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It's early morning in the south of the Kruger National Park. The grass is tall and dry and acts as excellent camouflage for a successful young predator. In the last hours of dark, this young male lion took down a buffalo calf. An impressive feat for a 2-year-old. And unusual, too. Lions generally hunt as a well-organized team. He was forced to leave his pride and search for a territory of his own. Now, he's proved he has what it takes to survive. But his success wasn't entirely due to skill. The winter drought has left the buffalo weak and susceptible to predation, making them easier targets. While his future is secure for now,
not far off, his mother is facing more of a struggle. At 6 weeks old, they have just left the safety of their den and are totally reliant on her rich milk for sustenance. Feeding four hungry cubs is taxing on her energy reserves. But if she wants to eat, she's going to have to leave them to hunt for herself. Because unlike most lionesses who can rely on their pride to bring them food while they're nursing, she's a single mother and has no such help. Her pride split up recently. The young adult male lions from her last litter were forced by their father to move off and find territories of their own.
The big male then departed to patrol his range, which is roughly 100 square kilometers of prime hunting ground. It will take him several days or longer to make the round trip. Without him around, his adult daughter has struck out on her own. Leaving the lioness to fend for herself and her vulnerable cubs. She's still producing milk for now and keeps her cubs within the safety of dense bush thickets. But she'll have to eat soon and to do that she'll have to leave her babies alone.
Southern North, a more successful family of big cats, is on the move. These two cheetah brothers have formed a powerful alliance. One of them is wearing a radio collar, which allows scientists to study their movements, giving an intimate look into the secret lives of these elusive animals. The brothers grew up as littermates and have stayed together after leaving their mother. Their coalition allows them to control a territory of around 60 square kilometers.
It includes excellent hunting grounds and a permanent water source, which is important because although cheetahs can go for up to 4 days without water, when it's hot they need to drink more often. Working as a team, they have the advantage of being able to bring down bigger prey and can successfully defend their territory from solitary males. Everything about cheetahs is designed for speed. With their long limbs, sleek build, and streamlined head, they can reach around 112 kilometers per hour at full sprint, but cannot maintain that speed for long as it takes great effort.
In return for speed, cheetahs have sacrificed power. So, the white rhino cow and her calf have nothing to worry about. Which wouldn't be the case if a pride of lions were nearby. At 12 years old, this leopard knows how to look after herself. She's been living in the savannas and woodlands of the Kruger all her life. Solitary by nature, she shares her territory with her sub-adult female cub who has recently become independent. Leopards are normally active at night. But, the older leopard hasn't eaten in days and is on the lookout for breakfast from her favorite vantage point.
Weighing only 60 kg, she's small but incredibly powerful. While not nearly as fast as the cheetahs, she can still reach 60 km/h in moments. She is a master stalker and stealth is her greatest weapon. Moving silent and unseen through the undergrowth. Using her great strength, she drags it out of sight. Impala are one of the most numerous antelope on the savanna of South Africa and can make up as much as 85% of the diet of leopard and cheetah.
This young lioness also has impala in her sights. Typically, lions hunt bigger game because they hunt together. But with her father patrolling his territory and her mother busy raising cubs, she's forced to hunt alone. She's only half as fast as the cheetah, reaching 60 km/h at full speed. And needs to get within 30 m before launching her attack. But in her haste, she's spotted and the opportunity is lost. Even experienced lions kill only once in six attempts when hunting solo. Without help from the pride, she's going to have to work hard to survive.
Working together allows some big cats to improve their chances of killing larger prey. They've brought down another female waterbuck, which is three times the size of a fully grown cheetah. It's an impressive achievement made possible by teamwork. The brothers are on a roll with two waterbuck killed in just a few days. They must stay vigilant, though, as there is always the threat of bigger predators stealing their kill. If undisturbed, they'll eat more than 14 kg each in one sitting.
Enough to keep them going for several days. While the cheetahs can relax after their feast, the lioness is on the move. She has decided to relocate to avoid drawing attention to her cubs by remaining in the same place for too long. A small mud hole contains just enough water for a brief respite. It's welcome refreshment for the thirsty mother. The cubs join her in drinking deeply. Although at this age, they still get most of their moisture from milk. In a few months, she'll wean them and by a year and a half, they'll have to look after themselves. Now in the early stages of life, they rely on the leadership of the lioness, knowing little of the challenges she's facing at the moment.
The mother leopard has completed her maternal duties as her daughter is independent. So, the impala she killed earlier will be all hers. The only problem she faces is that of potential hijackers. By stashing the impala carcass high in a tree, it's out of the reach of lions, and she can relax and eat as she pleases. She doesn't have to worry about the cheetahs, either, as they're poor climbers, and she easily outmuscles them. Leopards are by far the most proficient climbers of Africa's large carnivores, and can haul kills of more than 50 kg up vertical trunks.
Her cheek teeth, called carnassials, are evolved for slicing. Combined with a heavy, powerful lower jaw, they help to tear off chunks of meat, which she swallows whole. Impala are her staple diet, but like all leopards, she'll eat almost any source of protein. Leopards prey on more than 90 species, including insects, reptiles, and even fish. Their ability to subsist on such a varied diet, as well as their adaptability to different habitats, has made leopards the most widespread of all the world's wild cats.
Self-sufficiency is not something leopards are born with, though. The old leopard's daughter was recently left to fend for herself. She's nowhere near the hunter her mother is, and needs to learn quickly how to kill, Lions recognize leopards as competition, and they will attack and even kill them if they get the chance. The young leopard knows this and moves cautiously. The rosettes of her gleaming coat are unique. No two leopard spots are the same. And they're particularly effective at camouflaging her in the dappled light.
The bright white underside of her tail will one day act as a so-called follow-me signal to her cubs, helping them to stay in close contact while following her through thick brush. But before that can happen, she'll have to find a meal and then a territory of her own, which are both difficult to come by. In the lion's territory, the cubs' father arrives back from his sojourn. He announces his presence with a bellowing roar, which can be heard for up to 8 km. His return bodes well for the lioness and her cubs, who have struggled without the support of a strong leader.
The lioness hears his call from a distance and heads towards it. After a moment, the cubs realize they had better catch up. Mom leads the way, joined by her adult daughter, who has also returned for the reunion. For the cubs, it feels like any other afternoon to be filled with a raucous rough and tumble. But their father is still several kilometers away. Mom keeps the train moving. They don't know it yet, but this is a significant moment in their young lives as they have never met their father, who left when they were still in the den. On arrival, the cubs wait cautiously at a distance.
For mother and daughter, the meeting is an affectionate moment and a long-awaited revival of their pride. They've not yet learned how to act around the big male. And his rebuke is as gentle as he can manage. For the first time since the cubs were born almost 2 months ago, the pride is together again. Things are looking up for this family of Africa's most powerful predators. It's natural for lions to live in prides for their whole lives. Cheetah coalitions, however, sometimes break apart. In a bid to find a territory and mate of his own, one of the brothers has left, splitting up the sibling alliance.
Lone cheetah males have been known to wander more than 200 km in search of new territories. And he's traveled some distance to find a promising new range. It will be a good home with an abundance of prey and with enough space to run them down. Unlike most cats, the cheetah's claws are permanently exposed. Useful for extra grip while running at high speeds.
But he needs to get closer before he can launch an attack. He's being too hasty and loses the element of surprise. After the relative success he enjoyed with his brother, he's unaccustomed to the challenges of hunting alone. Adult kudu are large and powerful. While he could easily outpace them, they are too big for him to bring down by himself. Without his brother, he will need to learn how to catch smaller, yet faster antelope. For this cheetah, the harsh reality of his new life is quickly becoming clear.
It's not easy to be successful at the top of the food chain when you're on your own. Unless you happen to be both experienced and hugely powerful. The big male lion is both. At 9 years old and weighing around 200 kg, he's a seasoned buffalo hunter with enough power to bring down a bull four times his own weight. It's unusual, but not unheard of for a male lion to hunt alone. No other predator in Africa can single-handedly take down such a large and formidable adversary.
Once he's gorged himself, he retreats to the shade to He has no reason to fear any other predators stealing his meal. He's simply too strong to be challenged. The jackal will have to wait a while before he gets any scraps. The rest of the kill is reserved for the lion family, which is nearby. The big male's roar reaches the lioness as an invitation to dinner. As the cool of night descends, she sets off to join him.
The cubs are still too young to eat meat, and she has no choice but to leave them alone while she feeds. They know instinctively to stay concealed and wait for mom's return. En route, she meets her adult daughter, who also heard the male lion's roars. The old king eats his fill before his family arrives. After greeting them both, he moves off to let them feed in peace. The females are hungry. They will eat up to 20 kg of meat in one go. A meal like this will keep them busy all night and replenish the mother's reserves so that she can produce rich milk for her growing cubs. After a big meal the night before, the
lions are relaxed and back to full strength. With dad back and providing ample food, the lioness can eat enough to produce plenty of milk to satisfy the insatiable appetites of her growing cubs. Under the watchful eyes of a powerful father and a resilient mother, the cubs have the best possible chances of survival to adulthood. With security coming from working together, the small pride is an excellent example of how lions benefit from group living. The wise old leopard needs no help to survive. Being a skilled hunter has allowed her to raise her cub to adulthood and propagate her genes, the ultimate measure of success for any animal.
She relies on nothing but her own intelligence and strength. And living in total solitude, she exemplifies the most adaptable and widespread of the big cats. After a bumpy start, her daughter is now flourishing. Last night she killed her first impala. Proving she inherited her mother's hunting prowess and taking an important step towards succeeding on her own. The cheetah brothers have now gone their separate ways and each is destined for a different fate. One is moving restlessly through the park in search of land. But not yet confident outside the safety of the coalition.
The other has proved more capable of living a solitary life. He's found and secured a new territory, which he will defend as his own. Here he will surely become a proficient hunter, already showing potential by taking down a kudu female alone. Africa's big cats are some of the most well-known carnivores in the world. Famous for their beauty and feared for their deadly natures. Whether alone or in complex social structures, they must work hard to survive in a habitat fraught with challenges.
By using clever teamwork, staggering speed, and terrifying power, they are equipped to exploit their environment. Each of the three cats is different in the way it lives and hunts. But all share the title of apex predator in an endlessly active food chain rivaled by few on Earth. Lion, leopard, and cheetah are indeed Africa's most wild and wonderful big cats.
