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00:06Hell. On Earth. For some. But for others. A land of opportunity. Lions the size of
00:25grizzly bears. With appetites to match. Dominate this desert and turn the
00:38desperation into profit. But this year drought pushes the lions to the brink.
00:48Will this be the first dry season to defeat them? Or will this hell remain the
00:54domain? Of these kings of the desert?
01:14Lions are Africa's biggest cats. And Kalahari Desert Lions are the biggest on Earth.
01:25Here in Naipan, on the fringes of the desert, a big male lion can weigh over 500 pounds and
01:36measure 10 feet from nose to tail tip. The power of a pride usually rests with one such dominant
01:45male. But Naipan is unique. And so are its lions. This pride is ruled by not one, but two mighty
02:02kings. Brothers in arms. Six lionesses form their principal pride. A small pride compared to most. But only the fittest
02:24and biggest are needed to rule this harsh land.
02:29All 800 square miles of it. But this power comes at a cost. The pride is isolated from other lions.
02:42And this threatens their bloodline.
02:48There's a natural but unusual solution. To prevent inbreeding, the kings have formed a secondary pride with two powerful foreign
03:00sisters. They must provide the kings with pedigree heirs soon, or be expelled from the pride lands. These mistresses keep
03:11to the outskirts of the territory, a way of the
03:14the principle pride. Never crossing their path. As long as they keep their distance, the two groups can co-exist.
03:28Together, these ten lions dominate this empire.
03:39And everyone must pull their weight. Because big lions need big prey. But hunting giants isn't easy. Even for the
03:54king of beasts.
03:59After the rains last summer, Naipan was a wilderness utopia. But not anymore. Now, the water has mostly vanished. Lush
04:15grasses, shrivels. The earth is scorched and fractured.
04:27This is all that remains.
04:38Surviving this annual dry season is tough enough for the animals that live here.
04:46And this year, the most devastating drought in nearly half a century is ravaging the land.
04:56But it could be the lions' biggest windfall ever. For in times like this, even the biggest and strongest animals
05:06are under stress.
05:09And on the menu.
05:14Thirsty animals congregate at the shrinking water holes.
05:20So many species.
05:23The lions.
05:24All part of the pride's diet.
05:30The lions have only to position themselves nearby.
05:36Wait.
05:39And consider their options.
06:01As the afternoon fades, the principal pride gathers.
06:05As theyакers.
06:09Theyac
06:37Their mission is to divide, create chaos,
07:05and in the confusion, an opportunity just might arise.
07:20Two miles out, a pair of stragglers
07:23trying to catch up with the herd.
07:35But they're not alone.
07:41The mistress sisters are hot on their trail.
07:47The elephant mother hurries her newborn calf along.
07:54He's only hours old, and usually the herd wouldn't leave them.
08:03But the heat, and their daily thirst, has driven them ahead.
08:18Leaving mother and calf far behind.
08:25Safety is in numbers out here.
08:28Even for giants.
08:37But they can only go as fast as the calf's failing back leg.
08:47It's a weakness that could cost him his life.
08:53Desert lions don't survive by being kind.
09:02Three tons of potential maternal rage would intimidate most.
09:12But the mistress sisters don't spook easily.
09:18They know there's a weakness.
09:31And they're confident they can exploit it.
09:42They're just waiting for nightfall.
10:00Elephant eyesight is average at best.
10:05Just good enough to keep an eye on the lurking predators in daylight.
10:16Lions have excellent night vision.
10:22Allowing them to get even closer.
10:24Answer
10:24The
10:32I don't know.
11:06In the confusion, the calf is separated from his mother.
11:16Exactly what the sisters have been waiting for.
11:41As dawn breaks, the scattered elephant herd regroups.
11:52Without their youngest family member.
12:06The principal pride had no luck with the main herd.
12:13But the mistress's power and patience paid off.
12:45The father's spirit is very close to the family.
12:48One king gets wind of their success and tracks them down.
13:06It's a small prize for a lion his size, but every morsel counts.
13:23Hours later, the scraps are a free-for-all.
13:35Nothing goes to waste here.
13:42Even the principal pride scavenges once the mistresses move on.
13:52Never turn down a snack, even if you've got eyes on a bigger prize.
14:11There's been no rain in half a year.
14:16The Green Kingdom has vanished.
14:20With it, almost all surface water.
14:27All but this water hole.
14:32And it's shrinking by the day.
14:38Only overcrowding and despair lie ahead.
14:44For the tiniest birds to Earth's greatest land mammals.
14:59Tempers flare in the heat.
15:01Tempers flare in the heat.
15:18He's notsis in the heat.
15:26The heavyweights use saya's to bully their way through.
15:39Others, they'll wait to steal a sip.
15:52With no other waterholes left, all are drawn here.
16:04The natural balance of Naipan is shifting in favor of the lions.
16:28As the only apex predators here, the waterhole belongs to them.
16:47All their prey in one convenient place.
17:04The six females spread out, testing the herds.
17:32The heat drains them quickly here.
17:36But it takes an even heavier toll on their prey.
17:55The waterhole is surrounded by so many animals.
17:59So desperate for water.
18:14Opportunity must come the lion's way soon.
18:22Surely...
18:32They must be patient.
18:46Choose their targets wisely.
18:51Know when to step back.
18:58And wait.
19:04For the right opportunity will present itself.
19:22While the principal pride rests up in the thickets away from the waterhole.
19:28It's a good time for the sisters to drop in for a drink.
19:35And spend some quality time with their kings.
19:43The sisters must produce cubs to justify their place here.
19:48Or they'll be forced to leave.
20:06Breeding during drought is not an option for most.
20:13But the lions are still strong.
20:21It's others that are gambling.
20:25Just to stay alive.
20:33These giraffes...
20:35Aren't brave.
20:37Just desperately thirsty.
20:43Enough to drink only feet from the sisters.
20:55A gap the lions can close in less than a second.
21:18A 3,000 pound, 19 foot tall giraffe is a tall order.
21:33But the sisters count on the combined strength of their kings.
21:42Giraffe usually make up less than 1% of lions' diets.
21:46Because they're dangerous and difficult to hunt.
21:49Even for a large pride.
21:56But the kings and their mistresses are big and tough.
22:07And waiting for nightfall has worked well for them so far.
22:22A claw to the hamstring finds its mark.
22:25Yet the giraffe keeps running.
22:30The hunt isn't over yet.
22:39Brute strength in the cover of darkness has earned the lions their first big meal of the drought.
22:50Thousands of pounds of giraffe is the perfect meal for a grizzly-sized lion.
22:59For the mistress sisters it couldn't have come at a better time.
23:09Pride structure and predator hierarchy dictates feeding shifts over days.
23:29By the morning of day two, not much is left.
23:32And some are tired of waiting their turn.
23:51But their place in the pecking order is quickly established.
24:08There are other big cats around Naipan.
24:12But they're struggling.
24:16Cheetahs are smaller and weaker than lions.
24:20They also eat less.
24:24But when it comes to food, lions see them as competition.
24:32So she's forced to stay out here, away from the privilege of the waterhole.
24:41She has a family to feed.
24:45Cubs too young to hunt.
24:51Providing food is her job alone.
24:58Out here, prey is scarce.
25:03There's no waterhole to attract them.
25:07It's so barren, there's little cover.
25:11For hunted or hunter.
25:13Pricer.
25:18So.
25:27So.
25:40So again,
25:43And wow,
25:52Her speed is not enough.
25:57The family will go hungry for today.
26:03This lion-enforced exile will last as long as the dry season.
26:09If the rains are late, there's no guarantee they'll survive.
26:21More herbivores flock to the waterhole every day.
26:29They're coming from further afield.
26:36And staying longer.
26:44Lesser carnivores like jackals and vultures prowl, always on the lookout for something to scavenge.
26:55But theirs is the only free pass.
27:00As the drought intensifies, no other hunters, like hyenas, are permitted here.
27:11So they steal through like ghosts.
27:17Stopping isn't worth the risk.
27:23But some don't get out in time.
27:28These wild dogs, looking for water, overstay their welcome.
27:37And it's cost them dearly.
27:43Coming into contact with the lions means serious injury.
27:48Or death.
27:56The mistress' sisters strike again.
27:59There's no room for competition.
28:03This last waterhole is their lifeline.
28:07And they must defend it at all costs.
28:13But there's more to it.
28:16Wild dogs will kill lion cubs given half a chance.
28:22And the sisters aren't taking chances.
28:27For one of them...
28:30Is pregnant.
28:51Daytime temperatures soar.
28:59The main pride looks listless.
29:06But in spite of the blazing heat...
29:11They never lose sight of the game.
29:18And their big game prey.
29:38But visibility is a lion's worst enemy.
29:48During the day, their heavyweight targets can see them coming a mile away.
29:58But that doesn't stop them from trying.
30:08A kudu bull is one of the biggest, most difficult antelope to hunt.
30:16They're taller and a hundred pounds heavier than the biggest male lion.
30:29And their arm with deadly horns up to five feet long.
30:34The length of a lion's body.
30:37The length of a lion's body.
31:19A slip saves the kudu.
31:26This time, there's just no sneaking up on prey in daylight.
31:37Hunting by night is much more productive.
31:46Ambushed just before sunrise, this kudu bull couldn't see them coming.
32:02It's a meal big enough to feed the pride for a week.
32:14But lions this size want more.
32:24And it's in their nature to exploit every opportunity.
32:42It's less than an hour since breakfast.
32:48But a principal pride female spots an opportunity.
32:53One she can't resist.
33:11There's no way to stay hidden.
33:16So she's trying out new tactics.
33:34As water evaporates and levels drop, animals must dip their heads into the trenches to reach it.
33:52She waits for the perfect moment when the big male kudu's eyes drop below the banks.
34:06The kudu's relying only on hearing now.
34:18Oh, honey.
34:24Let's go.
34:25Ready,are you.
34:33What type of empty limelight?
34:37We'll die without being able to move along.
34:38Let's start going now.
34:45An expert bite delivers death quickly.
34:54She's banked another meal for her pride.
34:57No small feat for a single lioness.
35:04Her new strategy works.
35:18A jackal on the lookout is already moving in.
35:34But he'll have to wait.
35:44The lioness guards her fresh kill.
35:50During drought, there's no time for charity.
36:00It's not selfishness or gluttony.
36:04Just simple survival.
36:10The rest of the pride has abandoned their breakfast carcass.
36:20They've eaten their fill.
36:27It's too hot to eat.
36:29Too hot to defend.
36:39The deserted carcass is soon heaving with looters.
36:45And the spoils turn into a turf war.
37:01For the scavengers, this is their biggest windfall of the drought.
37:15Building clouds bring a sliver of hope.
37:21But race passed.
37:26There's no relief for the scorched earth and animals today.
37:39While the lions benefit from this drought, it's breaking point for everyone else that lives here.
37:51There's no food.
37:55The water hole is reduced to pools of sludge.
38:05The rains are long overdue.
38:10There's no guarantee they'll arrive at all.
38:16But it's okay for the lions.
38:23They drink daily when water is available, but they can also survive on just the moisture they get from their
38:29prey.
38:34The uncertainty of rain isn't threatening their future here.
38:40It's the lack of fresh new blood in their family.
38:45But that's all about to change.
38:53With the birth of two new desert kings.
38:59But the pride isn't home free.
39:03The cubs' chances of survival are slim.
39:07Only one in five make it to adulthood.
39:17They need their father's strength and protection.
39:25They need their father's strength and protection.
39:35The cubs' chances of survival are slim.
39:39To be honest, someone must be confident.
39:54Let us take food.
39:58So if we make a parіл, we always get better.
40:15I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do.
40:43He's gruff, but approving.
40:57Raising them in this hell will not be easy.
41:12But their aunt will help, and in time she too will hopefully give birth to her own set
41:19of cubs.
41:23The mistresses and their new cubs are now assured of the king's continued protection.
41:33And a guaranteed share of territory alongside the principal pride.
41:47But the desert lion bloodline remains under threat.
41:54Dominating the waterhole sees them through these tough months each dry season.
41:59But their big prey lifeline is about to disappear.
42:04Unless this year's drought breaks soon, the last remaining sludge pools will dry up completely,
42:10and all the animals will leave the area.
42:15The lions will have to leave their home and follow them, or starve.
42:29Storm clouds gather once again.
42:51Naipan is released from the hellish grip of drought.
43:06The rains will soon wash away the desperation of all who live here.
43:31The waterhole becomes one of many.
43:39Using their size and strength to dominate even the biggest prey during the worst drought
43:44in decades, the desert kings have come full circle.
43:51And for now, their legacy, and home here, is secure.
43:59Grand luck.
43:59Let's see you here.
43:59In a world's vision.
44:00einige arabe do maly!
44:00You
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