Lion Brothers Cubs to Kings Love Nature
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 A lion cub's rise to power falls into chapters like a book.
00:05 A page-turner packed with danger.
00:10 Two brothers face a deadly rite of passage.
00:16 These are the trials and tribulations of their first five years.
00:26 [music]
00:29 From birth, Leo has ambitions of greatness.
00:44 He wants to hunt these massive food beasts one day and dominate a pride.
00:55 Just like his father.
00:57 Bursting with confidence, he has no idea that 80% of cubs don't survive.
01:08 His sights are firmly fixed on the end goal.
01:15 He wants to be alpha.
01:17 His brother Max is less ambitious.
01:24 Not quite ready to claim his place at the table.
01:27 It's a large family.
01:33 There's mum and her four sisters, three sub-adults and five older cub cousins.
01:40 Despite Leo's tenacity, the cubs come last in the feeding hierarchy.
01:52 The two pride males officially get the best place at every carcass.
01:56 But it doesn't stop Leo pushing his luck.
02:05 Belly full, it's time for a game of tag.
02:18 [music]
02:21 Timid Max plays the role of the buffalo, as usual.
02:27 So Leo can practice his choke hold.
02:31 But it's going to take a lot more than confidence to become lion kings, like their father.
02:45 A king is only as strong as his pride, made up of three key pillars.
02:52 Number one, a strong coalition.
02:57 Leo's dad and uncle, the pride males, are partners, who defend the family against enemy lion attacks.
03:05 Without this protection, Leo and Max would be the first killed by invading males.
03:14 Now, pillar number two, territory.
03:18 Leo and his pride live in the northwestern region of Botswana's Okavango Delta.
03:26 Here, the pride males control prime hunting territory, filled with plentiful buffalo herds.
03:38 It's dangerous prey, but each buffalo can feed the large lion family.
03:44 And finally, number three, a pride needs loyal lionesses.
03:53 The warrior queens, who risk their lives to hunt for the pride.
04:05 A buffalo is six times bigger than a lioness, and can easily kill one.
04:10 But to feed the family, these females face death every three days.
04:22 When the pride cooperates, their combined weight makes it easier to topple a giant.
04:34 Usually the time the cubs are called in.
04:37 But not today.
04:41 Buffalos are also team players.
04:49 Herd members rally to their comrades' alarm calls.
05:01 This hunt is not over.
05:04 Away from the ongoing battle, Leo, Max and the other cubs wait patiently for dinner.
05:30 Minded by a vigilant babysitter.
05:33 Leo submits to a wrestling lesson from his older cousin.
05:44 Until they spot a returning huntress.
05:58 Leo's aunt.
06:00 A consequence of hunting buffalo.
06:05 The cubs can't heal the wound, or stop infection.
06:26 A camaraderie and support of the pride can mean the difference between life and death for her.
06:32 This team effort is a fundamental lesson Leo must learn on his journey to the top.
06:43 As long as she can keep up, the pride will care for her.
06:54 [Music]
06:57 True to form, by sunset the lionesses provide dinner.
07:09 The damaged aunt tucks in.
07:17 Staying well fed will speed up recovery time.
07:22 [Music]
07:25 Leo is distracted.
07:29 An uninvited guest.
07:42 Is it friend or foe?
07:51 This new playmate doesn't know the rules of tag.
07:55 Why doesn't it run?
08:00 That's more like it.
08:04 Now it's five against one.
08:16 [Music]
08:19 But Leo's had enough.
08:37 Flying is cheating.
08:39 [Music]
08:42 It's more satisfying playing with Max.
08:51 Real practice for hunting buffalo.
08:55 Every wrestling match is preparation for the cubs future.
09:05 When games stop and they face a real enemy.
09:09 [Music]
09:19 Six months later and a new season reflects transformations in the pride.
09:31 The injured lioness is back on her feet and Leo and Max are finally old enough to join the hunting party.
09:38 Killing school is now in session.
09:44 It's a chance for Leo to get close to a living, breathing buffalo.
09:51 Today's lesson, how to ambush a buffalo in thick brush.
09:58 The mothers are a slick team.
10:01 They've been hunting together since they were Leo's age.
10:05 The cubs instructions are to follow at a safe distance and watch.
10:13 In dense vegetation, the strategy is to surround.
10:25 Creep closer and attack.
10:28 [Music]
10:32 Leo wants in.
10:53 Leo wants in.
10:55 It's dangerous sitting face to face with prey that can kill you.
11:08 But hunting buffalo is his destiny.
11:12 [Music]
11:17 [Music]
11:20 He's about to get his chance.
11:26 The females pull down a cow.
11:32 But that's not why they call in Leo and Max.
11:41 She's got a young calf with her, which means hands-on experience for the cubs.
11:46 Leo doesn't hesitate.
11:54 But once he pins it, he's unsure what to do next.
12:06 Killing a real buffalo, even a baby, is not at all like his pretend games with Max.
12:12 Max isn't much help either.
12:29 [Music]
12:32 Mom steps in and puts an end to it.
12:43 But she won't always be around to rescue Leo.
12:56 [Music]
12:59 This rainy season has more challenges and lessons in store.
13:05 It heralds good times for the buffalo.
13:10 Seasonal pans pop up all over the territory,
13:15 and the herd spread out with abundant access to water.
13:24 It's not great for the pride.
13:26 To keep up, the lions have perpetually soggy paws.
13:31 It's worth it. The rains coincide with calving season.
13:38 The youngsters are easier targets and offer more practice opportunities for Leo and Max.
13:53 This hunt MO is simple.
13:55 Track the buffalo across the water and wait till they reach solid ground before making a kill.
14:03 The lionesses make it look easy.
14:09 But Max and Leo don't trust this unstable surface.
14:16 [Music]
14:19 But buffalo draw Leo like a magnet, and soon he's impatient with the family's slow pace.
14:38 He breaks rank and pushes forward.
14:42 It's a bad move.
14:46 The buffalo smell him and go on the offensive.
14:49 Leo can't resist a challenge.
14:56 The hunt is ruined.
15:14 Without the element of surprise, it's back to square one for the pride.
15:19 Leo's got to learn the fine line between brave and reckless.
15:33 [Music]
15:36 One week later, Leo's boldness and lack of experience endangers the pride.
15:59 [Music]
16:02 The whole family's here. Pride males and new calves.
16:08 All eager to reap the crop of new calves.
16:12 Leo wants another chance.
16:18 But today's lesson is about restraint and coordinated effort.
16:28 The mothers will decide when to initiate a chase.
16:32 It takes keen observation to learn the herd's strengths and weaknesses.
16:39 But it's not easy for Leo to take instructions.
16:54 Even when his mother signals him to run...
16:57 It's too dangerous for the cubs. The mothers end the hunt.
17:21 Leo ignores their calls. He's flying solo.
17:25 It's great fun chasing buffalo.
17:35 But this is no cubs game.
17:50 Stubborn Leo retaliates and Max backs him up.
17:54 Things turn deadly.
18:07 The herd stampedes.
18:18 The lions retreat, but not Leo.
18:21 The pride makes it out, but there's only one escape route for Leo.
18:43 [Leo grunts]
18:45 If he falls, he'll be trampled.
18:53 There's no one to call. His family can't penetrate the massive bodies.
19:03 But Max hears his brother.
19:09 [Leo growls]
19:11 The buffalo won't hesitate to kill a cub if they can reach him.
19:19 Max is too far away to help.
19:24 [Lion roars]
19:33 Lightning spooks the herd.
19:38 [Lion growls]
19:40 A final warning, and the buffalo leave for good.
19:51 [Lion roars]
19:54 [Lion roars]
19:59 It's a lucky break for Leo.
20:02 [Lion grunts]
20:05 [Lion growls]
20:06 And brother Max is first to check he's OK.
20:13 But this gutsy killer in training has a lot to learn about teamwork if he's going to survive.
20:22 [Music]
20:32 [Music]
20:34 Two and a half years old, Leo and Max are pushed out of their family pride.
20:43 It's a brutal rite of passage for all juvenile males.
20:50 They are now nomadic lions.
20:58 Forced to eke out a living on the periphery of established territories.
21:02 Alone for the first time, they must hunt without the pride support.
21:11 They are still cubs at heart.
21:18 The bond they've built as brothers and playmates make them a strong coalition.
21:26 Their only hope for survival right now.
21:28 Anywhere they go, they are trespassers.
21:37 This is enemy territory.
21:43 Scent markings warn Leo of the rightful landowners here.
21:48 Two seven-year-old pride males in their prime.
21:53 [Music]
21:55 They'll need to be cautious and keep a low profile while hunting.
22:19 Despite the urgency to find food, Leo decides it's playtime.
22:26 Max knows this game well.
22:33 He's rescued his brother from trees before.
22:45 [Music]
22:47 Play wrestling hones vital hunting skills.
22:58 And it's a great distraction from their immediate challenge.
23:02 Food.
23:04 In this chapter of their lives, lions become scavengers.
23:12 Max is happy with leftovers.
23:15 Far too hungry to be fussy.
23:18 Leo drags his heels.
23:27 Even though a lion's stomach can digest rotten, decaying meat,
23:32 he holds out for something better.
23:36 [Music]
23:38 Leo's confident he can catch his own meal.
23:50 Impala.
24:02 [Music]
24:04 But this herd is on the other side of the stream.
24:11 Patience.
24:15 Someone will get thirsty.
24:18 A ram.
24:26 And he doesn't know he's being watched.
24:32 [Music]
24:59 But Leo waits too long.
25:01 It's over.
25:03 His cue to rejoin his teammate.
25:08 It's risky wandering around exposed.
25:19 The territorial males could arrive any time.
25:23 Then Leo smells something achingly familiar.
25:29 Buffalo.
25:30 Is he finally ready?
25:36 He remembers the lesson.
25:55 Study the herd and look for weakness.
25:59 Then...
26:06 A limp.
26:10 It seems too easy.
26:17 With her swollen back leg, she won't keep up with the herd.
26:24 [Music]
26:26 Leo's got a plan.
26:31 Trigger a stampede and pick off the injured cow.
26:37 [Music]
26:51 But Leo underestimates the damaged female.
26:54 Adrenaline-fuelled, she's got plenty of fight left in her.
27:01 And she's got backup.
27:06 The herd joins the rescue mission.
27:12 And the brother's hunt is foiled.
27:18 [Music]
27:20 They'll have to wait until dark.
27:28 Superior night vision should allow them to creep close undetected.
27:36 [Music]
27:42 [Music]
27:44 It's not a great start.
27:51 The buffaloes know they're there.
27:54 [Music]
27:57 They may not see the lions very well in the dark.
28:10 But they can certainly smell them.
28:12 A barricade of angry bulls still protects the injured female.
28:21 The brother's plan is the same.
28:27 Chase the buffalo, then take down the limping cow left behind.
28:32 [Music]
28:35 [Music]
28:37 In the chaos, Leo charges unexpectedly into the injured female.
28:58 But she won't be left alone for long.
29:04 The herd is en route.
29:06 Leo must strike now.
29:10 Max solves the problem.
29:17 He rushes the buffalo alone to keep them away from his brother.
29:22 [Music]
29:32 Leo must make his move.
29:34 He needs a gap to lunge at her throat.
29:38 [Music]
29:41 Max holds off the herd.
29:52 Then makes a break for it.
29:58 [Music]
30:02 Leo clamps the cow's windpipe.
30:05 But his bite isn't powerful enough to silence her.
30:09 They're running out of time.
30:14 The herd will be back.
30:17 Alone, the brothers can't fend off a stampede.
30:22 It's their first successful takedown.
30:29 But it's not over yet.
30:31 There's a darker threat than buffalo this evening.
30:39 Hyenas also hear the dinner bell.
30:51 [Music]
30:55 [Hyenas grunting]
30:57 In high numbers, the odds favour these thieving marauders.
31:10 [Hyenas grunting]
31:13 Leo's too hungry to take any real notice.
31:19 [Hyenas grunting]
31:23 Max stays on guard so his brother can eat.
31:27 But he can't hold them off forever.
31:32 [Hyenas grunting]
31:48 The heckling gets more intense as new clan members arrive.
31:52 They bait the brothers for a reaction.
32:04 Their plan - divide and conquer.
32:15 [Hyenas grunting]
32:17 When Leo takes the bait, ten snapping mouths block his escape.
32:30 Nine others swarm Max.
32:35 It's no longer about losing a meal.
32:40 They can lose their lives.
32:43 [Hyenas grunting]
32:45 And then, the game changer.
32:58 The rightful owner of the territory arrives.
33:06 [Hyenas grunting]
33:08 The brothers need to clear out.
33:35 The roaring is a final warning.
33:38 The brothers' carcass is claimed by the pride males they smelled in the area.
33:50 But stubborn Leo is hungry.
34:03 He leads Max back to the kill.
34:06 It's a dangerous decision.
34:12 These are seven-year-old pride males in the prime of their lives.
34:18 To defend territory, lions will fight to the death.
34:32 But that's the youngsters' first real kill.
34:35 Face to face with true lion kings, the epitome of power.
34:48 Even the noisy marauders keep a wide berth.
34:54 No trespasses allowed.
35:01 [Marauders grunting]
35:03 The ultimate stamp of a king, scent-marking territory to reinforce dominance and ownership.
35:15 But the brothers ignore all the danger signs.
35:23 And eventually, he sees them.
35:27 [Lion roaring]
35:30 [Lion growling]
35:32 Their presence is a direct challenge.
35:38 He will fight to defend his realm.
35:52 Max bonds.
36:00 But Leo's slow to retreat.
36:02 Despite the pride male's obvious prowess, Leo takes him on.
36:11 Punishment is swift and brutal.
36:28 And that's not the end of it.
36:30 The second pride male also wants a piece of Leo.
36:35 Leo tries to retaliate, but he's out of his depth.
36:48 It's a thrashing he'll remember for the rest of his life.
36:57 [Lion growling]
36:59 Sixteen hours later, and Leo's sleeping off the shock.
37:16 His recklessness could have killed them both.
37:23 [Lion growling]
37:25 Max is on guard duty in case the territorial males return.
37:32 [Lion growling]
37:39 Losing the fight was a harsh blow to Leo's confidence and his body.
37:44 [Lion growling]
37:46 He needs the comfort of a companion.
37:54 The right coalition partner makes all the difference.
38:10 [Music]
38:12 When they are five years old, the brothers get a lucky break.
38:36 Leo and Max notice they're being watched from across the river.
38:40 Three lionesses, a breakaway pride of sisters, spot the brothers as potential mates.
38:54 Teaming up with the females offers the possibility of territory.
39:05 And a chance to start a family.
39:08 At last, a pride of their own is within reach.
39:31 The brothers inhale their scent and determine their readiness to mate.
39:35 No competing males here.
39:38 This phlegmogrimis draws chemicals from the females' urine over specialized scent organs on their palates.
39:49 For the first time in years, Leo smells hope, not danger.
39:58 [Music]
40:00 Max is first to reach the youngest sister.
40:08 Her welcome is unmistakable.
40:12 In lion courtship, the female must comply before mating takes place.
40:25 [Music]
40:27 Once they start, it's a serious commitment.
40:33 They'll mate every 15 minutes for up to four days.
40:40 Leo's having less success.
40:48 He's a bit too enthusiastic to start his bloodline.
40:53 [Music]
40:55 Unlike Max and his partner, who have a comfortable pattern of mating and resting.
41:08 [Music]
41:10 Unbridled confidence won't work.
41:19 [Music]
41:22 [Music]
41:24 Leo needs to learn patience, like Max.
41:28 [Music]
41:31 Eventually, Leo's persistence makes an impression.
41:47 [Music]
41:49 This is the act to seal his position as a lion king.
41:56 [Music]
41:58 Teaming up with the lionesses secures territory, the final pillar to build a pride.
42:07 At last, Leo scent marks his own home.
42:16 [Lion roar]
42:18 Then proudly broadcasts his claim to anyone who'll listen.
42:24 [Music]
42:27 The day begins with a regular chase and catch hunt.
42:39 Much easier now with our own warrior queens on the team.
42:44 [Music]
42:46 Leo's the designated catcher.
42:51 With newfound numbers, buffalo hunting is a bit more predictable.
43:00 [Music]
43:02 It starts out well.
43:13 [Music]
43:15 The lionesses single out a cow.
43:22 [Music]
43:24 But Leo isn't in place.
43:35 [Lion roar]
43:37 Max and the lionesses bring it down.
43:41 [Lion roar]
43:43 But they need Leo to subdue it.
43:58 [Lion roar]
44:04 Where is he?
44:07 If they don't silence her quickly, the herd will return and kibosh their hunt.
44:13 [Lion roar]
44:16 Max can't wait for Leo any longer.
44:20 [Lion roar]
44:35 But despite his best effort, he can't stop her cry.
44:39 [Lion roar]
44:41 The herd returns.
44:57 [Music]
45:00 [Lion roar]
45:02 Max and the females are sent packing.
45:08 Without Leo, the hunt falls apart.
45:13 And then, disaster.
45:26 [Lion roar]
45:28 Leo's gored by the buffalo in the hunt.
45:32 His rule is over.
45:39 An injured lion king is a liability.
45:44 He can't hunt, and he can't protect the pride.
45:48 Everything he's worked so hard for could be ruined.
45:55 [Music]
45:57 But Leo doesn't rule alone.
46:03 It's a partnership.
46:20 Always there to support, Max stays with his brother.
46:24 Reunited with his companion, Leo rallies.
46:32 As usual, his crisis subsides because of his teammate.
46:38 And Max can do more than give comfort.
46:50 If Leo eats, he will regain his strength, maybe even heal.
46:56 [Lion roar]
46:59 At this time of greatest need, Max steps up and leads.
47:15 [Music]
47:17 All Leo can do is limp closer.
47:22 [Lion roar]
47:29 It's a massive cow, but Max makes a perfect strike.
47:42 This meal is Leo's best chance for recovery.
47:46 He must make sure this buffalo can't call her herd, so Leo can eat without stress.
48:04 [Music]
48:06 The anticipation of a meal is a tonic.
48:15 Max holds tight.
48:29 Despite the flaying legs and the open gash on his face.
48:33 It takes 10 long minutes to squeeze the life out of the buffalo.
48:44 But finally, the breathing stops and Max can rest.
48:57 The pillars of success.
48:59 The brothers are together.
49:03 Their own pride females are on their way, across their very own territory.
49:11 What more could a king want?
49:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
49:21 (dramatic music)