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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.