Original subtitles

(EVOCATIVE VOCAL MUSIC)

A cheetah family like no other.

Two mothers, who, despite great challenges,

have kept all nine cubs alive

on the plains of South Africa's Great Karoo.

Their true story began with a chance meeting

of Inara and her four cubs...

..and Chilli with her five.

Chilli and Inara are themselves mother and daughter,

but went their separate ways two years ago.

Since their reunion,

the cubs have survived close calls

and many days without food.

A bad wound nearly killed Chilli. (YELPS)

And Inara, after being separated from her cubs for several weeks,

met the resident male cheetah.

She may now be pregnant.

Inara has since returned to the family.

But the mothers maintain their independence.

The cubs need both mothers if they are to survive.

(UPBEAT MUSIC)

The family has stayed together,

but the mothers have been hunting separately.

Today, Chilli was successful.

Inara wasn't.

Inara doesn't join in.

This is not her kill.

Female cheetahs are fiercely independent.

Neither wants to share this meal with the other.

They may be together,

but there are lines they don't cross.

Inara has less experience,

and one blind eye,

so she struggles to hunt.

But she's a good mother in other ways.

She's much more affectionate than Chilli...

..which the cubs relish.

But cheetah cubs can't survive on love alone.

And neither can Inara.

Tomorrow, she must hunt.

(ANIMALS CALL AND CHITTER)

(GRUNTING, BARKING)

A kudu is alert to something odd.

A cheetah, stalking well before sunrise.

Cheetahs are daylight hunters,

so this cheetah means business.

(SNORTS)

It's Inara.

Five cubs follow -

three of hers, including her biggest cub, Blue...

..plus two of Chilli's cubs,

Kolisi and Siya.

When the cubs were first mixed up,

Inara took them in.

Hunger drives Inara.

This could take her, and the cubs,

far from the rest of the family.

After yesterday's big meal,

Chilli and the four remaining cubs are sleeping in.

They've missed the others' departure.

Shaka was Inara's smallest cub.

When the cubs were mixed up,

Chilli took him under her wing.

The other cubs here are Chilli's -

all a month younger than Shaka.

Chilli is the better huntress,

so with her, Shaka has been eating regularly...

..and growing more quickly than his siblings still with Inara.

He's gone from weakest...

to the strongest.

With no larger siblings around to push him aside,

life couldn't get any better.

(PURRING)

With plenty of downtime,

Shaka seizes the opportunity

to show off his newfound size advantage.

He's feeling his strength...

..developing his attacking skills,

which will become critically important for his survival

when he grows up.

One behaviour stands out...

..Shaka focusses on biting the necks of his playmates.

It looks innocent enough,

but with time, he'll perfect this bite.

And as an adult...

will use it as a death grip on his prey's windpipe.

He doesn't have it all his way.

The other cubs are learning to bite back.

(SQUEAKING, PURRING)

Time to get on with the day.

That's the cubs' cue to follow.

Inara and her five cubs have already been on the hunt for hours.

Every step takes them further away...

from the rest of their family...

..into an uncertain future.

The cubs are growing in confidence.

Chilli's smallest, Kolisi,

is still working to catch up.

The strongest cubs, Siya and Blue, look out for her.

The cubs ate yesterday...

so aren't as focussed on the hunt as Inara,

who last ate three days ago.

But there's no playtime for these cubs.

Until Inara makes a kill,

the march will continue.

At last, Inara spots her quarry.

A herd of springbok.

She conceals her approach.

After a month with Chilli,

the cubs know the drill.

Stay back. Stay hidden.

Two springbok rams lock horns.

The herd has no idea that Inara is approaching.

Inara needs to be patient.

Timing is everything.

One last check on the cubs.

Remarkably, they're on their best behaviour.

Now, out in the open,

it gets much tougher.

The springbok are on to her.

(SNORTING)

A ram snorts in alarm,

and marks the ground as if to say,

'I see you. This is my territory.'

And they flee.

(SQUEAKS)

Once again,

Inara's poor eyesight fails her.

With just one good eye,

she misjudges the distance.

Inara spends much more time hunting than the average cheetah...

..to compensate for her handicap.

But there are only so many hours in a day.

Her call summons the cubs.

Inara needs a successful hunt more than ever.

If she's pregnant,

she'll soon have more cubs to provide for.

Every chase uses precious energy Inara can't spare.

But she's under pressure.

The cubs have found her.

Kolisi greets her first.

These two have a special bond.

(PURRING)

After a full day,

the cubs take a moment to relax.

Perhaps only now do they realise...

that Chilli and the other cubs aren't joining them.

A week has passed,

and Chilli has not seen any sign of the others.

They may not be returning.

In this family, fortunes rise and fall

as the cheetahs experience unexpected separations and reunions.

For now, the fortunes of the four remaining cubs...

look positive.

That's because under Chilli, life is good.

They're eating regularly.

And with five fewer siblings...

..each gets a larger share of meals.

Inara's cub Shaka...

is the first up today.

The others would rather lie in.

What's the urgency when they've been eating so well?

He's ready to head out and explore.

As the new cub in charge,

he's taking his job as big brother very seriously.

No lazing about on his watch.

(CHIRPING, SQUEAKING)

Chilli ignores her cub's invitation to play.

As ever, she's all business.

It's time to get this family moving.

Shaka is quick to follow.

Now as the top cub,

he takes on the role of looking out for the others...

..to make sure no cub is left behind.

(ANIMALS CALL AND CHIRP)

(THUNDERCLAP)

It's been three weeks since Inara and the cubs left the rest of the family.

Every day is a relentless march...

..as Inara attempts to secure the next meal.

She's brought down hardly any prey...

since she and the cubs separated from Chilli,

so she's forced to keep going.

The pace takes its toll.

And the family can only walk as fast as the slowest cub.

They arrive back on the ridge,

where Inara can scan for prey...

and check if Chilli's passed by.

Cheetahs use trees like this to mark their presence.

The exhausted, famished cubs can finally catch their breath.

Kolisi may be Chilli's cub,

but Inara treats her as her own.

She is trying to relieve her hunger by suckling.

But does Inara have any milk to give?

Inara has no choice but to resume the march.

As long as they're hungry,

they'll keep walking.

White Tail, Inara's second in command...

..is deteriorating quickly.

There is a place where game is more plentiful.

But it's full of dangers.

Not a place to take young cubs...

unless you're desperate.

(RAIN PATTERS)

Rainwater is a precious resource in this semi-desert habitat.

It evaporates quickly.

But it remains longer in the forested riverbed...

that runs across the plain.

Animals are drawn to this place.

(SNORTS)

Many of them...not what a young cheetah cub wants to meet.

This is perfect habitat for an ambush.

Here, Inara has an advantage.

Her prey is just a short sprint away.

The steenboks can hear Inara approach...

..but don't yet see her...

..until it's too late.

(BARKING, CHATTERING)

Today's arduous march is finally over.

They need to eat fast.

This kill will attract other predators.

Inara is alert to possible danger...

..the cubs, too hungry to care.

They fight for every last scrap.

Who knows when they'll eat their next meal?

It's a small victory,

but barely enough to go around.

Tomorrow, Inara must start all over again.

It's been five weeks since Inara and her five cubs left the others.

She has been struggling to feed her brood.

But last night's small meal has energised them.

(PLAYFUL SQUEAKING)

She may be three years old,

but Inara can't resist a cub who wants to play.

Affection won't fill their bellies, though.

She needs to keep going.

White Tail will have to mend on the go.

Even though she's a month younger,

Siya was the big sister in Chilli's litter...

..and still looks out for the slowest in the line.

A herd of springbok.

A meal this substantial...

could turn their situation around.

Inara takes her time...

to study her options for attack.

The cubs know that they now need to hide.

Inara moves forward to a striking position.

The cubs can't help themselves and move a bit closer.

There is still a good 100m to her prey.

Inara must close the distance...

and catch them unawares.

Any closer...

and the springbok will smell her before they see her.

It's now or never.

(SNORTING)

She needs this kill.

Her prey relish their escape.

Yet another failed hunt...

for a one-eyed cat with five hungry cubs...

and maybe more on the way.

The cubs listen for Inara's call.

But she is walking...

away from them.

Hours pass.

The cubs can only wait.

Inara keeps walking.

She doesn't look back.

Cheetah cubs can wait a day or more for their mother to return.

So why not use this time to explore...

and hone their hunting skills on each other?

(PURRING)

Siya samples a dried mass of elephant dung.

(CHATTERING, SQUEAKING)

It's not to her liking.

There may be another reason Siya is eating dung.

She may be in need of nutrients.

They have eaten very little for weeks.

The burst of energy doesn't last long.

They move to the nearby riverbed thicket to rest.

Dusk approaches...

and there is still no sign of Inara.

Now they need to be vigilant.

Without a mother here to warn them,

new dangers may appear.

Lions kill the cubs of other cats.

(GROWLING)

And then...there's the big beasts.

(GRUNTING)

The cubs have already had a run in with buffalo.

(BUFFALO CALLING)

The cubs are up at first light to look out for Inara.

Blue and Siya climb the tallest branches.

All their practice climbing trees...

could now save their lives...

..if they can spot Inara.

No sign of her.

They begin to make short forays from the thicket...

..searching in every direction.

But once again, nothing.

Now the cubs become more anxious.

(CHIRPING)

What starts as one call...

(CHIRPING)

..becomes a chorus.

(CHIRPING)

They are well and truly alone.

Abandoned.

It'll be more than a year before they can fend for themselves.

The scraps of steenbok in their bellies won't last long.

The cubs' only hope...

may now lie with Chilli...

..who isn't too far away.

She and the four cubs with her are walking off their latest meal.

Chilli's done well.

The cubs are all healthy and fit.

Some mothers would struggle with four cubs.

Chilli takes it in her stride.

She has a good routine...

walk...

hunt, feed...

rest...repeat.

And always refuse to play.

So far, Chilli hasn't noticed any sign of the other cubs.

But Shaka has picked up their scent.

(CHIRPING)

The abandoned cubs have been calling tirelessly.

(CHIRPS)

Either Chilli doesn't hear it, or she chooses to ignore it.

She's focussed on the hunt.

Shaka is still distracted...

and doesn't notice that the others have left.

By now, he should know that Chilli never waits.

It's been two days since Inara abandoned her cubs.

Anxiety gives way to hunger.

There's nothing to eat...

but dead agave plants.

Dried old leaves are hardly nutritious.

The cubs know only one thing when mom is gone.

And that's to wait.

Heat and hunger wear them down.

(MONKEY CALLING)

A vervet monkey sounds an alarm call.

The monkey has either spotted the cubs...

..or sees another predator approaching.

Blue moves forward protectively.

Whatever is approaching will have to go through him first.

The monkey was right. It is a predator.

It's Shaka.

Somehow, he has found the cubs.

He's frantic because he's lost Chilli.

(CHIRPING)

His siblings don't respond.

Except for Siya.

(CHIRPING)

He wants them to follow him.

He has been Chilli's most attentive cub,

so maybe he can find her.

But they feel safer in the thicket.

Rather than leave them behind, Shaka joins them.

It will take some persuading to lead them away from here.

But Shaka is determined.

Kolisi, Blue and Siya still wait for Inara...

..but now face their third night alone.

At least they now...

have Shaka on their side.

(ANIMALS BELLOW AND CALL)

The following morning is bright and clear.

If the cubs move to higher ground,

they may spot one of the mothers.

But something is wrong.

They've vanished.

In their place, the thicket has filled up with other animals.

The cubs may have fled.

Riverbed thickets are the animal highways of the Great Karoo.

Black rhinos frequent these thickets...

to browse on foliage.

They can hear and smell extremely well...

but have poor eyesight,

making them ill-tempered around even young predators.

A large troop of baboons could kill them all.

There's no hiding from baboons.

But there's no sign of a struggle here.

The cubs must have left.

Did they go in search of Chilli?

Or Inara?

They won't find Inara here.

Inara has put many kilometres between herself and her cubs.

She's stumbled into white rhino territory.

Unlike their cousin, the black rhino,

this species prefers eating grass to leaves and twigs.

But they can be just as ornery...

when there's a calf to protect.

Inara isn't looking for trouble.

She's had enough trouble the past six months.

After having four cubs,

she then adopted two of Chilli's,

which led to shared parenting of nine cubs with Chilli...

..until she lost them all.

But after finding them again,

she left with five cubs.

And then, after weeks of failing to hunt enough to provide for them all,

she abandoned them.

Hers is a topsy-turvy story.

And she's now due for one more twist.

By the size of her stomach,

she is not just full from her latest meal.

Inara is pregnant.

More cubs on the way.

This could explain why she abandoned the five cubs.

Her body was directing her to care for her unborn babies.

She'll give birth in less than a month.

After two failures,

this will be her third opportunity to succeed at motherhood.

After three days, and several kilometres,

from where the cubs were abandoned...

..Shaka makes his way across the plains.

He's not alone.

Somehow he convinced the others to follow him...

despite the dangers.

(CHIRPS)

The smallest of Inara's cubs is becoming a leader.

Shaka knows the southernmost ridge,

overlooking the plains,

is one of Chilli's favourite vantage points.

Sure enough, she's there...

..and spots the wayward cubs.

Now the cubs out in front spot Chilli.

Against all odds, Shaka did it!

He found the family.

(CHIRPING AND SQUEAKING)

Once again, all the cubs are reunited.

(EVOCATIVE VOCAL MUSIC)

Even Chilli is excited...

in her own way.

Chilli gives special attention to Shaka,

the hero of the hour.

Kolisi will have to wait her turn.

After six weeks apart,

Inara's abandoned cubs catch up on missed affections.

Chilli can't afford to give them much time.

She needs to do what she does best.

She has some very hungry cubs to feed.

Chilli knows where the springbok are.

The starving cubs are already licking their chops.

The springbok are near the border of the reserve.

Chilli ups her pace, preparing for the sprint.

Too fast for the cubs.

They must now wait.

Chilli needs to move closer.

The springbok are on to her.

They're fast.

But Chilli is faster.

She spots her prize.

And shows her cubs how it's done.

It didn't stand a chance.

The hungry cubs don't wait to be called.

At last, the five abandoned cubs can eat their fill.

It's a good thing Chilli is the perfect huntress.

For once again, she now needs to feed ten.

After weeks of hunger,

Siya dives right in,

but bites off more than she can chew.

Fortunately, there's enough to go around.

If Chilli can keep providing like this,

the cubs will all grow strong.

And under Chilli's strict discipline,

they will all become supreme hunters.

Shaka has had his fill.

Blue and the others are not yet done.

Kolisi is back where she prefers to be...

at a mother's side.

Now, with fat bellies,

and a long journey behind them,

the abandoned cubs have earned a well-deserved rest.

This has been a big day.

All nine cubs are back together...

and revelling in it.

And Chilli is again where she wants to be...

..at the centre of her enormous family.

(GRUNTING)

A cold winter has given way to a wet spring.

The Karoo is coming alive.

Bat-eared foxes will use their jumbo-sized ears

to detect emerging insects.

They'll find plenty of food for their kits.

Three months later,

Inara emerges from a secret mountain den.

Today, she introduces two new cubs to the outside world.

They're about to begin their own adventure.

And Inara has another chance at motherhood.

With only two cubs to care for,

this time...

she might...just succeed.

It's unlikely now that Inara will seek out her old family.

And once again, she and Chilli will live separate lives.

Chilli only tolerated Inara because of the cubs.

(EVOCATIVE VOCAL MUSIC)

Still...

what happened here was extraordinary.

Two mothers...

somehow raising their nine cubs together.

Something never seen before.

Without both mothers,

the cubs may not have survived.

Inara arrived just in time...

..when injury prevented Chilli from hunting.

Chilli was there...

when Inara could not provide enough for the cubs.

Because of their two amazing mothers,

all nine cubs have survived...

their first critical months of life.

The cubs, too, were there for each other...

..whether it was Shaka to the rescue.

Or Siya and Blue looking out for the weaker cubs,

like Kolisi.

These cubs have grown strong bonds.

But the odds are still against them.

Now they are entering a new phase.

How many will survive?

Their adventures have just begun.

They must learn to hunt.

Chilli will show them the way.

(EVOCATIVE VOCAL MUSIC)

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