- 5/17/2025
Big Cat Tales - Season 1 Episode 3 -
Battle On The Plains
Bahati struggles to protect her three cubs from baboons and lions. The Marsh lionesses hunt an injured buffalo while Malika meets her match in a battle with a large impala. The arrival of 6 male lions puts the entire Marsh Pride at risk.
Battle On The Plains
Bahati struggles to protect her three cubs from baboons and lions. The Marsh lionesses hunt an injured buffalo while Malika meets her match in a battle with a large impala. The arrival of 6 male lions puts the entire Marsh Pride at risk.
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00The key to working with big cats, you've got to be up before dawn and you've got to stay
00:06out till after dark, but that's only half of it.
00:09You need plenty of spotters out there to find the big cats, so we've got support vehicles
00:13from Governors Camp where we're based, we've got six cameras out there actually focusing
00:18on the cats, and of course you want to be where you want to be before the sun comes
00:22up.
00:33There's something truly extraordinary about living a life alongside the big cats.
00:39We're Jonathan and Angela Scott and we've been following the lions, leopards and cheetahs
00:43of the Maasai Mara for over 40 years.
00:47They're not just big cats to us, we know them as individuals.
00:53Alongside us is our good friend Jackson Olliluseya, he's spent his life in the Mara and these
00:58characters are as special to him as they are to us.
01:03Join us as we draw back the curtain on the intimate story of their lives.
01:25Josh what an amazing morning, to find the two mothers and their cubs and charm all together.
01:35I just couldn't have wished for more.
01:43I really almost can't believe how lucky I am because this is a total first for me, I've
01:49never been able to photograph cubs so small.
01:54I mean these cubs of charms are only about six weeks old and normally they would be tucked
02:00away and we just wouldn't be seeing them.
02:05They're just completely adorable, they're like little tiny fluffy teddy bears.
02:12When you see charms little ones fighting and playing, they're already going for the neck.
02:19It's an extraordinary instinct right from such an early age.
02:27I was so concerned when Kabibi and Dada found charms den and brought their three cubs over
02:33because charms little cubs were way too small but actually our two little cubs are showing
02:38that they can cope with this.
02:42I can't help laughing because can you imagine when you're a kid, a couple of little playmates
02:50a little bit smaller than you, you can push them around, you can wrestle with them, bite
02:54them, do all the things lions love to do but actually the little cubs now look as if they're
03:00capable of withstanding that.
03:02In fact sometimes they actually fight back, they're feisty little things, they'll probably
03:07grow up to be the two toughest cubs on the block.
03:15And of course the benefit to charm is that she's now part of an enlarged group, an enlarged
03:21creche.
03:22We've got five cubs now which will be raised together and we've got three mothers actually
03:27working in coordination together, they will hunt together, they will defend these cubs
03:31together.
03:33You're now seeing the benefit for lions of being part of a group, they can't really survive
03:39on their own, they can't go back to being a solitary cat like the leopard doing everything
03:44for themselves, they need support if they are going to raise cubs successfully.
03:49So charm has back up now.
03:51So this is an extraordinary day, a day of celebration for the Marsh Pride.
04:17We spend most of our times in our vehicles trying to find big cats.
04:20It's the best way, it's like a mobile hide.
04:23Once in a while you get a call that says you can be on foot.
04:27We just heard from Recaro Camp that Bahati's cubs are right in front of one of their tents.
04:49We've had baboons walking up and down the Taluk River all day.
04:54Bahati is further back downstream there with a kill in the tree and she's got her three
05:00cubs sashed at the base of a tree amongst the roots but every so often they come out,
05:06they start playing, they move around and right now one of them has gone right up in the top
05:11of a tree and I am certain the baboons know he's there.
05:21And every so often, barking, alarm calling, the big males letting all the other members
05:27of the troop know there is a predator around here.
05:30Oh no, look at that, one of the baboons has gone up in the tree and a second one and we
05:41know what they're doing is they are trying to put the fear of God into that little cub
05:46and so far it's holding its ground.
05:49I mean it's literally just lying against one of the branches, they're threatening that
05:56little cub and you can see every so often he's hissing, he's snarling, he's doing his
06:02best to say don't even think about it, I will attack back.
06:07Oh look, did you see that one baboon just leapt but the little cub's brave, I mean he's
06:13just holding his ground and of course in some ways that's the best thing to do because if
06:16you panic in this situation you can get yourself killed.
06:21Leopards kill baboons and sometimes baboons kill leopards.
06:25Oh he's coming down, I think he's trying to come down, you can see he just head down on
06:30the stem.
06:32Oh no, oh my God he just fell, boom, just like that, two baboons on his tail.
06:40Look at the one just going right up to that cave, just looking in there, these are tough
06:46customers.
06:47Well that's a day I don't think that little leopard cub's going to forget in a hurry but
06:53it just lets you see what a dangerous life it is for leopards out here in this kind of
06:58terrain, especially when there are baboons around.
07:12When we started filming the Marsh Pride one of our young females, we called her Carly,
07:16was heavily pregnant.
07:18We then had a terrible time one afternoon with her where she was being sick.
07:24We were worried whether perhaps she was going to lose her litter, we weren't sure what was
07:28going on.
07:29To our surprise and our delight she had her cubs, but a few days later she moved those
07:36cubs to an area just here, which is where Charm, her mother, also brought her cubs.
07:47It's not ideal, the bushes where she's got her cubs are really quite sparse, so not a
07:53great place for her and she's been having a real nightmare of a time.
08:00Her four little cubs at some point scattered from the den.
08:05We think there was an interaction between her and one of the big males, she got defensive,
08:09all hell broke loose and the cubs just simply spread out in all different directions.
08:16And then Carly was desperately trying to retrieve the situation.
08:22These cubs are far too small to be in the open.
08:27Their eyes have just opened, they're still sort of milky blue.
08:32They can squawk and they have been, which again is not ideal, could attract hyenas,
08:37danger, could get themselves killed.
08:46The problem is she's now got four cubs in three different dens.
08:51To me that is a disaster.
08:53I just hope that by the end of the evening she will have brought all those cubs back
08:58to one den site and things will settle down.
09:02And if she does, when we come back in a few months time, what a wonderful situation it
09:07will be if we find Carly with four beautiful cubs and that everything has turned out fine
09:13for her.
09:14But right now, I'm not sure that's going to be the case.
09:27We used to have massive herds of buffalo here in the Mara.
09:30I mean you could see 500 animals together.
09:33But over the time that I've been here, every so often you get a really tough drought.
09:39And buffalo are very prone to drought.
09:41They have to drink every day.
09:42They need nice lush vegetation.
09:45And so gradually over the years, the number of buffalo that you see within the reserve
09:49have diminished.
09:55The benefit of living in a herd is sort of obvious.
09:58There's more of you.
09:59And if lions were to try and attack a herd like this in the daytime, the rest of the
10:04herd will gather round and drive the lions away.
10:13But you can imagine, this is not easy for lions to try and attack a herd.
10:18So there's benefit of these big animals all being together.
10:43Okay, there's the mother of all storms brewing.
10:45I thought I just had time for a quick shower.
10:48Ha ha!
10:49And the word came through.
10:50Lions hunting buffalo.
10:53This is the big one.
10:54This is the big one.
10:56Lions against buffalo.
11:42Wow, what a battle.
11:57I mean, talk about the A-team.
12:00These females, these lionesses, they know all about buffalo.
12:04And they are a great team.
12:05And it takes teamwork, cooperative hunting, each playing a part in this whole battle.
12:11Okay, buffalo coming, buffalo, buffalo coming, guys.
12:33This is what these animals do.
12:35When they hear a fellow buffalo bellowing like that, and they respond all together collectively,
12:43the herd instinct, one of us is down, let's get there, let's rescue it.
12:47Now it's cat and mouse.
12:49This bull looks old, he's hobbling, and he is surrounded by lions.
12:54My God, what are they doing?
12:59It's like they're attacking him.
13:00Or are they trying to lift him?
13:03I've never seen anything like that.
13:07What are they doing?
13:09Look.
13:11This is extraordinary.
13:14Are they trying to help him and sweep him away?
13:18At first, it looked like they were attacking him.
13:21I've never seen anything like that.
13:23Look.
13:24My God, look.
13:25That is the most extraordinary thing.
13:27They're almost carrying that buffalo along with the herd.
13:33He could barely stand at one point.
13:35They have just swept him up.
13:37My goodness me.
13:43Listen to these sounds.
13:45I mean, wouldn't that put the fear of God into you?
13:48Your worst nightmare on a dark night, or walking through a forest?
13:53A buffalo who's really, really upset about life?
13:58We've been watching this old bull now for days.
14:02We spotted him. He's got an injured back leg.
14:04He can barely move at times.
14:06He gets left behind by the herd.
14:08So he was an easy target for our lions.
14:10They are master hunters.
14:13But the way the buffalo came in.
14:15I mean, he is so weak.
14:17Without the herd, he would be finished.
14:20This shows you the power of the herd.
14:23Get isolated, and you're in trouble.
14:25Stick with the herd.
14:27Have the herders back up to support you.
14:29And you've got a chance.
14:32Malaika is hungry.
14:34While the cubs are playing,
14:36Malaika is really weighing her options.
14:42There's Thompson and one impala there.
14:44She's looking. There's more impalas there.
14:46Where can she get closer, easily?
14:51She's up, and she's absolutely hungry.
14:54She's looking.
14:56She's looking.
14:58She's looking.
15:00And she's absolutely still.
15:07She's really, really, really thin.
15:09Unbelievable.
15:11Nearly three days, she has not had a meal.
15:14Well, the thing is, she's going to be very fast.
15:16Because she's light.
15:19Malaika is right there, in really nice grass.
15:22So she can approach as much as she can.
15:25Plenty of cover.
15:30Look at her. She's absolutely frozen.
15:36That one. Get focused on that one.
15:41That one.
15:43That one.
15:45That one.
15:48Right there. Right there. Right there.
15:50She's coming straight towards us.
16:12She's absolutely fantastic.
16:14Wow. Look at that.
16:18Look at that.
16:21Look at that.
16:45This is the most incredible kill I've ever seen.
16:48I think it's taking nearly a minute before she pulls that impala down.
17:06Really, she's struggling because it's a big animal.
17:09But it's a big prize.
17:18That is a very tough position.
17:21You know, she does not need an injury right now.
17:24Because she's got cubs to look after.
17:26And this impala is not giving up.
17:34Almost. Alright, got it.
17:36Got it on the throat.
17:48And the babies are coming from behind.
17:50That is brilliant. They're helping.
17:58When you see the impala down, victory at the end.
18:06It's not easy.
18:08It's not easy.
18:10It's not easy.
18:12It's not easy.
18:14It's not easy.
18:17Wow.
18:19That is absolutely amazing.
18:21One of the best chases I have ever seen.
18:24Seeing the big animal down on the ground.
18:27You've got a meal.
18:29Now, your job begins.
18:31She's searching.
18:33Look. Everywhere.
18:35Look at her head.
18:37She's got so much fear of other predators arriving.
18:41And she needed to rest.
18:43And she needed to eat immediately.
18:46Just in case.
18:48Vultures, jackals, or any other predators see it.
18:54They cannot compete with the rest of the bigger predators.
18:58Hyenas, certainly.
19:00Lion.
19:02And leopard.
19:04In the case of an attack from another predator,
19:06it's only her and her cubs.
19:10Right now, they're tucking in
19:12the food that they just brought down.
19:16Eat, eat, eat, eat.
19:18Quickly rest.
19:20And they'll continue eating and resting
19:22for the rest of this afternoon today.
19:29You know, animals have to give a life for the others.
19:33Like us.
19:35We need something with life
19:37to keep us going.
19:39To live.
19:41And therefore, the cheetahs,
19:43as tough and brutal as it can be,
19:46he is giving life to Malaika
19:48for the survival of the cheetah family.
20:11All hell's broken loose this morning.
20:13We heard that Bahati and the three cubs
20:15have been spotted.
20:17Yes, three cubs.
20:19As she moved along the edge of the bank,
20:21two lionesses and a young male lion attacked.
20:23There was a hell of a racket.
20:25I haven't got a clue whether the cubs are safe or not.
20:27Hear that?
20:29A whole troop of baboons now moving with purpose.
20:31Just along the same pathway
20:33as Bahati was taking.
20:35A bad day for leopards
20:37isn't even the beginning of it.
20:45Okay, we're just going to cross the taloc.
20:55Heard word.
20:57Here comes the water.
20:59Oops, coming in.
21:01It's like being at the seaside.
21:11Three lions against one leopard.
21:14No contest.
21:16And they are ruthless
21:18when they attack.
21:20Here they are, right up here.
21:24For any leopard,
21:26lions are their greatest enemy,
21:28their greatest danger.
21:30And it's just no contest.
21:32Lions are so much bigger.
21:34Think about a female leopard like Bahati.
21:36Maybe 40 kilos, 100 pounds.
21:38A lioness,
21:40maybe 250,
21:43maybe 300 pounds, a big one.
21:45And to give you an idea
21:47as to how serious it can be for a leopard,
21:49Bahati's mum, Olive,
21:5112 years old,
21:53bitten through the skull,
21:55one bite, killed by a lion.
22:05I can see Bahati,
22:07or at least what I can see
22:09is a tiny patch of spots.
22:12Just shrouded by the croton thickets.
22:14Now that's exactly what she needs right now.
22:16She needs to keep hidden
22:18from those lions.
22:20From where she is,
22:22she doesn't know the fact
22:24that that young male across the river
22:26has come back again.
22:28And what about the cubs?
22:30I keep thinking,
22:32if she was with the cubs,
22:34surely I'd see her licking.
22:36She'd lie down,
22:38she'd let them suckle.
22:40But she's not.
22:48Oh, there's a cub.
22:50One cub.
22:52Just run to mum,
22:54or she just found it.
23:04For a mother leopard to raise three cubs,
23:06I've seen it twice
23:09for a very tough call.
23:23Oh, fantastic.
23:25A second cub.
23:29So she's gradually
23:31picking up the pieces.
23:39She must be looking
23:41for the third cub
23:43because she keeps moving.
23:45She let the two just suckle briefly
23:47but she's got an agenda.
23:49She's still looking for one cub.
24:09She's so nervous.
24:11And this is because
24:13this is where the lions were.
24:15She is very nervous,
24:17very anxious.
24:19Is she leading the cubs into trouble?
24:31I have never seen
24:33a better view of a mother leopard
24:35with two cubs.
24:38And the only reason we're seeing it
24:40is because of the fact that the lions
24:42attacked this morning.
24:44You can hear my voice is shaking.
24:46That's how excited I am.
24:48But I'm also very anxious
24:50about that little cub.
25:08Hear the little cub?
25:10Those little tiny calls.
25:12That little cub
25:14wanting reassurance from mum.
25:16This is the opposite
25:18of what a leopard normally does.
25:20Normally, as we've seen,
25:22Bahati wants to be in the bushes,
25:24in the shadows, unseen.
25:28Look, and you see
25:30how vulnerable they are.
25:32You see, at the slightest thing
25:34the cubs go, but
25:37they're learning.
25:39This is all experience for them.
25:41Oh my God!
25:43The lions are right here!
25:45Here's our leopard
25:47with the cubs.
25:49Here's the lions
25:51that caused the damage
25:53that the cubs caused.
25:55I can't believe
25:57this is happening.
25:59We can't believe
26:01this is happening.
26:03I can't believe
26:05that's happening.
26:07This is a miracle.
26:09lions that caused the damage this morning just a hundred meters separating
26:15them she doesn't even know they're there but they haven't spotted her look at
26:24mom look how alert she is maybe she picked up on the scent of the lions and
26:31the further she walks along the river the more I fear that that little cub the
26:36third little cub gone and here is the cause of the trouble for leopards there
26:44is no greater danger no greater threat some of the leopards that I've watched
26:49raised just 20% of their cubs in a long lifetime
27:00the heart is just disappeared into this croton thicket with the two little cubs
27:04and I reckon she's gonna keep on searching searching searching all day
27:09for that third cub and people sometimes say you know do the cats grieve do they
27:14have a sense of loss you only have to look at party and see the way she stops
27:20she looks she calls she searches this could go on all day she'll go backwards
27:25and forwards and just I hope she doesn't bump into those lines
27:34you
27:53the cubs after they kill they have blood on their faces and they must clean that
27:59blood so no any other predator no any other animal can smell them cheetahs are
28:03very clean animals they have to make sure that no smell whatsoever can be
28:10smelled by other predators while they are sleeping cheetahs have to watch
28:15their backs all the time up on the sky the vultures are starting to roll in
28:26Malaika is looking she knows vultures means other predators arriving into the
28:32scene so Malaika would be even worried twice as much I can see on the ground
28:39shadows and I see one is been arriving really close they're suckling they
28:46cannot kill anything themselves they are scavengers therefore they go really high
28:52up and watch the movement of all these predators I believe when Malaika was
28:58hunting and she was tackling and fighting the vultures were looking from
29:03above they can smell they can see they've got the most unbelievable
29:07eyesight that's what they survive on without having such good eyesight they
29:12would have been extinct years ago look at the cub now they're starting to
29:17really become protective to the kill look at her she's chasing the vulture
29:20look look look she is surrounded just imagine being a single mom she has no
29:30help no one absolutely on scene to help protect the kill protect the cubs in
29:36terms of danger it's only Malaika alone single mothers have it tough
29:48Malaika fed really well now you can see the stomach is filling up right now if
29:55she drop and leave she's done very well and the cubs have quick to get in they
30:02are very well fed she just need a little bit of room just a little bit to put the
30:07dessert in and walk away vultures piling in vultures now are going to finish the
30:16kill and Malaika she's going to hide somewhere in the bush for the next few
30:22days very happy we are also very happy and now she's off to sleep safely with
30:32our cubs
30:44what a legend Scarface this is a big day for me because this particular male
30:50lion I just love him he's such a character I mean all the years I've
30:56spent in the Mara obviously at times I've had favorites amongst the lions
31:00this is one of them he used to be a pride male with the Marsh Pride he's one
31:04of what we call the four musketeers they came into the Marsh Pride 2011 and this
31:10particular male had the most appalling wound you could barely see the eye what
31:16had happened was he'd taken a terrible blow we think probably in a fight with
31:19other lions 2013 he was shot the vets treated him he recovered and those four
31:27males moved south and took over the Paradise Pride so this is a great
31:33survivor I mean Scarface's story what an incredible lion this is the Paradise
31:40Pride they're named after Paradise Plain it's a beautiful area which borders the
31:45Mara River and they're neighbors of the Marsh Pride and this pride it's a big
31:50pride when you count all the cubs there's probably more than 20 lions in
31:54this pride you could see the way the females there they were just intent on
32:01that food they didn't even pay any respect to the old boy at all and you
32:05can see the way he stood proud and then as the females went past he came and
32:10scraped his feet he's marking the place it's part of his territorial repertoire
32:15saying this is my place this is my food and these are my lionesses
32:24the Mara and the Serengeti to the south of here is famous for its big black mane
32:30lions so what's so important about a black mane well the scientists tell us
32:36that actually it's a sign of fitness from the females point of view these are
32:40the males that you want to sire your cubs and there is nowhere right now in
32:44the Mara where there is a male with a bigger black mane than Scarface
32:54just as I'd hoped here they come the mums with the cubs what a sight we call
33:06the Mara a kingdom of predators but right now it's a kingdom of lions and
33:11what you can see very clearly here is how well the creche works two females
33:16six cubs all a similar age as they grow up they'll have buddies if they get
33:22pushed out of the pride you need backup so numbers means success I think when
33:32you live in situations like this so close to nature where life and death are
33:37inseparable when they're a natural part of living I think you draw strength from
33:45the courage of these animals from their stoicism from their resilience they
33:50never give up so when I look into the eyes of an old warrior like Scarface I
33:57can only feel compassion because I know that for most lions death will be a
34:02violent death at the hands of other lions at the hands of hyenas and I look
34:07at Scarface and I think to myself will he perhaps be chased away from this area
34:13beaten up killed could be those are the natural changes that take place but
34:18today I salute Scarface haven't seen him for a year and it's a little bit of
34:24magic for me to watch this incredible lion
34:48this is a spotted hyena we call them the super hunters in terms of the hierarchy
35:01where they fit they are very close to our big cats the lions this little den
35:10has good cubs when they grow up they change to be golden spotted in Swahili
35:18we call it the dirty spotted they're not actually clean spots like a leopard
35:27or a cheetah it's got a little toy and you can see the male there is joining
35:38them and said I want to play too a hyena clan it's led by a matriarch so
35:48the female is the boss if you come back in the next life please do not come as a
35:56hyena male they are nothing the males will do the hunting because they are
36:05often hungry they never have enough so you'll find the males chasing and making
36:12most of the kills and guess who come the boss the female hyena eat bully take
36:22everything they need and leave the scraps for the boys this is a nice little
36:35play of the hyenas in the morning you see how sweet they are as a family they
36:41run around they play together and that little female even the male hyena have
36:49taken a huge interest to play with her and the little cub goes after him saying
36:56I'm the future boss I'm the future matriarch look and the mother stare just
37:04saying right it's okay okay kids no trouble here they're just loving lovely
37:12family to watch
37:19this is one of the few animals that are born with teeth in their mouth and they
37:24can kill hyenas kill as much as 70% of their food if you think of this kingdom
37:31where is ruled by lions and hyenas are always known to be the scavengers mean
37:38ugly animals it's not true look at these cubs look at how cute they are look at
37:45the family
37:53they're not the baddies and they actually do an a fantastic job cleaning
38:00up the environment cleaning up the wildebeest carcasses they are the real
38:06number one cleaners when people come to the Mara and they are all running after
38:13the big cats they forget the hyenas are just as special
38:44you
38:51this has to be what everybody who wants to come on safari to Africa is dreaming
38:57of saying a pride of lions lionesses cubs of different ages play interactions
39:03and as a setting an old tree stump like that I tell you anybody who is here
39:10today watching this is going to be in heaven
39:28when I look at these little cubs I'm remembering that Angie and I have known
39:33charm since she was the size of these two tiny cubs about six weeks old she's
39:40particularly special to me she's got such presence there's a sense of wisdom
39:44when I look into her face there's a sense of experience
39:55she's an old lioness many lionesses don't live this long and it could be
40:01that these two cubs if they survive will be her last litter
40:10every day that these little cubs survive it will be better and better
40:20because there will be more and more mobile they'll be stronger they'll be
40:23more able to deal with the likes of Mojo and Beely solo roughing them up
40:41so this for me is just a wonderful piece of history and I am rooting for those
40:47little cubs survival it's that big cat legacy it's that sense of continuity the
40:55unending story and it'll be carrying on hopefully long after I've disappeared
41:01this world
41:11just look at this six young nomads on the prowl you can see the intention on
41:22their faces the way they walk they are really pumped up and they're going to
41:26cause a lot of problems any males in this area their days are numbered
41:33and what about Mojo and Beely and Solo our three little marsh cubs if these
41:38males came over the rise and took over that pride those cubs would be toast
41:46and can you imagine if you were pride males and you saw these six headed
41:51towards you because their moment is about to happen
42:00next time on Big Cat Tales after several months away our team returns to the Mara
42:07during the great wildebeest migration everything is about to change
Recommended
42:14
|
Up next
1:02
4:27
35:32
36:56
36:56