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(hyenas barking)

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(gentle music)

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During the Pleistocene Age

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much of the earth's land was covered

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by short, grass steps, including Africa.

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Huge herds of prey were laid bare

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for a host of hunters.

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(suspenseful music)

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The fearsome Sabertooth Megantereon

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with its enormous fangs lay in ambush.

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(suspenseful music)

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Two species of hyenas tested the herds

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for signs of weakness.

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(suspenseful music)

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Jagged toothed Homotherium, pack hunting Sabertooths,

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were rampant across the world.

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From Africa to the Americas.

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(suspenseful music)

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They were after something big.

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Really big.

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Like a young, straight tusked elephant.

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(suspenseful music)

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(elephant wailing)

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For millions of years, the Sabertooths and hyenas

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have been the world's top land predators.

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But new forces threaten the old order

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with skills the planet had never seen before.

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Big cats.

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(suspenseful music)

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Every species of Sabertooth vanished.

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Almost all the big cats survived.

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Why them?

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What's their story?

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Which unique adaptations gave the big cats the edge

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in this battle for survival?

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We go back in time to when lions

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were just beginning their ascent

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to discover how they conquered the world

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and how the tiger became

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the real king of the jungle.

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(suspenseful music)

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1.8 million years ago,

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there was a newcomer on the scene.

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A predator with completely different tactics

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to anything that had gone before.

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A hunter that brought new abilities

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to a competitive world.

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The lion.

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It's body was designed for power and acceleration

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with huge muscles on his haunches.

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The main competition for lions at the time

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were the cat-like Sabertooths.

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Their power was front loaded with massive neck muscles

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to drive formidable canines into prey.

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Megantereon was smaller than a male lion

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but with those teeth,

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was a dangerous adversary.

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Homotherium was the same size as the lion

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although it's serrated fangs were shorter,

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it too was a force to be reckoned with.

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These extinct animals are commonly called cats.

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But they separated from the cats we know today

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millions of years ago and are actually quite different.

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in the Pleistocene, all three species shared these plains

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but lions outlived the others and went on

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to dominate the globe.

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For more clues as to what gave them the edge

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in this world of deadly predators,

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we can look at the behavior of modern lions.

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Lions are the most social of all cats.

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(purring)

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They can live in large prides of up to 35

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including adult males,

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related females and their cubs.

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(gentle music)

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Close physical contact strengthens bonds

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within the pride

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and makes them smell the same.

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Together, they can share the rearing of cubs,

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kills and defense against predators.

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(suspenseful music)

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This teamwork was perhaps one ability

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that helped lions survive alongside

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their prehistoric rivals.

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The social Homotherium and hyenas.

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So how did the lion gain a competitive advantage?

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Lions today are almost completely nocturnal

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as they most probably were in the past.

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And it's their night hunting

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which perhaps holds the key to their survival

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into the present day.

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At dusk, lion prides head out onto the plains

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led by the most experienced females.

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With specialist filming techniques,

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we can see what's going on after dark.

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Infrared light and heat sensitive cameras

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reveal rarely seen behavior.

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(suspenseful music)

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These lions may look as if they're out for a stroll,

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but they're hunting.

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Alert to every sound.

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(suspenseful music)

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Their knowledge of the terrain

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and highly tuned senses will be key

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in helping them pinpoint their prey.

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They'll need to catch something bigger than a gazelle

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to feed the whole pride.

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Not this big.

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When hippos are angry, they're very dangerous

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and could easily kill a lion.

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(suspenseful music)

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Wildebeest are what they're after.

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On dark nights, they huddle together for safety.

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They don't make a sound.

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The lions can't hear them

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and they're too far away to see them.

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But they can smell them.

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(suspenseful music)

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The pride spreads out and encircles the herd.

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Two sisters team up.

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(suspenseful music)

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They're completely focused and in sync.

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(suspenseful music)

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They separate and flank the Wildebeest

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who are completely unaware of their presence.

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Without infrared light or heat sensitive cameras,

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this lioness's countershaded body

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is extremely hard to see.

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From where the Wildebeest are sitting,

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they have no chance of seeing her at all.

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To humanize, only the stars would be visible.

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Lion eyes are eight times more sensitive than our own.

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This is dark.

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The kind of hunting lions are designed for.

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One lioness takes the wing.

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The other silently moves right into the middle

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of the herd.

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During the day on open plains,

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they'd never get this close.

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(suspenseful music)

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The winger gets the herd moving.

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(suspenseful music)

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The one in the center bides her time.

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From her low vantage point,

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she can see the animals clearly against the sky.

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Like most cats, lions have lots

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of very fast twitch muscles for short,

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sharp bursts of speed but are low on endurance.

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Timing is critical.

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(suspenseful music)

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That was a close call for the Wildebeest.

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The lions will continue

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for as long as it takes.

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(roaring)

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The matriarch lets the rest of the pride know

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it's time to regroup.

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(roaring)

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This is how a big pride stays together in the dark.

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The roar can be heard over eight kilometers away.

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(suspenseful music)

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They wait and smell the air.

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(suspenseful music)

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They've located another herd.

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(suspenseful music)

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Again, one lioness creates panic in the herd.

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But they're completely unaware of her accomplice.

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(suspenseful music)

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She uses her strong canines and vise-like grip

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to administer a suffocating bite

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to the Wildebeest's throat.

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By killing her prey silently,

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she's less likely to alert rival predators.

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Although one lioness brought down this 200 kilo Wildebeest,

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it was a group effort.

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During the Pleistocene,

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team tactics would have been crucial

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for defense against Sabertooths.

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Lions would have certainly come into conflict

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with the ferocious Megantereon.

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This Sabertooth with its long teeth

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could perhaps kill one lion.

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But not a pride.

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(suspenseful music)

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(growling)

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(suspenseful music)

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Taking on a pack of Homotherium

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would have been more of a challenge for lions.

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However, analysis of Homotherium's eyes

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and brain structure from fossil skulls

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suggests they were daytime hunters.

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Which is perhaps why lions chose the night

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for most of their hunting.

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(growling)

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For lions today,

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the night still offers no respite from another pack animal.

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Lion's ancient nemesis, the spotted hyena.

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(hyenas growling)

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They're aggravated.

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The lions have invaded their patch

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and chased the prey away.

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When the male lions aren't around,

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the hyena's, Africa's second largest carnivore,

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intimidate the lionesses.

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(hyenas laughing)

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The adult females do their best

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to keep the intruders at bay.

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But there are enough hyenas here

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to overpower them.

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They'll kill cubs if they get the chance.

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(suspenseful music)

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In the Pleistocene, hyenas would have been

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a serious threat to lions as they are now.

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It could be that both species

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needed to be social just to deal

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with each other.

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(suspenseful music)

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One of the males turns up.

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(suspenseful music)

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His brother provides back up.

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Male lions won't hesitate to try and kill a hyena.

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And the hyenas know it.

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If it wasn't for teamwork,

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the cubs might be dead.

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The pride can now feed in peace.

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Lions can eat as much as 30 kilos a night.

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But even the king of the beasts

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is willing to share his meal.

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The pride is in high spirits.

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(lions growling)

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(gentle music)

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(birds chirping)

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With its social nature and the ability

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to hunt at night, the lion was able

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to find its own niche alongside prehistoric competitors.

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Its first step in becoming the master of the plains

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that we know today.

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But even a pride can be overpowered.

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(suspenseful music)

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In times gone by, elephants would have lived in fear

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of Homotherium and developed an enduring hatred

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for large cat-like animals.

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(jungle music)

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(elephant roaring)

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Once there was several species of elephants

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roaming these plains, keeping the grasslands open.

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There's just one species left.

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A survivor of turbulent times.

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In the crucible of evolution that was

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the African plains of the past,

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the lion's next test was about to begin.

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There was another predator just emerging.

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Like the lion, it would change

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the history of the earth.

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And in the end, would challenge

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all big cats for supremacy.

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Homo erectus.

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The first species of human to hunt large prey.

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These early humans were implicated in wiping out

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at least three species of elephant in Africa

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and many other large mammals that were crucially

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the prey of Homotherium.

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In Africa, the age of the Sabertooths

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was coming to an end.

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Humans were replacing them.

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Yet lions managed to live alongside

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these early people.

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Being wary and nocturnal

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may well have helped them avoid conflict.

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Around 1.7 million years ago,

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early human hunters expanded their range

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outside Africa into Southern Europe and Asia.

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Almost a million years later,

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lions finally followed them, crossing the Sahara

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during a green spell.

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Europe and Asia became the lion's new home from home

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and soon they had spread from Spain

277
00:23:52,860 --> 00:23:54,503
all the way to Japan.

278
00:23:58,230 --> 00:24:01,180
Despite their neo global domination,

279
00:24:01,180 --> 00:24:02,990
there were large parts of South

280
00:24:02,990 --> 00:24:06,743
and East Asia that were out of bounds for lions.

281
00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,580
Lions may have ruled the plains

282
00:24:14,580 --> 00:24:17,153
but they were never the king of the jungle.

283
00:24:19,950 --> 00:24:22,723
That crown belongs to another cat.

284
00:24:26,470 --> 00:24:28,560
Weight for weight, it was as strong

285
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:30,223
and powerful as a lion.

286
00:24:34,990 --> 00:24:37,403
While a pride could transit in the open,

287
00:24:39,910 --> 00:24:43,310
this solitary cat preferred to stay in cover

288
00:24:45,190 --> 00:24:48,513
in the forests and tall grasslands of Asia.

289
00:24:51,930 --> 00:24:54,153
This was the tiger.

290
00:25:00,454 --> 00:25:03,037
(gentle music)

291
00:25:03,994 --> 00:25:05,760
In the depths of the ice ages,

292
00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:08,160
the plains and frozen savannas

293
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:10,083
were crowded with large mammals.

294
00:25:13,041 --> 00:25:16,440
(horses exhaling)

295
00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:21,440
Rhinos, mammoths, wizzant, and auros.

296
00:25:22,390 --> 00:25:26,310
Potential prey of both lions and tigers.

297
00:25:26,310 --> 00:25:29,093
All have defensive horns and tusks.

298
00:25:30,350 --> 00:25:32,460
Once used against Sabertooths

299
00:25:32,460 --> 00:25:35,263
were now needed against these two cats.

300
00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:39,730
With the Sabertooths gone,

301
00:25:39,730 --> 00:25:43,573
the lion and the tiger became Asia's top predators.

302
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,573
One perfectly adapted to the open plains,

303
00:25:51,778 --> 00:25:55,217
and the other to forests and tall grasslands.

304
00:26:05,630 --> 00:26:09,640
Today, tigers are still found in these places

305
00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,000
but here, in the Russian far east,

306
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:13,543
prey is now scarce.

307
00:26:14,820 --> 00:26:16,980
The huge herds have gone

308
00:26:16,980 --> 00:26:18,223
as has the lion.

309
00:26:19,290 --> 00:26:22,900
The tigers now have to wander vast distances

310
00:26:24,130 --> 00:26:25,523
in search of a meal.

311
00:26:33,830 --> 00:26:37,263
But when they see prey, they take no chances.

312
00:26:39,140 --> 00:26:42,363
The tiger is a master of stealth.

313
00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,400
Unlike the lion, it has more endurance muscle

314
00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:53,053
which means it can last longer in a chase.

315
00:26:54,048 --> 00:26:57,048
(suspenseful music)

316
00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:15,533
And when tigers catch something, they eat all of it.

317
00:27:16,500 --> 00:27:20,273
Putting away a fifth of their body weight in 24 hours.

318
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,210
This stability to cope with feast and famine

319
00:27:26,210 --> 00:27:28,600
is a trait that all can't share

320
00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,770
and would have given tigers a competitive edge

321
00:27:31,770 --> 00:27:33,493
in the prehistoric world.

322
00:27:38,430 --> 00:27:41,110
Today, the Russian far east is at the edge

323
00:27:41,110 --> 00:27:43,780
of their modern range, but it's thought

324
00:27:43,780 --> 00:27:47,220
the tigers started life somewhere in China

325
00:27:47,220 --> 00:27:49,970
and by 1.6 million years ago,

326
00:27:49,970 --> 00:27:51,840
it had spread south into

327
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:55,200
a now submerged place called Sundaland

328
00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,443
and on to the islands of Java and Sumatra.

329
00:28:00,210 --> 00:28:02,690
It went as far west as Turkey

330
00:28:02,690 --> 00:28:06,733
and to the far east all the way to Baringa and Japan.

331
00:28:08,450 --> 00:28:10,970
Asia was the tiger's heartland

332
00:28:11,987 --> 00:28:13,890
and vast waves of it

333
00:28:13,890 --> 00:28:16,583
were covered by tall grass savanna.

334
00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:22,270
There is a place at the edge of the Himalayas

335
00:28:22,270 --> 00:28:25,803
that closely resembles the tiger's prehistoric world.

336
00:28:27,510 --> 00:28:31,030
This landscape, known as the Terai,

337
00:28:31,030 --> 00:28:33,890
is home to the densest population of tigers

338
00:28:33,890 --> 00:28:34,973
in the world.

339
00:28:42,890 --> 00:28:45,513
It's a land of giants.

340
00:28:46,706 --> 00:28:49,289
(gentle music)

341
00:28:52,837 --> 00:28:55,600
(water splashing)

342
00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:58,063
Herds of elephants still roam here.

343
00:29:01,070 --> 00:29:03,083
The world's second largest rhino.

344
00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:08,433
The world's largest buffalo.

345
00:29:11,410 --> 00:29:13,193
And heaviest wild cattle.

346
00:29:14,690 --> 00:29:17,090
All equipped to defend themselves

347
00:29:17,090 --> 00:29:19,960
against the largest living cat.

348
00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,033
If they can see it, before it seems them.

349
00:29:30,870 --> 00:29:34,190
By looking at how modern tigers live here today,

350
00:29:34,190 --> 00:29:36,960
we can discover more about how they've managed

351
00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:38,310
to survive the Pleistocene.

352
00:29:44,441 --> 00:29:46,990
And even though there are many here,

353
00:29:46,990 --> 00:29:48,053
you wouldn't know it.

354
00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,090
The highly secretive Bengal tiger

355
00:29:52,090 --> 00:29:54,013
is perfectly camouflaged.

356
00:29:56,100 --> 00:29:58,640
Out of 40 species of wild cat,

357
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,503
the tiger is the only one with stripes.

358
00:30:02,810 --> 00:30:05,410
Perhaps a unique adaptation for living

359
00:30:05,410 --> 00:30:07,253
in these tall grass lands.

360
00:30:09,743 --> 00:30:12,493
(birds chirping)

361
00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:22,273
Much of the wildlife here congregates around water.

362
00:30:29,303 --> 00:30:30,720
A place to drink.

363
00:30:32,707 --> 00:30:33,773
Feed.

364
00:30:36,730 --> 00:30:38,713
And cool down in the hot sun.

365
00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,220
The one horned rhino's folded skin

366
00:30:46,220 --> 00:30:48,660
over four centimeters thick

367
00:30:48,660 --> 00:30:49,933
helps it to keep cool.

368
00:30:50,870 --> 00:30:52,670
It may have also evolved as

369
00:30:52,670 --> 00:30:54,963
a defense against Sabertooths.

370
00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:03,343
The crocodile has thick skin too.

371
00:31:05,450 --> 00:31:08,570
But instead, this cold blooded predator

372
00:31:08,570 --> 00:31:11,903
basks on the banks to raise its body temperature.

373
00:31:16,010 --> 00:31:18,150
Cheeky smooth coated otters

374
00:31:18,150 --> 00:31:20,030
use their strength in numbers

375
00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:23,083
to pester this deadly reptile.

376
00:31:30,060 --> 00:31:33,773
Even the rhinos appear aggravated by the otters' antics.

377
00:31:36,792 --> 00:31:39,375
(gentle music)

378
00:31:47,284 --> 00:31:50,314
(birds chirping)

379
00:31:50,314 --> 00:31:53,314
(monkeys screaming)

380
00:31:54,921 --> 00:31:56,370
There's an air of nervousness

381
00:31:56,370 --> 00:31:58,563
when the tall predator makes an appearance.

382
00:32:02,571 --> 00:32:05,571
(suspenseful music)

383
00:32:17,180 --> 00:32:20,413
Only a young bull elephant seems unphased.

384
00:32:23,650 --> 00:32:26,650
(suspenseful music)

385
00:32:41,850 --> 00:32:44,680
Tigers also come here to drink and rest

386
00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:45,893
in the heat of the day.

387
00:32:49,980 --> 00:32:52,530
But they won't turn down the chance of a meal

388
00:32:52,530 --> 00:32:54,223
if something comes their way.

389
00:32:55,610 --> 00:32:58,133
An otter would make a tasty snack.

390
00:33:07,425 --> 00:33:09,425
These are much too wary.

391
00:33:14,270 --> 00:33:16,863
A mongoose shows less caution.

392
00:33:23,513 --> 00:33:26,513
(suspenseful music)

393
00:33:41,930 --> 00:33:44,980
Another tiger, possibly her sister,

394
00:33:44,980 --> 00:33:47,573
is keen to share the meager remains.

395
00:33:56,128 --> 00:33:58,961
(tigers growling)

396
00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:04,630
But there's clearly not enough for two of them.

397
00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:11,430
(tiger growling)

398
00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:16,883
She'll have to make her own kill.

399
00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:25,093
Tall grasslands are hard places to live in.

400
00:34:26,350 --> 00:34:28,790
With so many dangerous animals

401
00:34:28,790 --> 00:34:32,510
and so little viability, predator and prey

402
00:34:32,510 --> 00:34:34,433
have to be constantly vigilant.

403
00:34:37,100 --> 00:34:40,130
Tigers are able to travel around more easily

404
00:34:40,130 --> 00:34:42,540
by using paths that have been created

405
00:34:42,540 --> 00:34:44,343
by rhinos and elephants.

406
00:34:47,429 --> 00:34:50,012
(gentle music)

407
00:34:51,570 --> 00:34:54,130
From the air, you can see just how vast

408
00:34:54,130 --> 00:34:56,187
these networks of trails are.

409
00:35:04,260 --> 00:35:07,093
(birds squawking)

410
00:35:15,016 --> 00:35:17,290
(suspenseful music)

411
00:35:17,290 --> 00:35:19,960
Being surrounded by a wall of grass

412
00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:21,933
makes navigation difficult.

413
00:35:24,660 --> 00:35:26,680
But researchers tracking the movements

414
00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:29,730
of tigers realize they must have a mental map

415
00:35:29,730 --> 00:35:30,983
of their environment.

416
00:35:36,450 --> 00:35:39,360
This adult female has a home range

417
00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:41,853
of about 25 square kilometers.

418
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,630
She'll know every feature within it

419
00:35:47,630 --> 00:35:50,330
and regularly scent mark trees and bushes

420
00:35:50,330 --> 00:35:53,693
to let others know this is her domain.

421
00:35:55,283 --> 00:35:58,283
(suspenseful music)

422
00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:06,320
She's just one of the females

423
00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:09,293
that live within this dominant males territory.

424
00:36:13,050 --> 00:36:15,550
The tigers in this part of the Terai

425
00:36:15,550 --> 00:36:17,160
live in high densities

426
00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:22,283
because of the abundance of prey.

427
00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:30,960
The fading light of dusk

428
00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:33,243
is a favorite time for tigers to hunt.

429
00:36:37,690 --> 00:36:41,250
These hefty Gawa, once the prey of Sabertooths

430
00:36:41,250 --> 00:36:43,123
are now on the tiger's menu.

431
00:36:45,260 --> 00:36:47,750
At five times this male's weight,

432
00:36:47,750 --> 00:36:50,423
it's hard to imagine how a tiger could take one on.

433
00:36:56,476 --> 00:36:59,476
(suspenseful music)

434
00:37:11,300 --> 00:37:13,620
But of all the cats, the tiger has

435
00:37:13,620 --> 00:37:16,299
the strength and power to bring one down

436
00:37:16,299 --> 00:37:18,193
with minimal struggle.

437
00:37:19,130 --> 00:37:22,293
Something a lion would find hard to do single handedly.

438
00:37:25,490 --> 00:37:28,640
This tall grassland habitat isn't a place

439
00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,393
a lion pride could live or hunt in either.

440
00:37:33,410 --> 00:37:35,950
But like the lion, it's possible the tiger

441
00:37:35,950 --> 00:37:39,210
became a night hunter to avoid competition

442
00:37:39,210 --> 00:37:43,300
from prehistoric predators like Sabertooths

443
00:37:43,300 --> 00:37:44,643
and early humans.

444
00:37:50,220 --> 00:37:53,213
Hunting at night is now the tiger's specialty.

445
00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:00,550
And with sophisticated night vision cameras,

446
00:38:00,550 --> 00:38:03,550
we're able to capture rare images of tigers

447
00:38:03,550 --> 00:38:05,263
that wouldn't normally be visible.

448
00:38:07,090 --> 00:38:10,990
This young female, around 2 1/2 years old,

449
00:38:10,990 --> 00:38:13,503
is on the cusp of becoming independent.

450
00:38:15,310 --> 00:38:17,260
She's still living within in the safety

451
00:38:17,260 --> 00:38:20,620
of her mother's territory and learning to perfect

452
00:38:20,620 --> 00:38:22,187
the skills of a hunter.

453
00:38:26,770 --> 00:38:29,070
She uses the well worn animal trails

454
00:38:29,070 --> 00:38:31,683
to move quickly and silently.

455
00:38:38,060 --> 00:38:40,253
Rhinos can smell where she's been.

456
00:38:53,410 --> 00:38:55,250
In the light of a full moon,

457
00:38:55,250 --> 00:38:58,543
the biggest challenge is to avoid being spotted.

458
00:38:59,638 --> 00:39:02,221
(deer barking)

459
00:39:03,300 --> 00:39:06,483
The deer favor grazing in the open areas.

460
00:39:09,030 --> 00:39:11,080
From our high vantage point,

461
00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:12,970
we can easily see them.

462
00:39:12,970 --> 00:39:15,750
But from eye level, even the thinnest grass

463
00:39:15,750 --> 00:39:17,683
obscures almost everything.

464
00:39:20,590 --> 00:39:24,023
Any glimpse of a tiger and the deer call.

465
00:39:25,013 --> 00:39:27,596
(deer barking)

466
00:39:31,010 --> 00:39:33,240
She knows she has no chance here.

467
00:39:35,434 --> 00:39:38,300
(suspenseful music)

468
00:39:38,300 --> 00:39:41,453
She stands her best chance on a starry night.

469
00:39:44,196 --> 00:39:46,779
(deer barking)

470
00:39:49,357 --> 00:39:51,860
Without the light of the moon,

471
00:39:51,860 --> 00:39:53,363
she has the upper hand.

472
00:39:55,240 --> 00:39:58,800
Now only infrared and thermal cameras

473
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:01,203
allow us to see what happens.

474
00:40:07,711 --> 00:40:10,711
(suspenseful music)

475
00:40:11,810 --> 00:40:15,160
But the tiger will have to use all of her senses

476
00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:16,723
to gauge where the deer are.

477
00:40:18,270 --> 00:40:21,020
Relying on her hearing to track prey down

478
00:40:21,020 --> 00:40:21,933
until she's close.

479
00:40:25,622 --> 00:40:28,622
(suspenseful music)

480
00:40:32,190 --> 00:40:33,613
Wherever the deer go,

481
00:40:37,670 --> 00:40:39,053
the tiger follows.

482
00:40:41,365 --> 00:40:44,365
(suspenseful music)

483
00:40:46,380 --> 00:40:48,610
Crocodile infested rivers

484
00:40:48,610 --> 00:40:49,643
are no barrier.

485
00:40:51,453 --> 00:40:54,453
(suspenseful music)

486
00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:04,300
In the pitch black, the tiger has scent, sound,

487
00:41:04,300 --> 00:41:06,203
and her mental map to guide her.

488
00:41:08,585 --> 00:41:11,168
(gentle music)

489
00:41:19,061 --> 00:41:21,811
(birds chirping)

490
00:41:29,430 --> 00:41:32,010
These deer know this is tiger country

491
00:41:32,010 --> 00:41:33,823
and can never fully relax.

492
00:41:41,750 --> 00:41:44,167
She can't see far in the long grass

493
00:41:44,167 --> 00:41:46,840
so has to rely on her hearing,

494
00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:48,763
the most acute of her senses.

495
00:41:51,632 --> 00:41:54,215
(deer barking)

496
00:41:55,076 --> 00:41:57,730
(birds chirping)

497
00:41:57,730 --> 00:41:59,770
Her hearing is so sensitive

498
00:41:59,770 --> 00:42:01,970
that she can pick up the faintest echo

499
00:42:01,970 --> 00:42:03,553
of her own footsteps.

500
00:42:04,390 --> 00:42:06,920
It's possible she uses this information

501
00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:08,920
as a kind of echo location

502
00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:11,623
to gauge the distance of the objects around her.

503
00:42:15,560 --> 00:42:19,143
Her ears rotate to pick up the slightest sound.

504
00:42:33,230 --> 00:42:35,913
It's crucial she stay silent too.

505
00:42:39,197 --> 00:42:42,030
(grass crunching)

506
00:42:43,350 --> 00:42:44,500
One wrong move

507
00:42:45,490 --> 00:42:46,713
and her cover is blown.

508
00:42:47,781 --> 00:42:50,364
(deer barking)

509
00:42:59,960 --> 00:43:03,500
These rare images capture how the deer respond

510
00:43:03,500 --> 00:43:05,480
to the tiger's presence

511
00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:07,753
barking warning calls loud and clear.

512
00:43:09,588 --> 00:43:12,171
(deer barking)

513
00:43:22,961 --> 00:43:25,961
(suspenseful music)

514
00:43:27,770 --> 00:43:29,983
The tiger retreats into the long grass.

515
00:43:36,240 --> 00:43:38,263
She's completely invisible now.

516
00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:42,703
(gentle music)

517
00:43:47,740 --> 00:43:50,613
And waits for the animals to settle down.

518
00:44:04,310 --> 00:44:06,853
The tiger can hear some deer nearby.

519
00:44:08,592 --> 00:44:11,592
(suspenseful music)

520
00:44:23,692 --> 00:44:26,301
(animals screaming)

521
00:44:26,301 --> 00:44:28,280
(deer barking)

522
00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:31,280
(suspenseful music)

523
00:44:39,918 --> 00:44:42,501
(deer barking)

524
00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:46,923
This time, she won't go hungry.

525
00:44:48,061 --> 00:44:50,644
(deer barking)

526
00:44:56,638 --> 00:44:59,221
(gentle music)

527
00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:07,670
Tigers survived a series of extinctions

528
00:45:07,670 --> 00:45:10,140
during the Pleistocene that saw the demise

529
00:45:10,140 --> 00:45:13,700
of the Sabertooths and many other large animals,

530
00:45:13,700 --> 00:45:15,810
perhaps simply because they learned

531
00:45:15,810 --> 00:45:19,053
to hide from early humans and hunted at night.

532
00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:27,400
At the height of their power,

533
00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:29,900
several hundreds of thousands of tigers

534
00:45:29,900 --> 00:45:31,703
would have roamed across Asia.

535
00:45:34,637 --> 00:45:37,220
(upbeat music)

536
00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:46,210
But while the tiger was securing its place

537
00:45:46,210 --> 00:45:48,380
in Eastern and Southern Asia,

538
00:45:48,380 --> 00:45:52,093
lions were following the open plains northwards.

539
00:45:53,773 --> 00:45:56,356
(upbeat music)

540
00:45:57,340 --> 00:45:59,653
And cross the Bearing land bridge,

541
00:46:01,750 --> 00:46:05,550
by 340,000 years ago, they were spreading

542
00:46:05,550 --> 00:46:07,583
from North to South America.

543
00:46:09,801 --> 00:46:12,384
(gentle music)

544
00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:20,120
In the Americas, the lion came face-to-face

545
00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:23,633
with some old enemies, Homotherium.

546
00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:26,900
Although this Sabertooth had long gone

547
00:46:26,900 --> 00:46:31,100
from Africa and Asia, it was still thriving here

548
00:46:31,100 --> 00:46:33,833
and it lived alongside a monster Sabertooth.

549
00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:36,153
Smilodon.

550
00:46:39,763 --> 00:46:42,430
(lion growling)

551
00:46:43,300 --> 00:46:47,950
Twice the size of its extinct ancestor, Megantereon,

552
00:46:47,950 --> 00:46:49,823
and with even longer fangs,

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perhaps competition with Smilodon

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00:46:54,510 --> 00:46:56,370
is why the American lion became

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00:46:56,370 --> 00:46:58,520
the biggest big cat ever,

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00:46:58,520 --> 00:47:00,973
weighting up to 400 kilos.

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00:47:05,090 --> 00:47:09,150
Incredibly, these three terrifying species

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00:47:09,150 --> 00:47:12,210
managed to co-exist for hundreds of thousands of years

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sharing the bounty of prey on offer.

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00:47:20,814 --> 00:47:23,960
(upbeat music)

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00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:26,480
Across the world, wherever the lion

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00:47:26,480 --> 00:47:29,580
was surrounded by other powerful predators,

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00:47:29,580 --> 00:47:32,000
it was its ability to hunt at night

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00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:34,870
and strong social bonds that were key

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00:47:34,870 --> 00:47:35,943
to its survival.

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(upbeat music)

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00:47:43,400 --> 00:47:45,950
Now with the lion and tiger distributed

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00:47:45,950 --> 00:47:47,491
across the globe,

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this really was the age of big cats.

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00:47:52,727 --> 00:47:55,310
(upbeat music)

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00:48:02,230 --> 00:48:04,633
But their reign would not last forever.

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00:48:07,460 --> 00:48:09,790
Around 60,000 years ago,

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00:48:09,790 --> 00:48:12,360
a new force emerged out of Africa

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00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:13,713
and swept the globe.

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00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:17,243
Homo sapiens.

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00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:22,300
By the time these cave paintings

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00:48:22,300 --> 00:48:25,110
of lions were made in Ice Age fronts,

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00:48:25,110 --> 00:48:28,910
modern humans were just establishing their supremacy

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in the frozen north.

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00:48:31,890 --> 00:48:33,650
Whatever the primal thoughts behind

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these striking images fear or even reverence,

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one thing seems certain:

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the lives of these two social predators

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have been interlinked for a very long time.

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00:48:49,410 --> 00:48:51,993
(upbeat music)

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00:48:53,260 --> 00:48:57,670
Today lions and tigers face an uncertain future

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00:48:57,670 --> 00:48:59,493
in this human dominated era.

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00:49:01,100 --> 00:49:03,433
(whistling)

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00:49:05,900 --> 00:49:08,320
During the golden age of big cats,

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00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:10,743
lions and tigers covered the globe.

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00:49:12,820 --> 00:49:15,113
But this age has long gone.

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00:49:16,560 --> 00:49:19,770
Now there are less than 20,000 lions

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00:49:20,630 --> 00:49:23,203
and fewer than 4,000 tigers.

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00:49:28,810 --> 00:49:31,030
The last remaining populations

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00:49:31,030 --> 00:49:34,593
are mainly confined to national parks and reserves.

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00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:39,460
If we want to share a future with big cats,

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00:49:39,460 --> 00:49:41,763
they need prey and space to roam.

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00:49:44,294 --> 00:49:46,877
(upbeat music)

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Areas like the Masai Mara and Serengeti

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00:49:54,150 --> 00:49:56,543
are the lion's last strongholds.

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00:49:57,590 --> 00:50:00,440
These rich, green pastures plump from

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00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:01,970
the seasonal rains,

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00:50:01,970 --> 00:50:04,503
have always attracted massive herds.

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00:50:11,780 --> 00:50:15,230
During the rainy season, it's a time of plenty.

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00:50:15,230 --> 00:50:17,930
A good start in life for the youngest members

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00:50:17,930 --> 00:50:18,763
of the pride.

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00:50:21,690 --> 00:50:23,560
They practice their hunting skills

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00:50:23,560 --> 00:50:24,710
on anything that moves.

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00:50:26,479 --> 00:50:29,062
(upbeat music)

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00:50:40,780 --> 00:50:43,640
Like all big cats, they'll need to rely

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00:50:43,640 --> 00:50:45,910
on every skill they possess

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00:50:45,910 --> 00:50:48,283
to survive in this changing world.

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(upbeat music)