Big C Episode 5
Big C Episode 5
Transcript
00:00I am super excited, just trying to find Mato, who's called Cubs, and it's three eggs, three
00:14little cubbies.
00:18There's new life in the Kudum lion pride.
00:21Matata and the older cubs, they're playing too rough.
00:26But for these cubs to survive, they'll need the protection of the whole pride.
00:42The Okavango Delta, in Botswana, one of Africa's last wildernesses, and it's a stronghold
00:56for Africa's big cats, lion, cheetah, and leopard.
01:05This is nature at its absolute finest.
01:10Now for the very first time, a team of local and international wildlife filmmakers is working
01:17together to record the cats' lives like never before.
01:25Using the latest technology, we're going to be able to see things in a completely different
01:30light and tell stories in a completely different way.
01:33They'll follow individual big cats for six months, through the day, this is crazy, this
01:40is a battle, and the night.
01:44This is a military-grade thermal imaging camera.
01:47Lions have got amazing night vision, but it's not as good as this.
01:51Capturing their behavior.
01:53He's got the cub, he's got the cub.
01:5524 hours a day.
01:57Welcome to the Okavango Delta.
01:59It gets crazy.
02:13Lion cubs are something else.
02:15Viene is with new mum, Mato, and her cubs.
02:19Even if you are the most gumpiest person on this planet, just seeing those cubs, that
02:28changes completely everything.
02:32The Cudam pride is now more than 30 strong.
02:35This is unbelievable.
02:36They just look no different to a domestic cat at this very stage.
02:44They are beautiful.
02:48Mothers give birth away from the pride to keep their newborns safe.
02:52This lady here, that's Mato.
02:57Mato is one of the older females in the pride.
03:01We believe that she is a similar age to Matata's mum, Magogo, who is a bit of a matriarch.
03:09It's possible that they are sisters.
03:13You can see around her nose, she's got some battle scars.
03:19She was spotted by the team earlier this year with a cub, but that was the only sighting,
03:26so we presume he died.
03:30The good news is Mato has given it another go, and this time she's got three of them.
03:37Under three months old, this is a critical time in the cubs' lives.
03:43A life of a lion cub, it's unbelievably fragile.
03:48Only one in five would make it to adulthood.
03:53Lionesses usually synchronise their births.
03:57Raising cubs together in a creche increases their chances by more than 25%.
04:03They are so vulnerable, so vulnerable at this point, because they rely so much on their
04:09mother and are also vulnerable to any predator.
04:16The challenge for Mato is her litter is much younger than the other cubs in the pride.
04:22The sort of creche-ing dynamic would be really difficult for her.
04:28She's completely out of sync with other females and their cubs, who are so much bigger than
04:36their cubs.
04:39And they can be easily injured, if not killed, by their own friends and family members.
04:49It's going to be tough for her and for the cubs.
04:55The team is sticking with Mato to see if she can join forces with other females.
05:05The big cats' team is covering 150 square miles of the Okavango Delta.
05:11The annual flood is drying up, and it's growing hotter by the day.
05:17All right, let's go.
05:23The team is living alongside Africa's wildlife.
05:26It's going to be a clash, watch.
05:29Two angry five-ton bull elephants are a very real danger.
05:35You just want to be slow and not cause too much excitement.
05:48One of them could easily flip a vehicle.
05:52This guy wants to play with us, I'll tell you.
06:03And any sudden movements could provoke him.
06:13Oh, no. On your left. Watch out.
06:22Watch out.
06:28Danger averted. Brad is searching for his favorite big cat.
06:34Yeah, I've got a visual. Copy that.
06:40Kudum the leopard is pregnant, and her cubs are due any day.
06:46Such a clever cat.
06:50How can you not get attached to her? Such a beautiful animal with such personality.
06:59She's looking skinnier.
07:03We haven't seen Kudum eaten in at least five, six days.
07:11She's running out of time to catch a meal before she gives birth.
07:17She's proving tough at the moment. She's hungry.
07:32She is actively hunting.
07:37She's obviously seen something.
07:42She's now having to be quite creative.
07:46Leopards are ambush predators. Their greatest skill is stealth.
07:52She's using this bull elephant to disguise her sound and her movement.
08:00It just shows you how forward thinking and decisive they are. Quite exceptional cats.
08:09It's nearly 40 degrees in the midday sun.
08:15There's no cover. It's just stinking hot.
08:20It really shows how desperate she is. I mean, this is by no means normal behavior.
08:27She's got an incredible ability to run and stop.
08:34Trying desperately to catch a stem buck.
08:39Come on, Kudum.
08:42Just frozen.
08:45Mid-motion, one foot off the ground.
08:52She's got to do it.
09:03It's a stable break for her at this point.
09:06Please. Please, my girl. You've got it.
09:19Oh, my girl. It was all up to you and you're unlucky.
09:25Shame. Shame, shame, shame.
09:34At Marto's den, Reija is following the new family.
09:40It's not such an easy job for a lioness raising some cubs.
09:46With no creche to help her, she must do everything for her cubs alone.
09:53She's got to keep coming back to the cubs, letting them suckle for milk,
10:00and at the same time, your usual job of hunting continues.
10:05Without other lionesses to babysit, Marto leaves the cubs unattended to find food.
10:16It's one of the most critical periods in a cub's life now.
10:19Marto has not introduced them to the pride,
10:21so she doesn't have that extra protection from the other pride members.
10:26When she's not present, they have to fend for themselves.
10:31Marto has kept her cubs well-hidden until now.
10:37But the other pride mothers and their cubs have just found her den.
10:44We've got Nosi, Magogo and Makosi incoming,
10:50along with big boy Matata and the rest of the cubs here.
10:55At eight months old, Matata is much bigger than Marto's cubs.
11:00It's not ideal for Marto's cubs, actually.
11:03They're not even half the size of Matata.
11:08You can just see how interested all the cubs are right now.
11:12It's potentially their first time that they've ever seen their new cousins here.
11:20They keep tapping them on the heads, on the body, looking for a reaction.
11:25They don't realise how small and tender these new cubs are.
11:31Matata doesn't know his own strength.
11:38Man, I hope he gets away.
11:42This is potentially dangerous.
11:46Matata and the older cubs, they're playing too rough.
11:51One of Marto's cubs is going to get hurt or worse, killed.
11:59Matata doesn't even realise what he's doing.
12:07Makosi, Magogo, Nosi, they're doing nothing.
12:10I'm not sure if they fully realise what's happening.
12:14How violent this play has turned into.
12:21I hope the cub manages to get away. He's crawling back up.
12:29They're not strong enough. They can't get away fast enough.
12:41Marto is returning to the den.
12:44Mum to the rescue here.
12:50The other pride mothers decide to leave.
13:04Marto's cubs seem to be all right.
13:07At the end of all of that trauma, at least Marto's cubs get to live another day.
13:17The cubs need the safety of a creche.
13:20But Marto must keep them away from the rest of the family until they're bigger.
13:26It just shows how hard it is for Marto or any other lioness if you have to raise your cubs alone.
13:39Gordon is following Nosi and the other mothers.
13:43They're working their way towards the flood plain.
13:57These experienced lionesses have already formed a successful creche.
14:02And their five cubs are thriving.
14:11That's the amazing thing I think with lions, you know, we see this social behaviour and how closely bonded they are.
14:18They will share the suckling and feeding of cubs.
14:33Five of the females have got up.
14:36They're definitely motivated to try and get a meal.
14:42Hunting together doubles their chances of getting meat for the cubs.
14:48They're heading into the tree lines.
14:50The only thing I can do is give them the space that they need in the hope that they flush something out.
15:08Kudum the leopard is hunting again.
15:12Yeah, she signs me quite quickly.
15:14I'm just going to go around so we don't lose her.
15:17Cool, copy, I'm on my way.
15:19It's becoming very, very critical that she makes a kill and actually gets a feed.
15:26Right, Kudum's going up.
15:32It's a very good hunting opportunity for Kudum right now.
15:35We've got the impala walking through these thick bushes.
15:40I see one female who's close there now.
15:44A jump is always dangerous, but now that she's pregnant, it's even riskier.
15:49She could get hurt, but she can't afford to go hungry any longer.
15:59Okay, Kudum's moving now into position.
16:05She jumped.
16:13She's got one. She's got an impala. Kudum has made the kill.
16:17This is going to be so good for her.
16:19She hasn't had a proper meal in so long.
16:25This means she can den, she can relax for a bit, and she doesn't have to stress.
16:30Oh, yes, girl.
16:37Whoa.
16:39What the hell's going on?
16:41Kudum's success is attracting the attention of the lion mothers.
16:45Lions are coming. Lions are coming.
16:46What the heck?
16:48Kudum has just caught an impala under the tree, and the lions have heard it, and they are bombing their way.
16:57This is going to be very interesting.
17:25This is an amazing win for these mums, Nossi, Makosi, Magogo, but it is quite unfortunate for poor Kudum.
17:38You can just see the pain on her face.
17:42This was such a big kill for her.
17:45Oh, my heart is gone.
17:50It's a bittersweet, it's a hard moment to take.
17:53I really feel for our newest mum-to-be, Kudum.
17:58This is just going to make her life so much more difficult.
18:02This is really, really gut-wrenching.
18:14With so much competition from the lions, cheetahs are avoiding the area.
18:19Zero, two, one, seven, five, east.
18:22Anna and Greg are devising a new strategy to find them.
18:26This area is feeling increasingly overrun with lions, so I think we need to probably take the search somewhere where those lions just are not.
18:35There somewhere, that direction.
18:42We are heading out on a cheetah search further west than we've ever been before.
18:49Essentially the last body of water before you hit Namibia.
18:55It's also a huge area of burn.
18:59There's loads of flat land, which is exactly the kind of area the cheetahs love to hunt.
19:09It certainly does scream cheetahs, this area.
19:18We are right on the western edge of the delta, just beyond that tree line.
19:23There's nothing but sand hundreds of miles.
19:27This place is beautiful. It's completely different and it's so green.
19:33And there is so much cheetah food about.
19:37We've got zebras, sassabies, wildebeests, lechwes, baboons, it's just chock-a-block packed.
19:47But after four hours of searching, all the team finds is more lions.
19:58Oh my god.
20:01This is so classic.
20:05All lions that I can see so far.
20:08The Okavango Delta is home to nearly 700 lions.
20:12The team has run into an entirely new pride.
20:18There are too many lions in this area. It's absolutely ridiculous.
20:24And we know that cheetahs do not hang around lions.
20:29So this is not good news.
20:35Perfect habitat, but so much competition from these lions. It must be so hard for the cheetah.
20:42I think we're going to have to move basically as far away from these lions as we can.
20:47And start our search again.
21:00Mato's cubs are growing in confidence and becoming more active.
21:05One is already exploring.
21:11It's now harder to leave them alone as they could wander off.
21:16It must seem like a great thing to have so many cubs.
21:20But it creates a lot of pressure.
21:23Mato is a strong and experienced female.
21:27But I think she's struggling to keep up with the demand of supplying milk.
21:34And finding a meal for herself.
21:39It must be hard to be a solo mom having to hunt and provide all by herself.
21:47Mato must find food. So this time she's taking the cubs with her.
21:55I haven't seen them moving this way.
21:59It's going to be a big mission for her.
22:04Anything at all could predate on turning into lions.
22:11Mato seems really tired and she's hungry.
22:14But she's doing her best for her cubs.
22:18It's becoming more vital than ever that she finds other lionesses to help her.
22:30Ace, Ace, for Anna?
22:33No sign yet.
22:35After covering more than 60 miles...
22:38Wow!
22:40...Anna finally finds the Okavango Delta's most elusive big cat.
22:47I can see some ears.
22:51And I don't want to speak too soon, but I think it's a cheetah.
22:59Yes, it is. It's a cheetah.
23:02There's a second one.
23:07There's a second cheetah.
23:16I can see a third. Three!
23:23I think there are actually four.
23:29Cheetahs are typically solitary. It's rare to find so many together.
23:35This is so confusing.
23:38The only thing I can think is, is this possibly a lecego?
23:47I remember Brad mentioning this female that's got three cubs.
23:52But what's throwing me off is that they're so big.
23:56They must be 18 months old.
24:00And that is around the time when they start to disperse and leave.
24:05So it's basically like seeing four adult cheetahs together,
24:09which I'm like mind-blown. I was not expecting this at all.
24:15It's absolutely incredible that lecegos manage to bring up three cubs to adulthood
24:23when you consider that only one in ten survive.
24:27And that's mainly because the mum, being the single parent that she is,
24:31has to go out and hunt for them.
24:33And that means leaving the cubs behind at a den,
24:35opening them up to the risk of being killed by other predators.
24:43Just exceptional work from her. I can't believe it.
24:48Really can't believe it.
24:57They're moving.
24:59And now I can see quite clearly that there are two boys here.
25:03And I think, yeah, the other one's a girl.
25:06Oh, seeing them move together, they're like a solid unit.
25:11They're almost moving as one.
25:16You know, I just really can't get over how incredibly adaptable cheetah are.
25:24We've had a huge fire sweep through Kiddum Island
25:28and take out almost half the vegetation.
25:31And then we had that incredible flood that's come in
25:35and it's created mad swamplands.
25:39Just seeing this family in front of me demonstrates
25:44how no matter what the delta throws at these cheetahs,
25:49they will always find a way.
25:54She's down in the confluence.
25:58OK, nice one.
26:02After losing her kill to the lions,
26:05the cheetahs are now on their way back to Kiddum Island,
26:09where they'll meet a new family.
26:12This time, it's not the cheetahs.
26:15It's the cheetahs.
26:19After losing her kill to the lions...
26:23This is a better place for her to be,
26:25kind of out of the lion central area.
26:29Kiddum is leading Brad to an area he suspects is her den.
26:34She's very skinny, so there's a chance that she's already had her cub.
26:49That is a cub.
26:58That's confirmation.
27:04OK, my boy.
27:07Now we have cubs making noises,
27:10so there's confirmation they are in here.
27:13Oh, I don't even have words for that.
27:16Oh, I don't even have words for that.
27:19She needs to get some food now.
27:24Following her for almost five years now,
27:27and this is the second litter.
27:29We saw her lose the first,
27:31and this is an opportunity for her to become a successful mother.
27:35I mean, that's all that these cats ever want to be.
27:46Hoping to glimpse inside the den,
27:49Brad is deploying the thermal camera.
27:52It's a really big fig tree that's hollow.
27:56Hold on, she's going right inside.
28:03There's a cub.
28:06There's a cub.
28:14Two cubs.
28:21We've got two little cubs.
28:24Oh, my God, this is unbelievable.
28:27It is so beautiful.
28:29I'm so relieved.
28:31Did you have no idea?
28:35This, to me, is completely new.
28:37This is insane.
28:41Leopards keep their cubs concealed at birth.
28:45These cubs are four days old, not even.
28:49They've rarely ever been filmed this young.
28:53These are incredibly private, unique little moments.
28:58I've spent most of my adult life with leopards,
29:01and I've never seen this kind of activity in a den ruffle.
29:04It's just extraordinary to see.
29:09I've been waiting almost two years for this,
29:13since she lost her last one.
29:17You are a legend, my girl.
29:22You've done so well.
29:26The cubs' eyes are still closed,
29:30but sensing their mother, they call out for milk.
29:34As soon as a cub starts making too much noise,
29:38she's got to pick them up and reposition them.
29:41She's got to keep them quiet.
29:44Kudum must keep her cubs hidden from any predators nearby.
29:50She really just doesn't want them to be making a noise.
29:54She doesn't want them to be making a noise
29:57and drawing any attention to the den or to the young cubs.
30:02It's hard work being a leopard mom.
30:05I mean, a whole new layer of responsibility.
30:09She will be aiming to hunt and get enough nourishment
30:13so she can produce the milk that these two little guys need.
30:24Starting her night shift, Anna is following the lions.
30:33Oh, they're just there.
30:37Mato is still searching for a creche
30:41Tiny.
30:43and is moving her cubs under the cover of darkness.
30:55Oh, I can hear something approaching from behind.
31:01We've got company.
31:08There's a lot of ellies moving in.
31:13Elephants and lion, don't get on.
31:17An angry elephant can kill an adult lion.
31:20They're very close.
31:25And will deliberately trample lion cubs.
31:30These cubs are going to have to tread very carefully.
31:35There might be a bit of rough and tumble.
31:55They're actually all running.
32:10In the chaos, one cub is left behind.
32:15Oh, little one.
32:21We just watched Mato and two of her cubs move off
32:25and she's left behind her little one.
32:29And it's currently the night of the hunt.
32:33And we're just waiting for Mato to come back.
32:37They move off and she's left behind her little one.
32:42And it's currently just short to do it itself.
32:47I think he's just quite sad and scared.
32:52It's peak time for hunting.
32:57So I'm getting really concerned for this little one.
33:01I'm hoping that mum realises her mistake soon and comes back.
33:07Because it's not a safe place for it to be.
33:12It's not a safe place for it to be.
33:17It's not a safe place for it to be.
33:41Jackal.
33:44S***.
33:47Could be potentially a very horrible situation.
33:56The cub's over there.
34:05I would be scared if a jackal follows him.
34:14He's doing a good job of being quiet.
34:19The cub has been tucking itself further into a bush.
34:24It's doing the right thing. It just needs to hunker down and stay safe.
34:29Lions have advanced spatial memory and can use it to retrace their steps.
34:35This poor little thing. I really hope Mato comes back for it soon.
34:40But the longer the cub is alone, the less likely it is to survive.
34:58It's been a long night.
35:01But the sun has finally risen.
35:05We'll see whether mumma makes an appearance in the sunlight.
35:17Relieving Anna, Gordon is taking over to keep an eye on the cub.
35:24We don't know where Mato is at the moment.
35:29There was quite a lot of movement last night.
35:32And not a lot of prey in this area.
35:35So the big danger is that Mato shifts her focus towards finding food.
35:41Which will push this little cub further in her memory.
35:47I've never seen this before. Lions will leave their cubs in random locations.
35:53But they do that intentionally so they can go off and hunt.
35:57This is a mistake.
36:00Just to leave one cub in one place and move on with the rest of them.
36:07The cub is avoiding detection by staying silent.
36:12The danger is that when it gets hungry, it might start calling.
36:16And if it does that, it could attract predators in.
36:22It is completely defenceless.
36:30The only hope is that Mato realises that she's missing one cub.
36:35And she remembers pretty much everywhere that she went last night.
36:42If you just go up there, maybe find somewhere that you can tuck yourself away.
36:51That's possibly the best chance you've got.
37:10The cub has now been alone for 14 hours.
37:15As night approaches, there's still no sign of Mato.
37:21Where is he going?
37:24You don't want to be wandering away from here.
37:31If it goes into the tall grass, we're never going to know what happened to it.
37:38Can you see that cub? I can't see it anymore.
37:42Come on, where are you?
37:45The cub has disappeared into thick cover.
37:48I don't know, I think just the only thing we can do is get the thermal imaging camera up
37:55and see if we can get a heat source and look into the deeper bush.
38:04With this camera, anything hot is going to show up.
38:07It can see the heat rather than the physical objects.
38:13A lion cub is going to show up a lot hotter than any of the surrounding ground.
38:17So I'm hoping that we can just peer into these trees, see through them, and pick up the movement.
38:28This cub has made the second mistake.
38:31The first was to not follow its mum in the first place, and the second is to actually just keep moving.
38:38It should have been staying put.
38:43It's like with your own kids, if you get lost, just stay where you are and we'll come and find you.
38:49Oh, where did you go?
39:02At the leopard's den, Kudum is still going hungry.
39:07Kudum hasn't had a mule since she gave birth.
39:10She has to leave her cubs alone in the den to go out and hunt.
39:14Leaving her newborn cubs unprotected is risky.
39:22But if she doesn't eat soon, she won't be able to produce enough milk to keep them alive.
39:28I haven't seen her make a proper kill in a long time.
39:30The last kill that I saw her make was stolen by lions.
39:33It would be nice to see her get a kill and really know that she is actually surviving and providing for her family.
39:43Kudum is a very active animal.
39:45She's a very active animal.
39:47She's a very active animal.
39:49She's a very active animal.
39:51She's a very active animal.
39:53She's a very active animal.
39:54Her family.
40:02Kudum is now stalking into her living parlor.
40:09She's listening, she's creeping, I mean, this is ridiculous how delicately she is moving here.
40:18She must be within 20, 30 meters now.
40:20She's really going around the side of them.
40:23She'll need to get within 10 meters of them, even less.
40:35I mean, it's pitch black right now, but there's no wind,
40:38so any movement she makes, they might hear her.
40:50Oh my god.
41:11She's zipped completely around them.
41:20This cat's a genius. She's gone completely around the entire herd.
41:24She's got them walking straight towards her currently.
41:34So there's some parlours standing here just by the edge of the tree.
41:36I think that there is our leopard.
41:41I think she's within 10 meters of these guys now.
41:43She's got a good chance here, hey?
41:45All it takes is for one of these impala to suddenly decide they want to go that way,
41:53and then all hell's going to break loose.
42:01Oh god, here we go.
42:05The impala starts snorting.
42:07Oh, s***.
42:08I think she's being bussed.
42:10It's an alarm call to alert the rest of the herd.
42:15I think it's just been spotted.
42:21She's just getting the hell out of there now.
42:26Yeah, it's all over.
42:29She got really, really close there, hey?
42:33Unsuccessful, but it was a pretty good effort for her, I have to admit.
42:40She's just having such a run of bad luck at the moment.
42:45For Kudum and her cubs, the situation is now becoming critical.
42:51She's going to struggle to keep the cubs alive if she doesn't feed herself soon.
43:01Gordon is still looking for Mato's lost cub.
43:07Made a big mistake.
43:13Oh, it's there.
43:15He's right there.
43:20You little guy.
43:24You little blighter, you.
43:27You're giving me a heart attack.
43:35He's right at the bottom of the car.
43:41Just looked so lost and alone there.
43:45He's just got to get out of the car.
43:56This little guy has moved at quite a pace out from the cover.
44:02This doesn't look good.
44:05The only hope that this cub has is if Mato comes back.
44:11Yeah, it doesn't stand a chance of surviving.
44:21The cub begins crying out.
44:26That might work.
44:28The blighter may have the opposite effect.
44:31Nighttime is a dangerous place for a lion cub this small.
44:35Lioness, leopards, other lions.
44:49Oh, I'm hoping he's not making another mistake.
44:57Oh, here we come.
45:00Oh, I do not believe it.
45:05Oh.
45:09That is a miracle.
45:14It's Mato and the other two cubs.
45:29What are the chances of that?
45:31Mato has retraced her steps back to her lost cub.
45:37That is incredible.
45:42I don't have any hopes for this cub.
45:46Almost 24 hours alone and this cub has been reunited with siblings and its mum.
45:55Oh, that's just the best thing ever.
46:17She's exciting.
46:19She's exciting.
46:20There's even more new life within the lion pride.
46:26I can see four cubs.
46:33Oh, another one just popped up.
46:38Lioness Sebe has five cubs.
46:43Oh, you can't get enough of these cubs, man.
46:47And Naledi has given birth to two.
46:53I can't believe Sebe's got five cubs.
46:57Generally, litters are between two and three cubs.
47:03This could be the creche that Mato needs.
47:11Oh, look at that.
47:12Look at that.
47:13She's bringing her family to meet the newest pride members.
47:25This will be the first time the triplets meet Sebe and Naledi's cubs.
47:33Let's see how this unfolds.
47:38Look at them.
47:39They're watching.
47:39I think they know Auntie is here.
47:44Mato is coming home with the triplets.
47:52For Mato to creche and synchronize the cubs with Naledi and Sebe,
47:57it's much safer because they're slightly younger.
48:14The mommy wants to socialize.
48:27They're like, yeah, you socialize.
48:28We just want to have some milk.
48:32It's so beautiful.
48:36One of Mato's cubs is suckling from Naledi.
48:40And one is suckling from Sebe.
48:45It's great.
48:48Lions are the only cats that raise cubs together.
48:53By feeding Mato's cubs, Sebe and Naledi are accepting her into the fold.
48:59And this is, I believe, where the creching between the three mothers will start,
49:07which is exciting.
49:11There are now 15 cubs in the family.
49:18Soon, it'll be the largest pride in the world.
49:23Oh, it's beautiful.
49:29I'm hopeful because Mato has got now Naledi and Sebe.
49:36Those can become a strong bond, a strong coalition.
49:40They will hunt together.
49:41They'll creche together.
49:43They'll help each other.
49:46They just get on so well.
49:49That's the dynamic of creching.
49:53This coalition of the three mothers seems to be working.
50:10On another night shift, Gordon is in Kudun the leopard's territory.
50:15I've got a leopard here I don't recognize.
50:21So this is very interesting.
50:25He's found a male leopard on a kill.
50:29Male leopards are one of the biggest threats to leopard cubs.
50:33There's a huge risk.
50:36If a male leopard is not the father of those cubs,
50:38he would try to wipe them out, try to kill them.
50:42It's not long before his meal...
50:44Hang on a second.
50:46...attracts the attention of a younger male, Metzi.
50:50Metzi doesn't have a clearly defined territory at the moment.
50:56So he'll just be moving around looking for somewhere to set up home.
51:01Metzi is a very confident leopard.
51:05But as of yet, he's not the biggest cat in town.
51:12This other fellow, a serious old leopard,
51:17I'm going to go ahead and head my own.
51:21Most leopards here are killed by their own species.
51:25There is a zero tolerance policy between these leopard males.
51:30They're highly territorial animals.
51:40If it came to blows, I really don't fancy Metzi's chances at all.
51:46This is dicing with death.
51:54Oh, he's coming.
51:56There's unknown males.
51:57This unknown male definitely looks bigger in size.
52:03He's flanking him.
52:06If this escalates, it could be fatal.
52:09He's using his superior strength and size to try and intimidate Metzi,
52:15just shepherding him out.
52:23The last thing that either of these cats want to do
52:26is to have a fight for it to be, you know, teeth and claws.
52:33Metzi probably realizes that he's outgunned.
52:38Instead of fighting it out, the safest thing to do is slope off.
52:45Other guy is where he stopped on the ground,
52:50looking pretty confident that he's actually seen Metzi off.
52:58But Metzi seizes an opportunity.
53:01Oh, goodness me.
53:06It seems like Metzi's going to have to fight Metzi off.
53:15He's just used this little bit of wind and the darkness to sneak around.
53:19He's gone.
53:20Big loop.
53:21He's left the other male out on the plains,
53:25and he's snuck in just to feed on this girl.
53:32Skillful maneuvering.
53:33Look at that.
53:35His persistence has paid off.
53:42He's getting his prize.
53:45The other male is fast asleep right now.
53:54If you want to keep your dinner all to yourself, don't take a nap.
54:00It's a win for Metzi.
54:02But with these males in her territory, Kudum will need to stay alert.
54:12Brad is checking in on Kudum.
54:16I'm starting to get a bit concerned about this.
54:18Since giving birth, she's been struggling to feed herself.
54:22You know, she's been having a rough time.
54:25Carcasses being stolen by lions.
54:27And it's just not great.
54:40Well done, Kudum.
54:42She's definitely had a meal.
54:44And which is brilliant.
54:47Just so much to be grateful for.
54:50She doesn't have to be so absent.
54:52She can be around the den, keeping an eye on her cubs,
54:56being an attentive mother.
54:58So relieved to see her full and happy and spending time with her cubs.
55:08Yeah, it's a good feeling.
55:09Very good feeling.
55:14I'm just amazed at how trusting and accepting she is of us.
55:32I know you cute things.
55:37Just seeing a bum and little feet in the air.
55:44It's super exciting.
55:52They're two little babies.
56:00You can actually see both of the two cubs at this age.
56:02Their eyes are just starting to open.
56:06It's such a privilege.
56:07It's just so, so lucky.
56:14There's a huge size difference between the two cubs.
56:19My best guess would be little boy and little girl.
56:25The girl is moving around and she's in the front.
56:28And the boy, I think, is at the back, much more stationary, slightly bigger.
56:33Females mature quicker.
56:35And her eyes are open already.
56:37And she's smaller, she's more active.
56:39And the male is quite slow.
56:43Eyes still closed, still head wobbling, less active.
56:53So this is the first day that we've managed to get a little look inside the den
56:58while the sun is still up.
57:01And just picking bits and pieces of the two interacting and climbing over each other
57:05and start to see their personalities and start to see character.
57:13But it's like one big happy family.
57:16It could be nothing better with this picture right now.
57:28Heading back to camp, something catches Brad's eye.
57:31We've got male tracks here.
57:35Coming down the road towards the den, it's not great.
57:42Male leopards will kill cubs that are not their own to eliminate competition.
57:49It's not good to have tracks so close to this den.
57:52The male leopard tracks are going back and forth way too close to newborn cubs.
58:02Next time...
58:03Tristan, she's carrying it. Carrying, carrying, carrying.
58:05...Kudum takes extreme measures.
58:07Kudum's moving den. It's absolute chaos.
58:10She's left a girl behind her.
58:14But after dark...
58:16What the f*** is that?
58:16...a dangerous visitor...
58:18Tristan, we've got a male here.
58:20...forces Kudum to fight for her cub's life.
58:23She's confronting him.