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00:00This
00:20tiger is the chosen one.
00:25She will be taken from her home and released into unknown territory.
00:33She will face a struggle to survive in a world full of uncertainty.
00:53Her challenge is to begin a new dynasty of tigers and help to save her species.
01:20Ranthambore National Park is one of India's most magical wild places and home to a healthy
01:31population of royal Bengal tigers, including one very special young female.
01:46Relaxed and confident, four-year-old Begani is completely at home in this forest.
01:58Begani and I are old friends.
02:02I've been filming her since she was a cub.
02:07My name is Nalla and tigers are my passion.
02:23What I know, and Begani doesn't, is that her life is about to change forever.
02:44Begani has been chosen for a very special mission.
02:51She'll be drugged, captured, and transported far from her Ranthambore home to Sureshkar
02:58National Park.
03:07Sureshkar was one of India's top tiger reserves until all its tigers were wiped out by poachers.
03:15But with the poachers now behind bars, Begani will be key to an ambitious plan to reintroduce
03:22tigers to Sureshkar.
03:28This has never been attempted before.
03:30If successful, it will be a breakthrough for tiger conservation.
03:52The great hope is that Begani will begin a new dynasty of tigers in Sureshkar.
03:58But she can't do that alone.
04:01Joining her from Ranthambore will be her potential suitor, a hot-blooded male called Rajor.
04:15I'll be part of a team following them as they struggle to make a new life in their new home.
04:24And when I can't film, remote cameras will help me keep track of what's happening.
04:40Rajor is the first tiger to set foot in Sureshkar for four years.
04:47Begani follows after.
04:54All I can do now is watch and hope.
05:04The next day, I'm up early.
05:07Finding Begani in Sureshkar's dense forest could take a while.
05:25But before too long, I catch a glimpse of my young friend.
05:41You get to know a tiger's moods when you watch them for as long as I have.
05:49She seems dazed, timid, a bit lost.
05:59The sights, sounds and smells are all unfamiliar.
06:04She must be so confused.
06:13At least some of the locals are friendly.
06:27Getting used to living here is going to take time.
06:36It doesn't take much to spook her in this strange new world.
07:04The tiger's arrival has not gone unnoticed.
07:10Leopards are normally no match for a tiger, but their numbers have increased since poachers
07:16killed the last of Sureshkar's tigers.
07:20They will not welcome the return of the competition.
07:25And they could be a real threat to Begani.
07:36For now, though, something else has caught her eye.
07:52She's hungry, and it's good to see her instincts take over, despite her new surroundings.
08:11She's hungry, and it's good to see her instincts take over, despite her new surroundings.
08:30But I don't think she's hunting.
08:48I think she's exploring, learning.
08:54She's been spotted by a langur.
08:59She must be tempted to make an attack.
09:11But however hungry she is, Begani doesn't know this place yet.
09:24She doesn't know the best spot for an ambush, or which way her prey is likely to run.
09:36The sambar deer hasn't smelt a tiger for four years.
09:46And finally, it sounds the alarm.
10:11It might seem like a failure, but I think Begani is biding her time, waiting for the
10:19sambar deer to return.
10:40Looks like she won't be allowed to rest in peace.
10:53I'm told there are more peacocks in Sariska than anywhere else in India.
11:01If this peacock spots Begani, it'll sound the alarm, and the whole forest will be on
11:07alert again.
11:12Begani could grab the peacock, but it's not worth it for such a small meal.
11:24Begani's a clever tiger.
11:26She plays dead.
11:32But it works.
11:37The peacock never knew she was there.
11:45Soon Begani hears something.
11:59This time, it really looks like she's hunting.
12:29Has she blown it?
12:38I don't think so.
12:39She's beginning to make her way downwind.
12:56I think she's going to try an ambush.
13:56But she's missed it.
14:24Swishing her tail like that shows she's frustrated.
14:42It's not a good start.
14:44The longer it takes to eat, the weaker she'll become, and the weaker she becomes, the harder
14:50it is to hunt.
14:55These first few days are critical.
15:09Food is not the only challenge the tigers will face.
15:15Sariska is not a pristine wilderness.
15:19People live here.
15:22There's a bustling temple, and a road runs right through the park.
15:37This morning, Rajor, the male tiger, is checking it out.
15:41He's exploring his new home.
15:48And announcing his presence by scent marking.
15:52It's tiger posturing.
15:56It says, I'm big, I'm the best, and I'm here.
16:01Much to the alarm of the neighbors.
16:04Unfortunately, he's claiming an area near the local villages.
16:12Fifteen thousand people live within this tiger reserve.
16:18They have been offered money to leave, but most have refused.
16:22They feel this is their home.
16:28The poaching has stopped, but these villages are still a threat.
16:32They will kill tigers who threaten them or their cattle.
16:37I hope Rajor and Bhagani are smart enough to keep their distance.
16:48It's forbidden to film in the reserve at night, but the remote cameras keep watch for me.
17:04And tonight, Rajor is on the prowl.
17:12He's being shadowed by a leopard, and another with a dog for dinner.
17:22I've never seen leopards and tigers this close before.
17:26This could mean trouble.
17:34Even with the radio collars, I can't follow Rajor or Bhagani all the time.
17:42They often disappear into areas I simply can't get to.
17:49All I can do is keep watch and wait, and let life in the park pass me by.
18:08They always turn up sooner or later.
18:17Living alongside tigers for as long as I have means you notice the smallest detail.
18:25I have a theory that when a tiger licks its paws, it's preparing to hunt.
18:31This could be a good sign.
18:34It's been many days now, but I still haven't seen Bhagani make a kill.
18:42With no tigers to hunt them, Siriski's deer herds have increased in size dramatically.
18:51But bigger herds mean more eyes to watch out for hunting tigers, and that makes them more
18:57difficult to catch.
19:06Yet another problem for Bhagani.
19:22I'm desperate to see her catch something, so I can be sure she's getting enough to eat.
19:37These are young deer, and they've never seen a tiger.
19:43They might be easier to catch.
19:56She's perfectly placed.
20:06She's got it.
20:36She's got it.
21:07She's got it.
21:21Has she got one?
21:26Yes, at last.
21:28I know for sure she is feeding.
21:32It's only a small meal, but it gives me great confidence for the future of Bhagani and Rajol.
21:47The scientists and park wardens have also confirmed that both tigers are now hunting regularly.
21:55They've also discovered evidence that the park has changed since the tigers arrived.
22:02Before the tigers returned, jackals, hyena, vultures and other scavengers like wild boar thrived.
22:13All thanks to the messy eating habits of the bold and booming population of leopards.
22:23With no tigers around, the leopards stopped hiding their kills up trees.
22:30And they began hunting in daylight.
22:33Very unusual for leopards.
22:40I've filmed leopards many times, and they've always avoided tigers by hunting at night.
22:46But the leopards are not afraid of the sun.
22:51I've filmed leopards many times, and they've always avoided tigers by hunting at night.
22:57Or retreating to higher ground.
23:03But today, watching this one, it's almost as if it knows something has changed.
23:09It seems nervous.
23:21And that night, the remote cameras reveal a leopard hunting.
23:26Could the leopards be shifting back to their old ways to avoid the tigers?
23:31A hyena finds the leopard's kill unguarded, and claims it by scent marking.
24:01The following morning, there's a reminder of how aggressive a leopard can be.
24:32The hyena is dead.
24:43Not killed for food.
24:46The leopard has done this to show who's boss.
24:49A dangerous enemy.
25:01It's October.
25:03As the cool weather arrives, I'm keen to see if Rajor and Bagani have paired up.
25:16Love seems to be in the air for many of Sariska's animals.
25:22Winter is the breeding season here.
25:32Rajor wanders further in the cooler temperatures.
25:36So I'm hoping he'll have a chance encounter with Bagani.
25:41Unless these two tigers meet up, this project will fail.
25:47But this morning, the gods are with me.
25:50I find Rajor following Bagani's trail.
25:55And I can't believe my luck, when I see Bagani has also picked up his scent.
26:04Bagani pulls this funny face, because she uses her mouth as well as her nose to smell.
26:10And I can't believe my luck, when I see Bagani has also picked up his scent.
26:15And I can't believe my luck, when I see Bagani has also picked up his scent.
26:21She uses her mouth as well as her nose to smell.
26:30And then she scent marks.
26:33It's a tiger's equivalent of texting to say, let's meet up.
26:52Could I be close to getting my first shots of the young couple?
27:06But my heart sinks, as Bagani gives up the trail.
27:14Perhaps she's not yet ready for a relationship.
27:18My suspicion is that she doesn't feel safe and secure enough to think of cubs.
27:23My suspicion is that she doesn't feel safe and secure enough to think of cubs.
27:25My suspicion is that she doesn't feel safe and secure enough to think of cubs.
27:31She's still settling into her new home.
27:41Over the next few months, I follow the tigers as they continue to grow in confidence.
27:46Over the next few months, I follow the tigers as they continue to grow in confidence.
27:49The forest alarm system often gives them away.
28:10Today, Bagani is near the abandoned village water tanks.
28:17Tigers like to cool off after they've eaten.
28:21And this seems to be Bagani's favourite place to take a dip.
28:35She has another favourite spot.
28:37An area of dense undergrowth where she goes to eat grass.
28:43It helps digest all that meat.
28:48Even tigers need fibre.
28:55Bagani is becoming as confident and settled as she was in Ranthambore.
29:04Over the next few weeks, I find that I am returning again and again to the same area of the park.
29:12Over the next few weeks, I find that I am returning again and again to the same area of the park.
29:28Bagani seems to be making this patch of grassland her home.
29:34In spite of the peacocks.
29:38I guess she's used to them now.
29:43It's a good sign. There's plenty of food and water here, and places for hunting tigers to hide.
29:48It's a good sign. There's plenty of food and water here, and places for hunting tigers to hide.
30:01There are many wild boar too.
30:03There are many wild boar too.
30:11Personally, I'm more frightened of boar than of tigers.
30:22They can inflict vicious wounds with those teeth.
30:26A few months ago, I think Bagani would have been too nervous to tackle such dangerous prey.
30:31A few months ago, I think Bagani would have been too nervous to tackle such dangerous prey.
30:56To see a tiger hunting boar is extremely rare.
31:01To capture it on camera is virtually impossible.
31:21But Bagani takes me by surprise.
31:25But Bagani takes me by surprise.
31:40I'm worried. She's taking a terrible risk.
31:51But as I watch, I see a new Bagani.
31:54A changed tiger.
31:56This one is the master hunter I knew at Rantambol.
32:05She carefully moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
32:24She moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
32:39She moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
32:44She moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
32:49She moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
33:02She moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
33:11She moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
33:20She moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
33:31She moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
33:37She moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.
33:58Surely, nothing can stop her now.
34:07The fact that Bagani leaves her kill shows her confidence.
34:13There is no one who would dare take it.
34:17This really is her territory now.
34:27I think she's ready to be a mother.
34:37With the arrival of the raids, the park changes once more.
34:43I'm starting to feel as at home here as Bagani and Rajol.
34:48I'm really getting to know Sariska's wildlife.
34:57Today, the village's cattle are being moved out.
35:02Rajol has been seen hunting them.
35:06If the tigers kill the village's precious cattle, the villages might kill the tigers.
35:31I find Rajol a little later blissfully unaware of the trouble he's caused
35:38and the danger he could face from angry villagers.
35:44Like Bagani, he's now confident enough to leave his meal here until tomorrow.
35:55After all, who would dare steal his dinner?
36:02I return to Rajol's uneaten kill the following day to find it has been claimed.
36:10Not by the crocodiles,
36:17but by Bagani.
36:22And now she's got it,
36:25she's got it.
36:31She wants to keep it.
36:52Burying the entrails will help keep scavengers away.
37:02A tiger would usually cool off in the water after eating,
37:10but not here.
37:21She'll just have to sleep it off instead.
37:32But the noisy langurs won't let her rest.
37:35She'll just have to sleep it off instead.
37:48But the noisy langurs won't let her rest.
38:05And the crocodiles have their eyes on her lunch.
38:36So she decides to move the carcass out of reach.
38:54Finding her with Rajol's kill,
38:57she'll have to find a way to escape.
39:05This is a good sign.
39:11Tigers don't usually share their meals.
39:15This might mean something's up.
39:29Soon, there are calls echoing around Sariska that confirm my suspicions.
39:36This is the tiger love song.
39:43Male tigers roar to call to females.
39:55And females roar to announce that they are ready to mate.
40:06Rajol has wandered into Bhagani's territory.
40:14He must know she's close by.
40:36Acting this laid back tells Bhagani he's not a threat.
40:51She seems impressed.
40:54This is the first time in seven months I've seen them together.
41:05A quick peck on the cheek from Bhagani.
41:08A quick peck on the cheek from Bhagani.
41:32But Rajol still plays hard to the tiger.
41:38He doesn't forget.
41:40After all, this is a first date.
41:46Rajol and Bhagani stay together for three days.
41:51And showing Bhagani around is an important part of Rajol's courting technique.
41:57This is his favourite waterhole.
42:02And a dip in the pool is guaranteed to impress.
42:15Followed by a romantic walk in the park.
42:27Tigers form a close bond for the few days they are together.
42:45It's not just about sex.
42:49It's about love.
42:56I think tigers get lonely.
43:14I can only hope that this might be the moment when a new dynasty begins.
43:27But there are still threats in Sariska.
43:35In the last few months, I've seen fewer leopards hunting in the day.
43:40But they're still here at night.
43:44This mother lion is here to protect her cub.
43:48She's got a big mouth.
43:54She's got a big mouth.
43:59She's got a big mouth.
44:05She's got a big mouth.
44:09She's got a big mouth.
44:13A leopard could still be a danger to any cubs Bhagani might have.
44:29Later she's caught again on the remote camera.
44:38She's killed a deer for her own cubs.
44:44After feeding herself, she drags the body clear of the entrails.
44:51And then carefully covers them.
45:00She's stealing prey from Bhagani's territory.
45:14The following morning, the mother leopard is out in daylight.
45:24And I catch Bhagani heading up to her den.
45:36She sent marks.
45:44It's a tiger challenge to her big cat rival.
46:00The leopard is cornered. At least she's a better climber.
46:14I can just see Bhagani at the foot of the tree.
46:32Bhagani and the leopard remain in this stalemate the whole day.
46:38I don't know what's going to happen.
46:42I've never seen anything like it.
47:01As night falls, I have to stop filming and leave them to it.
47:12Perhaps the remote cameras will reveal something.
47:24A brief glimpse of the leopard.
47:31And Bhagani following her.
47:34Park officials are on the leopard's trail too.
47:46Following her footprints and Bhagani's.
47:57I pray that Bhagani is all right.
48:05And then they make a grisly discovery.
48:10The leopard is dead. Killed by Bhagani.
48:16There's no longer any doubt. She's top cut in Sariska now.
48:34There's still no sign that Bhagani is pregnant.
48:47We're all desperate for her to produce cubs.
48:53But her first mating was unsuccessful.
48:58She'll be coming back into season soon.
49:02And I've seen Rajor close by for several days.
49:20He's spending a lot of time at the waterhole.
49:24And the remote cameras reveal who he's sharing it with.
49:32But they also reveal a worrying sign.
49:36The villagers and their cattle are back.
49:41I hope Rajor will not be tempted.
50:01Bhagani's ready to mate again.
50:06She spent all morning calling for Rajor.
50:22But so far there's no reply.
50:26When he doesn't appear for three days, we all join the search.
50:35Picking up his trail.
50:39Following his footprints.
50:47We're all worried.
50:56And then we find him.
51:00Dead.
51:13Not killed by poachers.
51:17But poisoned by a villager protecting his cattle.
51:26But Bhagani doesn't know her mate is dead.
51:33She's still searching for him.
51:55She can smell him, but he's gone.
52:06She cries for three days after his death.
52:18We are both heartbroken.
52:25With only 1700 tigers left in India,
52:29even the death of one is a tragedy.
52:41Rajor's remains are burned.
52:49It's an Indian custom and a mark of respect.
52:56Without a male tiger, Suriska's future looks bleak.
53:21The monsoon arrives again.
53:25My mood is reflected in the weather.
53:39The rains make the forest inaccessible and dangerous.
53:56In these conditions, it's impossible to follow Bhagani.
54:02This is my last opportunity to see her for three months.
54:13It's been two years since I began filming Bhagani here,
54:17and it feels like Suriska's tiger project is over.
54:26But the scientists and the park wardens
54:29really want to make this project work.
54:32No one is going to stand back and let this fail.
54:43A new male tiger is flown in from Ranthambore.
54:47This tiger has already fathered cubs.
54:50He will be Bhagani's new mate.
55:07And as the dry weather returns,
55:10some of the villagers pack up,
55:13paid by the government to leave.
55:22This could give the tigers the space they need.
55:33With the roads open once more,
55:36I set out to find Bhagani.
55:39I'm desperate to see her again.
55:43I just hope she's survived.
55:56We soon find her footprints.
56:02And next to them, those of the new male tiger.
56:06This is a hopeful sign.
56:12And finally, after eight days searching,
56:15the forest alarm system guides me to a tiger.
56:20It's Bhagani.
56:36She seems healthy and strong.
56:48And over the next few days, I follow her.
56:51It's clear that she has overcome all the obstacles here.
57:01She looks well-fed,
57:04confident and safe in her territory.
57:15A tiger who is ready to be a mother.
57:22Sariska's tiger conservation project depends on her.
57:27And I feel sure that Bhagani will soon provide the park with its first cubs.
57:31And begin a new dynasty of tigers.
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