, experienced cheetah, Pobbe has survived many wildfires.
34:02But this is the worst in her lifetime.
34:10Very active, she's looking for prey.
34:14She's just stopped in the floodplain and there's baboons on the ground.
34:21Well, she definitely does not want to get spotted at this point.
34:25Well, she's running actually, she's moving out, she's pulling out.
34:28Baboons are barking at her and she's like, I'm out of here.
34:32She's so exposed, no trouble spotting her and just immediately sounded the alarm.
34:40Shame.
34:43In this burnt landscape, Pobbe is struggling to find cover and prey.
34:50When you see her just slinking along like she is right now, she's just so thin.
34:58She must be really hungry, she's going to have to start taking risks.
35:06Pobbe needs to eat soon.
35:10Roughly losing light once again.
35:14But she's unlikely to catch a meal after nightfall.
35:21Of all the big cats, cheetah prefer to hunt by day.
35:25They're the ones that use fishing the most in the hunting strategy.
35:35To stick with Pobbe, Anna and Greg will stay with her through the night.
35:42We've radioed into the camp for them to bring out the thermal camera for us.
35:47I'm really hoping that with that we're going to be able to follow her tonight.
35:51It's getting exciting because I've never actually followed a cheetah through the night.
36:02We are about to see a cheetah on a thermal camera.
36:09Oh, that's so cool.
36:16I wonder how many people can say that they've spent a night 30 metres away from a cheetah.
36:21Ah, super cute.
36:24Oh, she's so sweet.
36:25And she's fast asleep, eh?
36:27Yeah, she's having a good sleep.
36:31It's going to be a good test of patience if we're going to watch her sleep until daybreak.
36:35Yeah.
36:40Anna and Greg are being rewarded with an intimate view of this elusive cat.
36:54One thing I've learned about Pobbe is that she is very, very cute when she sleeps.
37:02She was curled up on a little ball and she just kept getting up, having a stretch.
37:10Almost like she was getting the cold side of the pillow.
37:13She was finding a new little spot for herself.
37:30Kudum, the female leopard, is poised again to make a tree jump.
37:47Brad is determined to see her reach this important milestone.
37:55Amazing how things have developed.
37:59When we first started with her, we weren't certain she was a jumper.
38:02She clearly knows the deal.
38:04Seen her with Impala underneath her tree several times, but we've yet to have that full execution.
38:13All the potentials there.
38:14It's just now up to Kudum to really master the skill.
38:20Got a slow trail of Impala arriving.
38:23And they're heading straight for where she is.
38:36This can happen.
38:49Come on, Wiggle.
38:52Today's your day.
38:55The right tree.
38:58The right tree.
39:01The right prey.
39:02The right tree.
39:02The right tree
39:04The right tree.
39:20The right tree.
39:21The right tree.
39:22It just got it.
39:25The right tree.
39:32Red Impala is probably one and a half times so wet.
39:54I hope she can hang on.
39:56She's worked hard for this.
40:14She hasn't eaten in a few days and we're just talking about her really being able to nail
40:21it from the tree.
40:22She certainly has done that.
40:24She certainly has affected this tree hunting.
40:33She's a young cat.
40:34What a long way to go.
40:37I can't wait until she has cubs.
40:39That's going to be a special day and a special time.
41:12The onion, that is food.
41:15Hobbe, the female cheetah, is struggling to find prey in this empty, burnt landscape.
41:28Seems like something in this tree line has made her stand to attention a bit more.
41:43Greg, Greg for Anna.
41:44We've got Hobbe stalking towards the Impala.
41:47Copy that.
41:50Oh, she's entered with a good purpose.
41:53She could easily just come bursting out of you with an Impala.
41:58I get a bit too stressed on these ones.
42:01I hope she makes a kill today.
42:04You can do it.
42:12She's trying to figure out where they are.
42:19She's going, she's going, she's going.
42:35Oh, she didn't get it.
42:39That was quick.
42:42The speed that she just went at.
42:45Hold on.
42:47She just bolted after some Impala, and she went so quickly.
42:52We have no idea where she's gone.
42:54Greg, she's definitely in the other direction from where you're currently pointing.
42:57She went that way, but really, really fast.
43:00Like, I didn't see exactly where they went.
43:02We've lost visual.
43:02If you guys can pull through in this area and have a scratch with us, that'll be great.
43:06Copy.
43:06Copy.
43:07See you just now.
43:11If Pobbe is ever going to have a successful hunt, all of the stars need to align.
43:16The cheetah needs to be in the right place.
43:19The prey needs to be in the right place.
43:22And she needs to get close enough without being seen.
43:26That's a lot of stars.
43:34Yes, they've been working on this road, I think.
43:39Yeah, I can see the tracks there.
43:42So, if you follow that.
43:44Vianney is tracking Big Toe and Maduma, who are on high alert after seeing off two invading male lions.
44:08Maduma and Big Toe are patrolling their territory confidently.
44:16Generally, at this time of the day lions are sleeping.
44:21It's hot.
44:22Over 30 degrees.
44:24But Maduma and Big Toe are still pressing on.
44:29They are both marking at the exact same place, right in front of me.
44:37To protect their family, they're working hard to re-establish the borders of their hundred square mile territory.
44:47They seem to be trying to detect something in the area.
44:53Right now, the threat of invading males remains very real.
45:03I'm just going to scratch on the forest where the rest of the herd went.
45:07But we're checking to the west here.
45:10The impala, they all ran east to that other tree line.
45:14Greg and Anna are searching for Pobbe again after her failed hunt.
45:20Team morale hit an all-time low, that is for sure.
45:23I've never seen Greg look quite so sad.
45:26But he's got a big smile on his face because we've managed to find Pobbe again.
45:34I'm a bit concerned that she's definitely slimming out a lot.
45:37And every time she attempts to hunt, she's using so much of that crucial energy that she needs.
45:44So yeah, the pressure is definitely, definitely on.
45:57Oh, she's, she's moving. Okay.
46:03There's a load of impala out in the open.
46:07And Pobbe's currently using the edge of the island as cover.
46:12And we think she's going to possibly give them a go.
46:21Greg, there's an apartment about to run straight past her.
46:34That is crazy.
46:38She is metres away currently.
46:44What?
46:46It's like she, she knows that if she's going to use that energy, it has to be the one.
46:55Greg, she's going for the one on the right.
46:57She's going, she's going, she's going.
47:01Oh my God.
47:17Oh, she didn't get it.
47:20Oh.
47:24I thought that was going to be it.
47:29Cheetahs need time to recover from a chase.
47:35But lying low is also the perfect hunting strategy.
47:40She's doing it again, she's going again.
47:51Oh, mealy.
47:58Come on, Polly.
48:10She's going.
48:10She's got one.
48:11My God.
48:16She's got one.
48:17Pobbe's done it.
48:19She has done it.
48:20That was the most hectic thing ever.
48:33It's a magical, magical scene.
48:36He was really happy for her.
48:38She's finally got a meal.
48:43Well done, Pobbe.
48:54After her successful tree jump, Kudun the leopard also has a much needed meal.
49:03Now coming into night, I don't know if she's exhausted, but the impala she killed, she's barely touched it.
49:12Leopards typically stash their food in trees to protect it from thieves.
49:17But Kudun hasn't done this.
49:24The carcass is still on the ground.
49:26There's a good chance that she's going to get robbed.
49:28I think it's a good idea to get Anna in here with a sort of thermal imagery.
49:34And we might just spend the night just watching and observing and seeing if she manages to hold onto this
49:40carcass.
49:43It's like the first proper feed she's had since you killed her.
49:46Oh, really? She's hungry.
49:51You can hear her cutting through the sinew in the bone.
49:59It's a hyena.
50:01Jesus, hyena's already got it.
50:03That's why we're hearing so much noise.
50:06Yeah, a hyena has an incredible crushing power.
50:09He'll go through bone. We can hear it.
50:12This guy's coming. There's nothing disturbing him.
50:14He's going to kill himself as fast as possible.
50:18Kudum is no match for a hyena.
50:24She's retreating to the bushes nearby.
50:31I mean, imagine having made the effort of killing us and then sitting in the grass listening to the guy
50:35eat your food.
50:36Yeah.
50:37Talk about where hatred developed.
50:41This guy really is gorging.
50:42Mm-hmm.
50:44I know it's hard to tell now, but do you think there'll be enough food left to sustain her?
50:48With the hyenas taking most of it, she's going to be on the hunt again in the next couple of
50:53days.
50:56I'm going to have to follow her quite closely then.
50:58We'll be on at the best of our abilities.
51:00She doesn't make it easy, does she?
51:02She doesn't make it easy, but I feel sorry for her.
51:05We're losing it.
51:06Yeah.
51:20Got lots of vultures in the trees around here, so I'm just having a little mooch around to see if
51:24there's anything dead.
51:27That's a good way of finding lines, is looking for vultures.
51:31Gordon is searching for Big Toe and Madumo.
51:40Vultures in the tree here, there's vultures here.
51:43The dominant pride males were last seen on a massive territorial patrol.
51:50Oh, my goodness. Look, look, look, look, look, look. Up ahead.
51:54Who is it?
52:02Set sets for Gordon.
52:04Gordon what?
52:06It's a buffalo kill and it's Madumo in Big Toe.
52:11I'll be there shortly.
52:14This will keep them locked into this area for quite a while.
52:18Even for two big lions like these guys, that is a lot of food.
52:28This clearly shows how strong these boys are, that they can, two of them can bring down a buffalo between
52:35them.
52:37Gordon, I don't think this is Big Toe and Madumo.
52:40What?
52:40Yeah.
52:44Really?
52:45Especially the one that just got out.
52:47Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's not.
52:52This isn't Big Toe and Madumo.
52:54Two completely different males, but well inside Big Toe and Madumo's territory.
53:02Big Toe and Madumo have another set of intruders on their back.
53:10They are big.
53:12I'd say same kind of size as Big Toe and Madumo.
53:17Goodness me, who are you boys?
53:21These males haven't snuck in.
53:25They've kicked down the front door and made themselves right at home.
53:31Yeah, if they're big enough to take down a buffalo, might be big enough to take on Big Toe and
53:36Madumo.
53:37It's just the clear sign of a challenge.
53:40Yeah.
53:41Hmm.
53:44I was not expecting that.
53:54Every minute, every hour, every day, they stay here uncontested.
54:01Their confidence is going to grow.
54:03In their minds, they're going to think, ah, this is a place we could, we could set up home.
54:11What they are looking for is exactly what Madumo and Big Toe have.
54:17And Madumo and Big Toe, their reign has lasted a long, long time.
54:23And these guys look like the kind of lions that can topple kings.
54:28And these boys are moving on.
54:32They've pulled out.
54:34I thought they were going for a lie down, but they've actually moved.
54:39They're heading further in, they're heading closer towards Madumo and Big Toe.
54:45You are a huge lion, my word.
54:48You have two bold characters.
54:54We've been with these two intruding males on this buffalo kill, but they've moved, they've moved out.
54:59They're heading westward.
55:01Okay, copy that.
55:03Let's go, here you go, and we'll check anything soon.
55:09Lights off.
55:14Got one of the males.
55:16He seems to have lost his brother.
55:21Being out here alone.
55:25Solitary invading male lion.
55:28That is a really dangerous position.
55:31She needs to reunite with his pal and fast before Big Toe and Madumo find him.
55:41Making a low...
55:44Not a roar, but a low kind of rumbling sound.
55:52This type of vocalisation, it's a kind of short range call.
56:01So if his friend is within a couple of hundred meters, he should be able to hear.
56:08If you're an invading male, the type of calling that is avoidable is a full-on bellow, that big roar.
56:16Because that's a noise that will carry far wide, right into the fluffy ears of Madumo and Big Toe.
56:23And if that happens, they would race here.
56:29Hear that?
56:31He's picked up the volume of that call.
56:34Because he hasn't been able to find his friend.
56:40So he's calling louder.
56:45The louder he calls, the more trouble he could be in.
56:53I think he's seen another lion.
56:56I think he doesn't know who it is.
57:01He's started trotting.
57:04And I presume that was in response to hearing something.
57:07Something that I couldn't hear.
57:09But he certainly did.
57:12So what have we got there?
57:14We've got both of them.
57:18They've got a bit of a spring in their step.
57:22So individually, Madumo and Big Toe have nothing to worry about, about one of these boys.
57:28But them together.
57:31That's where the danger comes.
57:37Hang on.
57:39It's another lion.
57:41Okay, I don't know who it is.
57:44Another lion, another lion.
57:48What the f*** is here?
57:51I think this is Maduro and Big Toe.
57:53They've come in.
57:54They are in hot pursuit.
58:03Where have they gone?
58:05I can't see them.
58:09Okay, they're on them.
58:12They are on them.
58:13Oh my God, oh my God.
58:16These boys were taking a huge risk coming into this area.
58:21And they have met the two lions that they really do not want to meet.
58:26They're on them.
58:28They've got them.
58:29This is going to...
58:30Oh geez, this could be a fight to the death.
58:32If you can't...
58:35they've dealt with, they have a bad game.
58:40I want you to stay around here.
58:50And then, some guys can run avoid one of them.
58:51You got through all the Gosh.
58:58By Ochie.
59:01They've won't compromise.
59:01You
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