Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Zambia's Luangwa Valley has a new queen.

Olimba.

This audacious, young leopard has just usurped Kamuti,

the aging monarch who ruled this place for ten years.

Olimba has won her first territory.

Now, she's got to keep it.

Challenges are everywhere.

She must keep other female leopards out.

And avoid predators more powerful

and more numerous.

Olimba must work tirelessly, day and night.

To keep her territory intact.

And secure her future.

And she must do this, all on her own.

(GROWLING)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

Somewhere, hidden deep in the woods,

is a very tired,

young leopard named Olimba.

She's been a nomad for the past year,

scouring the Luangwa Valley

for a territory to call her own.

At just three years old, she's finally claimed one.

Now she can settle down.

And her new home is every leopard's dream.

Covering just four square miles,

it's relatively small,

but this is no ordinary hunting ground.

It has everything Olimba needs.

And what this furtive feline needs most of all

is to stay hidden.

She must slink through the shadows unnoticed.

Here, she can do just that,

thanks to a very special feature

at the heart of her territory.

The gully.

Carved by a river that only flows

for a few months of the year,

it meanders from east to west,

cutting a swathe

through the finest grazing grounds

in the Luangwa Valley.

In this secret hideaway,

Olimba can melt into the land,

until she's ready to launch an ambush.

The grass around here is irresistible to hundreds of animals,

including Olimba's favorite food, antelope.

Lilian's Lovebirds, Africa's smallest parrot,

flock here in their hundreds to pick up seeds.

Baboons cherish this place too.

Grass accounts for half their diet.

These primates are very much on Olimba's menu.

She can hunt them at night,

whilst they sleep in the tree-tops.

But out here, in the daylight,

they can relax.

There are eagle-eyed sentries everywhere.

A seasoned leopard knows

to avoid baboons in daylight at all costs.

Security is always on high alert.

But Olimba is young, hungry and green.

All she must do is find a spot

where the antelope are close to the gully's edge.

Every predator has an optimal distance

from which they can launch an attack,

otherwise they'll be outrun by their prey.

Olimba must get to within 15 feet before pouncing.

Close is never close enough

for a hunting leopard.

A male puku is almost within range.

All she must do is wait for him to edge

just that little bit closer.

(BABOON BARKS)

But her cover's blown,

thanks to the prying eyes of a baboon.

(BABOONS BARKING)

It's a rookie error.

She's lost a potential meal,

and now, she's the centre of attention.

There's no point staying put

but the baboons won't let her out of their sight.

A posse forms,

armed with razor-sharp canine teeth two inches long.

(BABOONS BARKING)

Olimba can overpower one baboon,

but she's no match for an army.

And she knows it.

(BABOONS BARKING)

Right now, she's extremely vulnerable.

She mustn't show fear, or they will attack.

(GROWLING)

(BABOONS BARKING)

The three large males leading the advance could kill her.

But they're wily enough to know that

in the inevitable flurry of teeth and claws

they wouldn't come out unscathed.

(OLIMBA GROWLS)

It's stalemate.

Olimba holds her ground

and the baboons station guards to keep an eye on her.

She'll keep a low profile and wait until nightfall,

when under the cover of darkness,

she'll regain her advantage.

It's been a valuable lesson for the young leopard

who's still learning to fend for herself.

Her predecessor here was ten years older.

Kamuti was a wise, old leopard

who had honed her hunting skills in the gully.

She knew every inch of her territory inside out.

From the endless patchwork of antelope-filled plains,

to the mighty Luangwa River that borders them to the west.

(CALLING)

Using guile and stealth,

Kamuti reigned supreme here for ten extraordinary years.

But she was no match for her rival.

With youth on her side,

Olimba took over the reins.

She has a lot to live up to.

Like Kamuti,

she must get to know every inch

of her new territory

like the back of her paw.

If she rests on her laurels, she risks a rude awakening.

(CHIRPING)

There are many dangers here to contend with.

She unwillingly shares her territory with numerous lions.

They're a force to be reckoned with.

At 330 pounds,

an adult male weighs five times what she does.

And, unlike the solitary leopard,

these predators have strength in numbers.

There are 16 lions on Olimba's patch,

the Nsefu Pride.

And, if they cross paths, she's as good as dead.

(BARKING)

The opportunities for carnivores here

mean that it's rife with thieves.

(TRUMPETS)

Hyenas are proficient hunters

but are scavengers, too.

Although they're less of a threat to Olimba's life,

they'll take any opportunity they can to steal her kills.

Wild dogs also roam this valley,

each half the size of a leopard.

What wild dogs lack in stature,

they make up for in strategy.

Working together as a pack,

they hunt the same prey as Olimba

and won't tolerate her if she gets in the way.

She can avoid most danger

by using her exceptional climbing skills.

But there's one threat she can't escape by taking to the trees,

another leopard.

Just like Kamuti, she could face a challenger any time.

She may have won a territory,

but now she needs to hang on to it.

Every day she sets off to patrol her borders

to lay-out,

in no uncertain terms, where her land begins.

(CALLING)

Her call is a warning to any rival

within a couple of miles.

But it won't reach the extremities of her domain.

Most communication is chemical.

Urine infused with secretions from her anal glands

leaves a pungent reminder that this land

is hers.

Her messages last for several days.

But it'll take her that long to patrol the perimeter.

The Luangwa Valley has the densest population of leopards in Africa,

averaging three for every 10 square miles.

Doing her rounds takes time

that could otherwise be spent hunting.

But with so many other leopards nearby,

it's a job that simply can't be ignored.

She must stake her claim to every important landmark.

The patrols help her to get to know her new territory.

But, as sunset approaches,

she finds herself somewhere

she's never been before.

A small ebony grove by the river.

It's been a tiring day.

It's almost too much bother to hunt.

A genet takes full advantage of the cover of darkness.

It can eat lizards and rodents,

but insects such as grasshoppers and moths

make up half its diet.

Olimba's not above eating insects either,

but she's hungry and sets her sights

on something a little bigger.

Impala.

She needs to close the gap to within 15 feet of her prey.

Her soft paw pads let her move in almost total silence.

And her eyesight is eight times more powerful than a human's.

So she can see well in the dark.

But there are some things she has no control over.

A change in wind betrays her scent.

It's unfortunate for the young leopard.

And now, alarm calls mean that

every animal around here will be on high alert.

To stand any chance of eating tonight,

she needs to move on.

Even if it means moving deeper into unchartered territory.

She ventures beyond her own scent-marked border.

With only two hours till sun-up,

she locates another herd.

This time, she waits for her prey to come to her.

She's learning.

Patience must be part of every leopard's playbook.

She sees an opportunity.

The adult Impala could keep her going for a week.

If she gets to keep it.

The Nsefu Pride is on the prowl.

If the lions get wind of her kill, they'll steal it.

But they're focused on something else.

A pair of sleeping warthogs,

oblivious to the danger.

(WARTHOGS GRUNT)

(WARTHOG SQUEALING)

With the lions distracted,

Olimba seizes her chance to make a getaway.

A warthog is already a small meal

for a large family.

And there are some unwelcome guests.

(HYENAS CRYING)

Hyenas have been trailing the lions all night.

They're bold, and now they want in on the action.

Excited hyenas are the noisiest animals in Luangwa.

Their calls will draw other hyenas in like a magnet.

Olimba's in trouble.

She's exhausted from her hunt,

her kill weighs over 100 pounds,

and the place will soon be swarming with scavengers.

She must move it to safety now.

(HYENAS CRYING)

Even the lions aren't safe with hyenas in numbers.

(HYENAS CRYING)

Time is running out.

Olimba's made it to the edge of the clearing

but the impala carcass is far too heavy to take up a tree.

She quickly eats what she can.

More and more hyenas arrive by the minute.

It's only a matter of time

before they sniff out her kill too.

It's not worth the fight.

For her own safety,

she must abandon it,

and head back to a place she knows better.

(HYENAS HOWLING)

The previous night's outing will provide another valuable lesson.

Olimba must quell the urge to explore

beyond her boundaries.

Her territory has everything she needs.

And by straying too far,

she left the door open to neighboring leopards.

She doesn't know it yet but there's a stranger

in one of her favorite resting places.

Three years older than Olimba,

this female is strong and on a mission.

She's in estrus,

and has trespassed onto Olimba's patch

in the search for a mate.

Hormones and pheromones mixed with her urine

make her intentions clear.

By spreading her scent far and wide

she broadcasts her presence to any males passing through.

And, judging by the smell on this dead tree,

there's a good prospect very close by.

(BABOONS GRUNTING)

It's a male

with a huge territory that overlaps with Olimba's.

He's a successful hunter,

and the father of many cubs already,

but he's always looking to sire more.

Other leopards can detect his pungent calling cards

from 100 feet away.

The trespassing female is already on his trail.

It's only a matter of time before she tracks him down.

Two miles away,

Olimba has yet to discover she's got company.

She has more fundamental problems to deal with.

She's made another kill,

but how do you get

a cumbersome carcass up a tree

when it doesn't seem willing to comply?

She knows only too well

that leaving it on the ground risks losing it to scavengers.

Leopards are immensely strong for their size

but it's a lot of effort for a tired, young female.

The prospect of a little nap is just too tempting.

The female trespasser is only a mile and a half north of Olimba,

and she's making herself very much at home.

A lone male puku hasn't spotted her.

Without the eyes and ears of the herd to protect him,

this should be a simple hunt.

But it's the puku's lucky day.

She's more intent on finding a mate.

Her search is taking her deep into Olimba's territory.

Suddenly, she senses danger.

Survival instincts kick in,

her dappled coat blending with the grass.

The hyena seems to be guarding something,

possibly a den.

It can smell the leopard but can't see her.

She mustn't move a muscle.

More trouble turns up.

Wild dogs, mid-hunt.

There's no chance of staying hidden now.

She must make a break for the trees.

Wild dogs and leopards are fierce competitors

and therefore enemies.

But she's beyond their reach.

For the dogs, this is a useful game.

A spot of leopard baiting reinforces the bonds between pack members.

(GROWLING)

But it also wastes precious hunting time.

Eventually they move on,

and she's free to go.

She edges ever closer to Olimba.

In the Luangwa Valley,

every leopard has leopard neighbors.

Over time they get to know each other by smell

and learn to respect each other's borders.

But Olimba has only recently gained control of this territory.

The scent of any female is a major concern.

Especially when it's fresh.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

The invader is very close-by.

Olimba may have to fight

to keep this land.

The trespassing female has finally found the male.

For these, usually solitary cats,

it's a rare moment to spend some time together.

And this won't be a one night stand.

While the courting couple cosy-up,

Olimba must get to grips with life here on her own.

She left her mother's side

little more than a year ago

and she still shows signs of naivety.

Valuable opportunities pass her by.

(HYENA CRIES)

But she's a fast learner.

And with every passing day

she hones the skills she needs to survive.

But even a grown-up leopard has a playful side.

The gully has provided the perfect training ground.

And today looks like a good day

to put what she's learned into practice.

Rolling in dust infused with the urine of her prey

helps cover her scent.

No two hunts at the gully are the same.

She must adapt her technique according to the environment.

Today everything's in her favor.

There's very little wind.

There are no baboon sentries on duty.

And most of the impala have their backs to the gully.

Sometimes it's good to wait.

But today, it's about seizing the opportunity.

(ANTELOPE GRUNTING)

With her growing success,

the hyenas have learned

this is the place to come for an easy meal.

They're becoming the bane of Olimba's life.

She may have mastered the kill

but she has yet to learn how to defend it.

Bigger, and with bone-crushing teeth,

the hyena could do her serious harm.

But Olimba's getting much more savvy.

This isn't over yet.

Now it's the hyena's turn

to try to move the meal to safety.

Olimba watches...

...and waits.

The hyena could eat

a third of its body weight in one sitting,

but instead moves off,

taking only what it can carry,

an impala stomach, full of grass.

For Olimba,

reclaiming a kill from a hyena

is a major success.

Not far away,

the male leopard takes a short break

from his courtship with the female interloper.

To ensure ovulation

and increase his odds of fertilization,

he must mate her as many times as possible.

Over the past five days,

that's been more than 200 times.

(CALLING)

Calling to her signals he's ready for more.

But drawing attention to yourself out here is dangerous.

(LEOPARD CALLING)

The approaching lions will kill him

without hesitation.

So he makes a dash for his safest option...

Up! (GROWLING)

The female slinks off as well.

The lions have her mate trapped.

And with their proclivity for sleeping,

up to 18 hours day,

he could be there sometime.

She's enjoyed five days with him.

For a leopard, that's a long relationship.

It's time to leave and head back

to the relative safety

of her own territory.

In the afternoon, guinea fowl

head towards the river near the gully.

Groups of up to 20 birds move as one unit.

They never get tired of walking or talking.

If one gets separated, it panics,

making a racket

loud enough to rouse a sleeping leopard.

Not a clever move

when you're potential cat food.

By sundown, the guinea fowl

are all heading for their roost.

They choose the outer branches

of the very tallest trees.

Beyond the reach of a hungry cat.

These thin twigs should keep them safe tonight.

A new moon will provide Olimba

with a cloak of darkness

to hunt under.

She attempts a short nap before the long night ahead.

But the noisy neighbors get her up for work.

Olimba's learned that to hold on to her throne

she must scent mark day and night.

She sprays the largest trees.

Or any with comfortable branches

more than ten feet from the ground.

They're the ones most likely

to be visited by another leopard.

Something in the biggest tree

piques her interest.

She's found the guinea fowl.

They've settled down for the night,

and are more than 100 feet up.

It's a long way to go for a midnight snack,

but Olimba

makes scaling the vertical trunk

look effortless.

Her body is built for climbing.

Her short back legs are packed with muscles

that propel her upwards.

And her strong, two-inch claws

grip the bark.

Guinea fowl have lousy night-vision,

and they can't fly very far.

But they do have lightning-fast reactions.

It's a wasted effort.

(LEOPARD CALLING DISTANTLY)

The call of another leopard

cuts through the night air.

This is something she cannot ignore.

It's the male.

Since escaping the lions,

he's been trying to re-establish contact with his mate.

The last thing he's expecting

is Olimba.

She flirts provocatively.

She's coming into estrus too,

and keen to impress.

But after a marathon bout of mating,

over 40 times a day, for five days straight,

he could be forgiven for seeming less than motivated.

She tries everything she can

to make this opportunity count.

For Olimba, every encounter

with a male will be fleeting.

But try as she might, he's having none of it.

He has a huge territory to defend.

Four times that of Olimba's,

and decides to move on.

She's been unlucky this time,

but one day, she'll be a mother.

She's already an accomplished hunter,

and by then

will have plenty of skills to pass on.

From a young, nomadic female

with no territory of her own,

Olimba has come a long way.

She's claimed, and maintained,

one of the best territories in the Luangwa Valley,

and she has no intention

of giving it up.

There will always be trials

but with every passing day,

she gets stronger

and wiser.

She's mastered the gully,

and is learning to hold on to her hard-won gains.

She's all set to rule this place

for many years to come.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪