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The power
of the sun drives the seasons,

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transforming our planet.

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Vast movements of ocean and air currents

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bring dramatic change
throughout the year.

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And in a few special places,
these seasonal changes

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create some of the greatest
wildlife spectacles on Earth.

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One of the most awe-inspiring events

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takes place in the vast open plains
of East Africa.

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Once a year, three million animals

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gather in a small corner
of the Serengeti.

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This is the greatest concentration
of grazing animals on the planet.

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But the herds only stay for a few months

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before continuing on their epic journey.

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And when the Great Migration moves on,

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the predators they leave behind
become suddenly vulnerable.

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How can they survive
until the Great Migration returns?

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The eastern edge of the Serengeti
is dominated by a volcano,

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known to the Maasai people
as Ol Doinyo Lengai,

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the Mountain of God.

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It's one of many volcanoes,
that have shaped the landscape here

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for millions of years,
that lie along Africa's Great Rift.

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To the west
lie the grasslands of the Serengeti

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and a particularly fertile area
known as the short-grass plains.

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For a few months each year,

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hundreds of thousands of grazers
cram into this corner of the Serengeti.

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And of course,
wherever you find grazers,

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you find predators.

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More meat-eaters hunt and scavenge
on the short-grass plains

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than anywhere else in Africa.

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For lions in particular, this is,
for the moment, a savannah paradise.

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With so much food on offer,
it's a good time to raise young cubs.

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But lions are territorial.

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Each pride only controls
a small area of grassland.

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They can only hunt the animals
that come into their territory.

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So, to give these cubs a good start,

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they'll have to make the most
of this bonanza

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while it's here.

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When the great herds move on,
the lions can't go with them,

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and prides like this one
face a stern test.

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What happens next

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is a side of lion life
that is rarely seen.

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It's May.

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The rains that watered
the short-grass plains have moved north

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and the vast herds follow,
seeking out fresh green pastures.

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Wildebeest are so in tune
with the seasons

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that they can hear thunderstorms
30 miles away,

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and they home in
on the scent of wet soil

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that carries the promise of fresh grass.

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Unlike lions,
wildebeest are free to travel

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wherever the quest for food leads them.

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This young calf is at the start
of an incredible seven-month journey.

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Without rain, the grasslands behind them
wither and die.

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Within weeks the short-grass plains
start to turn brown.

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Within a few months,
they're unrecognisable.

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90% of grazing animals have moved on.

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Not a single wildebeest remains.

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It's now August.
With so few animals here,

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the short-grass plains are no longer
a great place to be a lion.

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For the lion pride living at
the southern edge of these plains,

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in a place known as Ndutu,

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the test now is to survive
until the herds return again.

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The Ndutu pride has
four lionesses and seven cubs,

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and already they're struggling to find
enough food and water.

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The youngest are weak and underweight.

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Surrounded by other lion prides
with their own territories,

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the Ndutu pride must make the most
of what they can find here.

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But there isn't enough food
for them all.

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This male cub is not only hungry,
he's sick.

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On this morning
the pride is heading for a woodland

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where there is more cover
and more animals to hunt.

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It's a long journey
for the exhausted cubs.

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For the weakest male
it's a real struggle to keep up.

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He's trying,
but slowly he gets left behind.

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This is a brutal world.
The lionesses simply cannot wait.

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If they don't keep hunting and eat soon,

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they, too, will become weak,

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and then there'll be no hope
for any of them.

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Warthogs are a valuable catch
at this time of year.

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The lives of the cubs
depend on a successful outcome.

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While one lioness
slowly creeps forward...

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another approaches from cover.

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It's been a while since their last kill,

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and all the hungry pride pile in.

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All, that is, except one.

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A mile away,
a young life is fading away.

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The kill has come too late for him.

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At less than a year old,

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these cubs are still
totally dependent on the lionesses.

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To survive, they must keep up.

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Only three months into the dry season,

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the Ndutu pride is down to six cubs.

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Sadly, this young male will not survive.

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It's late August,
and the rains are still moving north,

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taking the grass and the wildebeest

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even further away from the Ndutu lions.

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With no territory to enclose them,

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the wildebeest can travel
wherever they like.

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But a calf, just like a lion cub,
still has to stick close to mum.

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The biggest danger is getting lost
in the vastness of the herd

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as it treks up to 30 miles a day.

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Back at Ndutu,
the dry season is biting harder.

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There's little grass here,
but that's not a problem for some.

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Giraffe find most of the nutrients
and moisture they need in acacia leaves.

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And, like impala,
they can cope well in the dry season.

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Serengeti mice positively thrive
in the drier months

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thanks to the abundance of seeds.

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So some of the smaller predators,
like wild cats,

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still find plenty of food.

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This kitten is unlikely to go hungry.

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Perhaps surprisingly, it's the creature
often called the king of the beasts

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that is suffering the most.

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It's early September,
and on this afternoon

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there are only two male cubs
with the Ndutu lionesses.

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And they're little more
than skin and bone.

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What's happened to the rest?

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Sadly, it seems
others have been left behind.

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One young female cub
is just two miles away.

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She's limping and
the black patches on her face

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reveal that she's losing her fur.

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But she hasn't given up.
She calls for her pride.

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She's hears a faint call,
and hurries towards it.

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And is reunited
with one of her brothers.

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Nearby there is prey.
But these cubs are unable to hunt.

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They are still too young.

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If they're going to survive,
they must rejoin the pride.

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While she still has strength,
she continues to try and make contact.

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Far away,
the lionesses also call constantly.

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And listen for their lost youngsters.

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Even a sick cub joins in the search
for his sisters and brothers.

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But there are no replies.

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After an hour of calling,
the lionesses can wait no longer,

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they must move on.

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The pride will have to move
to another part of their territory

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if they are to find food.

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None of them have eaten for days

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and now the chances of being
reunited with the lost cubs

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seems remote indeed.

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It's September,
one of the driest months in Ndutu.

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The wildebeest herds
are over a hundred miles away,

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having followed new pastures
to the northern edge of the Serengeti.

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But they have a huge challenge
of their own to face.

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They must cross the Mara River.

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Over several days, the herds crowd
together at the water's edge.

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The adults seem to sense
a hidden danger.

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But the numbers keep piling up
on the river's edge

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and ultimately
they face the danger together.

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The crocodiles are spoilt for choice...

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but they can only take
one victim at a time.

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There is safety in numbers here

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and most of the wildebeest make it
across to the grasslands beyond.

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Back in the south,
the Ndutu plains are tinder-dry.

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Seed and insect-eaters
can scratch a living,

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and the smaller cats like serval,
that hunt them,

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can still find plenty to eat.

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And a cheetah mother is managing
to keep her cubs fit and healthy

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on the small antelope that remain.

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It's now October,
the peak of the dry season,

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and the Ndutu pride are resting
in the heat of the day.

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In a bizarre twist of fate,
one of the two male cubs has died,

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but amazingly, the lost female,
with the black face patches,

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has found her way back.

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She's still weak,
and clearly hasn't eaten for days.

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Meanwhile, it's getting hotter.

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Just when it seems
life couldn't get any worse, it does.

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Flames race across
the Ndutu pride territory,

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burning the last of the grass
and any remaining bush cover.

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At first glance
there's little left here.

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Yet animals like impala
quickly return to investigate.

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The impalas' world
has changed beyond recognition.

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There's nowhere left to hide.

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The Ndutu pride has also lost
the cover they use for hunting.

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The young female may have
survived her first fire,

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but her chances of a meal
have fallen even lower.

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For the cheetah family,
the fire is not such bad news,

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as their prey can actually
become easier to find.

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The steenbok relies on blending into
its surroundings and sitting still

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to avoid being spotted.

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But in this emptiness,
its camouflage is useless.

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It's a sitting target.

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And apparently
unaware of the approaching danger.

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Larger prey, like Grant's gazelle,

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are constantly on the lookout
for danger,

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and easily see the Ndutu pride
in the distance.

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The task for the hunters
now seems virtually impossible.

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But they do have one advantage.

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There are four lionesses

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and they've been hunting together
for years.

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It'll be hard to get
close to the warthogs.

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But if they can split up
and attack on two sides,

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they may stand a chance.

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This is how a young lioness learns.

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As ever, teamwork is critical.

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In a well-practiced routine,

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a lioness moves round
to block the warthog's escape.

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As one is flushed into the open,

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the flanking lioness
rushes in for the kill.

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Warthogs are a favourite food.

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It's a welcome feast enjoyed by all.

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At the toughest of times, the lionesses
have provided for the cubs.

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But it's an unpredictable year,
in more ways than one.

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For the first time in 40 years

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the sleeping Mountain of God,
Ol Doinyo Lengai, awakens.

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Vast clouds of volcanic ash drift
towards the short-grass plains

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and the home of the Ndutu pride lions.

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Ravaged by fire, scorched by the sun,

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the plains now become
shrouded in a layer of ash.

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It's November,
and the rains that would bring

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the return of the grass and the herds
are now overdue.

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The Ndutu lionesses
rest in the intense heat,

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and the cubs' batteries
are now running very low.

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But the winds are changing,

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a sign that the season is turning.

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The wildebeest seem to know
what's about to happen.

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They begin heading south.

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One and a half million wildebeest

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start their journey
back to the short-grass plains.

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The Great Migration of the wildebeest
is one of the longest treks

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of any land animal on our planet.

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As they follow the rains
around the Serengeti,

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many will travel over a thousand miles.

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But there's no guarantee

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that these wildebeest will return
to the territory of the Ndutu pride.

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They will feed only
where the best grasses grow.

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All that's needed now is rain.

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For the Ndutu pride, rain brings hope.

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But how long will it take
for the grass to grow

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and the herds to return?

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Within a matter of days,

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fresh grass transforms the arid plains
into the lush pastures

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that will lure the herds to return.

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It's December, and the migrating herds
start to arrive

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at the northern boundary
of the short-grass plains,

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just 30 miles from the Ndutu lions.

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After seven months away
the herd is returning.

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Stretching back some 25 miles,

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it will take weeks
for all the wildebeest to arrive.

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And nothing will stop them now.

239
00:33:06,568 --> 00:33:11,084
The Mountain of God chooses this
moment to throw up a column of ash

240
00:33:11,208 --> 00:33:14,006
15,000 metres into the air.

241
00:33:24,808 --> 00:33:28,517
But the link between this ash
and these herds

242
00:33:28,608 --> 00:33:31,076
is more than a mere coincidence.

243
00:33:37,368 --> 00:33:40,917
For this ash is rich in minerals,

244
00:33:41,008 --> 00:33:42,999
and over several million years

245
00:33:43,088 --> 00:33:46,558
as volcanoes in the Great Rift
have erupted,

246
00:33:46,648 --> 00:33:50,721
layer upon layer of ash
has fertilised the ground,

247
00:33:50,808 --> 00:33:54,005
creating this uniquely
fertile grassland.

248
00:33:55,968 --> 00:34:00,803
It's this that draws animals
from all over the Serengeti.

249
00:34:07,488 --> 00:34:10,798
The ash also discourages
the growth of trees.

250
00:34:10,888 --> 00:34:14,483
So on these plains, that might otherwise
be covered in woodland,

251
00:34:14,568 --> 00:34:17,640
little grows except grass.

252
00:34:25,808 --> 00:34:29,960
It's possibly the best grazing land
in all of Africa.

253
00:34:36,168 --> 00:34:38,318
And probably the only place

254
00:34:38,408 --> 00:34:42,242
where one and a half million wildebeest
could feed together.

255
00:35:08,088 --> 00:35:09,282
In the northern half,

256
00:35:09,368 --> 00:35:13,680
the short-grass plains have once again
become a savannah paradise.

257
00:35:15,808 --> 00:35:17,764
The conditions are so good

258
00:35:17,848 --> 00:35:22,876
that the wildebeest also use these
plains for another important purpose.

259
00:35:26,088 --> 00:35:29,683
The females are carrying
the next generation

260
00:35:29,768 --> 00:35:32,202
and they've come here to calve.

261
00:35:43,328 --> 00:35:46,206
It only takes seconds.

262
00:36:01,768 --> 00:36:06,046
Some calves are on their feet
in just two minutes.

263
00:36:09,808 --> 00:36:12,447
Others take a little longer.

264
00:36:23,808 --> 00:36:26,038
Then they're good to go.

265
00:36:37,048 --> 00:36:40,245
Phosphorus and calcium
in the volcanic ash

266
00:36:40,328 --> 00:36:43,001
pass through the grass,
into the mother's milk

267
00:36:43,088 --> 00:36:45,841
and into the growing calves.

268
00:36:47,528 --> 00:36:49,723
Nowhere else on their epic journey

269
00:36:49,808 --> 00:36:53,164
could young wildebeest
get such a good start in life.

270
00:37:04,088 --> 00:37:06,522
In just two to three weeks,

271
00:37:06,608 --> 00:37:10,442
over half a million wildebeest calves
are born here.

272
00:37:13,648 --> 00:37:18,164
And of course, this provides
an irresistible opportunity

273
00:37:18,248 --> 00:37:21,524
for all of Africa's top predators.

274
00:37:23,368 --> 00:37:26,963
This is boom time for meat-eaters.

275
00:37:29,288 --> 00:37:33,566
The Ndutu lions, to the south,
have yet to enjoy this feast,

276
00:37:34,128 --> 00:37:38,838
but this cheetah family
now has an endless supply of fresh meat.

277
00:37:50,488 --> 00:37:53,844
There is certainly
enough to feed the six cubs.

278
00:38:26,088 --> 00:38:30,286
She'll make a kill every day
to keep her cubs properly fed.

279
00:38:44,648 --> 00:38:49,244
And it's not just wildebeest
the predators have come to eat.

280
00:38:51,168 --> 00:38:53,921
Many of Africa's antelope are here, too.

281
00:38:57,368 --> 00:38:59,518
Eland, Africa's largest.

282
00:39:02,688 --> 00:39:05,077
And they're joined by more than
half a million

283
00:39:05,168 --> 00:39:07,477
Thomson and Grant's gazelles.

284
00:39:10,288 --> 00:39:13,041
And 200,000 zebra.

285
00:39:20,168 --> 00:39:22,966
Just north of the Ndutu lion territory,

286
00:39:23,048 --> 00:39:27,758
these lions are now lucky enough
to enjoy a time of plenty.

287
00:39:30,448 --> 00:39:33,918
A favourite lion ploy
is to wait by waterholes

288
00:39:34,008 --> 00:39:37,444
knowing that the herd
will ultimately have to drink.

289
00:40:32,768 --> 00:40:35,077
As the herds move further south,

290
00:40:35,168 --> 00:40:38,717
they at last enter the homeland
of the Ndutu pride.

291
00:40:39,248 --> 00:40:43,366
The question is, have the weak cubs
managed to survive

292
00:40:43,448 --> 00:40:45,678
to witness the great return?

293
00:40:57,208 --> 00:41:02,328
The Ndutu pride is still together.
They are healthy and strong.

294
00:41:06,848 --> 00:41:10,761
Somehow they have managed to
make it through the long dry season

295
00:41:10,848 --> 00:41:14,557
and the endless wait
for the returning herds.

296
00:41:15,728 --> 00:41:19,198
The young male now has
the beginnings of a mane.

297
00:41:20,808 --> 00:41:22,366
And though still limping,

298
00:41:22,448 --> 00:41:26,680
the female has grown new fur
over her black patches.

299
00:41:42,128 --> 00:41:45,325
Now at last,
with endless food around them,

300
00:41:45,408 --> 00:41:49,606
the lion cubs have the time
and the energy to play.

301
00:41:57,688 --> 00:42:02,603
And they can relax in a way
that only lions know how.

302
00:42:21,848 --> 00:42:26,876
By March, the great event
on the Ndutu plains is in full swing,

303
00:42:27,328 --> 00:42:30,479
and where there are kills,
there are scavengers.

304
00:42:32,728 --> 00:42:36,721
Vultures fly in
from all over the Serengeti.

305
00:42:48,248 --> 00:42:51,285
On her own a mother cheetah
has little chance

306
00:42:51,368 --> 00:42:54,041
of keeping this mob off her kill.

307
00:42:59,528 --> 00:43:03,316
She may be agile, but she lacks
the necessary brute force.

308
00:43:05,168 --> 00:43:09,002
Even now
it's not easy raising cheetah cubs.

309
00:43:10,048 --> 00:43:13,404
Over half her kills
will be stolen by thieves.

310
00:43:18,128 --> 00:43:23,043
Spotted hyenas are notorious scavengers
and they arrive in force.

311
00:43:30,008 --> 00:43:34,718
Hyenas now become the most numerous
carnivores on the Ndutu plains.

312
00:43:35,208 --> 00:43:38,245
They'll even take on a lion pride.

313
00:43:46,448 --> 00:43:49,406
As the Ndutu lions
finish off a wildebeest,

314
00:43:49,488 --> 00:43:54,004
the hyena clans gather around,
trying to intimidate them.

315
00:44:04,208 --> 00:44:07,166
The young male cub faces up to them.

316
00:44:07,928 --> 00:44:10,840
He's finally coming of age.

317
00:44:10,928 --> 00:44:13,601
He's learning how to protect a pride.

318
00:44:28,728 --> 00:44:31,083
But this time, with their bellies full,

319
00:44:31,168 --> 00:44:34,444
the pride decide
the bones aren't worth the hassle.

320
00:44:46,728 --> 00:44:48,400
Well-fed at last,

321
00:44:48,488 --> 00:44:52,401
the two young cubs
are beginning to look more like adults.

322
00:44:55,728 --> 00:44:59,880
But it will be another six months
before they can hunt on their own.

323
00:45:09,648 --> 00:45:12,799
It's April,
and there's a flurry of excitement

324
00:45:12,888 --> 00:45:16,437
as the wildebeest turn their attention
to courting.

325
00:45:28,328 --> 00:45:30,842
Or at least the males do.

326
00:45:30,928 --> 00:45:33,840
The young bulls limber up for the rut,

327
00:45:33,928 --> 00:45:38,046
when they will have to fight
for the right to mate with a female.

328
00:45:48,768 --> 00:45:51,487
High spirits are infectious.

329
00:45:58,208 --> 00:46:03,680
In three months the young calves become
boisterous and bounce with good health.

330
00:46:20,688 --> 00:46:23,156
These plains have been a nursery.

331
00:46:27,928 --> 00:46:30,488
But change is in the air.

332
00:46:31,168 --> 00:46:33,728
The season is turning again.

333
00:46:45,368 --> 00:46:47,882
The arrival of seed-eating quelea

334
00:46:47,968 --> 00:46:51,722
is a sign that the grass
on the Ndutu plains is changing.

335
00:47:12,688 --> 00:47:15,361
Once the grass flowers and sets seed,

336
00:47:15,488 --> 00:47:19,925
it loses the succulent green leaves
that the wildebeest prefer.

337
00:47:28,688 --> 00:47:31,680
Time for them to move on again,

338
00:47:32,888 --> 00:47:37,643
to follow the distant storms
that are now rumbling to the north.

339
00:47:42,248 --> 00:47:45,081
Despite the arduous journey
that lies ahead,

340
00:47:45,168 --> 00:47:47,443
a wildebeest calf in the Serengeti

341
00:47:47,528 --> 00:47:51,237
still has a better chance of
surviving its first year

342
00:47:51,328 --> 00:47:53,125
than a lion cub.

343
00:47:58,648 --> 00:48:01,446
The Great Migration is leaving Ndutu,

344
00:48:02,008 --> 00:48:07,002
and once again the pride will have
to face life without the herds.

345
00:48:09,448 --> 00:48:12,997
A brother and sister
have survived an eventful year

346
00:48:13,088 --> 00:48:18,242
that has brought sickness and drought,
fires and volcanic eruptions.

347
00:48:22,168 --> 00:48:25,922
Theirs is just one of countless stories

348
00:48:26,008 --> 00:48:29,637
that unfold every year
on the short-grass plains,

349
00:48:29,728 --> 00:48:32,879
the grasslands
at the centre of this great event.

350
00:48:35,728 --> 00:48:39,198
All in the shadow
of the Mountain of God.

351
00:48:53,888 --> 00:48:57,278
To film intimate animal stories
in the vast Serengeti

352
00:48:57,368 --> 00:49:01,486
was the toughest challenge
faced by the Great Migration team.

353
00:49:03,448 --> 00:49:06,121
Especially when
a major part of the mission

354
00:49:06,208 --> 00:49:10,838
was to follow the fortunes
of a single Serengeti lion pride.

355
00:49:19,328 --> 00:49:22,957
For filmmaker Owen Newman,
to tell the full story of a pride

356
00:49:23,048 --> 00:49:27,519
he had to follow them before and
during the annual wildebeest migration.

357
00:49:29,128 --> 00:49:31,642
The filming would take seven months -

358
00:49:31,728 --> 00:49:35,801
a rather long time to be stuck
in a rather small car.

359
00:49:36,008 --> 00:49:38,806
There's just one tiny space in here
where I can move

360
00:49:38,888 --> 00:49:43,006
and it's the bit for using these pedals,
for steering with

361
00:49:43,088 --> 00:49:47,400
and for being able to turn round
like that and operate the camera.

362
00:49:47,488 --> 00:49:51,800
That's the only moving space
I have in here.

363
00:49:52,048 --> 00:49:53,276
So, I mean...

364
00:49:53,368 --> 00:49:55,962
Every day for 14 hours, that's it.

365
00:49:56,688 --> 00:50:00,886
But out of here
is this phenomenal view on the world

366
00:50:01,688 --> 00:50:04,327
and all the animals that are out there.

367
00:50:04,408 --> 00:50:06,160
I wouldn't swap it for anything.

368
00:50:07,168 --> 00:50:09,238
If Owen was
to stand any chance

369
00:50:09,328 --> 00:50:11,364
of keeping up with his lion pride,

370
00:50:11,448 --> 00:50:13,484
he would have to cover
thousands of miles

371
00:50:13,568 --> 00:50:15,718
alone in his cramped car.

372
00:50:18,288 --> 00:50:20,802
Owen has filmed many lion stories,

373
00:50:20,888 --> 00:50:23,846
but not even he could have known
how dramatic and harrowing

374
00:50:23,928 --> 00:50:27,398
the story of the pride's
youngest lioness would become.

375
00:50:31,288 --> 00:50:35,247
The drama started in the dry season
when Owen first found the lions

376
00:50:35,328 --> 00:50:37,796
known as the Ndutu pride.

377
00:50:41,728 --> 00:50:43,844
The cubs were already suffering,

378
00:50:43,928 --> 00:50:47,443
and even with 20 years' experience
of filming big cats,

379
00:50:47,528 --> 00:50:50,406
for Owen these scenes
were hard to witness.

380
00:50:51,688 --> 00:50:56,478
I was so appalled with the condition
that the cubs were in.

381
00:50:56,928 --> 00:51:00,398
They were all around a year old
and I'd never ever

382
00:51:00,768 --> 00:51:03,236
seen lions so thin as they were.

383
00:51:03,928 --> 00:51:05,998
It was absolutely shocking.

384
00:51:07,928 --> 00:51:11,318
As the litter of
seven cubs dwindled to only four,

385
00:51:11,408 --> 00:51:13,683
the drama continued to unfold.

386
00:51:14,008 --> 00:51:18,524
Just as the dry season dragged on,
they got mange,

387
00:51:18,608 --> 00:51:20,439
their skin was falling apart,

388
00:51:20,528 --> 00:51:24,885
the little female in particular
looked as though she had no chance.

389
00:51:26,088 --> 00:51:27,601
One awful day,

390
00:51:27,688 --> 00:51:31,442
Owen found that more cubs
had been left behind by the pride.

391
00:51:31,528 --> 00:51:33,962
The little female and a brother.

392
00:51:34,208 --> 00:51:37,359
Hungry and alone,
their death seemed inevitable.

393
00:51:39,528 --> 00:51:44,044
Quite late in the afternoon, but earlier
than I would have done ordinarily,

394
00:51:44,128 --> 00:51:47,120
I left, 'cause it was actually
getting to me so much

395
00:51:47,208 --> 00:51:50,598
I couldn't stand being there.
It was really so sad.

396
00:51:53,808 --> 00:51:55,685
I went back the next day

397
00:51:55,768 --> 00:51:57,963
and there was no sign
of either of the cubs

398
00:51:58,048 --> 00:52:01,927
and I just assumed that
probably they'd died.

399
00:52:03,568 --> 00:52:06,241
Amazingly,
in a dramatic twist,

400
00:52:06,328 --> 00:52:08,523
the little lioness did survive

401
00:52:08,608 --> 00:52:10,724
and rejoin her family.

402
00:52:11,608 --> 00:52:15,157
But when the rains came
the whole pride disappeared.

403
00:52:22,288 --> 00:52:25,325
As filming resumed
at the start of the wet season,

404
00:52:25,408 --> 00:52:29,287
all eyes were on the lookout
for the Ndutu lions.

405
00:52:34,008 --> 00:52:36,476
Although the plains were
now teeming with animals,

406
00:52:36,568 --> 00:52:40,402
what Owen really wanted
was to find his lion cubs.

407
00:52:43,848 --> 00:52:47,636
All he could do
was to sit, watch and wait.

408
00:52:50,088 --> 00:52:52,886
This is what happens for hours on end.

409
00:52:54,008 --> 00:52:55,282
Nothing.

410
00:52:58,448 --> 00:53:02,202
With spotters continuing
the search for the Ndutu pride,

411
00:53:02,288 --> 00:53:06,076
Owen got on with filming the
Great Migration of the wildebeest

412
00:53:06,168 --> 00:53:08,284
and its newest recruits.

413
00:53:11,168 --> 00:53:13,523
What's really nice
about the calves being born

414
00:53:13,608 --> 00:53:16,964
is that for about eight months
while they've been developing,

415
00:53:17,048 --> 00:53:22,486
they've been carried around
by the mums across the plains,

416
00:53:22,568 --> 00:53:25,685
they've been stampeded
by hyenas and lions,

417
00:53:26,128 --> 00:53:29,359
they've criss-crossed
crocodile-infested rivers,

418
00:53:30,088 --> 00:53:32,886
and here they are being born to join in.

419
00:53:41,688 --> 00:53:45,966
It never fails to be
a really wonderful thing to see.

420
00:53:47,408 --> 00:53:51,879
The calf's born and the mother gets up
and starts licking it.

421
00:53:52,328 --> 00:53:56,560
And the little thing tries
to stand up on incredibly wobbly legs,

422
00:53:56,648 --> 00:53:59,287
and within two minutes

423
00:54:00,328 --> 00:54:02,683
it's walking away with its mum.

424
00:54:04,408 --> 00:54:07,127
Oh, look, it's nearly found the udder.

425
00:54:09,608 --> 00:54:12,520
With shots of
wildebeest calving in the can,

426
00:54:12,608 --> 00:54:15,998
Owen could get on with his search
for the lion cubs.

427
00:54:16,608 --> 00:54:20,123
The lions' story was still
hanging in the balance.

428
00:54:20,208 --> 00:54:24,645
All Owen could do was persevere
with his daily filming routine.

429
00:54:28,448 --> 00:54:30,916
Do you think it's breakfast time?

430
00:54:50,968 --> 00:54:53,004
That is a good cup of tea.

431
00:55:02,968 --> 00:55:04,799
Another month had passed

432
00:55:04,888 --> 00:55:07,197
and even with Owen's
years of experience,

433
00:55:07,288 --> 00:55:11,122
the fate of the Ndutu pride lions
was still a mystery to him.

434
00:55:12,928 --> 00:55:17,285
To recognise them, Owen had photographs
of their whisker patterns.

435
00:55:17,648 --> 00:55:20,242
They're as unique as a fingerprint.

436
00:55:21,368 --> 00:55:23,484
If only he could find them.

437
00:55:29,688 --> 00:55:33,283
There's no peace. I am stalked.

438
00:55:33,848 --> 00:55:37,045
Okay, well, it's a low moment,
I have to admit.

439
00:55:39,048 --> 00:55:42,643
Time seems to be dragging.
We need to be doing something.

440
00:55:42,968 --> 00:55:47,598
We can't just be sitting here
admiring every small bird that hops by.

441
00:55:57,608 --> 00:55:59,564
Then one morning

442
00:55:59,648 --> 00:56:02,287
a report came in from
spotter Hamisi Massawe,

443
00:56:02,368 --> 00:56:06,327
who had found a group of lions
matching the Ndutu pride's description.

444
00:56:08,968 --> 00:56:10,117
They're over there.

445
00:56:10,208 --> 00:56:13,245
I think they're there.
What a place to be, Hamisi.

446
00:56:14,368 --> 00:56:16,359
-And there were two cubs.
-Yeah?

447
00:56:16,448 --> 00:56:21,158
-Yeah, okay.
-The male. There's no much mane.

448
00:56:21,288 --> 00:56:22,403
-On the cub?
-Yeah.

449
00:56:22,488 --> 00:56:23,967
Yeah, he's just got a little line.

450
00:56:24,048 --> 00:56:26,084
-Little line. Yes. It's them.
-Yeah.

451
00:56:28,088 --> 00:56:31,876
Finally, after months of worry
and total dedication,

452
00:56:31,968 --> 00:56:35,438
Owen would discover
the fate of his thin female cub,

453
00:56:35,528 --> 00:56:37,723
the one with the black face patches.

454
00:56:37,808 --> 00:56:40,242
Had she managed to survive?

455
00:56:43,888 --> 00:56:47,437
The news was good.

456
00:56:47,728 --> 00:56:49,798
Yes, she's my favourite.

457
00:56:50,208 --> 00:56:52,768
'Cause by all rights

458
00:56:54,728 --> 00:56:56,878
I think she should be dead,

459
00:56:57,208 --> 00:57:01,918
from what I saw in the dry season.
But here she is, still alive.

460
00:57:09,128 --> 00:57:13,406
Wow. She's still got a tiny limp
on her front right foot,

461
00:57:13,888 --> 00:57:17,403
but otherwise is in really good shape.

462
00:57:19,288 --> 00:57:20,516
Wow.

463
00:57:23,728 --> 00:57:25,639
They're so friendly.

464
00:57:27,688 --> 00:57:30,486
Oh, such a fantastic day.

465
00:57:37,568 --> 00:57:40,128
And they're all playing together as well
and reacting,

466
00:57:40,208 --> 00:57:42,768
which they never did in the dry season.

467
00:57:42,848 --> 00:57:44,964
It's absolutely wonderful.

468
00:57:55,568 --> 00:57:58,162
Ah, they've turned into proper lions.

469
00:58:00,488 --> 00:58:03,719
You can spend a long time
in the Serengeti,

470
00:58:03,808 --> 00:58:07,164
and they're all fantastic days,
but suddenly you get a day like this

471
00:58:07,248 --> 00:58:10,479
which is absolutely fantastic.

472
00:58:12,408 --> 00:58:14,000
For the healthy cubs,

473
00:58:14,088 --> 00:58:17,763
it was just another day
in the short-grass plains.

474
00:58:17,888 --> 00:58:20,163
For Owen, a wonderful moment

475
00:58:20,248 --> 00:58:24,605
within the most harrowing lion story
he had ever filmed.

476
00:58:25,305 --> 00:58:31,497
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