All language subtitles for A Cheetahs Pride 01

(WOMAN SINGS
IN A SOUTH AFRICAN LANGUAGE)

(NARRATOR)
From the heart of South Africa,

a remarkable wildlife story.

Nine cheetah cubs,

and their two mothers,

united as a family.

So many cubs in one cheetah family
has never been seen before.

Nor two mothers
raising their cubs together.

With so many mouths to feed
and offspring to keep safe,

they're all under intense pressure.

A tale of drama

and conflict.

Tragedy and joy.

It's a story of family strife,

mothers' love,

and the struggle to survive.

(UPBEAT SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC)

This is a cheetah family
like no other.

These cats are on the adventure
of their lives.

No cheetah mother
has ever raised nine cubs.

But no cheetah cub
has ever had two mothers.

So what's the story
of this amazing family?

And can all these cubs
survive to adulthood?

Our two mothers,
Inara and Chilli,

are themselves mother and daughter.

Eight-year-old Chilli
is the reigning queen.

She gave birth to five cubs
three months ago.

Three-year-old Inara had four cubs
a month earlier.

Inara is a young mother,

and her inexperience
could affect the lives

of every one of these cats.

This unique cheetah family lives
in South Africa's Great Karoo.

This semi-desert
can go for weeks and even months

without a drop of rain.

Here, nights can be freezing,

and days, burning hot.

As harsh as it is,

this is prime cheetah habitat.

The cheetahs' home
is Samara Karoo Reserve,

five times the size of Manhattan.

The habitat here
ranges from high mountains,

down through woodland slopes...

..to grassy plains...

..and on to a vast semi-desert.

By the late 1800s, European settlers
had turned the Karoo
into farmland...

..wiping out
most of the native wildlife,

including cheetahs.

Over a century later,

cheetahs were reintroduced.

Now, an ambitious
re-wilding project

is restoring the land,

and the other animals
that once lived here.

Large herbivores
like elephants and rhino,

and predators like lions,
and their prey,

are flourishing once again.

Across Samara,
fences have come down,

and nature is back in charge.

Thriving Cheetah families
prove it's working.

Here, they're left to live
a truly wild life,

the only interference
being radio collars,

allowing scientists to track them.

Much thought goes into predicting
how cheetahs will handle life

in this vast reserve.

Adult female cheetahs
are solitary animals.

They don't like company.

No-one could have imagined
what these cats would do

when they met by chance
one winter's morning.

After a night
concealed in the thicket,

high up on a mountain ridge,

Chilli and her five cubs
are starting their day.

The cubs are just three months old,

but already
they're in exploration mode.

For them, everything is new.
(SOUTH AFRICAN SONG, FEMALE VOCAL)

This female cub
with the bullseye on her hind leg
is named Siya.

She's
the most confident of the litter.

In fact,
she's the cubs' ringleader.

Siya's little sister,
Kolisi, is more timid.

For now, she sticks close to Mum.

Chilli is a no-nonsense mother.

Playtime is for kittens.

She is a huntress.

Chilli begins her day
with a good stretch,

the athlete toning her muscles.

Time to get this family moving.

(SONG CONTINUING)

Chilli leads them
along the ridge,

which overlooks the plains.

(SONG ENDS)

She sets a good pace.

Cheetahs walk on average
four miles a day in search of food.

A female with cubs
will cover roughly half that.

It's not easy
managing five young cubs,

but she is herding cats, after all.

She won't wait long.

Kolisi, the smallest,

can't keep up with Chilli's pace.

Siya
dutifully looks out for her sibling,

even if it means
having to turn back.

If they stray too far behind,
they could lose track of Chilli,

their only protection.

(WOMAN SINGS)

Further along the ridge,
Inara and her family

are walking towards Chilli's family.

These four cubs
are Inara's second litter.

She had a single cub one year ago,

but lost it after an injury
took the sight from one eye.

Inara is a loving mother,

patient, relaxed.

She doesn't share
Chilli's strict discipline.

Still, protecting four cubs
is a huge challenge

for this inexperienced mother.

Her strongest cub is Blue.

The runt of the litter is Shaka.

Blue is a born leader...

..calling the other cubs
when it's time to move on.

(SONG ENDS)

Inara and her mother, Chilli,
parted ways two years ago.

Although their ranges overlap,

meeting is a rare occasion.
Until today.

They haven't seen each other
since Chilli left Inara

at eighteen months old.

Inara may be her grown daughter,

but this is too close.

Tensions are rising.

The cubs scatter.

Siya has only now managed
to guide Kolisi back to Chilli.

But Kolisi is seeing double.

Which one is her mother?
The youngster isn't sure.

(GROWLS)

A mother's call draws her in.

Instinct tells her
to walk towards the call,

but it's Inara, the wrong mother,
who's calling.

Siya joins Kolisi,

to guide her back to Chilli.

But no success.

These cubs are getting mixed up.

And angry.

So are the mothers.

The cubs instinctively flee
and hide.

Eventually, Inara heads for shade

and calls her cubs. They follow,

but so do Chilli's cubs,

Siya and Kolisi.

Chilli's calls
are drowned out by Inara's.

This is a serious mix-up.
She's lost two of her cubs.

One last call.

But Kolisi, Chilli's weakest cub,

stays with Inara,
and Siya stays with Kolisi.

(CHORAL SONG)

Chilli leaves
with only three of her five cubs.

Does she know she has lost two cubs,

or is she just scanning for prey?

(SONG ENDS)

If the cubs come now,
they'll find her.

But it's not to be.

Siya and Kolisi
know the safest place

is at the centre of
the cheetah family.

They just don't get
that this isn't THEIR family.

Even worse, Inara's family
views them as interlopers,

and may shun them.

Alone, without protection,

they will become targets
for predators,

like lions who stalk the night.

Dusk is approaching,

and cheetahs aren't night animals.

Chilli takes her three
remaining cubs to find shelter.

Kolisi senses the coming night.

She's missing her mother,

so seeks protection from Inara.

But she ignores her.

Worse still,

the other cubs don't want her there.

(SNARLS)

Kolisi is safer
hiding in the thicket.

Siya makes an attempt
to approach Inara too.

But Inara decides
it's time to move on.

Siya and Kolisi
make a critical decision.

They'll follow.

A strange, unfriendly family
is better than no family.

They face a long night.

(NARRATOR) Inara and her cubs
are up at first light.

Blue is already seizing the day.

There's no sign of Kolisi or Siya.

The odds are against them.

(SONG, MIXED VOICES)

Ninety percent of cheetah cubs
don't make it to adulthood.

In this world, cubs must learn fast

and develop fast,

or fall off their perch.

But cheetahs are also tenacious.

The high grass conceals something.

It's Kolisi and Siya.

And they are nursing!

Inara is allowing them to suckle.

This behaviour has never been seen
before in cheetahs.

One mother nursing another's cubs?

Somehow in the night,

Chilli's two cubs charmed their way
into Inara's family,

and into Inara's heart.

(SONG ENDS)
Now, a newly forged motherly bond

gives these cubs a fighting chance.

With the family fed,

Inara needs to feed herself.

A gentle pace makes it easier
for the new, younger cubs.

How this new, hybrid family
will fare is anyone's guess.

Six nursing cubs
will make Inara hungrier.

She'll need to hunt more often.

There are
plenty of smaller creatures here.

Inara has
an ingenious hunting technique.

She hisses into a burrow
to scare out its occupants.

Watching Mum
is crucial to their education.

But they won't master her technique
for some time.

Siya and Blue
are the most attentive of the cubs.

Inara's second strongest, Whitetail,

tries to muscle in.

Blue intervenes, already protective
of the newcomers.

No luck so far.

She'd better look elsewhere.

Inara has more patience than Chilli.

She calls to the cubs often,

waits for them to catch up.

Kolisi now sets the pace
for this family,

and it's slow going.

This puts added pressure on Inara,

who now has more mouths to feed.

Springbok.

A proper meal.

Inara can't wait.

She has to conceal the cubs,

or they'll blow her cover.

She must position herself perfectly.

Keep the herd unaware,
or she stands no chance.

As usual, Kolisi lags behind...

..and Blue joins Siya to guide her.

It was hard enough yesterday
to hide four.

Now she must hide six.

The trio finally arrives,

but are unaware the hunt has begun.

Inara has halved the distance
to the herd.

Kolisi realises Inara isn't there,

and cries in alarm.

Inara responds...

..spooking the springbok...

..abandoning the hunt
to tend to Kolisi,

a cub that isn't hers.

Their immediate bond is remarkable,

but if Kolisi keeps falling behind,

hindering Inara's hunts,

they'll all be in trouble.

A week has passed
since Chilli lost her two cubs.

With fewer cubs in tow,

Chilli can move her family faster

and bring down prey more frequently.

Chilli always seems to be
in the right place

at the right time.

And there is plenty of game here.
A buffet.

All sorts.

Ostrich is a rich delicacy.

She reacts.

And the cubs know what to do.

They blend into the long grass.

Chilli has taught them well.

She sets out after the birds.

Ostriches can outrun a cheetah
over longer distances.

It's critical
the cubs remain hidden.

The smallest thing
could give this hunt away.

A shadow.

A twitch of an ear.

The sparkle of an eye.

The supreme huntress
makes the kill look easy.

She gives the okay to the cubs.

Another feast.

With two siblings missing,

the three remaining cubs
now always have a bigger share.

It's more than they can consume
before nightfall.

They know to eat quickly,

before larger predators
are drawn to the kill.

This is Chilli's fourth litter.

All her experience as a mother
is paying off.

The cubs' fat bellies
are living proof.

(WOMAN SINGS)

Ample downtime to groom,

digest and play.

(SONG ENDS)

Cheetahs hunt
in the morning and evening,

when it's cooler.

Inara has no choice
but to be out at midday.

After a failed week of hunting,

hunger drives her.

Her blind eye
also limits her chances.

A cheetah's number one sense
is sight.

But when Inara is hunting,

she doesn't have
a full field of vision.

She also has poor depth perception,

which is crucial in a chase.

But that doesn't stop her
from trying.

It's late afternoon.

Chilli is scanning for prey.

She doesn't see
who's approaching from behind.

Inara.

She is heading straight for her.

By chance,

or maybe by intention.

The two mothers
barely acknowledge one another.

This time there is no animosity,

no aggression.

Some kind of truce is taking shape.

Hunger forces Inara to keep moving.

Then something strange happens.

Ignoring Chilli's calls,
her three remaining cubs

inexplicably follow Inara.

If Chilli is to keep her cubs,

she'll need to follow them.

Now they're moving like a pride.

(WOMAN SINGS)

This odd union will alter
the course of all their lives.

(SONG ENDS)
It's tense at the waterhole.

They're vulnerable,

wary of what lurks
beneath the murky water.

Cheetahs rarely need to drink.

They get most of their water
from their food.

But Inara's brood
hasn't eaten for days.

All nine cubs
seem to have fallen in together.

Chilli doesn't look
too enthusiastic.

And small wonder.

For some reason all the cubs
prefer Inara's company.

Why choose strict discipline
when fun and affection is on offer?

(WOMAN SINGS)

Chilli manages to lure them
from Inara with a lesson.

Teaching is what she does best.

There may be nothing more enticing
to a cheetah cub than a tree.

The cubs will learn
that a high viewpoint

is their secret weapon
for spotting prey far away.

(SONG ENDS)

But as the night approaches,

all the cubs
are again focused on Inara.

Chilli's used to being
the centre of attention.

But now even her own cubs
ignore her calls.

Chilli
remains the number two mother.

Tonight she will sleep alone.

(PURRING)

(CHEETAH GROANING/GRUNTING)

(NARRATOR) Well before sunrise,
the family is on the move.

The cubs seem fearless,

now with two mothers
protecting them.

Until they run into
100 kilos of trouble.

A warthog boar.

They don't get meaner than this.

The cubs are now
in the boar's territory.

He has his own family to protect.

The cubs should take care.

Warthogs can charge
at 50 kilometres per hour.

Curiosity might kill the cat.

He struts across the full breadth
of the cheetah's path.

But he didn't see this coming.

To meet one adult cheetah
is unfortunate.

Meeting two is plain dangerous.

(HONKS)

The boar gets the message.

Time to hightail it.

(WOMAN SINGS)

Energised
after the run-in with the boar,

the nine cubs
now act like one big family.

After all, what's wrong
with having more playmates?

There is no downtime
for the mothers.

Even at rest,
they are keeping watch.

(SONG ENDS)

The plains teem with game,

and opportunities
too good to pass up.

Chilli takes the lead.
The cubs slot in behind.

Inara is forced to take the rear.

They make quick work of the plains.

Something new for the cubs.

A flight of angels.

These are blue cranes.

Also known as paradise cranes,

thanks to their long, angelic wings.

Just like cheetahs,

blue cranes prefer the open range,

where they can forage.

Plants, insects,

frogs, reptiles,

even small mammals
are on the menu.

The Karoo is perfect habitat.

Paradise, you might say.

Chilli isn't distracted
by the birds.

There are eleven mouths to feed.

She seeks higher ground,
using a dam wall

to gain a better vantage point
for spotting prey.

There are plenty of options
for an attack.

She takes a shortcut
through a dry riverbed.

There's discipline in the ranks.

They're marching to Chilli's drum
now.

Some cubs have realised
the hunt is on.

But others
still have energy to burn.

Inara has one focus, to provide.

She needs this kill.

Both mothers move into position.

Tension ripples through the ranks.

All the cubs now know
the hunt is on.

A springbok ram senses danger

and performs his territorial ritual.

Now, timing is everything.

To ensure success,

they need the element of surprise.

They need to stalk
within metres of the springbok
before pouncing.

But one of the mothers
bursts from the thicket too soon,

reaching 100 kilometres per hour
within seconds.

She never stood a chance.

It's Inara.

Half-blind and desperate...

..she's jumped the gun...

..misjudged the distance.

She's let the cubs down once again.

She catches her breath
for just a moment,

then traces her steps back

to where she left her family.

Her calls grow more frantic.

If they're upwind,
they may not hear her.

(GROWLS)

Maybe they were scared off.

Thirty minutes ago,

the wind was her ally.
Now it's her enemy.

They're gone. Every last cat.

Meanwhile, Chilli leads the cubs
up a mountain slope,

away from the plains,

and Inara.

Why she took the cubs
is anyone's guess.

Maybe she spotted danger.

Maybe she simply
didn't hear Inara's calls.

Or maybe Chilli wants all the cubs
to herself.

(GROWLS)

Without her family,

Inara is distraught.

This time, her alluring calls
die on the wind.

(WOMAN SINGS)

(THUNDER ROLLS)

(SONG ENDS)
(RAIN PATTER)

(RAINFALL HAS STOPPED)

Nearly a month has passed
since Chilli hijacked all the cubs.

She's brought them
to the far end of her home range.

If Inara's searching for them,

this is the last place she'll look.

The average litter is four cubs.

No cheetah mother has ever attempted
to raise nine cubs.

She needs to hunt almost every day,

and she's succeeding.

The cubs are thriving
under her care.

And their day is just beginning.

(WOMAN SINGS)

Chilli's cub, Siya,
is still the most adventurous.

As the oldest and biggest,
Inara's cub, Blue,

has taken over Siya's position
as leader of the cubs.

Shaka, the cub behind Siya,

was the smallest of Inara's litter.

But now, with Chilli
bringing in regular meals,

he's growing fast.

Male cheetahs
are bigger than females,

so he should rise up the ranks
quickly.

Kolisi still prefers
her mother's side.

But she's gaining confidence,

now that she has Siya and Blue
looking out for her.

These three have formed
something of a cub coalition.

By now, an ordinary cheetah family
would have lost its weakest cubs.

But this is no ordinary family.

(SONG ENDS)

(GRUNTING)

Many kilometres away,

Inara is getting used to life
on her own.

For the past four weeks
she's wandered far and wide.

She is now
on the high mountain plains

where plentiful trees
make good habitat for black rhinos.

She's marking her presence.

Her urine
contains chemical information

that identifies her.

This is a good way for cheetahs
with overlapping ranges

to avoid each other.

But perhaps it could also lead
Inara's family back to her.

So far, she's found no sign of them.

The impact of losing the cubs
is more than emotional.

With no cubs suckling,

she has stopped lactating,

and is now in oestrus.

Inara moves through her home range,

searching for one more cheetah.

That's why she's come here.
They've met before.

This is Shadow,
Samara's resident male,

and the father of all the cubs.

He detects her scent,

and lets her know
that he's here too.

Inara's future,
and that of her cubs,

may pivot on
whether she meets this cheetah.

Giraffes
use similar ways to communicate.

By tasting her urine,

this male will know
whether the female is ovulating

and ready to mate.

It seems that romance is in the air.

But if Inara mates with Shadow,

she will face a dilemma
if she finds her cubs.

How can she raise one set of cubs

if she's pregnant with another?

What happens next
in this amazing story,

depends on whether or not
Inara can find her family

in this vast reserve.
(WOMAN SINGS)

But much also depends on Chilli.
(SINGING ENDS)

Right now, she is single-handedly
keeping all nine cubs alive.

Both mothers
have a great deal at stake,

and are also inextricably linked
through their cubs.

Inara's cubs
are Chilli's grandchildren...

..and Chilli's cubs
are Inara's sisters and brothers.

The future of these nine cubs
is uncertain,

but that's also the story
of the cheetah species.

Their survival has always been
on a knife-edge.

But cheetahs are survivors.

Especially when they have
amazing mothers, like Chilli,

or when small miracles happen,

like having two mothers.

Will Inara reunite with Chilli

and restore the world's
first cheetah pride?

The lives of these cubs
may depend on it.

(WOMAN SINGS)

(SONG ENDS/
SOUTH AFRICAN INSTRUMENTAL STARTS)

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