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Makalolo, part of Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, is an enormous stretch of inhospitable land. Two phenomenal beasts rule the area: buffalos dominate the plains with bulk, power and aggression, while lions use fear and tenacity......
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00:01The noble hunter, the precision killer, suffocating its victim swiftly and cleanly every time.
00:13But is this squeaky clean image of the king of the beasts really true?
00:20We track one pride that goes in for a messier kind of kitten.
00:24Sometimes digging straight in, eating prey alive.
00:34As we follow the fortunes of a new litter of cubs, we ask them, where do these habits come from
00:40and are they here to stay?
00:47Is this typical behaviour or will we write them off as lions behaving badly?
01:05It's a classic African scene. The lions look unruffled. The Cape Buffalo, opponents built like tanks, size up for a
01:15dirty fight.
01:18Lions have developed what looks like the perfect kill.
01:28They've got combined power of the pride to bring down these giants.
01:33Custom built jaws to crush the windpipe. The kiss of death, quick and clean.
01:44Textbook stuff.
01:46But in Makalola, Zimbabwe, one lion family seems to play by different rules.
01:55When these lions kill, they cut corners.
02:04Right now, one-year-old cubs swell the pride's numbers.
02:08Unusually, seven of the eight babies are male.
02:12Could this be a clue as to why this pride hunts the way it does?
02:18In the pride, it's the dominant male who pulls the strings.
02:25But for all the lions living here, the buffalo are the key to survival.
02:30Smaller prey just isn't going to provide enough food for a lion pride of this size.
02:39There is one sister to the seven brothers.
02:42Born to Laduma, the senior female, Ebi's future looks rosy.
02:46All she needs to do is copy mum.
02:51But Laduma is set to have a harder job training her sons in the art of the kill.
02:59Two sons already look set to shine.
03:03Malu has brawn, while Kimba has brains.
03:07Together, they could really stir things up.
03:14But first, and crucially, the youngsters must learn to hunt.
03:18Their days in the security of the pride are numbered.
03:23They hang out with the top lionesses.
03:26Our first insight into how this pride does business.
03:32Mardi, identified by a radio collar, is often on hand as a second mentor to the cubs.
03:40This is on-the-job training.
03:43And Mardi also acts as a backup to assist to the Duma during attacks.
03:48When hunting, they're the ones the cubs will need to watch.
03:53At all other times, it's the pride male, Panwi, who keeps the family members in line.
04:00At 180 kilos, more than twice the weight of a man, he demands respect.
04:06Even from the oldest lioness.
04:12If he senses a challenge, things could turn nasty.
04:21Panwi's been in charge for nearly three years in this part of Zimbabwe's Wangi National Park.
04:26His territory, thick scrubland in the Makalolo depression, supports especially large herds of buffalo.
04:35The cubs will have to learn how to take on animals weighing four times as much as a lion, with
04:41tempers to match.
04:46As the cubs mature, they get a chance to take part in a proper hunt.
04:54Buffalo come to battle equipped with some of the heaviest and deadliest horns in the animal kingdom.
05:05Lesson number one.
05:07Know how to pick the easiest target.
05:12When the largest buffalo close ranks, the herd is almost invincible.
05:27Laduma takes the lead.
05:29She's always up front.
05:31But how will the rookies react to the buffalo front line?
05:48Confident and strong, Laduma storms in.
05:56She's got a calf in their sights.
05:59The two boys approach from the flank.
06:04The buffalo fight back.
06:07The duma lets go and the cubs scatter.
06:09But she won't give up that easy.
06:11Sneaks in for another go.
06:13For the herd, now has the upper hand.
06:29The cubs' first practical lesson ends in a reality check.
06:43The cubs' first practical lesson ends in a reality check.
06:47But her sons, and the rest of the pride, failed to back her up in time.
06:52This gave the buffalo the chance to regroup.
06:59In the end, the lions were outmaneuvered by their prey.
07:03Strength in numbers, and team play won the day.
07:14Buffalo one, lions nil.
07:17These cubs have got a lot to learn.
07:26The buffalo calf has two.
07:28She had a narrow escape.
07:30But at least, she inherited excellent defensive skills.
07:33She's going to need them.
07:36Three months earlier, she spent a few hours as a helpless newborn.
07:48Still wet with afterbirth, she struggled to her feet, and within days, joined the safety of the herd.
07:58She'll have to use all her natural-born resilience to survive the lions of Makalolo.
08:08It's the driest part of the year, and the pride has gotten used to waiting for easier meals.
08:14As animals fall victim to thirst, hunger, and exhaustion, the lions' darker side seems to emerge.
08:27An injured elephant calf hauls itself through the undergrowth.
08:33Noisy enough to attract attention.
08:36The wrong kind of attention.
08:42It looks like the end of the road for this baby.
08:49Earlier, a pushy buffalo herd unsettled an elephant family at a waterhole.
08:54In the stampede, the calf panicked, fell, and was trampled.
09:09It was left for dead.
09:11But on broken legs, it spent the intervening hours dragging itself towards cover.
09:19It's in no state to defend itself.
09:25Usually, we'd expect lions to suffocate their prey, by clamping the victim's windpipe, before they tuck in.
09:35This, is the first time Laduma's sons, Marlow and Kimba, have encountered a situation like this.
09:45What will they do?
09:57Dawn reveals the events of the night before.
10:04The lions started eating hours ago.
10:06But they haven't yet killed the baby elephant.
10:16But they haven't yet killed the baby elephant.
10:18Although still alive, it barely moves.
10:21Trauma has probably pushed it into a semi-coma.
10:32To humanize, this might look brutal.
10:35But we can't judge lions by our rules.
10:42Young cubs like Eevee, Marlow and Kimba, must follow the ways of the pride.
10:47They just copy their elders.
10:53So, what has caused the older Makalola lionesses to dispense with the swift kill?
11:05Maybe the clue is in the victim's behavior.
11:08This baby elephant didn't put up a fight.
11:11It's a quick, clinical kill only necessary to subdue a struggling victim.
11:18The calf died sometime later.
11:21But the pride's movements after this, might reveal what's behind their unusual behavior.
11:29They left, and returned to the carcass several times.
11:32To leave a meal unattended like this, suggests they don't have rivals for their food.
11:39In the heart of the territory defended by Panwi, Laduma's family lives unchallenged.
11:44This isn't unique among wild lions, but it's a rare luxury.
11:55Laduma knew that the baby elephant couldn't escape.
12:01Laduma knew that the baby elephant couldn't escape.
12:04With no pressure to be fast and efficient, even hard-wired hunting instincts can be short-circuited.
12:11Who wouldn't save their energy, given the opportunity?
12:15Their instinct to sleep for up to 20 hours a day, though, seems right on track.
12:24More clues about why these lions kill the way they do are found all around.
12:31Although Wangi National Park is largely a wilderness, man-made boreholes were sunk in the Makalolo area to help the
12:39wildlife get through the dry season.
12:42Elephants, like all the grazing animals here, will travel huge distances every day to get water.
12:49When two heavyweights want the same thing, sometimes the pressure valves burst.
13:01With this steady stream of drinkers coming through the lion's territory,
13:05it makes sense that the lions have adapted their hunting efforts to make the most of the bounty.
13:15But the question for the cubs is this.
13:18Was eating an animal alive just a one-off?
13:21Or are they likely to make a habit of it?
13:27Night.
13:29Panwi's pride has woken up and is on the hunt again.
13:34More training for the cubs.
13:36Laduma is yet again the lynchpin.
13:39It's not unusual for adult females to do most of the work during hunting.
13:43But tonight, she has an even bigger job.
13:47Marlu's strength and Kimba's wit have improved.
13:50But to make their contribution count, their mother needs to show them something new.
14:05Tonight, can they help coordinate the attack and show the buffalo they mean business?
14:17The calves, small and vulnerable, are kept at the centre of the herd, out of the firing line.
14:25Even for a lion, this huge wall of living flesh is formidable, and they lose their nerve.
14:34Maybe the buffalo sense a weakness in the lions' battle strategy.
14:38Can they spot the incompetence of Laduma's sons?
14:47Who knows?
14:48But the massive herbivores stand their ground against their oppressors.
14:55Once again, Laduma's sons have failed to raise their gain.
14:58Such a sloppy approach would leave most young males with a hungry and desperate future ahead of them.
15:10But Makalolo, yet again, offers them a soft option.
15:14Another tiny elephant calf wanders alone.
15:19Born only a few weeks previously, he's been abandoned by his herd.
15:24Newborn elephants are prone to attack.
15:26And sensing danger, his mother and concerned aunts try to push the calf to its feet.
15:40But he just wasn't strong enough.
15:43His family stuck with him at first.
15:46But eventually, had no choice but to leave him and let nature take its course.
15:56He survived the first days alone.
15:58But unprotected, he faces grave danger.
16:02The pride has picked up his scent.
16:22But the baby gets a lucky break.
16:26A bull elephant crashes onto the scene, stalling the lion's attack.
16:50They wait to see, what will happen next.
16:59The orphan remains at risk.
17:02Will a bull elephant, an unpredictable loner, tolerate a calf?
17:09They seem to form an unlikely alliance.
17:19But a male elephant, isn't inclined to watch over a lost baby.
17:37Their companionship, can only last a few hours.
17:40The calf stumbles on alone.
17:49The African bush takes no hostages.
17:52The sick and needy stand out as beacons to the hungry and opportunistic.
18:17The vultures are already here.
18:20Predicting impending doom is their speciality.
18:23Trumped by nightfall, they must wait for another day.
18:32They don't call it the lion's share for nothing.
18:34They will get the most of this easy meal.
18:37And dehydrated, probably traumatized, the baby elephant gives up the ghost.
18:42Sparing itself from a more gruesome death.
18:49Maloo and Kimba, now juveniles, don't know it.
18:52But this will be the last time they feed so easily.
19:00They've got competition.
19:04Little till they realize that their mother, Laduma, is pregnant again.
19:09Maloo, Kimba and their five brothers will soon need to think about moving on.
19:17Three and a half months ago, Hanwe picked up the snails, telling him the lionesses were ready to mate.
19:23He mounted them several times an hour for four days.
19:26A sexual marathon.
19:35The birth of a new litter will mark a turning point in the lives of Maloo and Kimba.
19:40With more mouths to feed, it's crunch time.
19:46The extra competition means life will get tougher from here on in.
20:03Although they've grown in strength and confidence, the brothers still haven't made a kill.
20:13The time for lessons is almost over.
20:16Perhaps sensing that they need a game plan, they give their mother some proper backup.
20:21It's a turning point for the boys.
20:29The buffalo look rattled.
20:38A fast charge confuses the herd, and in the chaos, there's a straggler.
20:50But two young guns have narrow odds against a buffalo army.
20:54It's time for all the brothers to get involved.
21:03By spreading out to create a buffalo front line, a standoff ensues.
21:18The lions still need an old hand for the finishing touch.
21:28This time, it's their aunt, Marda, who backs up the boys.
21:40The cubs did help to execute a classic ambush, but they still can't finish the job.
21:51The rest of the buffaloes have sensibly backed off.
21:55So Leduma takes this opportunity to teach her sons another crucial lesson.
22:03Instead of quickly suffocating the calf herself, she lets it go for the young males to kill.
22:10With this opportunity suddenly thrust upon them, the cubs seem confused, lazy even.
22:20It's like watching a domestic cat playing with its food.
22:24Are these lions simply not hungry enough to make a kill?
22:30It's highly unusual to see a lion hold back its killer instinct.
22:34Even Mardi has a casual approach to the kill.
22:43Then, the calf suddenly struggles a little, and a primal instinct kicks in.
22:49Mardi grabs the animal's throat.
22:56A little sustained pressure, and the calf will suffocate.
23:00But she doesn't see it through.
23:02Is Mardi hoping the cubs will come back and have a go?
23:05Or is she too suffering from the same laid-back attitude towards killing?
23:14Even faced with the wrath and weaponry of the Cape Buffalo,
23:17can they simply not be bothered to learn to kill in the classic way?
23:25It's nightfall before the lions tuck in.
23:29Round here, death does not always come quickly.
23:54Marlow and Kindler have other problems to deal with.
23:57Soon, along with their brothers, they will be forced to leave.
24:03But they must sharpen up their act.
24:10Family dynamics are changing.
24:12The growing males are showing dominance over their mothers.
24:15But they still can't handle killing on their own.
24:25In lion society, dominant males rarely make the kill when with the pride.
24:29But they usually monopolize the meal.
24:33Panwi turns up right on cue.
24:40Kimber and Marlow give him space.
24:42The two brothers are developing a close bond.
24:45A bond that could, one day, put them into direct competition with their father.
24:52To keep the young upstarts in check,
24:55Panwi moves in to shake things up.
25:13Panwi's grown-up cubs now crowd the carcass.
25:17So, he turns on them.
25:23A good lesson has been learned.
25:25Big males eat ferns.
25:27Big males eat ferns first.
25:29Kimber grabs what he can and retreats.
25:37The new litter of young cubs gets preferential treatment.
25:40From now on, the adults will look out for them.
25:46The patriarch is just marking time before his older sons inevitably leave the pride.
25:52Even an innocent attempt by Kimber to make contact with his father is met with irritation.
26:14Tensions within the pride simmer on into October.
26:19Then, the Makalolo heat wave begins.
26:29Temperatures up in the thirties drain the colour from the landscape.
26:37Dust storms sweep through.
26:39And even the man-made boreholes dry up.
26:58Panwi must lead the pride deeper into the parched grub.
27:02Kimber, Malu, and the other large cubs still trek with the family.
27:06With food getting harder to find, they remain an essential part of the team.
27:13Their mothers, however, will be watching their every move.
27:17The new cubs are now the priority.
27:29At what's left of the water holes, thousands of feet and hooves churn the mud into a potential death trap.
27:44Adult elephants indulge in the usual skin care routine.
27:48But for a baby, it's a new danger.
28:00The mud acts like quicksand, sinking the calf to its stomach.
28:05It's not strong enough to pull itself free.
28:07And the more it wriggles, the more the mud sucks the calf in.
28:16The elephants in this area, have already lost two calves.
28:20The elephants in this area, have already lost two calves.
28:36Tenderly coaxing with a massive foot, and easing her calf free.
28:53The mud is a real menace.
28:56Buffalo have broad, flat hooves to stay on top of it.
28:58But invisible holes riddle the pool.
29:12Once you slip in, the mud draws you down further.
29:29For two days, this helpless cow bakes under the glaring sun.
29:34Night time, brings little relief.
29:43Jackals become constant companions.
29:46They're waiting for the surface mud to harden, and create a pathway to the feast.
30:02On the third morning, the buffalo faces an even worse fate.
30:09The makololo pride turns up.
30:14As usual, it's Laduma who takes the responsibility.
30:21To get a good hold on the animal, Laduma will need to reach it without getting stuck herself.
30:26If she can, her pride will eat well.
30:37Mud makes lions nervous.
30:39So she cautiously edges over the sun-baked crust.
30:48Even though she could simply start feeding at the soft run,
30:52Laduma seems to want to show the cubs a textbook kill.
30:58She can't reach the windpipe.
31:00Instead, she holds the buffalo snout.
31:03Long enough to bring a quick end.
31:07It's a mystery why Laduma chose to go for a traditional kill this time.
31:19But she set a new example to her cubs, and shown them, that they need to take every situation on
31:24its merits, and think on their feet.
31:36This buffalo could have appeared more threatening than we think.
31:40If it had struggled, it could have dragged one of the lions into the mud.
31:45Maybe by killing it first, Laduma made sure they could eat in safety.
32:08The juvenile lions have bought some extra time by feeding on animals already weak from the hardships of the dry
32:13season.
32:14But for Kimba and Marlu, these lazy days hanging out with their mother and relying on her to provide their
32:21food are numbered.
32:23Nearly fully grown, the boy cubs have huge appetites and growing aspirations.
32:31November brings long-awaited relief from the heat.
32:42Five millimeters of rain falls every day for weeks on end.
32:52Gradually, the rains rejuvenate the scorched landscape.
33:23Animals that laid low, or stuck closely to whatever water they could find, can now roam again to feed and
33:29breed.
33:30The annual baby boom has arrived.
33:43Soon after giving birth, many mothers come into heat.
33:46Males lock horns to win the right to breed with them.
33:58Zebra males lash out, nipping each other, and kicking with their powerful legs.
34:06But one zebra mare stands quietly by.
34:10Her stillborn foal has lain dead for over 24 hours.
34:14But still, she continues to watch over it.
34:28Jackals hover nearby.
34:31One animal's tragedy is another's meal, and the chance to produce a family of their own.
34:47The rains bring abundance in Makalolo, but also upheaval.
34:52The juveniles in the lion pride face a trying time.
34:57They must earn their keep, and regularly take part in the hunt.
35:12The new litter has grown fast, and now Kimba, Marlu, and the others find even more competition around the kill.
35:23But for juvenile males, the cold shoulder treatment is an essential part of growing up.
35:34Instinctively, they know not to fight for their place, and they know their father well enough.
35:38He would stamp out any challenge to his authority.
35:45But after the meal, the family fault lines temporarily close over, and they enjoy a bit of quality time.
35:52The young cubs are catching up fast, and the lionesses have their work cut out.
36:01The older civilians have only a little time left before they are pushed out.
36:27Increasingly, the adolescent gang rests up away from the main pride.
36:31Even the lionesses are getting tired of the older cubs, and they're always under the watchful gaze of Pamwi.
36:48Such a formidable coalition.
36:51Seven new males who could one day threaten Pamwi's status as Lord of Makalolo.
36:57Their success will depend on their friendship.
37:00Even without their siblings, Kimba and Marlu could form a double act
37:04and would offer stiff competition to their father for access to females and to hunting opportunities.
37:12Their only sister will stay with the family.
37:15Only rarely do females leave their mother's clan.
37:19Her brothers have to go before they reach sexual maturity at the age of two or three.
37:25And round here, they will have to hunt buffalo in order to have any chance at all.
37:32Kimba and Marlu face a dangerous and unpredictable world.
37:36They will have to cross countless other territories.
37:41Neighboring pride males will be ready to defend their turf to the death.
37:48With their manes starting to grow thick and new surges of testosterone coursing through their veins,
37:54it won't be long before they want to go.
38:01Let's hope they've learned enough to take on new rivals.
38:13They have come a long way.
38:15The innocent gains from their nursery have evolved into elaborate moves on the battlefield.
38:32It's taken months of trial and error.
38:34But finally, Kimba and Marlu and the rest of the brothers rise to hunt as one.
38:42And today, suddenly, everything seems different.
38:47They are seeking the ultimate challenge.
38:49And this time, will tackle it in their very own way.
39:00For once, they have no adult lionesses to dig them out of a hole.
39:04But they rise to the occasion.
39:07Good teamwork helps them locate and ambush a solitary buffalo bull.
39:17The old bull knows lions hate getting their feet wet.
39:21Plunging in, buys them time.
39:41Malou courageously wades in.
39:48Malou's depth and alone, he can do nothing.
39:51And what's more, this man is the only one.
39:53This bull has attitude.
40:10But Malou and his brothers don't just give up anymore.
40:14They've grown in maturity and in patience.
40:17Working together, they prove they can cope on their own.
40:26The buffalo bull remains under siege.
40:34The lions play safe.
40:36Rightly so.
40:38A false step, and they slip into the spearing range of one of those deadly horns.
40:47They stake out the bank, harassing and wearing down the cornered buffalo.
41:09Despite their persistence, there's a last minute hitch.
41:15A bull elephant shows up at the water hole.
41:26It's a distraction, which the buffalo seizes as a chance to escape.
41:37On this occasion, luck ran against them.
41:40But even seasoned hunters regularly miss their target.
41:49The elephant may have thought of their attack, but the experience undoubtedly sharpened.
41:57Aware of their growing stature, Panwi sprays his territory.
42:01A reminder to Kimba and Malou not to rise above themselves.
42:15The good times are over.
42:17By June, everything dries up again.
42:25But the young lions remain on a roll.
42:29Winter brings their biggest and toughest test yet.
42:33The buffalo herd bulges with youngsters.
42:37Some of them were born at the same time as our lion cubs.
42:40They've survived, and now weigh in at a sturdy 400 kilos.
42:55More muscle to strengthen the buffalo line of defense.
43:05These buffalo may have good odds for this fight, but their enemies have come of age too.
43:13Both sides know that a battle is inevitable.
43:18Kimba, Malou and their brothers are under pressure to leave Makalolo.
43:23Could this be their moment to finally graduate from Laduma's hunting academy?
43:35Laduma does what comes naturally to her and spearheads the attack.
43:42After several mock charges, they succeed in isolating a young buffalo.
43:47Kimba claws into her back to hold her.
43:53The adult buffalo turned back, but the lions remained focused.
43:57Staying well away from the sharp end, Malou and Kimba finally help Laduma bring the animal down.
44:11Laduma led the hunt, but a triumphant son, Malou, muscles in to claim the prize.
44:17Question is, what will he do next?
44:24The buffalo haven't given up, so Laduma sets off to confront them again.
44:35She successfully holds them off, buying her sons more time.
44:39Although the cubs have been a great help,
44:42it looks like the final responsibility still falls to their mother.
44:47She goes straight for the windpipe.
44:51Suffocation brings death in minutes.
44:58For these cubs, it looks like they won't learn to finish their prey off until they've left home and are
45:04forced to do it for themselves.
45:07But at least they've shown that the unconventional habits they experienced when they were very young,
45:12aren't necessarily here to stay.
45:18Under intense pressure, this new generation has learned what it takes to be noble, efficient killers.
45:29Just in time.
45:35An excursion into the territory next door gives Malou and Kimba a huge fright,
45:41when Pamwi's nearest competitor gives them a real taste of things to come.
45:50Realising it's time to leave, Malou and Kimba lead the exodus.
45:54Their father now has a new litter to help the females with the hunt.
45:59But they go armed with the experience to survive beyond the cosy world of Makalola.
46:05In time, this powerful coalition of brothers will rule the bush elsewhere.
46:13For their mother, it's business as usual.
46:16The cycle of feast and famine in Makalolo goes on,
46:20and Laduma will continue to roll with the punches.
46:23Whether that involves killing her victim first will be down to what seems best at the time.
46:29Lions are not the clean-cut, noble hunters we like to think they are.
46:33Just like us, they will cut corners and take the easy route whenever they can.
46:38And if that means eating their prey alive, so be it.
46:43But these lions aren't behaving badly.
46:46They are just being themselves.
46:58Maybe the cheering…
46:58And they apply to theرف.
46:58But…
46:58Aad.
46:58Aad.
46:58Aad.
46:58That's a great.
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