Original subtitles

Liuwa Plain National Park.

A vast wilderness in Western Zambia.

Home to a cheetah known as Kali.

She's the longest-lived cheetah known here.

Her satellite collar has allowed scientists to follow her

for most of her life.

For eight years, she's thrived on these huge grasslands.

But despite this,

only two of Kali's previous 14 cubs have reached adulthood.

Now, after so many failures,

she has perhaps one last chance to build a legacy.

Her three young daughters.

So far, her most successful litter.

But these plains are full of challenges.

The most difficult times for her cubs are still to come.

If she can protect and teach them...

..succeed where she's failed before...

..Kali may finally establish her dynasty.

Kali has spent much of her life alone.

All female cheetah are secretive and solitary.

She travels hundreds of miles, traversing her enormous range,

rarely seeing another cheetah.

Since they were born 15 months ago,

Kali's three daughters have also been followed by scientists

and one of them, Lalu, now wears a collar like her mother.

The three sisters were once part of a litter of six.

But like so many of Kali's previous cubs,

the others died when they were still small.

Managing to get the three cubs as far as this

is a new milestone for Kali.

But it's one that is increasingly challenging for her.

The bigger the cubs get, the more food they need.

Liuwa is over 1,300 square miles of grassland and scattered forest.

The family are often forced to walk for miles a day,

searching for a meal.

Kali needs to find something big enough to feed them all.

Cheetah are built for speed and have lightweight bodies.

Some of these wildebeest weigh three times as much as Kali.

Taking one on is a huge risk.

The sisters are much too young and inexperienced to help.

And if the cubs accidentally alert the herd...

..the hunt will fail.

They stay back and watch.

The best approach is from downwind...

..staying hidden amongst the trees for as long as possible.

Kali can reach 60mph in under three seconds.

She's almost at full speed before the wildebeest even spot her.

A well-aimed hoof or horn could easily kill her.

The cubs can now approach, cautiously.

Kali is so strong,

she is just able to wrestle a wildebeest to the ground.

Hunting something as big as this is a risk that most cheetah here avoid.

But Kali has learned to specialise in taking on large prey.

The cubs are never far from their mother,

following her lead.

But some lessons have to be learnt alone.

A mole rat...

..out searching for a new burrow.

It may be small, but it's not easily intimidated.

Kali is going to let them figure out this one for themselves.

It's unlikely that the sisters have ever seen a mole rat before

and certainly they seem unaware that it's armed with enormous teeth.

The two uncollared daughters, Zoho and Tune, soon lose interest.

Lalu is a little bolder...

..and much more inquisitive.

And that soon comes back to bite her.

Eventually, Lalu and the mole rat

both go safely on their separate ways.

Each perhaps a little wiser.

The sisters are still heavily reliant on Kali,

but they must learn the skills needed

to protect and feed themselves as quickly as they can.

It's usually the mother who chooses when it's time to leave the cubs,

rather than the other way around.

When Kali left her last litter,

they were not much older than the sisters are now.

But only one of those cubs was ever seen again.

The longer she can stay and support these three,

the better their chances will be.

But Kali is already old for a cheetah mother.

If she's to have another litter,

she can't stay with her daughters for much longer.

A few days later.

Kali has caught another wildebeest.

But the commotion of the hunt has attracted attention.

Liuwa is home to some of the largest hyena in Africa.

Hyena usually hunt for themselves,

but certainly won't turn down an easy meal.

They will kill young cheetah,

especially those who come between them and their food.

It seems that all Kali's efforts have been for nothing.

She won't risk a fight.

The family moves on.

Aside, that is, from Lalu.

She isn't willing to walk away from her mother's hard-won kill.

This is very risky.

The hyena's massive jaws could crush her.

That was just one step too close.

Another lesson learned.

Cheetah are built for speed...

..not confrontation.

It's time for the cubs to try out their hunting skills.

But they'll need to start with something

slightly less ambitious than wildebeest.

Pelicans.

They're not right either.

Their mother certainly knows what is...

..and what isn't worth pursuing.

But Lalu can't resist investigating.

It might be fun to chase a wild cat...

..but it's never going to make a decent meal.

Occasionally, even the most promising hunt can be spoiled...

..by a passer-by.

And sometimes, the sisters need to look a bit harder.

At other times, the cubs just aren't able to keep up...

..either with their prey...

..or each other.

This chase has taken Lalu far from the others.

Surrounded by grass as long as this, it's easy to get lost.

Lalu may be the most independent of the three sisters,

but she's not ready to be alone just yet.

Calling to her family might work...

..but it might also attract the wrong attention.

Others are out here too...

..always listening.

Best to keep a low profile.

Her mother and the rest of the family

still have no idea where Lalu is.

Carried on the wind...

..the faint call of a cheetah.

It's her mother, Kali.

Lalu is now heading in the right direction.

At last...

..reunited with her family.

The cubs are now at a critical age,

for both themselves and their mother.

It's nearly time for them to go it alone.

The next month or so will be crucial.

Six weeks later...

..and the sisters have finally honed their skills.

They're now transformed, working together.

They break up the herd, allowing Kali to single out a yearling.

Larger wildebeest will try to drive off predators,

but just as Kali loses her grip, Lalu arrives to help her.

Zoho and Tune keep the other adults back,

charging the herd and stamping their feet into the dust.

With the rest of the wildebeest kept at bay,

Lalu and Kali are beginning to win.

While the cubs help to subdue their catch,

Kali keeps her jaws clamped on its throat.

This could keep them well fed for the next few days.

Together, they have succeeded.

But they still have the problem

of keeping possession of their hard-won meal.

Hyena, again.

But this time...

..the sisters refuse to back away.

In fact, quite the opposite.

They force the hyena to flee.

They are not cubs any more.

Not only have the sisters reached a turning point,

but so has their mother.

Kali is now nearly nine years old.

Many cheetah never even reach this age.

Her three daughters, her most successful family ever,

may be ready to face the world without her.

But does Kali have enough time left...

..for just one more litter?

A few weeks later and the rains have arrived in Liuwa.

The dry, dusty plains...

..have been transformed into lush grassland...

..teeming with life.

The sisters have been sheltering from an overnight storm

in a patch of scrubby woodland.

But as dawn breaks...

..something is missing.

No matter how much Lalu calls...

..there's no sign of their mother.

The time has arrived.

Kali has left them.

The sisters are now 18 months old.

Kali stayed with them for much longer

than any of her previous litters.

Those extra months gave them the chance to practise, learn

and grow in strength and confidence.

For now, these sisters have the support of each other.

And they will need it.

Life without their mother to look after them has begun.

A few weeks later...

..the sisters are still near to where Kali left them.

The three of them are hungry.

They spread out, trying to flush out suitable prey from the long grass.

They still don't want to take on anything

as dangerous as a wildebeest.

Not yet.

Oribi are relatively tiny.

But they're still not easy to catch.

Despite her speed...

..Tune can't make up for the oribi's head start.

But Lalu is still close by, ready to join in the hunt.

One trip, and the oribi is down.

The meal is shared by all three of them.

The sisters are supporting each other, for now.

It's hard for them at the moment.

But it will get even harder.

If they're ever to have cubs of their own,

they will eventually have to go their separate ways...

..and break the bond between them.

So far, they've spent their entire lives together.

But once they split up, they may never see each other again.

A few months later and the rains are drawing to a close.

Ever since leaving her three daughters...

..Kali has been living out on the open plains.

Today, she seems cautious...

..carefully scanning the long grass for danger.

And she has reason to be so.

Two tiny cubs.

One male...

..and one female.

Kali may be over nine years old...

..but once again she's become a mother.

Since their birth ten weeks ago, these cubs have been kept secret,

hidden in a den deep in the long grass.

But now, for the first time, she's brought them out.

With their mother taking a well-earned nap,

it's a good opportunity for the cubs to begin to learn

how to survive here.

If she's ever to provide for litters of her own,

the female cub must become an accomplished hunter.

From up here, there should be a chance of spotting prey.

But then, of course,

there's the tricky problem of getting down again.

Now, learning the art of the chase.

As well as hunting, the male cub will, one day,

have to challenge others for territory or females.

He needs to learn how to hold his own, even at this age.

Finally, they both need to learn how to bring down their quarry.

No peace...

..for Kali.

But the early days for the family are, in fact,

the most dangerous days.

Kali lost many of her previous cubs, sometimes even whole litters,

while they were still very young.

In order to feed them, she must hunt regularly,

and that means leaving them alone...

..unguarded.

Without her to protect them, they're vulnerable.

Meanwhile, over 30 miles away...

..Lalu.

She has split away from her sisters...

..and now lives alone.

She's beginning to adjust to the solitary life

of an adult female cheetah.

With neither her mother nor her sisters to help her,

hunting has become much, much harder.

But her mother has taught her well.

Stay low...

..and hidden until the last moment.

At full speed, her tail serves as a counterbalance

to help her out-manoeuvre her prey.

Now a successful hunter...

..she's survived this most difficult transition...

..adapting to life alone.

Soon, she may be ready to take on the enormous challenge

of bringing up a family out here...

..and follow in her mother's footsteps.

A few months later, on the far side of the plains...

..Kali is still caring for her latest litter.

But she now has only one cub left...

..the young male.

A few weeks after leaving the den, his sister died.

A life spent continuously on the move took its toll.

She was just not strong enough to survive.

Kali and her son stayed with the body for two days,

before finally moving on.

But the male cub, with his mother's undivided attention,

is growing in strength and experience.

One day, he may go on to father cubs

beyond even the area roamed by his elder sisters.

Kali has now travelled these plains for a decade...

..the oldest known cheetah in Zambia.

Over the last two years, she has successfully raised more cubs

than all her previous litters combined.

Her daughters now range right across these plains.

Three more potential cheetah mothers.

She and they now make up almost two-thirds

of all breeding females known here.

Bringing up a family on these unforgiving plains is always hard.

But despite years of struggle...

..Kali's dynasty is finally...

..thriving.

Ready to go. Cheetah today.

For the Dynasties team,

the biggest challenge when filming cheetah is simply finding them.

Every morning, we set off between four in the morning

and kind of five in the morning.

You can see the colour of the long grass here.

Cheetahs are so camouflaged in this environment

and as you can see, the area is vast and wide.

Liuwa Plain National Park

has one of the biggest cheetah populations in Zambia,

but they're spread across an area of over 1,300 square miles

and individuals can travel huge distances in a single night.

Fortunately for Mark and the team, they're not alone in the search.

They're able to work with a group of dedicated researchers,

the Zambian Carnivore Programme,

who have pioneered the use of satellite tracking collars

to better understand and protect the cheetah here.

These studies have given them unique insights

into the lives of individual cheetah, including Kali,

also known as Cheetah 1-80.

So Cheetah 1-80 is the first cheetah I saw here in Liuwa.

When I followed her for the first time, she was still young.

Knowing what she's been through in all those years

makes her a very special cheetah to me.

She's a symbol of survival and resilience.

For me, she is the queen of Liuwa.

Working closely with the researchers

gives the Dynasties team a head start.

But even then, finding the cheetah every day

in the vastness of these plains isn't always straightforward.

A lot of mornings we've got collars to rely on,

but today there's no GPS fix from the collars,

so we must do it the old-fashioned way.

We're looking for footprints in the sand to try and pick up her trail.

So this is fresh and you can see the paw marks here, here and here,

and just the pad there.

Oh, there goes Ason. You got something?

Yeah, we've got the tracks and they're going that way. OK.

We're very lucky, we've got amazing trackers with us

and they are in hot pursuit at the moment.

I mean, they are disappearing faster than I can keep up.

By following the tracks,

the team hope to be able to catch up with the cheetah.

It's pretty amazing, about four hours of tracking her,

through about three woodlands, about 5km,

and she's just popped her head up over here, which is great.

Pretty impressive work by the trackers.

Working with experts like these

means the team can spend as much time as possible with the cheetah,

allowing them to capture intimate moments in their lives.

She's just rolling around in front of us. It's completely magical.

The tracking work here, however, has a much more important purpose,

to help protect these wonderful cats.

It's not going well with cheetahs in Africa.

The threats cheetahs are facing now is habitat loss,

prey depletion, illegal hunting and illegal wildlife trade.

So having a population like we have here in Liuwa is very important.

Cheetah numbers have halved in the last 40 years

and the huge areas they roam makes protecting those that remain

particularly challenging.

This is why the collar tracking data is so important.

We collar cheetahs to know where they go,

how they use the environment.

If we can identify all of this we are able to better protect,

not just cheetahs here in Liuwa,

but also cheetahs in the rest of Africa.

The collars don't harm the cats or affect their behaviour

and the protection they can give has never been more vital than now.

In the last two years,

at least three of Liuwa's cheetah have died in poachers' snares.

But the collars allow park authorities

to target conservation efforts where they're needed most,

helping to protect this vital population.

The battery in Kali's collar is starting to run out.

If it isn't changed soon, it may risk both the long-term study

and the ability to protect her.

Working with expert wildlife vet Dr Brian Musalo,

they first need to sedate Kali.

The procedure that we are doing is quite short.

Yeah, we are basically just fitting a collar.

So a short anaesthetic period would be ideal to actually do that.

It's a tense moment, but the team are able to keep the disturbance

to Kali and her son to a minimum.

They get to work as fast as possible,

all the time carefully monitoring the nearby cub.

How much? How much?

A splash of water helps keep her cool throughout the process.

Slowly.

In just a few minutes the collar is fitted

and vital measurements are taken.

Nose to base of tail, 126.5.

126.5.

Everyone else withdraws,

before Dr Musalo administers the antidote.

The effects of the drugs wear off quickly...

..and Kali is soon reunited with her son.

So now she has a new collar.

That will give us the opportunity to monitor her

and protect her for the next two years.

Yeah, job well done today.

The collar worn by Lalu, Kali's daughter,

has shown that she roams far beyond the park,

even crossing international borders.

Data like this may one day lead to the expansion of protected areas,

giving cheetah the space they need to survive.

With only 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild,

every population, every individual counts.

So every single cheetah can make a difference

and that's why it's worth protecting every cheetah that we still have.

With luck, Kali's legacy might not just be felt in Liuwa...

..but play a role in protecting cheetah right across the continent.

Next time...

..a clan of hyenas is thrown into turmoil...

..as two contenders vie to become to queen.

But the path to power is never easy, especially when raising a family.