All language subtitles for The End Of The Big Cats s01e04 Big Cat Survival.eng

(bugs chirping)

- [Narrator] 50 years
ago, there were more than

half a million lions in Africa.

Today there are fewer
than 20 thousand.

Once they lived in
freedom, now they must

adapt to life in reserves.

The king of the jungle,
the great predator

is a star on the wane, hemmed in

by urban development and
besieged by tourists.

It is not surprising
that he's in a bad mood.

(lion growling)

His charge is futile.

He has been cornered by an
extremely dangerous rival.

(drum music)

Africa is still the
world's greatest reserve

of biodiversity, with
many of the planet's

most awe-inspiring
natural habitats.

The tropical forests,
the great lakes,

the basins of the great
rivers, the immense valleys,

the savannas, the deserts.

(dramatic music)

Extraordinary
ecosystems that are home

to some of the most emblematic
species on planet Earth

and a quarter of the
world's species of mammal.

(dramatic music)

The climate, more temperate
than that of other continents,

meant that for millions of years

hundreds of species
from Europe and Asia

migrated to Africa,
creating a fabulous

natural reserve that
remained almost untouched

until the Colonial period.

During the 20th
century, the spectacle

of Africa's natural riches
enthralled the world

as the continent
became the location

for countless film and
television documentaries

that explored the secret
lives of wild animals

in incredible detail.

(birds chirping)

But today, not a single corner
has been left undiscovered

or unaffected by civilization.

The population of almost
a million inhabitants

doubles every 20 years,
creating enormous

pressure on wildlife as
competition for land,

fresh water, and food increases.

Africa has 1,200
protected areas,

covering two million
square kilometers.

Just nine percent of the
continent's surface area.

These tiny islands of wilderness

are under ever-greater
pressure from development,

which threatens to
reduce them even further.

At the beginning of the 20th
century, few of the peoples

of Sub-Saharan Africa
were agriculturists.

They lived by hunting, and
the forests and the savannas

were an endlessly
replenished food store.

Killing an elephant, as
cruel and unnecessary

as it seems today, would
feed a whole village

for many weeks.

(slow music)

In the 20th century,
hunting as a sport,

a leisure activity,
and a business

changed the balance
between humans and animals.

Killing was no longer a question

of self defense or finding food,

but of flattering
the hunter's ego.

The big cats, especially
lions and leopards,

the most feared of
Africa's predators,

were the preferred targets.

They were slaughtered in
every corner of the continent.

(slow music)

Africa quickly became a killing
ground for many species,

the result of uncontrolled
hunting by locals

and foreign visitors.

Nothing was done
to check the race

to gun down any
animal and take home

its horn, its teeth,
skin, or head as a trophy.

(slow orchestral music)

Today, big game hunting
is a strictly controlled,

exclusive activity, regulated
by national governments

which allow only a limited
number of animals to be killed

to maintain the
right balance between

different species on reserves.

But these controls have
been imposed too late,

after years of devastation.

(gun shooting)

Mankind is the principle rival,

enemy, and threat to
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 cheetah, in a
desperate fight for survival.

(birds chirping)

The populations of large
carnivores in Africa

have declined alarmingly
over recent decades.

The relentless destruction
of wilderness areas,

the effects of poaching,
and the hunting practices

of farmers and
herdsmen make it likely

that big cats will
soon disappear

from most of their
natural habitats,

to survive only
within the confines

of public and private
reserves as part

of controlled breeding programs

that supply the
tourist industry.

(lion growling)

This has set alarm bells ringing

for naturalists
across the world,

who have set up urgent campaigns

to raise international
awareness of the problem.

- You need the governments
of all the other countries

to wake up quickly,
preserve some land,

so that the wildcats
can still flourish.

And then start settling down.

But you will have to
do that, otherwise,

just open free
roam, maybe 10 years

and it will be nothing left.

- As 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.

That is the sad reality.

- The reality of it is, if
we don't do something now,

we are going to lose them.

- [Narrator] We are on the
trail of a leopard and her cub

in the Erendi
Reserve in Namibia.

She has been fitted
with a tracking collar

that will enable us to find
her among the dense vegetation.

The leopard is highly prized
by poachers for its skin.

It's also the big cat
with the worst reputation

among farmers because of
its predatory instincts

and its elusive nature.

(birds cawing)

Our visit does not irritate her,

but she pays close attention.

(leopard yowling)

She calls out to her cub,
warning her of our presence.

(leopard yowling)

The team at Erindi has named
the mother leopard Honey.

She is not afraid of
us, but just to be sure,

she never lets us
out of her sight,

calling to her
cub all the while.

(leopard yowling)

The cub is hiding close
by, it can hear its mother,

but for a long time will
not come any closer,

staying well out of
sight of our cameras.

(birds cawing)

Mother and daughter
finally meet up behind

a thick wall of undergrowth.

Female leopards that
have given birth

deliberately avoid males and
other feline competitors,

seeking out a safe territory

where they can
raise their young.

Each leopard lifts and
hunts on its own home range,

an area it knows intimately

and which it will
defend with its life.

- She had a territory right
next door to where we are.

She gave birth to the
cubs, and what she did.

She gave her daughter a
piece of the territory

where she grew up, so
from where she was born.

That's the piece of territory
she gave this daughter.

Wondering how she knows
the territory so well,

she was born here, she's been
here since the very beginning.

She knows exactly
where to go to hide,

she knows where to go
where the spring buck

are hanging around or
the warthogs for food.

She knows every
little tree, crack.

If she needs water,
she knows where to go.

And the reason she
knows it so well

is she's been here since
the day she was born.

- [Narrator] A leopard's
territory can cover

as much as 20 square
kilometers, a large area.

Usually coveted not
only by rival felines,

but also farmers in search
of a plot of land to live on.

(leopard growling)

Honey sets out to hunt.

She allows us to follow her,
but first she makes it clear

that we should
keep our distance.

The leopard is the
stealthiest, most daring,

and independent of
all the big cats.

Its self-sufficiency
and adaptability

enable it to live in places
where other predators

could never survive.

Wherever it goes, all
its senses are alert

to any smell, sound, or movement
that catches its attention.

(instrumental music)

Adult males can
weigh up to 70 kilos

while females around 60.

Females have a gestation
period of 90 to 105 days

and normally give
birth to a litter

of two or three cubs
which they will care for

until they can fend
for themselves.

(instrumental music)

Leopard numbers
are falling fast,

but despite predictions of
its imminent extinction,

it is fairing better
than lions and cheetahs

thanks to its finely
honed survival instinct,

which drives it to
find habitats that

are as far from
civilization as possible.

On the Erindi
Reserve, the big cats

have thousands of
hectares in which to roam

and abundant fresh
water and prey.

But this is a
controlled freedom.

The rangers monitor them
to track their movements

or to locate them for
visitors on safari.

(birds chirping)

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.

One, two, or often
three adult males,

one of them the dominant leader.

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 to which the
smaller, more agile females

are better suited
than the males.

Whether hunting or
caring for their cubs,

the lionesses display a
marked spirit of cooperation.

Watching the tenderness
they show their cubs,

you'd never suspect
the aggression

with which lionesses
will fight to claim

their share of a kill or
to defend their pride.

(lion growling)

Not far from mother
and cub as they play,

a male prepares to
finish the remains

of an oryx, caught
some hours earlier.

He allows us to approach and
watch him eat from a distance.

He settles down to enjoy his
feast as if we were not there.

Lions will avoid
conflict with humans

as long as they have
a habitat large enough

to meet their needs
for water, prey,

and contact with others
of their species.

(bugs buzzing)

Visitors to game reserves
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 own amusement.

Neither is an accurate
picture of an animal

that is well able to
decide what it dislikes

and what will make it happy.

Especially, what
will make it happy.

(birds chirping)

They want to live in freedom

in a pristine environment
with abundant hunting.

A habitat in which they can
survive without pressure.

Unfortunately for the
lion, sprawling cities

and the loss of wilderness areas

mean pressure is inevitable.

In the future, lion
numbers may be reduced

to 10 thousand and confined
to wildlife reserves.

(birds chirping)

He is blissfully unaware of
it, but his reign is over.

(drum music)

Africa still has wildlife havens
that up until 50 years ago,

were home to vast
numbers of animals.

Habitat destruction,
the effects of pollution

and hunting, have devastated
the populations of these areas.

And what were once
whole colonies

may have been reduced
to a few breeding pairs.

An extended drought,
an epidemic,

or unexpected migration
can wreak havoc

on the delicate balance
between species.

When this happens, competition
for prey can become intense.

The advantage of
life on a reserve

is that a balance
can be maintained

between many different species,
ensuring their survival.

This is especially true for
lions, leopards, and cheetahs,

which face such an
uncertain future.

(instrumental music)

Wildlife also has
incredible potential

to attract visitors
and generate income.

It is not surprising
that many farms

that once struggled to
make a living raising

livestock now operate
as guest ranches,

with wild animals as
their main attraction.

The Na'ankuse Foundation
has established

agreements with farmers
to create sanctuaries

open to tourists, where rescued
big cats are rehabilitated.

A positive initiative
that brings benefits to all concerned.

One of these sanctuaries
is home to a cheetah

famous for having killed
30 head of livestock

in only three years.

He is a large male
that was the terror

of local farms before
he was taken alive.

Named Spartacus after
the legendary gladiator,

he is the main attraction
at the Solitaire Sanctuary

in central Namibia.

- When we get a cat
that we want to release

into the wild, we
introduce it here first.

It's called a soft
release, and what that does

is it allows the animal a chance

to adapt to this environment

before we release
it into the wild.

It's just like when
you buy a little fish.

You don't put it in the tank,

you put it in a little bag
and you allow it to adapt

before you release
it into the tank.

We're doing the same thing here.

With other species like leopard,

they're very hardy animals,
you don't need to do this.

With cheetahs we found
there was more successful

releases when we introduced them

into this boma before
releasing them.

It's an amazing
job, I love this.

This is called radio telemetry.

With my antenna and my receiver,

I'm gonna see
where Spartacus is.

He's one of our more
aggressive cats.

(beeping)
You hear that beep?

So Spartacus is quite close.

He's very close.

(beeping)

Spartacus.

So you can see, he's
a very slim animal.

That's how these guys are built.

Spartacus is especially big.

You'll notice he has
a very large head.

- [Narrator] Today,
Spartacus is a star.

But he was a nightmare
for ranchers,

who hunted him night and day

and would have shot him on sight

like so many other predators
that threaten livestock,

or simply get too close
to inhabited areas.

- Here we have some
terrible traps.

This is the classic gym trap.

Whether it's a small
one for a jackal,

or a big one for maybe a leopard

and the lion's are even bigger.

You basically tie
it to a big tree,

or wherever you can anchor it.

You set it like this
close to the meat.

So there it's closed, so you
open it up next to the meat.

When the animal comes
to eat this meat,

they trip in it and
they get caught.

The biggest problem, like
for instance this cheetah,

the toe was cut off.

So the toe came off
and it survived,

but it actually died
of hunger long term.

It even healed, because he
couldn't catch food so well.

This is a very typical
one, the hand maid.

You connect with
with a bar strip

to the spring, the meat.

You put a shotgun
bullet in there.

The animal pulls the
meat and it sets off

and the shotgun bullet goes off

and blows the animal,
and sometimes misses him

and also wounds him.

- [Narrator] In its
20 years of existence,

the Africat
Foundation has rescued

and rehabilitated
a thousand felines.

- Where the teeth
and general health

of the animals in
captivity are done here.

This belongs to one of the
vets that help Africat.

This is where they
will basically come

and try and deal
with an emergency

like a broken leg or a general

health check is
done in this clinic.

So it's a very small clinic,
it's a very basic clinic.

It's got the basic stuff,
it's a clean place.

It's where vets can really work.

Most of this radio collaring
is done in the bush

so that you can get
these collars on.

- [Narrator] After their
rescue, most of the felines

released into the
park are monitored

with radio transmitters.

Biologists can follow
their movements,

and give advanced warning
if they come too close

to a farm, a village, or a town.

The sight of felines
and other wild animals

wearing radio collars is
becoming more and more common.

They're monitoring
tools, but they also

serve as protection
against attacks by humans.

Until recently, the
collars were fitted

with a simple VHS transmitter,

but now they incorporate
satellite GPS

so the animals whereabouts
can be tracked by computer.

- That's the type of
collar we're looking at

with our program.

They have what is
called a VHF unit,

which you use to localize
the animal in the field.

Where you take out an
antenna and receiver

to be able to find that
animal on the ground.

On the backside, you
have the GPS unit.

Every collar has
this GPS unit, which

at a preset schedule
communicates with the satellites.

For us, we do that
on a daily basis

so that we can
locate pretty much

every released animal
on any given day.

That we can follow them closely

to see do they go
into hostile farmland,

do they stay on nature reserves,

what precisely do they do?

As you said, monitoring
their activity

as good as we can.

Most of the downloads
are here in Namibia,

where the animal is.

And then you'll see the whole
path that the animal covered

since we've released it.

That's one of the fantastic
things about the collars.

You would find it very
hard to follow that animal

on the ground, to document
that type of behavior.

Whereas the collar
gives you those data

pretty much automatically.

That's the area just
north of Sossusvlei,

the Namib Desert,
red sand dunes,

and here would be the
Naukluft Mountains.

(instrumental music)

- [Narrator] GPS
technology has enabled

amazing discoveries,
such as the cheetah

that entered the Namib Desert,

an area considered too
arid for large predators,

but which survived due
to a lack of competition.

Not far away, the biologists
from the Na'ankuse Foundation

want to replace another
cheetah's old radio collar

with a new GPS system.

They want to know
whether this individual

also goes into the
desert and for how long.

To change collars they
need to immobilize her

with a tranquilizer.

The dart must deliver
the correct dose

to avoid unwanted side effects.

- We know we're going
to immobilize her.

The previous time that I
immobilized this cheetah,

the dose wasn't high enough.

I underestimated her weight.

So now I'm going to give
her a little bit higher dose

'cause we have only one shot.

If we miss, we are in trouble.

So we can't miss today.

Perfect, absolutely perfect.

- [Narrator] After
being hit by the dart,

the cheetah begins
to feel the effects.

(people murmuring)

The biologists wait
for a few minutes

to ensure the animal is
completely immobilized

so they can safely approach
and replace the old collar.

(people murmuring)

From now on, her every
movement will be tracked

by satellite and logged
on to the computer.

(people murmuring)

Once the GPS collar is fitted,

it's time to wake her up.

Dr. Rudie Van Vuuren
administers another injection,

but this time to bring her out.

Although the
effects of the drugs

will gradually wear
off, a stunned cheetah,

her eyes glazed,
is a pitiful sight.

The biologists stay close
by to check all is well.

They're worried that
the tranquilizer

could have adverse
effects, as has happened

previously when animals have

had unexpected
negative reactions.

Seeing a cheetah in this state

is a stark reminder of
their vulnerability.

They are animals
with extraordinary physical capacities,

powerful teeth and
claws, but all of this

is no defense against the
threat we pose to them.

Farmers on land neighboring
the Etosha National Park

have notified the authorities
and the Africat Foundation

that three male lions
have escaped the park

and entered their land and
killed one of their cows.

Dr. Ortwin Aschenborn,
veterinarian at Etosha,

and Tammy Hoth of Africat
have agreed to work together.

They need to find the
lions, immobilize them,

and return them to
the park immediately.

Dr. Aschenborn prepares
the dart rifle.

The three lions
are a real danger.

Once they've got a
taste for cow meat,

it's unlikely they'll leave

the restaurant of
their own volition.

It's going to be a long night.

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

- [Narrator] The farmers
have given the conservation

groups 24 hours to
remove the escapees.

When this time is up,
they will shoot the lions.

They cannot risk having the
lions kill more livestock

or attack the farm workers.

- If there's any movement,
shoot the target.

- Dr. Aschenborn goes
ahead of the other vehicles

to locate the lions
and attempt to hit them

with the darts on his
own, without distractions

that might jeopardize
the operation.

Once he has
successfully immobilized

all three lions, he
lets the other vehicles

know they can approach safely.

The tranquilizer darts have put
the lions into a deep sleep.

All three were gathered
around the carcass

and entrails of the
victim, a cow weighing

over 600 kilograms,
which gives off

an intense smell of decay.

(people murmuring)

The lions are
completely unconscious,

oblivious of the activity
that surrounds them.

Their stomachs are swollen
with the meat they have eaten.

Aschenborn makes the most
of the lion's immobility

to examine them and
take blood samples.

He will return them to the park,

but thinks that if
they've escaped once,

they will try it again.

He fits them with radio collars

so that they can
be easily located.

- [Ortwin] Yeah, we're
gonna put the collar on.

- [Man] I think so.

- [Ortwin] Where are
we gonna drop them?

- [Man] I think the Namib.

- [Narrator] The
process is repeated

with the other two lions.

(people murmuring)

They must work fast.

The dose of
tranquilizer will keep

the lions under for
around two hours.

But this is too short
a time for everything

that must be done tonight.

(people murmuring)

Lions have a highly
developed sense of direction

and ability to
recognize landmarks.

They roam great distances
without getting lost.

When they're on the
move, they take in

visual and sensory
data and store it

in their memory forever.

To stop them finding their
way back to the farm,

they will be dropped in the park

but as far from here as possible

to make it harder for them
to find their way back.

- [Man] One, two, three.

(men groaning)

- [Man] Three, two, one.

Three, two, one.

- [Narrator] These
three adult lions

from the Etosha National
Park are lucky enough

to be located in time
by the conservationists.

A few hours later,
the farmers' deadline

would have elapsed, and they
would have all been shot.

(men murmuring)

- [Ortwin] Sleeping.

- Can we reach the limit then?
- We can reach the limit.

- [Man] Okay, let's
see the one behind you.

- [Narrator] When you reach
the double line of fences

that separates the
farm from the park,

the lions must have broken out
through a hole or a tunnel.

All wild animals try to
break through barriers

that limit their freedom.

Elephants usually
knock them over

by charging at them,
and many other species

dig tunnels to get
underneath them.

The convoy stops
from time to time

to ensure the lions
are still unconscious

and administer more
tranquilizer if necessary.

Four hours later, we
reach our destination.

Loading the lions and
unloading them again

are a labor
intensive operations.

- [Woman] Got him,
have you got him?

- [Man] Here we go,
here we go, very nice.

Is this your car?

- Yeah.
- Just turn it around.

- [Narrator] We are more than
250 kilometers from the farm,

deep inside the park.

Dr. Aschenborn prepares
the reversal dose

to bring them around.

10 minutes later, they
will open their eyes

to find themselves in a place
they have never seen before.

Their adventure
began four days ago,

when they crossed
the park boundary

to find a taste of freedom
and a succulent banquet.

We do not know how they'll
react when they come around.

The scene that unfolds
is fascinating.

We see proof of these animals'
high levels of intelligence

and awareness.

They seem fully conscious
of their condition,

the new place they
find themselves in,

and of what has
happened to them.

As soon as they find
their feet, each lion

looks for its companions,
communicating with them

and checking up on them.

They behave just as humans
would in a similar situation.

They ask the others
how they feel,

then encourage them
to get up again.

Who knows whether they'll
try to return to the farm.

The scene of such an
incredible adventure.

For them, it must seem
like a beautiful dream.

For the farmers,
it was a nightmare.

The fact remains that
wherever a lion goes,

it is a dangerous predator.

- The other big
misconception I think,

is people always think lions
are pretty cute animals.

They look at things
like The Lion King movie

and think they are cute.

I mean, they are
killing machines

if they go out and kill
livestock or even humans.

They are really
dangerous animals,

and that's what makes it really
difficult to live with them.

In the Western world,
you've got this conception

of pretty animals,
and 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 made to eat meat,

and they can't do
other than that.

- [Narrator] For farmers,
the presence of big cats

on their property is a problem
with no obvious solution.

Loss of livestock translates
into financial losses

for which governments
and insurers

refuse to compensate them.

- We as commercial
farmers, we see our animals

domesticated animals,
cattle and dogs and sheep,

as a moneymaking business.

We have to make
money out of them,

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

They is that (mumbles).

If a lion or any other predator

comes into the community,
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,
that's a problem.

On communal farms shared
by several farmers,

the situation is
even more difficult.

These are farmers
with small herds

and the loss of half
a dozen head of stock

to a big cat can spell ruin.

This is the home of a family
that was unlucky enough

to lose their entire
herd overnight.

(speaking a foreign language)

One day, lions broke
into the sheep pen.

The Africat 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 in this area, there
seems to be no long term

solution to big cat attacks.

It's not surprising
that these farmers

do not share the views
of many conservationists

and fanatical defenders
of animal rights.

This man knows what
he'll do next time

he sees a lion
near his property.

He will shoot to kill.

- 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

and defend 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.

For a farmer to have
a group of lions,

some adult males, let's
take a small pride.

An adult male of
about 210, 215 kilos,

a few females of
about 120 to 160 kilos

and some sub-adults.

So say you have a group
about nine, 10 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.

That's the one thing.

Now when you want to try
and protect your livestock

from lions, most importantly
is you need strong

and very high bummers or crawls.

To protect your
animals inside strong

so they can't stampede
out if they get free

and higher so the
lions can't jump in.

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

That's your lion, and
it's very, very difficult

to farm livestock with
lion on your property.

(lion growling)

(cheetah growling)

There is no trait
more characteristic

of felines than the
desire for freedom.

They can be very aggressive
in the pursuit of it.

(cheetah snarling)

The cost of freedom is
often their own life.

Conflict with humans
has no other outcome.

Though the size of
the cage may vary,

the only future on the
horizon for these animals

is captivity.

- The question is how to
handle predators in captivity.

It starts with the size of the
enclosure you provide them.

The larger the
enclosure obviously,

the less contact you will
have with that predator,

because they're naturally
avoiding human contact.

For ambassador animals that
are orphaned for example,

or injured, human
contact is often

maintained to keep them in
a tame or semi-tame state.

That will reduce stress
because the animal

will get habituated to
that type of contact.

In cases for releasable
animals, you want to minimize

human contact to a
point where you don't

actually have any
contact with that animal.

You wanna provide them with
the largest possible area

in captivity so they can
still exercise their ecology

as much as possible,
though in a limited area.

But also to not get habituated
and to not experience stress.

- [Narrator] An animal
deprived of its freedom

is always susceptible to stress.

This leopard scrabbles
compulsively behind the bars.

And this lion hurls
itself at them.

(lion roaring)

In these circumstances,
getting too close

to a lion is highly unadvisable.

(lion growling)

(hissing)

Any feline, even a
caracal yearns to be free

and feels incredibly frustrated

when it discovers its
territory is limited,

and that it depends
not on itself,

but on its captors for food.

(caracal hissing)

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

to conservation,
is adding more land

to the conservation
areas that are existing.

One of the most important
factors, 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.

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.

- [Narrator] The main challenge
for conservation groups

is to help people understand
that it's possible

to live alongside the big
cats if we give them space

and understand their
needs and instincts.

A leopard's instinct is to
observe and examine nature

in incredible detail.

(birds chirping)

Even when its taking a stroll,

apparently relaxed and detached,

a leopard notices everything
going on around it.

From the tracks,
this female can tell

that other leopards
have passed this way,

as well as prey,
and this awakens

her instinct to
explore and to hunt.

She plunges into the tall grass.

There's no way of
seeing what is up ahead,

so she relies on her
extraordinary sense of hearing.

She knows what's
on the other side.

(drum music)

The head of the
family of warthogs

senses danger and
prepares to face it,

but he hasn't seen the
leopard at his right,

which turns to
attack the females

and the piglets left
unprotected by the male.

The leopard is an astute hunter.

She has distracted the
male just long enough.

He will not make it
in time to prevent her

catching one of the piglets.

The leopard is the star
attraction on any safari.

Many people are prepared to pay

large sums of money
just to photograph one.

It's a fact the
conservationists need to exploit

so the farmers come
to see leopards

not as enemies but as
a source of income.

- People learn to
tolerate predators

if they can get a
income from them.

So for us, it's the leopard.

Leopards eat a lot of kudu
and a lot of oryx and zebra

which cost money
theoretically to us,

but the money they
generate from tourism

which the guests will
actually come and see them,

which is really rare,
that makes the balance

equal if you know what I mean.

For instance on a farm,
if a farmer can realize

that he can take
a foreign tourist

to see a leopard on his
farm, he will actually

make a lot of money rather
than just shooting the leopard.

He will shoot the leopard
once, and will make

say 10 thousand US dollars,

because that's what
he get from that.

If that leopard lives
for 10 years on his farm,

he will maybe take a thousand
people seeing that leopard,

he will make a million dollars

out of that leopard long term.

- [Narrator] This female
climbs to the top of the tree

to call her cub, a young male.

The mother is unafraid of us,
but the cub is unconvinced,

and daren't come any closer.

The mother moves from
one side to the other,

checking that there
are no lions, hyenas,

or rival leopards
in this vicinity

and reassures the cub
that there is no danger.

But the cub prefers
to wait down below.

The mother is used
to our presence,

feels no anxiety, and relaxes
on her favorite branch.

Now it's the cub that must wait

until the mother finally
comes down from the tree.

They walk together, the
mother leads the way,

and the cub follows.

Mother and cub exchange sounds,

growls, silences and eye contact

in a private language that
is impenetrable to us.

Following them, but
keeping a safe distance,

we have demonstrated that it's
possible to live with them.

But many people
remain unconvinced.

- Remember, we are the
biggest threat for them.

So if they're not scared of us,

somewhere down the line
they're gonna get shot

because somebody will
think this animal's

got rabies, or it's
gonna catch my cattle,

or my sheep or my goats.

And this animal will be killed.

You have to keep them scared,

they have to keep
their distance.

They should not come too
close, for their own safety.

They come too close to
people, they get killed.

- [Narrator] It's depressing
to reflect that should

this leopard ever
run into a human,

or stray onto a farm, its
days will be numbered.

(instrumental music)

These two brothers were
found as orphaned cubs.

They live in a fenced
enclosure of five hectares,

and dream of regaining
their freedom one day.

If they're lucky,
they will be released

into a large reserve,
but otherwise

they will remain confined until

they become irritable
and aggressive.

(lions growling)

Over the last
century, the pressures

exerted by humans on big cats
have been huge, even cruel.

We have killed them
out of fear, ignorance,

to trade in their skins,
or for sheer pleasure.

This has brought the
cheetah to the verge

of a second and final
extinction event.

The first took place over
10 thousand years ago,

and was due to competition
with other predators

or an epidemic.

The species were saved thanks
to a small group of survivors

and has made it
to the present day

as a fascinating
genetic anomaly.

As well as being a
dangerous predator,

a leopard can be as
playful as a cat.

It is not always an
animal to be feared.

Most of the time it wants
nothing to do with humans.

All it requires is
a territory on which

it can live, hunt,
and find a mate.

From time to time, it
stares at us intently,

as if it expected
something of us.

It warns us not to
come any closer,

not to cross the line that would

separate it from its freedom.

(drum music)

The big cats need this freedom,

but there are few wild habitats
left for them to live in.

Looking towards the future is

to fear the end of the big cats.

(drum music)

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