Original subtitles

The documentary is about a Mapogo lion living in Sabi, South Africa .

Additional material has been used to illustrate the behavior of lions .

The program can shock the most sensitive viewers.

The filmmakers and guides followed the lion family for 16 years.

Their male offspring were later known as "mapogos".

group testified unusual behavior -

41,530 when the Mapogs launched a campaign to expand their scope.

massacre started when they took over their first territory.

Six males took more land than any lion before them.

They work brutally.

They destroyed all that threatened their power.

estimate that they killed more than a hundred lions a year.

Mapogs were unprecedentedly aggressive and violent.

Their story reveals a rarely seen the dark side of lions -

as well as their continuous struggle for survival.

UNPRECEDENTED TRUTH lion's share

in Sabi Sand Animal Reserve is Kruger National Park next door.

More than twice the size of Yellowstone's Kruger is rich in animals.

They have a direct route from there to Sabi Sand.

There is so much prey that the area is perfect for the lion.

Here the filmmakers have been watching for over 10 years -

Mapogo Lions have seen a spectacular rise to power.

Sparta herd has lived in the middle of Sabi Sand for decades .

In 2002, there were ten puppies in the herd .

There were five males among them.

They had no names as puppies -

but later they were known by the names, Scar ...

... Pretty Boy, Rasta ...

... Kinky Tail and Mr. T.

30 00:03:54,930 - > 00:04:00,130 These young brothers would one day be known as Mapogot.

I was with the lions of Sabi Sand during their puppy time.

I remember well the Sparta herd that had so many puppies.

Five of them were males.

It's often very clear that some puppies are braver than others -

and others a little more curious.

They are more likely to try new things and prey on new things.

Others are more shy and follow the events from the sidelines.

Two of the young people stood out. The other was a leader and adventurous.

Her brother always followed her.

They clearly started working together very early on.

Those two were Mr. T and Kinky Tail.

It wasn't just the strong bond between their brothers that separated their brothers .

Those two were special.

It could be noticed early on.

The herd once caught the buffalo.

One of the big males, the father of the Mapogs -

had taken the carcass .

A small young man devouring carrion -

quickly and quietly in the big male's watching.

His behavior was really frightening. Puppies usually don't.

It could have gotten quite a bit of clapping from a male .

It happened in the beginning, but judging by the behavior -

puppy was either Mr. T or Kinky Tail as they were later known .

Those who were lucky enough to follow the mapogs in their puppies -

may have noticed that these lions would still be heard.

As long as the five males stay together, they will do great things.

Just one of eight male puppies live to adulthood.

If a puppy is born to a healthy herd -

protected by a bunch of strong males -

puppies have the best chance of surviving their first year.

word "herd" we refer to females.

Females live in the same area all their lives -

and their daughters are often related to the same herd.

A large and strong herd can last for decades.

Males, on the other hand, form alliances with mere males.

male often changes his life and can end up far from his birthplace.

Mapogo Fathers formed a great alliance.

They were West Street Males. They dominated a couple of herds.

I remember they were good fathers. Very patient.

lion has the idea that they just lie down -

mating and stealing food from females.

In reality, males play a very serious and important role in the herd .

They patrol the guard and defend puppies and females.

Females are vital to the social structure of the herd .

males come and go, but the females stay in the area for years.

It keeps the social structure of the lion herds stable.

The lion is one of the few cats in the herd.

They get along better when they work together.

Nothing works as well as a healthy, cooperating herd.

There were ten puppies in the Sparta herd, which included five mapogos.

That big herd had to prey on big animals.

Sparta females and the West Street boys took their prey to a new level.

Males play a very important role in killing big prey.

They help the herd kill big and dangerous animals.

Giraffes are very dangerous, partly because of their size.

giraffe can kill a lion with a single kick, but the risk is worth it.

If females attack a large animal , males must follow.

So did the West Street Males.

A mature giraffe male can weigh almost 1300 kg.

Sparta herd has enough food for days.

a place like Sabi Sand, there is danger hanging around every corner.

While Mr. T and Kinky Tail were still puppies -

the rise of the mighty mapogs was almost to end tragically.

in 2003 -

Mr. T, Kinky Tail, Rasta, Pretty Boy and Scar -

were between 6 and 18 months old.

They were born into a strong family protected by powerful males.

Their emotions, the Sparta herd, were superior predators.

Naarailla oli tärkeä rooli pentujen saalistustaitojen kehittämisessä.

Pennut aloittavat saalistamisen jo varhain.

Ne väijyvät kaikkea lähistöllä olevaa.

Sitten ne alkavat hioa taitojaan saalistamalla erilaisia eläimiä.

Usein täysin sopimattomia.

Olen nähnyt niiden jahtaavan pisteliäitä piikkisikoja.

Mesimäyrä on pelottava vastus, koska se on hyvin aggressiivinen.

Se ei ole ihanteellinen vastus, mutta leijonien täytyy kehittää taitojaan -

tullakseen tehokkaiksi saalistajiksi.

Mapogojen tulevaisuus oli täynnä isompia ja vahvempia saaliita -

varsinkin Afrikan vaarallisimpiin eläimiin kuuluvaa afrikanpuhvelia.

Suurin laskemani lauma oli 1 400-päinen.

In addition, there are groups of 15 to 20 buffaloes .

They stay along the river and are often targeted.

39,010 A big buffalo male weighs more than 900 pounds -

6 times more than a female lion. It is 4 times larger than a male lion.

With their big, curved horns, they can severely wound the lion.

It's really exciting to see a lion prey on a buffalo.

Often, a lion can be just as harmed.

Preferably they would only chase one buffalo but one is loud.

It makes a loud noise that others will help.

Other buffaloes go up to the lions -

when they hold the prey in place.

Imagine what happens when the whole buffalo herd arrives.

They weigh thousands of pounds and are really furious.

They run like lions like a front of horror.

I have seen full-grown lion Rotating twice in the air.

To learn how to prey on big animals despite the danger -

young mapogos must be involved.

Puppies learn very important things by following their prey.

They learn to prey on bigger animals and they become stronger.

The herd often took puppies with her. They went close behind the adults.

As is often the case, buffaloes started chasing lions.

The adult members of the herd tried to escape -

but the young mapogos and their siblings remained in the midst of angry buffaloes.

They scattered like pins in front of the ball.

Lions ran everywhere.

lions were pretty much chased. The puppies were in the midst of disarray.

Buffaloes are looking for puppies in the bushes to toss and stab them.

They attack with their horns, but they usually trample on the lions -

and kill them that way.

It was sad when some of the Sparta herd puppies lost their lives.

killed some of the lion in the herd.

Five mapogons managed to escape.

Fate seemed to have plans for them.

If the puppies hadn't survived, the Mapogo alliance would not have come.

Mr. T, Kinky Tail, Rasta, Scar and Pretty Boy -

had survived their first year.

new danger was already close.

In 2003, an unknown male entered the Sparta Herd territory.

It's an extremely dangerous situation for young puppies.

When a male takes over the territory, he kills every puppy.

Young mapogos were lucky.

Contrary to all expectations, the intruder didn't kill the brothers.

The new male also got his life.

In fact, it was accepted into the herd.

This seems to be the first documented case.

Normally it would have been killed or thrown away -

but somehow it remained submissive or just accepted quickly.

Probably the half-brother of five young lions.

It was about four years old when he came into the herd .

Fathers would only tolerate it if it was their own son from a nearby herd.

Vuoden kuluessa Makhulusta tuli a full member of the herd -

and big brother now to the mapog of adolescence.

That same year, Guides found that Mr. T's and Kinky Tailin strong bond -

which was formed already during the puppy -

was even stronger now. They were inseparable.

Mr. T was more dominant, and Kinky Tail was clearly his right hand.

It would support Mr. T in all situations.

Kinky Tail was her twin pair.

It was always there when Mr. T needed it.

There was an incredible bond between them.

They were happy to be together. It was special.

lion's flock, it doesn't take long for young males to rest .

When they reach sexual maturity, they have to leave the herd -

and meet the world alone.

2004 young mapogos with two years older Makhulu -

were driven away from the herd by their fathers.

10,170 As wandering males they had to get along without any help.

They preyed alone without their own territory -

or the herd and the females. They were also threatened by dominant males.

There are more male lions dying during their hike than ever before.

They had come to the point where they had to make their own way.

They only had each other, but there were six.

That was their main advantage in life.

staying together, these six males could survive.

That's how the Mapogo Alliance was formed.

It would take a long time before they were big enough, strong and confident -

to take your own territory.

At first it was difficult to separate them because the brushes were just starting to grow.

brushes grew over time. First it was received by the elder Makhulu.

It was a really big lion.

It had a beautiful black brush. It was a great animal.

One was called Pretty Boy.

You see, it was incredibly good looking.

One of the males had a scar.

It extended from the left hip to the back.

Then there was Rasta, or Dreadlock.

There was something stuck to its brush and it looked like a dash.

Mr. T.

It had an Iroquois brush.

Then there was Kinky Tail.

They were six mapogos.

"Mapogo" is Swazi and means a group that works together.

We didn't realize it back then, but that's what they did.

Young males have two problems. They are young and therefore stupid -

and males and therefore clumsy.

So it's very difficult for them to kill their first prey.

They had never killed a big prey alone.

Killing the prey was the first challenge to survive.

Over the next few months they honed their prey skills -

and gained confidence in prey on big animals.

Even though there were six lions in the alliance , it took time.

Often they act opportunistically and ate carrion whenever they could.

Often they drove off females to suddenly fill their stomachs.

everywhere there were watchful dominant males.

So the mapogos sometimes got in the way.

Eventually, the mapogos became big game predators destined for their destiny .

They mostly chose buffalo -

but they also preyed hippos ...

... young rhinos ...

... and like his father before them, they even killed giraffes.

was unique about them was that they were preying on a group.

Kinky Tail was like a fox terrier. It went with everything.

It was more like a brute who did the hard work.

Often Makhulu was the one who planned the excursions -

and went ahead. It almost steered the show.

Kinky Tail did a heavy job in the attack and caught the buffalo.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail were always at the center of what happened.

They were more aggressive when it came time to kill.

They succeeded and got stronger because they learned to kill buffalo.

One of them started to take on a lioness to the extremes of their behavior.

Often when they ate their prey, Mr. T was the most aggressive of them.

It always challenged the dispute.

It fought with its own brothers.

It didn't hesitate at all.

Mr. T was the youngest, but still trying to control the alliance.

However, something was in the way.

Of the Mapogs, Makhulu had the darkest brush and was the dominant male.

Dark-bred males dominate. They have more testosterone.

When two males compete with each other -

dark bristle usually wins the light bristle.

At first, Makhulu was the dominant male.

It was the boss. It showed the cabinet space to others.

Mr. T should wait for his turn.

Under the leadership of Makhulu, the youth had become a self-assured killer.

The alliance was ready to take over its own territory.

We knew there would be changes, but we didn't expect that violence.

Predator attacks can shock sensitive viewers.

Mapogs were finally ready to conquer their first territory.

In 2006 , the five brothers led by Makhulu -

Pretty Boy, Scar, Rasta, Kinky Tail and Mr. T started a terrible time -

like never seen before Sabi Sandissa.

For most instructors, the alliance of six males was unprecedented.

I remember the first time I saw them together.

They came to the lake in the morning to drink water.

I saw them coming and coming close.

They took turns drinking.

They all drank in line.

Incredible. It's still one of my most iconic pictures.

Unbelievable there were six of them. It was unprecedented.

almost unnatural.

alliances, size matters.

At least three males are needed to take control of the territory.

Six Lions alliance is really big.

Mapogs would get their own territory just by taking it by force.

The first blow would be the most important.

In 2006, the mapogs arrived in the northern part of Sabi Sand.

It was led by four ruling males.

Usually lions arrive quietly. They were not interested in such.

They made noises and screamed.

They meant a territory from the beginning.

The males of the north tried to defend their land and their herd.

But the Mapogs were too strong.

They only needed to kill one of the four males.

The other three fled. They didn't dare to stay.

They had no chance.

Mapogs finally had their own significant territory.

From there, they spread out with their new confidence.

massacre began when they took over their first territory.

Then they knew they had no opponents.

Over the next year they challenged all the alpha males they encountered.

When a male knows he is down, he escapes.

That's what they did. If they were caught, they would die.

Like six Gunners taxing our lion population.

They became more self-confident and expelled males all the way to Kruger.

Their scope became really wide.

The expulsion of an alpha male is only the first step in conquering the territory.

We were worried. Herds had young puppies.

We had seen the puppies born and they started to stand out as individuals.

Then the mapogos came.

When a new male takes over a flock, young puppies are in great danger.

There is no need for males to become fathers -

and use resources to raise a foreign puppy.

enormous male in the rabbit kills all the puppies.

If a female tries too much to defend her puppies, she too dies.

females reacted quickly to signs of new males on the territory.

They gather around the puppies and try to keep the males at bay.

If the puppies are older, the female can take them away to avoid a fight.

When the puppies can't walk far, it's easier to face the threat.

I followed the Ottawa herd with three females and 11 puppies.

Mapogos had just tracked down that herd.

It led to a battle with the herd.

It's quite merciless. Females try to protect their puppies.

The aggression of males is on another level.

Females can protect their puppies until death.

The fight was quite vigorous. They were fighting around Land Rover.

I thought one of the females would get the males to run over the car.

Every time the Mapogs started killing puppies ...

... the females tried to stop it, but the Mapogs were too strong.

The raging lion male has only one job:killing the puppies.

females had no chance.

defense was broken.

Ottawa puppies were no longer protected .

When there are a group of six behind, -

slow little ones are hard to hide.

So they all gradually got caught.

All 11 puppies in the Ottawa herd were killed.

It's heartbreaking to see males kill their puppies.

It's difficult, even as a biologist I know it's related to evolution.

After losing their puppies, the females come in heat to get new ones.

That's what the Mapogs needed to continue their own family.

Within three months the mapogos had killed and eaten all the puppies.

Especially Mr. T and Kinky Tail were particularly bloodthirsty -

looking for and killing puppies.

A quarter of the dying puppies in their first year -

are killed by male lions.

It's a natural part of taking over the herd.

By all we heard, Mr. T was the most relentless of the lion.

Normally the violence ends up killing the puppies -

but the Mapogo alliance was anything but normal.

Because the males of the Ottawa herd were gone and puppies dead -

females would soon become fertile again .

Mapogos were getting to their best age and exuding testosterone.

The competition for reproductive rights was fierce.

They even killed the horny females who agreed to mate.

They couldn't decide, so they tear the females to pieces.

First I saw Mr. T, who had bitten his back.

Then they started choking it.

about 10 to 15 minutes, the female was dead.

After that Mr. T ate it.

The way the Mapogos kill the females sounds quite unusual.

They killed the females they mated with and intended to breed .

That is something I have never encountered in nature.

For the next year, they captured a herd after another -

killing every threatening lion.

None of us are sure how many lions they eventually killed.

had shrunk because of them.

We estimate that they killed over a hundred other lions in one year.

number is alarming.

During the Mapog era, no lion of Sabi Sand was safe.

Mapogs seemed invincible.

The only threat to their power now came from within the Alliance.

The worst fight I saw was between Mr. T and Makhulu.

By 2008, the mapogos had replaced several alpha males -

and conquered a huge area.

The area was so wide that it was previously divided into over five different territories.

It was the first alliance we knew that had such a large area.

It consisted of most of the 70,000 hectares of Sabi Sand.

57,130 In acres, it's over 160,000 -

seven times the size of Manhattan.

a place like Sabi Sand where there's plenty of prey ...

... and water and there are a lot of competing lions -

there are usually smaller and more intense territories.

26,530 The power of the Mapogs is that they conquered almost all Sabi Sand.

All the contestants were now gone, and the mapogos led the eight hordes.

They were undoubtedly the kings of Sabi Sand.

that wasn't enough for everyone.

We usually like the alliance as a trouble-free unit -

as if there were no conflicts within the group.

A couple of males dominate and others have to decide what they want.

serve dominant males or do you split into two groups?

Mr. T and Kinky Tail didn't serve anyone. They wanted to rule.

But there was one lion in their path .

Makhulu was clearly the leader of the group. It was the boss.

The worst fight I saw was between Mr. T and Makhulu.

Mr. T stayed second.

Makhulu got a hold of his leg and Mr. T was wounded.

That may have been one reason why two out of four went away.

Most guides first saw the alliance of the six lions -

and the division of the coalition into two was unprecedented.

That's exactly what happened in 2008.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail were in their best age when they were 6 -

when they left Makhulu, Pretty Boy, Rasta and Scar.

I had never seen an alliance split -

into two different alliances in adjacent areas.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail dominated the northern central area.

The other four ruled the west.

I was placed in an area controlled by Kinky Tail and Mr. T.

At first we hated their cruelty, but they became our males.

We knew them and loved them.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail were clearly happy to be with each other.

They were clearly brothers.

From that time on, we rarely saw other boys.

They still met every now and then, but they had different territories.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail were now able to focus on getting offspring.

Females are safe when puppies are guarded by a strong alliance -

that prevents others from killing puppies. It makes life easier for females.

There were quite a few puppies, at least fifteen.

They belonged to the herds of Ottawa and Ximhungwe.

Many of the herds and their litters filled out the separate areas of the mapogs.

It was the quietest time since the alliance was formed.

Peace brought a new challenge:

father.

Males usually don't tolerate puppies, but Makhulu was the most patient.

Puppies often climbed on it and pulled its brush. It tolerated it.

good father is not enough just clapping your head.

The males must patrol the area and keep the strangers at bay.

males patrol their territory to protect.

They use different methods. They are screaming.

They use odor marks .

They circulate on their territory to appear to be present.

They show the other males that they have a herd and a fence.

If somebody comes in there will be a fight.

In the western territory of the Mapogues , one lion in particular took responsibility for protecting the borders of the Alliance.

Makhulu was often far from the rest. It was alone.

I could only conclude that it was patrolling its territory.

It may have been a week away and then back to others.

It had such a wide area and handled most patrols.

We often heard it scream. It had a very recognizable voice.

I've never heard anything like that.

It had one of the strangest, but also most incredible, voices.

Most lions scream for about a minute and then take a break.

Makhulu just kept going.

In 2010, four years had passed since the first conquest.

Makhulu defended his boundaries in a spectacular way.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail's defense work in the East was much more difficult.

Their entire eastern boundary was enclosed in a huge Kruger National Park.

There were frequent males wandering the fraternity.

There is always something threatening.

Either a lone male or an alliance that wants to take on a herd.

Kruger became a number of young migrating lions -

and they were always driven by Mr. T and Kinky Tail .

They defended the whole area. They accepted all the attacks.

Other lions grabbed Makhulun and three nephews over to -

just Mr. T's and Kinky Tailin over.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail expelled the intruders for two years -

protecting their own territory and that of their brothers in the West.

They didn't know about the alliance of the five males , the majors -

who were slowly approaching the south.

Lonely males it was easy to expel -

but the alliance of five males was a very different challenge.

Majingilets were big, young and strong and they could fight.

Predator attacks can shock sensitive viewers.

On June 8, 2010 , the alliance of five males, majingilanet -

arrived in northeastern Sabi Sand.

After the Mapogs, nobody was there have seen such a strong group in the area.

As a whole, the Mapogs were invincible.

After the split , Mr. T and Kinky Tail defended their territory alone.

Now it was the mapog's turn to be down.

They were two against five.

Mr. T and Kinky Tail always won, so they weren't on guard.

Majingilets were big, young and strong, and they could fight.

I didn't know what to expect and what would happen. I was scared.

A young male lion ran across the road.

Something was clearly wrong.

I didn't expect to see Mr. T and Kinky Thai right on his heels.

They came out of nowhere and chased the guests about 100 meters.

They had isolated one of the intruders and attacked.

Mr. T grabbed it by the neck and turned it around.

Kinky Tail immediately grabbed his groin.

There was a scream and some of the harshest noises.

It was a hair- giving sight.

Mr. T got several scratches on his face.

When it turned on, a young male grabbed his ear.

Mr. T shook it off and almost lost his ear.

At the same time, Kinky Tail was tearing the groin and hind legs.

Kinky Tail was screaming while shaking.

It screamed even though it had a mouth full of lions.

I've never seen or heard anything like that.

I've never witnessed such anger, aggression and power.

Majingilane didn't give up.

It just fought back.

It took a battle against two of its stronger ones .

We know what it sounds like when a male lion screams ...

... pain.

I left the place with mixed feelings.

I was very relieved when Mr. T and Kinky Tail got less.

Kinky Tail and Mr. T spent the day healing their wounds -

while the majing was left to die.

Mapogs had once again defended the Alliance territory.

I came back in the evening. Kinky Tail licked his wounded paw.

guess the teeth had pierced the paw.

Later I heard a roar around the cabin .

Suddenly one of the guards came in and said, "Take your camera and come along."

soon Karin found the source of the sound.

Majingilets were on the move.

We followed them down the road.

I couldn't believe it would happen again.

It was as if the majestic queens were coming for revenge.

rushed after them.

We drove through a small valley, and when we got out of there ...

We saw a cloud of dust and heard roars and growls.

A huge war broke out.

We didn't know who was who.

we got close we saw that there was one of the mapogos.

There were four majing lilies on it.

It soon became clear that the lion printed on the ground was Kinky Tail.

wounded, he tried to strive.

The intruders were brutal. I've never seen anything so cruel.

They were trying to rip it to pieces.

One rubbed the genitals and soft stomach between the hind legs .

Suddenly there was a sound like the rifle's barrel.

We heard how your back was broken.

There was a lot of blood.

It's a lot sharper when you see it up close.

smell, the sounds, the whole sight ... It's a crushing experience.

Suddenly Mr. T appeared out of nowhere and attacked one majingian.

Kinky Tail is about to die, but Mr. T is trying to save his brother.

It fights two males.

He tried to help his brother, but he knew he couldn't do anything.

It ran away between her legs.

Two Kinky Tail-lioning lions let it go.

They followed their brothers and chased Mr. T.

If Mr. T got caught, his brother's fate would wait.

Kinky Tail was breathing heavily.

Nobody said anything. Could have heard the needle drop.

We would like to save the animals, but they must not interfere in their lives.

Nothing can be done.

Mr. T managed to escape.

Majingilets came back to finish their work.

We heard them for 10 minutes before they arrived. We saw them on the road.

There were more of them and Kinky Tail was wounded.

It could no longer retreat to healing and would no longer be a threat.

They would stop it.

We knew then that Kinky Tail's fate was sealed.

When we saw Kinky Tail ripped to pieces ...

... it was probably the most awful moment of my life.

One of the hardest things was seeing the guards react.

They were sad.

They experienced it in a more emotional way.

I heard about Kinky Tail's death that night -

and cried. It was my favorite among the lions.

I liked it a lot and I was shocked.

I told the others the next morning on the radio.

There was a silence that followed.

Nobody wanted to believe it.

Many people would cry.

The next morning, we set out to study the night's events.

We made a shocking scene at the scene .

We saw hyena and two diapers hanging over Kinky Thai.

It was gone. Such a great and proud lion. Nothing was left.

was my feeling that caught my emotion the most ...

jacket ran off before with such a majestic male brush.

That was the last thing I saw about Kinky Tail.

Shortly after his brother died, Mr. T was seen heading west.

Mr. T decided he would no longer do this alone.

It couldn't hold its own.

Mr. T knew he had lost his closest companion:

brother and friend who always did anything for it.

It sure did have lost their territory.

Mr. T followed his instinct and returned to his alliance with his brothers.

We hadn't seen it in 2 years.

That morning we saw it about 80-100 meters away.

It was just watching others.

Makhulu and the Western Alliance now had puppies to protect.

Makhulu knew what could happen when another male appears on the scene.

Once upon a time, Mr. T was like a brother to him. Now it was an intruder.

Predator attacks can shock sensitive viewers.

Mr. T escaped from the Majingilane Alliance.

They tore Kinky Tail into pieces and captured the brothers' territory.

Now it was heading west -

where Makhulu and the rest of the Mapogs were still ruling.

Mr. T had broken up the strongest union that ever ruled Sabi Sand.

How would you deal with its return?

Makhulu was not happy about Mr. T's return.

other mapogos accepted it.

It was significant that she was allowed to return to others after a long time.

Guides became easier when Mr. T was approved without any bloodshed.

However, Mr. T was Mr. T.

These were not herds or her puppies.

We thought it would be accepted by other puppies, but it didn't.

Nobody could even imagine what would happen.

Nobody could expect it.

Only a few days later it started to slaughter puppies.

It started looking for alliance puppies and killed and ate them.

Interestingly, other males did nothing.

Many of the puppies were Mr. T's nieces and nephews -

but its brothers did not try to prevent bloodshed.

Mr. T was going to conquer herds and mate with females -

and the puppies were on the way.

So it brutally followed his natural instinct.

Power had changed in the west.

Mr. T was the new king.

When it came back and killed the puppies, we did n't know what would happen.

Most people had negative feelings about it.

Over the next two years the majingilets -

gradually conquered the mapog areas.

intruders took the lands of Mr. T and Kinky Tail -

and probably killed their puppies.

After a long stalemate, more fate strikes followed.

Pretty Boy and Rasta disappeared.

Majingilans were suspected of killing them.

Once upon a time, the great Mapogo alliance ruled over Sabi Sand.

Now the power slipped from their grip.

There were only three Mapogs.

There were Makhulu, Mr. T ...

... and a scarred male.

six years the mapogos were kings of Sabi Sand.

Male lions don't usually live in the wild for over 12 years.

Mr. T was 10 years old, Scar 12 and Makhulu 14 years old.

They got older and the competitors were close. The rest was inevitable.

On March 16, 2012, another five-male alliance, Selati -

arrived on the mapogo territory from the south.

Early in the morning we stopped the car to listen to something.

We heard a loud roar from under 100 meters.

We followed the tracks.

It was clear that the browsers were after the mapogos.

They were young and strong and ready to fight.

They were targeting one of the mapogos. We didn't know which one.

Any old lion would have trouble in that situation.

It didn't stop the lonely mapogo from defending its last frontier .

By the time I arrived, Mr. T had already been attacked.

The last mapogo king was fighting for his life -

and he was alone.

It was severely broken in the spine -

just above the hind legs.

Its hind legs were paralyzed.

It was very vulnerable to attacks by future lions.

They had ruthless tactics. They drew it elsewhere -

so one of the males could bite it in the spine.

They rattled and bitten it for about 15 to 20 seconds.

Then they stopped and moved on.

Then they got up, came back and started the attack.

At that point, Mr. T fought for his life.

I remember he looked at me.

It could still rise.

It was still trying to oppose a coalition that had ruined its blood.

It tells about the strength of its character.

four males who beat Mr. T were constantly screaming.

Because they said they were in power now.

They told the whole world they were in power now.

sight was extremely violent. Our feelings ranged from excitement -

unbelief and respect.

It had large, gaping wounds in its spine .

It was defeated by a lion whose head sank to the ground.

It was in front of its paws and its hind legs were useless.

Everything was over. Mr. T would die that day.

I and my brother saw it taking its last breath.

We saw the end of the era. It had a profound effect on our feelings.

I never want to see it again.

It was a very emotional decision for the Mapago saga.

Mr. T lived like a male lion -

and died like a male lion.

He must have died in a way that suits him:

protecting his territory.

Six years of controlled Mapogos -

the most violent reign in male memory also ended just as violently.

Makhulu and Scar were the last of the mapogos.

They were older and there were enemies everywhere.

They couldn't help but leave Sabi Sandin.

Mapogs will never be seen again.

Their future generations still have hope.

Their descendants are still alive Ottawa-herd.

Three adult females with inbred offspring.

I hope Makhulu Mapogo is the father of those females.

To think that it was her puppies who survived the attack on Mr. T.

It must have been the right thing to happen.

The more I hear about them, the more I'm interested.

They were the best of the lion.

human point of view, they were bad and very aggressive -

but from the lion's point of view, there is no comparison.

Mapogs did what the male lion had to do:

They continued their lineage.

They took it a step further.

They set new standards for conquering the territory .

There is never such violence been seen at Sabi Sand.

lion has a dark side that is rarely brought up.

The lion is cute, wondrous, royal and beautiful -

but it's hard and raw and dangerous.

Mapogos showed us what it is like to be a lion.

English translation:Tanja Kajanterä www.btistudios.fi