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00:16These young cheetahs are stepping into a new life.
00:23Orphaned and raised in captivity, Lily and Iris have a chance to live wild.
00:30They face enormous challenges, but cheetahs are survivors, like this mother, raising three
00:41cubs in a harsh desert.
00:46They already know more than Lily and Iris, who have been training for their shot at freedom.
00:57These sisters must learn what it takes to live wild, or return to captivity.
01:07Will they make it?
01:30It wasn't long ago that this beautiful South African mountain desert was just a patchwork
01:39of livestock and farms.
01:41No rhinos, no elephants, no lions, no cheetahs.
01:47Just cattle and sheep.
01:52Today, after years of rewilding, Sambona Wildlife Reserve is a transformed ecosystem, with the
02:01cheetah in a pivotal role as a top predator.
02:06South Africa is a cheetah success story.
02:09And I'm here to understand how and why they became the forefront of cheetah conservation.
02:16Somewhere, out here in the vast wilderness, there is a mother cheetah and her three cubs.
02:23And I'm hoping to meet them.
02:35This cat is known as Cheetah 82.
02:42Here, in this harsh landscape, she's teaching her three cubs all she knows.
02:51If they pay attention.
02:58She wears a satellite collar, so reserve staff can check up on her.
03:05Here, every cheetah is precious.
03:14Sambona isn't her original home.
03:17She was rescued from a drought and brought here by an organization dedicated to saving
03:23the cheetah.
03:29This is the headquarters of Ashia Cheetah Conservation, located in Cape Town's famous
03:35winelands.
03:38Look beyond the grapevines and here you'll see something amazing.
03:48These excited cheetahs are in a remarkable wilding program.
03:57Most of these cats were born in captivity or orphaned at a young age.
04:05These two sisters, Lily and Iris, and their brother, came here after their mother was killed
04:11by lions.
04:14Only three months old at the time, they were too young to fend for themselves.
04:26They hadn't yet learned how to hunt.
04:32Ashia's goal has been to transform them into wild living, independent hunters.
04:44If successful, they'll add much needed genetic diversity to the wild cheetah population.
04:57Every new release to the wild is priceless.
05:08At the start, these cheetahs know nothing of the wild.
05:13Fortunately, Ashia has a careful wilding protocol.
05:21Step one, minimize human contact.
05:25Step two, get these cats physically fit in Ashia's training yard.
05:34It has a 400-meter track with a motorized lure.
05:41Marna Schmidt is the center's director.
05:47Marna Schmidt is the center's director.
06:21Marna Schmidt is the center's director.
06:28the whole enclosure the lure goes on it and the cat will chase it as they go through okay so
06:34i
06:35guess we're tying it on you're tying it on and when they do catch it which happens quite often
06:39they can just bite on it a few times they realize it's nothing edible and they leave it and they
06:44move on so if you can hold this for a second all right it looks like it's moving quickly actually
06:52i'm pretty excited to see this this is going to be like a life highlight
06:57she's getting ready to pound right away yep and there she goes oh wow look there go
07:06you're gonna have her run right past her oh wow like her body turns into just a spring
07:13it's amazing it's the banking like on a dime have you seen them in the wild right i i don't
07:18think
07:19i've ever been lucky enough to see a successful hunt but i've seen them attempt and it's just
07:23absolutely stunning to watch i think they get an extra gear when they're out there as well
07:33in sanbona cheetah 82 is searching for prey
07:43she spends much of her time up here scouting she has excellent eyesight it's so good she can spot prey
07:53it's so good she can spot prey from five kilometers away
08:02there's her quarry springbok antelope
08:23it's so good
08:26so
08:45The springboks didn't stand a chance.
08:46Her attack is so fast, the springbok didn't stand a chance.
09:02The family will feed well today.
09:24The cubs are four months old.
09:27Strong enough now to follow and watch mom hunt.
09:33In a few months, they'll begin to participate.
09:40Raising three cubs requires a successful hunt every few days.
09:46So a cheetah needs to be in top form.
09:53Same goes for Lily and Iris, and their brother.
10:00They run in the training yard every other day.
10:05They can't develop like wild cheetahs, so this is crucial to build up strength.
10:28Cheetahs are animal olympians designed inside and out for speed.
10:41They're shoulder bones are not connected to a collarbone, so their front legs have a longer reach, giving them more
10:49time to pull their body forward and go faster.
10:57A hyperflexible spine bends like a spring to store energy, releasing it with each stride.
11:07They can sprint like this for 500 meters.
11:14They can also turn at high speed.
11:26A heavy, long tail provides balance.
11:40Lily and Iris will need to master the chase.
11:57By the end, she's drained of energy.
12:01Her body temperature is over two degrees warmer.
12:06She needs 50 minutes to cool down.
12:14What am I holding the remnants of?
12:16You are holding a spring book, so we feed natural gamia, what they would naturally eat in the wild.
12:22This slaughter came in very fresh today, so they're getting very good nutrition out of the carcasses.
12:30Ashia cheetahs don't associate food with people.
12:33That's because staff place food in the cheetah's pens when they're training.
12:38Perfect.
12:40All right.
12:50Oh, wow, look at that.
12:52Takes it and immediately runs off.
12:54Yep.
13:03Now, aged 22 months, Lily and Iris have completed Ashia's basic training.
13:14Next, they'll be sent to a wildlife reserve where they must learn to hunt.
13:19Their brother to another.
13:24With no experience to rely on, will their hunter instincts kick in?
13:41This will be Lily and Iris' home for the next few months.
13:45A fenced off part of a larger wildlife reserve.
13:50It's called a wilding cave, and is Ashia's breakthrough idea.
13:59The cheetahs will be released today.
14:06Wildlife monitor Alex Landman will check on them daily.
14:11So this is a slow introduction to what they're going to be experiencing.
14:16It's very, very important that they have exposure to what they're going to be encountering
14:21when they're actually in a natural environment.
14:26What role does instinct play in Ashia's life?
14:28Once they are released, the instinct is the thing that's going to drive them to try and hunt in the
14:34first place,
14:35and not just wait around for food.
14:36Okay.
14:37If they get hungry, they're going to try and start hunting.
14:39Even if they're not hungry, that instinct will kind of drive them to start practicing.
14:45Each cheetah wears a solar-powered radio collar, so Alex can track them and see if they fed.
15:02Now, Lily and Iris are taking their first steps back into the wild.
15:30Each cheetah release is unique.
15:41Now, anything can happen.
15:55This is the first day of a new wildlife for sisters Lily and Iris.
16:08The wilding camp is full of animals that they'll meet for the first time,
16:13including fast, powerful, horned prey.
16:20They don't yet know which animals are prey to chase,
16:24and which are dangers to avoid.
16:33You want to kind of have them do their own thing and learn at their own speed.
16:38Chasing animals.
16:41Trying to figure out what should be food, what shouldn't.
16:46If we see the cats aren't getting any food, they're struggling with hunting,
16:49we'll assist them a little bit.
16:51Okay.
16:55If the cats go for five days without a successful hunt, they'll receive a supplemental meal.
17:03When they can hunt here for three months without help, a Shia will find them a permanent wild home.
17:16Within an hour, the cheetahs reach a plane with Impala, the right prey.
17:30There are also larger animals.
17:36Definitely not prey.
17:44Here and now, the cheetah's bottled-up instincts are let loose.
18:07The two-ton rhino isn't threatened by the 40-kilo cheetah.
18:15She just doesn't want it anywhere near her calf.
18:23These cats will learn one encounter at a time.
18:30Adult zebra are also not prey.
18:36One kick from a stallion will crush a cheetah's skull.
18:43The cheetahs are in full view.
18:47Another mistake.
18:54They're too far from the Impala.
19:04Still, cheetahs are predators.
19:07Every chase throws up the possibility of a meal.
19:24The stampeding zebra alert the Impala.
19:36The cats have no focus.
19:39Iris on the left goes from hunter to hunter.
19:50But Lily finally goes for the Impala.
19:57It's an easy escape for the Impala.
20:00And a hard first lesson for the cats.
20:19The zebra were a big enough danger.
20:24But there are larger, deadlier animals here.
20:37Hate buffalo hate predators.
20:40The herd will protect its own.
20:50Iris hangs back.
20:53But Lily uses the roadside to hide.
20:57That's good technique.
20:59She's gotten close.
21:03But that's only because buffalo aren't afraid of cheetahs.
21:08These are not cheetah prey.
21:14But the sisters don't know that.
21:25The tables are turned.
21:32Lily is in trouble.
21:59Lily has just used up most of her nine lives.
22:02Lily has just used up most of her nine lives.
22:07For their first day, these two cats did almost everything wrong.
22:12Will they get it right tomorrow?
22:20The girls from Arshia are just learning to stalk prey.
22:24But they didn't have the benefit of watching their mom learn how to hunt.
22:27So they've got nothing to go on but their guts.
22:41Wild cheetah cubs, on the other hand, have a teacher.
22:53By four months, they're following and watching mom.
23:05At this age, they're more attentive.
23:09They see which animals catch mom's attention.
23:17These cubs already know much more about prey than Lily and Iris.
23:27They've got nothing to do.
23:28On kills, they're already practicing their chokehold.
23:32It's a vital skill, which they'll learn to master.
23:38They'll also practice on their mother.
23:49Without this wild education, Lily and Iris will have to learn the hard way.
24:03Waterbuck are far too big for the sisters.
24:32These cheetahs just can't help themselves.
24:35.
24:37.
24:38.
24:38.
24:38.
24:38.
24:38.
24:40.
24:40Oh, my God.
24:43Oh, my God.
25:14Most failed, but Ashia has a 100% success rate, over 70 cheetahs so far.
25:23The wilding camp is the key.
25:26It's a stepping stone between captivity and the true wild.
25:32No one had tried this before.
25:36Here cheetahs can live wild, but with many dangers kept out, this lion will kill them if he could.
25:57The sisters might remember, lions killed their mother.
26:11The sisters are learning.
26:14Living wild means new encounters every day.
26:18And there are plenty more in store.
26:31The cheetah's closest relative is the North American cougar.
26:36And like cougars, you may find them in hostile mountain habitats.
26:43Hunting in a completely unexpected way.
26:54This is cheetah, 83, the three-year-old daughter of 82.
27:04From up here, she can spot Springbok across the valley.
27:19By late afternoon, she's within striking distance.
27:28She lets the herd pass by.
27:31This way, she can use the rock wall as a barrier.
27:42This terrain is no cheetah grassland.
27:46It's an ankle-breaking obstacle course.
27:51Rocks everywhere.
28:03Now, the wall.
28:17The Springbok takes a wrong step.
28:26But it's not over yet.
28:46Sometimes it pays for a cheetah to hunt like a cougar.
28:52Cheetah 83 raced 500 meters through difficult terrain
28:57to make that kill in 56 seconds.
29:03I want a closer look, so I'll run it myself.
29:12There are bushes to run around or leap over.
29:21Drainage lines to cross.
29:23Drainage lines to cross.
29:28And the biggest obstacle of them all, the wall.
29:33Which the cheetah handled spectacularly.
29:42This is just the halfway point.
29:43Drainage lines to cross.
29:45Now, it's downhill.
29:48She gained an advantage when the Springbok took a tumble.
29:54It looked over.
29:57But Springboks are resilient.
30:02Another drainage line near the end.
30:05Both the springbok and I are slowing down.
30:19That was exhausting.
30:23So, apparently, a chita can do that
30:27in about 56 seconds.
30:32Oh, that took me five minutes?
30:35Seriously?
30:37Oh my God.
30:49Lily and Iris have now been in the wilding camp
30:51for two months.
30:54Their sibling bond is still strong.
31:01They're at the age when female cheetahs go their own way.
31:14For now, staying together will help them catch prey.
31:27They're now familiar with the other animals here,
31:31especially prey.
31:37The sisters have tracked down a mixed herd of antelope.
31:44Most are far too large, but nearby are Impala.
31:55Lily shows good technique, staying low.
32:04So far, so good.
32:06But are they stalking the right prey?
32:12Yes.
32:19Lily takes this chase.
32:33500 meters is about a cheetah's limit for sprinting.
32:38No luck for Lily, but the other black Impala ran towards Iris.
32:47She'll take this chase.
33:01She'll take this chase.
33:02It's a large adult male, an impressive catch.
33:07Iris has it in a chokehold.
33:12She now knows how to kill swiftly.
33:19If these two cats can survive another month with no assistance,
33:23they'll be ready to spend the rest of their lives in the wild.
33:35It's been about four months since we started following Cheetah 82 and her cubs.
33:42And so we're here to check in and see how she's doing.
33:47OK, so I see tracks.
33:50Yes, so this is the tracks of the cheetah, 82, you know, right there, you can see the impact.
34:00So you can see the spacing is growing, which means she's picking up speed.
34:04Yes, picking up speed.
34:05So three meters.
34:06Yeah, here's the next one.
34:07And there's the next one, and then where do you think she went from here?
34:10I mean, it's seven meters away from here.
34:13Yeah, so one, two, three, four, five, six.
34:19That's unbelievable.
34:25Here she is.
34:32Wow.
34:38We don't have to be afraid of her because she doesn't perceive us as a threat,
34:41so she wouldn't just come towards us.
34:43But she also wouldn't look at us as food either.
34:47Right.
34:47Yes.
34:52What's happening?
34:54Yeah, just relax.
34:56You see the bag over here?
34:59It's a strange foreign object.
35:05You see, that is the intimidation tactic of a cheetah, exposing those sharp teeth and making that typical cat sound.
35:28Not a threat.
35:29Curiosity.
35:31Process averted.
35:31Yeah.
35:34You see, the mom didn't have any interest in us at all.
35:37I noticed that.
35:37She's just like, kids, you go and explore what you need to explore.
35:43This has been amazing.
35:47We'll leave them now.
35:50It's been two days since they last ate.
35:54Sean expects they'll hunt today.
36:15The three wild Sambona cubs are now nine months old, a critical age when they begin to learn to hunt.
36:26By now, they recognize prey.
36:36They watch how their mother stalks.
36:44They watch how their mother stalks.
36:49How she attacks.
36:53Now that they face they lied about.
36:58Ant to 1.
37:02NC Walls is called101 Scanaga.
37:03How is it going to civil mind?
37:08It's happened to you.
37:15That's week's movements.
37:15How are they talking about how to kill us?
37:20They're facing a crime scene.
37:29This time, she doesn't kill the springbok straight away.
37:34Instead, she does something extraordinary.
37:40She releases it.
37:45Now, it's the cub's turn.
38:01The cub's are now practicing what they learned through play, tripping the springbok with
38:08their dewclaw.
38:15Now, their mother stays back.
38:18It's all up to the cub's.
38:27They're still so small, the springbok could still escape.
38:32But the three cubs are working together.
38:41For youngsters just nine months old, this epic hunt is a triumph.
38:46Not just for their developing skills, but also for their teacher.
39:02When the Ashia sisters got here three months ago, the challenge was simple.
39:06Hunt on your own.
39:07So, how are they doing?
39:13Tomorrow they will reach Ashia's three-month milestone without a supplemental meal.
39:20But for the past week, they've struggled.
39:28This is their fifth day without a kill.
39:32If they don't succeed today, they'll need to be fed tomorrow.
39:37And the three-month's wilding clock will be reset to day one.
39:45They found their target.
39:51Now, everything they've learned must work.
40:24This felt hunt is a great idea.
40:25a blow to the cheetahs every prey animal now knows they're here
40:36the sisters have not reunited after the chase with nightfall approaching each is alone and hungry
40:55the sisters remained apart through the night Lily is located on a high hill
41:04and she's made a kill an adult female impala
41:12this is a big takedown and what's more Lily must have hunted in the dark of night
41:23one kilometer away Iris is in this section of thick bush
41:29she too has made a night kill
41:33a larger one
41:36an adult male impala
41:39if we can there's a little spot we can possibly walk through here
41:45are they going to be disappointed that you're not a cheetah
41:47so if you look over my shoulder here
41:49I think I see a dead animal there
41:50you see that the carcass is right through here
41:53and then we've got one of our girls staring at us
41:56she's staring directly at us
41:58that is right
42:02Lily and Iris have passed the three month test
42:08these girls have not had any issues they've not had any trouble with hunting we've
42:13not had any supplementary feedings so the girls are doing extremely well
42:20they're ready for a new life living completely wild
42:32I'm looking at the girls behavior and how it's changed over the past three months
42:36it's quite incredible and I've grown very confident in these girls
42:41they are effectively hunting at this point
42:45if all goes well
42:47Lily and Iris will meet the resident male cheetahs in their new homes
42:51and soon after give birth to a new generation
42:54which they can raise wild
43:02cheetah 82's cubs will also find new homes once they are fully grown
43:19these cheetahs have come such a long way
43:22they've learned so much and honed their skills
43:25and with the help of some dedicated people
43:28their future and the future of all cheetahs
43:32looks brighter than ever
43:33they have first ever organized
43:35and shall think we'd ever have
43:49and we'll see you later
43:49please visit us
43:50puedesä½ èªª
44:02I'm
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