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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 In South Africa's wild bushveld, color is crucial.
00:04 Blending in, standing out, all color has purpose.
00:11 To communicate, hide, distract.
00:17 An animal's color is key to its survival.
00:22 Anything new or unusual is tested every moment.
00:29 Most don't make it.
00:31 But sometimes, nature throws up something
00:34 determined to survive.
00:36 That's what's happening in this wilderness.
00:40 Only once in a generation do white lions appear here.
00:51 Now, two wild white cubs have been born.
00:54 Can they survive?
00:58 (dramatic music)
01:01 The Kruger Wilderness is the jewel of South Africa.
01:22 A wildlife paradise.
01:26 (dramatic music)
01:29 Here, nature's rhythms run strong.
01:34 It's a place where prey can thrive,
01:37 with predators never far behind.
01:40 And here, in a corner called Timbavati,
01:44 nature is conducting a wild experiment.
01:47 Spotted hyenas are the first to see
01:53 something unusual in the grass.
01:57 (hyenas grunting)
02:00 She's only four months old,
02:07 but already looks toughened up by this hard wilderness.
02:11 The hyenas will try to kill her,
02:15 but they don't see her better camouflaged mother.
02:24 (hyenas grunting)
02:27 Even covered in dirt, this cub stands out.
02:34 She looks nothing like other lion cubs.
02:37 Her two older male cousins are a deep, tawny brown.
02:42 The difference is clear next to her mother.
02:47 She is a white cub born in a tawny pride.
02:52 (hyenas grunting)
02:55 Both her mother and father carry the rare gene
02:58 that produces white offspring.
03:00 And sometimes, there can be more than one.
03:06 Our cub has an identical sister.
03:12 This is a small pride, just two adult lionesses,
03:21 themselves sisters, and their four cubs.
03:24 They are a close, affectionate family.
03:31 Local rangers have named the first white cub,
03:36 Inkani, Little Fighter.
03:39 Her sister is Shinga, Little Hunter.
03:42 They have a fighting spirit
03:47 and even take on their bigger cousins.
03:51 The males are stronger,
03:52 but these white cubs are feisty little lions.
03:56 They were discovered three months ago
04:13 after emerging from their den.
04:15 They were as white as snow.
04:19 (gentle music)
04:21 They had a tawny brother,
04:25 but he didn't survive his first crucial weeks.
04:29 Their cousins are two months older,
04:34 so these white cats will always be the underdogs.
04:38 (gentle music)
04:40 But their high visibility
04:44 may become their greatest challenge.
04:47 Only three cubs have survived to adulthood
04:50 since white lions were first discovered here in 1975.
04:54 (gentle music)
04:57 The tawny cub's mother may also carry the white gene.
05:02 Rangers call her Kanya, the pale one.
05:06 The white cub's mother is Matimba, the powerful one.
05:11 From her and Kanya,
05:13 the cubs will learn everything to survive.
05:16 (gentle music)
05:18 They just need to follow in their footsteps.
05:23 (gentle music)
05:25 By October, Kruger's long dry winter gets to its end.
05:44 Kruger's long dry winter gives way to spring rainstorms,
05:48 which reveal the cubs' true colors.
05:50 They are not albino, but have a condition called leucism,
05:57 in which their bodies make very little pigment of any kind.
06:01 (gentle music)
06:07 In all other ways, they are just like any lion cub
06:11 as they discover the world around them.
06:14 (gentle music)
06:17 The cubs' birth comes at a critical time.
06:42 Their father and defender of the pride has disappeared.
06:46 Rival males may have killed him.
06:54 Without a father to defend them,
07:05 the cubs' future is in peril.
07:10 The two mothers have already detected intruders
07:14 who are attacking a nearby herd of buffalo.
07:18 One of their calves is down.
07:23 Buffalo will defend their young ferociously,
07:28 but this male lion doesn't fear them.
07:31 He has a brother to back him up
07:34 and another brother to back him up.
07:40 These lions are nomads
07:42 in search of a pride of lionesses to take over.
07:45 The three brothers are in their prime.
07:53 Not even a herd of buffalo can stop them,
07:58 but they will try.
08:01 (dramatic music)
08:07 (lion growling)
08:10 Buffalo are huge, powerful animals
08:22 and they have the weapons to fight lions.
08:24 (lion growling)
08:30 (dramatic music)
08:32 The buffalo is dangerously close.
08:47 The lions will strike again if they can.
08:50 These lions are five years old.
08:59 They are in peak fitness.
09:01 A strong coalition like this
09:03 is ready for its own pride and territory.
09:06 Once again, the buffalo close in.
09:12 The lion spots an opportunity
09:20 and is attacked himself.
09:27 (dramatic music)
09:29 Now the calf's mother moves in,
09:37 desperate to raise him up.
09:38 It's too late.
09:50 Despite their epic battle, the calf is dead.
09:55 (lion growling)
09:58 After this meal, they will come for the cubs.
10:03 The breeze is growing stronger.
10:13 The cub's mother can smell the intruder's scent.
10:19 Somewhere they're out there.
10:23 (birds chirping)
10:25 And recently, they've been here too.
10:31 Kanya can detect the fainter scent.
10:39 Some deep maternal instinct directs the two mothers.
10:53 They must take their cubs away,
10:56 far from the approaching danger.
10:58 Far from the familiar mountains that overshadow their home.
11:05 Deeper into unknown territory.
11:10 Kruger Park is vast, the size of New Jersey.
11:21 (gentle music)
11:24 It's covered by a dense woodland,
11:29 which supports great numbers of herbivores.
11:31 All of these species are adapted to the bush
11:36 in their own special ways.
11:38 And all of them are prey for lions.
11:42 Kruger is ruled by 2,000 lions.
11:50 Each pride with its own distinct territory.
11:53 Matimba and Kanya can only keep their four cubs alive
12:00 if they stay out of these territories.
12:02 From now on, this family must live in the shadows.
12:09 But wherever they go, they will still leave signs behind.
12:19 (gentle music)
12:21 One of the three nomads is on their trail.
12:27 He can smell their scent.
12:30 If the nomads catch up and take over this pride,
12:35 they will kill the cubs.
12:36 That will bring the mothers back into estrus,
12:43 so they will bear the nomads' offspring soon after.
12:46 (gentle music)
12:49 Rival predators are another lethal threat.
12:56 If the cubs are found unattended by a keen-eyed leopard,
13:00 it will kill them.
13:01 Hyenas will too.
13:07 Predators don't want rivals around.
13:10 (birds chirping)
13:16 In their first few days of exile,
13:19 the white pride is still not far from home.
13:22 They soon find another lion group on a fresh keel.
13:28 They are close relations.
13:31 Lions do not willingly share their meals,
13:36 so the hungry white pride has a challenge.
13:41 This will be the cubs' first lesson in lion politics,
13:45 and it will test them.
13:47 They face three adult females and one sub-adult male.
13:53 Within an hour, they creep into position.
13:58 A naive, tawny cub is the first to approach.
14:05 (cub growling)
14:11 (water splashing)
14:13 Matimba and Kanya know the first lesson
14:15 in lion politics is patience.
14:18 If Shinga can't eat now, she'll practice on her sister.
14:32 Lesson number two, don't be too patient.
14:40 With the other lions distracted,
14:44 the two mothers edge closer.
14:46 Matimba stands her ground and secures a feeding place.
15:07 The white cub, Inkani, tries the other side.
15:11 A harsh fact about lions is that the strongest eat first.
15:26 Cubs are last to feed,
15:32 and in times of scarcity, the first to die.
15:35 (cubs growling)
15:37 Even a cub's mother will not share
15:41 until she's eaten her fill.
15:43 Now Shinga tries and finds a place beside her mother.
16:04 She gives the other cubs courage.
16:06 Despite being younger and weaker,
16:17 the white cubs are on the meal before their cousins.
16:21 And they will fight to keep their place.
16:27 Their feistiness is a good sign,
16:30 just what a lion cub needs to survive.
16:33 (cubs growling)
16:36 The little hunter, Shinga, can't squeeze in,
16:41 so she finds another way.
16:43 But her move angers the male.
16:47 It's a dangerous moment.
17:01 But mother sorts him out.
17:03 The cubs are learning how body posture,
17:08 expressions, and sounds influence other lions,
17:13 especially when they give the wrong signal.
17:16 She still has plenty to learn.
17:31 For Shinga, it's not enough just to fill her belly.
17:35 She now wants to own this kill.
17:37 She's learned the final lesson.
17:42 A lion must fight for what it wants.
17:45 From her lofty throne, she is, at least for now,
17:51 queen of the beasts.
17:53 (cubs growling)
17:56 Heavy rain clouds mark the onset of summer,
18:08 just in time for elephants who need plenty of water.
18:13 Until this river flows again, they must dig to drink.
18:21 (cubs growling)
18:24 (thunder rumbling)
18:37 The empty river now comes back to life.
18:43 (rain pattering)
18:46 (dramatic music)
19:13 Waterbuck thrive in wetlands,
19:16 but even they are captivated by this spectacle.
19:19 From all around, animals come to the river.
19:24 It gives wild dogs a chance to cool off.
19:30 But none enjoy it more than the elephants.
19:40 (dramatic music)
19:43 Shinga and her sister are now eight months old.
19:59 Their tawny cousins, 10 months.
20:02 This is unfamiliar territory for the two mothers.
20:10 They don't know the best hunting spots,
20:13 and the bush here is so dense it hides prey well.
20:17 They will see the white cubs before the lions see them.
20:22 After weeks with little to eat,
20:28 the cubs are skin and bones.
20:30 Mother lions do abandon weak cubs.
20:40 But this mother waits.
20:43 Without better hunting, the cubs won't make it.
20:53 So the mothers lead their offspring in a new direction,
21:01 back home to Timbavati.
21:05 (birds chirping)
21:07 The desperate cub, Inkani, needs nourishment,
21:13 but mother's milk is drying up.
21:15 When food runs this low, only the strongest will feed.
21:32 And there's no room for three.
21:34 The mothers know where they are going.
21:40 Half a day's journey ahead is the favorite waterhole
21:44 for a huge herd of buffalo,
21:47 the strongest and meanest of lion prey.
21:50 To feed, the lions will have to get past
21:55 the aggressive bulls and a herd of horns.
22:00 (buffalo grunting)
22:02 A wounded buffalo is an easier target.
22:05 So long as the herd stays put, he is safe.
22:15 But the large herd must move on to find food for all.
22:27 The lame buffalo is left behind.
22:30 (birds chirping)
22:48 (clock ticking)
22:50 The injured buffalo has survived the night,
23:03 but he's not alone anymore.
23:07 It's Kanya.
23:17 Matimba is here too, and cubs.
23:21 This is their first buffalo hunt.
23:45 The older cub joins in the stalking.
23:47 Matimba makes her move.
24:00 The buffalo sees her.
24:10 (dramatic music)
24:13 The buffalo is still too far from shore.
24:23 Against even an injured buffalo,
24:31 in water, Matimba loses the advantage.
24:34 (dramatic music)
24:37 She's wary, but there's a bigger problem approaching.
24:44 (buffalo grunting)
24:49 (birds chirping)
24:52 (dramatic music)
24:54 The stalkers are now stalked themselves.
25:12 (dramatic music)
25:15 (buffalo grunting)
25:18 The elephant ensures that the buffalo
25:42 lives a little bit longer.
25:45 (elephant trumpeting)
25:49 The spooked lions need to regain
25:52 their confidence and the initiative.
25:55 Matimba moves to an attack position.
26:14 The buffalo can't see her.
26:16 Now she waits.
26:19 Kanya settles in full view of the buffalo.
26:24 The cubs are learning.
26:27 One lioness distracts the prey,
26:30 while the other waits to attack.
26:32 (dramatic music)
26:41 (birds chirping)
26:44 Hours later, the buffalo changes position.
26:52 He doesn't see Matimba nearby.
26:56 (dramatic music)
26:59 (dramatic music)
27:02 (buffalo grunting)
27:14 The buffalo is too weak to fight.
27:16 The cubs take it all in,
27:25 with the white cub right in the action.
27:27 (dramatic music)
27:30 The mothers show the cubs exactly what to do.
27:35 (dramatic music)
27:38 (elephant trumpeting)
27:41 (dramatic music)
27:46 (birds chirping)
28:01 (dramatic music)
28:04 At last, the starving cubs can fill their bellies.
28:15 The pride will eat through the night.
28:26 (lion growling)
28:29 Once again, Shinga, the little hunter, bestrides her kill.
28:45 (dramatic music)
28:56 (birds chirping)
28:59 By morning, most of the pride can eat no more.
29:09 Only Shinga still feeds.
29:21 The formerly white cub is so messy and smelly,
29:25 not even her mother accepts her greeting,
29:27 or her aunt,
29:30 or her cousin.
29:34 (lion growling)
29:40 (dramatic music)
29:43 Perhaps her sister will respond better.
30:04 (dramatic music)
30:07 Not this time.
30:22 There are some animals more patient than lions,
30:31 vultures, hyenas.
30:34 When the pride moves to shade to rest,
30:42 then they make their move.
30:44 (birds chirping)
30:48 (lion growling)
30:57 (dramatic music)
30:59 Matimba tries to keep the scavengers away,
31:09 but she will fail.
31:11 There are too many and she needs rest.
31:25 Now it's the hyena's turn.
31:27 This lion kill will feed many others.
31:36 That's the way it is here.
31:38 Every animal plays a vital role in the lives of others.
31:43 This hyena is lactating.
31:49 She has cubs.
31:51 With this kill, the lions are feeding her cubs too.
31:55 (lion growling)
31:58 With the risk of starvation now behind them,
32:03 the white pride can rest.
32:05 But the cost of resting means
32:10 they'll have to hunt again much sooner.
32:13 Their hard-won meal will be devoured before sunset.
32:21 (lion growling)
32:24 The hunting here may be easier,
32:41 but the mothers won't relax their vigilance.
32:44 They keep their cubs moving.
32:47 (gentle music)
32:50 Every day, a new location.
32:53 The white cubs are now 10 months old
32:58 and they're becoming much more playful.
33:01 Now everything's a target for fun.
33:04 Their aunt Kanya is a playful teacher.
33:11 (lion growling)
33:16 Play will help the cubs grow strong
33:18 and develop their hunting skills.
33:20 (lion growling)
33:23 (gentle music)
33:28 (upbeat music)
33:37 (lion growling)
33:40 (upbeat music)
34:09 Kanya never refuses an invitation to play.
34:12 As for Matimba, she won't pause from guarding her family.
34:27 Still, Kanya always tries to lighten Matimba's spirit.
34:39 (upbeat music)
34:41 The cubs join in as Matimba approaches.
34:46 (upbeat music)
34:49 (woman speaking in foreign language)
34:55 (upbeat music)
34:57 (woman speaking in foreign language)
35:06 (birds chirping)
35:09 Spotted hyenas are searching for food.
35:19 They will target lions, especially groups without males,
35:23 follow them and push them off their meals.
35:28 It's impossible not to spot the white cub on a zebra kill.
35:34 But can they overpower Matimba and Kanya?
35:38 (birds chirping)
35:41 The hyenas move in.
35:51 The cubs are now old enough to learn how to confront hyenas.
36:01 So Matimba takes them forward.
36:04 (hyenas grunting)
36:06 The aggressive atmosphere charges Matimba.
36:23 By scuffing the ground,
36:27 she stakes claim to this place and the zebra kill.
36:31 (hyenas grunting)
36:34 The older, tawny cub shows he's not frightened.
36:41 He doesn't intimidate the hyenas.
36:49 Now all four cubs take them on.
36:53 (upbeat music)
36:55 (birds chirping)
36:58 Matimba allows the cubs to lead the confrontation.
37:11 (upbeat music)
37:14 (upbeat music)
37:17 The cubs have done well, but it's still a standoff.
37:33 Now Matimba shows them how to end the dispute.
37:41 (upbeat music)
37:43 A day like this turns a cub into a lion.
37:57 The three nomads are securing their claim to this territory,
38:10 marking it well.
38:11 Next, they will secure the females
38:16 and remove any cubs in the way.
38:18 The mothers will try to avoid them,
38:23 but they will be alert to any opportunity.
38:26 (upbeat music)
38:40 The pride is heading to a waterhole,
38:42 but today they're in for a surprise.
38:45 Another lion, a young male.
38:51 The pride is cautious, but thirsty.
38:56 There's plenty of room,
39:02 but they'll need to walk past the male.
39:10 He's not fully grown, but he could still injure the cubs.
39:14 It's Inkani who tests him
39:19 and decides to drink right beside him.
39:21 This is a dangerous moment,
39:27 but his submissive posture signals he doesn't want a fight,
39:31 especially with Matimba.
39:39 Still, he's nervous.
39:42 He could attack.
39:43 The young male is in poor shape,
39:57 thin with an undeveloped mane,
40:00 a sign of a tough life since leaving his pride.
40:03 (gentle music)
40:05 One day, these male cubs will have to leave this pride.
40:16 This young male shows how hard it will be.
40:22 Kruger's hot summer days are a time to rest.
40:33 Animals need to get out of the baking sun.
40:37 Leopards take shelter up in the trees
40:40 and lions beneath them.
40:42 Only a pair of leopard cubs don't feel the heat.
40:50 They are full of life.
40:52 (upbeat music)
40:56 (upbeat music)
40:58 (upbeat music)
41:24 The lion cubs aren't aware of the leopard in the tree.
41:28 Only when she moves do they spot her.
41:33 And that gives them an idea.
41:44 (gentle music)
41:50 (gentle music)
41:52 (gentle music)
41:58 (gentle music)
42:04 (gentle music)
42:10 (gentle music)
42:17 (gentle music)
42:20 (gentle music)
42:26 (gentle music)
42:34 (gentle music)
42:44 (gentle music)
42:46 It's now May.
42:58 The bush is turning color with the onset of autumn.
43:02 The cubs are now 11 months old.
43:07 They are strong and fit.
43:09 Their mothers have raised them well.
43:12 (birds chirping)
43:14 With their greater strength, they can now follow on hunt.
43:18 They learn which animals are prey.
43:21 They watch their mothers' every move.
43:24 (gentle music)
43:28 (upbeat music)
43:42 (upbeat music)
43:44 Everything is fair game for these lions.
43:57 Even the tallest of prey.
44:10 (dramatic music)
44:13 They took the young giraffe
44:27 and have dragged it under a bush,
44:30 out of sight from vultures.
44:32 (birds chirping)
44:35 For extra precaution,
44:42 the mothers bury anything with a strong aroma.
44:45 But there's a good breeze today.
44:49 The scent may not remain in this secluded spot.
44:52 And nomads are not far away.
44:58 (monkey squeaking)
45:01 Something is approaching.
45:10 A verved monkey sounds the alarm.
45:15 (monkey squeaking)
45:24 (monkey squeaking)
45:27 Whatever it was, seems to have gone.
45:33 The mothers feel it's safe to return to their meal.
45:42 By dusk, the cubs have had their fill.
45:54 Now all they want is sleep.
45:56 But tonight, there will be no sleep.
46:07 (lion roaring)
46:16 (lion roaring)
46:19 The mothers risk their lives to save their cubs.
46:29 It's one of the nomads.
46:38 He's looking for the cubs.
46:45 (lion roaring)
46:48 He charges again, but Matimba will not let him pass.
46:59 (lion roaring)
47:01 Every second they stall him buys time for their cubs.
47:13 (lion roaring)
47:16 If they keep this up, the mothers won't survive the night.
47:29 And now his brother arrives and moves in on the giraffe kill.
47:35 That stops the attack.
47:41 (lion roaring)
47:44 The mothers have no chance against two males,
47:52 but the nomads attention has shifted.
47:54 They'll settle for the giraffe kill.
47:58 The cubs can wait.
48:09 Now the two mothers have only one goal,
48:13 find their cubs and flee.
48:15 The powerful male could have killed them,
48:32 but their brave defensive attack
48:34 allowed their cubs to escape.
48:36 (lion roaring)
48:38 Their soft calls tell their cubs it's safe to come out.
48:59 (lion roaring)
49:02 The family is reunited.
49:22 They will leave the nomads to their stolen meal.
49:27 That will give them precious time to get away.
49:30 The brothers have had a full night of feeding.
49:55 These lions aren't going anywhere.
49:58 By early morning, the pride is 10 miles away.
50:13 It's been a long night and a long year.
50:18 Most mothers would have lost their cubs by now,
50:24 but these two remarkable lionesses
50:27 have the knowledge and experience to keep them alive.
50:31 The family will travel far to escape the nomads.
50:37 Next time, they may not be so fortunate.
50:41 Their journey must continue through this vast wilderness.
50:46 Wherever they go,
50:49 they will meet new dangers and challenges.
50:53 (gentle music)
50:55 Surviving it all will turn the cubs
50:58 into the lions they are meant to be.
51:01 By June, the pride has put the attack behind them.
51:10 This date is a milestone.
51:16 The two white sisters have made it
51:19 through their first critical year.
51:22 So far, their white coats have not stopped them.
51:26 And with every new day,
51:28 their chances of surviving grow stronger.
51:30 And so do their scales.
51:50 Their tawny cousins are thriving too.
51:53 But their mothers can't rest yet.
51:59 There is still another long year
52:01 before their cubs can fend for themselves.
52:04 They still have much more to learn about their wild home,
52:13 its rhythm of life,
52:16 and its prey.
52:19 (cubs vocalizing)
52:22 Their story has just begun.
52:24 (howling)