All language subtitles for s01e03 The Great Migration.eng

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: The power
of the sun drives the seasons,

transforming our planet.

Vast movements of ocean and air currents

bring dramatic change
throughout the year.

And in a few special places,
these seasonal changes

create some of the greatest
wildlife spectacles on Earth.

One of the most awe-inspiring events

takes place in the vast open plains
of East Africa.

Once a year, three million animals

gather in a small corner
of the Serengeti.

This is the greatest concentration
of grazing animals on the planet.

But the herds only stay for a few months

before continuing on their epic journey.

And when the Great Migration moves on,

the predators they leave behind
become suddenly vulnerable.

How can they survive
until the Great Migration returns?

The eastern edge of the Serengeti
is dominated by a volcano,

known to the Maasai people
as Ol Doinyo Lengai,

the Mountain of God.

It's one of many volcanoes,
that have shaped the landscape here

for millions of years,
that lie along Africa's Great Rift.

To the west
lie the grasslands of the Serengeti

and a particularly fertile area
known as the short-grass plains.

For a few months each year,

hundreds of thousands of grazers
cram into this corner of the Serengeti.

And of course,
wherever you find grazers,

you find predators.

More meat-eaters hunt and scavenge
on the short-grass plains

than anywhere else in Africa.

For lions in particular, this is,
for the moment, a savannah paradise.

With so much food on offer,
it's a good time to raise young cubs.

But lions are territorial.

Each pride only controls
a small area of grassland.

They can only hunt the animals
that come into their territory.

So, to give these cubs a good start,

they'll have to make the most
of this bonanza

while it's here.

When the great herds move on,
the lions can't go with them,

and prides like this one
face a stern test.

What happens next

is a side of lion life
that is rarely seen.

It's May.

The rains that watered
the short-grass plains have moved north

and the vast herds follow,
seeking out fresh green pastures.

Wildebeest are so in tune
with the seasons

that they can hear thunderstorms
30 miles away,

and they home in
on the scent of wet soil

that carries the promise of fresh grass.

Unlike lions,
wildebeest are free to travel

wherever the quest for food leads them.

This young calf is at the start
of an incredible seven-month journey.

Without rain, the grasslands behind them
wither and die.

Within weeks the short-grass plains
start to turn brown.

Within a few months,
they're unrecognisable.

90% of grazing animals have moved on.

Not a single wildebeest remains.

It's now August.
With so few animals here,

the short-grass plains are no longer
a great place to be a lion.

For the lion pride living at
the southern edge of these plains,

in a place known as Ndutu,

the test now is to survive
until the herds return again.

The Ndutu pride has
four lionesses and seven cubs,

and already they're struggling to find
enough food and water.

The youngest are weak and underweight.

Surrounded by other lion prides
with their own territories,

the Ndutu pride must make the most
of what they can find here.

But there isn't enough food
for them all.

This male cub is not only hungry,
he's sick.

On this morning
the pride is heading for a woodland

where there is more cover
and more animals to hunt.

It's a long journey
for the exhausted cubs.

For the weakest male
it's a real struggle to keep up.

He's trying,
but slowly he gets left behind.

This is a brutal world.
The lionesses simply cannot wait.

If they don't keep hunting and eat soon,

they, too, will become weak,

and then there'll be no hope
for any of them.

Warthogs are a valuable catch
at this time of year.

The lives of the cubs
depend on a successful outcome.

While one lioness
slowly creeps forward...

another approaches from cover.

(WARTHOG GRUNTS)

It's been a while since their last kill,

and all the hungry pride pile in.

All, that is, except one.

A mile away,
a young life is fading away.

The kill has come too late for him.

At less than a year old,

these cubs are still
totally dependent on the lionesses.

To survive, they must keep up.

Only three months into the dry season,

the Ndutu pride is down to six cubs.

Sadly, this young male will not survive.

It's late August,
and the rains are still moving north,

taking the grass and the wildebeest

even further away from the Ndutu lions.

With no territory to enclose them,

the wildebeest can travel
wherever they like.

But a calf, just like a lion cub,
still has to stick close to mum.

The biggest danger is getting lost
in the vastness of the herd

as it treks up to 30 miles a day.

Back at Ndutu,
the dry season is biting harder.

There's little grass here,
but that's not a problem for some.

Giraffe find most of the nutrients
and moisture they need in acacia leaves.

And, like impala,
they can cope well in the dry season.

Serengeti mice positively thrive
in the drier months

thanks to the abundance of seeds.

So some of the smaller predators,
like wild cats,

still find plenty of food.

(MEOWS)

This kitten is unlikely to go hungry.

Perhaps surprisingly, it's the creature
often called the king of the beasts

that is suffering the most.

It's early September,
and on this afternoon

there are only two male cubs
with the Ndutu lionesses.

And they're little more
than skin and bone.

What's happened to the rest?

Sadly, it seems
others have been left behind.

One young female cub
is just two miles away.

She's limping and
the black patches on her face

reveal that she's losing her fur.

(WEAK ROAR)

But she hasn't given up.
She calls for her pride.

(DISTANT ROAR)

She's hears a faint call,
and hurries towards it.

And is reunited
with one of her brothers.

Nearby there is prey.
But these cubs are unable to hunt.

They are still too young.

If they're going to survive,
they must rejoin the pride.

While she still has strength,
she continues to try and make contact.

Far away,
the lionesses also call constantly.

(GRUNTS)

And listen for their lost youngsters.

Even a sick cub joins in the search
for his sisters and brothers.

But there are no replies.

After an hour of calling,
the lionesses can wait no longer,

they must move on.

The pride will have to move
to another part of their territory

if they are to find food.

None of them have eaten for days

and now the chances of being
reunited with the lost cubs

seems remote indeed.

It's September,
one of the driest months in Ndutu.

The wildebeest herds
are over a hundred miles away,

having followed new pastures
to the northern edge of the Serengeti.

But they have a huge challenge
of their own to face.

They must cross the Mara River.

Over several days, the herds crowd
together at the water's edge.

The adults seem to sense
a hidden danger.

But the numbers keep piling up
on the river's edge

and ultimately
they face the danger together.

The crocodiles are spoilt for choice...

but they can only take
one victim at a time.

There is safety in numbers here

and most of the wildebeest make it
across to the grasslands beyond.

Back in the south,
the Ndutu plains are tinder-dry.

Seed and insect-eaters
can scratch a living,

and the smaller cats like serval,
that hunt them,

can still find plenty to eat.

And a cheetah mother is managing
to keep her cubs fit and healthy

on the small antelope that remain.

It's now October,
the peak of the dry season,

and the Ndutu pride are resting
in the heat of the day.

In a bizarre twist of fate,
one of the two male cubs has died,

but amazingly, the lost female,
with the black face patches,

has found her way back.

She's still weak,
and clearly hasn't eaten for days.

Meanwhile, it's getting hotter.

Just when it seems
life couldn't get any worse, it does.

Flames race across
the Ndutu pride territory,

burning the last of the grass
and any remaining bush cover.

At first glance
there's little left here.

Yet animals like impala
quickly return to investigate.

The impalas' world
has changed beyond recognition.

There's nowhere left to hide.

The Ndutu pride has also lost
the cover they use for hunting.

The young female may have
survived her first fire,

but her chances of a meal
have fallen even lower.

For the cheetah family,
the fire is not such bad news,

as their prey can actually
become easier to find.

The steenbok relies on blending into
its surroundings and sitting still

to avoid being spotted.

But in this emptiness,
its camouflage is useless.

It's a sitting target.

And apparently
unaware of the approaching danger.

Larger prey, like Grant's gazelle,

are constantly on the lookout
for danger,

and easily see the Ndutu pride
in the distance.

The task for the hunters
now seems virtually impossible.

But they do have one advantage.

There are four lionesses

and they've been hunting together
for years.

It'll be hard to get
close to the warthogs.

But if they can split up
and attack on two sides,

they may stand a chance.

This is how a young lioness learns.

As ever, teamwork is critical.

In a well-practiced routine,

a lioness moves round
to block the warthog's escape.

As one is flushed into the open,

the flanking lioness
rushes in for the kill.

(WARTHOG SQUEALS)

Warthogs are a favourite food.

It's a welcome feast enjoyed by all.

At the toughest of times, the lionesses
have provided for the cubs.

But it's an unpredictable year,
in more ways than one.

For the first time in 40 years

the sleeping Mountain of God,
Ol Doinyo Lengai, awakens.

(RUMBLING)

Vast clouds of volcanic ash drift
towards the short-grass plains

and the home of the Ndutu pride lions.

Ravaged by fire, scorched by the sun,

the plains now become
shrouded in a layer of ash.

It's November,
and the rains that would bring

the return of the grass and the herds
are now overdue.

The Ndutu lionesses
rest in the intense heat,

and the cubs' batteries
are now running very low.

But the winds are changing,

a sign that the season is turning.

The wildebeest seem to know
what's about to happen.

They begin heading south.

One and a half million wildebeest

start their journey
back to the short-grass plains.

The Great Migration of the wildebeest
is one of the longest treks

of any land animal on our planet.

As they follow the rains
around the Serengeti,

many will travel over a thousand miles.

But there's no guarantee

that these wildebeest will return
to the territory of the Ndutu pride.

They will feed only
where the best grasses grow.

All that's needed now is rain.

(THUNDERING)

For the Ndutu pride, rain brings hope.

But how long will it take
for the grass to grow

and the herds to return?

Within a matter of days,

fresh grass transforms the arid plains
into the lush pastures

that will lure the herds to return.

It's December, and the migrating herds
start to arrive

at the northern boundary
of the short-grass plains,

just 30 miles from the Ndutu lions.

After seven months away
the herd is returning.

Stretching back some 25 miles,

it will take weeks
for all the wildebeest to arrive.

And nothing will stop them now.

(ROARING)

The Mountain of God chooses this
moment to throw up a column of ash

1 5,000 metres into the air.

But the link between this ash
and these herds

is more than a mere coincidence.

For this ash is rich in minerals,

and over several million years

as volcanoes in the Great Rift
have erupted,

layer upon layer of ash
has fertilised the ground,

creating this uniquely
fertile grassland.

It's this that draws animals
from all over the Serengeti.

The ash also discourages
the growth of trees.

So on these plains, that might otherwise
be covered in woodland,

little grows except grass.

It's possibly the best grazing land
in all of Africa.

And probably the only place

where one and a half million wildebeest
could feed together.

In the northern half,

the short-grass plains have once again
become a savannah paradise.

The conditions are so good

that the wildebeest also use these
plains for another important purpose.

The females are carrying
the next generation

and they've come here to calve.

(GRUNTING)

It only takes seconds.

Some calves are on their feet
in just two minutes.

Others take a little longer.

Then they're good to go.

Phosphorus and calcium
in the volcanic ash

pass through the grass,
into the mother's milk

and into the growing calves.

Nowhere else on their epic journey

could young wildebeest
get such a good start in life.

In just two to three weeks,

over half a million wildebeest calves
are born here.

And of course, this provides
an irresistible opportunity

for all of Africa's top predators.

This is boom time for meat-eaters.

The Ndutu lions, to the south,
have yet to enjoy this feast,

but this cheetah family
now has an endless supply of fresh meat.

There is certainly
enough to feed the six cubs.

She'll make a kill every day
to keep her cubs properly fed.

And it's not just wildebeest
the predators have come to eat.

Many of Africa's antelope are here, too.

Eland, Africa's largest.

And they're joined by more than
half a million

Thomson and Grant's gazelles.

And 200,000 zebra.

Just north of the Ndutu lion territory,

these lions are now lucky enough
to enjoy a time of plenty.

A favourite lion ploy
is to wait by waterholes

knowing that the herd
will ultimately have to drink.

As the herds move further south,

they at last enter the homeland
of the Ndutu pride.

The question is, have the weak cubs
managed to survive

to witness the great return?

The Ndutu pride is still together.
They are healthy and strong.

Somehow they have managed to
make it through the long dry season

and the endless wait
for the returning herds.

The young male now has
the beginnings of a mane.

And though still limping,

the female has grown new fur
over her black patches.

Now at last,
with endless food around them,

the lion cubs have the time
and the energy to play.

And they can relax in a way
that only lions know how.

By March, the great event
on the Ndutu plains is in full swing,

and where there are kills,
there are scavengers.

(BIRDS SQUAWKING)

Vultures fly in
from all over the Serengeti.

On her own a mother cheetah
has little chance

of keeping this mob off her kill.

She may be agile, but she lacks
the necessary brute force.

Even now
it's not easy raising cheetah cubs.

Over half her kills
will be stolen by thieves.

Spotted hyenas are notorious scavengers
and they arrive in force.

(HYENAS LAUGHING)

Hyenas now become the most numerous
carnivores on the Ndutu plains.

They'll even take on a lion pride.

As the Ndutu lions
finish off a wildebeest,

the hyena clans gather around,
trying to intimidate them.

The young male cub faces up to them.

He's finally coming of age.

He's learning how to protect a pride.

But this time, with their bellies full,

the pride decide
the bones aren't worth the hassle.

Well-fed at last,

the two young cubs
are beginning to look more like adults.

But it will be another six months
before they can hunt on their own.

It's April,
and there's a flurry of excitement

as the wildebeest turn their attention
to courting.

Or at least the males do.

The young bulls limber up for the rut,

when they will have to fight
for the right to mate with a female.

High spirits are infectious.

In three months the young calves become
boisterous and bounce with good health.

These plains have been a nursery.

But change is in the air.

The season is turning again.

The arrival of seed-eating quelea

is a sign that the grass
on the Ndutu plains is changing.

Once the grass flowers and sets seed,

it loses the succulent green leaves
that the wildebeest prefer.

Time for them to move on again,

to follow the distant storms
that are now rumbling to the north.

Despite the arduous journey
that lies ahead,

a wildebeest calf in the Serengeti

still has a better chance of
surviving its first year

than a lion cub.

The Great Migration is leaving Ndutu,

and once again the pride will have
to face life without the herds.

A brother and sister
have survived an eventful year

that has brought sickness and drought,
fires and volcanic eruptions.

Theirs is just one of countless stories

that unfold every year
on the short-grass plains,

the grasslands
at the centre of this great event.

All in the shadow
of the Mountain of God.

To film intimate animal stories
in the vast Serengeti

was the toughest challenge
faced by the Great Migration team.

Especially when
a major part of the mission

was to follow the fortunes
of a single Serengeti lion pride.

For filmmaker Owen Newman,
to tell the full story of a pride

he had to follow them before and
during the annual wildebeest migration.

The filming would take seven months -

a rather long time to be stuck
in a rather small car.

There's just one tiny space in here
where I can move

and it's the bit for using these pedals,
for steering with

and for being able to turn round
like that and operate the camera.

(CHUCKLES) That's the only moving space
I have in here.

So, I mean...

Every day for 1 4 hours, that's it.

But out of here
is this phenomenal view on the world

and all the animals that are out there.

I wouldn't swap it for anything.

ATTENBOROUGH: If Owen was
to stand any chance

of keeping up with his lion pride,

he would have to cover
thousands of miles

alone in his cramped car.

Owen has filmed many lion stories,

but not even he could have known
how dramatic and harrowing

the story of the pride's
youngest lioness would become.

The drama started in the dry season
when Owen first found the lions

known as the Ndutu pride.

The cubs were already suffering,

and even with 20 years' experience
of filming big cats,

for Owen these scenes
were hard to witness.

I was so appalled with the condition
that the cubs were in.

They were all around a year old
and I'd never ever

seen lions so thin as they were.

It was absolutely shocking.

ATTENBOROUGH: As the litter of
seven cubs dwindled to only four,

the drama continued to unfold.

Just as the dry season dragged on,
they got mange,

their skin was falling apart,

the little female in particular
looked as though she had no chance.

ATTENBOROUGH: One awful day,

Owen found that more cubs
had been left behind by the pride.

The little female and a brother.

Hungry and alone,
their death seemed inevitable.

Quite late in the afternoon, but earlier
than I would have done ordinarily,

I left, 'cause it was actually
getting to me so much

I couldn't stand being there.
It was really so sad.

I went back the next day

and there was no sign
of either of the cubs

and I just assumed that
probably they'd died.

ATTENBOROUGH: Amazingly,
in a dramatic twist,

the little lioness did survive

and rejoin her family.

But when the rains came
the whole pride disappeared.

As filming resumed
at the start of the wet season,

all eyes were on the lookout
for the Ndutu lions.

Although the plains were
now teeming with animals,

what Owen really wanted
was to find his lion cubs.

All he could do
was to sit, watch and wait.

This is what happens for hours on end.

Nothing.

ATTENBOROUGH: With spotters continuing
the search for the Ndutu pride,

Owen got on with filming the
Great Migration of the wildebeest

and its newest recruits.

What's really nice
about the calves being born

is that for about eight months
while they've been developing,

they've been carried around
by the mums across the plains,

they've been stampeded
by hyenas and lions,

they've criss-crossed
crocodile-infested rivers,

and here they are being born to join in.

It never fails to be
a really wonderful thing to see.

The calf's born and the mother gets up
and starts licking it.

And the little thing tries
to stand up on incredibly wobbly legs,

and within two minutes

it's walking away with its mum.

Oh, look, it's nearly found the udder.

ATTENBOROUGH: With shots of
wildebeest calving in the can,

Owen could get on with his search
for the lion cubs.

The lions' story was still
hanging in the balance.

All Owen could do was persevere
with his daily filming routine.

Do you think it's breakfast time?

That is a good cup of tea.

ATTENBOROUGH:
Another month had passed

and even with Owen's
years of experience,

the fate of the Ndutu pride lions
was still a mystery to him.

To recognise them, Owen had photographs
of their whisker patterns.

They're as unique as a fingerprint.

If only he could find them.

(LAUGHS)

There's no peace. I am stalked.

Okay, well, it's a low moment,
I have to admit.

Time seems to be dragging.
We need to be doing something.

We can't just be sitting here
admiring every small bird that hops by.

ATTENBOROUGH: Then one morning

a report came in from
spotter Hamisi Massawe,

who had found a group of lions
matching the Ndutu pride's description.

They're over there.

I think they're there.
What a place to be, Hamisi.

-And there were two cubs.
-Yeah?

-Yeah, okay.
-The male. There's no much mane.

-On the cub?
-Yeah.

Yeah, he's just got a little line.

-Little line. Yes. It's them.
-Yeah.

Finally, after months of worry
and total dedication,

Owen would discover
the fate of his thin female cub,

the one with the black face patches.

Had she managed to survive?

The news was good.

Yes, she's my favourite.

'Cause by all rights

I think she should be dead,

from what I saw in the dry season.
But here she is, still alive.

Wow. She's still got a tiny limp
on her front right foot,

but otherwise is in really good shape.

Wow.

They're so friendly.

Oh, such a fantastic day.

And they're all playing together as well
and reacting,

which they never did in the dry season.

It's absolutely wonderful.

Ah, they've turned into proper lions.

You can spend a long time
in the Serengeti,

and they're all fantastic days,
but suddenly you get a day like this

which is absolutely fantastic.

ATTENBOROUGH: For the healthy cubs,

it was just another day
in the short-grass plains.

For Owen, a wonderful moment

within the most harrowing lion story
he had ever filmed.

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