Watch Cecil- The Legacy of a King on Solarmovie - Free & HD Quality
Transcript
00:00 (music)
00:04 This is a king.
00:06 For 13 years, he ruled his wild home in Africa.
00:13 A warrior.
00:16 His roar is the epitome of might.
00:18 (roaring)
00:26 Protector of a pride.
00:28 (chirping)
00:30 Father to a new generation.
00:35 He was a hero, a brother, and a symbol.
00:44 His name was Sessom.
00:47 A fearsome predator.
00:48 Wherever he went, those around him heard his call.
00:54 And when his life was taken by a hunter's arrow,
00:59 the world answered.
01:02 His death sparked fury and sadness
01:05 in all who heard his tale.
01:10 A glorious life and a remarkable legacy.
01:20 Born to rule.
01:25 (music)
01:31 (chirping)
01:34 (music)
01:42 (music)
01:52 Zimbabwe's Hwangi National Park region.
01:55 Sessom is born.
02:04 Like all young males, Sessom and his brother Leander
02:08 start life as small fluffballs.
02:12 They spend their days eating, sleeping,
02:15 and inspecting anything that moves.
02:18 (music)
02:24 (music)
02:30 (music)
02:37 From the very beginning,
02:38 Sessom has a distinctive personality.
02:46 A fearless cub ready to take on the world.
02:56 Few lion cubs make it past their first year.
03:02 Sessom's fighting spirit and his mother's dedication
03:06 are in his favor.
03:16 Even his father falls for his confident charm.
03:21 Not many cubs would dare to be this rambunctious
03:24 towards male lions,
03:26 who seemingly have low tolerance for being pestered.
03:36 As time moves onward and his little name develops,
03:40 his brother Leander is his constant companion.
03:49 Their playful sparring becomes more intense.
03:54 It's a special situation for adulthood.
03:59 Leander is slightly submissive towards the larger Sessom.
04:06 He's the little brother,
04:08 but behind the boisterous roughhousing,
04:11 a deeper bond is growing.
04:15 A day will come when they must fight at each other's side.
04:23 Leander has his brother's back when it counts.
04:29 As the brothers grow,
04:31 Sessom begins to show all the signs of a born leader.
04:36 The quiet confidence, the regal stare.
04:41 He eats first, and only when his hat is filled
04:44 does his brother claim his share.
04:56 As the months pass, their father, a regal old lion,
05:01 begins to see them as potential threats to his dominance.
05:18 The brothers must learn the ultimate law of male lions.
05:25 The king's crown never sits easy.
05:31 A pride male must do whatever it takes
05:33 to protect his turf and his females,
05:40 even against his own sons.
05:54 Their mother turns on them.
05:57 [Leander growling]
06:22 [Leander growling]
06:50 The message is clear.
07:02 Leander and Sessom must go.
07:26 The banished brothers linger close by,
07:29 an unfamiliar and dangerous world
07:32 lies beyond the safety of their pride's borders.
07:42 But their father's patience wears thin.
08:11 [Leander growling]
08:39 It's official.
08:41 Adulthood has begun.
08:49 They're all alone.
08:51 Their pride has turned its back on them.
08:57 They wander an unfamiliar wilderness with empty bellies.
09:07 Discarded scraps are a rare windfall.
09:13 Stealing from scavengers will do.
09:32 Only one in eight male lions make it to adulthood.
09:40 At this age, they're clumsy, inexperienced hunters
09:44 with enemies at every turn.
09:50 Wherever they wander, they intrude
09:53 on another male's territory.
10:00 Older lions pose a constant threat.
10:13 It's not just other lions that they need to watch out for.
10:18 Drawn to the smell of a dead giraffe,
10:21 the promise of an enormous meal
10:23 is too good to pass up for the hungry brothers.
10:29 They cannot let their guard down for a moment.
10:32 Another equally dangerous foe lurks here.
10:39 Hyenas.
10:45 Cecil and Leander, still young and lacking confidence,
10:50 don't dare take on the clan.
10:57 There is no such thing as a free lunch when hyenas gather,
11:02 and the brothers retreat with empty bellies.
11:18 The feast falls to the clan.
11:20 Scavenging meals won't be easy with hyenas around.
11:29 To live, they must learn to hunt for themselves.
11:42 Cecil and Leander must hone their skills
11:45 as hunters or starve.
11:53 Cape buffalo are their first target.
11:57 Tangling with them takes teamwork.
12:13 And their best bet is to create a stampede.
12:37 The buffalo can sense their inexperience.
12:58 Turning the tables with a potentially deadly counteroffensive.
13:09 The brothers are in way over their heads with such large prey.
13:16 But a calf makes the perfect consolation prize.
13:26 Cecil brings down the calf alone,
13:29 but his brother quickly steps in to help silence their prey.
13:33 A distress call attracts competition.
13:39 The long-awaited feast can begin.
13:48 With every hunt, the brothers form a seamless hunting unit.
13:54 Like their father, they've transformed into monster-sized lions.
14:02 And now they're ready to claim a territory of their own.
14:10 And that means starting a war.
14:26 The grizzled old male in the northern region of Hwangi
14:30 is no stranger to a fight.
14:37 Cecil and Leander know this mature male lacks one thing,
14:43 each other.
14:45 They prepare for battle.
14:53 The old guard has met his match.
14:56 He cannot overpower two brothers.
15:02 He surrenders.
15:08 For their coup to succeed, they must clear one last hurdle,
15:14 the lionesses.
15:24 This pride of experienced huntresses and warriors
15:27 won't allow weaklings to father their cubs.
15:43 These are the true leaders of the pride.
15:59 Their acceptance solidifies the brothers' status.
16:20 For the first time since they left their birth pride,
16:23 the brothers are no longer alone.
16:28 They found what male lions spend their entire adult lives
16:32 fighting for, a family.
16:35 Protecting their pride from intruders
16:41 falls squarely on their shoulders.
16:46 In return, they have the privilege of siring
16:49 the next generation.
16:59 Cecil is now a black-maned giant.
17:03 His darker mane is a signal of testosterone and prowess,
17:08 and it drives the females wild.
17:29 Their first litter of cubs, a new generation.
17:41 This growing pride needs food, lots of it.
17:54 Buffalo are big but slow.
17:58 They require the strength of a male to catch.
18:05 Cecil and Leander have the muscle it takes to succeed.
18:10 [music playing]
18:36 While the brothers pin the buffalo to the ground,
18:39 the lionesses go for the throat.
18:41 Cecil and Leander will claim the lion's share of this kill,
18:48 but there is enough for the entire pride.
18:50 Well-fed and with the females at their side
18:59 and a litter of cubs at their feet,
19:02 Cecil and his brother live the good life.
19:17 Few would dare challenge them.
19:19 Fewer would defeat them in a fight.
19:30 But a new threat has begun its campaign for power,
19:35 and it's right around the corner.
19:37 A new coalition of male lions has
19:51 its eyes on Cecil's territory.
19:55 Four members strong, the largest and strongest
20:02 is named Jericho.
20:03 [roaring]
20:17 His roar, loud and strong, is a battle cry.
20:22 [roaring]
20:33 Jericho is big, but he's a year younger than Cecil,
20:37 and his lighter mane marks him as inferior
20:40 among darker-maned lions.
20:42 [music playing]
20:48 But with his coalition at his flanks, he's no lightweight.
21:00 [roaring]
21:04 Jericho's challenge is clear.
21:07 [roaring]
21:12 Cecil and Leander will not back down from younger males.
21:16 To protect their kingdom, they fight.
21:19 In the chaos, Cecil and Leander get separated.
21:26 [roaring]
21:29 Fighting a war on two fronts, each must fight two opponents.
21:34 Leander's two adversaries pin him down.
21:39 [roaring]
21:41 Like a gladiator, Cecil fights and defeats
21:44 the other two males, mortally wounding one.
21:47 He rushes to defend his brother.
21:53 But it's too late.
22:01 [music playing]
22:04 Leander is dead, leaving Cecil alone and injured.
22:12 [music playing]
22:15 Utterly defeated, he must flee his own territory.
22:24 [music playing]
22:26 Wounded and alone, this is how most male lions die.
22:30 [music playing]
22:33 He disappears without a trace.
22:46 Jericho's victorious coalition, now three members strong,
22:56 establishes itself as the new territorial males,
23:00 killing all of Cecil and Leander's cubs.
23:03 [music playing]
23:06 But their glory days don't last.
23:16 Before they can sire their own generation,
23:22 Jericho's remaining two brothers are
23:24 lured from the reserve and killed by hunters.
23:27 [music playing]
23:30 Jericho's borders are now in jeopardy.
23:34 New threats and rival coalitions loom nearby.
23:38 [music playing]
23:41 Alone, he cannot defend his territory.
23:44 [music playing]
23:46 Like Cecil, Jericho becomes an outcast and disappears.
23:51 [music playing]
23:54 [birds chirping]
23:56 Both presumed fallen warriors, they are unseen for months.
24:01 [music playing]
24:03 Cecil's pride of lionesses are alone and without a king.
24:07 [music playing]
24:09 The void they leave behind them ripples across Huange.
24:14 Two fierce rivals, two mighty lions, both lost.
24:20 [music playing]
24:23 But not for long.
24:27 From the hinterland, a dark-maned giant appears.
24:31 [music playing]
24:34 Cecil's regal swagger is unmistakable, the return of a king.
24:48 [music playing]
24:50 But he's not alone.
24:52 [music playing]
24:55 Against all odds, at his shoulder, is Jericho.
25:00 [music playing]
25:03 [birds chirping]
25:06 Once sworn enemies, now an unusual alliance.
25:10 [birds chirping]
25:13 From this day on, Cecil and Jericho are where they belong.
25:19 At each other's side, flanked by his new brother,
25:24 Cecil's confidence returns, as does his hunger to rule.
25:32 Cecil now walks with a royal stride
25:35 and a stare that commands respect.
25:38 [music playing]
25:44 They have returned to reclaim their old territories
25:50 and their pride.
25:51 [music playing]
25:54 Pride takeovers are hostile affairs.
25:58 [music playing]
26:01 Weary females can act aggressive towards a new regime.
26:05 [music playing]
26:11 Though they were all once a happy family,
26:14 too much time has passed since the lionesses
26:17 saw Cecil or Jericho, and never together.
26:21 [music playing]
26:24 The males must watch their step.
26:29 They're outnumbered.
26:30 [music playing]
26:33 [lion roaring]
26:36 [music playing]
26:39 [lion roaring]
26:42 [music playing]
26:45 [lion roaring]
26:48 [music playing]
26:49 Cecil is in the prime of his life
26:52 and possibly the biggest wild lion in Africa.
26:56 [music playing]
26:58 He and Jericho are the obvious choice for the females.
27:02 [music playing]
27:06 [birds chirping]
27:09 They welcome the old guard back.
27:11 [music playing]
27:14 Cecil and Jericho share the responsibilities
27:18 of patrolling borders, hunting, and siring cubs.
27:25 [music playing]
27:32 They are now brothers in every way.
27:35 [music playing]
27:38 The lionesses indicate they're ready to mate,
27:46 solidifying their return to the pride.
27:49 [music playing]
27:52 Again, thanks to his size and mane,
27:59 Cecil is chosen more often over Jericho
28:03 as the females' choice of partner.
28:06 [music playing]
28:09 [birds chirping]
28:28 [music playing]
28:31 Months later, and no sign of the adult females--
28:37 [music playing]
28:40 --the warrior brothers are now fathers
28:53 and not just one litter.
28:55 [music playing]
28:58 As the days go by, each lioness emerges
29:11 from her secret birthing den to introduce
29:14 her cubs to the pride.
29:16 [music playing]
29:19 They're a few weeks old, and the time
29:21 has come for them to meet their fathers.
29:25 [music playing]
29:28 The lion's share of the cubs likely belong to Cecil.
29:36 [music playing]
29:39 Before long, he finds himself surrounded
29:49 by a rapt audience of little Cecils.
29:52 [music playing]
29:55 They're growing fast, along with their curiosity
30:01 and confidence.
30:02 [music playing]
30:05 Cecil is now their favorite target
30:12 in a game of poke the bear.
30:14 [music playing]
30:18 [cubs growling]
30:21 Cecil and Jericho have fought in battles to the death,
30:32 but fathering 24 cubs between them
30:35 is a different challenge entirely.
30:37 [music playing]
30:46 Cecil and Jericho, battle scarred from hunting
30:50 and fighting, have limited patience for multiple sets
30:54 of razor-sharp teeth.
30:56 [music playing]
30:59 His offspring take after him in more ways than one.
31:10 They've even inherited his cheeky disposition.
31:14 [music playing]
31:17 The lionesses are always on guard
31:33 with males around their cubs.
31:35 [music playing]
31:38 Permissive moms are quick to jump
31:40 to the defense of their mischievous offspring.
31:43 [cubs growling]
31:46 Even if they are just like their dad.
31:57 [cubs growling]
32:01 [cubs growling]
32:04 Cecil's bellows to keep the peace
32:25 are quickly shattered by a herd of trumpeting elephants.
32:29 [cubs growling]
32:32 [music playing]
32:36 [cubs growling]
32:39 [cubs growling]
33:04 Huangi's elephants don't trust lions.
33:07 [music playing]
33:10 [cubs growling]
33:27 [cubs growling]
33:30 The cubs are in real danger of being squashed
33:44 under a protective matriarch's enormous foot.
33:47 [music playing]
33:51 [cubs growling]
33:54 A family outing to the waterhole
34:02 is a new level of herding cats.
34:04 [music playing]
34:07 With the elephants nearby, the lionesses cannot let
34:14 their guard down for a second.
34:16 [music playing]
34:20 [cubs growling]
34:23 But they have a security detail.
34:26 [music playing]
34:29 While Jericho escorts the family,
34:31 keeping a wary eye on the matriarch,
34:34 Cecil plays bodyguard.
34:36 [cubs growling]
34:39 Even the biggest creatures don't intimidate him.
34:46 If they want to harass his family,
34:49 they'll have to get past him first.
34:51 [cubs growling]
34:54 [cubs growling]
34:59 The elephants have reason to be suspicious.
35:01 [music playing]
35:04 These brothers are elephant hunters.
35:08 [music playing]
35:11 At the height of the dry season,
35:14 this pride notoriously targets elephant calves,
35:18 sometimes killing a calf a day.
35:22 If the herd sticks together, they are untouchable.
35:26 But a stray or lost youngster is fair game
35:30 for Cecil and his family.
35:32 [music playing]
35:36 [cubs growling]
35:39 [cubs growling]
35:56 [cubs growling]
35:59 Wenge is one of few places in Africa
36:12 where lions regularly prey on elephants.
36:15 [music playing]
36:18 [cubs growling]
36:45 The herd knows it's too late to save the calf.
36:48 [music playing]
36:51 But they still trumpet their disapproval.
36:54 [cubs growling]
36:57 In the crucial circle of life, the body of one
37:04 feeds the mouths of many.
37:06 [music playing]
37:09 [cubs growling]
37:12 Four of Cecil's most recent cubs are female.
37:23 This is their first kill.
37:25 [music playing]
37:28 They're vulnerable and tiny.
37:31 [music playing]
37:35 [cubs growling]
37:38 But they have the biggest lion in Africa as their protector.
37:47 [music playing]
37:49 In this refuge, where hunting is forbidden,
37:52 Cecil does not see man as an enemy.
37:56 But his size, mane, and beauty put a price on his head.
38:02 This was the last time he was seen alive.
38:05 [music playing]
38:08 [cubs growling]
38:11 For days, Jericho's contact roars reverberate
38:28 across the grassland, calling for his brother.
38:33 [cubs growling]
38:36 They go unanswered.
38:53 His and his pride's future now hangs in the balance.
38:58 [music playing]
39:01 With Cecil gone, his fate known only in the human world,
39:06 his loyal Lieutenant Jericho must carry on
39:10 and keep the pride safe alone.
39:15 A lone lion against all the odds.
39:18 [music playing]
39:21 Days bleed into weeks after Cecil's disappearance,
39:26 Jericho stands strong.
39:28 [cubs growling]
39:31 He is now the sole father and protector.
39:34 [music playing]
39:37 Jericho's care for his fallen brother's cubs
39:41 is unlike any seen before.
39:44 He plays with them and nurtures them
39:46 as they continue to thrive.
39:48 [music playing]
39:51 The four little lionesses are his constant shadow.
39:55 Under his care, they grow fast and strong.
39:58 [music playing]
40:01 Weeks become years as Huangue's unstoppable seasons turn.
40:12 And at sunrise at Inguesla Pan, Cecil's legacy
40:17 begins to stir at the water's edge.
40:19 [music playing]
40:23 His four daughters transformed from adoring cubs
40:27 to lithe beauties.
40:29 [music playing]
40:31 And with them, Cecil's grandchildren.
40:36 [music playing]
40:39 [birds chirping]
40:42 At six weeks old, they are learning the ways of the world.
40:59 [birds chirping]
41:02 Huangue's next kings and queens.
41:05 [music playing]
41:09 [birds chirping]
41:12 The pride is thriving.
41:32 And with fast-growing cubs, always hungry.
41:35 [music playing]
41:38 [growling]
41:49 Their mothers are adept, nimble hunters.
41:53 [growling]
41:57 [music playing]
42:00 They move in synchrony.
42:09 [music playing]
42:12 Their communication, silent yet perfect.
42:16 [music playing]
42:19 [growling]
42:24 [music playing]
42:27 Cecil's genes shine through in them.
42:33 They are big, fearless lions.
42:36 Their rippling muscles echo their father's strength.
42:40 [music playing]
42:43 A new generation of warrior queens.
42:47 [music playing]
42:52 To the east, a coalition of four young males
42:57 begin their journey into adulthood.
42:59 [music playing]
43:02 [growling]
43:05 These are Cecil's grandsons.
43:07 [music playing]
43:10 A brotherhood of strong lions fighting
43:16 their own battles for survival.
43:20 Cecil's bloodline lives on.
43:23 [music playing]
43:26 Perhaps his death heralds some change
43:32 for the protection of his grandchildren
43:35 and the world's dwindling lion population.
43:38 [music playing]
43:41 Like all great stories, Cecil's tale
43:44 lit a spark that started a fire, casting
43:48 a light across the globe about the plight of lions.
43:52 [music playing]
43:55 A single lion that changed the world.
44:02 This is his legacy.
44:05 [music playing]
44:08 you