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The Okavango Delta
in Botswana...

We are in a pristine
environment right now.

one of Africa's
last wildernesses.

Greg Hartman: The magnitude
of life here is unparalleled.

And it's a haven
for Africa's big cats...

lion,

cheetah,

and leopard.

Brad Bestelink: Big cat country.
Armed with

the latest filming technology,

the "Big Cats 24/7" team

is following
individual big cats...

for 6 months.

Gordon Buchanan:
This is a unique opportunity

to follow these cats
round the clock.

Through the day...

Reatile Schulte to Brinke:
I used to think I'd have

a fair fight with a lion.

Not so sure now. Heh!

and the night...
We've got the most

sophisticated thermal
imaging technology.

capturing their behavior

24 hours a day.

I have never seen
anything like this.

Epic!

Hang on.

He's starting to move.
Starting to move.

He is alive.

I feel like I can breathe.

I couldn't breathe then.
That was horrible.

What?

That is a roller coaster.

My God.

My heart leapt out
my chest there.

I think it's OK.
It was...

stunned and winded.

But...

the danger's still here.

The intruder
male lion, known as Golden Boy,

hasn't gone away.

If Golden Boy
is not the father,

it is in his interest
to get rid of those cubs,

to eliminate competition,

to--to kill both of them.

Wait a second.

That is Serami.

She is coming back.

First-time mum Serami

has been absent for 36 hours.

This is
really, really dangerous.

Ah, OK.

Golden Boy...

isn't doing anything.

Serami could have
been very clever here

and has fooled everyone,

including me.

Golden Boy, he may
have mated with Serami,

and that's making him think
twice about these cubs.

Maybe they're his.

That's crazy.
Unbelievable stuff.

Sometimes
the female lions will mate

with multiple different males,
only falling pregnant by one,

just to fool them into thinking

that the cubs are theirs.

All the males are like,
"Oh, all those cubs are ours."

Female lions use
this mating strategy

when there are no dominant males
controlling a pride.

Even if
Golden Boy isn't the dad,

he definitely thinks
that he is, and I think

that is what has
saved them today.

A part of me is really hopeful
that Golden Boy does stay

and become the protector

that Serami and her cubs need.

With Golden Boy
establishing himself

in the north
of the Xudum pride territory...

Maybe Serami really
does know what she's doing.

Serami's cubs now have
a better chance of survival.

What an amazing morning.

To the south

of its 250-square-kilometer
territory...

the rest of the Xudum pride
remains a formidable force...

especially with so many cubs
coming of age.

All the cubs
are coming close to say hi.

These cubs, they're being raised

and groomed by,

let's say, the best lionesses

in this whole Delta.

The Xudum lionesses
are so formidable.

Seeing the cubs up close
and personal like this

really shows how much
they've grown.

They were so small, and now
they're the sizes of their moms.

The eldest cubs
are now 20 months old.

When they get
to this stage,

they should really be
pulling their own weight

and getting involved
in the hunt,

actively hunting big,

potentially dangerous animals.

For so many lions
to survive together,

it's crucial the oldest cubs
start working

with the rest of the pride
to catch large prey.

It's a rapid... learning curve.

It's about everybody performing

their role within the pride.

Everything's got a lot
more serious now.

This type
of fighting is different.

It's changed so much
from when they were small.

You can see how intentional

their moves are--

chasing, the stalking,
attacking

in the very specific places,
like the neck.

This is the skill
they would need

to take down large prey
that's running away.

There is
one cub who should

be leading the way.

Mathata here,

he looks as if he could do
with another 8 hours of bed.

He's huge now.

So we've known him
for over a year

and he has grown and grown,

so much so that he's even got
the start of a mane.

You can see
his little mohawk.

That's 'cause he's
a big, bad male lion.

So I think there's something
kind of special about it.

Ha ha!

Mathata is 20 months old
at the moment.

If you do draw a parallel
developmentally, he's like

a kind of...
like a 15-year-old boy.

He looks grown up,

but there's still
a lot to learn.

He is boisterous,

he's a bit of a troublemaker,
but I think as he grows

and develops, I think he can
pardon all of those things

in his personality
to his advantage.

Wait.

One of the older cubs
is getting up.

Full of teenage bravado,

they're setting
their sights way too high.

Nthomiwa, chuckling:
Oh, my goodness.

I've never seen them go
for a giraffe before.

These cubs are crazy.

Ha ha! There's no chance
of catching it.

I can see Mathata.
He's right behind there.

Oh! Wow.

He just tried to trip him.

Whoa! That was close.

A giraffe's stride
is nearly 5 meters...

traveling at almost
65 kilometers per hour.

It got away there.

They're too fast
for lion cubs.

I did not see that coming.

Attempting that
was almost insane.

It was ludicrous,
but still trying

to understand the limits
of what they're capable of,

but----these cubs
are really, really fearless.

Buchanan, quietly: They've
burned off a lot of energy

running about
after anything that moves.

So I think, yeah...

they're off to find
some water.

We've got 20 lions,

all literally digging
around for a drink,

all of them together.

Mathata is here.

Actually, Mathata
is lending a hand,

trying to just widen

the access.

This is teamwork...

and I think the same
goes for hunting.

That requires teamwork

from the mums
and the bigger cubs.

Mathata and the cubs
have to learn to work

with the pride if they're going
to catch large prey.

So they have
the skills and they have

the strategy, but they're going
to have to all work together.

Exciting.

See who this is.

Wait a second.

Oh, wow.

Aw!

I cannot believe my eyes.

I can see Pobe...

and I can see Bo.

Oh, I'm just
so happy to see them.

Hi, guys.

We really missed you.

We haven't seen Pobe or Bo

for weeks, and to be honest,

I really wasn't sure we were
ever gonna see them again

because...

this area just feels
so sad.

It's such a sad place for her
now--it's where she lost Kea--

but here she is.

She's so fearless.
She's not being pushed out

by those leopards.

Wow.

And Bo.

What a beautiful
young man he's become.

Rea, Rea for Anna.

Reatile Schulte to Brinke:
Go ahead, Anna.

I've got Pobe
and Bo right here.

Schulte to Brinke:
What? No way.

It's been over a month

since Bo's sister Kea
was killed by a leopard.

Schulte to Brinke:
It's quite the relief

to see our cheetahs
together.

He's quite a lot bigger
than the last time I saw him.

I actually thought Bo was Pobe--
ha!--until we got closer now.

I said,
"No, no, no, no."

He looks
really healthy, too,

so I think Pobe is probably
keeping him well-fed.

He's got the most
badass mum around.

So far, Pobe has been
doing all the hard work,

feeding them both.

Last time,
he wouldn't be involved

really at all,
so I want to see him

start basically
cooperating in hunts.

Now 8 months old,

it's time for Bo to perfect
his hunting skills.

Bo is locked on something.

He's trying to get
a good vantage point

and clearly learning
a few things from Pobe.

Schulte to Brinke:
Bo has spotted some impala

in this open field here.

He's getting just
a little bit closer

and he's off.

Impala running.

Go on, Bo.

Schulte to Brinke:
It's over before it started.

He had the right idea
in the beginning, trying

to use the cover to get
towards these impala,

but the distance was
just too big to cover.

Now he's lost
and now he's--

now he's calling
for his mom.

Well, even though
that didn't end in success,

I think it's probably
the most encouraging sign

I've seen from Bo
that he is starting

to pick up
on those hunting skills.

Bo will need
to become more confident,

and improve his timing,

if he's going to help Pobe.

He's got
one-on-one tuition from his mum,

and hopefully we'll see them
hunting together.

Brad and Tristen

are with leopard mum
Lediba and her cub.

Tristen Woodward:
Oh, it's adorable.

These two are really just
all full of beans today.

This is the most I think
I've seen them play.

The mum's really
getting into it.

Today's the first day
I've actually seen Lediba

come in just to interact
with the cub

and play and just kind of,
you know, reaffirm their bond.

Normally,
she only really comes

and gets the cub
when she's got a kill,

so I think there's
obviously feeling

that this cub's old enough now
that it needs to start learning.

Now 7 months old,

Lediba's cub is growing
in strength and intelligence

and is ready for the next stage
of her development.

By playing within
and climbing trees

or stalking and pouncing,

Lediba's teaching this cub
all the tools it needs

to be a successful leopard.

There's no one else
this cub can learn from.

It has to learn with Mum.
It doesn't have siblings.

It doesn't have
other members of a pride.

One-on-one lessons
with Mum are crucial.

Looks like Lediba's called
an end to class.

But they don't last long.

Time to go hunting.

A leopard's life
is very solitary,

and the hard thing
for these cubs is, you know,

something they got
to get used to from day one.

This cub could be
left here now for several days,

waiting for Mum to come back,

and then Mum has to call

anywhere in this area,
and the cub will pick it up

and she'll find her.

It's a double-edged sword,
that independence

and that ability so young.

You can see it just being
entrenched in them

from such a young age
out of necessity.

Chance to come down,

explore a little bit.

At night, we have got
hyenas here,

so if she's on the ground
and moving around,

she's got to be super alert
and super aware

of what's going on
around her.

Such a small thing,
such a big world...

so it fills me
with a bit of anxiety,

seeing a leopard cub
so small on its own

and wandering off
into the forest.

The sun hasn't risen yet,

and... that's Bo over there,

Pobe over there.

Schulte to Brinke:
Bo's looking very keen.

Schulte to Brinke:
They're in quite the rush.

Going after a rabbit, a rabbit.

Pulled the trigger
way too early there.

I think it's a rabbit.
Not sure.

Whatever it is
it's fighting back.

No way.
I can see its face now.

That's an African wildcat.

Incredible.

You don't see them
too often.

Now we get a big cat interacting
with little cat.

African wildcats might
look like domestic cats...

Schulte to Brinke:
Mum is in the background there.

She knows this is not food.

but they're
fierce predators.

Schulte to Brinke:
Pobe is leaving Bo

to figure this out himself.

You can see Bo now
circling around,

trying to find an opening

where to attack.

It's great to see
his hunting tactics kicked in...

but unfortunately
for him--heh!--

it's the wrong species.

It looks like Bo's done

and might leave
this little cat in peace.

He'll learn from this experience
and his confidence

will only just keep
building up.

Just popped
onto a termite mound.

Having a little look around.

Brad and Tristen are
with leopard mum Lediba,

who left her cub last night
to go hunting.

Ooh.

And what's going on there?

I think she just called
for the cub.

Think she might be
looking for the cub.

She was trying to find
her little girl.

This really
shouldn't take this long.

It's an uneasy feeling
of déjà vu.

It's a similar area

to where she lost
her first cub.

Lediba's other cub died

when he was 3 and a half
months old.

Lediba,
where is your baby, hmm?

Come on,
let's find her.

There is a lot
of wind around,

and it might be masking
her calling.

She starts roaring,
it's not a good sign.

She's very, very worried.

She's crying, do everything
in her power to find this thing.

When you live in one
of the greatest wildernesses

in the world,
you share it

with some
of the most dangerous

and life-threatening
animals out there.

It's one of the things
about this place.

It can turn
from a happy day

to a really tragic day
in a split second.

The search
has intensified now.

She's actually trying

to physically pick up
the scent of this cub.

Leopards have glands
between their toes

that leave
an invisible scent trail.

There's always
a chance that she's wandered

a little further
than she should have.

I just hope that she's taught
that cub well enough

to have avoided
any potential threats,

and it's just sitting
tight somewhere,

hiding from this wind.

This can't be over.

This can't be another
tragic story.

And nothing, not a hint,

of just what's going on.

Come on, big girl.

Oh, wow.

Gosh!

So many of them.

Hello, hello.

That is quite some sight.

At this time
of year, Cape buffalo move

through the Okavango Delta
in their thousands.

This is the perfect prey.

If you are able
to bring down a buffalo,

that is not a snack.

Each buffalo contains
almost a million calories.

This is
the biggest meal possible,

but it is the most--
the most dangerous.

With razor-sharp horns

and weighing up to a ton,

buffalo also have safety
in numbers.

Buffalo are
really aggressive.

They will defend their young.

They will defend
themselves.

They'll defend the herd.

The only way
to bring one down...

is to work together as a team.

If you can crack this,

if you can hunt a buffalo
and come away unscathed,

this is
the ultimate prize.

Last year,
the cubs were a lot smaller

and pretty defenseless
against the buffalo,

and I'm curious to see
how much they've learnt.

I can see Mathata.

Oh, oh.

The cubs are leading
the charge.

I'm loving the confidence

that these cubs are
showing right now.

If this buffalo will be
in the area tonight,

one of them will definitely
be invited for dinner.

Anna, Anna for Gordon.

Dimitriadis, on radio:
Go ahead, Gordon.

Buchanan, on radio:
I hope you're ready for it.

A big night, 'cause I think
it's going to be one.

Dimitriadis, on radio:
Think you might be right.

They haven't eaten for two days.

Greg and Anna are
arriving for the night shift.

Mums and cubs are walking

straight towards
a small group of buffalo.

Mathata is leading
the charge.

Mathata wants
buffalo for dinner.

Hartman, on radio: Anna,
it looks like it's on here, eh?

The others are looking very keen
and they're closing in.

Copy that, Greg.
I'm getting the drone up now.

OK, I see him.

Hartman, on radio:
Oh, they're going in.

They're going now.
Ooh, OK.

It's on, it's on, it's on.

The whole pride
is currently chasing.

Mathata and the cubs

are finally working together
with their mums.

This buffalo is
putting up an amazing fight.

That is a huge buff.
It is a battle.

The lionesses and the cubs

are working together now.

Oh, it's down, it's down.

Well, they needed that.

They really needed that.

This bull
will keep the whole pride fed

for days.

Oh.
What's going on here?

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, hang on.
More buffalo just come in.

These buffaloes are
coming close to the lions.

Super dangerous.

Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Wow!
They're right in there.

This is crazy.

Whoa!
Holy smokes.

These buffies do not
want to let

their comrade go
without a fight.

I think
these cubs could get killed.

Oh, yo!
One of the lions got hammered!

The buffalo's back up!
This buffalo's not done!

Oh, what?
She's got him by the snout!

How is it alive?
The cub just got thrown!

Absolutely unbelievable.

There's cubs running
all over the place.

Buffaloes running all
over the place.

They saved it.

The injured buffalo is

being escorted out
by his comrades.

I mean, how is that for
an unexpected turn of events?

Man, what a battle.

That is

the most epic thing I've ever
seen in my whole life.

By a long way.

Aw, that was--

Forget the cats having 9 lives.
Buffaloes have 9 lives.

Even with the help
of the experienced mums,

buffalo are
near impossible prey.

They are absolute beasts,

and they just don't give up
without a fight.

Mathata
and the rest of the pride

need to recover quickly

and try again.

There are
gonna be some sore lions

tomorrow, let me tell you.

And not only sore,
they're gonna be very hungry.

It's now been
more than 24 hours...

since Lediba's cub
was last seen.

She doesn't stop calling.

Heartbreaking, really.

After suffering
the loss of one cub already,

Lediba is refusing
to give up.

!
It's the cub!

You all... we're thinking--
out of nowhere!

Little cubby's just
bolted out of the tree line.

Finally. I don't know
where it's been hiding.

Bloody naughty little thing,
giving us all... stress.

Whew!

Oh, Lord.

Leopards really do
keep us on our toes.

Aw, that's adorable.

I got a happy family again.

Brad is going to be
very stoked about this.

Bestelink, on radio:
Brad, Brad for Tristen.

Woodward, on radio: Go, Tristen.
Lediba has her cub,

and they're coming
towards you.

Bestelink, on radio: Thank God
for that. It's really good news.

I can't believe she just
came out of nowhere.

Where the hell was she?

Woodward, on radio: Dude,
I've got no clue, man. I--yeah.

She got up, called,
cub bombed in, so, yeah,

happy family, all moving now.

Tell you what,

if that was my child,
it would have got

a seriously stern
talking-to.

Woodward, chuckling:
Brad's telling the cub off.

Oh, it is good to have
that little cub back.

That cub must be getting
quite, um, adventurous.

She's growing up a little bit
and starting to explore

and learning fundamentals
of being a leopard.

They're walking
straight towards

quite a big herd
of impala.

Anna is
with cheetahs Pobe and Bo.

I'm really excited
to see how Bo does

because he's making
really encouraging steps.

But I want to see him put
those techniques

into actual action

and to see them
hunting together.

Bo is yet
to successfully

contribute to a hunt.

OK, Pobe is moving
into the tree line.

I think I'm going to stick
on Bo because he is

just behind
the termite mound.

You can see him just, like,

glancing towards
where Pobe has gone.

Pobe is gonna flush those impala

out onto that flood plain,

and Bo, he's got himself

into the perfect position.

If this--if this happens,
and these impala run

straight out in front of us,

he's gonna flank those impala.

He's just got to know
when to go

and when to hold back.

Aw, come on, Bo.

Just wait, just wait.

Stage is set.

Pobe's ready to go.

Impala are going.
They're going.

Bo's running in,
he's running in.

Bo's finally
agile enough to help...

Look at that speed. Go on, Bo.

by driving the prey
towards his mum.

And Pobe's in pursuit.

Ooh!
The impala is still up.

Come on, Bo,
get in there.

This is ultimate teamwork.

It's down.
It is down.

Wow!

Wow, oh, wow, wow, wow.

That was incredible.

Bo, you absolute legend.

Bo did the right thing.

He was just
on the sidelines, and as soon

as Pobe chased
the impala across,

he came straight in
and he was blocking the impala.

Without that block, I wonder
if she would have got

that impala at all, so...

that was a team effort.

Bo has just
one more year of hunting

with Pobe to perfect his skills

before he has to go it alone.

Bo?

There's literally no reason
for him to come over here,

other than to just show off.

It's funny
looking back at Bo

and how we first met him.

He was once
a really timid cub,

and he was always hiding
behind his sister Kea,

who was definitely
the more confident of the two,

but he's finally starting

to grasp the tactics
of hunting.

I think he's gonna be
a really strong

and confident cheetah.

Look at them.
Massive, full bellies.

I really can't believe
that it's been over a year

since we first started
following Pobe's story.

Yes, she is an absolutely
incredible huntress,

but she's also a really fun
and loving mum.

And seeing how Neelo,

her adult cub, has progressed

and now seeing Bo,
her youngest,

I think it just shows
that she's got

potentially
an absolutely awesome

and very strong dynasty
developing,

and long may it continue.

Really nice...

to see them together again

after giving me
a heart attack.

And looks like Mum's recognizing
that she's growing,

where she's teaching her
the whole technical ability

that, uh, that she's
gonna have to master

if she's gonna survive
as a leopard.

This meal is a chance
for Lediba's rapidly growing cub

to learn a skill
unique to leopards.

Keep your food
off the ground,

otherwise, somebody takes it.

To keep their food safe,

leopards regularly drag
one and a half times

their own weight
into the canopy.

It's a hell of a feat
for a leopard to get a carcass

up that high into a tree.

Needs a lot of leverage.

Oh, yeah,
she's almost dropped it.

Yeah, she's really battling
to--to hold on to it.

What are you doing?

Lediba's just gone
for a little drink, you know.

Looks like Mum's really
giving the cub the lead.

Normally, when the cubs are
really small, the mother will

open up the soft bits
underneath the stomach,

and this one's intact
and Mum is just letting her

open it up for herself.

She's putting the cub first
in every situation she can

and prioritizing
the cub's development

over filling herself up.

And she really gives this cub
the space to grow

and learn
in a safe environment.

Less than half
of leopard cubs make it

to this age,
but those that do

are likely to survive
to adulthood.

There's
a long journey ahead,

but she's out of that incredibly
vulnerable period

and it brings us
to the point, the milestone,

of naming her,
and, uh...

the mother is Lediba,
which means "lagoon,"

so we're going
to call her Noka,

which means "river."

So Mum has had a drink and she's
just come back to the tree.

She's now calling the cub.

One thing to get up in the tree,
but very difficult to get down.

Let's see if she finds
a way.

Well done.
Come on, you can do it.

Heh! Skydiving out
into a--into a small tree.

This cub is growing
so fast and learning so quickly.

It's a whole new world
out there,

and Noka is capable
of exploring it.

This thing is a survivor,

and Lediba is a great mother.

It just fills me
with so much more confidence

that this is going to be
a happy story.

It's now been 3 days

since the Xudum pride
had a meal.

I'm amazed that
these cubs still have energy.

There has been a lot
of calories burnt

for no return.

I am convinced that this is
gonna be a very busy night.

My goodness, there's
some buffalo in the distance.

Yes, that's a lot
of buffalo.

We have got Mathata

and the other cubs,
we've got Nosi,

Mmakgosi, and Magogo,
few other females.

We also have one
of the subadult males.

Everyone is getting
involved in this.

Running, running, running.

Look at Mathata.

He is the one there,
right in the front.

We've got cubs,
mums, everyone joining in.

There's one peeled off.

Yeah, they're separating.
They're separating it.

Wow, look at that. Wow!

Every single one
of them looks as if they're

up for the challenge.

Oh,
one of the little ones

is on its tail.

Oh, they are so close,

unless the water
can save this buffalo.

Oh, they've let go of it.
They have let go.

That is a miraculous escape.

Wisest thing it could have done
is to get into the water.

Buffalo will enter deep water

to escape from lions.

Oh, how did that get away?

But the Xudum pride cubs...

Oh, my word.
OK, they're following.

are not giving up.

Oh, they're gonna
try again.

Mathata's here.

One of the subadult males
is on top.

Mathata's at the back leg.

They've got him down.

That is unbelievable.

Oh, it's a pile-on here.

We got the cubs in there,

everybody on top
of this buffalo.

Yeah, it's all over.

There's no way this buffalo
is getting back up.

Whew!

I cannot believe

how involved the cubs have been
in this buffalo hunt.

I mean, Mathata
and the young female cubs

are gonna be ruthless,
formidable

big game hunters,
that's for sure.

By successfully
working together

with the rest of the pride,

Mathata and the cubs
have finally brought down

a meal big enough
for them all.

Mathata, you are

the hero of the hour.

He's still tiny compared
to a buffalo,

but he is prepared to get

right under those hooves

and do--do what it takes.

He has got such
a big character.

He is boisterous,

but with
that boisterousness comes

the boldness a lion
needs to succeed.

When it comes
to the ultimate prize,

this is it, a buffalo.

This is gonna fill the stomachs
of every single one

of these lions, and Mathata
played a big part in that.

What here? Fly-by.

Oh...

what's gotten
into these lions today?

Oh, I know what it is.
Buffalo meat.

It just sort of brought
these lions to life.

The last
6 months that they've had,

it's been a roller coaster
of a ride.

But the Xudum lionesses are
a force to be reckoned with,

and these cubs are
nearly reaching

maturity and independence.

To the north,
we've seen new cubs

being born to young lionesses
that have mated with lions

from the outside.

I'm excited
to see what Serami

and the other lionesses
in her sisterhood do next.

It might be a little bit
too soon to say that this is

a breakaway pride,
but I think we can say

that we're potentially seeing
the very beginnings

of a new one.

The life
of a cat is never easy.

It doesn't matter
if you're a cub

or the king of a pride.

Change in the natural world
is always a certainty,

and now
the real challenge begins.

Sets for Tristen.

Oh, my God!
He's gonna get it right there.

Unbelievable.

These dogs have just exploded
through camp, chasing an impala.

Ish, there's lions there.

There is no love lost
between these two species.

Cats and dogs don't
get along.

Wild dogs are the most
successful predator in Africa.

They have got a success rate
of around 80%.

Wow,
the rivalry at the minute

in the Okavango is so intense.

This has just become
a pressure cooker of predators.

Next year,

this place
is gonna explode.