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Liuwa Plain National Park.

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A vast wilderness in Western Zambia.

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Home to a cheetah known as Kali.

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She's the longest-lived cheetah
known here.

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Her satellite collar
has allowed scientists to follow her

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for most of her life.

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For eight years, she's thrived
on these huge grasslands.

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But despite this,

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only two of Kali's previous 14 cubs
have reached adulthood.

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Now, after so many failures,

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she has perhaps one last chance
to build a legacy.

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Her three young daughters.

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So far, her most successful litter.

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But these plains
are full of challenges.

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The most difficult times
for her cubs are still to come.

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If she can protect and teach them...

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..succeed where she's failed
before...

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..Kali may finally
establish her dynasty.

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Kali has spent much
of her life alone.

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All female cheetah
are secretive and solitary.

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She travels hundreds of miles,
traversing her enormous range,

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rarely seeing another cheetah.

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Since they were born 15 months ago,

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Kali's three daughters have also
been followed by scientists

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and one of them, Lalu,
now wears a collar like her mother.

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The three sisters were once
part of a litter of six.

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But like so many of Kali's
previous cubs,

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the others died
when they were still small.

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Managing to get the three cubs
as far as this

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is a new milestone for Kali.

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But it's one that is increasingly
challenging for her.

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The bigger the cubs get,
the more food they need.

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Liuwa is over 1,300 square miles
of grassland and scattered forest.

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The family are often forced
to walk for miles a day,

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searching for a meal.

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Kali needs to find something
big enough to feed them all.

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Cheetah are built for speed
and have lightweight bodies.

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Some of these wildebeest
weigh three times as much as Kali.

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Taking one on is a huge risk.

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The sisters are much too young
and inexperienced to help.

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And if the cubs
accidentally alert the herd...

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..the hunt will fail.

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They stay back and watch.

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The best approach
is from downwind...

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..staying hidden amongst the trees
for as long as possible.

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Kali can reach 60mph
in under three seconds.

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She's almost at full speed before
the wildebeest even spot her.

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A well-aimed hoof or horn
could easily kill her.

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The cubs can now approach,
cautiously.

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Kali is so strong,

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she is just able to wrestle
a wildebeest to the ground.

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Hunting something as big as this is
a risk that most cheetah here avoid.

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But Kali has learned to specialise
in taking on large prey.

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The cubs are never far
from their mother,

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following her lead.

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But some lessons
have to be learnt alone.

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A mole rat...

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..out searching for a new burrow.

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It may be small,
but it's not easily intimidated.

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Kali is going to let them
figure out this one for themselves.

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It's unlikely that the sisters
have ever seen a mole rat before

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and certainly they seem unaware
that it's armed with enormous teeth.

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The two uncollared daughters,
Zoho and Tune, soon lose interest.

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Lalu is a little bolder...

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..and much more inquisitive.

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And that soon comes back
to bite her.

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Eventually, Lalu and the mole rat

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both go safely
on their separate ways.

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Each perhaps a little wiser.

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The sisters are still
heavily reliant on Kali,

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but they must learn
the skills needed

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to protect and feed themselves
as quickly as they can.

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It's usually the mother who chooses
when it's time to leave the cubs,

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rather than the other way around.

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When Kali left her last litter,

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they were not much older
than the sisters are now.

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But only one of those cubs
was ever seen again.

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The longer she can stay
and support these three,

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the better their chances will be.

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But Kali is already old
for a cheetah mother.

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If she's to have another litter,

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she can't stay with her daughters
for much longer.

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A few days later.

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Kali has caught another wildebeest.

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But the commotion of the hunt
has attracted attention.

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Liuwa is home to some of
the largest hyena in Africa.

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Hyena usually hunt for themselves,

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but certainly won't turn down
an easy meal.

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They will kill young cheetah,

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especially those who come
between them and their food.

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It seems that all Kali's efforts
have been for nothing.

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She won't risk a fight.

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The family moves on.

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Aside, that is, from Lalu.

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She isn't willing to walk away
from her mother's hard-won kill.

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This is very risky.

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The hyena's massive jaws
could crush her.

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That was just one step too close.

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Another lesson learned.

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Cheetah are built for speed...

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..not confrontation.

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It's time for the cubs
to try out their hunting skills.

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But they'll need
to start with something

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slightly less ambitious
than wildebeest.

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Pelicans.

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They're not right either.

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Their mother certainly
knows what is...

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..and what isn't worth pursuing.

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But Lalu can't resist investigating.

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It might be fun
to chase a wild cat...

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..but it's never going
to make a decent meal.

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Occasionally, even the most
promising hunt can be spoiled...

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..by a passer-by.

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And sometimes, the sisters
need to look a bit harder.

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At other times, the cubs
just aren't able to keep up...

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..either with their prey...

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..or each other.

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This chase has taken Lalu
far from the others.

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Surrounded by grass as long as this,
it's easy to get lost.

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Lalu may be the most independent
of the three sisters,

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but she's not ready
to be alone just yet.

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Calling to her family might work...

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..but it might also attract
the wrong attention.

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Others are out here too...

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..always listening.

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Best to keep a low profile.

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Her mother and the rest
of the family

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still have no idea where Lalu is.

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Carried on the wind...

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..the faint call of a cheetah.

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It's her mother, Kali.

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Lalu is now heading
in the right direction.

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At last...

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..reunited with her family.

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The cubs are now at a critical age,

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for both themselves
and their mother.

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It's nearly time for them
to go it alone.

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The next month or so
will be crucial.

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Six weeks later...

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..and the sisters have finally
honed their skills.

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They're now transformed,
working together.

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They break up the herd, allowing
Kali to single out a yearling.

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Larger wildebeest will try
to drive off predators,

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but just as Kali loses her grip,
Lalu arrives to help her.

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Zoho and Tune keep
the other adults back,

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charging the herd and stamping
their feet into the dust.

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With the rest of the wildebeest
kept at bay,

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Lalu and Kali are beginning to win.

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While the cubs help
to subdue their catch,

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Kali keeps her jaws
clamped on its throat.

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This could keep them well fed
for the next few days.

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Together, they have succeeded.

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But they still have the problem

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of keeping possession
of their hard-won meal.

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Hyena, again.

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But this time...

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..the sisters refuse to back away.

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In fact, quite the opposite.

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They force the hyena to flee.

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They are not cubs any more.

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Not only have the sisters
reached a turning point,

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but so has their mother.

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Kali is now nearly nine years old.

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Many cheetah never even
reach this age.

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Her three daughters,
her most successful family ever,

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may be ready to face the world
without her.

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But does Kali have
enough time left...

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..for just one more litter?

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THUNDER RUMBLES

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A few weeks later
and the rains have arrived in Liuwa.

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The dry, dusty plains...

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..have been transformed
into lush grassland...

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..teeming with life.

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The sisters have been sheltering
from an overnight storm

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in a patch of scrubby woodland.

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But as dawn breaks...

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..something is missing.

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No matter how much Lalu calls...

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..there's no sign of their mother.

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The time has arrived.

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Kali has left them.

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The sisters are now 18 months old.

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Kali stayed with them
for much longer

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than any of her previous litters.

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Those extra months gave them
the chance to practise, learn

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and grow in strength and confidence.

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For now, these sisters
have the support of each other.

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And they will need it.

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Life without their mother
to look after them has begun.

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A few weeks later...

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..the sisters are still near
to where Kali left them.

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The three of them are hungry.

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They spread out, trying to flush out
suitable prey from the long grass.

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They still don't want
to take on anything

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as dangerous as a wildebeest.

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Not yet.

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Oribi are relatively tiny.

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But they're still not easy to catch.

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Despite her speed...

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..Tune can't make up
for the oribi's head start.

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But Lalu is still close by,
ready to join in the hunt.

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One trip, and the oribi is down.

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The meal is shared
by all three of them.

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The sisters are supporting
each other, for now.

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THUNDER RUMBLES AND CRASHES

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It's hard for them at the moment.

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But it will get even harder.

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If they're ever to have cubs
of their own,

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they will eventually
have to go their separate ways...

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..and break the bond between them.

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So far, they've spent
their entire lives together.

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But once they split up,
they may never see each other again.

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A few months later and the rains
are drawing to a close.

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Ever since leaving
her three daughters...

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..Kali has been living
out on the open plains.

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Today, she seems cautious...

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..carefully scanning
the long grass for danger.

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And she has reason to be so.

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Two tiny cubs.

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00:37:41,780 --> 00:37:43,820
One male...

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..and one female.

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Kali may be over nine years old...

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..but once again
she's become a mother.

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00:38:17,820 --> 00:38:22,980
Since their birth ten weeks ago,
these cubs have been kept secret,

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hidden in a den
deep in the long grass.

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00:38:29,300 --> 00:38:32,940
But now, for the first time,
she's brought them out.

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With their mother
taking a well-earned nap,

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it's a good opportunity
for the cubs to begin to learn

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how to survive here.

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If she's ever to provide
for litters of her own,

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the female cub must become
an accomplished hunter.

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From up here, there should be
a chance of spotting prey.

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But then, of course,

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there's the tricky problem
of getting down again.

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Now, learning the art of the chase.

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As well as hunting,
the male cub will, one day,

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have to challenge others
for territory or females.

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He needs to learn how to
hold his own, even at this age.

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Finally, they both need to learn
how to bring down their quarry.

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No peace...

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..for Kali.

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00:41:07,260 --> 00:41:10,660
But the early days for the family
are, in fact,

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the most dangerous days.

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00:41:17,540 --> 00:41:22,820
Kali lost many of her previous cubs,
sometimes even whole litters,

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00:41:22,820 --> 00:41:25,380
while they were still very young.

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00:41:32,540 --> 00:41:35,940
In order to feed them,
she must hunt regularly,

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and that means leaving them alone...

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..unguarded.

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Without her to protect them,
they're vulnerable.

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Meanwhile, over 30 miles away...

251
00:42:39,340 --> 00:42:40,980
..Lalu.

252
00:42:51,700 --> 00:42:54,700
She has split away
from her sisters...

253
00:42:55,700 --> 00:42:57,740
..and now lives alone.

254
00:43:01,940 --> 00:43:05,020
She's beginning to adjust
to the solitary life

255
00:43:05,020 --> 00:43:07,340
of an adult female cheetah.

256
00:43:14,860 --> 00:43:18,140
With neither her mother
nor her sisters to help her,

257
00:43:18,140 --> 00:43:21,380
hunting has become much,
much harder.

258
00:43:33,580 --> 00:43:36,420
But her mother has taught her well.

259
00:43:51,860 --> 00:43:53,700
Stay low...

260
00:43:55,380 --> 00:43:58,740
..and hidden until the last moment.

261
00:44:04,660 --> 00:44:08,100
At full speed,
her tail serves as a counterbalance

262
00:44:08,100 --> 00:44:10,700
to help her out-manoeuvre her prey.

263
00:44:38,340 --> 00:44:40,620
Now a successful hunter...

264
00:44:42,820 --> 00:44:45,860
..she's survived this most
difficult transition...

265
00:44:47,220 --> 00:44:49,500
..adapting to life alone.

266
00:45:10,060 --> 00:45:14,220
Soon, she may be ready to take on
the enormous challenge

267
00:45:14,220 --> 00:45:16,540
of bringing up a family out here...

268
00:45:21,460 --> 00:45:24,260
..and follow in her
mother's footsteps.

269
00:45:45,940 --> 00:45:50,060
A few months later,
on the far side of the plains...

270
00:45:53,140 --> 00:45:56,620
..Kali is still caring
for her latest litter.

271
00:46:03,260 --> 00:46:06,300
But she now has only one cub left...

272
00:46:07,940 --> 00:46:09,740
..the young male.

273
00:46:20,260 --> 00:46:24,380
A few weeks after leaving the den,
his sister died.

274
00:46:27,460 --> 00:46:31,500
A life spent continuously
on the move took its toll.

275
00:46:33,740 --> 00:46:37,180
She was just not strong enough
to survive.

276
00:46:44,100 --> 00:46:48,340
Kali and her son stayed
with the body for two days,

277
00:46:48,340 --> 00:46:51,260
before finally moving on.

278
00:47:03,020 --> 00:47:07,500
But the male cub, with his
mother's undivided attention,

279
00:47:07,500 --> 00:47:11,100
is growing in strength
and experience.

280
00:47:17,620 --> 00:47:20,900
One day, he may go on
to father cubs

281
00:47:20,900 --> 00:47:24,300
beyond even the area
roamed by his elder sisters.

282
00:47:29,420 --> 00:47:32,980
Kali has now travelled
these plains for a decade...

283
00:47:34,340 --> 00:47:37,100
..the oldest known cheetah in
Zambia.

284
00:47:43,620 --> 00:47:47,700
Over the last two years, she
has successfully raised more cubs

285
00:47:47,700 --> 00:47:50,620
than all her previous
litters combined.

286
00:48:01,300 --> 00:48:05,020
Her daughters now range
right across these plains.

287
00:48:05,020 --> 00:48:07,780
Three more potential
cheetah mothers.

288
00:48:09,340 --> 00:48:13,060
She and they now make up
almost two-thirds

289
00:48:13,060 --> 00:48:15,900
of all breeding females known here.

290
00:48:22,100 --> 00:48:27,340
Bringing up a family on these
unforgiving plains is always hard.

291
00:48:34,380 --> 00:48:36,940
But despite years of struggle...

292
00:48:37,860 --> 00:48:40,140
..Kali's dynasty is finally...

293
00:48:41,260 --> 00:48:43,100
..thriving.

294
00:48:59,940 --> 00:49:02,500
Ready to go. Cheetah today.

295
00:49:04,260 --> 00:49:06,260
For the Dynasties team,

296
00:49:06,260 --> 00:49:10,340
the biggest challenge when filming
cheetah is simply finding them.

297
00:49:10,340 --> 00:49:13,340
Every morning, we set off
between four in the morning

298
00:49:13,340 --> 00:49:15,540
and kind of five in the morning.

299
00:49:15,540 --> 00:49:18,260
You can see the colour
of the long grass here.

300
00:49:18,260 --> 00:49:21,140
Cheetahs are so camouflaged
in this environment

301
00:49:21,140 --> 00:49:24,180
and as you can see,
the area is vast and wide.

302
00:49:25,580 --> 00:49:27,580
Liuwa Plain National Park

303
00:49:27,580 --> 00:49:30,860
has one of the biggest
cheetah populations in Zambia,

304
00:49:30,860 --> 00:49:35,340
but they're spread across
an area of over 1,300 square miles

305
00:49:35,340 --> 00:49:39,980
and individuals can travel
huge distances in a single night.

306
00:49:42,260 --> 00:49:46,100
Fortunately for Mark and the team,
they're not alone in the search.

307
00:49:47,500 --> 00:49:50,580
They're able to work with
a group of dedicated researchers,

308
00:49:50,580 --> 00:49:53,020
the Zambian Carnivore Programme,

309
00:49:53,020 --> 00:49:56,460
who have pioneered the use
of satellite tracking collars

310
00:49:56,460 --> 00:49:59,700
to better understand
and protect the cheetah here.

311
00:50:01,860 --> 00:50:04,980
These studies have given them
unique insights

312
00:50:04,980 --> 00:50:08,740
into the lives of individual
cheetah, including Kali,

313
00:50:08,740 --> 00:50:11,340
also known as Cheetah 1-80.

314
00:50:13,220 --> 00:50:17,580
So Cheetah 1-80 is the first
cheetah I saw here in Liuwa.

315
00:50:17,580 --> 00:50:20,900
When I followed her for
the first time, she was still young.

316
00:50:20,900 --> 00:50:24,500
Knowing what she's been through
in all those years

317
00:50:24,500 --> 00:50:27,300
makes her a very special cheetah
to me.

318
00:50:30,020 --> 00:50:33,180
She's a symbol of survival
and resilience.

319
00:50:34,580 --> 00:50:37,300
For me, she is the queen of Liuwa.

320
00:50:39,500 --> 00:50:41,780
Working closely with the researchers

321
00:50:41,780 --> 00:50:44,380
gives the Dynasties team
a head start.

322
00:50:46,740 --> 00:50:50,100
But even then,
finding the cheetah every day

323
00:50:50,100 --> 00:50:53,740
in the vastness of these plains
isn't always straightforward.

324
00:50:56,020 --> 00:50:58,500
A lot of mornings
we've got collars to rely on,

325
00:50:58,500 --> 00:51:02,300
but today there's no GPS fix
from the collars,

326
00:51:02,300 --> 00:51:05,300
so we must do it
the old-fashioned way.

327
00:51:07,020 --> 00:51:10,540
We're looking for footprints in the
sand to try and pick up her trail.

328
00:51:10,540 --> 00:51:14,820
So this is fresh and you can see
the paw marks here, here and here,

329
00:51:14,820 --> 00:51:17,100
and just the pad there.

330
00:51:17,100 --> 00:51:20,180
Oh, there goes Ason.
You got something?

331
00:51:20,180 --> 00:51:23,260
Yeah, we've got the tracks
and they're going that way. OK.

332
00:51:23,260 --> 00:51:26,060
We're very lucky,
we've got amazing trackers with us

333
00:51:26,060 --> 00:51:28,500
and they are in hot pursuit
at the moment.

334
00:51:28,500 --> 00:51:31,420
I mean, they are disappearing
faster than I can keep up.

335
00:51:36,380 --> 00:51:38,420
By following the tracks,

336
00:51:38,420 --> 00:51:41,220
the team hope to be able
to catch up with the cheetah.

337
00:51:42,700 --> 00:51:45,540
It's pretty amazing,
about four hours of tracking her,

338
00:51:45,540 --> 00:51:48,540
through about three woodlands,
about 5km,

339
00:51:48,540 --> 00:51:51,460
and she's just popped her head up
over here, which is great.

340
00:51:51,460 --> 00:51:54,100
Pretty impressive work
by the trackers.

341
00:51:55,380 --> 00:51:57,740
Working with experts like these

342
00:51:57,740 --> 00:52:01,380
means the team can spend as much
time as possible with the cheetah,

343
00:52:01,380 --> 00:52:05,020
allowing them to capture
intimate moments in their lives.

344
00:52:07,900 --> 00:52:11,740
She's just rolling around in front
of us. It's completely magical.

345
00:52:18,700 --> 00:52:23,260
The tracking work here, however,
has a much more important purpose,

346
00:52:23,260 --> 00:52:26,380
to help protect these
wonderful cats.

347
00:52:27,580 --> 00:52:30,460
It's not going well
with cheetahs in Africa.

348
00:52:30,460 --> 00:52:34,300
The threats cheetahs are facing now
is habitat loss,

349
00:52:34,300 --> 00:52:39,180
prey depletion, illegal hunting
and illegal wildlife trade.

350
00:52:39,180 --> 00:52:44,420
So having a population like we have
here in Liuwa is very important.

351
00:52:47,740 --> 00:52:51,100
Cheetah numbers have halved
in the last 40 years

352
00:52:51,100 --> 00:52:55,220
and the huge areas they roam makes
protecting those that remain

353
00:52:55,220 --> 00:52:57,460
particularly challenging.

354
00:52:57,460 --> 00:53:01,020
This is why the collar tracking data
is so important.

355
00:53:01,020 --> 00:53:04,340
We collar cheetahs
to know where they go,

356
00:53:04,340 --> 00:53:06,540
how they use the environment.

357
00:53:06,540 --> 00:53:09,820
If we can identify all of this
we are able to better protect,

358
00:53:09,820 --> 00:53:11,860
not just cheetahs here in Liuwa,

359
00:53:11,860 --> 00:53:14,300
but also cheetahs
in the rest of Africa.

360
00:53:15,540 --> 00:53:19,620
The collars don't harm the cats
or affect their behaviour

361
00:53:19,620 --> 00:53:23,820
and the protection they can give
has never been more vital than now.

362
00:53:25,060 --> 00:53:27,100
In the last two years,

363
00:53:27,100 --> 00:53:31,140
at least three of Liuwa's cheetah
have died in poachers' snares.

364
00:53:33,020 --> 00:53:35,660
But the collars
allow park authorities

365
00:53:35,660 --> 00:53:38,940
to target conservation efforts
where they're needed most,

366
00:53:38,940 --> 00:53:42,140
helping to protect
this vital population.

367
00:53:48,140 --> 00:53:51,660
The battery in Kali's collar
is starting to run out.

368
00:53:57,980 --> 00:54:02,020
If it isn't changed soon, it may
risk both the long-term study

369
00:54:02,020 --> 00:54:04,260
and the ability to protect her.

370
00:54:06,460 --> 00:54:10,420
Working with expert wildlife vet
Dr Brian Musalo,

371
00:54:10,420 --> 00:54:13,420
they first need to sedate Kali.

372
00:54:13,420 --> 00:54:16,940
The procedure that we are doing
is quite short.

373
00:54:16,940 --> 00:54:20,140
Yeah, we are basically
just fitting a collar.

374
00:54:20,140 --> 00:54:25,220
So a short anaesthetic period
would be ideal to actually do that.

375
00:54:43,100 --> 00:54:47,100
It's a tense moment, but the team
are able to keep the disturbance

376
00:54:47,100 --> 00:54:49,780
to Kali and her son to a minimum.

377
00:54:55,060 --> 00:54:57,500
They get to work
as fast as possible,

378
00:54:57,500 --> 00:55:00,700
all the time carefully
monitoring the nearby cub.

379
00:55:03,660 --> 00:55:05,580
How much? How much?

380
00:55:05,580 --> 00:55:08,740
A splash of water helps keep
her cool throughout the process.

381
00:55:08,740 --> 00:55:10,300
Slowly.

382
00:55:19,420 --> 00:55:22,460
In just a few minutes
the collar is fitted

383
00:55:22,460 --> 00:55:25,100
and vital measurements are taken.

384
00:55:25,100 --> 00:55:28,740
Nose to base of tail, 126.5.

385
00:55:28,740 --> 00:55:31,020
126.5.

386
00:55:43,220 --> 00:55:45,220
Everyone else withdraws,

387
00:55:45,220 --> 00:55:48,620
before Dr Musalo
administers the antidote.

388
00:56:03,940 --> 00:56:06,540
The effects of the drugs
wear off quickly...

389
00:56:08,180 --> 00:56:11,020
..and Kali is soon
reunited with her son.

390
00:56:16,100 --> 00:56:18,300
So now she has a new collar.

391
00:56:18,300 --> 00:56:21,580
That will give us
the opportunity to monitor her

392
00:56:21,580 --> 00:56:25,460
and protect her
for the next two years.

393
00:56:25,460 --> 00:56:27,860
Yeah, job well done today.

394
00:56:34,100 --> 00:56:37,500
The collar worn by Lalu,
Kali's daughter,

395
00:56:37,500 --> 00:56:40,900
has shown that she roams
far beyond the park,

396
00:56:40,900 --> 00:56:43,940
even crossing international borders.

397
00:56:45,340 --> 00:56:49,820
Data like this may one day lead to
the expansion of protected areas,

398
00:56:49,820 --> 00:56:53,620
giving cheetah the space
they need to survive.

399
00:56:55,620 --> 00:56:58,340
With only 7,000 cheetahs
left in the wild,

400
00:56:58,340 --> 00:57:01,420
every population,
every individual counts.

401
00:57:01,420 --> 00:57:04,420
So every single cheetah
can make a difference

402
00:57:04,420 --> 00:57:08,300
and that's why it's worth protecting
every cheetah that we still have.

403
00:57:09,900 --> 00:57:14,140
With luck, Kali's legacy might
not just be felt in Liuwa...

404
00:57:15,460 --> 00:57:20,020
..but play a role in protecting
cheetah right across the continent.

405
00:57:27,140 --> 00:57:29,020
Next time...

406
00:57:30,460 --> 00:57:33,740
..a clan of hyenas
is thrown into turmoil...

407
00:57:35,140 --> 00:57:38,660
..as two contenders
vie to become to queen.

408
00:57:41,540 --> 00:57:47,540
But the path to power is never easy,
especially when raising a family.