Original subtitles

- [birds chirping] - [animal coos]

[narrator] The birth of a baby animal is always special.

- [birds chirping] - [purring]

But for those on the brink of extinction,

every new life…

- [exhales] - …brings hope.

[chirping]

Six endangered youngsters

raised in our world…

[meowing]

…are on the journey of a lifetime…

[man] Follow me.

[narrator] …back to theirs.

Are you inquisitive? Yeah.

[narrator] But they can't do it on their own.

He lost his mother.

- [elephant snorts] - [hisses]

[narrator] With human foster parents helping them on their way…

[man] You don't need to be scared, I'm here with you.

[bear whines]

[narrator] …can these little ones help save their species…

[woman] If you love something, you have to let it go.

[narrator] …and return to the wild?

[orchestral swell]

[woman vocalizing, music climaxes]

[dramatic drumroll]

[birds tweeting]

[narrator] In a wildlife center in South Africa…

a cheetah mum has given birth…

[purring]

…to some very special cubs.

- [birds tweeting] - [cubs chirping]

[sprightly music playing]

[cubs squeaking and chittering]

[narrator] Not just one or two.

But six.

[purring]

[chirps]

[chirps]

Cheetahs are Africa's most endangered big cats.

[purring]

That's why these little ones are so precious.

Especially for Petro Van Eden who runs the center.

[Petro] It's a huge moment when they are born.

And it's always a very exciting time for us.

It's quite amazing to see these guys.

They've got these brown, soulful eyes.

You can see the warmth in their eyes.

[narrator] Petro hopes one day these cubs will be released into the wild.

[Petro] Are you coming to say hello?

Are you inquisitive?

[narrator] Part of an amazing project

to return cheetahs to parts of Africa they've been lost from.

Over the last century,

numbers have dropped from around 100,000 to just 7,000.

One reason?

As farms replaced their old hunting grounds,

cheetahs were seen as a threat to livestock and killed.

[dramatic music playing]

Today, the world's fastest land animal is running out of time.

[music slows and fades]

So every cub counts.

But getting a baby cheetah ready for the wild

can take up to two years.

[meows]

First, there's cheetah nursery with Petro.

Here, they must build their strength.

And learn how to climb and chase.

What are you going to do? [chuckles]

[narrator] If they can crack that,

they'll be off to big cat college…

- [cheetah hisses] - Hey, guys.

[narrator] …where cheetah expert, Marna Smit…

[hisses]

…will teach them the most important skill of all.

How to hunt.

Only when they can do this, will they be released into the wild.

With the six newborns, Petro's got her work cut out.

Every day is an adventure to be honest,

because you really don't know what you're going to get.

[chatter]

[narrator] She leads a team of 19 people.

[speaking Afrikaans]

[chattering in Afrikaans]

[Petro] Have everybody heard we have cubs?

- [chatter] - [Petro] Yes!

It looks like they're all healthy.

So we'll just keep an eye on them, make sure they get enough food,

that Mum is okay.

But, um, really happy that we've got cubs.

[scattered chuckles]

All right, good. Have a good day and then we'll chat again later.

- [all chattering] - Thank you, guys.

[cheetahs hissing]

[narrator] Together, they look after rescued cheetahs…

- It's fine. - Yeah, it's fine.

[narrator] …and some resident cats that were born here.

Those adults are really important to the survival of the species.

[narrator] Carefully bred, these are the perfect cheetah mums and dads.

We do a bit of matchmaking by selecting parents

that we know have healthy offspring.

[narrator] Without these pedigree parents, it would be impossible

to breed the next generation of young cubs for the wild.

[bird hoots]

It's been four days since the youngsters first stepped out of their den.

And they're growing fast…

[purring]

…each drinking half a pint of their mother's milk a day.

You can hear her say, "Okay, guys. There's enough for everyone."

Our aim is to keep them with Mum for as long as possible.

Because Mum installs that wild instinct.

[narrator] Like all newborn cheetahs, they have silvery baby fur,

which will grow out after three months.

[birds chirping]

Right from the start,

Petro's looking out for any little ones that are particularly bold.

Whilst most snooze,

two brothers the team have named Kabo and Khumo…

- [squeaks] - …are on the move.

- [chirping] - [Petro chuckles]

The adventurous ones.

We can see their little different personalities developing.

[narrator] Kabo is braver.

And Khumo, slightly more skittish.

[meows]

But they go everywhere together.

[Petro] You want them to make a close bond with a sibling

that they can continue with.

[narrator] In the wild, brothers that stick together are more likely to survive.

[chirping]

Right now, these two just seem intent on playing up.

[tiny growl]

Naughty boy. [chuckles]

[growls]

[narrator] Mischief over.

Time for their first life lesson.

- Climbing. - [meows]

Adventurous Kabo takes the lead.

When they get to this point, they think that they are little leopards.

[narrator] In the wild, climbing trees helps cheetahs search for prey.

But their claws are meant for running,

so aren't as sharp as other cats.

Which makes getting down…

- …tricky. - [meows]

[cub chirps]

[small meows]

Not a bad first attempt.

But this is one of the skills they'll need to master

before they can move on from cheetah nursery.

[purrs]

[chittering]

Petro can't get too close to the cubs.

Because cheetahs that become used to people

lose their wild instincts.

Hello… [speaks Afrikaans]

[narrator] And must spend their lives in captivity.

[cooing] Oh, hi there.

[purring]

[Petro] They can be fierce when they need to be,

but they have such gentle souls,

and I think that is what gets me about cheetah always.

[purring loudly]

[narrator] This male had a very different start in life to the cubs.

[purring continues]

[Petro] This cheetah was hand raised,

so he doesn't have that natural fear for humans

like what Mum would install in her cubs.

- [purring] - [Petro] He finds us to be his friends

and therefore you cannot release him

because he will always revert back to humans.

And that can be a very dangerous situation.

[narrator] Cheetahs that aren't scared of people

can be seen as a threat and could be killed.

[Petro] That is why it is important for Khumo and Kabo

not to have any interaction

so that they can run free in the wild.

[birds twitter in distance]

[narrator] One week later,

and the two brothers are still proving to be…

- a bit of a handful. - [growls, squeaks]

[chuckles]

[narrator] Now Petro's keen to see if these little fluff balls

have got a killer instinct.

We want them to be mimicking what they would be practicing eventually

when they are hunting.

In the wild, when they hunt,

they would be tripping the prey with that little back paw.

[narrator] As the others hang out with Mum,

Kabo's sizing something up.

His brother,

Khumo.

They're learning to trip their prey. But, you know, in a playful way.

[meows]

[narrator] This technique is known as a paw slap.

And it takes practice.

[chirps]

[narrator] Gotcha.

You can't watch that without having a smile on your face.

It's, uh… It's something nice to see, yeah.

[cubs squeak]

[narrator] It's playful for now.

[tiny growls]

But to be released, they'll need to perfect the paw slap

at high speed.

[hisses]

[birds chirping]

[in Afrikaans] Yes. Okay, good.

[narrator] When Petro's not checking up on the cheetahs…

- [chain rattling] - …she's on dinner duty.

[in Afrikaans] We just want the meat, leave the bones.

[narrator] Feeding all the cats at the center

is meal prep on a major scale.

[saw buzzing]

[in English] An average eats about between 1.8 and 2 kilos a day.

So you can do the maths.

There's no such thing as, "You are the manager,"

or, "You are the this," or, "You are the that."

The job is the job, and we do it.

[light chatter]

[narrator] It's now eight weeks

since the young cheetahs emerged from their den.

And today, keeper Georgie

has something new for them to get their teeth stuck into.

Cub, cub, cub, cub.

Cub, cub, cub, cub.

[narrator] It's a big meal…

- for a small cub. - [hisses]

Until now, they've only had milk.

They've never seen anything like this before.

[cubs hissing]

- [narrator] Most look wary. - [mewing]

[hissing]

[hissing]

[growls]

But not Kabo.

[meows]

Khumo's more cautious.

[low growl]

[hisses]

[hisses]

[mews]

[chitters]

Cheetah brothers often feed together in the wild.

Helping them protect their kills from other hunters, like lions.

[chirping]

If the bond between these two continues to grow,

they could be released together,

which would increase their chances of survival.

[man] Hey.

[monkeys chattering]

[narrator] Over the coming months…

[chattering]

…the boys fine-tune their chase skills.

Perfecting that paw slap.

[growls]

And become confident climbers.

[playful music playing]

Both up…

[cubs chirping]

…and down.

Cub, cub, cub, cub.

[narrator] Every meal is now meat.

And the brothers always feed together.

[Petro] They are really close bonded.

And I think that is what makes them very special.

[narrator] Cheetah cubs grow up faster than any other African big cats.

By six months old,

these once tiny toddlers have lost their silvery baby fur

and look like gangly teenagers.

[birds squawking]

Kabo and Khumo seem to be on track for release.

But to move to the next stage, they need to pass a medical.

[Petro] We do have health checks.

Then we will have a better understanding of exactly what their conditions are.

They look good, so we hope for the best.

[narrator] Petro's called in vet, Peter Caldwell.

[Peter] All right. So, I'm just gonna load some syringes here.

[narrator] To take blood samples, the cheetahs must be sedated.

- [vet 2] Perfect. - [Peter] Got it?

[Peter] They're at the age

where they're starting to get dangerous and aggressive.

[hisses]

[growling]

[snarls]

[Peter] Okay.

We have to work very carefully with them. We have to move them in a special way.

We have to keep them cool and in the shade.

[narrator] Blindfolds keep them calm.

They get hot very quickly.

So we just gotta watch their heart rate and watch their breathing.

[narrator] The team get samples and all the vital stats

to check the brothers are growing well.

We wait. We literally hold our breath.

[Peter] All good? Okay.

They're at optimal weight. And they're eating well.

They haven't got any external parasites.

So they're really, really healthy, and I'm very happy with their condition.

[panting]

[narrator] Medical passed.

[Petro] Well done, guys. Really nicely done.

[playful music playing]

[narrator] And thanks to their adventurous spirit…

and close bond…

Kabo and Khumo are the first of the litter ready to move to big cat college,

Ashia Cheetah Center.

[music fades]

Hopefully, the rest of the siblings won't be far behind.

[panting]

- Hello. - [hisses]

Oh, is he a good cat?

- [hisses] - Hello, how are you this morning? Hmm?

[narrator] For Petro, it's almost time to say goodbye.

They will always have a special place in our hearts.

But it's time for them to grow.

And I hope it's going to be a really amazing journey.

[light hiss]

You don't know what's going to happen in future.

You can just wish them the best and just pray for them to be happy

and to have a really good life.

And hopefully one day to father some cubs and to carry the legacy forward.

[narrator] It's the day of the move.

- [Petro] Good morning. - Morning.

[narrator] From here on, Marna will take over parenting duties.

[chuckles]

[Marna mutters]

Careful.

[narrator] For the team, this is the hardest part.

[wood scrapes]

Okay. Push.

There we go.

It's definitely mixed emotions.

Sad because we have to let them go.

[panting, purring]

But the thing is, if you love something enough…

- [Marna] You let it go. - …you have to let it go.

[vehicle rumbles]

[narrator] Farewells over,

it's time to hit the road.

[Marna] Tonight's journey is gonna be about 1,400 kilometers.

It'll most likely end up being between 15 and 16 hours.

[narrator] For the brothers,

this is the most dangerous day of their lives so far.

[Marna] It's through the night on a very hot day.

And stress is one of the main killers of cheetahs.

We'll do quite a few stops along the way.

We'll make sure their breathing pattern is nice and slow and normal.

They are nice and relaxed.

Not stressed at all, which is a very good sign.

They're all just alert, which is great.

[hisses]

- [man murmurs] - Can I get a slip, please?

[narrator] Finally, they make it to their new home.

Ashia Cheetah Center.

[adventurous music playing]

With more space and a special running track,

it's the perfect place to learn to hunt at high speed.

[music fades]

But settling into a new place can be daunting.

[footsteps patter]

Kabo took a bit of a while to come out of the crate.

Khumo is doing exactly the same thing.

It's a completely new environment.

There's been a lot of other cheetah in these camps,

so the smell must be very intimidating.

[hisses]

[hisses, small growl]

[hisses]

[huffs]

[narrator] Thankfully, the brothers have got each other.

[purring]

Cheetahs are the only African big cats to purr.

- A sign of reassurance. - [purring]

Tomorrow, the hard work begins.

[soft growling]

Young cheetahs usually learn to hunt by watching their mums.

So, it's up to Marna to show the brothers the ropes.

A high-speed pulley moves a target around a 300-meter track.

So the machine can go 80 kilometers per hour.

The cats' average speed is about 70 to 80.

[whirring]

[narrator] It can change direction in an instant.

[whizzing]

Mimicking the movement of prey in the wild.

You want to ensure that they can anticipate that as well,

and their body is used to that sudden change

and sudden jerk action that they might go through.

[narrator] It's the first time the brothers have had the chance

to properly stretch their legs.

[Marna] They're just like house cat, so they like to chase things.

[narrator] Cheetahs can go from nought to 50 miles per hour

in just three seconds.

[whirring]

[Marna] The cats love it.

It's lovely to see.

Khumo is standing right in the middle of the line. [chuckles]

The first run of Kabo and Khumo was the first time

that they actually had the space to run like that.

It was amazing to see how quickly they picked it up.

But it's a bit chaotic. [chuckles]

[narrator] They've clearly got the instinct,

but they'll need the accuracy too.

[whirring]

Over the coming weeks, serious training begins.

[line whirring]

[Marna] Kabo, stop! [laughs]

Kabo, that would've been beautiful.

They are definitely up for getting on to the next phase.

[narrator] Cheetah brothers often hunt in pairs.

So now, Marna wants to see the boys chase together.

If Kabo and Khumo can crack that, Marna's found the perfect home for them…

a wild reserve called Maloba.

This all used to be farmland…

but has recently been returned to a 50,000-acre wild expanse.

Cheetahs haven't been seen here for more than 50 years.

[springbok grunting]

So the brothers could be pioneers for a new generation.

Morning, guys.

[hissing]

It's fine. You'll feed soon.

- [small growl] - [laughs]

[Marna] I love the fact that they hiss at me and growl at me.

[hisses]

- It's exactly what we want to see. - [door slides]

We actually have quite a bit of separation.

We make sure we're only down here for feeding,

and there's no unnecessary interaction.

The next phase will ensure that they realize

that they can completely survive without human care,

and that's when they start hunting for themselves.

- [chewing, lips smacking] - [flies buzzing]

[squawk]

[narrator] The brothers are now almost fully grown.

And after hundreds of hours of training…

[Marna] Go. Yes.

[narrator] …they're starting to look like pros.

Kabo and Khumo tag team, so one will do the straight line

and then another one will wait on the opposite side

of the running enclosure and keep the chase going.

They run together.

It's a beautiful vision to see the two cats

keeping pace with one another as they chase it.

Yes.

[narrator] Working together, they now regularly catch the target.

[Marna] They seem to actually have all the skills that they need.

The natural next step would now be for them

to give them the bigger space.

[purring]

[narrator] The brothers have passed their hunting tests.

Okay. One, two, three. Lift.

[narrator] So it's time for them to leave cheetah college,

and put all their skills into action in the wild.

It's another massive drive…

through the night to avoid the heat.

After 11 hours, they make it.

- Good? - Yeah.

[narrator] Now fitted with tracking collars,

the brothers will soon be released into their wild home.

They'll need to use everything they've been taught to survive.

Any cat born in captivity is completely reliant

on the people that take care of them.

We might be surrogate mothers in some people's eyes.

[hissing]

We are the only things they know.

So letting them out there is pretty much sending your first kid off to school.

It gives me goosebumps, because you know

that you've actually changed their entire future.

So it's butterflies and excitement and joy.

All right, guys. Let's do this.

[narrator] Nearly two years since they were born in captivity…

the brothers are finally free.

[majestic music playing]

[Marna] And there they go.

Opening this gate is pretty much the last thing I'm going to do for them.

Everything else now is completely up to them.

I think they're gonna be happy.

They've got each other.

[narrator] This will be their biggest challenge yet.

Cheetahs need to hunt every five days.

[music fades]

But they've never had to catch their own dinner before.

[animals chittering]

[chittering]

They're sprinters, not long-distance runners.

Ideally, they need to get within 150 feet.

[bird tweeting]

Without being spotted.

[springbok grunts]

Springbok are fast and flighty.

Timing will be everything.

[snorts]

They've blown it.

A warthog should be easier.

[warthog squeals]

But even he spots them

and gets away.

Days pass.

The brothers are getting hungry.

[animals hooting]

Unless they can learn the art of stealth…

[thunder cracks]

…they won't survive out here.

[thunder rumbles]

The brothers try a different approach.

[snarling]

Rather than chasing out in the open…

they go undercover.

Using the bushes, Kabo sneaks closer…

whilst Khumo is ready to pounce.

[yipping]

- [hooves clatter] - [rustling]

- [birds squawking] - [light growl]

After days without food, the brothers have finally made a kill.

Proof they have what it takes to survive in the wild.

[panting]

[animals chirping]

300 miles from where they were born,

today an old friend is hoping to catch up with the brothers

in their vast new home.

With the help of field guide, Craig Mushet.

So last I saw them, they were little youngsters.

- Mm? - Yeah.

It's breathtaking to have access to all of this.

If you know the places where they were born.

[Craig] Yeah.

Really looking forward to seeing those boys again.

[narrator] Using their collars, they're able to track them down.

Are they here somewhere out?

[Craig] They should be just off our one o'clock.

Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah. There we go.

[chirping]

Hello, doll.

[cooing] Hello.

Oh, look at this boy,

and he still has a little bit of blood on his face.

- [Craig] Mm. - [Petro] Look at that.

I'm so proud of these boys.

I can't tell you the feeling inside my chest.

- It's like my chest want to burst open. - [Craig chuckles]

[Petro] Can we just move out a little bit?

- Is it okay? - [Craig] Yeah. With pleasure.

So, we will just keep the door between us

- and the cheetah for obvious reasons. - Of course.

- Yeah. - But yes, no. You're welcome.

Well, at least, I'm not scared of them. [giggles]

[Craig] You know them very well by now.

Yeah, well, the question is not if I know them.

The question is if, if they would recognize me, yeah.

Hello, bubba.

Nah, I think they are completely proper wild cheetahs now.

No more, no more listening to weird old women whispering things to them.

They are just, they are the dudes now.

They've arrived.

[narrator] The brothers are the first cheetahs here for 50 years.

The world's fastest land animals are slowly making a comeback

in South Africa.

Next time…

- [yelps] - …some of the world's rarest kittens

born in a high-tech breeding center…

[person chuckles]

[chuckles]

…must prove they are wild enough…

- [man murmuring] - [chuckling]

- …to survive in the mountains of Spain. - [birds squawk]