All language subtitles for Africas.Hunters.S03E06_English

NARRATOR:
In Zambia's Luangwa Valley,

two tribes are at war.

[Groans]

On one side
the mighty Mwamba pride:

a band of hunters
who rule this wilderness.

Their opponents...

A veritable battalion
of 300 buffalo.

Armed and very dangerous.

[Growling]

As their life and death
feud plays out,

it sends ripples through
the lives of every animal here.

[Snarling]

When the final confrontation
draws near,

who will come out on top?

[Snorting]

[♪♪♪]

This is the Mwamba Pride.

A 20-strong family of lions,

constantly on the lookout
for their next meal.

Nine powerful lionesses
are the pride's elite hunters.

Their teenage cubs are eager
to join the hunt...

Practicing their moves
at any opportunity.

At the helm sits a trio
of pride males...

[Groans]

Axel,

Spike,

and Mohawk.

These fearsome beasts

are the most powerful lions
in the land,

and rule a prime territory

in the heart of Zambia's
Luangwa Valley.

It's a patchwork of grassland
and forest...

Teeming with just the sort
of animals lions like to eat.

[Zebras yapping]

Running through it is
the broad Luangwa River,

a lifeline for everything here.

The Mwamba territory

occupies nine square miles
of the west bank.

It's August, three months
since the last rains...

Two more until the next.

At this time of year

prey has no choice but to
venture to the river to drink.

And with their well-appointed
riverside real estate,

the Mwambas are
in the perfect position

to reap the riches
of the dry season.

There's one animal

the Mwamba Pride covets
above all others.

[Snorting]

Buffalo.

But this ultimate prize
is also the deadliest.

These one-ton giants
are lion killers,

with hooves that trample
attackers into the dirt

and horns that rip
through flesh.

Armor-plated by their
two-inch-thick hide,

it takes a whole pride
to bring down a buffalo.

Not something
to undertake lightly.

[Snarling]

A successful buffalo hunt

usually requires the strength
of the big males.

The lionesses specialize
in smaller prey.

[Grunts]

They're experts in concealment
and surprise.

And this patchwork landscape
is full of hiding places.

The prey's only hope
is to run.

Like all lions the Mwambas lack
the stamina for a long chase.

But, once night falls,

the lionesses' vision
gives them the advantage.

Despite their deadly skills,

only one in three chases
ends in a kill.

A lot of hard work
for such a small meal.

One impala doesn't stretch far
between 20 diners.

Keeping everyone well-fed

is testing the Mwamba lionesses
to their limits.

By the following afternoon,
the pride is hungry again.

This time pork is on offer
rather than venison.

[Warthog squealing]

The warthog slips the net.

But as the temperature drops
towards evening,

the menu changes again...

Beef.

A bachelor group of buffalo.

One bull would feed
this hungry family for a week.

A crack team,

the lionesses fan out...

Their movements
are coordinated,

each knows her role in the hunt.

They isolate a bull.

But he's ready for them.

The Mwambas must
stay out of range

of his wickedly sharp horns.

His thick hide foils an attack
from behind.

On his feet, this ton of muscle
is unstoppable.

Without the heavy pride males,

the lionesses lack the bulk
to fell him.

[♪♪♪]

Spike arrives...

Too late.

The bull has taken refuge
in a lagoon...

And there's no way to reach him

without getting trapped
in the mud.

[Grunts]

Abandoning a lost cause...

The hungry lions head off
to hunt elsewhere.

By daybreak the buffalo
is long gone.

And the lionesses bear the marks
of their bruising encounter.

In the days that follow,

kills are few and far between.

The hungrier
these lions get...

The more tempting
the sight of a buffalo becomes.

But this buffalo isn't alone.

A herd 300-strong has crossed
into Mwamba territory.

Its dangerous ground,

lorded over
by known buffalo-killers.

But the pride-lands hold
rich grazing,

and access to water.

The buffalo soldiers
must take the risk.

Forging the way
is the pathfinder.

A strong, dominant male.

The entire herd puts
their trust in him.

This strategy keeps
the group together

as they travel through
the wilderness.

The buffalo have
a much larger home-range

than that of the lions...

Up to 400 square miles.

They follow a circuitous route
through their domain,

constantly searching
for new grass

and never venturing more
than twelve miles from water.

The buffalo's visits to
the Mwamba pride-lands

are brief and unpredictable.

As they walk,

mothers with calves
seek shelter inside the herd,

surrounded by burly adults.

The calves weigh only
90 pounds at birth.

A fraction of the size
of their parents.

Their horns are just tiny stubs.

A much easier prospect
for the hungry Mwambas...

If they can get one on its own.

Impala and warthog
would have run by now.

These buffalo are going nowhere.

Instead, they close ranks
around the calves.

And then, turn the tables.

The lions know better than
to put up a fight.

The buffalo win again.

Banding together safeguards
the next generation.

It also protects adults

who might not survive
on their own.

Lions and buffalo are old foes.

The herd treads the same
well-worn paths

through the Mwamba territory
several times a month.

They're lion-savvy...

A missing tail is a sure sign
of a lion encounter.

But this knowledge
cuts both ways.

The lions know what it takes
to bring down a buffalo.

They must choose
the right time and place

to shift the odds
in their favor.

The buffalo will only be
in their territory

for two or three days
before moving on.

The pride's best option
is to shadow the buffalo army

and look for a chink
in its armor.

Every move the buffalo make,
the lions will be watching.

The herd marches on
through the Mwamba lands,

driven by the need
to find food and water.

Buffalo are long-grass grazers,

eating plants too dry and coarse
for most other herbivores.

Their pathfinder seeks out
patches of tall grass.

The buffalo bundle long stems
together with their tongues,

and shear them off
with their teeth.

Other long-grass grazers,
like zebra,

tag along with
the buffalo battalion.

Staying close to this
armed infantry

is the best way to find food
and stay safe in lion country.

The relentless trampling and
grazing of hundreds of buffalo

keep this grassland open

and stop the forest
from encroaching.

Once they've cleared this area
of long grass,

the buffalo will move on,

only returning when
the grass has regrown.

Wildebeest and other antelope
that each short grass,

follow in the buffalo's wake,

lured by the promise
of newly exposed grazing.

By keeping clearings
like this open,

the buffalo help to draw
other herbivores

into the Mwamba's territory.

In part, the pride owes
its rich pickings to its foe.

By their second day
in Mwamba territory,

the buffalo have attracted
other hungry eyes.

Leopards are opportunists,

eating anything
from mice to antelope.

This big male

could take down a buffalo calf
given half a chance.

Rumbled.

Guinea fowl,

foraging on insects disturbed
by the herd,

are excellent bush sirens.

[Grunts]

Another predator
put in its place.

It's a lesson for
the hungry lions...

A surprise attack
is not an option.

Threat taken care of,

the herd gets straight
back to business.

Each adult buffalo needs
30 pounds of fodder a day.

It takes around
9 hours of eating

to meet that quota.

The lions aren't
the only animals

after the buffalo's blood.

Biting ticks burrow
into their hide

and are hunted out
by yellow-billed oxpeckers.

Each bird can eat 100
blood-swollen parasites a day...

Wherever they're hiding.

[Chirping]

The birds aren't just
being good Samaritans.

They also peck at open wounds
to drink the buffalo's blood,

which stops injuries
from healing.

The oxpeckers cling to
the buffalo day and night.

With the herd on the move
around the clock,

the birds can't risk
losing their meal ticket.

They only leave their host
once a year to nest

and rear chicks.

Once they've grazed
the clearing,

the herd starts to move on,

taking their blood-thirsty
passengers with them.

But this army of eaters
leaves something behind.

A buffalo produces just over
2 pounds of dung a day.

This herd of 300 can drop
a third of a ton.

Nutrients in the droppings
fertilize the soil,

spurring the growth
of new grass.

This will draw the buffalo back

into the Mwamba's territory
again in a few months' time.

Just one stop in their
never-ending quest for food.

The trail of dung also makes
them simple to follow.

The herd doesn't just come
to the pride's domain

for the good grazing.

Buffalo have to drink every day.

That long grass is coarse

and doesn't contain
the moisture they need.

Wherever he takes them
in search of food,

the pathfinder must eventually
lead them to water.

In the dry season

the banks of the shrunken
Luangwa river are steep.

Access points where 300 buffalo
can reach the water to drink

are few and far between.

And the Mwamba Pride territory

is centered around
just such a place.

This is the ace
in the lions' hand.

It's why the buffalo herd
keeps coming back.

[Snorting]

Each thirsty buffalo

needs nine gallons a day
to sustain it.

It only takes each one about
six minutes to drink its fill.

But in a herd of 300,

hours can pass before
everyone's thirst is quenched.

The lions too come to drink.

But water does little to blunt
the pride's growing hunger.

The buffalo seem
like sitting ducks.

But this is not the place
to launch an attack.

In such wide open terrain

there are no hiding places
for the lions,

and plenty of escape routes
for the buffalo.

But the herd can't rest easy.

Other ambush hunters have
the buffalo in their sights.

Nile crocodiles.

Old males can reach
sixteen feet in length.

These are the only
predators in Africa

strong enough to take down
a bull single-handed,

something the Mwamba pride
can only dream of right now.

A kill would keep
these reptiles fed for weeks.

[Grunting]

Missed.

But the shock of the attack
causes panic.

The stampede takes the buffalo
back into the bush...

The lions' preferred terrain.

Most of the herd
is still thirsty.

But they're nervous
of returning to the river.

Before nightfall the pathfinder
must find water,

where everyone can drink.

He leads them to
a muddy lagoon nearby,

the remains of an oxbow lake
that was once a river bend.

It's too shallow
to hide crocodiles,

but it's in full view

of the Mwamba's favorite
shade trees on the far side.

The buffalo smell the lions
before they see them.

Their eyesight is good,

but their sense of smell
is even better.

[Snorts]

The buffalo know the lions

won't risk crossing
the deep mud to attack.

And there's no cover for them to
slip round the back of the herd.

At last, the buffalo
can quench their thirst...

While the oxpeckers mine
their ears for oil-rich wax.

Where the lagoon is deepest,

older males indulge
in a little pampering.

Their thinning hair no longer
protects them from the sun

and biting flies,

but the soothing mud
offers relief.

These old dirt-crusted bulls
are known as dagga boys,

after the local word for mud.

Past their prime,

they live on the fringes
of the herd.

If the hungry Mwambas are ever
going to bring down a buffalo,

a dagga boy may
be their best hope.

When the herd
finally leaves the lagoon,

the pride quickly skirts
its borders and follows.

In their eagerness,
they miss a golden opportunity.

A pregnant female,
trapped in the deep mud.

[Squawking]

[Buffalo mooing]

Weaker than the massive bulls,

and made more cumbersome
by her huge belly,

she can't haul herself out.

The lions haven't spotted her,

but others have.

White-backed vultures
start their macabre vigil.

A clan of hyenas spots
the birds a mile away.

White-backed vultures are
only interested in big game,

so the hyenas know there's
something worth investigating.

[Buffalo mooing]

[Flies buzzing]

The gang arrives
under cover of darkness.

They're trespassing
on Mwamba turf.

The pride and the clan
are deadly rivals.

[Flies buzzing]

Less than half the weight
of a lion,

the hyenas can walk
over the mud.

These skilled hunters

wouldn't normally tackle
such dangerous prey.

But the pregnant cow
has succumbed

to heat and exhaustion.

The hyenas work in silence,

to keep their prize secret.

Each of them can bolt down
more than 30 pounds of meat.

While some eat their fill,

sentinels watch
for the lions' return.

Oblivious to the feast
they've just missed,

the Mwambas are a mile away,

on the trail of
the rest of the buffalo.

In the darkness,
the herd is on the move.

Buffalo spend 18 hours a day
walking and foraging,

only resting in daylight when
they can spot danger coming.

This time Spike is hunting
with the lionesses.

It could be
just the edge they need.

The wary buffalo close ranks,

leaving no outliers
vulnerable to attack.

Blinded by night,

the buffalo still stare
their enemy down.

Even with a male in tow,

the lions know better than to
attack this formidable garrison.

The darkness enhances
the lionesses' hunting skills.

Their eyes are seven times
more sensitive than humans',

picking up and amplifying
glimmers of light

from the moon and stars.

Staying downwind
and using the darkness as cover,

they stalk puku.

This is open ground.

In daylight the puku
would be long gone.

But in the dark the enemy
is much harder to spot.

The lions can't maintain
a top-speed chase for long.

[Squealing]

They only charge when a target
is tantalizingly close.

[♪♪♪]

[Squealing]

With the teenagers in tow

there's no co-ordination
to this hunt.

The whole family joins in.

[Squealing]

[Growling]

[♪♪♪]

Success!

[Growling]

But again, there's barely
enough to go around.

With food so limited,
the lionesses eat first.

[Growling]

The teens are left with scraps.

The pride needs a good meal
that will feed everyone.

They must kill a buffalo before
the herd leaves their territory.

Time is running out.

Back at the lagoon,

the hyenas have made
short work of the trapped cow.

The white-backed vultures

are forced to wait until
the hyenas are finished.

[Hyenas yapping]

They were first
to spot this bonanza,

but they must make do
with leftovers.

[Screeching]

Bellies bulging,

the hyenas head
back to their den,

out of enemy territory.

[Panting]

The Mwambas are worn out.

Tracking the herd
is taking its toll.

Right now

the priority is to conserve
energy and keep cool.

As the morning heat intensifies,

the only sign of life is
a flock of red-billed quelea.

[Chirping]

These are seed-eaters,

drawn to grassy areas
in search of juicy grains.

The buffalo's frequent grazing
in the Mwambas' territory

means there is plenty
of grassland here.

It's a quelea hotspot.

As the grass seed ripens

the birds reach
plague proportions.

Lions have been known raid
quelea nests in low branches

and eat chicks
when times are hard.

Things aren't that bad yet
for the Mwambas.

Right now this pride
only has eyes for buffalo.

In the mid-morning heat

the pathfinder leads his herd
back to the lagoon to drink.

The fate of their unfortunate
comrade is forgotten.

They ignore the Mwamba pride,
safely across a sea of mud.

All the hungry lions
can do is watch.

This is not the time.

Then, unexpectedly close,

oblivious to the danger,

a huge male buffalo appears
on their side of the lagoon.

All eyes are on him.

A dagga boy
from the fringes of the herd.

This is the opportunity
the pride has been waiting for.

And this time they have everyone
they need for a take down.

The old boy's
back legs look weak.

He may be injured or ill.

A healthy adult can easily
outrun a lion.

But this loner is vulnerable.

He's still a ton of muscle
and horn...

A formidable opponent.

The lionesses are ready
to attack,

but they need
the weight and strength

of a male to win the day.

Spike steps up.

[♪♪♪]

The bull finally realizes
the danger he's in.

The herd, his only possible
source of help, retreats.

They must keep the cows
and their calves safe.

The dagga boy is expendable.

It's the cue the Mwamba
lionesses were waiting for.

They distract the bull...

Spike seizes his chance.

[Growling]

The bull's fate is sealed.

[Groaning]

Mohawk ambles over.

The hard work already done,

he finishes the job
with a firm grip

on the bull's windpipe
and suffocates him.

The bull's thick hide means
the lions can't go in

through his stomach
as they would with other prey.

They target weak points
on his muzzle

and at his rear end.

Axel arrives as the lionesses
breach the carcass.

He's played no part,

but as a defender of the pride
he can claim his share.

There's plenty for all.

At last,

the pride has the big meal
it so desperately needs.

Even the teenagers don't need
to wait their turn.

The feasting continues
for the rest of the day.

Lionesses who have eaten
their fill retreat to the shade

to digest their huge meal.

Digesting meat produces
a lot of heat.

The big cats have to pant
to stay cool.

A male like Mohawk

can eat almost 100 pounds
of meat in a single sitting.

After a feast like this,

he won't need to eat for days.

And there's plenty of meat

still left on the carcass
for the ravenous teens.

By nightfall,
the whole pride is sated.

As they sleep off
their epic meal,

intruders arrive.

The clan's running a risk
coming here.

Lions will kill
to defend a carcass.

But the Mwambas are so bloated
they barely stir.

All that remains is the shell
of the bull's tough skin,

draped over his skeleton.

Hyenas aren't fussy eaters.

Their strong jaws
shear through his thick hide,

and they crunch up
and gulp down his bones.

The lionesses may not be hungry,

but they're not ready to let
their rivals have a free meal.

[Snarling]

Dawn reveals all that's left
of the huge, old bull.

Butterflies, attracted by
the scent of the kill,

feed on his spilled
stomach contents,

along with an army
of other insects.

The semi-digested grass
is rich in valuable salts

and amino acids.

Nothing from this epic battle
goes to waste.

The victorious lions
rest together,

their hunger finally satisfied.

After three days shadowing
the wandering buffalo

the Mwamba pride's determination
has been rewarded.

They've faced their
most dangerous adversary

and won.

It's time for the buffalo to
leave Mwamba territory

in search of pastures new.

They've lost two
of their number,

but have done well
to protect their calves.

They set off once more
along well-trodden trails.

Eventually, they'll be back.

And the Mwamba pride
will be waiting for them.

[♪♪♪]