The Incredible Story Of The King Of The Wild | Our World

18 Aug 2024

Discover the power and pride of lions as we delve into the lives of the savanna's true kings. Subscribe to Our World: https://bit.ly/3xnPuGL The journey through earth's most unforgiving environments and witness the remarkable survival strategies of its toughest inhabitants. From arid deserts to dense rainforests, discover how species adapt and thrive amidst the daily battles for food, shelter, and dominance.

Transcript

0:09

[Music] Scarface is the queen of the beasts in

0:14

the Kuru National Park but she has a checkered

0:21

past in her youth she was one of Kenya's big bad cats a killer of sheep and

0:27

cattle she could have been shot but she had luck on her

0:35

side 10 years ago Nuru Park was turned into a rhino sanctuary and completely

0:41

surrounded by an electric [Music]

0:50

fence prey animals were abundant so the park was an ideal place to relocate stock killing lions

1:01

Scarface was brought to the park as part of an ongoing experiment instead of being a victim of a marksman's bullet

1:08

she became the founder member of the nakuru [Music]

1:21

pride the nakuru pride is special in many ways but their tree climbing abilities are the most obvious

1:37

most Lions don't clamber about in trees perhaps the spreading branches of the acaas here encourage climbing

1:52

skills at the southern end of the park an isolated and impressive Rocky out Crop Marks the core of the nakuru

1:59

Pride's territory [Music] from this high Vantage Point Scarface

2:04

watches for the other members of her Pride the two lionesses TAMU and Carly

2:10

are 6 years old and Daughters of Scarface they're both about to come into season and are being closely followed by

2:17

the two Pride males

2:30

like Scarface the pride males were once bad cats which killed domestic stock outside the national parks they're about

2:37

9 years old and were brought to Nuru many years ago

2:59

[Music] Scarface calls to gather her family

3:04

lions are social cats and like to stay in contact with each other at all times

3:30

about 12 years old Scarface is past her prime her teeth are worn with

3:37

age the bald patch on her nose and black scar above her right eye make her easily

3:45

recognizable the stability of the pride rests with the lionesses bonds between

3:50

related females are strong

4:11

Scarface and her Aral daughters TAMU and Kari all gave birth a year ago between

4:17

them the lionesses had eight Cubs which are now almost as big as their mothers

4:23

four of them are female

4:33

Scarface is the mother of three of the Cubs the other five are her

4:50

grandchildren TAMU and khi came into estas and they left Scarface to care for all the

4:57

Cubs looking after eight adolescent alone is hard work but the scarf face his credit the Cubs look fat and healthy

5:21

[Music]

5:30

[Music]

5:35

in Nuru National Park warthogs are very common and are the Lion's main

5:43

[Music] prey Scarface is teaching the Cubs to

5:49

hunt the young males let their sisters do most of the work [Music]

6:29

a [Music]

6:53

[Applause] [Music]

7:03

Scarface knows that one small warthog will not feed the whole family she makes no attempt to claim her

7:12

share the young males have no such quals as soon as a kill is made they use their

7:17

size and strength to muscle in on the catch their sisters will be lucky to get anything for themselves

7:30

on [Applause]

7:45

[Music]

8:01

scarface's family is the only pride in the kururu although they're free to roam throughout the park they rarely Venture

8:08

far from their home range in the [Music]

8:15

South nkuru National Park covers an area of 188 sare

8:20

km in the North End lies the soda Lake for which the park is

8:27

famous every year up to a million flamingos fly into feed on the algae

8:33

Rich

8:45

Waters crowned cranes come at the start of their breeding season to court and dance

9:16

[Music] living here in the North End of the park

9:23

is a coalition of young bachelors [Music]

9:29

these young males are not yet mature now they're biing their time and keeping a low profile

9:36

[Music]

9:53

[Applause]

10:03

these two Bachelors are brothers and they were born in the

10:10

[Music]

10:17

Kuru a third member of the Coalition was another stock killer a bad cat that was

10:23

introduced into the park these three Bachelors are a serious threat to Scarface and her family

10:31

family there are no other luses in the park to breed with if the Bachelors are

10:36

to have any chance of reproducing sooner or later they must challenge scarface's Pride

10:56

males 20 km to the South Scarface still with eight Cubs in toe is looking for

11:03

food as part of the nakuru experiment it was hoped that the Buffalo herds might be controlled by introducing Predators

11:11

but the Lions aren't killing the Buffalo and the Kuru now has the highest density of these animals in

11:19

Africa Scarface won't tackle a large herd of these dangerous beasts when there a smaller prey around but the

11:26

youngsters have the confidence of Youth

11:37

their rash move angers the

11:53

Buffalo most Lions would keep running but Scarface is an akuru lion

12:05

her position is precarious she's only just Out Of Reach if she fell now she'd

12:11

be gored to death

12:19

[Applause]

12:32

he

13:04

only as night begins to fall do the Buffalo give

13:15

ground hours spent crouching up a tree have left Scarface sore and stiff but at

13:21

least she's alive the Cubs can't manage without her just

13:27

yet in the southern end of the Kuru National Park scarface's Pride males

13:32

lead the remains of a kill to the vultures something else has attracted their attention

14:10

The Pride males can sense that TAMU and khi scarface's adult daughters are in

14:22

season khi is pursued by one male while TAMU pairs up with the other

14:37

Ki is not yet ready to mate to avoid her sutor she does what by now might be

14:43

expected of an akuru

14:54

lioness but in Nuru even a heavy and relatively cumbersome some mature male

15:00

can climb

15:21

trees unlike most other cats courtship among Lions can be amiable even

15:26

affectionate but only when both partners

15:31

consenting when Kari tries to move out of reach her consort finds himself out on a

15:47

limb TAMU will mate repeatedly for the next 3 days and may become pregnant

16:02

finding himself in a difficult position has not discouraged the second Pride male but his advances are

16:22

rebuffed the other Pride male TAMU suor makes a bid to claim both females for

16:28

himself if car isn't ready to mate for a few days he may even successfully pair with

16:35

both

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[Music] sisters nkuru is bordered on all sides

16:47

by settlements there are two fences here the inner one is electrified and Carries

16:53

enough charge to repel a rhino it's there as much to protect the people on the outside as the wild life

17:00

within because the park is fenced the number of prey animals is high the Lions

17:05

could go for many different species but they don't these Lions hunt warthogs

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[Music]

17:39

the Cubs are over enthusiastic during the chaos and confusion all their prey

17:46

disappears but Scarface has seen it all before she knows the way of the warthog

17:52

and how to unearth them

18:06

the Cubs learned from her example but the hole is deep

18:38

again it's the young males that claim the Lion's

18:52

Share Scarface is still not feeding until her charges have eaten their fill

18:58

since this Pride prays on warthogs which are relatively small there's often nothing left for

19:09

Scarface while the Cubs are growing Scarface is getting perilously

19:16

thin the Lions retire to digest their meal in the shade

19:29

not all trees are suitable for [Music]

19:35

climbing the Cub disturbs a swarm of bees he gets St but it's Scarface who

19:41

Bears the brunt of the angry insects

19:50

[Music]

20:09

Pride Rock has been the birthplace of all the Cubs born in the park it's the perfect hide art for a Linus with tiny

20:19

Cubs there are now two additions to the bride TAMU has recently had

20:26

young at this age lovs vulnerable TAMU will keep them concealed

20:31

in the rocks for several weeks

20:44

[Music]

20:58

leopards have been known to kill lion cubs but these individuals are

21:11

preoccupied when these solitary cats come together to mate unlike Lions they're nervous of each

21:20

[Laughter] other many of these leopards were once

21:26

bad cats that killed sheep and cves about 30 have been introduced into

21:31

nkuru leopards are designed for climbing trees lighter and more agile than Lions

21:37

even the males are completely at home in the branches

21:56

[Music]

22:20

he [Music]

22:40

after spending several days alone with her Cubs TAMU joins her

22:54

sister Carie is pregnant and will soon give birth the sisters will raise their offspring

23:17

together khi is an experienced Hunter and has killed hundreds of large

23:23

warthogs perhaps because she's pregnant and less able to dodge the warthogs tusks this time she makes a wrong

23:32

[Music]

23:41

move the gash is deep K's chances look slim she can barely walk let alone hunt

24:07

[Music]

24:27

most cats hate rain but there's no stopping youthful exuberance

24:36

[Music]

24:59

by now the Cubs are competent hunters and Scarface has at last been getting enough to eat

25:56

remarkably Carly too is still alive she's only survived because of her close

26:02

bond with her sister cari's wound is healing but

26:07

slowly she's still finding it painful to walk and hunting is out of the

26:22

question TAMU is now doing all the hunting

26:41

[Music] [Applause]

26:51

surprisingly she drops her catch is it that she can't resist the chase

27:01

Ki picks up tamu's first kill the carcass is small but it'll keep her

27:07

going for [Music] now K is surviving but she's not out of

27:12

danger yet until her wound heals she won't be able to hunt for herself

27:29

Ki should have given birth by now but there is no sign of

27:50

Cubs in the north the three Bachelors are on the Move they're 5 years old now and

27:56

reaching maturity the time has come for them to look for females they head south towards Scarface

28:03

and her family [Music]

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[Music]

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[Music]

28:41

[Music] at Pride Rock The Pride males Roar to

28:46

Proclaim their ownership of the territory [Music]

29:07

undeterred The Bachelors continue to

29:17

advance the bachelor's challenging Roars sto The Pride males in their tracks

29:23

[Music] three against two is no

29:39

contest during takeover bids male lions can kill each other outnumbered the

29:46

pride males run to avoid confrontation

29:58

The Bachelors are close behind they stop to pick up the scent of their fleeing

30:07

Rivals The Pride males have reached the edge of the park exhausted and trapped

30:12

by the fence they can run no further

30:29

The Bachelors have tracked their enemy to the boundary but here strange smells

30:35

distract them from the chase the scent of the females is

30:47

strong the three Bachelors have won without Bloodshed there are now New Kings at

30:54

Pride Rock

31:03

[Music]

31:12

the sounds of unfamiliar Roars have alerted TAMU to imminent

31:21

danger after a takeover the new males must kill all small Cubs if they're to

31:26

met with their mothers with their babies gone the lionesses will come into season a short time

31:35

[Music] afterwards TAMU frantically tries to

31:41

save her

31:47

Offspring the Cubs were never seen again

32:06

[Music] the commotion during the night has alarmed scarface's Pride of the eight

32:13

Cubs only the four young lionesses are still with Scarface their brothers have

32:26

fled these young females have never seen strange males before they're both

32:31

attracted and scared The Bachelors have achieved their

32:37

goal but now they too are unsure how to

32:56

behave the situation is tense Amorous intentions turn into

33:02

[Music]

33:21

aggression even the strong bonds between the male Coalition are put to the test

33:29

[Music]

33:36

this young lioness is totally bewildered the new Kings stake their

33:43

claim to the [Applause]

33:49

pride Scarface has lived through a previous takeover and knows how to

33:54

behave her experience will make this trans cisal period easier for the younger

34:02

[Music]

34:12

lionesses in the north of nkuru National Park the lake has dried

34:17

out during the dry season many animals suffer because they fenced in and can no

34:22

longer migrate but the changing seasons have little effect on the Nuru Lions their

34:29

prey is now abundant all year

34:48

round the four male Cubs fled to the north when scarface's Pride was taken over during their 20 km track they

34:56

became separated [Music]

35:08

[Music] their Roars to find each other carry far

35:15

and wide [Music]

35:29

the young males are in unfamiliar territory and need one another's

35:36

[Music]

35:47

support their calls have not gone unnoticed The Bachelors have followed

35:52

them North

36:07

the new Kings will not tolerate any other males in their territory The Bachelors mean to drive

36:14

their Rivals away and they have size and might in their favor

36:29

but when three of the young males gang up against the single Bachelor the tables are

36:39

turned the fourth young male now is left alone one onone he doesn't stand a

36:46

chance [Music]

37:00

when one of his brothers returns to help the bachelor is momentarily distracted

37:06

it's long enough for his intended victim to make a run for his

37:19

life The Bachelor Roars to inform his comrades of his whereabouts and to intimidate his adversaries

37:28

[Music]

37:36

the situation is serious the young male's only hope is to flee his pursuer's territory but he can't get out

37:43

of the park the Chase has led to the hills above the lake this is familiar ground

37:49

for The Bachelor and alien territory for the young male

38:04

but the hounded youngster has met up with a brother now it's two against one

38:27

oh [Music]

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[Music]

39:03

the contest has reached stalemate The Bachelor has an injured leg and one

39:09

young male has a deep puncture wound in his

39:16

neck The Bachelor Roars for reinforcements he has no intention of giving up now help is close at hand

39:28

the two adolescence are now in grave

39:35

trouble The Bachelors present a united front it's two against two but the odds

39:40

are heavily stacked in their favor

39:57

[Music]

40:07

the juvenile males must get out of their enemies range but the Bachelors have now taken over the whole park

40:16

[Music]

40:26

[Music] The Bachelors are hot and very tired but they're Relentless in their

40:34

[Music]

40:41

Pursuit the Gap is closing

40:47

[Music]

40:54

[Music]

41:01

Again The Bachelors have chased their foe to the fence the young male now has nowhere to go desperate he has to choose

41:09

between certain death and an electric shock that's powerful enough to repel a rhino

41:36

[Applause]

41:46

the young male is now outside the park he has escaped the Lion's jaws and is

41:52

safe for now

42:00

The Bachelors won't touch the electrified fence but the far side is no lion

42:11

[Music]

42:22

Sanctuary Scarface and the lionesses have left their former range in the South and followed the Bachelors their

42:29

new Kings to the

42:37

north everyone is here except Carie she's disappeared

42:54

[Music]

43:04

the recent takeover has brought all the lionesses into season and they're now ready to

43:11

mate even Scarface is an EAS

43:31

the females will mate many times but are unlikely to conceive for months they

43:36

want to be sure that the Old Pride males have been banished for good and that the new kings are here to stay before they

43:42

have young they don't want to lose Cubs in yet another takeover

43:57

[Applause] outside the park the young male lion is in danger of being

44:03

shot unless the authorities act quickly he could become a bad cat a cattle

44:09

Hunter the park staff have a choice they can shoot the young lion or chase him

44:14

back through a gap they've made in the fence they choose the latter option

44:34

once back in the safety of the park the young male rejoins his

44:42

brothers it's only a matter of time before this band of four reach their Prime when they claim the pride for

44:49

themselves the consequences could cause the downfall of scarface's

44:54

Pride these young males are closely related to every female in the park

45:00

inbreeding could become a serious problem Nuru is fenced unrelated Lions

45:07

cannot wander into the park new blood cannot come in the time has come for the authorities

45:14

to

45:23

intervene this 18-month-old male lion is a bad cat that was recently caught

45:29

killing goats by releasing him into nkuru National Park the authorities hope that

45:35

he'll join up with the young males if one day he becomes a king he could

45:40

inject the new blood the Nuru Pride so desperately needs

46:00

in the south at Pride Rock a lioness is in Residence against all the odds car has

46:08

survived she stayed in the South because she had two Cubs car not only recovered from her

46:15

injury but managed to rear youngsters at the same time she was lucky to hide her

46:20

babies from The marauding Bachelors during the Takeover

46:30

the Old Pride males are back too after the Takeover they fled to the southern

46:36

border of the park since the Bachelors are away in the north there was nothing to stop the Old Pride males from

46:42

returning to their former Throne one of them is the father of ki's cubs

47:08

a separate pride is now in the making khi is the new Queen of the South

47:27

far in the north Scarface the lion queen reigns with new

47:33

[Music]

47:40

[Music] Kings her daughters and granddaughters

47:45

have all given birth scarface's pride is stable and

47:53

strong presided over by a coalition of three males they should be safe for several

48:02

years all these Cubs have a good chance of reaching

48:08

maturity Scarface is now a great grandmother and nearly 14 years

48:14

old amazingly she too has Cubs these two tiny babies may be her

48:23

last the nakuru experiment is proving successful a balance between Hunter and

48:30

Hunted is being restored but while one problem is solved another is

48:37

raised in years to come inbreeding May rub the pride of a

48:43

future but for now Scarface once a bad cat retains her title as lion queen of

48:51

nkuru [Music]

49:06

[Music] powerful jaws brute strength and razor sharp claws are not enough to keep the

49:13

lion in its place as the top predator in Africa it is a supreme carnivore but it

49:21

cannot rule alone it needs help from the other members of the family

49:27

lionesses in a pride can share the task of rearing young and cubs growing up together develop team skills in hunting

49:34

and fighting that they will need later in life without the cooperation of the other members of The Pride too many

49:41

hunts would end in failure and if they refused to share their food many would

49:49

starve research on the Prides inosa National Park Namibia has given us an

49:54

insight into the rivalries loyalties the subtle and sometimes Savage relationships that make lions one of the

50:01

most terrifying and awe inspiring animals on

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[Music]

50:25

Earth n lies between Angola and the Republic of South

50:30

Africa iosha national park which is situated 70 M South of the angolan

50:36

Border is about the size of Massachusetts it centers around a 75m

50:41

long occasionally flooded lake bed called the toosha

50:49

pan there are about 250 lions in osia living in Prides varying from 4 to 25

50:55

members the king of the beasts the male lion is

51:03

the largest predator in Africa a mature individual can weigh 550 lb his main

51:10

role is to protect the females their cubs and his territory from rival

51:17

males OSHA's Prides usually concentrate their activities around one of the many water holes around the edge of the Pan

51:24

game animals coming to quench their thirst provide a constant source of prey and as lions like to drink every day

51:30

having a reliable source of water in their territory is [Music]

51:36

important lions are Africa's primary Predator but even they give way to

51:41

elephants

51:49

[Music]

51:59

there are 19 members of this Pride with six resident females but the numbers of

52:04

any one group change as new Cubs are born adolescent males leave and the dominant males are replaced by

52:12

Rivals each group must claim an exclusive territory with enough prey to provide for all the family the size of

52:19

the territory may vary from 15 to 150 square miles depending on the numbers of

52:24

prey in the area

52:31

[Music] to protect both its Hunting Preserve and its females the Pride's territory must

52:38

be constantly staked out by scent marking prominent bushes the males often range for Miles renewing their scent

52:45

marks as staya away signals to rivals

52:59

scraping spreads out the scent making it more obvious to any

53:06

Intruder Lions also advertise their presence by roaring the sound can be

53:11

heard for miles it helps avoid any accidental encounters with neighbors

53:39

despite all the warnings Pride males are challenged by Young Bachelors looking for

53:45

[Music] mates these two intruders are twoo Miles

53:50

inside the resident Pride's territory in comparison to the well-fed pride lions

53:55

they are lean and hungry but surprisingly

54:22

confident the resident pair Trot away in front of them

54:34

but then suddenly the tables are turned and the advance becomes a

54:46

retreat it's a typical show of strength male lions can be fatally wounded during

54:51

takeover battles so they usually try to avoid outright conflict

55:11

senting enables the males to check when the lionesses are ready to mate

55:27

the wrinkled Grimace called a Flamin display is a typical response of a lion detecting a receptive

55:54

female males usually initiate courtship but as the female comes more into heat

56:00

she plays an increasingly active

56:13

[Music]

56:19

role Pride males are usually brothers or cousins and form remarkably close

56:24

relationships but they will sometimes fight over a female and hress the performance is only a mock

56:31

battle the males rely upon their combined strength to ward off Rivals and

56:36

can't afford to seriously wound one

56:47

another the dominant male has an injured hip which could reduce his chances of breeding in the future this may explain

56:54

his unusually aggressive behavior

57:04

[Music]

57:10

it's not uncommon for all the males in the pride to mate with each female lionesses May copulate hundreds of times

57:17

before they conceive like many other cats mating is thought to stimulate ovulation and by consorting with several

57:24

males competition and fighting is reduced within the

57:35

[Music]

57:48

pride the Cubs are born after a gestation period of just over 3 months

57:53

there can be any number from 1 to 7 in a litter just like domestic kittens they're blind and helpless at Birth

58:01

they're weaned at about 6 or 7 months these Cubs are about 6 weeks

58:13

old lionesses often synchronize their breeding so that they bear young at about the same time this has several

58:20

advantages for both parents and babies young males growing up together form

58:25

close Alliance when they are older while the females unite as Prides [Music]

58:39

[Applause] [Music]

59:15

like the males the lionesses are all related and will look after each other's young this means there is usually one

59:21

female on duty to guard the Cubs

59:36

oh

1:00:03

lionesses are extremely firm with their cubs but they are also very tender

1:00:33

another advantage of the pride system is that Cubs of all ages belonging to different mothers play together play

1:00:41

develops muscles and also hunting and fighting techniques which will be vital for their survival in later life

1:01:17

[Music] lionesses will even suckle each other's babies so hungry Cubs can nurse from an

1:01:23

ant when their own mother is away hunting

1:01:28

the Cubs soon work out which females are lactating and learn not to bother those which are

1:01:48

not each lionist May produce different antibodies in her milk so suckling from

1:01:53

several females will give the Cubs a greater immunity to

1:02:08

disease every female will call back a cub straying from The Pride whether it's

1:02:13

her own or not [Music]

1:02:24

[Music]

1:02:43

[Music]

1:02:48

the advantage of having sisters or half sisters willing to take care of each other's cubs really comes into its own

1:02:54

when a mother is seriously in injured usually during a

1:03:00

hunt some of these Cubs don't belong to this lioness yet she's leading them down to drink

1:03:32

their real mother lies at the bottom of this small water hole dying her Jaws are

1:03:38

smashed probably by the Hooves of a zebra she was trying to bring down she can no longer feed herself or her Cubs

1:03:46

but the pride system gives them a very good chance of being fed and reared by another lioness

1:03:59

lions and hyenas are Arch enemies both species will kill the other given the

1:04:05

chance an isolated lionist with Cubs is in a vulnerable

1:04:10

situation this female knows it and moves

1:04:17

closer even so the hyenas might still try to steal a cub but their attention

1:04:23

is diverted by some vultures landing on on the remains of a fresh kill a little distance

1:04:40

away hyenas are not the only threat male lions are gentle and patient fathers to

1:04:46

their own offspring they are often more tolerant than the females

1:04:55

[Music]

1:05:06

[Music]

1:05:12

no when a new group of males takes over a pride it's a different story they

1:05:17

often kill all the young cubs this brings the females back into season and

1:05:23

within a few months the newcomers will themselves be fathers this is vital to the males they never know how long their

1:05:30

reign will last and they don't want to waste time protecting unrelated

1:05:38

[Music]

1:05:46

youngsters when they're not hunting lions are usually sleeping they spend 19

1:05:52

hours out of every 24 resting and digesting gesting their last

1:06:02

[Music]

1:06:14

meal the 5 hours of activity usually occur around Dawn and

1:06:20

[Music] dusk the giraffe react nervously to

1:06:26

their presence [Music]

1:06:33

[Applause] [Music]

1:06:46

[Music]

1:07:06

[Music] as the sun goes down only the big and powerful those with nothing to fear are

1:07:13

left at the water hole

1:07:21

[Laughter]

1:07:29

the biggest and most powerful are in complete

1:07:52

Command the Lions retire to The Far Side of the water hole waiting for the right time to hunt

1:08:02

[Music]

1:08:09

[Music]

1:08:50

help

1:08:55

these zebra are taking a chance by drinking so

1:09:09

late roaring alerts all the members of The Pride to prepare for action and

1:09:14

unites them as a Cooperative team

1:09:21

[Music]

1:09:41

[Music]

1:09:47

[Music]

1:09:53

on moonless nights lion activity sometimes ceases after Sundown but under

1:09:58

a full moon The Pride can hunt well into the early [Music]

1:10:07

hours even in bright Moonlight it is impossible to capture the action on normal film at night so the camera is

1:10:14

equipped with a device called an image intensifier with its Help full Moonlight

1:10:19

becomes weird Twilight in which color is replaced by an eerie greenish hue

1:10:34

the arrival of some elephants makes a lioness uneasy for her Cubs she calls them to

1:10:41

[Music]

1:10:51

her just as in daylight it's the Lions who move out out of the elephant's

1:11:03

way lions are opportunists and have been known to kill newborn elephants the

1:11:09

Adolescent and adult elephants chase them away before the younger members of The Herd arrive for a drink

1:11:26

iosha is one of the few places in Africa where Black Rhinos are still found during the daytime they're secretive and

1:11:33

seldom seen at night they come to drink like elephants they're uncomfortable sharing the water hole with lions

1:12:10

an uneasy truce follows both have young and keep their distance

1:12:17

[Applause]

1:12:52

when an adolescent Rhino wanders off on its own the Pride's juvenile members take advantage of the situation

1:13:21

[Music]

1:13:26

[Music]

1:13:41

although the Young Lions are merely testing their strength the Rhino's mother takes no chances

1:14:01

eventually when three rhinos ban together the game is over the encounters

1:14:06

with both elephant and Rhino will have been heard for miles around and ruined the Lion's chances of launching a

1:14:12

surprise attack the Cubs join the rest of the pride to wait until dawn before

1:14:18

going hunting again

1:14:46

zebra are a favorite prey as the pride gets near to its Quarry it fans out the

1:14:52

idea is to encircle the herd and cut cut off its Escape

1:15:05

Routes the zebra herds are suspicious single animals are more easily surprised

1:15:12

in the thick

1:15:18

cover the pride is in no hurry they Advance at a steady walk until they've

1:15:24

singled build out a potential victim the scattered formation will add to the zebra's confusion

1:15:42

[Music]

1:15:51

[Music]

1:16:03

the Lions have killed a young one but they're just as likely to take the old or sick it's part of the Natural Balance

1:16:10

which keeps the herds healthy

1:16:17

[Music]

1:16:28

very small Cubs aren't able to keep up with the hunt so their mother has left them hidden in the grass now she walks

1:16:35

back to collect them and lead them to the kill

1:16:55

a

1:17:42

the Cubs are always the last to eat and as a result the first to suffer when prey is scarce although their mother

1:17:49

guides them to the kill they must fend for themselves to get their fair share

1:18:03

the harsh reality is that as many as 80% of lion cubs die before they are 2 years

1:18:10

[Music]

1:18:17

[Music]

1:18:23

old for

1:18:30

[Music]

1:18:59

lion cubs learn to kill by copying their Elders as soon as they are old enough to keep up they follow their mother on a

1:19:07

hunt the kudoo bull is unaware of the lion lying in

1:19:18

wait the Cubs oblivious to the situation continue to play

1:19:33

the kudu is alert but not yet scared

1:19:55

[Music] his alarm call indicates that something spoiled any chance of an

1:20:06

ambush the Cubs have cost their mother her Quarry the art of hunting takes time

1:20:11

to learn it will take them at least another year before these Cubs are ready to make their own kill

1:20:45

small Cubs are tolerated by all Pride members young females in particular spend a great deal of time playing with

1:20:52

them by staying in their natural Pride lionesses gain experience in Cub rearing

1:20:57

from an early

1:21:23

age ow [Music]

1:21:54

out [Music]

1:22:08

[Music]

1:22:23

once their offspring have been weaned lionesses become less tolerant of them they are getting too big for play and

1:22:30

they are obviously in need of some discipline

1:22:43

[Music]

1:22:50

[Music]

1:23:02

he

1:23:25

[Music]

1:23:44

if they're to survive Cubs must learn what's good to eat and what to avoid

1:23:49

[Music]

1:24:01

their mother knows from experience where to concentrate her [Music]

1:24:10

energies she retires to watch the Cubs try to find an answer to this problem

1:24:17

[Music]

1:24:25

they can undoubtedly smell potential food but have no idea how to get at

1:24:37

it pied crows often scavenge around lion kills and are constantly on the lookout

1:24:42

for tidbits

1:24:49

[Music]

1:24:59

although this tortoise won't provide a meal Lions do eat a surprising variety of things including caring small mammals

1:25:06

such as rabbits and hairs and even occasionally

1:25:12

[Music]

1:25:21

fruit over millions of years tortoises have perfected their defenses all they

1:25:27

have to do is wait until lions or Crows Give up and go

1:25:52

away but there are some apparently impregnable Animal Defense systems which Lions can

1:26:00

penetrate lions in the Kalahari Desert are known to specialize in killing and eating porcupines but their risks are

1:26:07

high the quills are as sharp as lances many a lion has been left with a bad

1:26:12

wound as the result of getting a quill deeply embedded in its mouth or paw

1:26:38

in atosha is usually only a desperately hungry lion like this old and battle

1:26:43

scarred male which resort to tackling such prickly prey

1:27:00

when it comes to hunting larger animals camouflage plays an important

1:27:14

part the color of a lion reflects the Hues of the African Savannah

1:27:24

out on the plains Lions blend so well into a background of dry grasses that

1:27:29

they're almost impossible for prey to

1:27:39

spot in Open Country working as a team is the most effective tactic some of the

1:27:46

pride lie in full view on the skyline to distract the attention of their prey

1:27:51

While others Circle unseen around the back of the

1:28:16

herds the zebra react according to plan they turn away from the lions in full

1:28:22

View and look set to walk walks straight into an ambush

1:29:03

[Music]

1:29:12

a lion from the group on the horizon makes the first move the others take it as a signal to

1:29:19

advance this time the zebra proved too wary

1:29:31

but the lone wilder beast traveling with the zebra seems unaware of the

1:29:36

[Music]

1:29:44

[Music] danger Lions can reach speeds of 36 mph

1:29:50

but their prey can Dash away at 50 mph to make a successful kill they must

1:29:56

launch their attack from within 100 ft of their

1:30:03

victim the wilder beast had distance on its

1:30:09

side surprisingly Lions do not take wind direction into account during a hunt

1:30:14

despite the fact that they are more successful when stalking up wind only one in about six charges ends in a kill

1:30:21

usually because the prey smells The Pride before they have a chance to close

1:30:28

in again the Ambush is

1:30:37

[Music] set it was this lioness coming from the

1:30:42

other direction who made the kill lions kill small to medium-sized victims with a bite to the back of the neck which

1:30:49

severs the spinal cord larger prey are clasped by the throat until they suffocate

1:32:11

5 minutes after the kill all that's left of the zebra is a stain on the

1:32:20

ground The Pride have spent several hours hunting and are now very

1:32:33

thirsty like domestic cats lions use the rough upper surface of their tongue to

1:32:38

lap up

1:32:45

Liquid they can drink a gallon in just 10 minutes

1:32:57

in slow motion it's possible to see the upper surface of the tongue at

1:33:06

[Music] work young males are always ousted from

1:33:14

their natal Pride by the time they are 3 years old at this age they are not yet

1:33:19

competent Hunters having been provided for by their mothers and aunts

1:33:27

males leaving with brothers or cousins have a definite Advantage as they can hunt as a team the outlook for a loner

1:33:34

is bleak

1:34:05

you [Music]

1:34:17

[Music]

1:34:36

[Music]

1:34:48

[Music] in

1:34:54

[Music]

1:35:14

Scavenging and catching the occasional small animal will ensure survival for a while but as each attempt to catch

1:35:20

something bigger ends in Failure he becomes weak okay

1:35:29

[Music]

1:35:43

[Music]

1:35:58

[Music]

1:36:04

this young male's perseverance finally pays [Music]

1:36:16

off when a young zebra got stuck temporarily in the mud the lion turned

1:36:21

its Misfortune into his advantage

1:36:41

each adult needs about 11 lbs of meat per day which amounts to 30 kills a year

1:36:46

to stay alive Lions have little impact on prey populations but when they're

1:36:51

scarce the Lions suffer whole Prides have been known to starve to death being the ultimate Predator is

1:37:00

no guarantee of success instinctively he drags his kill

1:37:07

away where it will be safe from scavengers and even rival

1:37:18

Lions his caution is fully Justified these two lionesses have come for a

1:37:23

drink and will soon smell the kill inside the bush the successful

1:37:29

Hunter is unaware of any threat but his survival depends on his ability to defend his kill

1:37:45

[Applause]

1:38:20

the future for this individual looks brighter but like most large Predators lions are threatened 10 years ago there

1:38:27

were over 500 in iosha today only 250 remain while drought has been partly to

1:38:34

blame the Prides are at risk every time they wander outside of the Park's protective boundaries lions are still

1:38:41

hunted by men for sport and trophies and in the name of livestock

1:38:49

protection Lions exude power as a symbol the king of the beasts has no equal in

1:38:57

their own domain they are true Masters

1:39:06

[Music]

1:39:27

I [Music]

English (auto-generated)

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