All language subtitles for The End Of The Big Cats s01e01 Lion.eng

(easygoing instrumental music)

- [Narrator] Africa, the
third largest continent

on the planet covers
30,270,000 square kilometers,

32% of the earth's
total surface area,

and represents the
world's greatest reserve of biodiversity.

The continent's principle
ecosystems are the desert,

the Sahara, the savanna,
the rift valley,

the Great Lakes, the
tropical forests,

and the great river basins,

each one an incomparable
paradise for wildlife.

Africa is home to a
quarter of the world's

4,700 species of
mammal, including such fascinating animals

as the hippopotamus,
the lion, the leopard,

the oryx, the giraffe,
the wildebeest,

the rhino, and the elephant.

The human population, however,

has reached almost one billion

and doubles every 20 years,

bringing urbanization to
every corner of the continent.

This places enormous
pressure on wildlife,

which must compete for
space, fresh water, and food.

Today, Africa boasts
1,200 protected areas,

which cover some 2,000,000
square kilometers,

9% of the continent's
total area.

These islands of
wilderness are coming

under ever greater threat
from human development.

But this pressure may
reduce them still further.

Outside the reserves,
large mammal populations

are plummeting,
victims of poaching

or simply unregulated hunting.

For many years the big cats
have been the prime targets

in this onslaught
on animal numbers.

(guns fire)

For decades Africa
was a killing ground

for many of these species,

as well as the persecution they
suffered from local people,

they were decimated by
an incomprehensible craze

for big game hunting.

Today these images seem
shocking, uncertaining,

but in the 70s and 80s
many tourists thought it

acceptable and even admirable
to hunt African wild life.

Big game hunting
was a growing source

of revenue for local economies.

Africa seemed to
be an inexhaustible source of wildlife,

but the truth was otherwise.

In the 1980s animal
populations began to collapse

and reserves had to be created

to protect them from extinction.

(crowd talking quietly)

Today the most successful
national parks cater

to a thriving tourist industry

that provides benefits
to the local community.

Yet outside these areas,

the situation for
wildlife is catastrophic.

In Africa, a continent with
relatively little industry,

most of the population
lives on the land,

depending on crocks and pasture,

even where soil is of poor
quality and water is scarce.

Mankind is the principle
rival, enemy, and killer

of all other species.

The apex predator of Africa,
threatening the very existence

of the great carnivores
of the animal kingdom,

the lion, the leopard,
and the chetah,

in a desperate
fight for survival.

(suspenseful music)

The big cats live in the
shadow of this threat.

Is this the end of the big cats?

(suspenseful music)

The ancient Geisha tree houses
the communal nests of birds

which greet the dusk with
their excited chatter.

Down below a fabulous
animal, the lion,

paces slowly, ruminatively,
exploring the territory.

(birds chirping)

The leopard is also
a great explorer.

It investigates every
corner of its territory

and it knows every tree,
crack, cave, and watering hole.

All big cats explore the
limits of their domain

and try to extend it, but
they discover a habitat

that is shrinking every day.

Their freedom is curtailed as
human development advances.

- It's very difficult and I
think if population growth

continues in the world
over the long run

there won't be space left
for large predators I think.

If we, as a human species,
continue to reproduce

at the rate we are doing,
we will not be able

to save enough
areas for wildlife.

Yeah, that is the sad reality.

- You need the governments
of all the other countries

to wake up and quickly
preserve some land

so that the wild cats can
still flourish in there.

Then start settling down,
but you will have to do that.

Otherwise, just open free
roam, no, no, it won't,

maybe 10 years, then it
will be nothing left.

- If one is a pessimist, or
maybe there is a very fine line

between pessimism and realism,
but the reality of it is that

if we don't do something now,
we are going to lose them.

- [Narrator] This
century, African wildlife

and with it the big cats is at
risk of disappearing forever.

The lion population, once
as high as half a million,

has fallen to an estimated
20,000 individuals today.

The lion, defeated
and humiliated, is reduced to pleading

for clemency from it's
main predator, man.

(native music)

Lions once ranged all
of Europe and Asia,

with the exception only
of the driest deserts

and the wettest jungles.

Today their habitat
has been reduced

to ever smaller areas
of sub-Saharan Africa.

The bushmen have always seen

the lion as a powerful neighbor.

Humans and lions try
to avoid each other

because whenever their paths
crossed, one was sure to die.

(speaking foreign language)

For centuries, humans and big
cats shared a mutual respect,

sometimes ignoring each other,
sometimes competing for prey.

Rivals on the ground, both
were and still are predators.

- Mostly lions,
we almost believe

that lions are stronger
than us, as human beings.

It's what we believe.

Lion can finish us
as human beings.

So lions are stronger,

we believe that they
are stronger than us.

(gun fires)

- [Narrator] The lion's armor
is useless against firearms.

At the end of the 19th century,

lions began to be exterminated,

especially in the
north of the continent.

They were forced back
to uninhabited areas

in central and southern Africa,

where their numbers
continue to fall.

The slaughter continued
into the 20th century,

intensifying between
the 60s and the 90s,

when big game hunting
became a popular past time

amongst North
Americans and Europeans

attracted by the excitement
of killing a wild animal.

The heads, skins, paws,
tails, and teeth of lions

filled the trophy rooms of
thousands of western hunters,

who claimed that lion
hunting was a heroic

face to face combat in which
man measured his strength

against the king of
the animal realm.

But the idea of a contest
between equals was a travesty.

Lions never attack for
pleasure and their weaponry,

teeth and claws,
although powerful,

is no match for a rifle bullet.

From the 1990s onwards,
many African countries

put in place laws
to protect them,

limiting legal hunting and
working to prevent poaching.

The slaughter of lions
for sport has been curved

and limited, but
continues unofficially

because when a new
village, a town,

or a small farmstead is
built, lions are not welcome.

This process led to the
extinction, in the wild,

of the barbary and cape lions.

The lions existence, like
that of so many wild animals,

is in our hands
now more than ever.

Every lion that
survives in the wild,

does so thanks to the
support of conservationists

who work tirelessly to
promote awareness of

and tolerance for
large predators.

- This sphinx was
established in the 60s

and at that point
in time, or prior to

the building of the sphinx,
this area of Namibia

had foot in mouth disease.

Possibly 600, 800, 1,000
lives in Namibia, that's all.

- [Narrator] For over
30 years, Tammy Hoth

has been working at
the Afri-Cat foundation

in northern Namibia.

- If the lions moved this way
they were going to be shot.

If they move out this way
they were going to be shot.

If they move this
way, we're hoping

that they're not going
to be because this

is actually where
they live freely.

But we're looking at
this low number of lions.

- [Narrator] Her main task
is to do everything possible

to protect the
lives of big cats,

especially those that have
come into contact with humans

and have been shot,
either by poachers

or farmers fearful
for their stock.

- We need to go ground
level, with children,

because they're our future
farmers, teachers, politicians.

They're the ones that are
going to be able to manage

what's going to happen to
these animals later on.

Then of course, the people
that are on the ground now.

The farmer, now.

That is where our
research is so important

because we need to be able to
tell the farmer on the ground,

these animals are, there
are only a few of them,

this is their natural
range, we need to find a way

to live together, and
of course your farmer

on the ground is the
person that needs

to make money now,
as we're speaking

and he also needs to see
the value of these lions.

Not only this inherent
love for wild life,

which most of us are
lucky to have be born with

or were able to grow up in
that kind of atmosphere,

which is, of course
helps you along the way.

But for the people out there,

that are struggling
to make an existence,

be it commercial
or communal farmer.

If that lion has no
value, it's going to go.

- [Narrator] For most farmers,

this problem is not solved
by educational campaigns

that preach the essential
goodness of wild predators,

but by benefit programs
that compensate farmers

for the loses caused by
big cats and this visa says

that farmers do not kill
predators for sport,

but because sometimes there
are simply no other solution.

- We know how to
handle those animals.

We know how to live
together with the animals.

We know that we need
those animals, as well,

in our environment and
in the communal areas

you must take it like
this, their animals,

the cattle and sheep and goats

is like a bank of money for them

because they don't bring
the money to the bank.

As more animals they've
got around them,

there they can show
this is my bank account.

If they need a little bit
money, they will take out one,

slaughter it and sell it
or slaughter it an eat it.

That's how the communal
farmers are working

because it's a
tradition for them.

We as commercial farmers,
we see our animals,

domesticated animals,
cattle and goats and sheep,

as a money making business.

We have to make
money out of them,

put it onto the bank, and
do a business out of it.

There is that split coming.

So if a lion, or any predator,
comes into the communal area

it's like they're robbing
their bank account.

For us, it's a loss of
business or loss of income

as a commercial farmer, now.

That's a problem.

- [Narrator] Andreas runs

a commercial stock
farming operation.

His circumstances are different
from those of communal farms

where land granted
by the government

is shared by several neighbors.

On communal farms, tenants
rely on the government

both to maintain and repair
the protective fences

that separate wild
animals from the stock

and to provide
compensation for losses.

If not, they ask to be allowed

to kill the animal that
is causing trouble.

These are usually poor families.

The loss of a single goat or cow

can have a huge
economic impact on them.

(speaking foreign language)

On this communal
land lives the family

of a herdsman who lost his
entire herd to big cats.

He was left without any
stock to slaughter for food

or to sell and
condemned to poverty.

The Afri-Cat
Foundation raised money

for the family to buy six lambs

and so restart their business.

This has helped them to
get back on their feet,

but the problems
do not end here.

Now it's the elephants.

- This is the first
time I've heard this.

She said on Tuesday two
elephants killed a cow.

It was, sort of a, probably
a frenzy-type situation,

where they were in a...

- [Narrator] This man
is clear what he'll do

next time he sees a big
cat near his property.

He will shoot to kill.

- Now there is a vast difference

because of the animals
and their behavior.

For example, lions are
the only sociable cats

and they're very
sociable, so in most cases

lions are found in
groups and of course

that's the fear factor
because they're much bigger.

On a one on one basis, if you
were to try to offend yourself

or protect yourself from a lion,

the chances are pretty slim
that you're going to survive

because it's such a big animal

and because they're
usually in a group.

Now for a farmer, to
have a group of lions,

some adult males they
take a small pride.

An adult male, at
about 210, 215 kilos,

a few females at about
120 to 160 kilos,

and some sub-adults,
say you have a group

of about 19 animals on your
property, it's daunting

and in the back of
your mind you know

how many head of livestock
am I going to lose.

So that's the one thing.

Now when you want to try
to protect your livestock

from lions, most importantly
is you need strong

and very high bermas or crocks

to protect your
animals inside strong

so that they can't stampede
out if they get afraid

and high so that the
lions can't jump it.

Of course the base has to be
strong so they don't dig in.

So that's your line and
it's very, very difficult

to farm livestock with
lion on your property.

- [Narrator] Tammy Hoth has
created a small sanctuary.

She takes in wounded animals,
providing a fenced habitat

and two hectors or
more per animal,

where she cares for them
until they can be reintroduced

either into the
wild or into a park.

Some are lucky
enough to settle into

and accept their new
home, others do not,

but will nevertheless
remain there

for the rest of their lives.

(calm music)

Lions are territorial,
social animals.

The dominant males control
over the pride is total

and he will force
young males out,

leaving them to
fend for themselves

until they find a new family

either by challenging another
male to take over his pride

or by mating with a lone female.

It is not unusual,
however, to find one, two,

or three brothers hunting
together as they look

for new territory or a new
family to attach themselves to.

They cooperate, knowing
that hunting together

they have a better chance at
success than hunting alone.

These brothers are unlikely ever

to find a pride of their
own because their mother

was killed by a farmer
when they were cubs.

Fortunately the farmer
did not shoot them,

he contacted the
Afri-Cat Foundation,

asking them to take
care of the cubs.

They grew up in direct
contact with their keepers

until as they reached
adolescence they became too large

and too dangerous and they
were shut up in the enclosure.

(lions growl)

A lion, however
affectionate as a cub,

is always a lion and
it is not easy to play

or quarrel with one
without being injured.

A fully grown adult can
weigh up to 230 kilograms

and it's canine teeth are
over eight centimeters long.

They can be as calm and
affectionate as house cats,

but when stressed,
hungry, or annoyed

they can be extremely dangerous.

(lions growl)

It's better to keep an
electric fence between you

(lions growl)

Lions, like people,
can also suffer

from psychological disorders.

They can express their
unhappiness as aggression

when they find themselves
living in a limited space.

Their psychological
well-being depends on how

they cope with
life in captivity.

Some lions and lionesses
become resigned and accepting,

but others never do and
seem to long for freedom.

- Go on.

Go on, go on, go on.

Go on.

(lions growl)

Go on, go on.

(lions growl)

- We must realize that we
cannot keep destructing habitat

like we've done.

Every single place
we open a mine,

we put up a nuclear power
plant, we want to develop,

and in those processes
we destroy habitat

and we forget that animals
need habitat to survive.

So the protection of habitat

and looking at
sustainable development

and supporting the
government in creating

these big wildlife areas,
which are connected,

I think is crucial in the long
term survival of the cats.

- [Narrator] This
lioness seems reconciled.

She enjoys her sun bath,
completely relaxed.

She is not troubled
by the presence

of humans in the distance
or by the camera.

She stares intently at
us from time to time,

pretending not to notice us
until finally she decides

to wonder away to
stretch out in the shade.

No one would think it was
dangerous to approach her.

But a lion's behavior,
especially in captivity,

is always unpredictable.

Behind their unchanging
facial expression

it's hard to know what
they're thinking or feeling.

How they'll react or why.

(lion growls)

A lion can be lazy, curious,
friendly, or aggressive.

A lion's emotions are
sometimes easy to read

based on the position
of their body

or the movement of
eyes, tails, or lips,

but sometimes they
defy interpretation.

This lioness is
rarely aggressive,

but one day launched
a furious attack

on the keeper's vehicle.

It was an unexpected reaction,

but one typical of a
wild animal under stress.

Living in captivity does not
eradicate animal instincts.

On the private game
reserve in Malindi,

which covers
thousands of hectors,

they live side by side
with other species,

with abundant prey
and fresh water.

But this is a
controlled freedom.

The rangers monitor
many of the lions

to follow their movements
and also to be able

to locate them for the tourists.

(upbeat native music)

This lioness seems to be
enviably well treated.

(birds chirping)

The lions are the most
social of felines.

Normally they live in large
prides formed of related,

adult females with several cubs
of up to three years of age

and one, two, or even
three adult males,

one of them the dominant leader.

(birds chirping)

While the males are
mainly concerned

with protecting their territory
from possible intruders,

the females take care of
the cubs and also hunt.

A task for which the
smaller, more agile females

are better suited
than the males.

(birds chirping)

Whether hunting or
caring for their cubs,

the lionesses display a
marked spirit of cooperation.

Watching the tenderness
they show their cubs,

no one would suspect the
aggression with which

lionesses will fight to
claim their share of a kill

or to defend their pride.

(birds chirping)

Felines depend on their
senses of sight and hearing,

which are six times
more powerful than ours.

As well as excellent
frontal vision,

they have a wide angle
of peripheral vision

and their retinas are well
adapted to low light conditions.

This explains why they prefer
to hunt at first light,

at dusk, or during the night.

(birds chirping)

The Etosha National Park is a
22,000 square kilometer island

of natural wilderness in
north central Namibia.

When it was created in 1907,

it covered an area of
100,000 square kilometers,

making it the largest
wildlife reserve in Africa.

(howls)

At that time,
wildlife was far more

abundant than at present.

There being no human settlements
within or around the park.

In 1947 and in 1962
the area of the park

was reduced to provide
farmland for migrant.

In particular, those
arriving from Angola.

Etosha is an immense
plain of marshes, savanna,

and scrub land with
diverse populations

of mammals and bird life.

Some of them unique
to the region.

The rainy season, from
November to April,

comes as a blessing for
the park's wildlife,

which struggles to survive
through the long, dry season

during which temperatures
can reach 40 degrees Celsius.

(water splashes)

(mud splashes)

The water from the
recent rains bring life

to every corner of the park.

A pair of elephants
celebrate in a water hole.

(elephants grunt)

(elephant trumpets)

(mud splashes)

A squabbling multitude of
vultures and other scavengers

is a sign that hidden
somewhere at their feet

are the remains
of a dead animal.

The cycle of life and death
is dramatically present here

and effects all the
animals equally.

(birds chirping)

This lion has had a busy
night, he caught a zebra

and within a few hours
had eaten its fill.

Accelerated breathing,
a swollen stomach,

and half closed
eyes are sure signs

that he is digesting
a heavy meal.

The remains of the carcass
are behind the bush.

There's probably still meat
and bones for him to finish,

which is why he will
not shift from the spot,

despite the carloads
of tourists.

He's become the morning
star attraction.

The presence of the tourists
doesn't seem to bother him,

but only apparently.

The noise on the road
begins to distress him

until finally he reacts
with an unexpected charge.

(lion roars aggressively)

The lion has no idea about the
intentions of the tourists,

but he doesn't trust them,
he sees them as a threat.

The charge is a warning that
he will take on challenges

to protect his
space and his food,

but he's not entirely
sure of himself.

This is why, after
expressing his irritation,

he hides behind the bush
to monitor the situation.

A lion is definitely not a pet.

- The other big
misconception, I think,

is people always think lions
are pretty cute animals.

They look at them in things
like The Lion King movie

or so and then
think they are cute.

They are killing
machines if they go out

and kill livestock
or even humans.

They are really
dangerous animals and that is what makes it

really difficult
to live with them.

I think, in the western world,
you've got this conception

of these pretty animals
and you've got a lot

of these captive facilities
where you can go and pet one

and cuddle one, but the truth is

they are really
dangerous animals

that are just made to eat meat

and they can't do
other than that.

(engine rumbling)

- [Narrator] Farmers on land

neighboring the
Etosha National Park

have notified the authorities
and the Afri-Cat Foundation

that three male lions have
escaped from the park,

entered their land and
killed one of their cows.

(engine rumbling)

The three lions
are a real danger.

Once they've got a
taste for cow meat,

it's unlikely that they'll
leave the restaurant.

Dr. Ortwin Aschenborn,
veternarian at Etosha

and Tammy Hort of Afri-Cat
have agreed to work together.

They need to find the
lions, immobilize them

and return them to
the park immediately.

Aschenborn prepares
the dart rifle

and the doses of tranquilizer
needed to put them to sleep.

They have to set out at once.

They need to find the three
lions as soon as possible,

before the farmer can
shoot them on site.

- Don't know, let's have a look.

I don't think so.

Can't know, they're
connected to my sound system.

(door slams)

- [Narrator] The farmers have
given the conservation groups

24 hours to remove the lions.

When this is up they
will shoot the lions.

They cannot risk having the
lions kill more livestock

or attack the farm workers.

It's going to be a long night.

First they must
drive to the area

where the farmers last saw them.

On his computer, Dr.
Aschenborn has a collection

of recordings of lions roars,

which he will use
to attract them

if they prove hard to find.

We meet two people that have
been on the lookout all day.

They tell us that by
dusk the three lions

had not moved from the site
of the cow they killed.

They think the lions will
continue to stand guard

over the carcass and this
will make them more dangerous

when we approach them.

- [Tammy] We'll
wait until you feel

that it's time to come in
and either we fetch you

or somebody comes in
and goes back out again.

- [Narrator] Dr.
Aschenborn is worried

about hitting all three
targets in the darkness.

If his shots miss it
would be a disaster

and he recommends that only
one vehicle approach the lions

if he is to immobilize
all three successfully.

Tammy recaps what
has happened so far

and what she hopes
will happen next.

- At the moment, you know,
we've had a lot of movement

after dark, which is not ideal,

but unfortunately we had to
wait for our vet to arrive

from Okaukuejo because
this is a giant program.

Together with the administrative
environment and tourism

and Afri-Cat, obviously we had
to wait for the vet to arrive

and it took him three
hours to get here.

So this is a bit of the
downside, but we are hopeful.

We're hoping that they
are going to return

and that we will
successfully collar them

and be able to return them
to the park before sunrise.

(truck rattling)

Two hours later, we're
on the move again.

Aschenborn has located
the three lions

and hit all three with
tranquilizer darts.

As well as the vehicles
of the national park team,

the Afri-cat
Foundation, and our own,

we're joined by vehicles
carrying farm staff.

The tranquilizer darts
have put all three lions

into a deep sleep.

All three were gathered
around the carcass

and entrails of the victim.

At first, they
charged the vets car.

It took an hour before the
vehicle could get close enough.

- [Tammy] The collar's coming.

- [Male] Okay.

- [Narrator] The lions were
guarding a feast fit for a king,

an enormous cow weighing
more than 600 kilograms.

(muffled talking)

Their stomachs are
full to bursting.

They give off the foul
smell of the blood

and entrails of the
slaughtered cow.

- Nine, one, zero.

- [Narrator] Aschenborn
makes the most

of the lions immobility
to examine them,

take blood samples, and
fit them with radio collars

that will enable him to
follow their movements.

(speaking foreign language)

He will take them
back to the park.

(speaking foreign language)

To avoid future problems,
it is worthwhile

to fit the collars
so they can easily

be located whenever necessary.

The process of taking
hair and blood samples

and fitting the radio collar

is repeated with
the other two lions.

(speaking foreign language)

Aschenborn and his
assistants must work fast.

The dose of tranquilizer
will keep them under

for around two hours, but
this is too short a time

for everything that
must be done tonight.

Lions have a highly
developed sense of direction

and ability to
recognize landmarks.

When they're on the
move, they take in visual

and sensory data and store
it in their memory forever.

To stop them from finding
their way back to the farm,

they'll be dropped in the park,

but as far from
here as possible.

(men grunting)

We wonder whether
they will return here.

They'll certainly try.

When they come around, the
first thing they'll remember

is a place outside
the park where

they found the prey
that was as delicious

as it was easy to catch.

(door slams)

- [Man] Sleeping, can
we reach the limit then?

- We can reach the
limit, but it's okay.

- [Narrator] But now
they have radio collars,

it will be easy to
predict their movements.

The farmers can breath easy.

(engine rumbling)

We reached the
double line of fences

that separate the
farm from the park.

The lions had
managed to break out

either through a
hole or via a tunnel.

All wild animals try to
break through barriers

that limit their freedom.

Elephants usually knock
them over, charging at them.

Many other species dig tunnels
to get underneath them.

Aschenborn stops the
convoy from time to time

to ensure the lions
are still unconscious

and administers more
tranquilizers if necessary.

Four hours later, we
reach our destination.

Loading them earlier
and unloading them now

is a labor intensive operation.

To the 230 kilograms
each one weighs,

is added the many kilos of
cow flesh in their stomachs,

a total of more than 250 kilos.

(indistinct talking)

Dr. Aschenborn administers
the reversal dose

to bring them around.

Ten minutes later they're
opening their eyes.

We see them beginning
to stir, still groggy.

We try to disturb them
as little as possible

and not dazzle them
with our lights.

We watch an extraordinary
scene unfold.

One which demonstrates
these animals'

high level of awareness
and sensitivity.

They seem fully conscious
of their condition

and what has happened.

Each lion notices the
presence of the others,

seeks them out, and
communicates with them,

finding out how they are.

They use their voices
and their senses of smell

and of touch, showing a finely
honed sense of awareness.

They behave just as humans
would in a similar situation.

They ask their
companions how they feel,

then encourage them, helping
them recover and regroup.

Once they are all on their feet,

they must explore
this new territory.

Who knows whether they will
try to return to the farm,

the scene of such an
exciting adventure.

A beautiful memory that will
stay with them for years.

- And they often go
back into the park

after they catch a cow
or something outside.

So it's very difficult
to control those.

I think the other nine
people are really lucky

it was three young males that
have never been prosecuted

or hunted before, so
they were fairly relaxed

when we got there.

They came in when we called
them and we could dart them,

so we were lucky to catch those.

Often we aren't that lucky,
often they don't come.

Often we don't
manage to catch them

and then the only
solution to the farmer

is to shoot some of
them if they find them.

The team of veterinarians at
Etosha controls the animals,

but does not interfere
in their lives.

Most of the research is focused

on detecting outbreaks
of infectious diseases,

such as rabies or anthrax.

The anthrax program
is very important,

as this bacillus is
extremely aggressive.

It multiplies rapidly
in decomposing carcasses

and can be carried by
flies to healthy animals,

killing them rapidly.

The biologists main concern
is that in a closed habitat,

like the park, an
epidemic could wipe out

one or more species
with devastating speed.

- So in environments
like Etosha,

where the bacillus,
anthrax, is common

and is indigenous and
reoccurs in natural cycles.

The contraction of those
bacillus, or bacilli,

is quite natural, but it's part
of their free-range ecology.

(whimpering and snorting)

Vulnerability to
certain diseases

can be fatal for some species.

(wild dogs chattering)

This is the situation of
the African wild dogs,

whose immune system is
vulnerable to infections

and which is currently a species

facing a high risk
of extinction.

(wild dogs chattering)

They live in tightly
knit family groups.

Any disease spreads
relentlessly,

infecting or wiping out the
whole pack incredibly quickly.

These three dogs are the
only survivors of a disease

that has already killed the
other 12 members of their pack.

50 years ago, the owners of

Erindi Game Reserve
raised cattle.

They first turned their
land into a hunting reserve

and later swapped the guns
on their safaris for cameras.

Biologist Natasha De
Woronin is in charge

of feline conservation
at Erindi.

- Erindi is just a
very special story

because a number of
years into the hunting

the owners decided
that they would like to

100%, solely protect the
wildlife in this reserve.

So they decided to move
the hunting away completely

and start using
ecotourism as a way

to bring money into
this piece of land.

So I think it's very
important and one of the keys

to conservation is
adding more land

to the conservation
areas that are existing.

But one of the most
important factors for this,

I really believe, is that
people must be incorporated.

Farms must be incorporated,
livestock must be incorporated,

we all need to learn to live
together and the key is,

as we were talking
previously, is conservation,

which is connecting up
all the aspects of Africa.

Every single piece of it

and helping it to
function together.

Helping every part
to work together.

People to live with predators.

Farmers to live with
predators, livestock.

I think one of the keys
to this is understanding

the behavior of the predators
as much as understanding

the behavior of the
farmers, for example.

(chatter on radio)

- [Narrator] But the
coexistence of humans

and wild animals is never easy.

Most people know very little
about predator behavior,

especially with big cats.

- They're getting closer.

Is it hiding under the tree?

- [Narrator] Traveling
to observe them

in their natural habitat reveals

many surprising aspects
of these animals'

striking dependence on
conservation programs.

Lions avoid conflict with
humans as long as they have

a habitat large enough to
provide them with water,

food, and contact with other
members of their own species.

Their existence
centers on satisfying

certain, very basic needs.

To rest, to explore, to mate,

to raise young,
and to find food.

(wildlife chatter)

Tourists tend to
see lions either

as ruthless killing machines

that must be kept
at a safe distance

or as high maintenance
pets that exist

as attractions
for our amusement.

But neither is an accurate
picture of an animal

that is well able to distinguish

what makes it happy
and what it dislikes.

An animal with its
own personality and a keen intelligence.

For hours, we have
watched him in silence,

maintaining a prudent distance
and he has regarded us

with a series of
unforgettable images.

He has been aware
of us at all times

and now he invites
us to come with him.

(wildlife chattering)

So many hours spent
in close proximity

create a deeper sense of trust
between lions and humans.

- Very nice, that's his brother.

You can see, now,
he's got a black mane.

That's why we call him Shadow

and they are getting
quite, very well.

You can see, as brothers, they
love each other very much.

- [Male Guide] Unbelievable.

- Oh, this is unbelievable.

- [Male Guide] They
love to play together.

- [Jeremia] And
also they are having

a much open, wet
area on the reserve.

Happy in this area of it.

As you can see, even, they
are having a nice body build

and they are pretty
much just four years old

and it's quite
unbelievable to be

that much massive
at four years old.

- [Male Guide] One of them
must be the dominant male.

- Actually when it
comes to the females,

you will see this one is much
heavier than the other one,

so Shadow is the one
which will always

dominate the other one, even
when it comes to the females.

He will be the one mating
with the first female

that will appear
to come over them

before the other brother
might get a chance

to mate with the females.

So pretty much, you will see,

he came to call his brother now

and they should be, probably
moving for the night

to somewhere else after
they finish their kill now.

- [Narrator] We can
follow them no further.

Night is falling on
the Erindi reserve

and the lions disappear
into the undergrowth.

(engine rumbling)

We head for home, hoping
to see another lion

in the darkness,
but it's unlikely.

We've seen how the lions
day to day existence

depends on our granting them
their freedom without pressure.

In the future, probably only
a greatly reduced number

of individuals will survive,
perhaps no more than 10,000

living in the natural reserves,

open-air zoos catering
to eco-tourism,

and photographic safaris.

The lion will still be king,

but it's realm will no
longer be the jungle

or the Savannah, but
the online photo album.

- I think, not in
the next 10 years,

we will see no lions
left, but you will have

countries with
minimum of numbers.

Especially in no parks,
so if it's not a park,

you're gonna have no lions.

So you need the government
of all the other countries

to wake up and quickly
preserve some land

so that the wild cats can
still flourish in there.

Then start settling down,
but you will have to do that.

Otherwise, just open free
roam, no, maybe 10 years

and it will be nothing left.

(lion growls)

(suspenseful music)

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