- 8/4/2023
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 (dramatic music)
00:02 This is a famous battleground.
00:06 And these are the warriors who fight here.
00:13 They've done so for centuries.
00:17 Because there's more prey here than any place on earth.
00:24 But catching it is another story.
00:29 (dramatic music)
00:31 Each area of this terrain comes with its own challenges.
00:35 Deep trenches, thick mud, and a total lack of grass cover.
00:42 How do these hunters conquer the terrain?
00:46 Here, only creative killers survive.
00:50 (gentle music)
00:55 (dramatic music)
00:58 Open grasslands spread out over the curve of the earth.
01:07 Ancient pathways stream like arteries across its surface,
01:14 leading the largest herds on the planet
01:17 to the southeast corner of the Serengeti,
01:20 to an extraordinary place called Undutu.
01:23 The grasses here are more fertile
01:26 than anywhere else on earth.
01:28 This 250 square kilometer land
01:31 is home to the famous migration.
01:32 It's also the ancestral birthing grounds
01:36 for countless wildebeest.
01:37 To them, Undutu is Mecca,
01:45 with the abundance of a wealthy kingdom.
01:47 But such riches come at a price.
01:54 It's home to two deadly predators.
01:57 Each has its own special skills.
02:05 Cheetahs are the fastest mammals on the planet,
02:10 with a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour.
02:13 This open space suits them perfectly.
02:15 Their competition, lions, are twice their weight,
02:23 but half as fast.
02:24 They need deep cover to hunt.
02:27 Undutu caters for both.
02:33 It is diverse not just in animals, but terrain.
02:36 Lions excel in the areas that provide deep cover.
02:42 Cheetahs rely on pure speed.
02:46 They thrive out in the open.
02:48 Sometimes, the cat's territories overlap.
02:53 And that makes the competition intense.
02:55 Especially at this time of year,
02:59 when the migration moves into both cats' turf.
03:02 The cats have been hungry for too long.
03:07 Now, as storm clouds form,
03:12 they prepare for the annual feast.
03:14 Two million prey animals are on their way.
03:22 These wildebeest and zebra
03:23 have walked over 1,000 kilometers.
03:26 And they won't stop until the rain begins.
03:29 Undutu is the only stop on their year-long journey.
03:37 They follow sounds of thunder from up to 50 kilometers away.
03:45 (thunder rumbling)
03:48 Finally, the clouds surrender.
03:55 And life-giving water soaks the earth.
03:59 Cats might hate water,
04:08 but they'll put up with it if it brings prey closer.
04:14 Each of them waits on their own turf,
04:16 and each has their own strategy.
04:19 Time will tell how effective they are.
04:21 (thunder rumbling)
04:27 (dramatic music)
04:30 The rain transforms the dry ground into a green paradise.
04:50 Now mothers start giving birth.
04:57 Over the next few weeks,
04:58 half a million calves will be born here.
05:01 The cats know this.
05:03 A resident lion pride and two cheetah families
05:11 eagerly await the herds.
05:13 Their hunting clocks are in sync
05:18 with the arrival of new life.
05:19 This calf has minutes to walk.
05:25 (cows mooing)
05:28 His mother knows the dangers that lurk in the shadows.
05:33 Youngsters are escorted to open ground
05:40 where their mothers can see danger coming.
05:42 Incoming predators can be spotted from kilometers away.
05:53 A cheetah mother and a teenage cub close in on the herds.
05:57 This is their turf, open grassland.
06:02 With long distance eyesight,
06:07 they can see as far as three kilometers.
06:09 But in the haze, it isn't easy to pick a target.
06:21 So they've come up with a creative surveillance solution,
06:24 the watchtower.
06:26 Here in Undutu, they use a rare point of elevation
06:32 to spot vulnerable youngsters.
06:34 Now she's isolated her target,
06:38 but she still needs to get close.
06:42 Even cheetah speed has a limit.
06:44 On this open ground,
06:47 wildebeest can run 80 kilometers per hour
06:50 and keep it up for kilometers.
06:52 The cheetah can reach 100 kilometers per hour,
06:56 but there is a catch.
06:58 They have no stamina.
07:00 At 300 meters, they run out of steam.
07:03 So she must sneak up to within 300 meters of her prey.
07:09 This gives her a seven second window to catch her prey.
07:17 (suspenseful music)
07:20 In theory, it seems simple,
07:22 but the reality is infinitely harder.
07:26 Wildebeest are extremely dangerous.
07:30 They can weigh more than four times as much as cheetahs
07:34 and can trample them in seconds.
07:35 This mother and son have stuck together as a team.
07:44 Hunting large and dangerous prey is almost impossible alone.
07:48 She's an exceptional hunter.
07:53 He needs to shadow her moves carefully.
07:56 It will be his turn next.
07:58 The young stick close to the mother
08:03 on both sides of the battle,
08:05 but sometimes calves get left behind.
08:10 (birds chirping)
08:12 Lucky for the cat,
08:15 she just has to get up to the critical 300 meter boundary.
08:22 One quick check for protective adults.
08:37 Getting closer will tip the hunt in her favor.
08:40 She's got just seven seconds of speed.
08:49 At the 200 meter mark, she launches the sprint.
08:57 Her flattened toes and non-retractable claws
09:04 give traction as she accelerates to top speed
09:06 in just three strides.
09:08 Her flexible spine allows her to twist and turn
09:19 while her teeth puncture the calf's windpipe.
09:22 It seems an easy kill, but that's the way she planned it.
09:30 She's a seasoned hunter.
09:34 She learned from her mother.
09:36 (dramatic music)
09:38 Now she's passing the secrets down to her juvenile son.
09:41 It's now time for real world experience.
09:49 He's never seen so much bounty in one place.
10:01 (dramatic music)
10:04 He needs to reach the 300 meter mark
10:16 before making the sprint.
10:17 (dramatic music)
10:24 (helicopter whirring)
10:27 He failed to get close enough, and his target outran him.
10:45 Now he faces a stampeding herd.
10:50 (dramatic music)
10:53 But he recovers from his blunder and closes in on a calf.
11:00 But there's another problem, a furious 200 kilogram mother.
11:08 She can hook in on her curved horns
11:12 and seriously hurt him or even kill him.
11:15 (dramatic music)
11:18 (calf bleating)
11:20 It looked easy when mom did it.
11:22 At a year old, he has the speed,
11:28 but not the technique for the challenge of open ground.
11:31 He'd better get with the program.
11:35 After this season, he's on his own.
11:38 (dramatic music)
11:46 Three kilometers to the east,
11:48 Andutu's open ground gives way to marsh and woodland.
11:52 Here, another solo mother is bringing up cubs.
11:58 She's part of a big pride,
12:09 but she needs to keep the cubs away for their safety.
12:14 (cubs growling)
12:17 Males will kill cubs that are not their own
12:20 to ensure his genes and not someone else's are passed on.
12:24 Infanticide is the cause of almost a third of cub deaths.
12:30 (cubs growling)
12:33 (dramatic music)
12:36 She's the sole hunter for two hungry cubs,
12:52 and this calls for a special strategy.
13:02 The herds consume 7,000 tons of grass per day,
13:05 moving constantly like a huge lawnmower.
13:08 When they leave the open ground,
13:15 they enter the heart of the lion's territory.
13:18 She's twice the weight of a cheetah and half as fast,
13:24 so she needs deep cover to attack,
13:29 which is why she targets prey here, the edge,
13:34 a mix of open ground and trees.
13:37 She's got no backup from her pride members.
13:44 The only way her solo hunt can succeed
13:49 is if she surprises them.
13:50 Moving in from downwind,
13:54 she stalks with silent footsteps.
13:57 (cubs grunting)
13:59 Softly moving towards the prey
14:03 and freezing every time they look up.
14:06 If she gets close enough without detection,
14:16 she'll be able to feed her cubs.
14:18 (cubs grunting)
14:23 (lion roaring)
14:26 Her plan backfires.
14:31 Even lions live in fear of angry wildebeest.
14:36 Without support from the pride, she cannot risk injury.
14:41 This time, she walks away hungry.
14:48 For her strategy to work, she needs a better ambush point.
14:53 (cubs grunting)
14:54 She knows just where to find it.
14:57 She heads for the Undutu Gully.
15:01 During the wet season, the open ground is soaked
15:07 and runoff water forms gullies
15:10 as it moves towards the marsh.
15:11 In their quest for fresh grass,
15:21 wildebeest follow the most direct route,
15:24 no matter the obstacle.
15:25 Hundreds of wildebeest cross the gully.
15:36 She's waiting on the other side, ready to intercept them.
15:40 The prey is funneled towards her, heading uphill.
15:45 (dramatic music)
15:47 The incline slows the herd down.
15:53 They're moving right by her.
15:55 Lions can only sprint at top speed for 45 meters.
16:00 She's well within range.
16:01 Her strategy, keep dead still.
16:11 But the flies make her fidget, a true test of resolve.
16:15 The plan is working.
16:20 She just has to choose the right target.
16:39 It's a perfect hunt.
16:41 The lion family finally dig into a hearty dinner.
17:08 (lion snorting)
17:11 But the smell of fresh kill reaches the main pride.
17:19 This could mean trouble for her young cubs.
17:24 Her sister is first to show up.
17:28 She's a friend.
17:36 The lioness introduces her cubs and is happy to share.
17:40 The next to arrive is a sub-adult cub,
17:49 and he can't be trusted.
17:50 Teenage males easily kill cubs.
17:57 Mother lets him know who's boss.
17:59 (lion snorting)
18:02 The cubs are too small to join the pride.
18:22 She must hide them and keep hunting alone.
18:28 (dramatic music)
18:30 Her sister and the young male return to the pride.
18:38 Three lionesses have five cubs between them,
18:42 so there's huge pressure to provide food,
18:46 and they haven't killed in the past three days.
18:56 They relocate to an area they know well, the woods.
19:00 The trees are a source of food and shelter for some.
19:08 For the wildebeest, the woodland is an obstacle
19:14 to their green grass.
19:15 For the lions, it's a great opportunity.
19:19 The lions have a plan.
19:25 They'll attack in a tried and tested spot.
19:28 Two lionesses and the cubs will create a wall.
19:33 Another will drive the wildebeest towards the lead lioness.
19:36 Whichever way the wildebeest go,
19:41 there's a hungry lion or a tangle of trees.
19:44 The lead hunter will sneak closer.
19:48 She only has two meters to work with.
19:54 If she doesn't pull this off,
19:56 she'll have no room to escape thousands of stampeding hooves.
20:00 They've done this before, but it has to be perfect.
20:05 The wildebeest smell lion and move further into the woods.
20:22 (lion growling)
20:25 There's no room to move.
20:26 They're heading straight into the ambush.
20:39 The pride is in position.
20:51 One hunter gives the herd a fright
20:54 and the wildebeest bolt, just as the lions plan.
20:57 Now it's up to the lead hunter.
21:06 She creeps closer to the bottleneck
21:10 with a chain of wildebeest moving between her on one side
21:14 and thick bush on the other.
21:18 The wildebeest reach speeds of 80 kilometers per hour.
21:22 Pick the wrong one at the wrong time
21:25 and she could be trampled to death.
21:27 She just has to choose the perfect moment.
21:37 (dramatic music)
22:06 A determined pounce and strong bite
22:09 was all she needed to single-handedly make the takedown.
22:13 But she couldn't have done it without the help of the pride.
22:21 Each adult needs five kilograms of meat a day
22:26 to keep their strength up for hunting.
22:28 They'll only share with the cubs
22:31 if there's enough to go around.
22:33 Everyone gets a little.
22:35 The pride will soon need to hunt again.
22:38 While the lions feast, the cheetah mom and her teenage cub
22:47 hunt the other side of the forest.
22:48 The lush grass draws in hungry zebras.
22:53 Just like the wildebeest,
23:02 they are a prime target for hungry cats.
23:06 (zebra grunting)
23:08 The cheetahs deploy their surveillance technique.
23:11 They're looking for bits of open ground
23:15 and vulnerable targets.
23:18 Obstructions in the forest can be deadly for a cheetah.
23:26 They also have to steer clear of angry parent zebras.
23:34 Their hunting success relies on speed,
23:37 and even a small injury can lead to starvation.
23:40 Zebra mothers are extremely protective.
23:48 They only give birth once a year,
23:52 and the foal stays by her side most of the time.
23:56 (dramatic music)
23:58 The cheetahs have him in their sights.
24:08 Zebras are a daunting target.
24:18 They have immensely strong hindquarters,
24:21 and a kick could crush the cheetah's skull.
24:24 (dramatic music)
24:27 (zebra grunting)
24:31 The zebras move as one,
24:34 making it hard for the cheetahs to isolate their target.
24:38 (zebra grunting)
24:53 (dramatic music)
24:55 It's chaos, but the cheetahs defy the odds,
24:58 killing right here in the forest.
25:00 But with lions close by,
25:03 they must hide the carcass as quickly as they can.
25:06 Just beyond the woods,
25:13 a younger mother is working hard for her cubs.
25:16 It's an odd place for a cheetah.
25:21 The marsh is lion territory.
25:23 Cheetahs thrive on open ground.
25:27 But there's no cover out there for hiding new cubs.
25:34 The high grass of the marsh is perfect,
25:39 even if it's in lion territory.
25:43 Cheetah cubs drink milk for the first six weeks,
25:47 and she needs to hunt to produce enough.
25:49 (dramatic music)
25:52 She's a single mom with no daycare.
25:56 With lions around,
26:01 it's too dangerous for them to be out in the open.
26:03 Her only option is to hide them.
26:08 The Undutu Marsh is one place
26:12 where cheetah and lion territories overlap.
26:15 Here, nearly 60% of cheetah cubs die
26:19 by the jaws of a lion.
26:21 Predators hate competition.
26:23 She stashes her three cubs and heads out to open ground.
26:29 She knows she can find an easy and quick meal there.
26:36 The lions are still feeding on the edge of the woodland.
26:48 She's heading straight for them.
26:50 A lone cheetah doesn't stand a chance against a pride.
26:59 (dramatic music)
27:01 (dramatic music)
27:04 (dramatic music)
27:32 She's not going to leave her kids orphans.
27:35 The cheetah has speed on her side,
27:38 and she leaves the lions in the dust.
27:41 The cheetah arrives in the open grass
27:51 where gazelles are grazing.
27:53 These mothers also hide their kids while they go to work.
28:01 (dramatic music)
28:04 The hunter would like to target the mother
28:07 for a bigger meal, but the quicker option is her fawn.
28:12 She just has to find it.
28:28 The gazelle mother knows there's nothing she can do.
28:32 It might seem cruel, but this cheetah mom is being clever.
28:45 She's not wasting energy,
28:49 and she'll regurgitate this meat for her cubs.
28:51 She needs to eat quickly so she can return to them.
28:58 The longer they're left alone,
29:00 the greater the chance of them being discovered.
29:03 She's been away from them for four hours.
29:09 She needs to get back before nightfall.
29:11 But it may be too late.
29:16 (dramatic music)
29:24 (lion roaring)
29:27 Three lionesses stand between her and her cubs.
29:41 The lions can smell foreign cubs.
29:54 (lion roaring)
29:57 The cheetah mother will do almost anything to protect them,
30:05 but she can't stand up to three lions.
30:22 She can only hope that they've hidden well.
30:24 But her worst fear is realized.
30:34 (lion roaring)
30:42 (lion growling)
30:45 The lions killed one cub.
31:13 But there's still hope for the other two.
31:16 She continues to search the perimeter of the marsh.
31:36 (leaves rustling)
32:02 If her cubs are in the area, they should hear a call.
32:06 But there is no response.
32:12 (leaves rustling)
32:15 Anduta's wildebeest movements are shaped by the landscape.
32:40 And the landscape is shaped by water.
32:43 This is the wet season,
32:47 and surface runoff flows into slight depressions
32:50 and into the marsh.
32:51 Thirsty herds move in from the open ground.
32:59 Each wildebeest and zebra needs five liters a day.
33:05 The marsh is where they get it.
33:08 (animals squawking)
33:11 Everyone has the same idea.
33:23 So it's a great place for an ambush,
33:31 especially if you're not the world's fastest runner.
33:35 (lions growling)
33:39 The marsh offers great cover for the lions.
33:41 The herds drink at the lowest point.
33:48 Any escape is uphill, another natural ambush point.
33:52 Unlike the forest, the marsh has many escape routes.
33:59 The lions need to trap them from all sides.
34:04 Ideally, the cubs will form a net around one side,
34:07 while the leading lioness takes her place opposite them.
34:11 The other two lionesses block the gaps.
34:14 Once everyone's in position,
34:17 it's the cub's job to flush the herd,
34:20 and then it's up to her to make the kill.
34:23 She must pick her moment,
34:27 waiting until the wildebeest move
34:28 into her 45-meter sprinting range.
34:32 A calf won't be enough for the pride.
34:35 She will need to take down a full-grown adult.
34:37 She has one huge advantage.
34:42 Many hooves churn up the mud,
34:45 making it slow going for the wildebeest.
34:48 They're so focused on drinking that the lions go unnoticed.
34:54 (lions growling)
34:56 (dramatic music)
34:59 The cubs make their move.
35:11 It sets off a chain reaction.
35:19 The herd panics and stampedes.
35:23 (dramatic music)
35:26 The lioness spots her target and starts the chase.
35:31 (lion growling)
35:40 A clever plan and teamwork triumphs.
35:44 An adult wildebeest will last them a day or two.
35:48 (water splashing)
35:51 But opportunities like these will become less frequent
35:57 as the dry season approaches.
35:59 The cheetah mother continues to search for her cubs
36:14 throughout Undootu.
36:16 (dramatic music)
36:18 It's been 24 hours and still nothing.
36:22 She picks up a scent,
36:30 leading away from where she last saw them.
36:32 Then she hears them.
36:45 These two were luckier than their little brother.
36:48 They had their first serious brush with danger
37:03 and they survived.
37:04 The mother must continue to hunt,
37:15 but this time she's not letting the cubs out of her sight.
37:18 She decides to take them to work.
37:22 Everyone needs to eat.
37:25 This time she's going to go for larger prey,
37:32 a mother gazelle.
37:33 She's about to deploy an exceptional plan.
37:43 Only a mother knows how protective a mother can be.
37:47 She plans to use the fawn as bait,
37:54 giving the mother a chance to save her little one.
37:57 (dramatic music)
37:59 (cheetah panting)
38:27 The fawn tries to run, but his legs are still weak.
38:32 It takes restraint and planning not to simply devour it.
38:53 (cheetah panting)
38:56 Now's the test.
39:00 Will the mother run or try to save her youngster?
39:04 She won't leave her fawn.
39:11 The cheetah plan is working.
39:14 With every second, she's gathering strength
39:17 for another charge.
39:21 (cheetah panting)
39:24 It's an ingenious plan
39:38 that overcomes the challenge of open space,
39:41 and she gets a bigger kill for the whole family.
39:45 (dramatic music)
39:47 She hides the carcass and her cubs from the lines.
40:00 She's endured a terrible loss,
40:08 but today she's engineered a stunning triumph,
40:12 ensuring the survival of the others,
40:16 at least for another day.
40:18 It's May, and the lush grasslands of Undutu
40:39 are exhausted from constant grazing.
40:42 (truck horn honking)
40:45 Calves that have survived their first few months
40:50 now face their biggest challenge,
40:52 the 130-kilometer journey across open plains
40:56 to the Northwest.
40:57 Predators brace themselves for slim pickings.
41:05 What's left has to stretch across many mouths.
41:09 (cheetah panting)
41:12 Hunters have less cover as vegetation starts to thin out.
41:20 Some predators start to hunt at night.
41:25 Open ground during the day is cheetah territory,
41:36 but at night, it's dominated by lions.
41:39 When it gets dark, the wildebeest stop their march north.
41:44 Nighttime hunting is entirely different.
41:51 Lions' eyesight is excellent in the dark,
41:55 especially with a bright moon.
41:57 Wildebeest can't see well at night,
42:04 but they have exceptional hearing,
42:06 so they stand still, listening.
42:08 From a lion's point of view,
42:15 an unmoving target is easier to size up,
42:18 but she's going to have to be quiet.
42:22 The lead lioness attempts this alone.
42:25 One lioness is quieter than a pride.
42:28 She needs to get within four meters.
42:31 Where shall lion wait?
42:33 Hopefully, they'll move towards her.
42:36 (lioness grunting)
42:39 It takes her longer to get into place
42:46 because she's got to tread lightly.
42:48 Still, they know someone's out there.
42:53 They just don't know where.
42:54 Tonight, nobody's getting a good night's sleep.
43:01 (lioness grunting)
43:05 (lioness grunting)
43:08 They're waiting for a reason to run, and they soon get it.
43:18 Not knowing where the danger is, they run straight past her.
43:25 (lioness grunting)
43:29 (lioness grunting)
43:32 The lions have conquered open ground
43:47 by using the cover of night,
43:49 but by sunrise, they've lost their kill
43:56 to ruthless scavengers.
43:58 The lions will need to reclaim their hard-earned meal
44:11 before there is nothing left.
44:13 Lions are top of the pecking order,
44:20 but these hyenas have strength in numbers.
44:26 (lioness grunting)
44:28 A large gang can mean serious trouble, even for lions.
44:32 (lioness laughing)
44:38 They give way, but they're thinking about taking her on.
44:51 Her sisters enter the scene.
44:53 That tips the scales.
44:55 Lion sisterhood is powerful.
45:05 The dry plains of Undutu are now scattered
45:13 with small herds of antelope.
45:15 Granskazels are the most drought-resistant of the grazers.
45:21 Unlike the rain-seeking wildebeest,
45:24 they remain here year-round,
45:26 getting water from leaves and grass.
45:28 They are large, fast, and difficult to kill.
45:35 Adults have long, ridged horns
45:39 that can easily puncture a cheetah's flesh.
45:41 The mother and teenage son are still working
45:46 on their hunting partnership.
45:48 (dramatic music)
45:50 He's slowly improving,
45:52 and he's already faster than she is.
45:55 At 16 months, his mother's hoping he will finally add
46:05 a little skill to his natural speed.
46:08 Today, she plans to use him like a chase car.
46:11 The cheetah team patrol the open grassland.
46:17 They must get even closer to this prey
46:19 than their earlier hunts.
46:20 Granskazels reach speeds of 80 kilometers per hour,
46:25 and at over 50 kilograms,
46:27 they are twice as heavy as a wildebeest calf.
46:30 It's a tough call for one cheetah,
46:32 but two may have a chance if they're clever.
46:36 One does the running.
46:38 The other steps in for the kill.
46:41 (dramatic music)
46:44 He's never pulled this off before.
46:51 This is his chance to prove himself.
47:10 (dramatic music)
47:13 He's tiring.
47:33 Now she picks it up.
47:35 (dramatic music)
47:38 His training is complete.
47:59 He's earned his cheetah spots.
48:01 (dramatic music)
48:04 He's ready to face the open ground alone.
48:07 Black skies to the north draw the herds away,
48:21 leaving undue to in the dust.
48:23 For the lion pride, tougher times lie ahead.
48:31 They must restrict themselves
48:33 to the boundaries of their territory
48:35 or risk an attack from neighboring prides.
48:38 The lioness and her two cubs will soon rejoin the pride.
48:42 But the cheetahs have the freedom to roam
48:51 and can follow the herds a little further.
48:53 In this brief season of plenty,
48:58 both lions and cheetahs have thrived.
49:01 This ancient battlefield was their teacher.
49:07 The landscape formed their strategy and they triumphed.
49:13 On the open plains, the forests and the marshes of Undutu,
49:18 they mastered their game and flourished.
49:23 (dramatic music)
49:26 (birds chirping)
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