All language subtitles for Wildlife Icons Series 1 Part 4 Africas Big Cats 1080p

Africa is home
to three very special cats.

Apex predators equipped
with different

But equally
deadly hunting techniques.

Each cat endowed with stealth;

Speed -

Or power.

But life
at the top of the food chain

Isn't as easy as it seems.

And each of africa's big cats

Has a different story to tell.

South africa's
kruger national park

Is one of the largest games
reserves on the continent.

It covers 7,722 square miles

Of diverse habitats.

And contains hundreds of species

Of mammals,

Birds -

And reptiles.

This abundance of animals
means many predators.

Including africa's big cats;

Lion,

Leopard,

And cheetah.

They exist side by side,

Though their
specialized behavior and habitat

Tend to keep them apart.

Within the kruger
national park's wild world

Live three special cat families:

A powerful coalition
of cheetah brothers

Who must soon
make a difficult decision.

A lioness struggling to raise
her cubs without the pride,

And a wise old leopard
whose young daughter

Now faces the challenges of life
on her own.

Together they are
a cast of big cats

In a wildlife drama
of epic proportions.

It's early morning in the south
of the kruger national park.

The grass is tall and dry

And acts as excellent camouflage

For a successful young predator.

In the last hours of dark
this young male lion

Took down a buffalo calf.

An impressive feat
for a two year old.

And unusual too.

Lions generally hunt
as a well-organized team.

He was forced to leave his pride

And search
for a territory of his own.

Now he's proved
he has what it takes to survive.

But his success
wasn't entirely due to skill.

The winter drought

Has left the buffalo weak
and susceptible to predation,

Making them easier targets.

While his future
is secure for now,

Not far off

His mother is facing
more of a struggle.

She's raising
a new litter of cubs.

At 6 weeks old they have just
left the safety of their den

And are totally reliant on her
rich milk for sustenance.

Feeding four hungry cubs is
taxing on her energy reserves,

But if she wants to eat

She's going to have to
leave them to hunt for herself.

Because, unlike most lionesses
who can rely on their pride

To bring them food
while they're nursing,

She's a single mother
and has no such help.

Her pride split up recently.

The young adult male lions
from her last litter

Were forced by their father
to move off

And find territories
of their own.

The big male then departed
to patrol his range,

Which is roughly 40 square miles
of prime hunting ground.

It will take him several days or
longer to make the round trip.

Without him around

His adult daughter
has struck out on her own,

Leaving the lioness to fend for
herself and her vulnerable cubs.

She's still producing milk
for now

And keeps her cubs within the
safety of dense bush thickets.

But she'll have to eat soon

And to do that she'll
have to leave her babies alone.

Further north,

A more successful family
of big cats is on the move.

These two cheetah brothers
have formed a powerful alliance.

One of them
is wearing a radio collar,

Which allows scientists
to study their movements.

Giving an intimate look

Into the secret lives
of these elusive animals.

The brothers grew up
as littermates

And have stayed together
after leaving their mother.

Their coalition allows them
to control a territory

Of around 23 square miles.

It includes
excellent hunting grounds

And a permanent water source.

Which is important
because although cheetahs can go

For up to four days
without water,

When it's hot
they need to drink more often.

Working as a team

They have the advantage of being
able to bring down bigger prey

And can successfully
defend their territory

From solitary males.

Everything about cheetahs
is designed for speed.

With their long limbs, sleek
build, and streamlined head,

They can reach almost 70 miles
per hour at full sprint.

But cannot
maintain that speed for long

As it takes great effort.

In return for speed
cheetahs have sacrificed power.

So the white rhino cow
and her calf

Have nothing to worry about.

Which wouldn't be the case
if a pride of lions were nearby.

The cheetahs' territory offers
the cover of trees and bushes,

Perfect for stalking prey.

And they spot something -

Waterbuck.

But they must get
within 165 feet

Before launching their attack.

Together the brothers pull down
the powerful antelope.

And one secures a vice like grip
on the victim's windpipe.

But the struggle isn't over.

The waterbuck
puts up a brave fight

And it takes the combined
efforts of both brothers

To keep it down.

The cheetah start feeding
quickly, out of necessity.

At least one in ten
cheetah kills are stolen

By the likes of lion,
leopard and hyena.

But today
their prize is uncontested.

With appetites sated
they can relax as the sun sets,

Secure in their coalition,

For now at least.

While two big cats settle down
for the night with full bellies,

The next morning
another wakes up hungry.

At 12 years old, this leopard
knows how to look after herself.

She's been living in the
savannas and woodlands

Of the kruger all her life.

Solitary by nature,

She shares her territory
with her sub-adult female cub.

Who has recently
become independent.

Leopards are normally
active at night,

But the older leopard
hasn't eaten in days

And is on the lookout
for breakfast

From her favorite
vantage point.

Weighing only 130 pounds,

She is small
but incredibly powerful.

While not nearly
as fast as the cheetahs,

She can still reach
40 miles per hour in moments.

She is a master stalker and
stealth is her greatest weapon,

Moving silent and unseen
through the undergrowth.

The impala hardly saw it coming.

Using her great strength,
she drags it out of sight.

Impala are one of the most
numerous antelope

On the savanna of south africa

And can make up
as much as 85 percent

Of the diet
of leopard and cheetah.

This young lioness
also has impala in her sights.

Typically
lions hunt bigger game,

Because they hunt together.

But with her father
patrolling his territory

And her mother
busy raising cubs,

She's forced to hunt alone.

She's only half as fast
as the cheetah,

Reaching nearly
40 miles per hour at full speed.

And needs to get
within under 100 feet

Before launching her attack.

But in her haste she's spotted

And the opportunity is lost.

She's still young
and lacks patience.

Even experienced lions kill
only once in six attempts

When hunting solo.

Without help from the pride

She's going to
have to work hard to survive.

Working together allows some big
cats to improve their chances

Of killing larger prey.

These two brothers
have done just that.

They've brought down
another female waterbuck,

Which is three times the size
of a fully grown cheetah.

It's an impressive achievement
made possible by teamwork.

The brothers are on a roll,

With two waterbuck killed
in just a few days.

They must stay vigilant though,

As there is always the threat
of bigger predators

Stealing their kill.

If undisturbed

They'll eat more than
30 pounds each in one sitting,

Enough to keep them going
for several days.

While the cheetahs can relax
after their feast,

The lioness is on the move.

She has decided to relocate

To avoid drawing attention
to her cubs

By remaining in the
same place for too long.

A small mud hole
contains just enough water

For a brief respite.

It's welcome refreshment
for the thirsty mother.

The cubs join her
in drinking deeply,

Although at this age

They still get most of their
moisture from milk.

In a few months she'll wean them

And by a year and a half they'll
have to look after themselves.

Now, in the early stages of life

They rely on the leadership
of the lioness,

Knowing little of the challenges
she's facing at the moment.

The mother leopard has completed
her maternal duties,

As her daughter is independent.

So the impala she killed earlier
will be all hers.

The only the problem she faces

Is that of potential hijackers.

But she knows how to avoid them.

By stashing the impala carcass
high in a tree

It's out of the reach of lions

And she can relax
and eat as she pleases.

She doesn't have to worry about
the cheetahs either,

As they're poor climbers
and she easily outmuscles them.

Leopards are by far

The most proficient climbers
of africa's large carnivores,

And can haul kills of more than
110 pounds up vertical trunks.

Her cheek teeth,
called carnassials,

Are evolved for slicing.

Combined with a heavy,
powerful lower jaw

They help to tear off
chunks of meat,

Which she swallows whole.

Impala are her staple diet,

But like all leopards she'll eat
almost any source of protein.

Leopards prey
on more than ninety species

Including insects,
reptiles and even fish.

Their ability to subsist
on such a varied diet,

As well as their adaptability
to different habitats,

Has made leopards
the most widespread

Of all the world's wild cats.

Self-sufficiency

Is not something leopards
are born with though.

The old leopard's daughter

Was recently left
to fend for herself.

She's nowhere near the hunter
her mother is

And needs to learn
quickly how to kill.

Or face potential starvation.

There are other threats
around too.

Lions recognize leopards
as competition

And they will attack
and even kill them

If they get the chance.

The young leopard knows this
and moves cautiously.

The rosettes
of her gleaming coat are unique.

No two leopard's spots
are the same.

And they're particularly
effective at camouflaging her

In the dappled light.

The bright white underside
of her tail will one day

Act as a so-called 'follow me'
signal to her cubs.

Helping them
to stay in close contact

While following her
through thick brush.

But before that can happen
she'll have to find a meal,

And then a territory of her own,

Which are both
difficult to come by.

In the lions' territory,

The cubs' father
arrives back from his sojourn.

He announces his presence
with a bellowing roar,

Which can be heard
for up to 5 miles.

His return bodes well
for the lioness and her cubs,

Who have struggled without
the support of a strong leader.

The lioness hears his call from
a distance and heads towards it.

After a moment, the cubs realize
they had better catch up.

Mom leads the way,

Joined by her adult daughter

Who has also returned
for the reunion.

For the cubs it feels
like any other afternoon,

To be filled with raucous
rough and tumble.

But their father
is still several miles away.

Mom keeps the train moving.

They don't know it yet

But this is a significant moment
in their young lives

As they have never
met their father,

Who left
when they were still in the den.

On arrival the cubs wait
cautiously at a distance.

For mother and daughter

The meeting
is an affectionate moment

And a long awaited revival
of their pride.

The cubs
are intrigued by their father.

They've not yet learnt
how to act around the big male.

And his rebuke
is as gentle as he can manage.

For the first time

Since the cubs were born
almost 2 months ago,

The pride
is together again.

Things are looking up

For this family of africa's
most powerful predators.

It's natural for lions to live
in prides for their whole lives.

Cheetah coalitions however,
sometimes break apart.

In a bid to find a territory
and mate of his own

One of the brothers has left,

Splitting up
the sibling alliance.

Lone cheetah males have been
known to wander

More than 125 miles
in search of new territories

And he's travelled some distance
to find a promising new range.

It will be a good home
with an abundance of prey

And with enough space
to run them down.

He wastes no time
in starting to hunt.

Unlike most cats,

The cheetah's claws
are permanently exposed.

Useful for extra grip while
running at high speeds.

But he needs to get closer
before he can launch an attack.

He's been too hasty, and loses
the element of surprise.

After the relative success he
enjoyed with his brother,

He's unaccustomed to
the challenges of hunting alone.

Adult kudu
are large and powerful.

While he could
easily outpace them,

They are too big for him
to bring down by himself.

Without his brother he will need
to learn how to catch smaller,

Yet faster antelope.

For this cheetah the harsh
reality of his new life

Is quickly becoming clear.

It's not easy to be successful
at the top of the food chain

When you're on your own .

Unless you happen to both
experienced and hugely powerful.

The big male lion is both.

At 9 years old
and weighing around 440 pounds

He's a seasoned buffalo hunter

With enough power
to bring down a bull

Four times his own weight.

It's unusual, but not unheard of

For a male lion to hunt alone.

No other predator in africa
can single-handedly take down

Such a large
and formidable adversary.

Once he's gorged himself he
retreats to the shade to rest.

He has no reason to fear

Any other predators
stealing his meal.

He's simply
too strong to be challenged.

The jackal will have to wait a
while before he gets any scraps.

The rest of the kill
is reserved for the lion family,

Which is nearby.

The big male's roar

Reaches the lioness
as an invitation to dinner.

As the cool of night descends,
she sets off to join him.

The cubs are still too young
to eat meat

And she has no choice

But to leave them alone
while she feeds.

They know instinctively
to stay concealed

And wait for moms return.

En route,
she meets her adult daughter

Who also heard
the male lion's roars.

The old king eats his fill
before his family arrives.

After greeting them both

He moves off
to let them feed in peace.

The females are hungry

And will eat up to
44 pounds of meat in one go.

A meal like this
will keep them busy all night

And replenish
the mother's reserves

So that she can produce
rich milk for her growing cubs.

After a big meal
the night before,

The lions are relaxed
and back to full strength.

With dad back
and providing ample food,

The lioness can eat enough
to produce plenty of milk

To satisfy the insatiable
appetites of her growing cubs.

Under the watchful eyes
of a powerful father

And a resilient mother

The cubs
have the best possible chances

Of survival to adulthood.

With security
coming from working together,

This small pride
is an excellent example

Of how lions benefit
from group living.

The wise old leopard
needs no help to survive.

Being a skilled hunter

Has allowed her
to raise her cub to adulthood

And propagate her genes -

The ultimate measure of success
for any animal.

She relies on nothing but her
own intelligence and strength

And living in total solitude,

She exemplifies
the most adaptable

And widespread of the big cats.

After a bumpy start,

Her daughter is now flourishing.

Last night
she killed her first impala.

Proving she inherited her
mother's hunting prowess

And taking an important step
towards succeeding on her own.

The cheetah brothers have
now gone their separate ways

And each is destined
for a different fate.

One is moving restlessly through
the park, in search of land

But not yet confident outside
the safety of the coalition.

The other
has proved more capable

Of living a solitary life.

He's found
and secured a new territory,

Which he will defend as his own.

Here he will surely become
a proficient hunter,

Already showing potential by
taking down a kudu female alone.

Africa's big cats

Are some of the most well-known
carnivores in the world

Famous for their beauty

And feared
for their deadly natures.

Whether alone
or in complex social structures,

They must work hard
to survive in a habitat

Fraught with challenges.

By using clever teamwork,

Staggering speed
and terrifying power,

They are equipped
to exploit their environment.

Each of the three cats

Is different in the way it lives
and hunts.

But all share the title
of apex predator

In an endlessly active food
chain rivaled by few on earth.

Lion,

Leopard

And cheetah

Are indeed africa's most wild
and wonderful big cats.

(growl)

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