1
00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,599
Five tiny male cubs,
just a few weeks old.

2
00:00:11,239 --> 00:00:14,319
Destined to be mighty hunters
in the Masai Mara.

3
00:00:15,839 --> 00:00:18,720
Years later, driven mad by hunger.

4
00:00:19,559 --> 00:00:22,480
The strongest male
kills one of his sisters.

5
00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,879
Violence is ever-present
in their lives.

6
00:00:32,919 --> 00:00:35,160
The five brothers take over a pride.

7
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,080
Family relations are never simple.

8
00:00:45,279 --> 00:00:48,839
The annual wildebeest migration
eases their hunger.

9
00:00:53,559 --> 00:00:55,160
But here

10
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,080
nothing comes easy.

11
00:01:14,519 --> 00:01:16,680
At four years old, five brothers

12
00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,800
patrol their territory
in the Mara Reserve.

13
00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:24,160
This is Olomina.

14
00:01:25,519 --> 00:01:28,400
A leg wound when young
left him with a limp.

15
00:01:31,639 --> 00:01:33,400
Olosiadu:

16
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:34,959
cautious,

17
00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:36,519
quiet,

18
00:01:36,599 --> 00:01:38,080
reserved.

19
00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:43,959
Lorkulup.

20
00:01:44,879 --> 00:01:46,720
A hoof broke his nose.

21
00:01:47,279 --> 00:01:49,000
Now it never stops running.

22
00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:54,879
The hunter.

23
00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:56,959
Orpadan.

24
00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:01,599
Always out in front.
First at the prey. A true fighter.

25
00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:05,080
Beside him:

26
00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:06,879
Oloborr.

27
00:02:06,959 --> 00:02:10,360
Sibling-killer.
Unchallenged clan chief.

28
00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,080
Aggressive, ruthless, reckless.

29
00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,760
The Mara reserve is in Kenya,
along its border with Tanzania.

30
00:02:29,199 --> 00:02:32,000
It's the northern extension
of the Serengeti.

31
00:02:37,199 --> 00:02:39,760
This is where
the five brothers have settled

32
00:02:39,839 --> 00:02:41,440
after years of wandering:

33
00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,839
the narrow Rongai River.

34
00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,120
Now, at the end of June,
there are few prey animals here,

35
00:02:54,199 --> 00:02:55,800
except buffalo.

36
00:03:06,279 --> 00:03:09,319
Oloborr, the chief,
has almost recovered

37
00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,800
from a mauling
by neighbouring males.

38
00:03:13,599 --> 00:03:16,279
With Orpadan,
he shadows the buffalo herd,

39
00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,440
looking for isolated animals.

40
00:03:20,599 --> 00:03:22,760
If the buffalo stay close together,

41
00:03:22,839 --> 00:03:25,760
the lions will never
reach the weaker calves.

42
00:03:44,919 --> 00:03:46,680
After hours of waiting,

43
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,720
they try a fake attack
to scatter the herd.

44
00:04:00,559 --> 00:04:02,440
But the buffalo know what to do.

45
00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:04,879
They turn the tables.

46
00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,360
It's a tough time for the lions.

47
00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,559
Hardly any prey animals worth
pursuing, apart from the buffalo.

48
00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,160
The five brothers
command a territory

49
00:04:41,239 --> 00:04:43,239
that belongs to three lionesses,

50
00:04:43,319 --> 00:04:46,279
who themselves wrested it
from other lionesses,

51
00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,720
defending it for years
against female competition.

52
00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,639
They are the actual owners.

53
00:05:01,959 --> 00:05:05,400
The males only maintain
their claim on the females

54
00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,720
and keep other males at bay.

55
00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,239
That's what they need
their mass and their muscles for.

56
00:05:11,319 --> 00:05:13,919
As hunters,
they're really only effective

57
00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,959
against bigger and slower prey.

58
00:05:19,519 --> 00:05:23,480
June brings the first zebra herds
into their territory.

59
00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,000
For them,
the tough, tall grass is perfect.

60
00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,239
They're a welcome sight,
and now the new lion lords

61
00:05:37,319 --> 00:05:40,040
are more than happy
to defer to their ladies.

62
00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,080
At last, an alternative
to the dangerous buffalo.

63
00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,120
The slight, streamlined lionesses

64
00:05:51,199 --> 00:05:53,800
are far more agile
than the bulky males.

65
00:06:04,239 --> 00:06:06,720
So it's not just laziness
when the males

66
00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,360
leave this kind of work
to the females.

67
00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,239
Even in the long grass
it would be hard

68
00:06:20,319 --> 00:06:23,440
for a fully-grown male
to creep up on the prey.

69
00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:31,080
A lioness sneaks to within meters
of an unsuspecting zebra.

70
00:06:37,599 --> 00:06:41,839
About ten meters,
perfect range for a surprise attack.

71
00:06:47,599 --> 00:06:50,919
And the zebra
has absolutely no idea.

72
00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,160
The females aren't
just doing the work.

73
00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:12,559
They're taking the risks, too.

74
00:07:18,639 --> 00:07:21,160
Accurate kicks break bones.

75
00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,599
The black-shouldered kites
have seen it all before.

76
00:08:06,919 --> 00:08:09,279
They have something else
on their mind.

77
00:08:14,199 --> 00:08:16,720
This couple have
only just come together.

78
00:08:20,239 --> 00:08:24,599
In this first phase of courtship,
aerobatics are a display of fitness.

79
00:08:27,279 --> 00:08:30,360
As each seeks a partner
to bring up a family.

80
00:08:48,239 --> 00:08:51,519
In June, fires blaze
through the grassland.

81
00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,080
They were started by Park Rangers,

82
00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,720
to burn up the tough, stringy grass
and encourage fresh, new growth.

83
00:09:16,519 --> 00:09:18,440
Still damp at this time of year,

84
00:09:18,519 --> 00:09:22,279
the vegetation releases
great clouds of smoke and steam.

85
00:09:56,639 --> 00:10:01,000
When fires are set responsibly,
there's little damage to the land.

86
00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,480
In fact,
they make for better grazing,

87
00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:05,040
at least for a while.

88
00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,120
But at the same time it's a gamble.

89
00:10:08,199 --> 00:10:11,959
New growth only appears
if new rains come on time.

90
00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,919
When the rains are late
it's hard for the herbivores.

91
00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,000
Then, square kilometers
of earth are covered in ash,

92
00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,040
and there's no food, for anyone.

93
00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:46,279
When the buffalo move on,
the lions must follow their prey.

94
00:10:49,919 --> 00:10:53,120
In a situation like this
the choice is unattractive:

95
00:10:53,199 --> 00:10:55,199
starve where they are ...

96
00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,639
... or risk trespassing
on others territory.

97
00:11:01,879 --> 00:11:03,800
The serval, too, has a problem:

98
00:11:03,879 --> 00:11:07,440
even hunting mice
is difficult in these conditions.

99
00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,959
Everyone is waiting for the rains.

100
00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:29,959
As soon as they come,
the first shoots force their way up

101
00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:32,559
between the red-scorched
ebony bushes.

102
00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:36,959
The land transforms
into a patchwork:

103
00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:40,720
Newly verdant burned areas,
next to yellow fields

104
00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:44,760
the fires, often halted
by a brook, couldn't reach.

105
00:11:50,839 --> 00:11:54,000
Life on the unburned parts
continues as usual.

106
00:12:05,279 --> 00:12:09,440
For the serval family,
long grass is especially important.

107
00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:16,839
The mother finds mice here.
And the young cover from predators.

108
00:12:18,599 --> 00:12:21,919
An old tree like this is a
wonderful climbing frame.

109
00:12:32,919 --> 00:12:34,680
The cubs are very exposed,

110
00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:38,120
but they can disappear
in an instant down below.

111
00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:46,120
And their mother can return
to stalking mice, without worries.

112
00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,400
And these neighbours
are no problem anyway.

113
00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:16,199
Dry, fibrous grass
may be useless to most herbivores,

114
00:13:16,279 --> 00:13:19,760
but the mother serval
finds exactly what she needs.

115
00:13:32,279 --> 00:13:34,519
Her young will
have enough milk, now.

116
00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,680
For weeks, the territory
the five brothers took over is bare.

117
00:13:49,519 --> 00:13:51,000
They don't mind.

118
00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,720
They're busy
befriending the three females

119
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:56,519
they won with the territory.

120
00:13:57,639 --> 00:13:59,599
New relationships take time.

121
00:14:05,879 --> 00:14:08,839
Oloborr's excursion
to neighbouring territory

122
00:14:08,919 --> 00:14:10,720
was six months ago.

123
00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,959
His wounds have healed,
with just a few scars.

124
00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,440
But the attack seems
to have damaged his testicles.

125
00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,519
He is less interested
in mating than before.

126
00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:28,040
He leaves the females
to his brothers.

127
00:14:30,519 --> 00:14:32,400
He's still closest to Orpadan.

128
00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:36,040
They patrol together,
leaving hundreds of scent marks

129
00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:37,599
to deter interlopers.

130
00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:52,919
Inside the territory there are
still half-brothers and sisters

131
00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,879
their mothers left behind
when they departed.

132
00:14:56,959 --> 00:14:59,040
It's July 2021.

133
00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,559
Four of these
adolescent half-siblings

134
00:15:01,879 --> 00:15:04,239
still live here
along the Rongai River:

135
00:15:04,319 --> 00:15:06,919
two males and two females.

136
00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,680
They avoid their older brothers,
who ignore them too.

137
00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:20,000
They scratch along with small kills,
and by scavenging other's prey.

138
00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,559
They're too young
to challenge a fully-grown buffalo.

139
00:15:35,639 --> 00:15:37,800
That doesn't mean they won't try.

140
00:15:44,559 --> 00:15:46,800
It'll take a little while yet.

141
00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:54,599
Oh, never mind.

142
00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,440
The two females
have a crack at a warthog.

143
00:16:12,959 --> 00:16:14,639
That's not so easy, either.

144
00:16:16,639 --> 00:16:18,639
There's good cover for the chase.

145
00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,519
But it's hard to run down
a nimble hog in tall grass.

146
00:16:29,559 --> 00:16:31,040
Hungry times.

147
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,559
But relief is on its way,
from the south,

148
00:16:35,639 --> 00:16:38,319
across the border in the Serengeti.

149
00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,400
It's now late July.
On the far side of the Sand River,

150
00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,120
the long-awaited
columns finally appear:

151
00:16:48,839 --> 00:16:52,160
the wildebeest migration
is at the Kenyan border.

152
00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:39,800
Endless columns,
hundreds of thousands of wildebeest,

153
00:17:39,879 --> 00:17:42,839
streaming into
the Masai Mara Reserve.

154
00:17:44,639 --> 00:17:46,440
It's an astonishing sight.

155
00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:52,279
But since the early 2,000s,
numbers seem to have dropped.

156
00:17:52,360 --> 00:17:54,199
Conservationists worry.

157
00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,480
Because they have
no reliable figures.

158
00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,959
It's been more than a decade since
Tanzania released census statistics.

159
00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:09,680
Those figures are really needed now.

160
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:11,480
Because climate change

161
00:18:11,559 --> 00:18:14,879
and the growing human population
around the Serengeti

162
00:18:14,959 --> 00:18:16,959
are putting pressure on the park.

163
00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,160
Wildebeest are the keystone species
of the grasslands.

164
00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,680
All the great carnivores
depend on them.

165
00:18:31,519 --> 00:18:34,160
The trek through
the Serengeti’s ecosystem

166
00:18:34,239 --> 00:18:37,720
is the last great
animal migration on Earth.

167
00:18:43,639 --> 00:18:47,120
A huge tourism industry
depends on these numbers.

168
00:18:51,319 --> 00:18:53,919
This is the high season
in the Masai Mara.

169
00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,519
And yet,
only one third of the wildebeest

170
00:19:01,599 --> 00:19:03,239
actually cross the border.

171
00:19:03,319 --> 00:19:06,440
Twice as many
stay on Tanzania's side.

172
00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:17,279
Climate change,
heavier rainfall in the south,

173
00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:20,800
may mean they no longer
have to move here for food.

174
00:19:31,879 --> 00:19:34,400
Most lions
are tied to their territory.

175
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:39,639
Few will follow the wildebeest:
only the so-called nomads,

176
00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:44,000
with no fixed territory,
continuously pursue the herds.

177
00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,400
This means local predators
like the five brothers

178
00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,199
now face
little incoming competition.

179
00:20:01,199 --> 00:20:04,000
The sudden abundance
is theirs alone.

180
00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,120
That means a couple
of carefree months.

181
00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:22,360
Lions prefer to hunt
where the fires haven't reached,

182
00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:24,440
and the high grass conceals them.

183
00:20:24,519 --> 00:20:28,440
But wildebeest don't like eating it,
and they don't linger.

184
00:20:29,519 --> 00:20:33,400
So the best hunting is
in the first weeks of the migration.

185
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,680
The lions get straight down to it.

186
00:21:12,559 --> 00:21:16,839
Wildebeest, though, are not
quite the passive, clumsy victims.

187
00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:19,400
They have a real a turn of speed.

188
00:21:20,239 --> 00:21:22,400
They know how to deal with lions.

189
00:21:23,519 --> 00:21:27,639
Overall, they're well equipped
to handle the trials of life.

190
00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:34,160
They're the most successful
species of this ecosystem, by far.

191
00:21:35,599 --> 00:21:37,040
The northern Serengeti

192
00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:40,000
is wetter than
the grazing lands further south.

193
00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:43,239
Many streams and rivers
eroded the Mara region,

194
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,320
leaving rolling country,
with dips and valleys.

195
00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:53,040
It's is dangerous terrain
for herbivores.

196
00:21:53,839 --> 00:21:58,080
Big cats are more than comfortable
in its deceptive contours.

197
00:22:12,839 --> 00:22:15,480
To use the full resources
of the Mara region,

198
00:22:15,559 --> 00:22:17,879
the herds must cross
a number of rivers

199
00:22:17,959 --> 00:22:20,559
flanked with
gallery forest and bushland.

200
00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,360
Wildebeest are built
for all terrains.

201
00:22:38,599 --> 00:22:40,279
These are no obstacles.

202
00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:46,599
But the crowds
and the confusing landscape

203
00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,760
let predators sneak up unobserved.

204
00:23:33,639 --> 00:23:37,159
Losses are
unavoidable collateral damage.

205
00:23:37,919 --> 00:23:39,879
The herd simply moves on.

206
00:23:44,159 --> 00:23:46,800
The biggest threat ... are hyenas.

207
00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:53,080
They pursue their prey
till it's completely exhausted.

208
00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:57,440
And no wildebeest
will stop to help another.

209
00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:08,559
Lorkulup, he of the broken nose,
sees what's going on.

210
00:24:24,279 --> 00:24:26,000
The hyenas see him coming.

211
00:24:28,279 --> 00:24:30,000
And so do the wildebeest.

212
00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:42,320
Hyenas know
an adult lion means danger.

213
00:24:45,639 --> 00:24:47,839
A lioness will chase them away.

214
00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:50,959
An male will try to kill them.

215
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:54,320
They won't argue.

216
00:24:55,959 --> 00:24:57,519
Lorkulup eats his fill.

217
00:25:00,279 --> 00:25:02,800
In these weeks
the five brothers will kill

218
00:25:02,879 --> 00:25:05,400
only a tiny proportion
of their food.

219
00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:07,800
They'll steal or scavenge the rest.

220
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,480
The wildebeest migration
brings them more than they need.

221
00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,199
The lions regain their strength.

222
00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,959
Fire-refreshed, glowing grasslands

223
00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:44,680
host hundreds
of thousands of animals.

224
00:25:54,199 --> 00:25:58,599
Even without the predators,
sick or weak animals die every day.

225
00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,080
The scavengers are well catered for.

226
00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,879
Every morning they gather
for the night's harvest.

227
00:26:10,519 --> 00:26:12,000
Today

228
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:15,360
the flock of vultures
have an unexpected guest:

229
00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,839
a male kori bustard:
Africa's largest flying bird.

230
00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,040
Its delicate table manners
seem out of place here.

231
00:26:25,120 --> 00:26:28,360
Great bustards pick
mainly at fruits and seeds.

232
00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:32,239
But they don't turn up their bill
at a little morsel of meat.

233
00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:47,879
Those raised tail feathers
show he's in the mood for mating.

234
00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:53,360
And the marabou, standing tall
in front of him, looks like a rival.

235
00:26:57,239 --> 00:27:01,360
That's something no self-respecting
bustard can tolerate.

236
00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,599
To the stork
all this is simply too silly.

237
00:27:11,879 --> 00:27:13,800
But the bustard won't let up.

238
00:27:17,919 --> 00:27:21,599
So the marabou finally
just ignores the cock.

239
00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:36,159
The brothers are
enjoying the easy life.

240
00:27:37,919 --> 00:27:41,279
As long as there are
no powerful lions to challenge them,

241
00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:43,360
they can take anything they like.

242
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:46,680
Whoever actually killed it.

243
00:27:51,959 --> 00:27:56,199
Black-backed jackals
get most of their food the same way.

244
00:27:58,279 --> 00:28:00,239
But there's a family issue here.

245
00:28:10,919 --> 00:28:14,120
This cub really ought to
start fending for himself.

246
00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,480
His parents are trying
to make that very clear.

247
00:28:19,519 --> 00:28:21,239
They don't mean him any harm,

248
00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:24,120
but he's no longer
welcome in their territory.

249
00:28:24,199 --> 00:28:26,440
They're literally pushing him away.

250
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:39,480
While hyenas await the scraps

251
00:28:39,559 --> 00:28:42,720
from Oloborr and
Orpadan's stolen breakfast ...

252
00:28:44,159 --> 00:28:47,000
the parent jackal
is getting ever more annoyed

253
00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,040
with its adolescent offspring.

254
00:29:00,839 --> 00:29:05,639
But it would seem a nagging parent
is preferable to scary independence.

255
00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:09,400
They really have to insist:
his time is up.

256
00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,400
Oloborr's mother once
cast him out in the same way.

257
00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,599
Many sons
of carnivores suffer this fate.

258
00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,440
Which doesn't make it
feel any less of a rejection.

259
00:29:44,639 --> 00:29:47,000
As the day warms up
across the savannah,

260
00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,159
the lions have almost
finished their breakfast.

261
00:29:59,959 --> 00:30:01,440
Time ...

262
00:30:01,519 --> 00:30:03,879
... to seek a shady place to rest.

263
00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:12,000
Nothing but scraps
left for the real hunters.

264
00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:16,800
And now the jackals
are getting cheeky, too.

265
00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,040
Sometimes you just can't win.

266
00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:46,639
Now Lame Olomina claims
the privileges of an alpha male.

267
00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:50,599
Even if the lioness doesn't seem
quite convinced he's earned it.

268
00:30:58,239 --> 00:31:00,400
But something's a little awry here.

269
00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:04,599
Her teats are full. That would
normally mean she’s lactating.

270
00:31:07,239 --> 00:31:08,839
And two kilometers away,

271
00:31:08,919 --> 00:31:12,639
three tiny babies
are hidden in a den.

272
00:31:17,639 --> 00:31:20,680
They're hungry.
Waiting for their mother.

273
00:31:26,839 --> 00:31:29,440
But Olomina
won't let her go to them.

274
00:31:29,519 --> 00:31:32,239
For too long,
he's had no opportunity to mate,

275
00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:34,080
weakened by his wounds.

276
00:31:37,919 --> 00:31:41,639
The lioness has just
given birth to his brothers' young.

277
00:31:42,879 --> 00:31:46,959
But a rare hormone imbalance
has made her receptive again.

278
00:31:49,239 --> 00:31:51,599
It's an unexpected chance
for Olomina,

279
00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,639
as his brothers
are no longer interested.

280
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:59,440
The lioness is beside herself and
wants only to return to her cubs,

281
00:31:59,519 --> 00:32:01,320
but he keeps forcing her back.

282
00:32:10,519 --> 00:32:14,120
Forced couplings often
happen after a territory takeover.

283
00:32:14,199 --> 00:32:16,440
But that was five months ago.

284
00:32:20,279 --> 00:32:24,080
For a few days during her pregnancy,
the lioness was compliant.

285
00:32:24,159 --> 00:32:26,040
Olomina exploited that.

286
00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:29,720
Now, it's dangerous
for the newborns.

287
00:32:30,559 --> 00:32:32,639
Torn by conflicting instincts,

288
00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:36,320
the lioness moves away,
followed by her suitor.

289
00:32:52,959 --> 00:32:56,400
She shelters from the heat
of the day next to a small brook.

290
00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:09,400
When Olomina is briefly
distracted by the elephants ...

291
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:13,519
... she seizes her chance.

292
00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:19,320
This is the moment to disappear.

293
00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,879
She finally makes it
to the den and her pregnant sister.

294
00:33:29,599 --> 00:33:32,120
But she's slow
to approach the babies.

295
00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,800
The abandoned Romeo,
free of the elephants,

296
00:33:45,519 --> 00:33:47,480
stubbornly follows her tracks.

297
00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,400
When he reaches the den,
he is more cautious.

298
00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:00,680
Perhaps he's already
had a bad experience here.

299
00:34:07,199 --> 00:34:09,919
Meanwhile
the little ones are starving.

300
00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:18,959
The mum they waited for so patiently
doesn't exactly greet them warmly.

301
00:34:23,839 --> 00:34:26,519
Her hormones are
desperately out of kilter.

302
00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:50,480
Sideswipes alternate
with gentle licking.

303
00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,239
The usual way
of stimulating a baby's digestion.

304
00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:10,599
Olomina's presence
is making things worse.

305
00:35:13,639 --> 00:35:16,680
Abashed, shameful, he withdraws.

306
00:35:27,839 --> 00:35:30,879
Olomina may sense
the situation is explosive.

307
00:35:30,959 --> 00:35:32,440
He holds back.

308
00:35:40,959 --> 00:35:44,800
For the babies,
it's an emotional rollercoaster.

309
00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:48,760
They need their mother and her milk.

310
00:35:50,959 --> 00:35:54,400
But she veers between
affection and brusque rejection.

311
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:10,639
Hungry, scared, the little ones
creep between the adults.

312
00:36:40,279 --> 00:36:44,760
It's like running a gauntlet.
There's no sanctuary anywhere.

313
00:36:46,959 --> 00:36:50,320
Even their mother's sister,
heavily pregnant herself,

314
00:36:50,879 --> 00:36:53,959
is in no shape
to look after another's offspring.

315
00:37:07,199 --> 00:37:10,320
The cubs' life
is hanging by a thread.

316
00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:32,360
This time of year, September,
is still supposed to be rather dry.

317
00:37:35,199 --> 00:37:37,000
But in the northern Serengeti

318
00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,680
unscheduled showers
are nothing unusual.

319
00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:47,559
A rainstorm disturbs
a martial hawk-eagle's meal.

320
00:37:50,919 --> 00:37:54,559
Not far away is
the huge expanse of Lake Victoria.

321
00:37:55,199 --> 00:37:58,480
Vast quantities of water
evaporating every day

322
00:37:58,559 --> 00:38:00,440
can return as rain,

323
00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,480
making the Masai Mara
especially attractive

324
00:38:03,559 --> 00:38:05,919
to migrating herds
in the dry season.

325
00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:13,400
Heavy rain-showers
are dangerous for tiny lion cubs.

326
00:38:13,919 --> 00:38:16,480
Right now
they need all their strength.

327
00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:27,599
Thankfully, their mother's
hormone levels have settled.

328
00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:30,440
She can care
for her young in the normal way.

329
00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:47,120
She carefully carries her cubs away
from the den. It's become too wet.

330
00:38:56,839 --> 00:38:59,720
Olomina hasn't bothered her
for three days now.

331
00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:03,000
Everything seems to be all right.

332
00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:10,360
But the lame lion's
obsessional behaviour

333
00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:11,919
has claimed a victim.

334
00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:15,440
Only two
of the three cubs are still alive.

335
00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:19,080
And they must survive
any more hormonal swings

336
00:39:19,159 --> 00:39:20,919
over the next few weeks.

337
00:39:35,720 --> 00:39:38,360
The rain has turned
the once-charred plains

338
00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:39,919
a brilliant green.

339
00:39:40,720 --> 00:39:42,599
Yet, with their heavy muscles,

340
00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,839
the buffalo have trouble
plucking the fresh shoots.

341
00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:51,639
Nevertheless,
this is still a good time for them.

342
00:39:51,720 --> 00:39:55,919
The migrations have brought them
weeks of freedom from the lions.

343
00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:58,599
The wildebeest are far easier prey.

344
00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:06,159
Young bull buffalo can enjoy
friendly skirmishes: play fights.

345
00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:10,720
The mothers can relax, too.

346
00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:18,519
Amongst all the wildebeest,

347
00:40:18,599 --> 00:40:21,680
even the warthogs
can take it easy for a while.

348
00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:32,639
And except for the buffalo,

349
00:40:32,720 --> 00:40:35,959
all the hooved animals
love the juicy short grass.

350
00:40:45,839 --> 00:40:48,599
But soon
the great migration must continue,

351
00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:50,680
back to the southern Serengeti.

352
00:40:51,879 --> 00:40:56,400
The deadly power struggle between
lions and buffalo will begin again.

353
00:41:06,879 --> 00:41:12,159
The female that Olomina harassed
for so long seems to be at peace.

354
00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:16,599
The five brothers’
first offspring ... are doing well.

355
00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:22,639
The lioness stays away
from the fathers as far as she can.

356
00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:31,040
It's not clear
how they will interpret

357
00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:33,199
their unfamiliar paternal role.

358
00:41:39,879 --> 00:41:42,080
They watch ... and wait.

359
00:42:03,879 --> 00:42:06,680
Their curiosity
grows from day to day.

360
00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:21,000
Oloborr, mighty leader of the five,

361
00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:25,159
cautiously nears the bush
where his first children are hiding.

362
00:42:29,720 --> 00:42:32,879
Their mother must still
be approached carefully.

363
00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:37,959
He's especially docile today.

364
00:42:38,639 --> 00:42:41,320
Sometimes she seeks close contact.

365
00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:44,919
Other times she's
uncontrollably aggressive.

366
00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:05,000
At the sight of their young,
guarded by their erratic mother,

367
00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:07,480
the pride kings seem rather subdued.

368
00:43:13,959 --> 00:43:17,559
They're curious, but they can't
seem to find a confident way

369
00:43:17,639 --> 00:43:19,440
to relate to their new family.

370
00:43:30,239 --> 00:43:33,239
The female seems
uncomfortable with the males.

371
00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:36,440
Their presence disturbs her.

372
00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:40,360
And there's no sign
of them moving on.

373
00:43:57,879 --> 00:44:01,320
So: she just moves house again.

374
00:44:07,559 --> 00:44:11,400
There are plenty of suitable places
to stay along the river.

375
00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:14,879
She knows them all
and soon finds a new home.

376
00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:20,279
Oloborr, meanwhile,

377
00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:23,360
re-establishes
his territorial rights.

378
00:44:32,199 --> 00:44:33,680
For the lioness,

379
00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:37,559
the stream is more than just
another place to hide the cubs.

380
00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:47,080
It's the grass and the water.

381
00:44:49,199 --> 00:44:53,760
Perfect conditions for wildebeest:
they love the juicy shoots.

382
00:44:53,839 --> 00:44:57,279
So some herds
walk to the brook every day.

383
00:45:09,199 --> 00:45:11,440
Hearing the baying of wildebeest,

384
00:45:11,519 --> 00:45:15,400
the lioness benefits
from all the years she's spent here.

385
00:45:24,839 --> 00:45:26,919
Quickly, she slips into position,

386
00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:29,919
without arousing
the attention of the herd.

387
00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:53,040
A herd offers safety in numbers,
but not equally.

388
00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:57,120
Animals at the rear
are slowed by those in front.

389
00:46:28,599 --> 00:46:31,320
Wildebeest are
easier to hunt than buffalo.

390
00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:33,480
Not only because they're lighter.

391
00:46:34,519 --> 00:46:38,599
They would never turn round,
as a group, to protect each other.

392
00:46:45,519 --> 00:46:47,120
No one comes to help.

393
00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:52,879
Olosiadu, the cautious,
had his beady eye

394
00:46:52,959 --> 00:46:56,400
on the pride females.
In minutes he's on the spot.

395
00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:02,360
He knows this female
can be sensitive,

396
00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:03,919
and lets her eat alone.

397
00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:06,440
He'll get his lion's share later.

398
00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:18,080
All pride males
steal the females' kills.

399
00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:25,720
But in exchange, they protect
the pride young against any threat.

400
00:47:28,279 --> 00:47:29,879
Without this protection,

401
00:47:29,959 --> 00:47:33,480
a lioness could rarely
raise her cubs to independence.

402
00:47:35,279 --> 00:47:37,680
That's the deal between the sexes.

403
00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:44,000
But today,
he waits until she's had her fill

404
00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:46,080
and is on her way back to the young.

405
00:48:09,760 --> 00:48:12,800
Soon, the land
belongs to the locals.

406
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:51,480
Late September.

407
00:48:53,599 --> 00:48:57,400
In the short rainy season,
wildebeest leave the Masai Mara

408
00:48:57,480 --> 00:49:00,919
for the mineral-rich plains
of the southern Serengeti.

409
00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:05,400
When the last columns
cross the Mara River

410
00:49:05,720 --> 00:49:08,040
the balance of power changes.

411
00:49:08,639 --> 00:49:12,480
Now the lions confront
their most formidable adversary.

412
00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:16,239
The brothers must prove

413
00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:20,279
that they have what it takes
to hold territory all year round.

414
00:49:26,040 --> 00:49:29,239
And the tensions
between them... are rising.