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I've spent much of my working life
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trying to film big cats.
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I've watched them in the wild
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and analyzed the footage in the editing room,
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which has given me a real insight into their behavior.
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Today, we can see these amazing predators
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on our screens any time we choose.
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(dramatic music)
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But until quite recently,
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we knew practically nothing about them.
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Big cats are normally shy and very secretive.
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Today, their populations are shrinking fast.
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But now we have the means to view them
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in more detail than ever.
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And learn the intricacies of their lives.
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Which is just as well,
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because we need to find ways of living alongside them
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before they disappear forever.
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(birds calling)
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Like most big cats, the leopard is a master of secrecy.
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It's one of the hardest of all big cats to see,
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let alone observe.
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And this is mainly because leopards
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need absolute invisibility to hunt.
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But also because leopards are vulnerable on the ground.
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They always need to look over their shoulder.
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Leopards only ever feel truly safe ...
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(roaring)
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in a tree.
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In India's Gir forest, a resurgent lion population
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is keeping leopards in a state of fear.
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Once, there were so few lions
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that the leopards here became top predator.
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But now the lions are running riot
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and putting the leopard back in its place.
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(lion roaring)
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For millions of years,
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this is what leopards have had to content with.
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This is why they're such good climbers
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and why they evolved to be so incredibly secretive.
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For me, filming leopards has always been a challenge.
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(roaring)
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The whole point of these cats is that you can't see them.
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They only reveal themselves to us
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when they judge it really doesn't matter.
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(soft music)
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It could be argued that the leopard
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is the most successful of all the big cats.
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It certainly is the most numerous
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and still the most widespread.
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During the Ice Age, it had a very wide distribution,
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covering Africa, Europe, and much of Asia.
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Since then, its population has shrunk dramatically.
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Yet it's still the big cat found
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in more different countries than any other.
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Leopards can live in almost any habitat.
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But it's the big cat which is most at home in forests.
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Even where leopards are common,
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they can be very hard to spot,
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which is perhaps one reason why,
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when you do finally get a clear view,
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the sight of a young leopard in perfect condition
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is one of the most beautiful things
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a human can set eyes upon.
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Leopards are often confused with jaguars,
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but they're very different cats.
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The leopard is lighter, with long legs
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and lots of power in the rear.
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It has a much longer tail it uses for balance and agility.
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They're very graceful animals, but they still possess
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the literally superhuman strength of all the cats,
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derived from their special, fast twitch muscle.
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This young female is probably still under 40 kilos
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in weight, while her mother, patiently waiting for her,
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is probably no more than 60 kilos.
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(growling)
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The cub finally spots her mother.
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When the mother looks me in the eye
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as if to say she has me covered
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should I make a false move,
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actually I feel honored with the trust she shows,
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trust without which we'd see nothing.
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We'd never get this close without them knowing.
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The mother is in the process of helping her daughter
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learn how to fend for herself.
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The daughter is seeking reassurance
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that their old life can continue,
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and they'll soon be going hunting together.
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But first things first.
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A drink.
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In the dry season, animal hoof prints
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are often the only source of water available.
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(growling)
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Life lesson number one for the cub:
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how to drink from a muddy hoof print
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without getting stung by a bee.
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(growling)
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These are lucky leopards.
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They have prey and space.
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If there's anywhere in the world
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that this young female has a good chance,
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it's in Sri Lanka's Yala National Park.
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Lions and tigers became extinct here over 10,000 years ago,
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and so you'd think that these two
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don't have much to worry about.
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But as we'll see, being the top predator
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isn't all it's cracked up to be.
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Places like this, where leopards
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have lost their fear of humans,
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give us an incredible opportunity to explore their lives.
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But in the case of leopards, that means being ready
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to spend a whole night with them,
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as the hours of darkness are when they're most active.
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If there's enough moonlight,
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we can use super sensitive starlight cameras.
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Or we can add infrared light,
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invisible to cats and to humans.
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When things get really tricky,
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we can also film with a thermal camera.
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It detects the heat from their bodies.
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As light levels fall, many of the prey animals
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gather in herds in open areas.
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Wild boar join gatherings of spotted deer.
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Before long, the boar find a place to sleep on their own,
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forming a defensive circle.
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Everybody faces outwards.
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They're clearly expecting trouble.
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The daughter, of course, is filled with excitement
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at the chance to hunt on her own,
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stalking and chasing anything that moves.
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But this wild boar isn't sleeping.
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As a male, he's three or four times heavier
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than the young leopard,
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and he doesn't seem in the least bit worried.
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The young leopard can just see him in the darkness
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and is well aware he is completely out of her league.
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It's so dark, the boar hasn't noticed the leopard yet.
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Only at this point does he realize he's being watched,
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and so does what wild boar always do with leopards.
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(grunting)
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Send them into the trees.
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Being in a tree is a natural state for a leopard,
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especially this young female,
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as she tries to make sense of the world.
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(deer chirping)
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The sound in the distance is the alarm call of spotted deer,
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which can only mean one thing.
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There's another leopard wandering around.
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In Yala, leopards are hard to see in daylight.
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But at night, with special equipment,
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we find them almost anywhere.
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(rustling)
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(leopard calling)
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Like all true big cats, leopards can roar.
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The fact that this male is calling
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shows he's not at all interested in hunting deer.
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The call is meant for other leopards.
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And the young female will recognize the owner.
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Even if it's her father, she's better off in the tree.
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He's just patrolling his territory, and deer mob him.
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As long as their behind him, they move towards him,
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so that everybody knows there's a leopard about.
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Their calls can be heard almost a kilometer away,
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so all the other leopards nearby
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know exactly where this male is.
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But while leopards may recognize his ownership,
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other animals don't.
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(deer chirping)
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In Yala, water buffalo are a particular problem.
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(snorting)
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And they're another reason why trees
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are a leopard's best friend,
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the perfect place to hide, watch,
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and wait for a good time to reemerge.
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Leopard food lives mostly on the ground.
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In Africa, small and medium antelope
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are the favorite prey of leopards.
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In Asia, the antelope are mostly replaced by deer.
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The daughter goes to find her mother again.
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She needs some guidance.
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All this time, the mother has barely moved.
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(leopard vocalizing)
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The daughter makes the most of her mother's affection
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while she still can.
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Now, finally, the mother takes her daughter hunting.
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(rustling)
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With the half moon rising,
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we can switch to super starlight camera.
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It's just bright enough to see a herd of sambar
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edging towards the leopards.
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The daughter shows her excitement,
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while her mother stays back and lets her get on with it.
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But sambar are huge, averaging over 300 kilos or so,
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and are way beyond the skills of this young leopard.
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(sambar calling)
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Their calls let the leopard know they've seen her,
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and now they move in closer to get a better view,
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almost as if to mock her.
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(anxious percussion)
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Interestingly, we found that, when the moon is up,
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it was always much harder to find leopards,
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even though there was more light.
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And there was often nothing interesting going on.
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It could be that moonlight is enough
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for most animals to be able to see perfectly well,
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so they often revert to their daytime patterns of behavior.
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The mother leopard knows this, which is why
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she doesn't bother to go and help her daughter.
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Without a moon, leopards were always easy to find,
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often sleeping on the road,
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perhaps because it's just too dark
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to navigate a snake- and thorn-filled forest safely.
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Light levels strongly influence animal behavior.
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At night, like us, monkeys sleep,
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but in the daytime, they're nervous of leopard attack
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and spend their time with spotted deer.
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The two species work together.
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The deer are happy to have the monkeys' extra vigilance
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and are more relaxed.
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Which is why most leopards here will be asleep in a tree,
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catching the breeze in the 40 degree heat.
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But there are many other good reasons
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why a leopard wouldn't bother to hunt when the sun is up.
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This deer was killed in the morning.
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If there was a leopard anywhere near,
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it's already been chased away by the buffalo.
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Since there are no vultures in Yala,
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there's a good chance that the leopard
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will be able to come and feed once darkness has fallen.
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The monkeys in the tree and the jungle crow
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indicate that the carcass does have an owner.
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(cawing)
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This is the daughter leopard.
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The mother is nowhere to be seen.
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(grunting)
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The buffalo have moved on,
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but now a large herd of wild boar appear.
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(grunting)
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And they discover the deer carcass.
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The main scavenger in Yala turns out to be wild board.
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(grunting and squealing)
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While they appear to be like a pack of wolves of hyenas,
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they don't actually have the teeth to be real carnivores.
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Unlike the cats, dogs and hyenas,
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wild boar have no carnassials, the special teeth
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that enable predators to actually cut skin.
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So while the boar can easily remove the soft parts,
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there will always be something left for a leopard.
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(squealing)
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The boar are making the daughter nervous.
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She picks a safe moment to find her mother.
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Elsewhere, another leopard has braved the daylight
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to finish an old sambar deer,
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one that's already been ravaged by the boar
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and has little meat left.
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The leopard's special meat-eating teeth
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allow it to find food that the pigs can't eat.
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The carnassials come into play.
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Wild boar are ever present here now.
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(grunting)
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The fact that there are no tigers in Yala
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is, on the one hand, great news for the leopards,
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but on the other, if there were tigers,
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00:20:20,750 --> 00:20:22,300
there would be fewer wild boar.
265
00:20:25,293 --> 00:20:27,543
(grunting)
266
00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,130
It's only at night that leopards can gain
267
00:20:33,130 --> 00:20:35,653
any kind of advantage over the boar.
268
00:20:41,830 --> 00:20:42,810
There's still one there,
269
00:20:42,810 --> 00:20:46,063
trying to suck the last goodness from the sambar carcass.
270
00:20:47,150 --> 00:20:50,213
His teeth have no purchasing power on the tough skin.
271
00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:59,023
But in the dark, the ability to move silently ...
272
00:21:00,590 --> 00:21:02,643
gives the leopard a big advantage.
273
00:21:07,524 --> 00:21:10,274
(dramatic music)
274
00:21:18,464 --> 00:21:22,964
(roaring)
(squealing)
275
00:21:30,009 --> 00:21:32,509
And now she can feed in peace.
276
00:21:42,550 --> 00:21:45,190
Leopards have survived for millions of years
277
00:21:45,190 --> 00:21:47,763
by adapting to an ever-changing world,
278
00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,600
watching, waiting for the coast to be clear.
279
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,970
Often, they've lived in very low densities,
280
00:21:54,970 --> 00:21:57,812
but they've always been able to find each other.
281
00:21:57,812 --> 00:21:59,810
(leopard vocalizing)
282
00:21:59,810 --> 00:22:01,943
This strange sound isn't one of pain.
283
00:22:02,930 --> 00:22:06,863
It's an invitation to a male leopard from a female.
284
00:22:09,630 --> 00:22:12,113
She leaves a tantalizing scent trail.
285
00:22:17,898 --> 00:22:20,815
And the male has to track her down.
286
00:22:38,100 --> 00:22:40,693
When he finds her, there's no surprise.
287
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:44,810
She already knows it's him,
288
00:22:44,810 --> 00:22:47,927
as she's fathered a cub with her.
289
00:22:47,927 --> 00:22:51,173
Her invitation was to him specifically.
290
00:22:53,430 --> 00:22:55,600
As the sky brightens, we have the chance
291
00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:59,523
to film this lovers' tryst by moonlight for the first time.
292
00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,210
Cat sex is more or less the same with most species:
293
00:23:05,210 --> 00:23:07,193
it's the female who initiates.
294
00:23:12,330 --> 00:23:13,733
Her caresses are tender.
295
00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:21,273
But mating can be a violent affair.
296
00:23:24,130 --> 00:23:28,030
All male cats have a barbed penis to stimulate ovulation,
297
00:23:28,030 --> 00:23:30,423
and withdrawal can be quite painful for her,
298
00:23:31,930 --> 00:23:34,080
so the male bites the female's neck
299
00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,017
to protect itself from attack.
300
00:23:37,889 --> 00:23:39,355
(screeching)
301
00:23:39,355 --> 00:23:41,522
(roaring)
302
00:23:45,860 --> 00:23:47,320
When the female is in season,
303
00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:51,861
they may mate as many as 250 times in a couple of days.
304
00:23:51,861 --> 00:23:54,278
(screeching)
305
00:23:57,820 --> 00:23:59,720
As often as every 15 minutes
306
00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,093
to maximize reproductive success.
307
00:24:03,552 --> 00:24:05,400
(roaring)
308
00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,830
The Sri Lankan leopards are mong the largest in the world,
309
00:24:08,830 --> 00:24:11,630
and the males are huge compare to the females,
310
00:24:11,630 --> 00:24:14,033
often exceeding 100 kilos,
311
00:24:15,140 --> 00:24:17,475
almost the same size as the lions.
312
00:24:17,475 --> 00:24:18,308
(elephant calling)
313
00:24:18,308 --> 00:24:21,780
But it doesn't mean they're kings and queens of the jungle.
314
00:24:21,780 --> 00:24:24,653
Here, leopards can't even mate in peace.
315
00:24:26,950 --> 00:24:30,350
After millions of years of being hunted by large predators,
316
00:24:30,350 --> 00:24:33,319
elephants won't tolerate leopards nearby.
317
00:24:33,319 --> 00:24:36,569
(elephants vocalizing)
318
00:24:47,830 --> 00:24:50,540
Being shunned and chased by wildlife wherever they go
319
00:24:50,540 --> 00:24:53,140
hasn't stopped leopards here in Yala's national park
320
00:24:53,990 --> 00:24:55,723
from doing incredibly well.
321
00:24:57,830 --> 00:25:00,040
In fact, this is one of the densest
322
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:01,943
leopard populations in the world.
323
00:25:05,620 --> 00:25:06,990
But one of the key reasons
324
00:25:06,990 --> 00:25:10,083
for their success is rather surprising.
325
00:25:11,630 --> 00:25:13,973
Humans have provided a helping hand.
326
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:21,560
There are few natural lakes or ponds in Sri Lanka,
327
00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:23,730
and for centuries wildlife has depended
328
00:25:23,730 --> 00:25:25,600
on manmade water sources.
329
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,100
Leopards are generally so antisocial,
330
00:25:41,100 --> 00:25:43,173
they each want their own place to drink.
331
00:25:51,834 --> 00:25:54,501
Only a mother and cub can share.
332
00:26:01,020 --> 00:26:03,530
The limit to the leopard population in Yala
333
00:26:03,530 --> 00:26:07,883
wasn't the availability of prey; it was water sources.
334
00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:14,260
So, in Yala, more artificial water sources were built
335
00:26:14,260 --> 00:26:17,323
in the hope they could increase the number of leopards.
336
00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:24,400
The experiment has been a huge success.
337
00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,253
Leopards are really thriving.
338
00:26:30,330 --> 00:26:32,660
Throughout their range, leopards have been living
339
00:26:32,660 --> 00:26:35,823
alongside humans for nearly two million years.
340
00:26:37,350 --> 00:26:40,583
And now their relationship has become even closer.
341
00:26:42,290 --> 00:26:45,220
Leopards know how to keep a very low profile,
342
00:26:45,220 --> 00:26:47,173
and if they can find food of some kind,
343
00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,023
they can easily survive among people.
344
00:26:51,023 --> 00:26:53,940
(intriguing music)
345
00:27:01,410 --> 00:27:04,040
Sometimes communities are completely unaware
346
00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:05,513
of a leopard in their midst.
347
00:27:06,908 --> 00:27:09,491
(dogs barking)
348
00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:12,633
Only the village dogs know,
349
00:27:13,670 --> 00:27:16,813
and that's because they're the ones at greatest risk.
350
00:27:19,890 --> 00:27:23,990
But there is a place in India where these 21st century cats
351
00:27:23,990 --> 00:27:27,103
have taken living among us to a whole new level.
352
00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:31,233
Mumbai.
353
00:27:33,489 --> 00:27:34,322
(horns honking)
354
00:27:34,322 --> 00:27:37,900
The most populous urban area on the subcontinent,
355
00:27:37,900 --> 00:27:41,420
with over 20 million human inhabitants.
356
00:27:41,420 --> 00:27:44,333
And incredibly, leopards live here too.
357
00:27:45,647 --> 00:27:48,730
(fireworks rumbling)
358
00:27:50,330 --> 00:27:52,000
Within this huge metropolis
359
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,913
lies Sanjay-Gandhi National Park.
360
00:27:54,930 --> 00:27:58,460
A protected area like this of around 100 square kilometers
361
00:28:00,890 --> 00:28:04,860
would normally be expected to support only a few leopards.
362
00:28:04,860 --> 00:28:06,773
But here there are over 40.
363
00:28:11,780 --> 00:28:13,400
At the edges of the city,
364
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:16,053
the leopards' old foe has been domesticated,
365
00:28:17,030 --> 00:28:20,283
although they've also interbred with wild boar.
366
00:28:27,630 --> 00:28:29,810
When most residents are asleep,
367
00:28:29,810 --> 00:28:33,253
leopards make their way out of the park, into the city.
368
00:28:40,690 --> 00:28:42,703
Carefully, and quietly.
369
00:28:54,260 --> 00:28:56,773
Cubs learn the route from an early age.
370
00:29:01,190 --> 00:29:02,893
This is their urban jungle.
371
00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:09,480
The leopards don't have to go far
372
00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:10,830
to find what they're after.
373
00:29:13,050 --> 00:29:14,493
An abundance of food.
374
00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:21,090
These cats are known to feed
375
00:29:21,090 --> 00:29:23,563
on about 100 different prey species,
376
00:29:25,300 --> 00:29:27,843
so if it moves, it's probably on the list.
377
00:29:29,140 --> 00:29:32,010
The ability to eat whatever they can catch
378
00:29:32,010 --> 00:29:34,243
is one reason why they're so successful.
379
00:29:41,161 --> 00:29:43,411
(grunting)
380
00:29:45,310 --> 00:29:47,860
But she could no more kill this big sow here
381
00:29:47,860 --> 00:29:49,863
than she could in a forest of Sri Lanka.
382
00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,460
The thick neck of pigs makes it very difficult
383
00:29:57,460 --> 00:29:59,513
for leopards to kill by strangulation.
384
00:30:03,590 --> 00:30:05,793
Of course, it's the adult pigs she's after.
385
00:30:06,660 --> 00:30:08,273
It's the piglets.
386
00:30:10,013 --> 00:30:12,763
(dramatic music)
387
00:30:16,060 --> 00:30:18,483
She approaches the shed where they all live.
388
00:30:22,530 --> 00:30:24,563
The plan is to make a hit and run.
389
00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:28,170
But if she's discovered, she'll have to flee.
390
00:30:29,870 --> 00:30:32,653
She needs to be completely silent.
391
00:30:34,230 --> 00:30:36,780
In the darkness, she hears the approach of an adult
392
00:30:39,260 --> 00:30:40,903
and makes a silent escape.
393
00:30:45,230 --> 00:30:47,320
Pigs here too take a very dim view
394
00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:49,013
of leopards sneaking around.
395
00:30:50,490 --> 00:30:53,810
But actually, piglets from the periphery of the city
396
00:30:53,810 --> 00:30:57,393
only form a small part of the leopard diet here in Mumbai.
397
00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,303
Dogs are their main city staple.
398
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,250
In fact, leopards are well known
399
00:31:12,250 --> 00:31:16,010
for taking foxes and jackals in wilderness areas,
400
00:31:16,010 --> 00:31:17,690
so the domestic dogs here
401
00:31:17,690 --> 00:31:20,413
are a perfectly natural prey for leopards.
402
00:31:20,413 --> 00:31:22,996
(dogs barking)
403
00:31:25,180 --> 00:31:27,790
Most dogs live in the denser parts of the city.
404
00:31:32,740 --> 00:31:35,630
And it's here that the leopard's extraordinary skills
405
00:31:35,630 --> 00:31:37,003
are tested to the limit.
406
00:31:44,810 --> 00:31:46,870
They're so good at staying out of sight
407
00:31:46,870 --> 00:31:50,963
that few people ever witness this night hunter's activities.
408
00:31:53,793 --> 00:31:55,852
(dramatic music)
409
00:31:55,852 --> 00:31:57,340
(dog barking)
410
00:31:57,340 --> 00:32:00,003
Over surveillance cameras can reveal the truth.
411
00:32:04,846 --> 00:32:07,346
(dog barking)
412
00:32:20,257 --> 00:32:23,557
There are 95,000 dogs in Mumbai,
413
00:32:23,557 --> 00:32:25,457
and the leopards know where they live.
414
00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,563
The element of surprise is essential.
415
00:32:40,140 --> 00:32:42,940
(snarling)
416
00:32:42,940 --> 00:32:46,070
The leopard silences its victim with a throat bite
417
00:32:46,070 --> 00:32:47,863
before it can make a sound.
418
00:32:57,300 --> 00:32:59,460
With such a high density of people,
419
00:32:59,460 --> 00:33:02,213
human encounters with leopards are inevitable.
420
00:33:03,470 --> 00:33:05,540
Only a very small proportion of these
421
00:33:05,540 --> 00:33:07,733
result in injuries to leopards or people.
422
00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:10,340
This pregnant female was filmed
423
00:33:10,340 --> 00:33:12,293
on our remote camera after midnight.
424
00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,123
A short while later, this man walked the same path.
425
00:33:19,150 --> 00:33:22,063
At the approach of a human, the leopards just hide.
426
00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:27,483
Only when cornered do they attack.
427
00:33:34,500 --> 00:33:37,033
In towns and cities across the country ...
428
00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:38,980
(shouting in a foreign language)
429
00:33:38,980 --> 00:33:42,362
leopards often get themselves into unfamiliar territory.
430
00:33:42,362 --> 00:33:45,020
(shouting in a foreign language)
431
00:33:45,020 --> 00:33:46,855
(dramatic music)
432
00:33:46,855 --> 00:33:49,022
(roaring)
433
00:34:05,102 --> 00:34:08,340
Showing the sheer strength and determination to survive
434
00:34:08,340 --> 00:34:11,350
that got them through the last million or so years,
435
00:34:11,350 --> 00:34:13,930
the leopard just wants to get out of the way.
436
00:34:15,818 --> 00:34:17,985
(roaring)
437
00:34:20,330 --> 00:34:23,140
A leopard on the loose attracts hordes of spectators,
438
00:34:23,140 --> 00:34:24,960
all eager just to get a look
439
00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:27,303
at this most elusive of their neighbors.
440
00:34:33,820 --> 00:34:36,700
Keen to protect both people and leopards,
441
00:34:36,700 --> 00:34:40,140
the Indian Wildlife Authorities generally dart the cat
442
00:34:40,140 --> 00:34:43,943
and take it back to a suitable habitat after a health check.
443
00:34:48,025 --> 00:34:50,442
(soft music)
444
00:34:53,510 --> 00:34:56,463
For leopards, Mumbai is their home too.
445
00:35:00,930 --> 00:35:05,440
To me, it's incredibly that not only can they survive here,
446
00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:09,760
but also that this in fact the densest population
447
00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:11,253
of leopards in the world.
448
00:35:12,540 --> 00:35:15,290
(dramatic music)
449
00:35:19,910 --> 00:35:22,520
With their skills of stealth and concealment,
450
00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:25,200
leopards demonstrate that big cats
451
00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:27,373
really can live alongside us.
452
00:35:34,327 --> 00:35:37,077
(dramatic music)
34683
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